Why had she said such words?
The Nagasaki Soyo of the past had never been particularly generous. For someone with such a strong sense of possession, "monopoly" had always seemed reasonable. Even when she felt pity and guilt toward the sadness of other friends, she could only compromise to a certain extent.
In order to achieve her goals, she had used many underhanded methods. Even with the husband she loved most, she had chosen to deceive. To her eyes, every lie could be concealed beneath the word "love."
For Soyo, who loved him deeply, everything she did was for his sake.
As her tolerance for lying gradually lowered, she came to feel it was only natural, until the day Mutsumi chose to expose her falsehoods in person. Only after truly experiencing "loss" did she begin to understand.
She had indeed committed many wrongs, and had tried to hurt many people.
She had once sneered at Sakiko's selfish facade, yet now she realized that she herself was no different. Arrogantly believing that no one understood Haru better than she did, she was only now beginning to see her own flaws.
"…I was really, really scared."
"Because I was afraid of being hated by Haru, I didn't dare come find you, and I didn't know how I should apologize. I thought it was only natural that you would always stay by my side, so I kept hesitating."
"But today…"
Soyo reached up again and again to wipe at her swollen eyes. Her trembling voice carried a trace of barely concealed fear and regret.
She wanted to reach out and touch his cheek, but she didn't dare take that step.
She had witnessed with her own eyes the entire process of Haru being injured.
In that instant, it felt as though her entire world had turned gray, and she could no longer see the slightest color on the path of her life. All her former hesitations had vanished into thin smoke. What remained was nothing but the purest sense of "parting."
She had not apologized yet, had not felt the warmth of his arms again, and yet she was forced to watch the scene of being separated from him forever.
Neither his hatred nor leaving his side could compare to that moment of terror.
"It's alright."
A soft whisper brushed against her ear. The trembling girl gradually felt a power that carried safety. Before she could even react, she was wrapped in the warmth of a blanket, the familiar scent soothing her restless fingers.
Haru gently held her in his arms, running his hand slowly through her smooth hair.
"…I'm sorry."
"I never once blamed you, Soyo, because from the very beginning I had already guessed."
"Eh?"
His gentle laugh left her bewildered. Nestled in his embrace, her eyes widened instinctively.
"Do you really think I'm as foolish as you imagined?"
"From the very moment you confessed to me, I already knew what you were secretly thinking. But, well, it doesn't matter to me. Whatever you planned to do, I had already decided I would take responsibility for you."
"No matter what happens, I could never hate you, Soyo."
His words seemed to fall with a rhythm.
Perhaps it was when her racing heartbeat began to calm, or when the sheer white curtains lifted slightly with the breeze from the window, brushing a few strands of her light brown hair into the air.
Those pale blue eyes, like a summer river beneath warm winds, stared only at the boy with black hair and his faint smile. Her thoughts drifted further and further away, leaving behind nothing but tears welling up endlessly.
Only now did Soyo realize there were still things about her husband she did not understand.
She had never expected that his love for her was in no way less than hers for him.
"…"
In the quiet hospital room, only soft breathing could be heard, mingled with the endless sobs of the girl clinging to his chest. Haru paid no mind to the jacket soaking through with her tears, only patting her back gently.
Standing beside her, Mutsumi simply watched in silence.
"I almost thought… I would never see Haru again…"
Haru chose only to be a listener, silently receiving all the loneliness and sorrow she poured out to him. Only when her emotions gradually eased did he gently release her.
At his side, Mutsumi pinched at the hem of her skirt and spoke softly, her tone a little tender.
"Soyo, Haru still needs plenty of rest."
"…You're right. I was being a bit selfish."
Her expression soft again, the girl gave a small laugh. She wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, then looked earnestly at the boy bound in bandages on the bed. In the depths of her blue eyes flickered a trace of pain.
"These next few days, Haru needs rest and observation. Naturally his diet will require extra care as well… so I'd like to come by more often to look after you, and do my best to take care of you."
She paused for two seconds, then turned her gaze toward Mutsumi nearby.
"Together with Mutsumi."
Clearly, Mutsumi had not expected her to say this. She blinked in confusion, lips parting slightly, then nodded after a moment, granting her silent approval.
Haru simply stared blankly at his two girlfriends, who had just laid out his entire schedule for the next few days.
