018. Birthday (2)
018. Birthday (2)
"Uh, huh? Uh?"
Alisa was flustered.
She had been watching with a warm heart as Aria hopped around like a puppy chasing a butterfly into the bushes.
Suddenly, Aria toppled over.
"Uh, ugh, uh......?"
Alisa had experienced this situation many times...... well, actually, she hadn't.
She always ended her loops by being kidnapped and murdered in some horrific way without even knowing why.
She had struggled and run away desperately to avoid such a future.
That was why she had never made any friends.
Even now, she was hiding leisurely on a quiet trail.
Because of that.
Alisa's legs gave out, and she plopped down right on the ground.
Her butt hurt.
Enough to make tears prick her eyes.
The white dress she was wearing was stained with dirt.
This was something precious.
......But.
Something else was bothering Alisa more than anything.
She opened her eyes wide and looked at Aria.
"Aria?"
Alisa slowly approached her.
Crawling on the dirt path because her legs wouldn't cooperate.
She hated getting dirty.
But she hated her own helplessness even more.
To think she couldn't do anything while her friend was dying right in front of her.
That was too cruel.
She had had enough of being a bystander.
"A, Aria? A, are you...... okay?"
She was unconscious.
Aria lay limp without even a twitch.
"Why, why......?"
Why did it always end up like this?
It was always the same.
Anyone Alisa tried to get close to always ended up in such a terrible state.
In the worst cases, they even lost their lives.
That was why Alisa had long ago given up on making friends or asking for help.
At least, until she met Aria.
That was why Alisa had closed her heart.
If she lived alone, at least she wouldn't have to watch precious people get hurt.
It was definitely her fault.
The curse running through her bloodline was reaching out to those around her, trying to snatch away her precious friend, Aria.
Everything, everything.
Alisa thought that and let her head hang low.
And she began to think about the 'next' time.
'If I die like this.......'
She could wake up tomorrow and see Aria again.
Of course, the Aria of that time would be a completely different person from the current one.
Even so.
It was a choice full of merit, just being able to see her first pure friend again.
Alisa squeezed her eyes shut, as she always did.
People who got involved with her always ended up like this.
So it was time to make the choice she always made.
But.
"Again, again...... because of me...."
Tears began to well up in Alisa's eyes.
It had been a short time, but being with Aria was incredibly fun.
Enough to call her a friend.
It was unbearable to think that all of that would return to nothing.
Pretending to be an adult was just a facade.
She was just a child, forever drifting in the same time period.
"......It's all my fault."
It couldn't be helped.
Just as she was about to think that.
"It's, not, your fault."
"......Huh?"
It was clearly Aria's voice.
'She's alive!'
Alisa rushed toward Aria.
She tilted Aria's head back and rested it on her lap.
After carefully lifting her up.
She slowly stroked her hair and checked for consciousness.
"......Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
There was no response.
But surely.
A moment ago, Aria had spoken clearly.
With her characteristic high and elegant voice, she had definitely said it.
She had definitely answered just now.
Tears began to well up in Alisa's eyes again.
Of course.
It was all Alisa's misunderstanding.
Yuna.
Aria's subconscious was recalling the last scene with Yuna.
Over and over, again and again.
'I shouldn't have let her go like that!'
When she saw Yuna walking away, looking so incredibly sad and weak.
Aria had ended up showing weakness, going hing-hing.
But she shouldn't do that.
She had to be bad.
But a bad person shouldn't show weakness.
Weakness was the privilege of good people.
A villain without blood or tears shouldn't have or show such things.
But she had ended up collapsing after Yuna left.
A total villain failure!
So she regretted it.
If only she could go back.
To be even more vicious.
Even, even, even more vicious.
So that Yuna could never, ever have even the slightest bit of sympathy for her.
She wanted to make it exactly like that.
"......It's all my fault."
No.
Yuna had done nothing wrong.
Yuna had no responsibility.
So it wasn't Yuna's fault, it wasn't her responsibility, Yuna had done nothing wrong, Yuna was unconditionally kind and good, and Yuna was completely innocent.
She wanted to say that.
If Yuna had sin, then everyone in the world had sin.
It was original sin.
Yet, the angel-like Yuna thought it was all her own fault.
It wasn't.
It absolutely wasn't.
It was absolutely, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not Yuna's fault.
But Yuna was so kind that she was trying to shoulder everything and fall.
But that wasn't it.
