027. Misalignment (2)
027. Misalignment (2)
Yuna was smiling.
Her stomach was churning, but she didn't show it on the outside.
Yuna was simply acting like her usual self.
Suppressing her annoyance.
She was so annoyed, so angry that she truly wanted to kill someone.
'It's all, all because of that bitch.'
That night.
The birthday night when the moonlight had vanished, leaving her unable to see even an inch ahead.
Yuna Castilla.
Because she had missed 'that person' right in front of her nose.
That person was right in front of her eyes.
Meaning they were within reach if she just stretched out her hand.
And yet.
Yuna couldn't reach out.
Instead.
She got distracted and missed the golden opportunity.
Because Yuna's instinct was certain.
There was only one person who could possibly be there on that day, at that time, in that place.
That person.
She had no confirmation or physical evidence, but Yuna was certain.
That that person was her savior.
The person she ought to repay.
A sense of helplessness and despair washed over her.
However, she didn't show it.
She returned to her friends with a bright face.
To make sure they wouldn't worry.
She spoke as if everything had been resolved smoothly.
Even though nothing had been solved at all.
'Why on earth...'
Could I not reach them?
Yuna's prayer, which she had wanted so desperately, never reached them in the end.
And.
"That's, all, all not my fault! It's that bitch's fault!!!"
Her heart was heavy.
To unburden her heavy heart.
To ease her guilty conscience even just a little, she visited Aria Witri's [Dormitory].
And she missed the golden opportunity to meet that person.
A waste of time due to her route.
If only she hadn't wasted that time, Yuna Castilla could have met 'that person' behind the [Clock Tower] in time.
So, all of this is Aria's fault for making her heart heavy for no reason.
Surely, the lights in Aria's [Dormitory] were on at that time.
There must have been someone inside.
......Probably.
Because.
By the time Yuna Castilla, who had missed that person right in front of her, stumbled back past Aria's [Dormitory].
The lights in her [Dormitory] were all turned off.
She must have turned them off to go to sleep.
Aria did.
Of course.
Yuna Castilla hadn't checked properly.
Where Aria was.
Who exactly was inside.
Because it didn't make sense logically.
That there would be people who would break someone else's [Dormitory] window, trash the inside, and giggle.
She couldn't possibly have imagined that.
'So...... Aria Witri shouldn't be that person.'
It definitely should be that way.
The evidence is clear.
That bitch wasn't at the [Clock Tower] that day.
Even so.
'Why does that bitch's face keep popping up? It's disgusting and ugly. I really hate it.......'
Really, really, really hate it.
Because of that bitch, she couldn't meet the person who was precious to her.
If you think about it, it was all, all Aria Witri's fault.
And yet, she couldn't bring herself to.
"I just, I just......."
The thought of wanting to take her anger out on Aria while looking at her face.
It didn't cross her mind.
Because she didn't even want to see her face.
She really didn't want to see her, so she wished she would just disappear somewhere far away.
Because that felt like the only way her heart would stop hurting.
So she was wandering around the [Academy] with a face full of dissatisfaction.
Because if she ran into her friends, she would definitely end up taking her annoyance out on them.
Just in time, Rachel and Arcana had also stepped away, saying they had business to attend to.
Yuna thought she was lucky and walked around the [Academy].
And without realizing it.
As her feet led her.
"This isn't the way."
She would never, ever go in the direction where Aria Witri was.
She didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore.
She wished she would just vanish from her heart.
Even though she had tormented her so much.
If she had even a shred of conscience left, Aria should have vanished from her sight.
......So that they wouldn't hurt each other.
'I won't think about that bitch at all. I won't even call her name. I won't even pay attention to her in the first place.'
That bitch, anyway, soon.......
Soon....
"......That's, a little."
Yuna headed toward the [Academy] [Infirmary] with quick steps.
There was already a visitor.
"......Where did you get a wound like this?"
"I don't know. I stopped by the [Library] around yesterday evening, and I felt like something bit me, but I don't remember the details."
A few students with similar 'bite wounds' were being treated by Lena with gloomy faces.
'Did a beast bite them?'
Something was strange.
The wounds weren't deep enough to have been bitten by a beast.
They were too neat and tidy.
As if the act of biting itself was the purpose.......
As Yuna stared at them intently.
"Yuna Castilla? What brings you here?"
Lena welcomed Yuna with a bright smile.
Because she was kind to almost everyone.
