A chill breeze swept through, carrying pale blue petals that settled upon Mikoto's side ponytail. Their paths diverged at this crossroads.
In the corridor, Bell heard Mikoto's cry and instantly understood the deep connection between Mikoto and Haruhime. Yet he remained silent.
Haruhime's unique status made her a key figure under Ishtar's care. In full view of others, allowing Mikoto and Haruhime to recognize each other could jeopardize the plan to save Haruhime—and even endanger Mikoto herself. Thus, Bell chose to play along, redirecting Mikoto's hostility toward himself.
"Mikoto-san, why did you burst in? I hadn't even started yet."
Bell deliberately steered her thoughts.
"Start what?"
Mikoto's brow twitched, her gaze turning icy. "Bell-dono, I had intended to support you..."
Harem.
The term wasn't unfamiliar to Mikoto. In her homeland, anyone of slight standing typically had numerous wives and concubines.
Yet Mikoto had always believed the boy was different from those men—he didn't treat girls as collectibles or props but genuinely cherished each fateful encounter and affection.
Now, that trust had turned into a mirage.
"How can you justify such lewd acts, Bell-dono?! How do you face the other girls?!"
Mikoto clenched the sword at her waist, seemingly suppressing her rage. She had witnessed Bell's War Game with Apollo Familia—those unwavering, yearning bonds of affection. Even if the girls could forgive his current actions, Mikoto could not.
"..."
Bell stared into her violet-blue eyes, silent.
In the courtyard, the prostitutes watched this farce unfold. Bell couldn't reveal the true purpose of his secret meeting with Haruhime. If Mikoto mentioned her, he would immediately cut her off.
Hatred consumed Mikoto's thoughts. To her, his silence proved everything.
"Mikoto-san..."
Mikoto's lips trembled, her exquisite features contorting into a tearful expression. "You... at least try to defend yourself..."
How she wished it were all just a misunderstanding. She longed for the boy to be like before—using his sharp tongue to guide her foolish self. Even if it were a lie. Even if it were just a casual excuse to dismiss her. Mikoto could have swallowed this burning hatred.
The spring breeze carried a chill. The only response to Mikoto was a silence that pierced her heart. Her gem-like eyes flashed, and crystal-clear tears slid down her cheeks.
"Why?! Why does it have to be..."
"Don't touch me!!"
Mikoto didn't utter Haruhime's name.
As she trembled with her accusation, the boy reached out once more, as if to touch her face. Mikoto pushed him away without mercy. She could no longer bear this warmth.
Had the prostitute the boy embraced been anyone else, not her childhood friend, Mikoto could have grabbed his hand and dragged him away from this place. But Bell had desecrated Haruhime.
Mikoto saw it clearly—her once innocent friend's expression twisted in such agony that tears welled in her eyes.
"She's crying! How could you bring yourself to harm that child, Bell-dono?!" Mikoto screamed hysterically.
"I thought Bell-dono was different... But now I see you're just a beast in human skin."
"I trusted you so deeply... I truly believed..."
Mikoto bit her lip, stifling the tremor in her heart. The deeper the trust once held, the more intense the disappointment and hatred now crushed her chest.
"Scum! Demon! You're utterly unworthy of those girls!"
"I despise Bell Cranel the most!!"
Mikoto vented her pent-up frustration.
After a moment's silence, she walked around the boy toward where Haruhime had stood.
Aisha stepped forward, offering a faint smile as she spoke:
"Sorry, but if you came here to catch someone cheating, you can do whatever you want to your lover. But if you lay a hand on the girl... that's a different story entirely..."
"..."
Mikoto pressed her lips tightly together. She was merely a powerless Lv.2. Breaking through the battle prostitutes and escaping with Haruhime was nothing short of a fairy tale.
Her clenched fists trembled uncontrollably. Mikoto faced reality. She turned, her gaze fixed on the boy as if grasping at a lifeline. This was her last desperate struggle.
Even after their bitter exchange, a sliver of hope still flickered within her heart. Perhaps the boy would see the error of his ways and step forward to help Haruhime.
But when their gazes met, the silence between them remained thick and oppressive. No sound, yet it felt like it shattered Mikoto's eardrums. A buzzing hum. All strength drained from Mikoto's body.
Disappointment, agony, betrayal, resentment... Countless emotions surged through her slender frame.
Though Mikoto stood close to the boy, their hearts had drifted worlds apart. Without another word, she dashed out the door, grief and fury burning within her.
Against that helpless silhouette, tears shattered, and a pale blue sakura drifted down.
...
In a room deep within the corridor, Haruhime leaned weakly against the doorway, her emerald eyes glistening with tears. She had overheard every word of Mikoto's heated accusation.
Countless times, Haruhime had wanted to rush out and tell her childhood friend that the boy was innocent. Her tears weren't born of sorrow, but from the longing to see the boy again, her eyes brimming with the joy of reunion.
To Haruhime, Bell Cranel was her sole pillar of strength. The accusations and hatred directed at the boy were all baseless charges. Haruhime knew perfectly well that Mikoto was unjustly imposing her own tragedy upon the boy.
Yet, despite this, Haruhime restrained herself from confronting them. It wasn't fear of her friend seeing her as a prostitute that held her back. That fear paled in comparison to the injustice faced by the wrongly accused youth.
What truly held Haruhime back was her promise to the boy. Before Bell rushed out to save Mikoto, he had said this:
"Haruhime-san, I have one request. No matter what you hear next, please do not come out."
"Cranel-sama... Mikoto and I are old acquaintances! You might be misunderstood!" Haruhime protested immediately. She knew that Mikoto was an exceptionally upright girl who would surely condemn the boy's actions.
"Haruhime-san, I cannot elaborate on the details now. If you trust me, please grant this request. Will you?"
The youth's gaze was unwavering, his hand caressing her cheek, radiating warmth.
"Yes... I understand. I will honor this promise." Haruhime agreed to the youth's request.
What she hadn't anticipated was that Mikoto would go so far as to threaten a complete break. Hearing those hysterical words felt like silver needles piercing her heart, causing excruciating pain.
"Cranel-sama..."
Leaning against the doorway, Haruhime murmured softly. She suddenly realized that her affection for the boy had already become deeply ingrained.