Chapter 13: CH 12

Chapter 12 – Separate Ways

To think that she was here at the community center getting food…

Well, we lived in the same neighborhood, so it was more than likely that we would meet here.

“….Totoki, you… as an older sister, you shouldn’t leave a little child alone like this.” (Bouchi)

“Eh? Ah, that… sorry.” (Totoki)

“It won’t matter if you apologize to me.” (Bouchi)

“T-That’s true… Mahina, I’m sorry for leaving you alone, okay?” (Totoki)

“Yeah! I had a good time!” (Ma-chan)

Ma-chan probably had no idea why her older sister was being scolded.

“See you then. Be careful next time.” (Bouchi)

I put Sol on my shoulder and got up to leave.

“―Wait!” (Totoki)

“I won’t wait.” (Bouchi)

“Please, Bouchi-kun!” (Totoki)

Tch, don’t call out so loudly! Look, people are looking over here now!

“Bouchi-kun!” (Totoki)

“…….Sigh. Is there something you need from me?” (Bouchi)

“Ah… umm… I wanted to thank you for taking care of her.” (Totoki)

“No need. Bye.” (Bouchi)

“Like I said, wait!” (Totoki)

This time, she grabbed my arm. It seemed that she wouldn’t let me leave until she got what she wanted. But for some reason, her hand was trembling as she grabbed me. Her face was somewhat anxious, and she seemed apologetic.

“Master, would you like Sol to chase her away?” (Sol)

“No, it’s fine.” (Bouchi)

“I’m not free right now. I’ll only give you a little bit of my time.” (Bouchi)

Well, this wasn’t the classroom, and Ohsaka wasn’t here, so it wouldn’t be too troublesome to give her just a bit of my time.

The three of us walked towards the community center and sat down on a nearby bench.

Ma-chan was playing with Sol a little distance away, while I sat next to Totoki on the bench, waiting quietly for her to speak.

“….Is that owl your pet?” (Totoki)

“Well, yeah.” (Bouchi)

“What’s its name?” (Totoki)

“Your sister has been calling her ‘Sol-chan’ for a while, though?” (Bouchi)

“Ah, sorry. That’s right.” (Totoki)

What on earth does she want? I wish she’d get to the point already.

“Where are your parents?” (Bouchi)

“Ah, umm… we only have a mother…” (Totoki)

“Is that so?” (Bouchi)

“Y-Yeah. Our mother was abroad for work, and she was supposed to come back soon. But then something like this happened…” (Totoki)

In other words, the timing was bad.

“…Err, but you’re also safe, right Bouchi-kun?” (Totoki)

“As you can see… Well, I asked you the same question earlier, so we’re even, I guess.” (Bouchi)

“….Yeah. But…” (Totoki)

“What is it? Everyone in our class is dead?” (Bouchi)

As soon as I said that, her face stiffened and turned pale as she put her hand over her mouth. I just casually put it out there, but did everyone in our class seriously die?

“…..Everyone… by an ogre-like monster…” (Totoki)

“You mean they were killed?” (Bouchi)

“It wasn’t everyone… I think… Several people managed to escape.” (Totoki)

“Hoh. Did that bastard Ohsaka die?” (Bouchi)

“?! …No. He used Ishida-kun as a shield and was the first to run away…” (Totoki)

“Tch, that asshole’s got some dumb luck. The world would have been better off if he died though.” (Bouchi)

Having said that, I didn’t really care. But using his crony Ishida as a shield, huh? It wasn’t strange that it had unfolded just as I had imagined it would.

That bastard would use any means to survive. For instance, he was the kind of guy who wouldn’t even hesitate to kick down and use someone that was related to him by blood.

“At that time… where were you, Bouchi-kun?” (Totoki)

“Behind the school building as usual.” (Bouchi)

With that alone, Totoki seemed to catch my drift and awkwardly muttered, ‘I see’.

“So? Was it the class that you wanted to talk about? I didn’t really want to hear about it, though.” (Bouchi)

“N-No, it’s not! Err… that’s not…” (Totoki)

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Her gaze was shifting around, and she was fidgeting around with her fingers. Her expression was warped with anxiety, and her lips were trembling.

I stayed silent, wishing that she would hurry up and speak, and when she finally seemed to have gathered her resolve, she abruptly stood up from the bench and bowed her head to me.

“I’m sorry!” (Totoki)

“…Huh?” (Bouchi)

Faced with the sudden apology, I couldn’t stop my mouth from dropping open slightly in surprise, but I more or less knew what she wanted to say. Nevertheless, I continued listening just to make sure.