'......Is that why she was so nice to that bitch too?'
Ridiculous.
People aren't equal, so it's impossible to treat everyone the same.
Especially to bitches like that, one must act even more viciously.
That's how they'll realize their mistakes and repent.
Not that that would pay for their sins, but.......
'......Even if she just did that much, I, I.'
I was thinking of...... accepting it.
It wasn't a thought directed at anyone in particular.
Just, an utterly worthless mutter.
That was all.
Yuna hung her head in silence.
And waited until the [Infirmary] was completely empty.
Yuna and Lena.
Until only the two of them were left.
'There's no one outside.......'
The [Infirmary] had a structure where sound leaked out easily.
That was how she herself could know about that bitch's physical condition.
'The pendant, s, she must be keeping it well.'
She even came to know the items that bitch liked.
"So, what's the matter? You look like you have something on your mind... would you like to talk to me?"
"N, nothing's on my mind. I just came because I had something to ask."
"Oh? What is it?"
"Ah, ah......."
Aria Witri.
She couldn't bring herself to say that bitch's name.
She couldn't say it.
'T, that's right!'
If she said such a bitch's name, she would surely become evil herself too.
Yuna hurriedly made up a reason like that.
And taking comfort in that reason.
"Ah...... t, that person."
"Who?"
"I heard everything from Clara Witri. That person. You know who I mean."
"......Aria?"
Yuna nodded quietly.
Then.
Lena's face became a little gloomy.
'Poor child.......'
[Academy] nurse Lena.
She didn't exactly have sharp ears.
Instead.
Thanks to her unique position as the only nurse at the [Academy], she could hear some of the rumors circulating among the students.
Aria Witri.
The rumors about her were truly the worst, so Lena was also wary at first.
"Teacher. Thank you for always helping me. It's embarrassing, but I'm quite bad at finding veins."
That was before she knew Aria's true nature.
'......She's a really kind child. She's just bad at expressing herself, so she expressed her affection in that way.'
I don't know about Yuna, who experienced that child's bullying firsthand.
But from what she saw, what Aria did was nothing more than a mischievous prank.
However, things had already become twisted beyond repair.
That child's body is, now, really.......
"Are you curious about Aria?"
"Not really. I was just wondering if the illness she's suffering from is that serious. If she could get better with some recuperation......"
Lena cut Yuna's words off at once.
And said firmly with a stiff expression.
"No. Even if she recuperates, her condition won't improve. It will only worsen."
"T, then how do you treat it?"
"There is no way. At best, she just barely keeps herself alive by drinking specially prepared medicinal potions. Ah, of course, the medicinal potions aren't easy to obtain. The cost of the manufacturing request alone is not an amount that commoners can easily pay."
That was enough.
"......I see. I'll be going now, teacher."
Yuna regretted it.
She shouldn't have asked.
She had come for nothing and only made her heart more complicated.
She wouldn't be involved with that bitch in the future anyway.
'O, on the contrary, I feel more relieved. Now that I don't, don't have to, see her.'
Yuna thought so.
With a very happy heart.
Making her steps lighter.
She had intended to do that.
But her steps became heavier and heavier.
Her shoulders hunched on their own.
And she ended up hanging her head low.
Because she wasn't in the mood to hold her head up at all.
"......I'm happy."
She should be happy.
How many times had she gritted her teeth because of that bitch.
What kind of pain had she had to endure because of that bitch.
This was unfair.
That bitch clearly had such a triumphant expression when she was bullying her.
Why was she.
Yuna Castilla.
Why couldn't she be like that?
"No!!!"
As much as she suffered, that bitch should suffer too.
So she was going to bully that bitch.
She would bully her and bully her, and pay her back for everything she had done.
......And.
'I, if she shows enough signs of reflection.......'
Gulp.
If that medicine is expensive, how expensive could it be?
Because the longer that bitch stays alive, the more she can bully her.
It was while Yuna Castilla was thinking that.
The surroundings began to become noisy.
And.
She witnessed Aria, who was hugging a silver-haired girl of a similar build to herself, with a body full of bruises.
"......What?"
Aria wrapped her body around the girl to protect her.
And took everything that was flying at them with her own body.
'Protecting, someone?'
That...... Aria Witri?
Don't make me laugh.
'Then why to me?'
However.
Yuna's actions were faster than her words.
"Get lost right now!!!"
Because she had rushed out with the momentum to kill everyone right away to save Aria.