I ran into Satoko while on my way to the grocery store for my mother.

Satoko said she was going there too,

so we decided to go together.

After exchanging our shopping lists, it became easy to guess what the other family would be having for dinner.

Satoko's family is having grilled fish and cooked vegetables.

We're having Salisbury steak.

"My, that sounds so very good!

I don't mind the grilled fish, but it's the vegetables I'm less fond of.

I'm certain there's still plenty of pumpkin left from the other day."

"......Then I bet you'll be getting a lot tonight.

Poor, poor Satoko☆."

"I don't appreciate knowing that pumpkin is going to show up on the dinner table...

Haahh..."

"......Meep~☆.

You don't like pumpkin, no matter how it shows up."

"R-Rika, you have some food you're not fond of, don't you?

That's right, you don't like daifuku, cream puffs, or anything sweet, don't you!"

"......It's not that I don't like those things.

I just choose not to eat them.

If I wanted to, I could eat sweets forever.

I could even eat pumpkin pie too. Nipah~☆."

"Oooh, it's not fair that you aren't a picky eater!!"

Conversations like this are how I have fun.

Satoko is my best friend.

I usually don't like grocery shopping, but if I'm with Satoko, I can make it into an enjoyable evening stroll.

Near the supermarket, there's a grocers and other shops, forming a little shopping district.

The grocery store is busy this time of day.

All the housewives in Hinamizawa gather here to shop.

Since Satoko and I have different things to buy, we decide to do our shopping separately.

"Welcome, welcome!!

Oh, Rika-chama!

Are you shopping for your mother?

What a good girl!"

"......Nipah~☆.

I'm a good girl who can go shopping by herself."

"Wow, you really are a good girl!

Here, I'll give you this."

There were several candies for the owner's occasional asthma attack inside a sieve full of change hanging in the front.

He picked out a sweet from there and gave it to me.

It was my favorite flavor, strawberry milk.

I put it in my pocket so I can brag about it to Satoko later.

I get a lot of fun out of teasing Satoko and making her jealous.

She always overreacts,

so I never get bored when I'm with her.

"What are you having for dinner tonight, Rika-chama?

Ground pork... hmmm..."

"...We're making Salisbury steak.

We're going to put flower-shaped fried eggs on top and draw pictures on them with ketchup."

"Oh ho ho ho! That sounds like fun!"

I enjoyed that conversation while filling my shopping basket.

...But then I overheard some women whispering.

They're talking about something that's a little harsh.

......They're talking about Satoko.

"How long do those village traitors plan to stay here?"

"They should just leave."

"They don't even have the guts to go shopping themselves and make their daughter do it instead."

The women went on and on...

Ever since the Houjou family and the Sonozaki family got into a huge fight at the explanatory meeting for the dam project,

the Houjou family has been ostracized within the village.

At first, there were a significant number of families in favor of leaving like the Houjous.

But the main branch of the Sonozakis led a push to completely solidify the village's opinion, and as that tone of unified resistance grew stronger, the pro-evacuation families steadily grew quiet.

The public harassment led by the Sonozakis and Kimiyoshis, two of the Three Families with powerful influence on the village, also played an effect too.

The Sonozaki family made the Houjou family into an example, to ensure there would be no more pro-evacuation supporters.

The ancestors of the villagers have lived here for generations, and the villagers also know that they themselves will be buried in this village, so this harassment put a lot of pressure on them.

Who was it that agreed to make the Houjou family the leader of the pro-evacuation group at the explanatory meeting?

Those same people no longer said anything, and they even joined in on harassing the Houjou family.

The harassment they faced then became pressure from the entire village.

The Houjou family is hardly wealthy, and they haven't paid the town council fees in a long time.

When things were peaceful, nobody said anything about it,

but now that the wind was blowing a different way, the Houjou family was asked to pay off all of their late council fees immediately.

It wasn't an amount they couldn't afford, but the Houjous recognized a fight was being picked with them, and they responded to it.

And so, the Houjou family quit the town council.

...But that only played right into the village's evil plan.

Making an enemy of the town council meant facing vicious harassment.

