Miyume stirred slightly when Mirai touched her and her eyes fluttered open. Curiously, her expression seemed to crumble, tears were filling her eyes and threatening to spill. She swallowed once in an attempt to hold her tears at bay. Her face was red with humiliation. As she struggled to stand, there was a bewildered mixture of hurt and anger on her face.

She wished she could say she was surprised but she wasn't. People had assumed she was faking it just to get attention and sympathy for years now, after all.

Miyume trembled like a newborn deer, her whole body feeling week and like she might collapse again at any moment but she managed to stand back up.