The Witch Trial Begins with the OO Buckethead Zombie

Disappointed, aggrieved, and depressed.

Hearing what Hoshino Utsunomiya said, Emma Sakuraba couldn't help but grab her coat and cover her face.

Breathing in the scent of someone else lingering on it, she felt increasingly aggrieved and spoke to Hoshino Utsunomiya.

Xiaoxue can do it, Xiluo can do it, but why can't I?

“No, you can’t.” Faced with Sakura Emma’s aggrieved expression, Utsunomiya Hoshino didn’t offer his usual comforting words this time, but instead spoke directly to her:

“Emma is a friend, so you can’t.”

This point must be made clear.

We can't let Emma misunderstand.

"Eh..."

Emma Sakura was stunned.

She had considered the possibility of rejection, but she also considered the possibility of receiving gentle comfort.

She thought the reason for the rejection might be that she wasn't cute enough, that her breasts weren't big enough, or that she wasn't as attractive as Hero...

But she never expected that Hoshino Utsunomiya would refuse for such a reason.

'We're friends, so it's not allowed.'

Why?

She never imagined that one day this friendship, which she cared so much about, would become the biggest obstacle preventing her from becoming the choice Hoshino had in mind.

But, but...

She clearly remembered that Xiaoxue and Hoshino started as friends...

Emma Sakura still remembers that day.

That's how Yuki took Hoshino's hand and said to her, "This is my new friend."

I'm talking about a friend, not a boyfriend.

'Friends can become boyfriend and girlfriend'

This is what Yukishiro told her.

'Friends cannot become boyfriend and girlfriend'

This is what Hoshino Utsunomiya told her.

Which one should she believe?

“If it’s just a try, if you think I can do it too.” Nikaido Hiro didn’t care which side Sakura Emma wanted to believe. She simply raised her hand and swept her long, black hair behind her back. Her hair flowed freely, and she smiled gently as she replied:

"Then please guide me—"

Just as the girl was about to reach out her hand, Emma Sakura, who was in a hurry, stopped worrying about what Hoshino Utsunomiya had said.

She clenched her little fists, closed her eyes, and shouted loudly:

"--Can't!"

"It's not enough to just have Hiro-chan!"

Forget about why friends can't date; if we don't say something soon, they'll really start dating!

Utsunomiya Hoshino: "...?"

"why?"

Even if she wanted to stop her, Emma Sakura would have to give a reason.

"Because, because, because..." The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Emma Sakura couldn't bring herself to say them.

Does she really have to tell Hoshino in front of Hiro that because Hiro is the bad guy, because Hiro is the criminal who hurt you, you can't have a relationship with the person who hurt you?

Waaah...

The worst one was definitely Hiro-chan.

Although Hoshino's words had already hurt her deeply, she still felt that Hiro-chan was even more unreasonable. How could she agree to it as if she hadn't done anything wrong?

“Hiro-chan knows it herself!” Emma Sakura pointed at Nikaido Hiro: “What’s forbidden is forbidden!”

Hiro-chan is really unreasonable, but even so, she's still her friend.

If it were because of her, if she exposed Hiro's sins at this time, causing Hiro to be completely hated by Hoshino...

She will also be sad.

So, although it was awkward, she still used this roundabout method to issue a warning to Nikaido Hiro.

"But Hiro-chan is the only exception!"

Emma Sakura's words were deafening.

Nikaido Hiro's outstretched hand hovered in mid-air.

"..." She was a little stunned.

I can't?

For a moment, she couldn't figure out why Emma Sakuraba said that, but seeing her seemingly serious expression, Hiro Nikaido also tried to think about it carefully.

Then she remembered.

I remembered her 'crime'.

Nikaido Hiro has an 'original sin'.

'Original Sin: The Executor of Justice'

'Her path so far is spotless.'

'Except for that one blow, delivered without verification and solely out of emotion.'

"—Death to evil!"

Extremely impulsive and highly emotional, this is an original sin that requires repentance and reflection.

This is her own fault, her own mistake.

...If that victim wasn't Hoshino Utsunomiya.

That's how it is.

But the victim was Hoshino Utsunomiya.

So Emma Sakuraba said this to her.

You alone, a sinner, are unworthy of his love.

Even if he has no romantic feelings at all, if he lets you date until he falls in love with you, then it can only be a 'mistake'.

So, Nikaido Hiro's hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, was pulled back by her.

Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped her arm tightly, her grip firm and taut.

Just like her first two deaths, retracing back to her original state.

Overwhelmed by two conflicting memories, the girl involuntarily forgot her sins.

The present moment is being reminded.

...She really didn't have the right to choose to hold that hand.

The girl's gaze dimmed, her upper teeth slightly biting her lower lip, and she looked down at the ground.

Emma Sakura finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Hero knew.

Nikaido Hiro is the most sensible.

She knows what she's doing, and even if she doesn't, a little reminder will tell her what's right.

Just like it is now.

"—But I still want to hold your hand and say this to you." Taking a deep breath, he raised his head again and spoke these words with remarkable clarity. He grasped Utsunomiya Hoshino's hand and smiled.

"Please continue to guide me in the future, and I hope you will come to like me as you wish."

The girl clasped her hands tightly together again.

"...Huh?" The heart that had just settled down, the breath that had just been released, was suddenly jolted back into her chest. Emma Sakura was confused: "Nikaido Hiro?!"

Seeing that Emma seemed about to say something, Nikaido Hiro raised his index finger, gesturing for her to be quiet:

"Shh, Emma, ​​shut up."

I have my own rhythm, Emma Sakura.

After telling Emma to shut up, Nikaido Hiro turned around and looked again at Utsunomiya Hoshino, who had no idea what riddle they were talking about.

Her eyes revealed a hint of apology.

"However, well, before that, there's something I have to tell you. Whether you're still willing to hold my hand or not, please tell me your answer after you've heard it."

She said softly.

"..." Hoshino Utsunomiya looked into Hiro Nikaido's eyes, his beautiful crimson eyes flashing with guilt: "Okay."

Although she had once again taken his hand, it didn't seem like he could easily break free.

But, okay.

I'm listening.

"sorry."

she says.

"Although you may not remember it, although you may not know it at all."

“After all, you were in a coma for a long time, and I once thought you would never wake up again.”

"But that doesn't mean that now that you've woken up, I can pretend nothing happened and let it go."

"I should have apologized to you a long time ago. Everything I did was not an equivalent compensation to you."