"[It's just a small injury, you really don't need to fuss over me]… is what I'd normally say, but I guess there's no changing your minds, is there? In that case, I might as well enjoy being taken care of for a couple of days."
Since both his girlfriends had already said so, what else could he do?
I got knocked flying, don't I deserve a little pampering?
Receiving his reluctant agreement, the brown-haired girl smiled again, her lips curving with warmth. After a few more words of reminder and one last embrace, she reluctantly left the room together with Mutsumi.
What was this feeling in her heart now?
Soyo realized she still had many flaws and shortcomings as a wife. There were still things about Haru she did not understand. Yet after realizing this, she felt joy rather than sorrow, her whole being filled with energy.
When all the lies buried deep in her heart had been confessed, this warmth rising from within brought a smile she could not suppress.
"Mutsumi."
Outside the hospital room, Soyo turned her gaze to Mutsumi beside her. In the past, she had always felt extreme dissatisfaction toward the dazed girl who constantly disrupted her plans and actions. But now, her view of Mutsumi had changed.
"All this time, truly… thank you."
"…!"
Mutsumi was clearly flustered, unsure how to react.
Seeing such a cute response, Soyo narrowed her blue eyes, a trace of warmth softening her face. She then reached out her right hand toward Mutsumi, her gaze filled with genuine apology as she looked directly at her.
"Even though I've already apologized to you before, Mutsumi, I want to thank you once again. It's thanks to you… that I realized just how many flaws I still have. During this time, I've reflected a lot."
"Soyo?"
Mutsumi tilted her small head blankly, looking at the hand extended toward her. After a couple of slow seconds, she finally reached out as well. Only when she felt the warmth in her palm did her eyes begin to widen.
"As a friend, and also as someone who, like me, loves Haru…"
"Mutsumi, from now on, may I… learn from you more often?"
The faint warmth spreading from palm to skin carried a sincerity that shone in Soyo's expression. Seeing that earnestness reflected before her, Mutsumi's lips parted slightly in surprise, and a ripple stirred faintly in her heart.
The two who had once clashed fiercely now found their still waters gently rippled with understanding and respect.
The girl nodded.
…
Sakiko seemed no longer able to think.
She did not understand how she had survived beneath the massive wheels of that truck, nor how she had managed to leave the scene and walk step by step back home.
Those memories felt as if they had been erased from her mind.
By the time the morning sun pierced through the old curtains and spilled across the floor, she sat lifeless on her bed, staring blankly at her pale fingertips, like a doll stripped of its heart and emotions, her face drained of all color.
"…"
Her once carefully maintained blue hair now hung dull and tangled like seaweed across her pale shoulders. Mechanically, she reached for her alarm clock, staring at the harsh display of "6:42."
Without realizing, morning had already arrived.
"…I have to go to school."
As if driven by instinct, Sakiko forced her sleepless body to rise, wash up, and change into the light gray uniform of Haneoka High before heading toward school.
It was December 10. For a winter morning, the air was unusually warm.
But Sakiko felt nothing but bone-deep cold. The brighter the sun, the more it seemed to burn against her skin, scorching, yet her heart remained frozen. Before her eyes, the world was nothing but a haze of gray.
For a girl dependent on scholarships, diligently taking notes in class had long become second nature. Yet today, she could not even manage the simplest task. She sat in her seat in a daze, staring into the distance.
[Don't touch him]
The cold words still echoed in her mind. Each time she recalled them, they easily extinguished all her courage. In her clarity she realized just how foolish, how selfish her actions had been.
But no matter how much she regretted or suffered now, it was already too late. Just as the date on her phone turned to "December 10," she knew there would be no more "rewinding of time."
Haru… how is he now?
Since yesterday, she hadn't dared to turn on her phone. After struggling for a long time, she finally unlocked it. Instantly, countless messages burst across the screen, but none of them contained the words of reproach she had expected.
"Why?"
"…It was all my fault."
Not from Takamatsu Tomori, nor from Mutsumi, not even from the blunt and straightforward Shiina Taki. None had sent her a message of condemnation. Having braced herself for anger, the emptiness instead gnawed at her, a pain that words could not describe.
Right now, she wished they would scold her. Even just a little.
"…Uika?"
Scrolling through her messages, Sakiko's eyes widened. Of all people, Misumi Uika, the one she thought would be most furious and heartbroken, had instead sent a message of concern. Yet she did not even dare to open it.
