Chapter 12: The Aftermath of Anger

Rin's pleas fell on deaf ears as Saki's anger only seemed to intensify. The belt cracked against her back, her sides, and her legs, each blow leaving a searing pain in its wake. Rin whimpered and cried, her body trembling with fear as she curled up into a ball, trying to protect herself from the onslaught. Nozomi watched, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and anger, but she didn't intervene. The beating seemed to go on forever, the only sound the cracking of the belt and Rin's muffled cries. Finally, Saki's anger began to subside, and she stood panting, the belt still clutched in her hand. The room fell silent, the only sound Rin's ragged breathing and Nozomi's quiet sobs. Saki's chest heaved as she looked at Rin, her expression still twisted in anger. Rin cowered, expecting another blow, but Saki simply turned away and walked over to Nozomi. "We need to clean you up," Saki said, her voice still rough with emotion. Nozomi looked up, her eyes red and puffy. "I...I can do it," she stammered. Saki shook her head. "You can't. You're shaking too much. Let me help you." She got up and walked over to a nearby cabinet, rummaging through it until she found a rag, some soap, and a bowl of water. Rin slowly got to her feet, her body aching all over. She looked at Nozomi, who was still shaking, and felt a pang of guilt. She had never meant for things to go this far. Saki returned to Nozomi, the rag and supplies in hand. "Let me clean you," she said gently. But Nozomi shook her head, her eyes flashing with defiance. "No, I can do it myself." Saki's expression turned stern. "Nozomi, you can't. You're not even steady on your feet. If you don't let me clean you, I'll have to hold you down." Nozomi's eyes widened, and for a moment, Rin thought she would refuse again. But then, Nozomi slowly nodded, her eyes dropping to the floor. Saki gently began to clean Nozomi's private areas, her face expressionless. The silence in the room was oppressive, punctuated only by the sound of Saki's gentle cleaning and Nozomi's quiet breathing. Rin stood frozen, unsure of what to do, her body still aching from the beating. She felt a wave of shame wash over her, knowing that she had caused this pain and suffering. She didn't know how she was going to make things right, but she knew she had to try. As Saki finished cleaning Nozomi, she threw the rag into the bowl and stood up, her eyes flicking to Rin. For a moment, Rin thought she saw a glimmer of sadness there, but it was quickly replaced by a stern expression. "We're going to have to talk about what happened here," Saki said, her voice firm. "But for now, let's just sit in silence and try to process everything."