She Became Distressed After I Stopped Being Restrained and Started Interacting with Others - Chapter 44

I simply let Shiori lead me by the hand as we left that place.

—My heart hurts.

Even so, I didn’t look back.

“…You did well, Yuna-chan.”

Shiori’s voice sounded unusually gentle.

I couldn’t respond with anything, simply staring at the ground.

“Was it painful?”

Shiori’s fingers gently touched my cheek.

I let out a small gasp.

Her fingertips were incredibly gentle.

But every time they touched me, something stirred deep in my chest.

“But this was for the best.”

Saying this, Shiori gently pulled me closer by the shoulder.

“…”

“Right now, you don’t need to think about anything.”

It felt warm. Yet, I felt like I shouldn’t indulge in that warmth.

Though Shiori’s voice was soft, it was filled with a certain conviction.

I simply remained silent, unable to say anything.

The time in the quiet backyard felt as if it had stopped completely.

Then, suddenly, I heard the school chime.

“—Ah, the chime rang.”

Shiori said it as if murmuring to herself.

Before I could react, she continued.

“You don’t really feel like going to class now, do you? You’re probably not in the mood, so it’s better to take the day off.”

After hesitating for a moment, I nodded quietly.

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

Shiori smiled contentedly.

“Then let’s go.”

Shiori took my hand and started walking out of the school.

Just like that, we passed through the school gate without stopping.

As we walked, a small question occurred to me.

“Hey, where are we going?”

Shiori answered immediately while walking.

“My place.”

“Huh?”

I almost stopped in my tracks, but Shiori continued without looking back.

“If we go to your place, Honoka-san might come, right?”

Hearing that, I immediately understood.

“…That’s true. Honoka has a spare key.”

“Yeah, and if she’s outside, we might run into her by chance.”

I could sense an intention in Shiori’s words to look out for me.

But I felt there was something more to it than that, something that nagged at the back of my mind.

I thought about it for a while.

It was true—right now, I had nowhere to go.

I didn’t know what to do about Honoka, and being alone made me anxious.

In the end, I started walking along with Shiori.

“…Is it really okay for me to go to your place?”

Putting it into words made me feel like I could sort out the anxiety bubbling up inside me a little.

But I couldn’t find the answer right away.

Was it really okay for me to go to Shiori’s place?

I still didn’t know if this was the right thing to do.

Shiori paused her steps slightly and squeezed my hand tightly.

“Of course. Let’s take it easy and calm down.”

At her words, I nodded as if pushing down my uncertain feelings.

“…Yeah, thank you.”

The path to Shiori’s house felt a little heavy.

But right now, it was my only option.

If I went to Shiori’s place, I wouldn’t have to worry about running into Honoka, and I felt I could relax a little.

Holding onto my vague unease, I squeezed Shiori’s hand back.