For example, the place the Houjous dumped their trash was a provisional dumping site established by the town council and the waste management department.

Under the council agreement, only council members could use it.

Ever since the day the Houjou family quit the village council...

Their trash bags were returned to their front door.

Furthermore, all the bags were torn.

On top of that a sign went up on the hedge road near the Houjou family.

It said "Private road, no trespassing.

Only council members permitted."

A stubborn old man stood and guarded the road, saying that he would not let any of the Houjou family members pass through.

...A private road is private property opened up to the public, so it looks just like a normal road.

However, as private property, the owner can forbid anyone else to pass through whenever they like.

More and more...

...The village piled on vicious harassment.

The fear of antagonism spread through the entire village

and people became afraid that if they supported the Houjou family, they'd go through the same thing.

...This has made the Houjou family even more isolated.

...The grownups haven't told their kids about what's going on, so Satoko isn't harassed in any way at school.

But it wasn't hard to imagine she probably spent her days feeling so anxious she could hardly breathe.

Even the women whispering in here aren't saying anything directly to Satoko.

But it's not like she doesn't notice their muttering and the cold stares.

...When did this village become so cold towards her?

...As her best friend, it's very sad for me.

Satoko's shopping experience is nothing like mine.

When I say hello or buy things, I usually get treats or a discount. But that doesn't happen to Satoko.

On the contrary,

she's served last on purpose, and sometimes shop owners even pretend they don't hear her.

Obviously, people don't want to have anything to do with her.

...Satoko had been weaving through the housewives crowding the shop, telling the fishmonger what she wanted, but she kept getting ignored.

...She's decided to keep her smile and pretend she doesn't mind... but I know.

It was far too painful for her to endure...

At that point, Satoko dropped her coins on the ground.

Maybe her finger got stuck on something when she was trying to put the change back into her wallet.

I ran through the crowd to help her pick them up.

......But as I did, I noticed something.

Satoko dropped a lot of coins, and is struggling to pick all of them up,

but nobody is helping her.

It's not just that... it's almost like they're acting like they don't even see her there.

Satoko isn't expecting anyone to help her, since she's the one who dropped them.

......But... but...

there are so many people around

and not even one is trying to aid her...

"......Satoko, I'll help you."

"Ah...

ah...

I'm

okay, Rika..."

That reaction is all I need to tell how hurt she is.

Furthermore, when I started to help Satoko, other housewives started to pick up the coins too.

As if it's the natural thing to do.

...So they can only help if a shrine maiden of the Furude family does?

If I didn't help, they would have disregarded her completely.

And the fact that other people helped only because I did hurts Satoko even more.

I grabbed the coins from the housewives without thanking them.

...I'd rather spit at them than do that.

"Th... Thank you very much.

Rika.

Everyone."

If she didn't thank them, people would talk about that too.

Satoko forced out her words of gratitude.

The housewives looked down at her with blank expressions.

...I can't stand this.

...I can't stand what Satoko is going through right now...

"...If we're done, let's go, Satoko."

"S-Sure..."

I grabbed Satoko's arm and pulled her away.

...I was frustrated,

sad,

and bitter.

What has Satoko done?

Reality is just too cruel.

Everyone loves me.

But can I share that love with Satoko?

...Satoko must be wondering why people treat me so differently.

...I shouldn't come shopping with her...

or rather,

I should have done her shopping instead.

"......Satoko."

"...Wh... What is it, Rika?"

"......I feel bad that you dropped your coins.

So here's something that'll make you happy."

I wanted to at least ease her pain a little bit...

...so I pulled out the strawberry milk candy I just received.

But... Satoko refused to take it.

"That candy was given to you."

My hand froze.

...She saw.

She saw me getting this candy...

"...That person wanted you to eat it.

...So if I did, it'd be rude..."

...Satoko turned her back on me and kept walking...

Without even saying goodbye... she continued on to her house with the shopping bags in her hands.

...I...

I only wanted to ease her pain.

But I ended up rubbing salt in her wound.

How can I call myself her best friend?

If I could, I would have crushed the candy right there.