“Is it okay!?”
Nanami quickly rushed over to that girl and said.
She didn’t particularly care about the other kids who were down around her. Sota understood that feeling.
Although he was a bit worried, he didn’t think it was a serious problem.
Strangely relieved, Sota hurried over to the blonde girl sitting there.
“I’ll keep an eye on this side.”
Nanami said.
“Sota, please watch over Kurosawa.”
“Ah, okay.”
The person who seemed to communicate best with Kurosawa in this situation was Sota.
Sota quickly approached Kurosawa and noticed a cutter knife lying nearby. Had she used that?
He thought it was still okay until he got closer, but once he was near, Sota realized that Kurosawa’s condition was worse than he expected.
The school uniform of Hanagawa High School is black.
In short, it wouldn’t stand out much if something else got smeared on it.
And something was indeed on Kurosawa’s uniform. Sota realized that her sleeve was wet when he got closer.
“Kurosawa!?”
When Sota shouted like that, Yuka, who was looking at the fallen girls, and Nanami, who was looking at the blonde girl sitting on the floor, both turned to Sota at the same time.
Sota quickly lifted Kurosawa’s left arm and rolled up her sleeve. He didn’t think about whether it was right to do that to a girl. The sleeve part of the uniform was pretty wet.
It was shiny and dark.
There was also an indecipherable tattoo on her wrist. Could this be related to those girls?
As he rolled the sleeve up to her elbow, scratches were visible from her forearm in order. They weren’t deep enough to have been made with a cutter knife, but they looked quite painful. The blood seeping from the wound and the rough surface of the injury suggested that it would leave a scar.
“……”
Seeing the wound made his body freeze up.
What should he label that feeling?
Anger, or perhaps, it could be called pity.
He didn’t know Kurosawa for very long. They definitely weren’t close.
Yet that Kurosawa had asked for Sota’s help. Not from their classmates or a teacher, but from Sota.
That meant there was no one around Kurosawa who could help her. It wasn’t simply because they were unaware; it was intentional neglect.
Why?
Had Kurosawa been bullied for over a year without anyone helping her? While Sota was out having fun with his friends in the next classroom, just a wall apart.
Without receiving help from anyone. No, not even pity.
“Kurosawa…”
And Kurosawa was quietly looking up at Sota, who felt so sorry for her.
Her expression was still blank. It was like she had a robotic face that didn’t know how to express feelings.
But the red eyes, visible through her hair, seemed to feel something.
What could he say to this girl?
Although he claimed ignorance, he was also one of the many bystanders, wasn’t he? After getting to know Kurosawa, he did nothing but spend a little time together after school.
“……You all.”
Nanami said while looking at the fallen girls.
The ones who seemed to have briefly lost consciousness were slowly regaining awareness, but they showed no signs of getting up.
The part that had taken the most hits was their faces. But that didn’t mean other parts hadn’t been hit.
“Do you know what you did? A cutter knife? What were you thinking? Did you think you could just get away with that?”
“……I probably did it thinking I could just get away with it.”
A blonde girl who was also sitting up, having regained a bit of strength, got up.
Crack, sounded like teeth grinding.
“All these girls are the same. When they see someone they think they can bully, they do it for no reason. It’s like a toy.”
Sota turned his head away.
The girl marched over to the girl just opening her eyes and flinching.
“Hii…”
Was this girl’s tooth broken? She made a whimpering sound as she backed away.
Seeing the blonde girl’s foot raise up, Yuka quickly stood and grabbed her shoulder.
“Wait a minute.”
“Let go of this.”
“If you do more, it’ll become a problem. It’s already a big deal as it is.”
“……It doesn’t matter, does it? A few of these girls dying is nothing.”
At the mention of dying, tears started streaming down the girl’s face.
“……It’s fine that I pulled out a knife. If it goes too far, then you’ll be in trouble too. Let alone murder.”
“……”
At Yuka’s words, the blonde girl slowly lowered her foot.
Looking at the Japanese sword in Yuka’s other hand, she said in disbelief.
“Are you not thinking of killing anyone either?”
