“Kikyo?!”
Ema’s eyes went wide, visibly shaken.
Her new friend — Kikyo — why would she attack her like that?
Were the so-called friends she’d made here fake after all?
So I’m still alone.
Why does everyone end up disliking me for no reason…
Ema’s pink eyes welled up, the light draining from them.
“Kushida — Sakuraba-san might not be lying.”
Natsuyū knew Ema’s past.
She’d been hurt by a genuinely malicious Great Witch, and she truly had no friends — it wasn’t a performance.
He wasn’t about to sit back and watch Kushida bully a good kid, so he spoke up plainly:
“She may have a past she’d rather not talk about.
Since when does being cute guarantee you’d have friends?”
“I’d like to think I’m decent-looking myself, and I don’t have any.
What about the rest of you.”
Kushida snapped her gaze to Natsuyū, eyes widening slightly, a flash of irritation rising inside her:
Rurikawa Natsuyū, you’re taking Ema’s side over mine?!
Yukinoshita Yukino’s expression stiffened for a fraction of a second — then, very carefully, she said:
“First, I’d ask you to define what it means to truly be friends.”
Natsuyū leaned back ever so slightly and gave her a sideways look.
Classic.
Only someone without friends talks around the question like that.
Someone who had friends would just say “yes.”
You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you, Miss Flat Plains.
Yukino seemed to catch the faintly offensive look on Natsuyū’s face.
She narrowed her eyes, smoothed her hair back, and let a small smile play at her lips — though the words that followed had teeth:
“I know I’m wonderful to look at, but Mr.
All-Season Charm over there really doesn’t need to stare at me quite so much.
I have plenty of people I’m close to — I’m simply not concerned with anyone outside that circle.”
A girl with no friends, getting poked right in the weak spot, hissing back.
Natsuyū returned the smile.
“Got it.
You can’t make friends.”
Yukino smiled back just as serenely.
“I simply have no need for hollow ones.”
“Alright, alright.”
Kiana stepped in quickly, cutting off the exchange.
She turned to Ema with genuine warmth: “I’ve spent the last few years travelling everywhere on my own.
I’ve met people I clicked with here and there, but we always ended up going our separate ways — so I suppose I don’t really have friends either.”
Kushida stared.
How does someone not have friends at fourteen?
Even the dumbest person should manage it.
And four of them showed up at once.
That’s eighty percent of the group.
“Everyone…”
Her lashes were damp.
“Thank you, Rurikawa-kun.
Thank you, everyone — for reassuring me.”
“I… actually…”
Ema dropped her gaze, fingers catching at the hem of her tights, twisting them quietly.
Her voice came out small:
“Starting from that day, I don’t know why, but everyone started to hate me.
Even Shiro-chan — my best friend since childhood — turned completely cold toward me after that day.”
“No one would be my friend.
They scratched up my desk with compasses, tied me up with rope, dumped a bucket of water over my head and laughed…”
“Kushida-san — I really wasn’t lying to you.
I really am not a bad person.
Please don’t hate me.”
Ema’s voice trembled as the memories surfaced, tears threatening to spill, making her look utterly heartbreaking.
“That’s horrible!”
Kiana balled up her fist.
“Ema, if anyone tries to mess with you again, I will personally knock them flat!”
Yukino studied Ema for a moment, then said coolly:
“Human beings are weak and ugly on the inside.
Envy drives them to hurt those who shine brighter.
That is where society goes wrong — I myself have experienced what it means to have lesser people resent my abilities.”
“Sakuraba-san — you did nothing wrong.
They did.
You simply haven’t yet found the strength to change the world around you.”
Natsuyū glanced at Yukino from the corner of his eye.
Quite the literary detour for what was essentially: ‘it’s not your fault.’ Strange girl.
He kept it simple himself — just smiled at Ema and said quietly:
“I’ll be your friend.
And if anyone gives you trouble, come tell me.
I’ll protect you.”
Three reassurances in a row.
Ema was deeply moved.
She squeezed her small fists, nodded hard with a bright smile: “Yes!
We’re friends!”
Sakuraba…
Ema…!
Kushida ground her teeth internally.
Watching Ema play the poor wounded bird and waltz off with everyone’s sympathy — with her spot — was infuriating.
But she quietly let go of the idea of going after Ema further.
Fine.
I’ll admit you had it rough.
But I’ll still put you in your place when the time comes.
Ema — the one who becomes everyone’s best friend, the one they treasure most — that will be me.
You can stay in second place.
As long as you know your place, I can make sure no one bothers you.
Still seething internally, her body moved ahead of her thoughts. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
She pressed her hands together, walked up to Ema, and bowed:
“I’m sorry — that was my fault.
I made you think of something painful.”
“We’re all your friends here~.
That’s all in the past.
Look forward, okay!”
Ema’s eyes shone with gratitude.
“Kikyo-san…”
Kikyo probably didn’t mean it badly.
Of course she didn’t.
How could Kikyo have bad intentions.
Ema broke into a watery smile.
“Yes — we’re all friends!”
I’m not alone anymore.
I finally have friends.
Everyone here is a good person.
But if she were honest about who she most wanted to be friends with—
Ema’s damp pink eyes drifted sideways, stealing a quiet glance at the boy standing nearby, expression easy and warm.
Natsuyū had been the one who stepped forward when she saw the body and nearly collapsed from terror — steady and calm, making her feel safe.
He’d been the one who quickly took hold of the situation, brought everyone together, guided them through the introductions.
And just now, he’d promised to protect her.
Warm and dependable — just like Shiro used to be, always protecting me, always patient with me…
Ema wanted more than anything to become Natsuyū’s closest friend — but she was aware of the awkwardness between boys and girls, so she tucked that hope quietly away, pulled her gaze back, and didn’t let herself look again.
Kiana turned to Natsuyū, completely natural about it: “My turn to introduce myself — and since you’re the only guy here, you go last.”
Natsuyū offhandedly corrected her: “The last act is the main event — the second-to-last is the closing act.
Different thing.”
Kiana blinked her big sky-blue eyes.
The information went in one ear and out the other.
She’d already decided these people were good — except possibly Kushida — and her initial wariness had mostly melted away.
She cleared her throat, chin up, chest out, with an air of someone presenting an important announcement:
“My name is Kiana Kaslana.
I haven’t been to school before, but I’m about to start at St.
Freya Academy in Chongkong City.”
“Mm~ — Ema just shared something personal, so to be fair, I’ll share a bit more too.
It’s only right.”
“The mysterious voice in my head said I could find my deadbeat dad here, so I agreed.
And it lied to me.”
“Unbelievable!
I knew it was a con the whole time.”
So this is Kiana before she enrolled at St.
Freya.
Natsuyū put it together — and then pinched the bridge of his nose.
Kiana could already tell the voice was suspicious, and still said yes.
Just like Kushida.
Kiana.
Go sit at the same table as Kushida.
To be continued…