Ayase’s face lost all color, turning deeply pale. She clenched her hand tightly, her sharp nails piercing right through her face, dragging a line of blood.
"Si...sister... I’m sorry...!"
Feeling blood drench her face, Ayase crawled to her sister, hugging her legs as she pleaded.
"I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Reika-chan, I didn’t an to..."
"Ayase-chan, it’s okay."
Reika replied kindly as she crouched down. She softly patted Ayase’s hair, gently caressing her hair like an older sister would.
Ayase fell silent, her hands stopping. She looked at her with a hopeful smile.
But then, Reika tilted her head, smiling wryly.
"It’s fine, after all, you’re much more important than , right? Much more important than everyone else."
"The very special, unique Ayase-chan."
Ayase’s hopeful face lost all of its blood instantly. She shook her head, desperately denying it.
"No! That’s not true... that’s not true...!"
"But if that’s the case, why did you survive and not ?"
Reika asked softly, her words piercing through Ayase’s heart like a knife.
She continued gently.
"We’re the sa age, we have the sa face, and we have the sa parents... but why was it that, that night, only you managed to survive? The whole village sacrificed themselves against that monster, Mom and Dad managed to escape..."
"... But why did they only bring you along?! Why couldn’t they bring as well?! Why did everyone have to die but you?! Why?!"
Reika’s voice rose, causing the surrounding mist to shake. Her calm, soft voice had turned furious, filled with resentnt.
"It’s unfair! Unfair! What do you have that I don’t?! Mom and dad left alone in that village... but they ran away with you instead... why... why... do they love you more?! Why?!"
She cried out. Her face was ugly, tears sliding down her cheeks while her lips trembled incessantly.
At this mont, Reika wasn’t like a monster at all.
Like Ayase, she was just a re child, questioning the unfairness of reality.
"Tell , Ayase-chan?! Why?! What do you have that others don’t that you get to live?!"
Ayase couldn’t answer, her lips turning deep red from her tight clench. Her thin, frail arms clutched onto Reika’s knees, pleading desperately.
"So... sorry... so... sorry... I’m sorry..."
"Answer !"
Reika shouted.
"I don’t know!!!"
Ayase scread, biting her lips so hard that blood exploded on her mouth. Ugly tears slid down her cheeks, her beautiful face marred by sharp cuts from her nails.
"I don’t know!!!!"
"I don’t!!!"
"I don’t..."
Ever since she survived that night, not a mont passed that she didn’t question herself.
What did she have that made her more deserving to live than the others?
Nothing.
Ayase couldn’t find an answer.
Because there was no answer.
But if there wasn’t, how could she justify those who died for her?!
What did they think before sacrificing themselves just so she could survive?!
Ayase desperately wanted to know.
"I... don’t know..."
"... I’m sorry..."
Reika sighed. She raised her hand, mist gathering above her.
"Since that’s the case, then it’s alright if you die, right?"
"..."
Ayase didn’t resist, fully succumbing to her fate. She wordlessly nodded, burrowing her head deep into Reika’s abdon.
This was just right.
They were just correcting what happened that day.
Ayase shouldn’t have lived beyond that night.
Just as Reika was about to deal the finishing blow, soone suddenly walked out of the mist.
It was the yellow-haired man from earlier, wearing a hardened expression.
"Do you know why she deserves to live?"
Akihito appeared just in ti, like a hero from a story.
But this wasn’t a story.
This was a reality where the person he wanted to save didn’t want to be saved.
Ayase looked at Akihito, feeling her blood run cold.
Possessed by sothing inexplicable, she scread, full of resentnt.
"Why?! Why did you have to co back?!! It was about to happen!! Disappear!! I need to die!!diediediediediedie...."
Akihito glanced at her, his gaze softening, his heart deeply hurt.
Beneath both her smile and loneliness was guilt. A guilt that devoured her existence day and night.
Reika stopped, turning her gaze to Akihito. Hearing his question, she laughed mockingly.
"Can you tell ? How could sobody like you even know? How long have you even t Ayase?"
"I don’t need to know her for longer to know the answer."
Akihito shook his head seriously.
Reika laughed even more, but she was only t with silence by Akihito.
He looked at her indifferently.
After a brief mont, her laughter died down, and her face turned ugly, looking at Akihito’s serious expression.
"... Why then?"
Reika asked in a low tone.
Akihito glanced at Ayase, smiling softly.
This ti, he wanted to repay her.