Yuka couldn’t bring herself to respond. Sota was also left speechless. Of course, if Yuka knew they were people, she wouldn’t have drawn the knife. She could have just hit them with the scabbard.
Yet, perhaps because he saw Yuka like that, the blonde girl’s expression softened a bit.
“Well… fine.”
The girl scratched her head and turned towards Kurosawa.
Then she walked over a bit unevenly.
“Hey.”
Sota pondered how to react to the girl calling out to Kurosawa.
At least judging by the fact that she saved Kurosawa, he didn’t think she was going to harm her, but her rough attitude made him worry about other relations.
“……”
The girl approached Kurosawa and quietly stared at her face for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
“You, your name’s Kurosawa, right? I remember you.”
“Do you know her?”
Sota asked reflexively, and the girl glanced at Sota. After a casual look, she shrugged her shoulders.
“We were in the same class last year.”
“Oh, I see.”
After hearing that, Sota was at a loss for words again.
If they were acquainted and their relationship wasn’t that bad—
Well, that’s just hindsight. Even recently, after school, while Sota was walking home with Kurosawa, he couldn’t protect her.
“…Mako was really worried about you, you know.”
Kurosawa looked up at the blonde girl as if she were hearing this for the first time. The blonde girl looked down at Kurosawa, then sighed again.
“Yeah, what can I say to you. From your perspective, it seemed we weren’t even friends.”
Kurosawa didn’t respond to that either.
And the blonde girl, while gazing at Kurosawa, suddenly reached out and grabbed her by the collar.
“Wait a minute!”
Sota grabbed her arm, but the blonde girl didn’t look back at Sota and brought her face close to Kurosawa’s.
“I don’t like you. Still, you were trying to be nice to her in that kind of situation. It was because of the teacher’s orders, but still…”
The girl said.
“Couldn’t you show a little pity? Couldn’t you at least pretend?”
But Kurosawa just had a response that seemed to not understand what that meant.
The blonde girl stared at Kurosawa, seemingly giving up, and then let go of her hands. Sota also released her arm.
The girl stood there, with her head down for a while, then suddenly turned and walked away.
“W-Wait a minute!”
Sota yelled. The girl pretended not to hear and kept walking forward.
Sota grabbing her arm was a very impulsive act.
“Why? Are you worried the police will come and it’ll be a problem for you? I don’t care. If you don’t want to get tired from this, just leave as is. Didn’t you come here because of that girl, anyway?”
The girl said that and then looked at Kurosawa.
“No matter what you do, I doubt she would even be grateful. Even if you get killed in front of her at the last moment, I doubt she’d care at all.”
Only after hearing those words did some assumptions come to Sota’s mind.
“Let me guess, you.”
“Yes. The incident last year. The girl who died was her friend. Not a friend, actually, she was someone who helped during that time. The girl I asked for help when the previous teacher was still okay.”
Hearing that made Sota grip her arm tighter.
“Hey, can you let go now? It’s starting to hurt. Since it’s where I got hit.”
“Ah, sorry.”
After hearing her, Sota quickly let go of her arm.
Was her claim of pain sincere? The girl rubbed her arm while alternating her gaze between Sota, Yuka, and Nanami.
“Is there something you want? Do you need me to stay and give evidence or something?”
Feeling the atmosphere easing just a little compared to a moment ago, Sota quickly spoke up.
“Do you know the situation with Kurosawa?”
“……”
The girl narrowed her eyes.
“Why? Do you want me to tell you about it? Can’t you see? She’s quiet, isn’t she? No, more than that, even when people call her, she doesn’t say anything. She acts like she’s just dropping hints of interest. Do you really think there’s something to talk about?”
“……”
Faced with that confrontational demeanor, Sota paused for a moment, then spoke again.
“Still, I want to listen.”
At Sota’s words, the blonde girl closed her eyes.
Then she opened them again and stared at Kurosawa.
“Honestly, it’s not that interesting.”
“Sure.”
“You’re persistent. I don’t like guys like that.”
If Nanami were to hear that, she might have felt a little put off, but considering the atmosphere, Nanami only observed silently without replying.
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