Face The Pain. Choose To Be Better!

Eventually, the night comes as Shiori approaches the school in the dark, dimly lit area having only the minor lights on. Shiori's face is serious as she looks around, the collar on her overshirt popped up covering a bit of the lower part of her face. Her eyes are sharp as someone calls to her. 

Amy "Hey! Shiori!"

She calls out in a soft tone before quickly rushing to her. Shiori is surprised to see her again.

Shiori "Amy? What are you doing here?"

Amy "They have a plan for you. You gotta get outta here."

Shiori takes a step back from Amy as she approaches her. This surprised Amy and causes her to pull back a bit.

Shiori "How do you know that?"

She asks with a curious and cautious look. Amy sweats and stumbles for an answer. 

Amy "Well- I- I told you, I knew he was planning something, so I-"

Drake "Amy?"

They turn to see Drake and his gang step from the shadows towards them.

Drake "Why are you with her? You're supposed to be waiting inside, isn't that what you said?"

He asks with a confused look as Amy begins to panic.

Amy "No, I didn't-"

She turns towards Shiori who gives her a slightly betrayed look as Amy's eyes fill with regret and conflictions. Drake rolls his eyes and grunts.

Drake "Whatever. Just get her."

He says as the big guy from before pulls out some rope. The gang starts stepping towards her as Amy stutters over an explanation.

Amy "Shiori, please. I didn't mean to-"

Shiori "Just move."

She says, cutting her off. Shiori stares intently at the gang as Amy steps back with a regretful look on her face. The gang rushes her as Drake watches, noticing Shiori not moving a bit. The guy quickly wraps the rope around her and ties her up. He steps back with a smile.

Student 1 "That wasn't so tough. How is she all that threatening?"

He asks while looking back at Drake. Shiori looks down at the ropes tied around her for a moment before lifting her arms and tearing the rope with little to no resistance. The others are all stunned as she casually looks at them.

Shiori "What else do you have planned?"

She asks calmly as Drake growls in frustration.

Drake "Come on guys! Get her! We have to restrain her for this to work!"

He shouts as they all turn towards her, ready to grab her.

Shiori "Asking nicely will probably show better results."

She says as the bigger guy wraps his arms around her and tries to pick her up but to his shock, he is unable to lift her. He struggles and strains as Shiori stares at him with a plain look.

Student 1 "Why is she so heavy?.!"

After a moment, he stops and stumbles back a bit, sweating and panting.

  Student 1 "This girl ain't normal, man…"

He says before falling on his back from overstressing himself. Shiori looks at the others. 

Shiori "Who's next?"

She says with calm eyes as the others grit their teeth with angry looks as they sweat and hesitate, afraid of what she can really do. Drake clenches his fists and shakes angrily with his head lowered. 

Drake "I can't believe it… Even after all this time… You're still just trampling all over my dreams!"

He shouts while looking up at her with an intensely angry look. He fades back to a time when he was young. His gaze is still just as angry as he looks a bit scuffed up. 

Drake 'Ever since that day… I lived in fear that for simply being in your way I'd be struck down again… Until I decided I've had enough…'

He stares at a younger Shiori as she looks down on him with an intimidating glare. It fades back as Shiori stares at Drake in the present but with a much softer look in her eyes.

Drake "But even now, you're still acting like I don't mean anything to you! Like I'm so far beneath you and I've had enough!"

He shouts with an intense look before pulling a knife out from his pocket and dashing towards her. Amy gasps in shock as Shiori's eyes widen.

Drake "I'll make you feel small, I'll make you feel weak!"

He shouts as he runs towards her. Shiori doesn't move and stares at him.

Amy "No! Stop, you can't do this!"

She shouts before jumping in front of Shiori as Drake swings the knife at her. Both their eyes widen as Amy shuts hers tightly, waiting for the strike but it never comes. She slowly opens her eyes to see the knife stopped right in front of her chest, lodged in Shiori's hand. Shiori is standing tightly behind her with her hand in front of Amy, stopping the knife with her hand. It bleeds as Drake stares for a moment. Amy shakily looks at Shiori.

Amy "You… you protected me, even after I.."

Shiori smiles at her a bit.

Shiori "Of course. You're my friend."

Amy's eyes begin to tear up as Shiori looks back at Drake.

Shiori "Besides, I had a feeling he'd come for you at some point."

Drake grunts with an angry look as the knife shakes, unable to be pulled from Shiori's hand. 

