The Witch Trial Begins with the OO Buckethead Zombie

...Indeed, no matter what world you're in, what restrains your instincts is always the factor of reality.

Follow the rules and regulations.

In short, let's just follow the rules for now.

It's ridiculous. He never followed any school rules from beginning to end, and he never attended a single class seriously.

Now they actually expect to earn wealth within the rules as a source of peace of mind, attempting to bind themselves in this way.

I've really been deeply harmed by the witch.

But even the meager rewards from daily active tasks in games can keep a large number of players engaged, so why can't working be the same?

The roots spread downwards.

The following day, Hoshino Utsunomiya climbed over the wall and entered the school.

"—Hoshino, over here~"

Happily, the pink-haired girl waved her little hands like tails, swinging her legs and revealing her little tiger teeth.

With bright eyes and slightly parted lips, her sharp little tiger teeth stood out.

The school rooftop, bathed in midday sunlight.

Emma Sakuraba awaits here.

A stray puppy, an abandoned puppy.

As friends, it's not like a witch's relationship, filled with ambiguity where they are friends in name only but actually have a completely different relationship.

In the true sense, as friends.

Hoshino Utsunomiya was merely there to keep a promise.

It's an agreement between friends to have a simple meal together.

Sometimes it's before the date with the witch, and sometimes it's after the date with the witch.

In short, this time, which is separate from the time spent with the witch, can be considered a time for friends.

Unfolding the tablecloth, Hoshino Utsunomiya, sitting opposite her, took out his lunch.

It was a simple meal, completely different from the one that Emma Sakura opened at the same time, which was piled high with fried chicken nuggets and tamagoyaki.

Rice balls, and water.

The puppy casually picked up the food box, then moved its rear end slightly but quickly.

Just as she seemed to be leaning against Hoshino Utsunomiya.

Utsunomiya Hoshino, equally nonchalant, distanced herself.

Not far, but not close either.

The right distance is what friends should maintain.

Chapter 53: He is the only one who will absolutely not leave.

He will not make the mistake of misjudging the distance again.

Friends are friends; they won't become so distant, nor so intimate.

Hoshino Utsunomiya understood that Emma Sakuraba probably didn't have any particular thoughts in her mind. He wasn't confident enough to assume that someone he hadn't even spoken much to before was in love with him.

What she was feeling at that moment was nothing more than a compensatory reaction to being ruthlessly abandoned by the witch.

Because she was abandoned by the witch, because she was all alone, because she was lonely and helpless, she began to try to demand more, stronger, and more excessive things from the only person she could rely on.

What she needed was clearly not a specific 'Utsunomiya Hoshino', but simply a companion who 'wouldn't suddenly neglect her like Tsukishiro Yuki did.'

Even if it's not him, it's fine; even if it's Nikaido Hiro, it doesn't matter.

...Although she probably won't be able to find any other friends.

If she could find other friends, she wouldn't still be alone now, and she wouldn't be clinging so tightly to her only friend, Yuki Tsukishiro.

That is why Hoshino Utsunomiya must reiterate.

—They are just friends.

A gentle breeze swept across the rooftop, ruffling Emma Sakura's short hair, the pink highlights swaying in the breeze.

The girl didn't seem to notice Utsunomiya Hoshino's actions of keeping his distance, nor did she feel any sense of alienation from him.

Or rather, she sensed it, but chose to accept it without showing any disappointment, sadness, or regret.

She simply picked a piece of fried chicken out of her lunchbox and held out her hand.

"I'll give you one!"

Fried chicken pieces were stuffed into rice balls, with a little bit of oil seeping out and soaking into the rice grains.

Hoshino Utsunomiya accepted it.

As long as it wasn't put into his mouth with chopsticks, as long as it wasn't bitten in half and had saliva dripping out, as long as it wasn't put in his mouth with his hand and had saliva dripping out...

As long as it's not the ambiguous behavior that these witches once proudly did under the guise of friendship.

Those all fall into the category of normal friends.

He will agree.

"Hey hey hey..."

Watching Utsunomiya Hoshino put the fried chicken nuggets into his mouth, Sakura Emma smiled foolishly and started eating her own meal properly.

Soft, fragrant rice, crispy fried chicken, and sweet tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet).

Sure enough, as long as you're not eating alone, eating with friends is very, very...

good to eat.

Emma Sakura eats rice very quickly, especially when someone is with her. The more delicious the food tastes, the faster she eats.

Her lunchbox was almost empty in no time.

Logically speaking, she should have controlled her pace, eaten more slowly, chewed more thoroughly, and extended her mealtime to keep her friends with her.

In fact, Emma Sakura did exactly that for the first few days.

They deliberately saved the best food for last, consciously controlled their eating speed as they watched the portion of food in the bento box shrink, and pretended to pick out each grain of rice and put it into their mouths when there was only a little bit left.

Trying to keep him a little longer, just a little longer.

It wasn't until the last grain of rice entered her mouth that Emma Sakura realized with a start that her lunchbox was completely empty, and she began to regret eating so quickly.

However, after anxiously raising her head and nervously putting on a disappointed expression...

Emma Sakura didn't get a chance to say goodbye or anything like that he was leaving.

"Aren't you leaving?" After a struggle with her conscience, Emma Sakura finally asked the question.

She'd better not say anything, and just quietly squat there, fiddling with the empty lunchbox and pretending to eat.

If he doesn't notice, if he forgets he should leave.

...So, does that mean he can stay here a little longer?

But now she's asking it out loud.

All she could do was wait for the anxious verdict.

Even though he actually comes every day.

“…” Gently wiping her mouth and putting away the rice ball wrapper, Hoshino Utsunomiya looked at Emma Sakuraba with a slightly strange expression.

After a moment, he sighed softly and said in a low voice:

"Is your lunch break still a while away? I'll wait here until you finish your lunch break."

This child...is more deprived of love than I imagined.

Children who lack interpersonal relationships and are deprived of love often show more concern for the feelings of others than others.

This is especially true when dealing with one's only friends.

They dare not upset the other person, are afraid of seeing the other person's dissatisfaction, are hesitant, yet are extremely dependent on the other person.

Simply extend a little bit of goodwill like this.

"—!"

They would be overjoyed, their eyes would light up.

"Then, then, can we talk, can we say something?"

To push one's luck further, to follow the trail, to strike at the snake's base.

"..."

Then came the brief yet seemingly endless wait.

"can."

It was agreed to again.

So today, after happily finishing her meal, Emma Sakuraba indulged in her desire to share with her friends.

"Let me tell you..."

......

Hoshino Utsunomiya is not a good friend.

He would only appear before me around noon with his cheap little rice balls, not caring much about my opinion, keeping a certain distance, not asking about the details of my life, and... not sharing his life with me.

However, he also doesn't show excessive distance or obvious resistance. He doesn't show annoyance at his long-suppressed desire to share, but listens quietly and even responds with a word or two from time to time.

That was enough; it made Emma Sakura very happy.

This sense of distance—so close yet so far—this feeling that no matter what you do, he will always maintain a safe distance like a friend, neither too intimate nor too distant.

That's the most reassuring thing.

—He is the only one who will never leave.

That's what Emma Sakura thought.