"President, if you would."

...For a moment, I forgot that the class president was me.

"Uh, uh, uh uh!

All rise!!"

"Looks like you didn't get enough sleep.

I know it's been very hot at night lately,

but try to get as much sleep as you can.

All right, everyone?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

...I'm not sure this place can be called a school.

Because there are so many different age groups,

it's like a kindergarten and an elementary school blended together.

Since I'd heard already about what this place was like, I didn't feel that uncomfortable.

It wasn't too difficult to act like Mion here.

As Sis told me... Satoshi-kun looked exhausted.

I said hi to him, but he ignored me.

...Since I knew what he'd been going through, his pain looked apparent to me.

I was interested in another person in this classroom.

Satoko... Satoshi-kun's little sister.

She looked as worn out as Satoshi-kun... Emotionless, like an abandoned doll.

Everybody in this room was aware of their circumstances, but no one could do anything for them...

So they just acted as though nothing was wrong.

Mion will only let me have this one day.

...If I slacked off even a little bit, today would be over with quickly.

I had to figure out what I should do in this limited time.

I should probably talk to Satoshi-kun.

About what?

Anything goes...

Cheer him up, sympathize with him... anything will do.

More than anything, I just wanted to chat with him.

However, Sis had told me.

......She said Satoshi-kun didn't communicate much with her lately,

and had distanced himself from her.

I figured I shouldn't talk to him too casually.

...I wanted to, but...

maybe it was better to leave him alone......

I needed to keep Sis's warnings in mind...

But instead... I decided to ignore them.

I looked for Satoshi-kun during lunch break. He was walking as if looking for a place where he could be alone. I caught him in the hallway.

"......Satoshi-kun."

He turned around, startled by my voice.

His facial expression surprised me.

...He was scowling. Clearly a sign of rejection.

But... I couldn't hesitate.

...I'd lose my only chance if I did.

"...Hey, um...

How are you?"

He gave me a look as if saying

'do I look fine to you?'

...I never expected to see an expression like that on his face.

I felt like my heart was being torn into pieces...

As I looked down, he spoke to me.

...I felt a little glad, but the next thing he said changed that.

"...I'm fine...

Is there anything else?"

"Eh...?"

"...I'll get going if there isn't...

because I want to be alone."

"O-Okay...

I guess you're tired from work.

I'm sure you want some time to yourself...

You're working today too, right?

Where at?"

Sis had found several jobs for him.

He worked at a few different places.

He was helping out when necessary at any of the shops Mion introduced him to.

As a result, he constantly had to do different tasks in a different environment almost every time.

On top of that, he requested high-paying jobs from Mion because he wanted a large sum of money as soon as possible.

In other words, he chose to mostly do manual labor...

He was exhausted every day because he wasn't that physically strong.

"......Does it matter?

...And shouldn't you know, because you helped me get the job?"

...Mion did help him get the job...

yet Satoshi-kun didn't look thankful for that opportunity.

...This wasn't like him at all......

It made me feel sad.

"...Hahahaha. You're right...

Sorry."

"...Is that all?"

He sounded so harsh.

...Why was he being like that?

Would he ever stroke my head again...?

".........Ooh..."

I couldn't help my tears.

They flowed onto my cheeks.

Satoshi-kun looked confused for a moment, but then he frowned again.

"...Uh,

sorry...

...

Uh...

the coach said...

he wanted you to come back to practice......

Ahahaha......"

"...I told him I quit...

so I won't be going back."

"B-But maybe...

it's a good idea to work out from time to time,

you know...?"

"Not interested."

I didn't know why he was being so hostile towards me.

...Why did he hate me so much? I was left bewildered.

"...Why...?

How come...?"

"...Because I'm busy with work.

Isn't it obvious?"

"...No, I didn't mean that!!

Why do you hate me so much?!"

"...Why don't you ask yourself?"

"Ask myself?!

What?!

What did I do?!

I don't understand, Satoshi-kun!!"

I couldn't control my emotions any longer.

Streaks of tears ran down my cheeks.

