Haruka's fist doesn't retract; she remains leant against the wall, back hunched, hair veiling her eyes.

With that burst of tension released, she suddenly feels very, very tired. She's breathing through her teeth. Her shoulders heave with every exhale.

And she hasn't gotten through to Michiru at all. She's only making the same promise all over again, only thinking about how to placate her. Why? Why is Haruka the only one who's like this? Why hasn't Michiru's voice wavered once?

"Stop it," she says, shaky and strained thin. "Just stop it already."