“….Why are you apologizing?” (Bouchi)

“….Because I… abandoned you… Bouchi-kun.” (Totoki)

As I expected, that’s what it was.

Totoki had been my classmate since our first year. She was good-natured, never overdressed in strange ways, and she had been popular with both the guys and girls because of her good looks.

She was a kind girl who even smiled at a typical, ordinary guy like me. I even heard that she had been confessed to on numerous occasions since we had started at this school.

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She was diligent and easy to talk to, and I even remembered smiling and talking to her during our first year. On several occasions, we even went to karaoke with some of our other classmates. In other words, she was a classmate that I used to get along with reasonably well.

But when we entered our second year, her attitude changed completely. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t just her, but the entire class.

“Abandoned, huh…? Not really, there wasn’t much you could do. Anyone would have been afraid to make an enemy out of Ohsaka.” (Bouchi)

It was both human weakness and a means of self-preservation. There wasn’t anything wrong with it. It was a natural course of action.

No one wanted to be bullied like me. In the first place, the only person who had been able to withstand Ohsaka’s bullying was me. All of the others had been expelled or transferred out.

“But! …But still… I shouldn’t have done that.” (Totoki)

“What, are you regretting it?” (Bouchi)

“………” (Totoki)

“You know, when have I ever asked you for help?” (Bouchi)

“Eh?” (Totoki)

“Did I ever ask for someone to help me? I didn’t, right? And yet, you regret not helping me? Don’t mess around, Totoki.” (Bouchi)

“Bouchi-kun…” (Totoki)

“It’s true that Ohsaka was bullying me relentlessly every single day. But I had never wished for someone to help me, nor had I ever yielded to Ohsaka. I was fine with fighting him on my own.” (Bouchi)

In truth, I had been prepared to live the rest of my high school life like that. Giving in to that son of a bitch and running away went against my way of doing things. I wanted to tell this to Ohsaka. That there was someone he couldn’t win against.

“So don’t go and pity me.” (Bouchi)

“But… that doesn’t change the fact that I abandoned you! During our first year, you always helped me out when I was having a hard time! No, it wasn’t just me either! Whenever someone else was in trouble, you always took the initiative to lend a hand! I always saw it!” (Totoki)

Ehh… Did she really see such embarrassing things?

I hadn’t wanted those things to be known publicly though.

“And yet, every single one of us…! Even I… was afraid of Ohsaka-kun… We all looked away from it. It’s the same thing as returning favor with spite.” (Totoki)

“That’s why I said not to mind it.” (Bouchi)

“But I do mind!” (Totoki)

“….But I get it. You probably think this is just self-satisfaction. Selfishly apologizing so I can free my own conscience…. Or something like that.” (Totoki)

“In that case, fine. I accept your apology. And now that’s the end of it.” (Bouchi)

“The end…” (Totoki)

“The hell? If you want even more repentance then go to a church or something. Listen. I don’t expect anything from you, and don’t even think about trying to treat me like how it used to be back in our first year.” (Bouchi)

“!?” (Totoki)

“Well, it’s not just you. I don’t expect anything from humans anymore. Let’s… stop here. Besides, the world has already become like this. Today just happened to be a coincidence, but we’ll probably never meet again.” (Bouchi)

“……” (Totoki)

“Just forget about me already. That way, you can live on comfortably.” (Bouchi)

“…Even in this situation, you’re kind, Bouchi-kun.” (Totoki)

“…Hah? Is your head alright?” (Bouchi)

Hearing loud voices on our side, Ma-chan came over with Sol in her arms out of concern for Totoki.

“Were you arguing? Onee-chan? Onii-chan?” (Ma-chan)

Ah, damn it. I really didn’t want a kid to see this.

(TL: Onii-chan = older brother)

“Sorry, Ma-chan. I should be heading back now. ―Sol.” (Bouchi)

Sol hopped out of Ma-chan’s arms and returned to her place on my shoulder.

“Aww, you aren’t going to play anymore?” (Ma-chan)

“Maybe next time.” (Bouchi)

There wasn’t going to be a next time, but I patted Ma-chan’s head nonetheless.

“…Bouchi-kun.” (Totoki)

“……I’ll only say it one more time. Forget about me. Just think about how you and this child will be able to survive from here on out.” (Bouchi)

“……..Sorry. I’m really… sorry.” (Totoki)

Putting the girl and her tearful voice behind me, I left the community center.

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