Tomoko felt her ass burning from the slaps, but she barely had ti to rest.
She didn’t dare to move while she listened to Ana recall everything that happened in the gym. All Tomoko did was nod whenever Shin asked her a question.
This ti, she didn’t dare to lie for him. She just hoped the punishnts would be light.
"So... why did you do it?" Shin asked, his tone was normal, but Tomoko still felt her stomach clenching. "Why did you falsely accuse the n?"
Tomoko’s breath caught. "I... it was because he... he deserved it..." she mumbled, trying to formulate a defense.
"Be honest," Shin roared.
Just these simple words made the woman completely give up on finding excuses. Tomoko knew it would only worsen her punishnt.
"I was angry..." she mumbled in a low voice.
Shin raised an eyebrow and rested his hand on her ass. He didn’t slap her, just massaged her butt, reaching for the small of her back.
Tomoko was trembling, unsure if she would be able to withstand another spanking.
"You know very well that people will tend to believe you in a situation like that. Even after the poor man clears his na, there will probably still be gossip about it."
Tomoko looked down. She had nothing to say in her defense.
"It’s probably already hard enough for him. After you gain a lot of weight, changing your life becos really hard, you know? Or do you think he doesn’t receive enough judgnt already just for being overweight? People have the right to try improving."
Ana looked at Shin with empathy as he spoke. She thought he might be speaking from personal experience.
That empathy quickly turned into even greater fury toward her best friend.
"Tomoko, I love you," Ana said coldly, "but you need to learn that you are not the only person in the world. Everyone has their own problems, and what you did was terrible."
Her words cut deeper than when Shin had said it. They hurt even more than the slaps.
Tomoko gritted her teeth, feeling a flash of anger. Still, this ti the rage did not take over her body.
Instead, she took a deep breath and thought about everything that had happened. Finally, she admitted it.
"I... I was wrong. I’m sorry," she mumbled softly.
The words felt strange. It had been a very long ti since she had last admitted her own mistakes like that.
Still, Tomoko could not fully accept that she was wrong. Yes, she could understand that her actions had been bad, but...
She was soone who dealt poorly with her own mistakes. Even when playing volleyball, she would always find excuses or bla her teammates for losses.
The problem was that she was so talented that people overlooked this flaw. Everyone praised her. Everyone spoiled her. There was no one willing to force her to face her own mistakes and truly take responsibility.
And once again, she tried to defend herself, tried to find an excuse, so she wouldn’t need to assu the full responsibility.
"But I was having a terrible day, and... and... If only Mom were around!" she said louder this ti, her anger returning. "It’s so unfair! Why..."
"Stop."
Shin’s voice cut through her words like a dagger.
Tomoko froze instantly.
She did not even dare to move after hearing the command. Her body began trembling with fear.
"Don’t try creating excuses," Shin said cloudily.
"But... but I didn’t an to..."
"You ant to hurt him, and you succeeded." Shin’s tone didn’t soften.
Tomoko wanted to disagree, but she couldn’t. She had nothing to say in her defence. And a new feeling began to blossom in her mind: guilt.
"That’s the problem, sis. When you feel bad, you need soone else to feel worse. It’s your pattern. You always lash out at others. You act like you’re the only one having a difficult ti, as if everyone else is supposed to deal with it."
"I don’t..." Tomoko mumbled, but there was no conviction in her voice.
This ti, Ana stepped in again.
She moved closer to Shin, deliberately resting a hand on his shoulder with affection. Then she turned her cold gaze toward her best friend.
"Do I need to refresh your mory?" Ana asked. "The junior you kept bothering until she quit the team. The teacher you constantly disobey. The girl from Class E..."
The list kept going.
Example after example fell like blows. Tomoko could not find a single word to defend herself.
Of course, in so of those situations, she had not been entirely wrong. But it did not matter; there were just too many examples.
Besides, Ana knew almost everything about her, so lying would be pointless.
All Tomoko could do was listen while she was forced to confront her own behavior. Her own mistakes.
The weight of that guilt slowly pressed down on her chest.
Maybe I really deserve to be punished...
The thought appeared in her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. Tomoko still could not fully accept the situation.
And then the tears ca.
The crying was not fake. The emotions were real. But at the sa ti, it was also an escape. Crying was easier than facing everything being thrown at her.
Tomoko felt deeply humiliated, breaking down like that in front of Ana.
Still, she could not stop, even if she wanted to.
"Look at ," Shin said.
She obeyed instantly, lifting her gaze to et his. The command was soft but absolute.
"I know you feel abandoned sotis. Dad died when we were only kids, and Mom is rarely around..."
"And you and Yumi never liked !" she cut in. Even though she feared punishnt, Tomoko felt she had to say it.
To this day, she still carries resentnt toward her brother.
She rembered her childhood very clearly. She had tried many tis to play with her siblings, but it never worked. Tomoko loved sports and being outside, while Shin and Yumi preferred gas and staying indoors.
Whether with her parents, her siblings, or at school, Tomoko had often felt left out.
"Yes, I’m sorry for that," Shin said calmly. "Even if I’m only one year older than you, I’m still your big brother. I should have noticed it earlier."
He did not try to make excuses or change the subject. In truth, expecting a child his age to handle things better back then would have been irrational.
Still, he needed to own up to his mistakes. Even if, technically, the Shin standing here now was not the sa boy from those mories.
"I won’t abandon you this ti," he said, gently placing his hands on her shoulders. "I promise. So look at ."
His kind words helped her relax, and her tears slowly stopped.
"You can count on . If you don’t know what to do, you can co to ."
"Thank you..." she mumbled softly.
"And I promise I’ll help you train for your volleyball matches. We’ll make up for the lost ti, okay?" His lips curled into a big, gentle smile.
"Hm... okay," she answered, smiling back.
For a brief mont, Tomoko felt relieved. It almost seed like she might get away with everything. Maybe things could end there, with everyone happy.
But Shin’s expression slowly changed. The warmth in his eyes faded, his eyes regaining their coldness.
"However, my mistake is not an excuse for yours," he said firmly. "To begin with, I know it was you who spread rumors about us."
Tomoko froze.
"And there’s sothing else you probably forgot," Shin continued, "When we were kids, Yumi and I used to get bullied because of you."
Tomoko’s eyes widened.
"You were popular. Loud. Talented. You had friends everywhere. And thanks to you badmouthing us, people mocked us all the ti. Especially Yumi, since she was in the sa classes."
The gentle hand he had placed on her shoulder tightened. His grip beca strong enough to make her flinch.
"Do you know that, to this day, Yumi hides her real hobbies and keeps up that fake persona just to avoid being bullied?"
"I..." Tomoko looked down, unsure what to say.
Once again, guilt hit her like a truck.
What could she possibly say?
Even if their relationship had never been great, Yumi was still her sister. Not just her sister. They were twins. They had grown up together. They had been side by side their entire lives.
Tomoko had seen up close how much effort Yumi had to make just to fit in. She knew very well how miserable Yumi felt because of it.
And all of it was, technically, her fault.
"I... I... I’m sorry," she finally mumbled. "What... what should I do?"
"I think you got one thing wrong, not everything is your fault. Yumi is responsible for her own life," Shin felt the need to point out. "But, from now on, you must change."
Tomoko agreed with a small nod; she couldn’t protest anymore.
"Just do as I say, ok?" he asked, reinforcing his dominance over her.
Once again, she agreed with her head. Shin smiled, seeing it; things were going perfectly well.
"So, what should I do?" She asked with an obedient tone.
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