...Satoshi-kun gave me a hateful glare, and walked away without saying another word.

I couldn't even stop him.

...If I tried, he'd hurt me again with another cutting remark.

...I couldn't bear that...

So I just watched him walk away.

I wiped my tears and... went back to the classroom.

I heard somebody crying from inside.

...What's going on? I looked around the room to see.

......It was

Satoko.

I saw her bento box on the floor.

I asked one of her classmates what happened... and it seemed that Satoko had bumped into somebody's shoulder when she stood up to go wash the box out...

That was all.

But... Satoko was crying as if afraid she was going to be chided badly.

What happened was very minor.

...She could just pick up the bento box and things would be fine.

...It looked like the lid came a little loose, but it was definitely fixable...

She didn't have to cry like that.

Yet Satoko... started begging through her tears.

"Help! Help me, Nii-nii!!

Waaaaahhhhhhh!!!"

Because of what happened with Satoshi-kun, I couldn't suppress my emotions very well.

...So, instead, they exploded.

I stormed up to Satoko while elbowing her classmates aside.

I grabbed her by the head...

then threw her into the wall.

Satoko screamed. She didn't seem to understand what had happened.

She was shedding tears and shivering...

She must be wondering why I did that.

"...Do you know why I did that?"

"Eeeek... help...... Nii-nii......"

Satoko cried for her brother's help again...

And so, I grabbed her head and threw her again.

Satoko stumbled and crashed into a desk.

The desk fell and the contents of the drawer scattered about.

Satoko didn't even stand up.

She just crouched and trembled while looking up at me.

"Help... help...

...Nii-nii...

...Nii-nii..."

"If you weren't like that...!!!"

...If you weren't like that, Satoshi-kun wouldn't have to suffer. Don't you get it?!

That's what I wanted to say, but I was too angry to utter another word.

I picked up a bunch of textbooks from the floor and threw them at her face.

"Cry as much as you want!!

But nothing's going to change!!

Why are you crying?!

Because you think somebody's going to help you?!

You don't have any idea what he has to go through to protect you, do you?!!!

Do you understand that?!

Do you understand what you're doing?!

You shouldn't exist!!

Die if you don't want to suffer!!

Go fuck yourself!!!

Don't hurt Satoshi-kun!!

You deserve to die alone!!

You just deserve to dieeeeeee!!!"

"Waaaaahhhhh!!!

Nii-nii!!

Nii-nii!!!

Whaaaaahhhhhh!!!"

Her desperate cries only increased my irritation.

"Stop crying!!!

Don't call your brother for help!!

Stop it!!!

If you weren't like that...!!

If only you...!!!"

I kept on throwing things at her.

...Satoko curled up to protect herself, and cried even harder.

At that point, a girl with long hair ran up and huddled over her.

...I knew who that was.

...Rika Furude.

One of Satoko's only friends.

"......Please don't hurt her.

She's in a poor situation, so please don't hurt her..."

"It doesn't matter how pathetic she is!!

She shouldn't rely on Satoshi-kun all the time!!

Stop spoiling her!!

Satoshi-kun has to suffer so much because of her!!!"

"...No!!

Stop!!

Don't hurt her...!!"

Rika also became the target of my anger.

"I'm trying to teach her something here!!!

If you keep getting in the way, I'll crack your head open!!!"

I grabbed a chair and lifted it over my head.

It wouldn't hurt only a little if I threw this thing at them.

Rika tightly closed her eyes and covered Satoko with her body.

I didn't care what the consequences would be.

I didn't care if I hurt them.

"Stop!!

Mii-chan!!!!"

Rena returned to the classroom and shouted at me.

Then... Satoshi-kun rushed in while pushing Rena aside.

Seeming to have grasped the situation immediately...

He charged straight at me.

Until my body had hit the locker, I didn't understand what had happened.

There was a loud crashing noise. I'd left a dent in it......

I crouched there in pain.

"Satoko!!

Are you all right?!"

"Nii-nii!!

Nii-nii!!

Whaaaaaahhh!!"

Satoko pushed Rika aside, jumped at her brother... and started crying again.

