Chapter 5
Translator: True Detective
005. Admiration
Yuna Castilla.
She hated Aria's bullying.
It was nauseating, and she couldn't stand it because it was so disgusting.
Because Aria always triggered her trauma.
'...Come to think of it, always.'
Aria was intertwined in all the bad things that happened to her.
That's why she clung even more to 'that person'.
Because they were a reliable ally who seemed like they would be on her side at any time, in any moment.
It didn't matter who that person was, their gender, age, or appearance.
Because Yuna had received that person's help countless times to push through hardships and overcome crises.
So she had to repay them.
Because that was the bare minimum of courtesy.
She at least had to face them and convey her gratitude.
Because Yuna had become happy due to Aria's misfortune.
That's why she was so obsessed with that person's identity.
That is, until she heard those words that remained as a trauma from her mouth.
"How could you say... such words."
Under the blackish sky and the fiercely pouring rain shower.
Yuna lowered her head deeply and looked down at Aria.
'I thought I had finally escaped the pain.'
She was a complete orphan who had lost her parents.
Even at the orphanage she barely managed to enter, she lost all her teachers and friends.
A hole that could never be filled was pierced in Yuna's chest.
A hole called loneliness.
Therefore.
"You."
Aria Witri.
The lady of a noble family who always looked down on her, bullied her, and made fun of her with a haughty expression.
She was always silent and expressionless, so Yuna never knew what she was thinking.
But now she thinks she knows.
"You're just a son of a bitch from birth. I thought you had changed your mind even a little bit, but you didn't. You're..."
Aria silently looked up at Yuna and smiled lightly.
Son of a bitch, bitch.
How could she put on such a peaceful smile even in this situation?
It's an expression of satisfaction.
"Y-Yuna. Please calm down for a second..."
"I'm fine. I'm calm enough. Thanks for caring."
Yuna answered with a cold smile to Rachel's attempt to stop her.
And she deeply lowered her head to look down at Aria once again.
Two blue dots began to reflect in Aria's eyes.
Deep blue dots, deeper than the ocean and more sparkling than the stars.
Should I say they are the kind of dots that make you reach out your hand without realizing it because they are so beautiful?
However, upon confirming that her arm wouldn't move, Aria felt relieved.
Because that would be an immense nuisance.
"Apologize. Say you take back what you said. Then I'll forgive you too."
Because it would be the kind of nuisance that distresses Yuna's heart due to her own greed, hurts Yuna, and drives Yuna's reputation to rock bottom.
Yuna easily feels lonely. So she needs a lot of friends.
But that friend doesn't necessarily have to be her.
Thinking so, Aria sneered coldly.
"I, don't... want to?"
This time, she couldn't bring herself to say the words that would hurt Yuna's heart.
Since everyone present was already looking down at her coldly, there was no need to go out of her way to do so.
Though only one person was focusing their gaze on Aria with eyes mixed with worry and concern.
Aria no longer cared about such gazes.
She became unable to care.
"Don't live like that. You piece of trash. No... I heard everything. You don't have long to live now, right? It's a truly fitting end. Karmic retribution. Rot in that gutter for the rest of your life and die."
Aria flinched in surprise.
Perhaps she was prematurely terrified knowing she was going to die soon?
She thought so and internally sneered at Aria.
'Serves you right. It totally serves you right.'
The Aria who tormented her so much, called her an orphan, stole her things, and humiliated her in front of others was no more.
Because the situation had changed from their first year.
Aria, who used to be surrounded by maids, was now left all alone and stuck in a sewer.
But, what about herself?
She had escaped from an environment no different from a sewer and proudly claimed a place in the sun.
She was able to make a whole lot of friends she could trust and rely on.
'Wasn't this all possible because that person was there?'
Yuna looked down at Aria coldly while thinking of that person.
Aria opened and closed her mouth like a fish.
It seemed like she had something to say.
It wasn't particularly worth listening to either. Since it would be a waste of time.
Of course.
Aria was trying to say something.
'...You don't need to remember that I'm terminally ill. Hehehe. Because I only want Yuna to remember good things... But to think you'd even remember something like that about me. Yuna is a total angel!'
It was gratitude.
