028. Misalignment (3)
028. Misalignment (3)
"......Aria. I, I'm fine."
Alisa said that and tried to slip out of my arms.
"No."
The more she did, the tighter, the stronger I hugged Alisa's body.
There's no need for anyone else to take the sparks flying at me.
I didn't want to see someone who had nothing to do with this get hurt because of me.
So.
Tighter, even tighter.
To make sure no one could harm Alisa, I hugged her tightly, tightly.
Even if this body of mine couldn't exactly be called imposing.
"Aria......."
"If you stay still, it'll be over soon."
Protecting just one person, Alisa, is possible.
Even for someone like me, right now.
Besides.
'Where...... are you hurting?'
Alisa's condition is becoming seriously, totally weird.
Her face turned bright red, and she kept avoiding eye contact with me.
While gripping the hand on my back tighter, tighter.
With a face that looked a bit distressed and scared.
She started breathing quite heavily.
......Is this because of me too?
Like, she's feeling really sick, but I made her worry for no reason.
Did I make Alisa come all the way to Clara's [Dormitory]?
Hing-hing.
Thinking that, I felt completely sorry.
That's why.
I wanted to hurt Alisa even less.
Because I decided to take all the responsibility.
......So.
"Get lost."
Like, until Yuna appeared right in front of me.
If only the sight of Yuna's hair shining gold as she took the sunlight head-on hadn't unfolded before my eyes.
I thought, so this is what it feels like when the person you desperately, crazily wanted appears in a flash at the moment of crisis.
I thought just like that.
A cool breeze started blowing from behind my back.
Yuna stood in front of me, with that wind at her back.
Her white neck came into view.
'...This is enough.'
There's no need for Yuna to pay attention to someone like me.
It's fine even if I don't catch Yuna's eye.
Because this was my role.
From now on, Yuna will go through countless crises.
And she will break through all of them safely and perfectly to reach a happy ending.
A world where Yuna, and everyone around Yuna, becomes happy.
Friendship, hope, love.
Like... it might be considered super cheesy.
But I think these three are the keywords for a world that has overcome irrationality and absurdity.
That's what I think.
A world where everyone around Yuna can enjoy happiness.
Of course.
Even if I'm not included in that 'around,' I don't particularly care or resent it.
The protagonist of the game is Yuna Castilla.
Because I was just a villain who tormented Yuna, after all.
So.
My role isn't to be a stumbling block that hinders Yuna's vigorous walk from the front.
I'm satisfied with being a shadow in the shade that helps Yuna from a place unseen.
A shadow that is completely invisible because it's hidden in the shade, and one that people don't even know exists.
But a shadow that is always there at any moment.
That is my role.
I think that's enough.
If I can stand behind Yuna, I can be fully satisfied.
Because I'll be able to be satisfied and disappear.
"......Are you crying again?"
"No. This is, rain."
"But the sky is clear......."
"It's rain."
"...Yeah."
At that moment.
There seemed to be a slightly loud noise.
Yuna Castilla.
She looked back.
*
I hate Aria Witri.
I hated her. I just hated her, I hated her so much that I hated her to the point of tears.
So at first, I tried to pay her back somehow.
Because I thought it was Aria Witri's fault that I couldn't find out the identity of someone precious to me.
That's what I thought.
However.
I saw Aria Witri protecting a girl of the same build with her whole body.
The girl was as beautiful as a doll.
No less than Aria Witri.
'...Even though she was so harsh to me.'
Taking my belongings, making me eat things I hate, cursing, saying hateful things to my face.
After tormenting me like that, now of all times.
'Now of all times, you want to protect someone?'
It's ridiculous.
Aria called me a 'damn orphan' with such a cold face.
Why on earth.
'Why only to me...?'
I really hated it.
Aria Witri.
Even at this very moment when I broke in to save her.
Surely.
I should hate her...... but.
"Get lost."
The group surrounding Aria hesitated a little.
"B-but, Luka said......"