"What happened...?

Why were you treated like that...?

Why...?!"

"I-

I didn't do anything but...

Mion-san... she suddenly...

Waaahhhh!!!"

"Wh-What's going on, Mion?!!!"

Satoshi-kun shouted at me while clutching his sister...

He looked fierce.

"I just......"

"What did Satoko do to deserve this?!

What did we do?!

Why do we always have to suffer like this?!

Why?!

Why?!!!"

He released Satoko and rushed up to me, grabbing me by the neck.

"You said... that I should ask myself, didn't you...?

So... why don't you ask yourself?"

"Ask what?!!!"

"I know you feel she's a burden on you......

You always have to suffer because of her. You know that, right?!

If she were stronger, you wouldn't have to suffer!!

She's the one to blame!!!"

I don't believe what I said was wrong.

But after hearing it, Satoshi-kun went berserk.

"Wh- Wh-

What the heck do you know?!!!"

"Ow... ahhh!!!"

Satoshi-kun grabbed my hair and threw me to the wall, just like I did to Satoko.

However, I wasn't going to back down.

...I no longer had any control over my emotions at all.

"You spent so much time protecting her!!!

She'll never stop relying on you until you stop doing that!!!"

"What the hell do you know about us?!

What the heck do you know?!

You persecuted our parents

and now it's us?

That's the way of the Sonozaki family, huh?!

You torture traitors for fun!!

Is it fun?!

Is it fun bullying us?!

Huh?!"

"Stop it!!!!"

That was Rena's voice.

She stepped in, looking as fierce as a demon.

"Satoshi-kun, please.

Mii-chan doesn't have any bad intentions.

...She wanted to help you, but... she just lost control a little.

...Okay?"

"....................."

Satoshi-kun looked like he wanted to say something back, but he chose not to.

"You too, Mii-chan...

I know how much you worry about Satoshi-kun.

But you can't solve the problem like that.

I think you understand. Right?"

Since Satoshi-kun didn't say anything, I kept quiet, too.

"Here, Satoko-chan.

You don't have to cry just because you dropped your bento box,

all right?

Do you feel better now?"

"......Satoko, I'll pick up the bento for you..."

"......Oooh... hic...... hic......!"

Rika started picking up the bento box while its owner continued to cry.

"Guys... can you help us clean up?

The teacher will be back from the vegetable garden soon.

This quarrel is over, so don't tell her about it,

okay?"

The classmates looked at each other and nodded... then started picking up the stuff on the floor.

"Here,

Satoshi-kun, Mii-chan, why don't you guys shake hands as a sign of reconciliation?

...There."

".........Sorry...

I didn't mean to do this..."

Tears started to roll down my cheeks again.

"......I'm sorry,

too.

......You have nothing to do with our family situation...

I'm sorry..."

"Mii-chan, you should apologize to Satoko-chan now.

Okay?"

...I was fine with apologizing to Satoshi-kun, but I didn't want to apologize to her.

But the situation wouldn't be settled otherwise... so I reluctantly apologized.

Satoko nodded, looking discouraged.

After that, Rena let me go. My head ached, so I held it with both hands.

...What was that...?

What did I do...?!

I didn't want to use this precious time to fight...!

Sis had warned me...

She told me that I shouldn't talk to Satoshi-kun just like that.

What did I come here for...?

...I shouldn't have come here if I knew this was going to happen.

Stupid, you're stupid, Shion!

I was overcome by emotions because I was so worried about Satoshi-kun.

When did things go wrong...? Were they wrong from the beginning?

I got into a fight with Satoshi-kun... This was totally the opposite of what I wanted.

I regretted it.

I hated myself for it.

...I couldn't blame myself enough.

My world had been torn apart.

...I wished the sky would fall and kill me......

Sis sounded both amazed and confused.

"...You know, I'm busy with the festival preparations...

but you certainly made things more complicated..."

"...Sorry."

Sis tried to say something, but she stopped in the middle.

...After listening to a few complaints, I started telling her about everything that happened today.

Sis had to pretend that the trouble I caused today was her responsibility, which must've been very taxing for her.

