📘 2007: A Girl with No Tomorrow

✦ Chapter 3: Winners Don't Cry

> “The gold around my neck felt heavy.

Like shame. Like a noose they wanted to tighten themselves.”

— Aki Hoshino

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The auditorium echoed with polite applause.

Aki stood on the stage, dressed in her crisp school uniform, her bow strapped behind her back.

Gold medal.

First place.

Again.

The archery board showed it clearly — a perfect score. No misses.

She bowed when her name was called. The medal string scratched against her neck as she stood back up. Another victory. Another box ticked. Another reason to be hated.

Behind her smile, she was already exhausted.

---

Later, in the corridor, she heard them before she saw them.

“Oh look, the robot won again.”

“Probably rigged. Or she slept with the judges.”

“No personality, just medals.”

Aki didn’t respond. She never did.

But then one voice cut through.

“I hope you choke on that medal, freak.”

It was Yua Nishimura — the girl Aki had beaten. Again.

Yua used to be the school’s pride. Until Aki transferred. Since then, she'd turned her jealousy into cruelty.

And this time, she wasn’t alone.

Her older brother — a dropout known for skipping classes and hanging around the back gate — leaned against the wall behind her. His eyes glinted with amusement.

“Hey Yua,” he said. “Is this the girl?”

“Yeah,” Yua snarled. “Let’s teach her how to lose for once.”

---

They cornered Aki near the back staircase.

No teachers. No students. Just echoing walls and an empty hallway.

Yua grabbed her wrist, nails digging in.

Aki flinched. “Let go.”

But her voice was too calm. Too small.

“You think you're better than everyone?” Yua hissed. “You walk around like a queen, but you're just a sick little freak with a dead face.”

“I didn’t ask to win,” Aki whispered.

Yua slapped her.

Her brother laughed. “She talks like a doll.”

They dragged her to the girl’s bathroom. Yua pushed the door open, shoved Aki inside. The stench of bleach and old water stung her nose.

“Let’s see if your face is as pretty as your scores,” Yua said.

Before Aki could move, Yua grabbed her hair, pulled her toward the toilet. Her brother stood near the door, smirking but not stopping it.

Yua forced Aki down — her head inches from the toilet water.

“You think this is cruel?” Yua growled. “This is mercy. You're already trash. I’m just putting you where you belong.”

Aki clenched her fists. Her heart was racing — but not with fear.

With familiarity.

This wasn’t the first time someone tried to break her.

At home, it was belts. At school, it was words.

Today, it was this.

Aki didn’t scream. She didn’t fight. She just stared into the swirling water.

Then softly, she said, “Do it.”

Yua froze. “What?”

“Push harder,” Aki whispered. “I want to see how long I can breathe.”

Silence.

Her words unsettled them more than any scream could have.

Yua backed off a little. Her hand loosened.

Aki sat back on the tile floor and looked up at them. Her eyes were blank. Hollow. Beautiful in a terrifying way.

“You're not hurting me,” she said. “You're just late. Others already did worse.”

Yua's brother shifted uncomfortably.

“Freak,” Yua spat, her voice suddenly less confident. “Stay away from me.”

They left.

---

Aki stood slowly, dusted off her skirt, looked in the mirror.

Her face was still calm.

She touched her medal.

> “They don’t hate me because I win.

They hate me because I survive.”

She walked out of the bathroom.

Another wound.

Another win.

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End of Chapter 3

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