If she did that, Yuna's heart would be torn apart.
The person whose heart should be torn in half and deserves to die.
Is right here in this spot.
Hing-hing.
Aria's subconscious thought.
It's not a mistake.
No one has sin.
Except for herself.
So there's no need to blame anything on herself.
Because.
Aria Witri is by her side.
"......It's, not, your fault."
The words Aria muttered unconsciously without knowing why.
Filled the empty heart of the girl, Alisa, just a little bit.
But that was enough.
The Time Loop.
In the eternal maze where no way out could be seen.
Just a little bit.
It felt like she could see a path.
Alisa moved decisively.
She was an adult.
So she acted like an adult.
Alisa slowly kissed Aria on the lips.
There was no other intention.
To breathe new life into Aria.
In the hope that Aria's body, which had already reached its limit.
Would beat once more, even if just for a single moment.
She pressed her lips to hers with that wish.
Even if it was for a very short time.
She wanted to be with her.
'Is there about half a year left?'
The time remaining until Alisa was kidnapped and brutally murdered, and the academy was razed to the ground.
She wanted to see that final moment with Aria.
'The reason is.......'
Alisa gave up on finding the reason.
There was no need to find a reason for such feelings.
Friendship, perhaps.
In her very early childhood.
She remembered a fairy tale her mother, who had now disappeared, used to tell her.
In some country, in some royal palace, there was a princess who fell into an eternal sleep due to a curse.
The princess was destined to sleep until the day the world ended.
Unable to see or hear anything happening around her.
It was a curse where only her consciousness remained awake.
However.
Around the time ten years had passed by the princess's reckoning.
A very handsome prince appeared and kissed the cursed princess.
And the princess miraculously woke from her sleep.
The key to breaking the curse was 'true love'.
Alisa pressed her lips firmly against Aria's.
Perhaps, the contents of that fairy tale might not be a total lie.
And.
'......Someday, for me too.'
Wouldn't a prince appear to wake her from her eternal sleep?
And if such a prince were to appear.......
Aria Witri.
It was a while later that she opened her eyes.
*
Hing-hing.
That was really dangerous just now.
Nothing like that had ever happened before.......
But it was like someone clicked a switch to turn off a computer! Like a fuse blew, and my consciousness just vanished.
It was scary.
I was terrified that I might never be able to see Yuna again.
Hing-hing. I couldn't even say a proper goodbye.
But to say goodbye, I have to meet Yuna.......
But Yuna would hate that.
Her heart would be hurt.
So I was thinking about how I could leave a clean goodbye just now.
And in the middle of that, I collapsed.
"Th, thank you for saving me."
"......I should be the one saying that."
"Eh?"
I don't really understand what that means.
I opened my eyes, and Alisa was crying and making a scene.
Uhu-hu. I was dripping with snot too.
"Th, let's stop for today. You don't look well. You should go see Nurse Lena......"
"I don't want to."
"But...."
Uhu-hu. I wish I had time to spare too.
But there is no time.
It's tight.
In many ways.
Hing-hing. Yuna's birthday is the day after tomorrow......!
To prepare a bouquet filled with beautiful red, blue, and colorful rose friends in time for that.......
"This is pretty! I'm going to pick this, so you have to keep it safe in that basket!"
"Mm-hmm......."
I have to work hard.
Hing-hing. But Yuna wouldn't like an uninvited guest.
But I think I need to think of a way to deliver the gift again.
But hmm-hmm. How.......
"Ah!"
Alisa is pretty, though not as much as Yuna.
She's quiet and pretty, so she has a good reputation too.
Yuna would probably invite Alisa to her birthday party.
So I brought it up to Alisa tentatively.
"I don't want to."
"......Eh?"
"Aria. A gift for someone precious should be delivered in person. And I think the current situation and the Yuna you want to give a gift to so badly, that person......"
What happened?
Hing-hing...... are they not that close with Yuna yet?
But someday, they will become very, very close.
Because the Alisa of the ending is...... Yuna's....
Ah! Time's up.
The sun is setting. It's time to go back.
If it gets too dark, people can't identify each other.
Nothing can be seen. There are many strange and scary students, too.
If that happens, something truly terrible could happen.......
I turned back with Alisa.
And near the clock tower.
I saw a discarded mailbox.
'......Aha!'
I think I found a way that would even surprise Yuna!
I'm a total genius! Uhu-hu!