Chapter 95

Splat!!!

“What, what, what are you doing, kid!?”

“…Mom, calm down for a moment—”

“Do I look calm to you!? This darn— huff, this kid pushed my child out the window!”

Well, more like threw them out, actually.

The force was so strong that my neck still feels stiff.

But hey, it’s nice. Having a mom come and get angry on their behalf.

Meanwhile, the actual person involved is unconscious in the hospital.

“Bring your parents here. No, what are your parents even doing in a situation like this? Ugh, I can’t believe this!”

“Both of them have passed away.”

“…What?”

For a moment, she looked shocked, but quickly turned fierce again.

Like mother, like daughter, huh.

Well, I guess she learned from someone.

I smirked a little, and somehow she noticed, her face turning bright red.

“I knew it! Kids without parents are all like this!”

“Mom, please calm down— She, she wasn’t like this before… She was a quiet kid who loved reading. There must be some misunderstanding.”

“Are you taking her side now? Two kids saw my daughter being thrown out the window, two!”

At this point, I should’ve just thrown all three of them out.

Falling from the third floor wasn’t that big of a deal.

Some people have jumped from rooftops before.

They didn’t die, though they fell onto a tree.

“Kuroko, it was an accident, right? You know, kids play around and things happen—”

“Yes, teacher.”

“R-right?”

“Kids can push each other down the stairs while playing around, right?”

Isn’t this going too far when it’s all on CCTV?

They’re all the same people anyway.

The parents of the kid who bullied me, or the teacher who brushed off all the bullying as just kids being kids.

Why do people only think physical violence is violence?

A single misplaced word can make someone want to die.

“Please don’t pretend to care about me, teacher. It’s disgusting.”

“Ku, Kuroko… I—”

“The CCTV will make it clear. You’d be better off on that side, right?”

“Hah, I don’t know where you get that confidence, but well said! Teacher, can you show it?”

“W-well…”

I chuckled inwardly at the hesitant teacher.

It was the typical reaction of someone who’d been told to quietly wrap things up from above.

If they’d shown the CCTV from the start, it would’ve been over quickly, but the fact that they didn’t show it made their intentions clear.

“The CCTV footage… has already been deleted.”

“What!?”

The mother of the kid who bullied me started glaring at me with sharp eyes.

What does she want?

A sincere apology? Financial compensation? Or does she want me to go through what her child did?

For an adult, she doesn’t seem to know what she wants.

‘Maybe she just wants to vent…’

After watching her fume for a while, she finally stormed out of the classroom.

The decision was a two-week suspension.

“I’ll be going now, teacher.”

“Kuroko—”

“And one more thing, could you not call me by my name? It’s uncomfortable being called by my name.”

“…”

I walked away without another word, leaving the speechless teacher behind.

At least I won’t have to come to this dreadful place for two weeks.

‘Why did I force myself to come here every day…’

Maybe I was trying to live the ‘normal school life’ my parents wanted for me.

Did I want to prove that I was living well?

I looked up at the dark, cloudy sky and let out a slow breath.

“Mom… Dad…”

Is it… bearable there?

Ah, with so many clouds, you probably can’t see.

…I hope you can’t see. I don’t want to be a shameful daughter.

Plop, plop, plop—

“Ah…”

The raindrops started falling, gradually getting heavier.

While everyone was in class, I walked home alone in the rain.

So this is how it ends.

I finally realized that I could never live a normal life.

“Are you going to walk in the rain?”

“…You.”

But maybe I can live differently.

I turned around at the voice behind me and saw a familiar face smiling at me.

How did she get here?

I thought I’d only see that face at home, never imagined I’d see her here.

“I brought an umbrella. I saw you didn’t take one this morning.”

“…”

I was speechless as Akari held out the umbrella.

What a strange feeling.

My chest felt ticklish yet achy, like my heart was broken.

I couldn’t define exactly what I was feeling— but it wasn’t a bad feeling.

“Thank you.”

“Monsters don’t say things like thank you.”

The sight of the small girl holding a large umbrella was quite funny.

Though she was a monster, I couldn’t imagine her struggling to bring it.

But imagining Akari struggling with the umbrella made me laugh.

“Pfft…”

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, just a funny thought.”

I took the umbrella and opened it.

The rain was falling so hard it felt like it would pierce everything below.

If I stepped into it unprotected, everything would surely fade away.

Maybe Akari knew that and brought the umbrella.

So I wouldn’t disappear.

“Here.”

“…What’s with that hand?”

“Even monsters don’t like getting wet.”

“Seriously. Just because I look human doesn’t mean you can treat me like one.”

She said that, but she still took my hand, making me chuckle.

But wow, her hand is cold.

The chill from her hand made me hold my breath.

One of the biggest reasons I’m wary of Akari.

Her body temperature, unlike a living person.

No, she’s alive, but it feels like she could die any moment—

Thud—

“If you have a complaint, say it. I can at least speak human language.”

“Sorry, did that hurt?”

“Not really, but— your emotions flowed into me.”

Akari’s black eyes reflected my image.

A precarious figure.

It reminded me of the hollow looks of addicts on TV.

So this is how someone who’s given up looks.

“Are your eyes… okay?”

“Ah… well… sometimes they’re a bit uncomfortable, but they don’t hurt.”

But the reason I can’t completely fall apart is right in front of me.

If I give up entirely, Akari’s right eye will lose all meaning.

Maybe she keeps it like this to make me feel guilty every time I see it.

If that’s the case, she’s really cunning.

Swoosh—

“It’s raining a lot.”

“You don’t seem to like the rain much.”

“Who would?”

It’s damp, humid, and the overcast sky makes me feel down.

Especially for someone like me, living under a cloudy sky all day is like torture.

“I like rainy days.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. It’s damp, humid, and there are a lot of people feeling down, so I especially like it.”

“…”

I stopped walking for a moment, and Akari, with her hands behind her back, started playfully stepping around.

It didn’t take long for the rain to soak her small frame.

Even though the rain soaking her clothes should’ve been unpleasant, Akari’s face only showed a smile.

And behind her—

Grrrr—

“Akari!!!”

—a monster was looking at us, black liquid dripping from its mouth.

It looked ready to attack at any moment.

The sharp teeth visible between its open jaws clashed ominously.

Literally humanity’s natural enemy.

Something incomprehensible that only a Magical Girl could handle.

“It’s okay, Kuroko.”

“…Ah.”

“It seems it noticed us while passing by.”

“…”

“Want to say hi? Don’t worry, it won’t bite.”

Grr, grrr, grrr…

The absolute terror of a monster turned into a well-trained dog at Akari’s touch.

It sat down, waiting for its owner’s command.

The distance in the hand reaching out to me felt too far.

‘Never judge by appearances, Kuroko.’

“Seems humans still have a hard time accepting monsters.”

“…”

“Go back. Thanks for coming to say hi.”

Grrr—

Akari tapped the monster’s body, and it let out a small whine before running off into the distance.

In a world painted in black and white, only the girl was colored red.