To think she'd remember even those words. I'm truly completely moved.
Aria's body was already breaking down little by little somewhere.
If that wasn't the case, she would have been unable to overcome her excitement and shouted it out like that.
She's really such an angel.
Because Yuna's face, visible through the streaks of rain, was being imprinted more, and more, and more into her mind.
"He, hehe..."
It doesn't matter where she is. Because Yuna will be above her.
Even if she's stuck in the gutter, Yuna is on flat, even ground.
Isn't that enough...?
As long as Yuna can fly high, even if it means trampling over her.
So that she can achieve what she wants.
"Y-Yuna. That's enough now. Let's just go..."
"You found a place that suits you well. Rot in there and die or whatever. Let's go, Rachel."
"Y-yeah..."
The pink-haired girl.
Rachel looked back and forth between Yuna and Aria with an uncomfortable expression, hesitated, and then.
"...Sorry."
She quickly chased after Yuna, who had already turned her steps away.
The students who had been surrounding them also left the spot one by one.
"Serves her right."
"Yuna had every right to be angry. Just leave a bitch like this."
Hehehe.
As the situation flowed entirely according to plan, Aria curled up the corners of her mouth.
Under no circumstances should Yuna be subjected to criticism or become the target of whispering.
Because she's a child who easily feels lonely. She would be incredibly sad.
So she will take on that role instead.
...It should continue to be that way in the future.
"M-m-move..."
Her body hurt too much.
Should I say the pain is rushing in from behind?
When I was with Yuna, whose mere face releases massive amounts of dopamine and adrenaline, it didn't hurt then.
Now that Yuna disappeared and reality became visible, the pain also came along with it.
"Heuk, hah."
Still, it was better than letting Yuna experience this kind of pain.
She forcefully held back the tears that kept coming out from the pain.
Because tears invite sympathy, and sympathy would chip away at Yuna's reputation.
So she had to play the role of a thorough villain. Perhaps even in death...
'B-but what do I do now...'
First, she had to tell the school nurse Lena that she found the pendant.
That way that person won't suffer pointlessly in this rain shower...
Her heart ached because she felt like she had thrown a huge tantrum.
Aria thought so.
'...But, this is important.'
Aria tried to desperately crawl out of the sewer.
With her entire body ruined by the pouring rainwater.
More than that.
As the rainwater threatened to dirty the pendant, Aria raised the pendant high, high up with her wound-covered hands.
And she caressed it.
Then, using her school uniform that was now no different from a rag as it was covered in filth and muddy water, she began to wipe the pendant very gently and meticulously.
Because this is incredibly, incredibly precious.
Click, she opened the pendant and examined the picture.
Fortunately, there wasn't really any filth on the picture, so it was a huge relief.
Because this is a picture that can never be taken again...
"Heu, heu-eu. Keu, keu-heu-euk..."
Aria coughed up blood.
Still, it was fine.
Because the blood didn't get on the pendant.
"Euh-ha, heh, hehehe..."
The crises Yuna will face are piled up like a mountain. They are completely unreasonable things. So she shouldn't fall asleep here or anything.
There are so many. There are truly, truly many crises...
So someone has to help... I can't just stay still like this...
Yuna dies far too easily.
She dies every time. In the game, she always died. Even if you get just one dialogue choice wrong, she dies.
But that won't do.
The heavens have already decided who can die and who cannot.
And Yuna must not die.
If so, only the person who knows the future can protect Yuna.
'That's exactly me!'
Heh, hehe.
The fact that she had become an indispensable existence to Yuna made her incredibly happy.
Thinking so, Aria jolted her body, dragged her whole body, and desperately crawled out of the sewer.
But at that moment.
Someone appeared before her eyes.
She tightly shut the blurry eye that couldn't see well and looked closely with the other eye.
But suddenly, the rain shower stopped.
...No.
The rain shower hadn't stopped.
Someone holding an umbrella high was shielding Aria with it.
A girl whose appearance was very similar to Aria's.
She shined her purple eyes and made an ecstatic expression.
Because she had realized exactly what it felt like when the person she admired was stuck in the gutter.
So she shouted pleasantly.
"...I found you. Teacher."