"Isn’t it simple?"
He said slowly, his gaze turning solemn as he t Reika’s eyes.
"It’s because she’s Ayase-san."
""Huh?""
Reika and Ayase spoke out at the sa ti, their expressions utterly confused, as if they had heard the most absurd thing in the world.
But Akihito continued as he walked to them.
"That doesn’t an she’s special. I think that Ayase-san is very ordinary. She’s weak, helpless, and lonely. Even if she tries to hide her pain with a cold expression, I could sense that she’s deeply hurt."
Ayase widened her gaze.
"... She’s not much more special than those that died, maybe she’s even less special than them."
Akihito continued, his tone turning soft.
"But she still deserves to live. For a person to live, they don’t need to be special. A special reason isn’t needed. If you try so hard to think of a reason, you won’t find anything because the reason is here."
Akihito pointed at his heart while staring at Reika.
"As long as a person loves soone, they would do anything for them, even if it ans dying. Like right now, as long as I believe Ayase deserves to live, then that’s enough. It doesn’t matter what you think or what anyone thinks... she will live, and selfishly at that."
Reika’s expression turned into disbelief.
"Do you hear what you’re even saying?!"
But Akihito ignored her, turning his gaze to Ayase.
"Ayase-san, did your parents or people in your village hate or dislike your sister!?" He raised his voice, causing the twins to be startled.
Ayase was silent for a mont, but then answered.
"No..."
Akihito nodded slightly. He continued.
"Then, Ayase-san, did your sister hate you?"
Ayase raised her head, looking at Reika hesitantly.
Reika stared back with a hateful glare.
"Ayase-san! Don’t look at her!" Akihito suddenly shouted, anger evident in his tone. "Tell , did your sister ever say or show that she hates you?!"
Ayase’s lips trembled soundlessly. Despite what she was seeing right now, she knew deep inside her heart.
Her gaze lowered, answering honestly.
"... No."
"...!
Reika’s expression turned ugly, but Akihito didn’t give her a chance.
Woosh!
Akihito imdiately grabbed her, pushing her to the ground.
"Ayase-san, listen to closely!"
"...!"
Ayase felt blood rush to her face. She t his eyes, his pupils glowing with resolve, so bright like the sun itself.
Akihito grabbed Reika tightly, covering her mouth.
"This person isn’t your sister! Your sister died in the village to protect you! You deserve to live as much as everyone else, and no one can take that away from you, not even yourself!"
"Do you think your sister would ever want to live knowing you would die?! Ayase-san, think of what you’re feeling right now!! Do you think your sister or anyone would be happier if you died instead?!"
"No!"
Akihito didn’t let her speak, answering that question by himself.
He paused, looking at her quietly.
Then, he asked.
"Tell , Ayase. Do you want to live?"
Ayase’s expression froze, her eyes turning red.
At that mont, Reika struggled vehently, looking at Ayase with a broken expression.
"Ayase-chan..."
"..."
But Ayase had closed her eyes, tears sliding down her cheeks.
A human-sized crimson flower erged from behind her.
’I want to...’
Its petals were deep red, like the blood of those who died for her.
Maybe it’s selfish, she thought.
But yes, deep inside her, she felt relieved she escaped death that night.
Yet, that sa relief was what haunted her, making her feel as if she were a horrible monster.
How could she feel happy to be alive when everybody but her died?
Ayase felt an insurmountable guilt.
What was a simple, innocent desire for life turned into a twisted feeling of self-hate and guilt.
Slowly, a crimson pollen was released from the human-sized flower. It mixed with the air, flowing inside Reika.
"... Reika... I’m sorry..."
"... I want to live too..."
Hearing that, Reika’s expression faltered, then her body slowly burned.
But before her body fully disintegrated, her lips curved, a soft smile appearing on her face.
She mouthed out a word.
A mont later, she disintegrated into ashes.
Ayase froze, but before she could cry, she felt a strong pair of hands hug her tightly, yet also comfortingly.
Then, unable to stop herself, she scread.
Akihito held her quietly, letting her release all of her pent-up emotions.
Ayase burrowed her head into his uniform.
"Hick... Reika... I’m sorry..."
Her cries seed to be full of sorrow, but at least now, it was less painful than before.
Akihito’s gaze lowered, his heart deeply pained.
’... Smile more, Ayase-san. You’re just a kid, too.’
Deep inside him, he vowed to never let her face have such a lonely expression again.
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