Ch.270If Side Story. Tokyo Slayers: Final Chapter (8)

It stings.

The gazes of the two people directed at Souta’s face from beside him were piercing.

Fortunately, since Souta, Yuka, and Nanami were standing in a way that shielded Kotone Kurosawa, the passing students couldn’t see her arm.

Though judging by how openly they were behaving in the hallway, it seemed like they didn’t care whether others saw or not.

“What’s going on here?”

Yuka asked. Her gaze was narrow.

It was understandable that Yuka would react that way, since it was now obvious that Souta had literally ignored what she’d said.

“Well… you see.”

Souta racked his brain trying to figure out what to say.

Tell me if someone bullies you.

Most likely, those three people had messed with this girl again this morning without fail.

Even if she had been enduring it somehow until now, once she thought there was a definite way out, she had no choice but to rely on Souta. Because there was no other escape route.

Until then, if it had ended with just Souta or Yuka scaring those kids off, yesterday Souta alone had gone as far as driving away all three of them. After doing that, if he were to now tell her not to rely on him, that would be unconscionable in its own way.

“W-wait a moment.”

Souta decided to act calmly for now.

“…Let’s go outside to talk.”

Other students didn’t seem to have seen Kotone Kurosawa’s injuries, but that didn’t mean they weren’t attracting attention.

Souta and the three girls standing in a row in front of him. It was a situation that would draw attention from anyone who saw it.

He worried that Kotone Kurosawa might not follow him outside the building, but she did trail behind him.

And Yuka and Nanami too, flanking her as if surrounding her.

At least since seeing her injury, Nanami had been restraining herself from glaring.

Souta sighed deeply, making sure the three behind him couldn’t hear.

And then he realized a bit belatedly that his shoulders had moved too noticeably.

*

Quite ironically, even after going outside the building, the four of them still attracted attention.

At least it didn’t seem to arouse as much curiosity as when they were in front of the classroom. When they were there, almost all the passing students knew Souta, so the interest level was higher, but even if you expanded the scope of that interest to the entire student body, it would only amount to “a boy walking with three girls.”

He considered going up to the roof, but that seemed like it would raise even more suspicion, so Souta headed toward the sports field instead.

There were students scattered across the bleachers. With no walls nearby and no places for sound to echo, their conversation wouldn’t be easily heard by other students if they spoke quietly.

Above all, there were also students running around the field shouting during this lunch break.

“So, what happened?”

Yuka asked as Souta sat down.

Yuka didn’t seem to be in the mood to sit.

The same went for Nanami. As for Kotone Kurosawa… how to put it, she gave off the impression that she wasn’t even considering the option of sitting.

Just looking at Souta, she seemed not to understand the situation clearly.

“Yuka, just listen for a moment.”

Souta spoke calmly.

Fortunately, Yuka seemed to be concerned about the injury on Kotone Kurosawa’s wrist that she had seen earlier. There was a clear bruise on the girl’s right wrist.

Souta hadn’t yet seen those kids hitting this girl. So he didn’t know if the injury was their fault or her family’s. Judging by her reaction yesterday, some injuries were probably caused by those kids.

But that wasn’t what Souta was trying to say.

“Yesterday evening, I met her on my way home after finishing my part-time job.”

“And?”

Yuka’s eyes narrowed even more. Not quite squinting, but narrower than just thinly opened eyes—it was hard to describe. The light that usually emanated from those two eyes seemed compressed enough to be used as a laser cutter.

“She wasn’t alone.”

Souta said.

At his serious expression, Yuka closed her mouth. Her expression remained stiff, but she seemed to understand the deeper meaning behind Souta’s words.

“She was being bullied, and the nature of the bullying wasn’t ordinary.”

“What do you mean by not ordinary?”

Souta glanced at Kotone Kurosawa.

The two red eyes were quietly looking at him. That expressionless face revealed absolutely no emotion, making it difficult for Souta to judge whether it was okay to talk about this or not.

However, he somehow felt that this girl wouldn’t mind much even if he brought up such a topic. It was as if she lacked the very concept of it.

The fact that those kids tried to use her in that way spoke to that reality.

“…In other words, they were trying to… make money through her.”

Nanami’s face turned pale at those words.

Yuka remained silent, unable to say anything.

Both of them were ordinary girls. They would understand well what Souta’s words meant.

“So, I just took her away before the other party showed up. That’s all. After that, she took the train home.”

“Then why did she come looking for you?”

Yuka asked.

“You must have said something to her yesterday.”

“…I told her that if someone bullies her again, she should ask for help from people around her…”

Yuka put her hand to her forehead.

“Why would you say something like that when there’s no one around her, you idiot…”

“Who are you calling an idiot?”

Nanami suddenly interjected.

Her face was clearly indignant.

“If you think about what she might have gone through yesterday, didn’t Souta do the right thing?”

“…”

Yuka seemed unable to choose what to say in response. If Yuka had said such things to Souta, there must have been a reason. She probably said those things out of genuine concern for Souta’s safety.

But Yuka was also a girl with a sense of justice. Even while complaining about helping people being troublesome and annoying, she was always the type to fight at the risk of her own life, not minding getting hurt.

So she couldn’t bring herself to criticize Souta for taking Kotone Kurosawa away from that situation yesterday.

“Ah, I don’t know anymore.”

Yuka lowered the hand that had been on her forehead and let out a long sigh.

Then she turned around and stomped back toward the classroom.

“…”

Souta watched her retreating figure for a while. Though she was deliberately making her movements big as if she was very angry, her back looked somewhat lonely.

Perhaps that was one of the reasons why Yuka couldn’t make deep friendships.

Doing this kind of work, if there’s something to be suspicious about, you have to be suspicious about everything else. Even if you have plans with friends—no, since she transferred schools for work, she couldn’t have such plans in the first place. Being in the middle of work, she couldn’t make other schedules.

And if her friends were to discover she carried a knife, the atmosphere would get even worse.

Unable to do this or that, gradually becoming isolated—

“Hey.”

While Souta was thinking about this, Nanami called out to Kotone Kurosawa.

“Have you eaten lunch? If not, would you like to eat together?”

“…”

Kotone Kurosawa turned her gaze toward Nanami without answering.

She remained expressionless. Much of her face was hidden by her hair, making it hard to see. Souta thought it might be better if she did something about that hairstyle.

But Nanami, showing her characteristic friendliness, linked her arm with Kotone Kurosawa’s.

And after confirming there was no particular resistance, she immediately started walking.

“Souta, if you don’t follow, we’re leaving you behind?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

Souta, who had been watching Yuka’s retreating figure, finally got up and followed the two.

As for Yuka… they were in the same class, weren’t they? She sat right behind him, so he thought they could somehow continue their conversation and things would be fine.

For now, helping the girl who had come to him for help was the priority.

*

And from the end of lunch until the end of school.

A strange and uncomfortable silence hung between the two of them.

It wasn’t that Souta hadn’t tried to talk to her, but Yuka kept looking out the window.

The surrounding students told Souta, “You must have done something wrong.”

He knew he had done something wrong, but…

In the end, Souta sat there anxiously until the end of school.

Yuka spoke up right after the teacher finished the closing homeroom.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Huh?”

“You’re going with her anyway, right? I’ll go too. Until we part ways with her.”

“…”

Looking at the window at Yuka’s words, there was again a black figure standing there.

Playful jeers erupted from around them.

Souta picked up his bag, feeling an indescribable sense of injustice.