She Became Distressed After I Stopped Being Restrained and Started Interacting with Others - Chapter 43

“Yuna, do you hate me now?”

The question came in a frail voice.

“That’s not—”

“Then why…?”

Honoka bit her lip tightly.

Tears were welling in her eyes.

I had no words to save her.

“Hey, Shiraishi-san”

Suddenly, Shiori spoke up.

Her voice was quiet, yet carried a certain coldness.

“You love Yuna-chan, right?”

“…! Of course…!”

“Then why are you cornering Yuna-chan?”

Honoka gasped.

“Doesn’t Yuna-chan look like she’s suffering?”

“That’s…”

“The more you try to make Yuna-chan ‘yours,’ the more trapped she becomes. Yuna-chan loves you, so she tries to respond. But that’s going to break her.”

“…No, I didn’t mean to…”

“That’s exactly what you’re doing”

Shiori slowly placed her hand on my shoulder.

It was a gesture that seemed almost meant to show off to Honoka.

“I want Yuna-chan to be happy”

“…”

“So, Shiraishi-san. If you’re just going to make Yuna-chan suffer—why not let her go?”

The color drained from Honoka’s face.

“Don’t… want to…”

A hoarse voice escaped her lips.

“I don’t want to… I can’t lose Yuna…!”

She desperately gripped my hand.

“You love me, right Yuna…? You still see me, don’t you…?”

“Honoka…”

“…Why are you making that face? Please, I’m begging you…”

—Looking into those eyes, I couldn’t say anything.

“Yuna-chan is too kind—if someone says that to her, she can’t pull away”

Shiori’s words echoed in my ear.

“But that’s no good”

“…”

“Yuna-chan doesn’t belong to you, Shiraishi-san. Yuna-chan belongs to herself”

“Wrong!!”

Honoka screamed.

“Yuna is mine!!!”

Tears streaming down her face, Honoka desperately pleaded.

“Look at me…! Yuna, please…!”

—But my mouth wouldn’t open.

That silence pushed Honoka further into despair.

“See? Just as I thought”

Shiori smiled quietly.

“Yuna-chan doesn’t belong to you”

Honoka’s hand fell limply.

“Lies…”

“Yuna-chan, shall we go?”

Shiori gently took my hand.

“…!”

I glanced back at Honoka one last time.

There she was, collapsed on the ground as if crumbling.

“Don’t want this…”

A small, trembling voice.

“I don’t want this… Yuna…”

I—

Couldn’t shake off Shiori’s hand.