232 The tattoo of a memory

Author's Note: Trigger warning. There's almost no comedy in this scene. It's quite serious. I'm not going to give away what happens but it's a very traumatic experience for a woman so if you can't handle that, you can consider skipping it.

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It was hard for someone not to like a cheerful, friendly girl who was kind to everyone, but when that like grew too strong, even such a spirited girl couldn't avoid getting broken.

*Bzzz*

The school bell rang as she collected her books with a smile. She couldn't wait to leave class to walk home. After all, it was such a beautiful day outside, and she always got so much enjoyment from listening to the birds sing at this hour. Plus, there were still the cookies her mom baked last night. 'Mmmm…chocolate chip.' She licked her lips thinking about them, before getting distracted by a voice nearby.

"H-hey…" A boy with short dirty-blonde hair appeared there, holding his head down as he called out to her.