Drake "What the Hell are you doing?! You're protecting her?! You could've gotten hurt or die-"

He abruptly stops as his eyes widen. He looks at the knife in Shiori's hand that he is still holding onto before realizing what he could have done. He quickly lets it go and steps back. Shiori relaxes her stance and steps next to Amy, pulling the knife out of her hand. Drake shakes for a moment before gritting his teeth and glaring at Shiori.

Drake "This is all your fault.."

Amy "You have to stop."

Drake is surprised a bit as Amy speaks up.

Amy "I know this feeling. Some deep hatred of a person you hardly even know.. Based on the pain they inflicted on you so long ago. But this isn't right! You're acting no better!"

She shouts passionately as Drake stares at her. She pauses for a moment before speaking again.

Amy "The things you're trying to do… they don't get you what you want…"

She looks down with a sad look as she thinks back to the Sports Festival, when Hina and Ichika left her because of what she did. Tears start to softly fall a bit.

Amy "You only lose the more you try to take back…"

Drake's expression softens for a moment before he shakes his head and gets angry again.

Drake "But this is her fault! She chose to be this way! She chose to be a bully!"

Shiori's eyes widen just a bit.

Amy "But it's not! You're blaming her for something she couldn't-"

Shiori "No. He's right."

Amy looks at Shiori in surprise as she steps forward. Drake clenches his fist again and glares at her.

Shiori "He's completely right and there is no excuse. I was mean and cruel for no reason beyond what I felt about myself. I didn't care what anyone else felt, I didn't care about what happened to anyone else. And all of this is the consequence of my own actions."

She says heartfully as her eyes begin to get glossy. She slowly steps towards Drake as he takes one step back. He shakes and sweats as he tries to keep his anger aflame. She stops when she's just out of arm's reach of him.

Shiori "I chose to be mean. I chose to be a bully. But today, right now, I choose to be better."

She says softly as she raises her injured hand towards him, offering it to him. Drake looks at it in surprise and confusion before looking at her in the same way.

Shiori "I may not remember what I did to you, any of you, but I'm sorry."

Drake's eyes widen in that moment.

Drake 'She… doesn't remember..?'

He thinks of that moment from before where he stares at her scuffed up as she stares at him intimidatingly. 

Drake 'Do I… even remember?.. I just remember her and the way she made me feel… Can I even say what she did?..'

He thinks to himself as this conflict begins to rise in him. The other members of the group all begin to think about her words. They all sit in silence for a moment before one of the girls stand up.

Student 2 "Drake? I think I'm gonna go home now… I can't agree with what we're doing anymore…"

She says nervously before stepping away. He watches as another one steps up.

Student 1 "I wanted to make her feel how she made me feel but… hurting others for it? What was I thinking?.."

He says softly as they each one by one begin to leave him. Drake watches before turning his attention back to Shiori's offered hand. He stares for a moment before sighing a bit. 

Drake "I spent so long trying to make you hurt the way you hurt me… But it seems I'm not even really sure what that is…"

He looks up at her before extending his hand and shaking hers. 

Shiori "I don't expect you to like me, not even a little. But hurting others… won't bring you peace."

She looks back at Amy who lowers her head a bit.

Shiori "I know."

Drake looks at her before nodding a bit and stepping back. He rubs the back of his head awkwardly before looking around. 

Drake "Uh… I guess I'll see you around."

He says before turning around. He takes a step before stopping with a surprised look on his face as his name is called.

Hashigara "Drake, wait for me."

He looks back to see Hashigara approaching him and taking his hand. She smiles at him as he smiles back softly before walking off together. Shiori watches for a moment before exhaling in relief.

Shiori "Finally. I hope that's the end of all these revenge schemes."

She says while placing her hands on her hips as Amy shyly approaches her.

Amy "Yeah… Sorry about that…"

Shiori turns and looks at her confused.

Shiori "Why are you apologizing?"

Amy "Well, it's mostly my fault they went after you. After my stunt at the Sports Festival, they got all inspired and stuff…"

Shiori shakes her head with a smile.

Shiori "There's always been people after me, that's not your fault."

Amy looks at her softly.

Shiori "Whether it be because of my eyes or because of my actions, people tend to not like me very much. But now I don't care if they do or don't because I got friends who love me the way I am."

She places her clean hand on Amy's shoulder who smiles back at her. Suddenly, they hear someone call for Amy.