Chapter 8: The Choice in a Hug
Utsuro's embrace was warm.
Too warm.
Like a snake coiling gently around his body, not to crush him—but to remind him that it could.
Katsumi sat frozen, body tense, eyes wide.
She didn't let go.
Not yet.
Instead, she whispered again, softly—sweetly, as if offering him something beautiful.
"If you want all of this to end… just hug me back."
Her voice was smooth, but the weight behind her words was undeniable.
By end, she didn't mean the pain would go away.
She meant the resistance.
The rumors.
The beatings.
The hate.
All of it would vanish—if he just gave in.
If he became her boyfriend again.
No questions.
No freedom.
Just compliance.
That was the deal.
Katsumi stared ahead, unmoving. He could still feel the ache in his ribs, the sharp sting across his face.
His hands hovered at his sides.
He could do it.
He could lift them.
Wrap them around her.
Give her what she wanted.
And everything might go back to the way it was.
Normal, in the eyes of everyone else.
But he didn't move.
Not yet.
Because his mind was screaming.
His heart felt like it was trapped between two walls—fear and guilt pressing from either side.
He didn't know what to do.
He didn't know what was right anymore.
---
Utsuro pulled back slowly, just enough to look at his face.
Her expression softened—not angry, not disappointed.
Just patient.
She tilted her head slightly, as if studying a puzzle.
"I see," she said gently. "You're still confused."
She smiled.
A quiet, understanding smile.
"I won't rush you."
She ran a hand through his messy hair, brushing it back with surprising tenderness.
"Think about it, okay?"
Then she stood up, smoothed her skirt, and picked up the used bandages.
"I'll come see you again tomorrow."
And with that, she walked away—like nothing had happened.
Leaving Katsumi alone in the sterile, quiet nurse's room.
Staring at the ceiling.
With only one thought swirling in his mind:
Is this still a choice… or a trap?