019. Birthday (3)
019. Birthday (3)
I hated being lonely.
So, I decided to make a lot of friends.
Since I lost my parents, I had been alone the whole time.
I thought I had at least that much of a right.
So, ever since I entered 'Harcia Academy'.
It was the first time I gathered the courage.
"......Hmph, you orphan bitch. You. Dare. To me?"
Aria Witri.
Approaching her first became the biggest stain and humiliation in Yuna's life.
I regret it.
I still regret it now.
'Back then, if back then.......'
If I hadn't approached Aria.
If I hadn't become Aria's target.
'......Maybe I could have.'
Could have been close with her.
"Ha."
Yuna thought so.
Aria Witri.
She was noble and beautiful.
At least when seen from afar.
Because she looked exactly like the noble Yuna had admired from the depths of her heart.
But the first button was fastened wrong.
Yuna Castilla.
I realized I was the complete opposite of Aria from head to toe.
She was evil to the core.
She was so bad it made me want to vomit, and her behavior was so poor that even a demon would cry.
'But.'
Honestly, I can't say my behavior was good either.
But at least I was much better than Aria.
That's not all.
I am a total orphan.
Aria is a young lady of a prominent noble family.
"That's why I laughed at her......."
The moment it was revealed that Aria was not a young lady of the Witri Family.
The first person to mock, laugh at, and humiliate Aria in front of everyone was Yuna herself.
Because she was a pathetic sight.
Aria sat down right there with a look of despair.
And she glared at me while trembling.
'Tears.'
That was the first time Aria showed tears at the academy.
And then she disappeared.
"......If I had known."
If I had known Aria would suffer such a terrible fate.......
'No, it's karma. It's a pathetic sight. There's no need to pity that bitch.......'
I only said one word.
One word about being friends.
But.
"You, how dare you?"
I know well that people are not equal.
I know well that some are born with everything, and some are not.
But.
'At least you shouldn't have said it like that.'
Yuna never intended to stand on the same level as Aria.
Just walking behind her would have been enough to be satisfied.
But that bitch ruined everything.
Because that bitch is bad.
She is the most evil, cheap, mean, and devious person in the world.
I can guarantee that much.
Because she constantly spewed such verbal abuse at me.
She even led the bullying.
I was lonely.
I felt like I was going to die from loneliness.
No one from Aria's clique approached me.
Because of Aria, I couldn't make a wide range of friends.
I couldn't fill my empty heart.
......Until I met my precious friends.
I definitely thought so.
"Aria is watching? It's okay. I don't like her either."
Arcana.
Intelligent and calm, she says incomprehensible things every day, but her nature is kind.......
Anyway, starting with Arcana, I was able to gain friends one by one that I wouldn't trade for ten million gold.
I endured it with that.
Aria would take my stationery or force-feed me food I didn't like.
She bullied and tormented me in a very petty way.
"So, it's karma."
Everything that happened to that bitch is karma.
Yuna thought so.
Just a little bit.
While feeling a pang of conscience.
"Everything is ready now, Yuna! Surprised, right? It's a surprise we prepared all night just for you!"
"......If you say that, it loses its meaning, Rachel."
"Ah, mistake!"
I was able to make plenty of friends with whom I wouldn't mind losing my life.
And I was able to get to know them deeply.
It was because I was bullied like that.
So Yuna.
"......I should be happy."
But why is it?
My heart, which felt like it was full.
Just a little bit.
Felt empty.
"Yuna. Are you crying? Is it that moving?"
"It's good we prepared it. It's all thanks to my idea."
Arcana shrugged and hugged Yuna, who had started to shed tears.
Yuna's friends.
She prepared all of this day and night for just one person.
They are the best friends for Yuna.
But.
"Clearly, I'm happy......."
I didn't do anything wrong.
Really, nothing at all.
So there's no need to feel this unpleasant and uncomfortable feeling.
Today is.
Because it's the day that holds the only childhood memory Yuna remembers.
The bad one isn't me.
It's all Aria Witri.
That bitch is the bad one.
So I tried to erase the memory of that bitch from my head gradually.
And slowly.
"......But Yuna. You've been wearing that ribbon since the ball, right? Is it something with a special meaning?"