But just as she swiped past Uika's message, her heart clenched as she saw a new one… from Haru.
The words of concern from him made her entire body tremble.
"Haru?"
Her lips trembled as her eyes filled with sudden warmth.
Her shaking fingers hovered over the Line icon. She wanted to ask about his injuries, to tell him she was safe, to thank him for saving her, and to apologize from the depths of her heart.
But she couldn't...
"…"
In the end, Sakiko could not bring herself to open it. Overwhelmed by guilt, she slowly closed her eyes.
At the very least, knowing he was alive was enough.
The sound of the school bell rang in her ears, and she instinctively grabbed her bag.
She was the assistant manager of Rabbit House. No matter what, she had to fulfill her responsibilities. With Haru injured and unable to tend to the store, she had to manage it herself.
"Saki-chan?"
A gentle voice called out to her, startling her as if breaking her trance.
Just as Sakiko stepped out to the courtyard, preparing to leave the campus, she looked up and met the gaze of a pair of eyes filled with softness and worry.
A girl with short, ash-gray hair stood before her.
"…Tomori?"
Sakiko's face turned deathly pale. She instinctively tightened her grip on the strap of her schoolbag.
Beside Takamatsu Tomori stood Chihaya Anon, her brow furrowed, clearly in a foul mood. The two of them stood at the gate of Haneoka High, blocking Sakiko's only path out of the school, like Gian and Suneo bullying Nobita.
In her current state, Sakiko was terrified of seeing anyone.
But there was no way to avoid this. She could only walk forward with a bloodless expression and stand silently before the two girls, waiting for their attack. Whatever came, she would accept it quietly.
"What's with that face of yours?"
Seeing her lifeless, defeated appearance only fanned the flames of Anon's resentment. Taking two sharp steps forward, she glared at Sakiko, her sharp fangs glinting like cold steel.
Sakiko's delicate frame trembled. She lowered her head and stayed silent.
She didn't dare look up. She could only endure.
"Hah? Do you think saying nothing makes it all go away? That you can just act like nothing ever happened?"
"Do you even realize what you've done?"
"Anon-chan…"
Watching Sakiko's head sink lower and lower, Tomori quickly tugged at Anon's sleeve, her gentle nature stopping her friend's anger from boiling over. Even so, the harsh words had already cut Sakiko deeply.
Anon exhaled, shaking her head in frustration. She could only relent for Tomori's sake.
"…Saki-chan, can we talk alone?"
Tomori's cautious question carried surprising strength. Exhausted and pale, Sakiko nodded lightly and followed her to a patch of grass near the school gate, while Anon stood at a short distance, watching.
Sakiko looked like a child who had done something wrong, standing with her head lowered in front of Tomori. Yet instead of anger, what she saw was Tomori slowly extending her right hand.
Resting in her palm were a few small penguin-patterned band-aids.
"Saki-chan… you have a lot of cuts too. If you don't take care of them, they'll only get worse later."
Tomori's eyes lingered on the scrapes across Sakiko's hand and knees. Sakiko had been too numb to even notice them, until this little penguin brought it up. Now, looking at her, she couldn't believe it.
"…Tomori, why?"
"If it were Haru standing here instead of me, I'm sure… I'm sure he would do the same thing. Back then, he was so desperate to save you. I thought he looked so cool, so very cool… and I want to be like him too."
Tomori looked at her with unwavering sincerity, her lips curving into a gentle smile.
"Haru even asked us how you were doing, Saki-chan."
"I think… I think he must be really worried about you."
Sakiko's body trembled as though breaking apart. Her eyes grew hot, her nose quivering as she fought back the tears threatening to spill, holding herself back from breaking down then and there.
"Saki-chan, I hope… you can go see him too."
With her soft gaze, Tomori handed her a small slip of paper. Written on it were the name of the hospital and Haru's ward number. Seeing it, Sakiko's grief nearly overwhelmed her, and she reached out with trembling hands to take it.
"Thank you…"
Her voice cracked with a sob as she accepted it from Tomori.
The slip of paper and the band-aids in her hands had no warmth, yet her heart felt wrapped in a deep, unspeakable comfort. It was as if even her aching body and the pain buried deep inside had been soothed.
She clenched her fist tightly, holding the small paper to her chest.