029. Optical Illusion (1)
029. Optical Illusion (1)
Just looking at it makes me feel sick.
'......Even just that felt good.'
Because even the way they looked was disgusting.
'They were as pretty as a doll.'
Exactly.
Yuna stared at Aria with trembling eyes.
With the strength drained from her legs.
At Aria, who was looking up at her with a devastated expression.
She looked at her as if she were absolutely disgusting.
'Playing the weakling now?'
What a joke.
Because she wasn't weak.
Because she possessed a stronger mental fortitude than anyone else in this place.
Much, much, much more than someone like herself.
She liked that about her.
Yuna had no parents.
Even in the orphanage she barely managed to get into, she ended up alone in the end.
Always, she was always alone.
Anxiety and loneliness.
And guilt.
The guilt of being the only one to survive that chaos suffocated Yuna.
Perhaps, even the fact that both her parents passed away.
Could it be because of her?
Yuna always thought so.
That's why.
Honestly, she was envious.
Of Aria Witri, who possessed such strong mental fortitude and dealt with every moment calmly and wisely.
Just a little bit.
'We could have been good companions. Surely.'
Aria Witri.
She wanted to look at the same place as her and walk together.
That was all.
There was no reason anywhere for her to be despised, bullied, and suffer while hearing curses that were hard to even put into words.
So.
'It's not too late yet....'
She hates Aria.
'Now, I can forgive you.'
She can't even think about associating with her, and she hates the idea of getting tangled up or involved with her even more.
'......Very slowly. I just need to start the relationship over, slowly.'
That was why she reached a conclusion.
Yuna Castilla.
She decided to reach out her hand to Aria.
To the one she hated the most.
To the one she had hated the most.
If it was now, perhaps.
......She felt like they could become close.
"Stand up. Why are you sitting there? Get up. Keep that arrogant mug of yours held high like you always do!!!"
She wanted her to stand up again.
Even if she hesitated, she hoped she would please take the hand she offered.
Yuna just thought that.
Nevertheless.
In Aria's eyes, vitality and focus began to slowly fade away.
With a devastated expression, she was just very dazed.
Just staying still.
Because she had heard words filled with sincerity from the person she liked most in the world.
Even Aria, whose mind wasn't entirely sound, was just a little.
Just a little, having a hard time.
So she tried to smile somehow.
But it seemed she couldn't.
"Why do you keep acting weak?"
Yuna just wanted to encourage Aria.
She was... now the same kind as her.
It felt like she was looking at her past self, who had lost her family, her friends, everything.
So.
To build the relationship from the beginning.
Slowly, step by step.
Encouragement was clearly needed.
Now it's the same environment, the same situation.
So now, they could understand each other.
And perhaps develop into a deeper, even deeper relationship.
"Stand up straight! I told you to get up!!! Why do you keep showing me that kind of look! Why......!!!"
She had just approached her clumsily.
Nothing had changed since their first meeting.
Yuna encouraged Aria.
That everything was okay now.
That they could start over from the beginning.
"I'll keep, I'll keep watching over you. I will."
That this time, she would be there with her.
So, as always.
Face the adversity and hardship with a face that says it's nothing.
Because that was Aria Witri.
Because Yuna had long since held that image of Aria in her heart.
So.
'Now... it's okay.'
She definitely wanted to say that.
To shake off the illness like she always did.
Because she would help her, truly, with all her heart.
Because that's what friends are for.
She would forget... everything about how she had bullied her.
So from now on.
Let's walk together.
Yuna wanted to say those words.
She had those thoughts.
It's just.
She was just clumsy at expressing them.
Because of that.
It wasn't Aria who reacted to Yuna.
"......You, you were truly the worst."
With her head slightly raised, Alisa looked at Yuna with a truly cold face.
She began to glare at Yuna with a frigid expression.
"What?"
"You... out of everyone I've ever seen. You're truly, truly the worst."
It's true.
Yuna wasn't exactly that kind to begin with either.
Above all, memories of the past were binding Yuna.
However.
"This isn't it."
Truly, this isn't it.
She doesn't know what kind of existence Aria is to Yuna.
She doesn't know what she suffered, or what kind of grudge she held.
But.
There's no need to bully her to this extent.
Alisa also vaguely noticed.
'Aria is... right now, her head hurts a little.'
She didn't know the reason, but that much was certain.
In the cold winter, Aria Witri, who had been missing for a while.
Reappeared with a changed appearance.
She didn't know what had happened to her.
Alisa sometimes had this thought.
Perhaps all the cold, scary, and vicious appearances Aria had shown until now were all an act.
That Aria's true self is, in fact.
Her current appearance.
A modest appearance, enough to hand-make a bouquet for someone she truly likes.
That's not all.
Kind, diligent, cherishing her friends.
The heart that values friendship, the heart that considers others.
The heart that treasures relationships.
Because this world's Aria Witri possessed all of that.
Alisa didn't stand by anymore.
Bullying her to this extent is enough.
There's no need to hurt Aria's heart anymore.
......Already.
It seemed the hole blown through her heart had widened too much.
So this was enough.
"Stop... saying things like that."
"......Ha?"
Yuna's gaze changed sharply.
'I didn't like you from the start either.'
Since when exactly.
Since when, since when, since when.
Are you acting like you were so close to Aria Witri?
From Yuna Castilla's perspective, Alisa was nothing more than an interloper.
Her appearance is like a doll.
That's simply it.
Rather.
"Why are you."
By Aria's side?
It's an empty spot.
Aria's side must remain empty.
So that she could fill it from now on.
It was supposed to be completely empty.
"Yuna Castilla...... T, that's enough now. Now. Go, go away......."
It was truly enough.
If Yuna had a conscience.
She shouldn't bully Aria anymore.
Alisa tried to tell her.
Just how terribly Aria cherished her.
Who she was overworking her body for to prepare a birthday present.
Everything, all of it.
Yuna Castilla.
It was all for her.
'......You shouldn't do this.'
No matter how much you hate her, there was no need to say such harsh things to her face.
There was no need to.......
"Yuna Castilla. You, you don't know. Just what Aria is doing for you......"
Slap!
Yuna.
With all her might.
With all her strength, she struck Alisa's cheek.
"Uh......?"
For a moment, Alisa didn't know what had happened to her.
Along with the feeling of her body floating into the air.
She tumbled sideways just like that.
"Shut up."
"Ugh, u, ah......."
Hot tears began to pour from Alisa's eyes.
It hurt.
It hurt so much that her body trembled.
However.
'......Aria will be in more pain.'
So she tried to stand up.
"If you interfere in our business one more time, I'll really kill you."
No one can come between her and Aria's relationship.
Because this is a story we started.
Ending it, or starting it anew, is all our share.
So.
'......Sorry, but stay out of it.'
An outsider is not needed.
So once again.
Yuna Castilla.
She reached out her hand to Aria.
Very gently.
Her blood-stained hand, covered in the blood that had burst from Alisa's nose.
She held it out to Aria.
"Grab it. You, you have to stand up."
This was enough.
They could start over.
"You don't have any parents or friends either. Now we're the same."
So don't give up here.
I hope you hold onto the hand I'm offering tightly.
And hope we can move forward together, in the same direction.
They are in the same boat.
Like untangling a knotted thread one by one, one by one.
They just need to start from one, step by step.
Let's start by understanding.
She will understand Aria, and Aria will understand her.
Yuna began to smile slowly.
"Because you're an orphan now too."
Just like her.
Because there are no more restrictions blocking the two of them.
So.
Please, become my friend.
Yuna looked down at Aria and smiled brightly.