Love You Seventh Day: 03 [Himeko Nakata] ★ (64) (Patreon)

*Seventh Day: 03 [Himeko Nakata] ★*

...Along with her friends, she just stared at it with a dumbfounded look on her face.

It was only after it continued for nearly a minute that everyone finally came to their senses and hurriedly pulled the two apart. With a force that seemed like it would make a pop sound, Sayoko Mido and Erika Nagano's lips parted, trailing a string of saliva.

"Y-You don't have to go that far for real, you know."

A flustered friend said. Who was that? Himeko couldn't remember.

Right, that was the "Pretend Wedding" that was popular back then.

Next was Himeko's turn to play the bride. To nominate her groom, Himeko spoke to Erika immediately after. Erika smiled, saying "Sure," and readily accepted the role of the groom.

To her, with flushed cheeks, Himeko timidly made a suggestion.

"W-Why don't we try what they just did?"

But Erika's reply to that was...

"Ehh, no way."

A flat rejection.

"Why!? You did it with Sayoko-chan!"

Himeko asked in an agitated voice. To that, Erika replied briefly, still smiling.

"It's fine if it's Sacchan."

◆

"...I remembered something unpleasant."

Himeko muttered quietly, pressing a handkerchief to her nose.

The nosebleed was starting to stop. There was no sign of broken bones. The pain in her stomach had settled down, so it probably wasn't serious.

"What is with that psycho woman!"

Sato raised her voice in anger.

"This is a legitimate assault case. Let's tell the teacher and get her expelled. At the very least, suspension is unavoidable."

Rubbing her own stomach, Honda proposed retaliation.

"Right, Nakata?"

She sought Himeko's agreement.

"...I guess."

Himeko responded with a look that suggested her mind was elsewhere. Even while the two were plotting their revenge against Sayoko, she remained silent the whole time.

But in the end, before Sato and Honda's discussion reached a conclusion, the three arrived at the school building and began trudging up the stairs to return to the classroom. On the way, they encountered a student.

It was Erika Nagano.

"Ah, Himeko-chan."

When Erika found Himeko, she called out with a bright smile.

"Do you know where Sacchan is? That girl left her smartphone in the classroom, so I can't reach her. So when I asked another girl, she told me she saw her walking with you guys, Himeko-chan."

"...Sorry. I don't know."

Turning her face away from Erika, Himeko answered quietly. But then, Sato cut in.

"Nagano-san, look at Nakata's face. This bloodstained handkerchief! She... Mido did this to her!?"

Shaking off Himeko's hand trying to stop her, Sato rattled on.

Erika observed Himeko's state for a few seconds, gave a delayed nod of "Hmm," and then...

"Himeko-chan. Did you do something to Sacchan again?"

She asked slowly. Hearing that voice, Himeko's body twitched.

Meanwhile, Sato, unaware of the atmosphere, continued speaking.

"Nagano-san, what are you saying!? It's not that Nakata did something, she was beaten by Mido!?"

"Hmm."

Erika glanced at Sato.

It was a dark, heavy gaze filled with pressure, unimaginable from her usual self. Immediately after receiving that look, Sato involuntarily groaned and backed away.

After a few moments, Erika turned back to Himeko.

"Himeko-chan. I told you clearly back in middle school, didn't I? If you did anything next time, I wouldn't forgive you."

She spoke to her like that. In the same quiet, gentle voice as before.

Himeko didn't answer. She looked away, keeping her head down.

Then, this time, Honda interrupted.

"It wasn't just Nakata; Sato and I were assaulted too!? We're going to the staff room right now and telling the teacher!"

"Oh?"

Erika lifted one side of her lips.

"Then I will testify to the teacher: 'You three ganged up and tried to assault Mido-san, and Mido-san merely resisted desperately against it.' I'll say, 'I saw it with my own eyes.'"

"Hah!? Why? What are you saying!? You weren't there, Nagano-san."

Honda snapped back. But Erika, keeping her smile, retorted.

"Yes, I wasn't there. But between the testimony of someone like me, who serves on the Student Council and has a good reputation, and your testimony... who do you think the teachers will believe? No, whose testimony do you think they would want to believe? What about the rest of the grade? The seniors? The juniors? Me or you. Who do you think they'll believe?"

"Wha..."

"If you say you're still going to do it, then I'll have to do this thoroughly, too."

Honda was completely swallowed by Erika's words and pressure.

"N-No way, Nagano-san."

"Do you think I won't do it? If so, your lack of awareness is severe."

"But..."

"If you understand, then stay quiet, okay? Because I'm already quite angry as it is."

"Ugh."

Following Sato, Honda was also cowed and intimidated... retreating as if to use Himeko as a shield.

"Why..."

At this point, Himeko finally opened her mouth.

"Why does Erika try to protect Mido that much? Isn't it strange?"

Mustering her resolve, she stared into Erika's eyes.

"Why, you ask... It's decided, isn't it, Himeko-chan?"

Her expression, at a glance, was unchanged from usual. A gentle smile floating on her refined face.

But the light in her eyes was colder than anything Himeko or the others had ever seen.

"Because Sacchan is my most precious friend."

Erika kept her gaze fixed on her.

"She is different from the likes of you."

It tore Himeko's heart apart.

"See you later. Goodbye, 'Nakata-san'."

And with that, Erika walked away from the three of them. She was likely heading out to search for Sayoko.

The three of them didn't move for a while. No, they couldn't move.

However, eventually, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, Himeko crumbled from her knees to the floor.

Sato and Honda hurriedly moved to support her, but she wouldn't stand. She couldn't stand up.

Erika's words, which had torn her heart, had stolen even the strength for Himeko to stand on her own two feet.

"N-Nakata."

"Pull yourself together."

Until the two forcibly offered their shoulders to move her... Himeko remained sitting on the floor, simply staring at the floor with hollow eyes.

...And thus.

Himeko Nakata's first love of ten years ended on this day.