She Became Distressed After I Stopped Being Restrained and Started Interacting with Others - Chapter 38

The tears welling in Honoka’s eyes looked ready to spill over at any moment.

I was the one who changed her.

Honoka wasn’t originally this unstable of a girl—

“…Honoka”

I gently placed my hand against her trembling cheek.

I could feel Honoka’s fever through my fingertips. Despite being this warm, she was still shivering.

“I’ll always be by your side, Honoka”

I slowly stroked Honoka’s back.

Holding her close, trying to reassure her.

If I treated her gently like this, maybe Honoka’s anxiety would ease even just a little.

“…Really?”

Her voice was hoarse.

It carried a tone that seemed afraid to believe, almost suspicious.

“Really, just me?”

Honoka’s hand gripping my uniform sleeve was trembling.

As if trying to confirm that no matter how hard she held on, I wouldn’t let go.

“…That’s right”

When I gently stroked Honoka’s hair, her shoulders shook slightly.

Little by little, she was calming down.

But even so, she wasn’t completely at ease yet.

“I’m sorry, Honoka”

I whispered softly by her ear.

“Because of me, I made you like this…”

“…That’s not true”

Honoka shook her head slightly.

“That’s not it! It’s not Yuna’s fault…”

But that was probably a lie.

I had monopolized Honoka, bound her, made her dependent.

As a result, Honoka had become so anxious without me that she only sought me out.

“But you know, Honoka… I liked the old Honoka too”

Even though I had bound her, she was gentle, sociable, and considerate of everyone.

That Honoka had saved me countless times when we first met.

That was what attracted me to Honoka in the first place.

“So, I wish you could return to being the old Honoka”

When I said that, Honoka’s expression stiffened slightly.

“…The old me?”

“Yeah! Not with binding or anything, but if we could just be together.”

The moment I started to say that, Honoka’s fingers twitched.

“…Impossible”

Instantly, Honoka’s face contorted.

“That’s impossible…!”

Her anguished voice tightened around my heart.

“If I go back to how I was, Yuna will go far away again…!”

Honoka’s arms tightened around me.

As if trying to imprison me like this, strongly, strongly—

“Because if Yuna is set free, she’ll go somewhere else again.”

Honoka’s voice trembled.

“You’ll leave me behind and get along with that other girl again…! You’ll leave me behind, won’t you?”

That’s not true.

It’s not.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

I said while stroking Honoka’s hair.

But Honoka wouldn’t believe me.

“Lies”

She answered immediately.

“You’re lying, Yuna. You’re just trying to reassure me so you can go somewhere else again.”

Her voice was hoarse.

But it carried a tone of certainty somewhere in it.

“Then, fine if we just stay like this forever, right…?”

—Huh?

In that instant, Honoka’s hand gripped my wrist tightly.

“If I don’t let Yuna go, so Yuna can’t leave me, that’s fine, right…?”

Honoka’s eyes grew moist as if floating in fever.

“Then, if I make it so Yuna can’t go anywhere…”

—This is bad.

I tried to somehow calm Honoka down.

If I provoked her here, her possessiveness would only swell further.

“…It’s okay, Honoka”

I gently wrapped my hand around hers.

“I’m right here. I won’t go anywhere”

Saying that, I smiled softly.

I didn’t know how much that would ease Honoka’s heart—

But right now, that was all I could do.