At first, that kid seemed reluctant to talk, mumbling unsurely, but once Sota and the others started chatting, he gradually opened up.
Maybe it was because Kurosawa was nearby.
It didn’t seem like their relationship was particularly good, but still, he was a kid connected to his deceased friend.
The name of the blonde girl was Fukuda Harumi.
In the first year, she was in the same class as Kurosawa, and there was also a close friend named Mako.
And that Mako was the kid who died last year.
Yuka slightly lowered her head upon hearing the story. It seemed that while Fukuda didn’t notice, Yuka felt quite a heavy guilt about the incident.
But Sota had no idea how to console Yuka. It made sense; he couldn’t just spill everything to Fukuda right then.
“Yeah, well, it’s not all Kurosawa’s fault. The time people think of someone as a friend varies from person to person, right? To be honest, thinking back, I have no idea what Mako really thought. Mako was the kind of kid who was nice to everyone… Did she just feel sorry for him and want to help, or did she truly consider him a friend?”
Kurosawa, who was listening to the story, didn’t say a word.
“And then, shortly after, something else happened. Well, you guys might not care, but it’s another story about my friend. Someone who knew Mako well.”
“……”
“I’m not exactly sure what happened, but they ran away and got into a terrible situation. Now they’re in the hospital, and… they might be like that for a year. There’s probably no way they’ll wake up again, right? I mean, on top of losing their closest friend, they must have been overwhelmed and couldn’t think straight.”
The weight of Fukuda’s revelation left Sota speechless, unsure how to reply.
In fact, it was probably something hard for Fukuda to bring up too. However, the reason he got to share it with Sota and his friends, whom he just met today… was probably because he had been holding it in for so long. Rather, it might have been difficult to speak to someone who would actually listen.
Seeing Kurosawa, this whole situation unfolded, making it an opportunity to let it all out.
“It seems like most of the people who did that were found by her father, but I can’t shake off my anger. And it doesn’t seem like all of them were caught. So, well… I’m looking for them in my own way. I know searching like this probably won’t yield results.”
Crouching against the alley wall, Fukuda lifted his head and leaned the back of it against the wall before looking up at Kurosawa.
Kurosawa was looking at Fukuda, but without any expression on their face, it was impossible to know what they were thinking.
Fukuda let out a small laugh, as if feeling something hollow.
“Well, sorry for getting angry. It’s not like it’s your fault.”
And if that was truly how he felt, Fukuda might not have tried to help Kurosawa while getting hurt.
Perhaps he was just following the thoughts of that friend named Mako. If she was a friend who wanted to help Kurosawa, but now that girl is gone from this world.
“…Did you call the police?”
Fukuda asked, a somewhat resigned look on his face.
“We’ll tell them everything properly.”
“Right. They did wrong too.”
Nanami quickly added to Sota’s words.
“…It’s probably not a big deal.”
Yuka said in a serious tone.
Sota understood what she meant. Yuka’s family was one that fought against yōkai, and naturally, it was almost impossible to perfectly obey the law in that process. There must be a way to dodge the law for various reasons.
However, at the same time, it meant they had to talk to her grandfather, which in turn meant Kurosawa would know they were close.
This was Sota’s fault too. If he hadn’t been hanging around Kurosawa, Yuka wouldn’t have gotten involved in this situation—
…And what Kurosawa had gone through was also unclear.
After that, the four of them fell into their own thoughts, waiting for the police to arrive.
After going to the police station, Yuka’s grandfather and father, along with Fukuda’s dad, arrived, and the situation quickly wrapped up.
Those three went to the hospital. While they were in a state to walk, it wasn’t like they could just go home and be okay.
Fukuda wasn’t in perfect condition either, and since Kurosawa had wounds on their arm, they all ended up moving to the hospital together.
“……”
After all the treatment was done, outside the hospital, Fukuda’s father, with a cigarette in his mouth, stared blankly at Sota. He looked like a somewhat thin man with slightly sunken cheeks.
He was dressed in a flashy suit with bright colors, but somehow he gave off a gloomy vibe.
It looked like he was considering whether to say something as he watched Sota, but before Sota could greet him, he raised his hand.
Ignoring Sota’s slight flinch, he patted his shoulder as if to say “Good job.”
“Thank you.”
He said only that before walking away towards Fukuda, who was looking at him.
He stole a glance back at where Fukuda was facing.
After briefly gazing at Kurosawa, Fukuda’s father turned back and lightly placed a hand on Fukuda’s shoulder.
Fukuda turned around without saying a word, walked alongside his father, and they moved away.
“Kurosawa, are you okay?”
Nanami asked with concern.
The wound on Kurosawa’s arm wasn’t severe enough to need stitches, but they had disinfected it, applied ointment, and bandaged it.
Still, the wound itself looked pretty painful to anyone who saw it. But surprisingly, Kurosawa didn’t flinch at all.
“……”
Kurosawa slightly lowered their head. Sota thought it was somewhat akin to nodding.
“Can you go back by yourself? Or should we go together…?”
Kurosawa quietly stared at Nanami.
Nanami stopped mid-sentence. Did she catch some emotion in Kurosawa’s eyes?
Or maybe did she feel the weight of what Fukuda said?
As Yuka had told Sota, if they wouldn’t truly take responsibility for Kurosawa, then taking it that far seemed excessive.
Kurosawa continued to gaze at Nanami, then turned to look at Yuka and Sota.
And then, they slowly turned away and began to walk back.
Sota, Yuka, and Nanami followed quietly behind, eventually entering the station together.
“…Is it going to be okay?”
Nanami muttered as she watched the retreating figure.
“It’ll be fine.”
At least the kids bothering Kurosawa were at the hospital.
Sota knew it wasn’t quite right to think this way, but during the time those kids were in the hospital, it crossed his mind that maybe Kurosawa would feel a bit better.
No matter what, interpreting something as another person’s ‘good deed’ felt uneasy to him.
“……”
Yuka watched Kurosawa’s back quietly. Her expression was quite complex. The most prominent part was ‘concern,’ but Sota sensed that this concern wasn’t directed solely at Kurosawa.
“Sasaki. Did you see earlier?”
Yuka asked Sota.
“See what?”
“Earlier on the left wrist. The tattoo.”
“Oh, I saw it.”
Nanami replied.
“It looked like some kind of magic circle.”
“Right.”
Yuka nodded and spoke up.
“No matter how I think about it, that doesn’t seem like something just engraved.”
“Are we back to this talk?”
Nanami said somewhat irritated by Yuka’s comment.
“Seeing it being left like that, it’s possible there might not be any supervision at home. So, that could just mean it was forced to be engraved.”
“I agree that it was probably engraved without full understanding. It might have been due to some purpose from home.”
“Do you know what that purpose is?”
At Nanami’s question, Yuka couldn’t give a proper answer.
“Why? Are you saying it could be some kind of seal? You’re not seriously looking for ways to resolve this with that knife again, are you?”
“Nanami.”
Sota thought that was a bit too much and stopped her.
Sometimes, Yuka reacts sensitively to things that others might brush off. Sota himself sometimes wonders if it’s worth worrying about, but Yuka’s intuition is often right.
Plus, didn’t even Yuka’s grandfather warn them not to get too close?
He did think there could really be something amiss.
Still, if Yuka were to… pull out a knife, that would change things significantly.
“I’m not looking for that kind of solution either.”
Yuka said, sounding slightly angry.
“I’m trying… my best in my own way.”
She said that and turned away.
This made Nanami realize she had misspoken, and she slightly raised her hand, but she couldn’t bring herself to call Yuka back.
…If only both of them could be a bit more honest.
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