"Ah, no...... th, that's not, it..."
"She said it was a gift from someone precious. I asked who it was every night, but she wouldn't tell me even if she died."
"Aha...."
Until I suddenly felt the texture of the ribbon.
'......Birthday present.'
"It's a gift from a very precious person. But I don't know who it is......."
"Then is your goal for the future to find that person?"
Yuna nodded silently.
And plop-.
She dropped her head.
Birthday present.
Exactly one year ago today.
At the entrance of Yuna's [Dormitory] where trash was scattered messily.
Along with a very luxurious box, there was a letter that said 'Happy Birthday'.
That was the beginning.
The moment that person started helping me was exactly that moment.
'......That person.'
Wait.
Maybe.
"Yuna? Why are you getting up? Are you going to the bathroom?"
"Ah, no...... I'm really sorry to say this. But I'm going to go somewhere for a moment."
"Uh-uh?"
"Sorry! But it's a very urgent matter!"
Maybe, this time too.
Did that person send me a gift?
It doesn't matter what it is.
A clue to infer that person's identity.
Maybe, there might be something like that.......
Yuna stood up with a bang! and sprinted toward the academy.
Arcana, who saw that scene.
Leaned her glass and smiled faintly.
And whispered to herself so no one could hear.
"......I think I know who it is, somehow."
"Who it is?"
"Rachel, you have sharp ears."
"Yup! I hear that a lot!"
Yuna often gets involved in strange and bizarre incidents.
She has that kind of constitution entirely.
And.
By Yuna's side, there is always.......
Every time an incident happens to Yuna, always.......
Not too conspicuous, but it's very ambiguous to say that they weren't involved at all.
Sometimes that person would step forward and say, 'Hmph, don't misunderstand. Do you think I'm helping an orphan like you because I want to?'
It seemed like there was such a person.
But.
'......What on earth is their intention?'
Even Arcana couldn't grasp that person's intention.
"But really, should we have sent an invitation?"
Rachel muttered with a depressed face.
Quite coincidentally.
Thinking of the same person as Arcana.
"Shall we drink among ourselves until Yuna comes back?"
"......Yeah."
Maybe Yuna went to find that person.
The two thought so.
*
"It hurts......."
Hing-hing.
It really hurts like hell.
But I still have to go.
Alisa just went back to her [Dormitory].
I felt so sorry for her being overworked looking for flowers all day, so after it was all over, I lied that I was going to rest and just sent her back.
Uhehe. But actually, I'm not going to rest.
"The, the legs...... I, I wish you wouldn't hit them......."
"You did the same to us. You asshole."
"N, no I didn't......."
I, I didn't use violence directly.
Excluding the friends who bullied Yuna.......
But hing-hing.
I, I feel a considerable weight on my legs.
It feels like something is hitting them fast and hard, ughhhhh.
It hurts. It hurts like hell.
But I endured it.
I accidentally fell, and they caught me, so I'm being bullied.
Hing-hing. But it's very late, so there aren't many people.
When I lay face down and wrapped my body and trembled and didn't react, they seemed to lose interest too.
So it barely ended with my long hair flowing on the ground being trampled on.
"Then see you next time."
"U, u, uh......."
Uhehe. It's still okay.
My legs are bruised, but this is totally fine!
Dragging my legs, I headed to the clock tower.
With a small bouquet of flowers hidden in my body.
I was really careful and wrapped it with my body because I was afraid it would be discovered and trampled.
So my chest and stomach were scratched by thorns, but it's still okay.
Hehehe. Because today is Yuna's birthday!
A very happy day in the world!
So a smile comes out naturally, and strength springs up from somewhere.
Hing-hing. But the problem is that my vision is getting blurry.
I'm super energetic, but it feels like my power is flickering.
But it's okay.
If I've come this far, it's all done.
I went to the clock tower.
It was super, super slow because I was avoiding gazes and checking if there were any bad people.
But I still went.
It's because I thought I could convey my feelings if it were here.
Uhehe.
It won't happen that I run into Yuna here.
Because Yuna is currently enjoying a very fun and happy birthday party!
I hope she doesn't care about someone like me and plays, eats, and drinks hard, uhehe. Hehe.
So.
I stood right in front of the meeting place.