Chapter 25: Doodles

The first period ended quickly.

Yukina had not listened to the lecture at all. 

She completely failed to remember a single thing the teacher had said, and had only kept her head lowered, doodling and drawing on the blank pages of her notebook.

When she came back to herself, two small doodles had already appeared on the paper.

A single line divided the middle, and the doodles on either side each represented one of the two routes in the game Blood-Colored Return Gift.

On the left was the “Peace Route.”

Yukina had drawn a tiny Mashiro holding a knight’s shield, her eyes sparkling with unyielding light, accompanied by many crooked little stars around her.

The Mashiro on this route was like a white flower that refused to be crushed beneath the snow. 

No matter how severe the bullying she suffered, she never fell, always protecting that noble part deep in her heart, and finally arrived at the perfect ending illuminated by light.

On the right was the “Massacre Route,” also called the “Killing Route.”

She had also drawn a tiny Mashiro, only this one was curled up in the shadows, gripping a dagger in her hand, with a few ink spots splattered across her face. There were no stars around her—only vast stretches of blank space.

The Mashiro walking this route had already become a fallen butcher. Killing had become her only means of venting.

This route was extremely difficult to walk. 

Entering it carried a high probability of immediately falling into a death ending. 

Even if one gritted their teeth and reached the end, what waited there was only endless despair and emptiness.

The two Mashiros were separated by only a single line, yet it was as if they were separated by an entire world—one side an infinitely bright future, the other a darkness that killed through loneliness.

They were clearly two possibilities of the same person, yet they headed in completely opposite directions.

And right now…

Which one did the Mashiro sitting in the same classroom more closely resemble?

Yukina put down her pen and gently touched the little figure holding the shield with the pad of her finger. 

A thin layer of moisture rose in the sakura-colored eyes beneath her bangs.

She so wanted Mashiro to become that kind of person and welcome the most wonderful ending, but…

Don’t come near me again.

The image of Mashiro gripping a ballpoint pen and thrusting it toward Yumiko’s eyeball flashed through her mind. Yukina instinctively closed her eyes.

There was no doubt. The current Mashiro was much closer to the one on the right—that fallen butcher.

Terrifying. Dangerous. Murderous aura overflowing.

When the two of them had brushed past each other earlier, Mashiro had also said something similar to her.

Don’t come near me again.

Was that a warning? Or a threat? Or merely a cold declaration?

She did not know.

But she remembered one detail.

In the moment the curtain had been lifted, she had been very, very close to Mashiro—close enough to see every subtle ripple in those red eyes.

In the deepest part of the red, a muddy black had surged up, like ink dropped into clear water.

That was a symptom of the Blood Moon Disease.

As expected, the Blood Moon Disease that had flared up at noon yesterday had not disappeared. It had only been temporarily suppressed and was still latent inside Mashiro’s body.

As time passed, it could once again seize control of Mashiro’s body at any moment and ignite that most primitive destructive desire within her.

Had Mashiro realized this?

Was that why she had hesitated for so long in front of the school gate, and even done something so exaggerated in front of the entire class?

She was using the threat against Yumiko to warn everyone to stay away from her.

Including Yukina.

Especially Yukina.

…What should I do?

Under the influence of the Blood Moon Disease, Mashiro was gradually approaching the “Killing Route.”

If she lost control again and did something irreversible…

Blood. Shattered silver hair. Red eyes that would never close again.

A choking sensation surged up from her chest. Her throat felt as if it were blocked by something.

It’s all my fault.

Yukina’s fingers unconsciously tightened. The smiling knight Mashiro on the paper was pinched into a wrinkled face.

If I hadn’t randomly destroyed the script, if I could have noticed Mashiro’s feelings earlier, if yesterday in the Tin Shack I could have properly explained everything…

Her nose stung. When her fingers loosened, the crease on the paper could no longer be smoothed out.

I’m so useless after all.

Yukina’s throat uncontrollably choked once.

Her consciousness sank once more into the mire, deeper and heavier, until she could barely breathe.

Just as she was about to be completely swallowed by sorrow…

Chuu~~

A strange sound reached her ear.

Yukina lifted her head.

A small, pursed mouth was approaching her lips at an unhurried speed, heading straight toward them.

Yukina’s brain took a full second to understand what was happening in front of her. 

Then, as if electrocuted, she used every ounce of strength in her body to jerk backward.

“Yah?!”

Her back slammed into the chair back. Her entire body tilted backward, and her arms circled through the air twice before she barely managed to regain balance, nearly toppling over together with the chair.

Thump thump.

Her heartbeat pounded against her eardrums.

When she finally stabilized herself, what entered her vision was a mischievous smiling face so familiar it could not be more familiar.

“…Ningning!”

“Aiyah, what a pity. Just that tiny bit short.”

Ningning propped both hands on Yukina’s desk, leaned her body forward, and happily twitched her tanuki ears.

“Y-you, why did you suddenly…”

“Because Little Yukina wasn’t reacting at all.”

Ningning brought her face even closer, her round eyes staring straight at her.

“I stood next to you and called you for five minutes. A whole five minutes! I shook you several times, even poked your face, and it was completely useless. I thought you’d been cursed by an evil witch and needed a ‘true love’s kiss’ to break it, so I went for it.”

“What do you mean ‘so I went for it’? That’s a cri—wait.” Yukina had been about to complain, but suddenly paused and blinked. “You called me just now?”

“I did! I called you the moment class ended. I called until my throat went dry!”

Ningning pouted, pressing her tanuki ears forward, looking all puffed up with anger.

“We have to go to the science building for experiments next period. If we don’t leave now we’ll be late. Look how many people are left in the classroom.”

Yukina raised her head and looked around. Only then did she notice that the classroom was already more than half empty. 

The remaining few people were packing up their textbooks and heading out one after another.

“…Sorry. I completely didn’t notice.”

“Is Little Yukina really a natural airhead? Just what were you doing that made you so absorbed?”

Ningning lowered her head and leaned over, trying to look at the notebook on Yukina’s desk.

Tap.

Yukina abruptly closed the notebook and pressed it under her arm, the movement so fast it even startled herself.

“N-nothing special.”

“Stingy.”

Ningning pouted, her cheeks puffing out even more, just like a sulking child.

“Little Yukina has been like this lately—all secretive. Just now too, you completely refused to explain what happened before class…”

Suddenly, her expression seemed to turn a little dejected. She squatted down and rested her face against Yukina’s desk.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Seeing how quickly her attitude had changed, Yukina felt a little worried.

“Mm-mm.” Ningning shook her head.

“I was just thinking… Little Yukina… you…”

She seemed to hesitate over something. 

After turning her head and confirming with a sidelong glance that no one else remained in the classroom, she finally opened her mouth and asked in a small voice:

“You… are you really Little Yukina?”