Do you like Yu-Gi-Oh even if it's like this?

"—Are you comforting me?"

The voice became soft and choked with sobs.

"Do you need mercy?"

"I need it...very much."

Her hands, which were holding the corner of my clothes, had turned white.

"..."

——If it’s Haruka, she won’t let me see her weak side even if she tries to be strong.

But she is different, she is just an ordinary child.

I thought about using memorizing formulas or something like that to relieve her anxiety over the past two days, but it seemed to only delay the onset of the disease.

"No matter what, you can ask me for help - if you don't want to show this side of you in front of Haruka."

For the past two weeks, Die and I left the card store separately to avoid being discovered by Yao.

"It's a shame to let your best friend discover your weakness - but you don't have to do that to me."

My impoverished childhood has left me with a poor understanding of children, but I can still understand them by judging them by myself.

"Then...can you hold my hand?"

She stretched out her chubby hand towards me, clutching her chest with one hand and wrinkling the collar of her school uniform, as if she was afraid of being rejected.

"of course can."

I held onto that tiny hand that sometimes couldn't quite hold the card steady.

The warmth of her palm seemed to daze her for a moment, and then she squeezed it tighter.

The corners of his lips lifted up into a very fragile smile.

The smile I have seen is the smile of someone who is holding the last lifeline.

I suddenly felt an uneasy feeling in my heart - as if I was convinced that I had taken on a responsibility.

...I hate the word responsibility, but morality drives me to put this discomfort behind me - no matter what, now that she has asked me for help, I should do my best.

The path in the woods seemed very long. She stared at me from time to time, as if I didn't notice her.

......................................................

"Don't be ridiculous, go to sleep by yourself."

——When Xiaowu in pajamas knocked on my door, I flatly rejected her request.

"..."

She didn't say anything, just stared at me.

The toes curled inward, as if shrinking a little, but there was no sign of retreat on his face.

The little bear's pajamas reflected the fluorescent lights in the corridor - I finally decided to let her in.

I don't blame a child for being fearful.

"You sleep on the floor and I sleep on the bed. This is the bottom line."

——Sitting at the poker table for a long time has caused some problems for my spine. Although it is not to the extent of illness, I also want to try my best to avoid back pain when I wake up the next day.

She nodded wordlessly, took the quilt and spread it on the floor.

I turned off the lights, lay back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling in a daze.

She was rustling around in bed, not knowing what she was doing.

I turned my head - in the reflection of the moonlight shining through the curtains, I could vaguely make out her huddled in the quilt, staring at the card in her hand with her back to me.

——That seems to be the Red Lotus Demon.

"..."

"..."

Then there was silence.

——They both knew that the other had not slept.

"...Want to hear a story?"

For some unknown reason, I spoke.

"……Um."

She put down the card in her hand and refused to turn her head around - she hoped that the hesitation in her tone was not because of crying.

I cleared my throat and slowly began to describe...

"A long time ago, in a village, there was a boy named Oram..."

I don't know whether she listened or not.

——Anyway, I fell asleep halfway through the story.

............................................................

Day two.

"Nibiru."

"... Yeah, next one."

All the cards were sent to the graveyard.

Haruka and Die's playing with those white cards has become a small sight in the class, and people around them have long been accustomed to it - the teacher collected them once, but after Haruka made it clear that changing to slips of paper would not change the nature of the game, she was only asked to write a letter of guarantee that she would not affect her studies.

The break was only long enough for an opening fight, so both sides moved quickly.

"...I always feel that you..."

Haruka frowned.

"what happened?"

In Haruka's eyes, Butterfly's expression was reflected without the slightest trace of polish.

This is true even if Nibiru is smashed.

“No…it’s just a feeling.”

She hesitated - her eyes told her that the friend in front of her was hiding something, but she couldn't tell what it was.

“…It’s weird.”

After trying for a long time, I could only come up with this word.

"Okay, I'm going to wash my hands before class."

Die shook her head, stood up and walked out of the classroom.

"...Also, I have something to do after school today, so I won't be playing cards. You can go by yourself."

She tried to keep her voice steady so that no one could hear anything unusual.

....................................

The time to go home from school came quickly.

"The teacher is not here today?"

Yao was stunned - the teacher usually stayed here whenever Fangya opened the shop, and it was almost impossible not to see him.

"Well, maybe something happened at home."

The store manager nodded and looked to the other side.

"But today, someone else is here to see you."

"Find me?"

Haruka followed his gaze.

"Hehehe, my white dragon has gained new powers - let's play cards!"

"…Long time no see, I hope you still remember us."

The person sitting next to the table with his eyes closed and resting his mind is Mu Dong - that should be his name, he can be seen from time to time in this store, and he seems to be a friend of the teacher.

The two people facing off next to him were the White Dragon and Shadow Prince whom he had seen in the previous game.

"it is good."

Yao nodded and slapped the cards in her hand onto the table.

"Let's duel."

............................................................

"Haruka is still happily playing the game - oh no, happily dueling."

While taking off her cloth shoes at the entrance, Die walked into the room.

"Why did you suddenly call me over here? Even so, you still have to recite the combo today."

I sat on the sofa, looking at Die, whose temperament had changed a little since yesterday, and felt a little uneasy.

"It's a little bit, something I don't want Haruka to hear."

She turned around and took out paper and pen from her schoolbag - paper and pen?

She sat cross-legged on the coffee table in front of me, opposite me, and raised her eyes to look at me.

"Please answer these questions carefully - what do you like to eat? What are your requirements for housework? What are your hobbies in life? When will you get married? ... And who was the [Kominato Roko] you were talking about in your dream last night?"

"..."

I couldn't help but sit up straighter - in my eyes, her petite figure suddenly became more terrifying and scary than a billion murderers.

——By the way, at this moment, Haruka was still happily playing cards.

Water machine, and its first seven:

Chapter 29 Haruka is still happily playing cards