The Witch Trial Begins with the OO Buckethead Zombie

Unfortunately...

"But Emma is still a middle school student. Even if she can't fit in well at school, even if she can't find anyone to talk to in her class."

"When I get into high school, I'll put on my new school uniform, dress myself up, and enter a new environment."

"I'm sure I'll be able to make even more friends."

Beautiful expectations, a vision of happiness.

“New friends, new life, and new relationships will constantly crowd out the old ones. At that time, my friendship with you, which started out of pity, may not be so important.”

Even if I were to suddenly die at some point, in Emma Sakura's eyes at that time, it would just be the sudden death of a friend who might have been quite close to her.

Feel a little sad for a while, feel a little melancholy, and reminisce about the past.

It's time to move forward.

Friends and life will keep pushing her forward.

"That's always been my opinion."

But I don't think so!

Emma Sakura wanted to speak up in rebuttal, but Hoshino's voice sounded too gentle in her ears. Gentle and tender, his sincere words, full of emotion, made her unwilling to interrupt him.

So she just shouted it out in her heart once again.

"But unfortunately, before Emma could even enter high school, things changed drastically."

Unexpected events always arrive before tomorrow.

He really didn't expect things to turn out this way.

“When I saw Emma again after she woke up from her coma, Emma’s condition had already become this serious.” Hoshino Utsunomiya paused for a moment. “What I could clearly sense was her possessiveness, which had started to become somewhat ‘distorted’.”

“There’s a growing disregard for physical contact between men and women, a clear sense of distance that’s starting to cross the line beyond friendship, and… well, the resistance I show when I try to develop other kinds of relationships with Hiro.”

As Nikaido Shiro listened, he also recalled Emma Sakura's performance on the previous two occasions.

As he said, Emma's performance was indeed like that.

The core point that Emma's behavior can be summarized is that unique "possessiveness" that cannot be simply explained as "that's how it is between friends".

"Actually, I can understand Emma very well."

"If I have a friend, and I only have one friend, what I hope for is that my friend can always play with me, do what I want to do, eat with me, play games with me, chat with me, or even just pass the time without doing anything."

“I don’t want him to have a boyfriend or girlfriend and then devote himself entirely to that lover, only to turn around and leave me in some corner. If I want to play with him, I have to consider his lover’s feelings and watch his lover’s mood. I also have to take advantage of the time his lover is too lazy to take to play with him like a thief.”

"You know, I was the one who became friends with him first; the so-called lover came later."

If you understand, through putting yourself in her shoes, little by little, Hoshino Utsunomiya seems to be gradually influencing Emma Sakuraba's emotions.

Yes, that's it, that's what I think!

I was the first to become friends with Hoshino! Hiro, that so-called "trainee lover," was the one who came later!

That's why I did this—because I don't want to see this kind of thing happen!

Just as Emma Sakuraba was deeply convinced of this, Hoshino Utsunomiya made another unexpected statement.

"But, but that is to say, if he really wants such a relationship, and that person is indeed suitable for him."

"The only thing I can say is a simple 'I wish you happiness,' right?"

Sincere blessings, words of regret, and heartfelt wishes.

A soft, quiet sigh escaped her lips.

"Of course, this is just my attempt at logical reasoning from Emma's perspective. From my point of view, friends are friends, and lovers are lovers."

Hoshino Utsunomiya composed himself slightly and softened his words.

"Friends have their own time, lovers have their own time, and I also have my own time to be alone."

"This is not something that necessarily leads to conflict. There will always be things that only friends can do, and there will always be things that only lovers do."

"All I can say is, Emma, ​​I won't actively break up with or distance myself from my friends just because I'm dating someone or falling in love with someone."

Hoshino Utsunomiya looked directly at Emma Sakuraba, trying his best to guess Emma's worries from his own perspective, and in doing so, to give her a promise that would put her mind at ease.

It might be a promise, even if there's no guarantee whatsoever.

"If this is what you're worried about, then you don't need to worry too much."

