Yuko blinked through her tears—stunned that my fury wasn't aimed at her, but for her. She shook her head quickly, almost frantically. "That person… is dead. He's gone… don't worry… it's over… but the damage… it stayed with me… turned me into this…"
She looked down again, voice barely audible. "But no matter what… It's all my fault. I'm willing to kill myself… to end this pain… to make sure I never hurt anyone again… especially you… especially Haruna…"
Before she could spiral further into that dark place, I reached out—fast despite the "agony"—grabbed her wrist with surprising strength, and yanked her forward.
She tumbled onto the bed with a soft gasp, landing half across my chest, her body pressing against the bandages in a way that made me groan theatrically.
"Aa—!" I hissed, wincing dramatically, as if the impact had reopened invisible wounds.