Yuna gave up on solving it with words.
Because she was barely suppressing the feeling of wanting to tear someone to pieces.
"Huh?"
Yuna's leg, which moved at an incredible speed.
After drawing a large arc, it brought the head of the female student in front from top to bottom.
Pajik!
It slammed down very hard.
The body convulsed, then went limp, following the head that had lost consciousness and slammed into the ground.
"Is, is this, is this dead... ah...."
"It's not to that extent, so take this bitch and get lost. I won't say it twice."
"...You'll regret this."
"You guys will be the ones regretting. I've remembered all your faces."
If things get bigger, I'll kill you first.
She didn't bother adding that.
Aria Witri.
Because right now, Yuna's head was filled only with Aria.
Because she had no need, no room, and no time to pay attention to unnecessary things.
She turned her head to look at Aria.
A cold gaze.
I had told her never to show herself in my eyes again, never to get involved.
Yet, contrary to those words, we met again.
I want to torment Aria.
I want to pay her back for everything she did to me.
Yuna kept forcing herself to be bound like that.
Thinking thoughts that weren't even in her heart.
So.
This time, slowly.
Yuna started approaching Aria first.
Alisa, finding such an appearance too ominous and scary, looked at Yuna and said.
"......Don't come near Aria."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Alisa...."
I wasn't particularly curious.
It was just interest.
I wondered who the girl was that Aria Witri, who had been so mean to me, protected with her whole body.
'......She doesn't notice.'
Alisa thought so.
She knew Yuna well.
They had already become close several times and met their end together.
Even though it was all just something that happened in the previous world.
'Why on earth does Yuna hate Aria so much?'
I had been watching all along, but it seemed like Aria just wanted to be close to Yuna.
That's why, that's why, she even stayed up all night making bouquets together.
......And the things Yuna had suffered were nothing compared to the previous world.
"Move."
"...What if I don't?"
Aria's body was trembling.
No one could know the reason.
It could be a tremor filled with joy, ecstasy, and anticipation, or it could be a tremor caused by fear or sadness.
Alisa thought it was the latter.
If so.
'This time.'
Protecting her... wouldn't be so bad.
"I told you to move, Alisa. I hate saying things twice more than anything in the world."
Surely, I would pay her back for everything she did to me.
I would definitely make her atone.
Squeezing out words that weren't in my heart like that.
Somehow, forcibly.
I tried to be unreasonable toward Aria.
But in reality.
"I, I'm, f-fine so......."
Watching Aria sobbing behind Alisa.
Such thoughts gradually.
No.
I realized too late that they didn't exist from the very beginning.
It was just.
I was clumsy.
To the person who tormented and hated me so much.
To the person who terribly loathed and despised me.
To the person who left the biggest scar on my heart.
I didn't know what kind of face to make or what to say.
Because I was like that.
"Why are you living like that?"
Yuna started speaking with all her heart.
While lashing out at Aria.
'......Just because you were kicked out of your house? Are you living like this while being bullied? Were you nothing without the backing of your family?'
No.
At least, the Aria Witri that Yuna knew was not like that at all.
She is always cool-headed, thorough, and rational.
She always makes the right choice, anytime, anywhere.
...Together.
I hate to admit it, but we had been caught in the same crisis 'quite coincidentally' quite a few times.
Every time that happened, we were together.
I hated it, but we had overcome crises together quite a few times.
Because Aria was smart.
Her head was much better than mine.
Her appearance is also beautiful enough to bewitch people. It's alluring. She looks like a doll. That's why I wanted to have her. I wanted to be with her.
That's why I approached her first.
I wanted Aria to be the first friend I made.
So Yuna Castilla did nothing wrong.
"What is that look? Why do you keep appearing in front of my eyes in that state?"
I wish you wouldn't be sick.
It would be nice if I could see you healthy again.
Yuna's words clearly contained that intention.
It was just.
Toward an object full of love and hate.
She was just clumsy at expressing it.
Aria slumped to the floor.