“I don’t think I have any particularly indispensable uniqueness, which is one of the reasons why I say Emma’s problem has become more serious.” With a slight frown, Hoshino Utsunomiya paused for a moment and said with a hint of struggle, “Emma seems to have completely abandoned the idea of ​​engaging in interpersonal relationships with others, and is clinging to her only remaining friends like a drowning person.”

"I want to pull you out of the water and onto the shore, but I don't want you to drag me into the abyss."

He has a lot to say, and his words are very long.

Although Hoshino Utsunomiya didn't actually spend too much time thinking about these things, he was basically thinking and talking at the same time, organizing his thoughts, recalling, and looking at things all at the same time.

He didn't know if Emma Sakura would listen, or how much she would listen to, nor did he know if what he said would be useful or if Emma would understand.

But he has already said everything he could.

So now we're just waiting for Emma Sakura's response.

......

Chapter 108 I Just Like It

'Hoshino's voice is so beautiful.'

When Hoshino Utsunomiya started speaking, Emma Sakuraba's first reaction was this.

It sounds nice, I love listening to it, I'll listen to it a lot.

She was dizzy and dumbfounded listening to it.

It was as if his words transported me back to the past.

I returned to that time when I was lonely, weak, and all alone, watching others play and talk with envious and jealous eyes.

past.

I was secretly watching him.

He had actually noticed my gaze a long time ago.

Hidden in the cracks of the wall, in the dilapidated rat hole, a dark and damp gaze peers out at the light.

That's my line of sight.

Maybe I wasn't that jealous.

Xiaoxue is my good friend, although she may never have liked me much and has never told me anything about herself.

But in Emma Sakuraba's eyes at the time, this was probably the kind of relationship that Yuki Tsukishiro was meant to be a friend of.

No, that's good too.

It's an unspoken understanding that he won't talk to Xiaoxue in the classroom, and it's a way of protecting himself not to show this relationship to others.

So, for a long time, while he pretended to 'bully' Xiaoxue, Sakura Emma just watched.

But simply looking at it isn't enough; merely imagining yourself as one of the characters won't fill the void in your heart.

The girl could only cling to what she had.

Excuse.

He was abusing and harming her.

Therefore, I must stand up and protect 'my friends'.

Whether she likes it or not.

Otherwise, I simply wouldn't have any excuse to get involved in their relationship.

Perhaps in the end, even he himself started to believe the excuse that he came here.

After protecting Yuki on several occasions, Emma Sakuraba truly felt like a righteous and good child.

She started to worry that the man might continue to do inappropriate things to Xiaoxue, and she started to worry about what would happen if she couldn't protect Xiaoxue.

I must protect my friend so that my only friend won't be taken away.

Hidden within the words that deceive oneself is the most sincere intention.

I'm the one who's sad, I'm the one who's crying, and I'm the one who's unbearable to watch.

The words that deceived her would eventually be met with reality. Seeing the two of them getting closer, Sakura Emma knew she could no longer fool herself.

She still needs to become a person again.

...If he hadn't reached out his hand...

Emma Sakuraba really, really loves Hoshino Utsunomiya.

I love the voice, I love the gentleness, I love the hug.

Pity is irrelevant, and being unable to bear it is unimportant.

The important thing is that it was someone who appeared there at that time, speaking gently to her.

It's him.

He doesn't dislike me. He says I'm a good kid, and he's always watching me.

What the girl could actually hear from Hoshino Utsunomiya's words was this.

Whether you pity them or feel sorry for them.

Emma Sakura didn't care.

What I cherish are the joyful times we used to spend on the rooftop every day, the feeling of holding chopsticks and stuffing fried chicken pieces into Hoshino's rice ball, and Hoshino's earnest and dedicated responses, word by word, when I was rambling on without even knowing what I was saying.

Words.

Just like now, I feel so happy whenever he can speak in my ear.

Even if his purpose in saying those things seemed to be to make me give up completely.

But that doesn't matter, I just enjoy listening to him talk.

Hoshino said he never imagined he would become such an important person in his heart.