"...So I won't get the chance to trade spots for a while...?"

"...Hey...

...I think you should be more aware of the hassle I have to go through..."

"......Yeah... you're right..."

Sis had been sympathetic, but... maybe I pushed her too far this time.

Of course she'd be hesitant to trade spots, considering what I did today...

The atmosphere felt awkward, so we were both silent for a while...

"...If you were to get another chance,

what would you do, Shion?"

...That was a reasonable question.

...I wasn't prepared to answer, though.

If I had a chance to go the school once again and see Satoshi-kun...

what would I do?

Would I apologize to him about today?

......I don't think that would work.

That might even upset him again, no matter how hard I tried.

...Okay,

here's something that he was saying.

......It was the Sonozaki family who had been harassing his.

It would only be natural for him to hold a grudge against us.

...But why was he only expressing that now?

...I've been a Sonozaki to him all along.

Satoshi-kun stroked my head even though he knew that I was Mion Sonozaki...

"...Sis,

do you think that Satoshi-kun is holding a grudge against the Sonozaki family...?"

"......I

think so, yes."

It was our family that initiated the persecution of the Houjou family,

making them into scapegoats.

Even after the dam conflict, it wasn't easy for the Houjou family to live in Hinamizawa.

Given all of that,

it's not surprising that Satoshi-kun hates us,

the Sonozaki family who put his family in a devastating situation.

"But...

why now?

Why is he only expressing that grudge to us now?"

"....................."

"...Why... is this happening now...?

If he wanted to...

ooohhh......

Ahhh...!!"

If he had rejected me in the first place...

...I wouldn't have wanted to get close to him.

My tears wet my cheeks. I didn't bother to wipe them.

...It's only natural for him to hold a grudge against the Sonozakis.

There's nothing unusual about it.

Rather...

why has he been treating me

like a friend?

I knew how stupid this question was...

"......I think...

it's because he was

mature

......"

"I-I can't... understand it

...

waaaaahhh...!!

Ahhhhh!!!"

He'd been treating me as a friend because he was mature?

...But now that he'd become stressed mentally and physically, he's decided to reject me...?

No matter how hard I thought about it,

I couldn't find anything to fault him with.

If there were somebody to blame... it'd be somebody I'd never accused before.

"...Why... did the hag decide to persecute the Houjou family...?"

"Eh?

...Uh... um..."

"It was his parents who supported the dam project, right?

Satoshi-kun had nothing to do with it!

Why was he included?

Why?!"

Mion couldn't say anything in return.

Actually, it wasn't at all hard to guess the reason.

The hag didn't give any specific order to harass the Houjou family.

She just thought the Houjou family was getting in the way.

The people around her noticed what was bothering her, and took steps to get rid of it.

Though of course, she must have known how influential her own words were.

She didn't just think it. She gave what she must have known would be interpreted as an order.

...She's the one to blame for initiating the attack on the Houjou family.

"You said before that the Furude priest wasn't mature because he didn't cooperate, right?

Is this the same scenario?!

The Houjou family wasn't mature because they didn't act in accordance with the other villagers?

That's why the hag decided to punish them,

isn't it?"

Mion couldn't say anything in return.

Meaning that my accusation was the truth.

"They already punished the Houjou couple!!

Feel free to bring them to the torture room in the garden,

and chop their fingers off or something,

but leave Satoshi-kun alone!!

Satoshi-kun has nothing to do with this!!

What did he do to deserve this?!

What did he do wrong?!

Answer me!!

Answer me!! Mion!!

Mion!!!"

"...Very well.

Please take care of the matter.

\nGoodbye."

Mion suddenly changed her tone and hung up.

She must have done that to escape from my questions. I was furious.

I started redialing the number,

but then I remembered that we'd decided she'd hang up the phone after using that phrase when she saw the hag coming.

...I doubted she actually saw the hag.

But it was the rule, so I couldn't call back for a while.

I went to the bathroom to wash my face and cool down.

I turned the faucet. The water felt lukewarm.

It didn't help me cool down at all.