Yuki stiffened like she'd been struck, her expression twisting into something between outrage and disbelief.
"Touch my—?! Are you out of your mind?" she hissed, face flushing with fury as her free hand instinctively flew up to cover the jagged scar across her cheekbone.
Noel just stared back at her, unflinching. "You heard me."
Juniper let out a low whistle from where she stood watching, smirk widening in amusement at the escalating tension.
Chie looked between them all with wide eyes, clearly unsure how this was going to play out now…
Yuki snarled at Noel, anger flaring in her eyes. "That's not up for discussion, you idiot," she snapped, voice thick with resentment. "I'll be damned if I let some stranger touch my scar.”
"And why not?" Noel shot back, refusing to back down. "What's so special about that scar that you're so protective of it?”
Yuki's jaw clenched, eyes narrowing like Noel's question had struck a nerve in a way she didn't like.
"....It's personal," she bit out through gritted teeth. "And it's none of your damn business.”
Yuki's breath hitched, her entire body going rigid as if Noel had just struck her.
For a moment, there was only silence, the air thick with something unspoken and heavy. Then,
"...Shut up," she whispered harshly, voice cracking under the weight of something raw and wounded beneath all that anger.
Noel didn’t flinch at Yuki’s reaction, just held her gaze steadily like she knew exactly what those words would do to someone who wore their past like armor.
Juniper let out another slow whistle from behind them, clearly impressed by how deep this conversation had gone.
Chie looked between them both now with wide eyes, as if realizing they'd stepped into territory far darker than any of them expected.
And Kaori? She still kept that light-blade poised near Noel's throat…but even she seemed uncertain about where this was headed next.
Yuki just stared Noel down, chest heaving with the effort of holding back a flood of memories and emotions. "You...you don't understand," she hissed, her voice laced with a pain that belied the anger in her eyes.
Noel didn't waver. "Then make me understand," she said firmly, standing her ground.
Yuki's jaw clenched again, eyes narrowing in frustration. "You have no right to ask that of me," she spat out, trying to shield herself behind a wall of anger and coldness.
Noel just stared back, unrelenting. "I get to ask whatever I want," she stated flatly, voice cold and unwavering. "And right now, I want to know why that scar is off-limits.”
Yuki's breath hitched again, the raw emotion in her eyes warring with the anger that burned just beneath the surface.
"...It's personal," she bit out through gritted teeth, refusing to let herself show the weakness that was threatening to break through.
Noel continued to stare her down, unmoving now. "I gathered that much," she said dryly. "But I want to know why you're so protective of it.”
"Because it hurts," Yuki snapped, voice cracking with something deep, raw, and painful. "Because it's a reminder of the worst moment of my life, and the pain and shame I felt in that moment."
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Noel's eyes widened slightly at the raw admission, as though she hadn't expected so much to be packed into one sentence.
But she recovered quickly, her expression hardening again. "You think you're the only one in this world with scars that hurt?”
Yuki's eyes blazed with anger now, almost a physical effort to hold back the tears that were suddenly glistening in her eyes.
"Don't start with that bullshit," she spat out, voice shaking with the effort of keeping her emotions in check. "You have no idea what I went through to get this scar, what I had to endure."
Noel returned her look with one of equal fire. "Try me.”
Yuki took another slow, deep breath, as if mentally steeling herself for a story she clearly hated having to tell.
Her eyes flickered with something unreadable, a mix of anger, pain, and vulnerability that seemed out of place in someone so defiant and proud.
She met Noel's unwavering gaze once more, and the words spilled out like an emotional dam had just burst:
"Fine. Here's the story. But you're gonna regret asking…"
Yuki's voice dropped to a near-whisper, raw and jagged with pain.
"I got it when my own father carved it into my face."
The words hung in the air like poison, thick enough to choke on. Her fists trembled at her sides, but she didn't look away from Noel, her glare burning hotter than ever as if daring anyone here to pity her for what came next.
Noel's eyes were wide, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief as she took in those words.
Chie was staring with a mix of horror and empathy, like she knew all-too-well the pain of parental abuse.
Yuki's breath hitched, her entire body tense like a coiled spring. Her fingers twitched at her sides, nails digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood if she pressed any further.
"You want to know the rest? Fine."
Her voice was barely above a whisper now, but sharp with venom all the same.
"He said I looked too much like my mother after she left him." A bitter scoff escaped her lips as Yuki forced herself to keep going, eyes burning with something dangerously close to hatred. "And he didn’t want some ‘weak little girl’ running around his house looking just like her…so he made sure I never would again.”
Noel flinched like she'd been struck, her eyes widening in genuine shock as Yuki’s words hit her full-force.
For the first time since this entire fight started, Noel was speechless.
Chie looked absolutely horrified, hands flying up to cover her mouth instinctively.
Kaori finally lowered that light-blade completely, expression shifting from cold indifference into something more complicated…maybe even regretful?
Yuki herself was breathing hard, as if all those pent-up emotions and memories had finally spilled over and left nothing but exhaustion behind them in their wake…
She glared at everyone with watery eyes before muttering: "Happy now?"
No one answered immediately. The gravity of Yuki's words had hit everyone like a freight train, leaving them all stunned in their tracks.
For once, even Juniper looked genuinely unsure what to say next.
Yuki's shoulders slumped now, like the act of telling that story had finally broken through all that anger and left her feeling hollowed-out instead.
"Satisfied? Now you know why I hate people asking about that goddamn scar so much," she whispered.
Noel finally let go of Yuki, being careful not to hurt her any further.
No one answered immediately. The gravity of Yuki's words had hit everyone like a freight train, leaving them all stunned in their tracks.
For once, even Juniper looked genuinely unsure what to say next.
Yuki's shoulders slumped now, like the act of telling that story had finally broken through all that anger and left her feeling hollowed-out instead.
"Satisfied? Now you know why I hate people asking about that goddamn scar so much," she whispered.
Noel finally let go of Yuki, being careful not to hurt her any further.
"I'm...sorry," Noel finally managed to say, voice a tad shaky.
Yuki's anger seemed to drain a bit as she looked up at Noel. "...You sound sincere," she admitted softly. "But I don't need your pity, y'know.”
"I know," Noel replied quietly. "But I'm not pitying you. I'm…I'm angry for you."
Yuki's eyes flickered, surprise flashing through them at those words. "You...what?" she repeated, voice a little softer now.
Noel's eyes were serious and unwavering as she spoke. "I'm angry for you. That someone would do something so awful and cruel to their own kid."
Yuki's expression flitted between shock and confusion, like this was the last thing she'd expected to hear. "And….you mean that, huh?" she said slowly, eyes still searching Noel's face for any hint of deception.
Noel nodded seriously. "Absolutely. I mean every damn word."
Yuki's anger seemed to melt away a bit more at those words, like they held a kind of authenticity she'd rarely heard before. "You're not just trying to get in my good graces, right?" she said slowly, eyes still narrowed but with less hostility.
Noel met her skeptical look with one of honesty. "Not at all. I just call it how I see it, and that story pisses me off."
Yuki's expression flickered, like she was surprised Noel would be so upfront about that. She was silent for a moment, studying Noel with a mix of suspicion and something else…like there was a part of her that wanted to believe Noel's sincerity, even if she was struggling to trust those feelings.
