I am the emotional sustenance of your deceased

　What happened to you? Where have you been? What's wrong with you now?

　Aine wanted to ask, but Chitose’s cold tone startled her.

　"Leave me alone and just leave me like this."

　The girl who was acting like a kitten in her arms a few days ago said this to herself.

　"Huh? What's going on?"

　Aine wanted to touch Chitose's cheek in disbelief.

　Today, Chitose's medical eyepatch disappeared... and was replaced with a bandage.

　The bandages were wrapped around Qiansui's head again and again, and the faint scent of medical disinfectant still lingered in the classroom.

　Most of the scars on the girl's body that had healed returned.

　Not only that, there are many more...

　Aine had written down most of Chitose's injuries a few days ago, and now when she looked at Chitose again, she would find that the areas that were previously intact were now covered with Band-Aids or wound dressings.

　"How could this happen! Who is it... Tell me quickly!"

　Aiyin subconsciously made a loud noise, which instantly attracted everyone

　Class attention.

　But she didn't have time to care about these things.

　She cares about her reputation, but now is not the time! What she should care about now is...

　【It’s years old! 】

　"From now on, you don't have to do anything... I've already told you, no matter how many times I get beaten or how many troubles I encounter... I'm fine with this!"

　Chitose stood up so quickly that the chair was knocked over.

　Along with the clang, her next words and tears rang out: "Anyway... this is how my life will be! Don't waste your time... on me anymore, just get lost!"

　"You...you are not allowed to say such things...let's go outside and talk, let's..."

　Aine tried to pull Chitose away, but found that the other party was also exerting force in the opposite direction and trying to break free from Aine's palm at the same time.

　The hand-holding that originally symbolized friendship and affection turned into contradiction and conflict between the girls.

　[How did things turn out like this!?]

　"Don't reject me... Come with me! Hurry up!"

　"Get away from me, get away from me, quick..."

　Other students wanted to step forward and dissuade them.

　That mob... was approaching Chitose and Aine in a huge crowd.

　Aine couldn't hear what they were saying. Maybe they were trying to ease the atmosphere, but what did that have to do with her, Chihaya Aine.

　As her lunch box fell to the ground during the argument, Aine was able to exert her full strength.

　She grabbed the frail Chitose Noshiro and dragged her away from the classroom and the crowd as the girl continued to struggle.

　The blue sky, the gentle spring breeze, the girls all around... these words that symbolize youth have become extremely noisy at this moment.

　"Let me go! Aren't you embarrassed enough? You've already lost my share, so why did you also lose yours? Why do you have to meddle in so many of my affairs?"

　Aine hugged and pulled Chitose Noshiro, who was trying to resist, to the student council office on the top floor.

　In the holy office, the pink-haired girl pressed the white-haired girl on the desk, making the victim unable to move.

　"Sui, calm down. Tell me what's going on. Aren't we best friends? Why are you talking to me like that?"

　Chihaya Aine wanted to solve the problem right now. Although she knew that giving up on Chitose was the easiest way, she had no intention of escaping.

　"You can't help me... unless you can..."

　"What? Tell me now!"

　The pink hair fell down, and only then did Aine see Chitose's eyes clearly.

　There was sadness written in those eyes, ah... why were they so deep, it was simply despair.

　The corner of his mouth was broken, and Qiansui's lips trembled: "Kill me, please. Didn't you say you could do anything for me? What's the matter with your silence now? If you want to help me, then you can just kill me... I don't want to live in such pain."

　The voice was calmer than Aine had imagined, but even such a quiet sentence shocked her and left her speechless.

　"Sui... Qiansui, you... what are you talking about? How could I..."

　"If you can't do it, then just leave me alone... You're completely incapable of shouldering the responsibility of my life. You'll be miserable. I told you that my mother can't be changed... Even if I hide in your house, one day she'll drag me back—"

　"Just like the other day after school...just like you just dragged me away!"

　"Even if you say so, I can't just ignore you. Cheer up, Sui!"

　"Xiao Ai...you do this every day!"

　With a twist of her waist, Chitose rolled to the floor holding Aine.

　She rode on Chihaya Aine and pushed her to the ground.

　"It's all your fault! Chihaya Aine! You come to see me every day... It makes me upset... You made lunch for me without asking me for anything... You're so annoying, but..."

　Ch293. Noshiro Chitose, let's elope together

　"It's all your fault! Chihaya Aine!"

　Chitose’s words made Aine’s heart tremble.

　[Blame me...what? ]

　"You come to see me every day...it makes me upset. How can you be so nice...I didn't ask you for anything, but you still made lunch for me...You are so annoying, why are you so annoying!"

　"You're annoying, but you treat me so gently. Do you know what you've done to me? Do you know?"

　The girl's roar came from the heart.

　The tears dripped down Aine’s face and merged with her tears.

　The tears of the two eventually gathered together to form the smallest lake in the world.

　"How can I leave you now?"

　"I clearly only want a life like this... As long as I have you... I don't need anything else... But I can't escape at all... Xiao Ai... Xiao Ai! I... I really can't escape..."

　Chitose's back was no longer straight, and she collapsed in Aine's arms, and Aine patted her back.

　The tiny weight of the little girl on top of her was so heavy, it was simply the embodiment of all the pain in the world.

　"age…"

　"So just let it go... Love... Really, really don't pursue this further, okay?"

　Chitose's pretty face twisted into a small ball, and she pounded Aine's chest in grievance.

　Big tears soaked the gauze and dressing on Qiansui's face, soaking the blood inside.

　A red scar was exposed.

　"Your face..."

　"Please, don't pursue them. If you continue to pursue them... Mother will be locked up. If she goes to jail, I will definitely not be able to study in Yuqiu anymore... I will be sent away..."

　"If...if I leave...I will never see you again..."

　"Love... I don't want to be separated from you... I asked you to leave because I didn't want to drag you down any longer, but I really, really, really want to stay by your side..."

　Every time he said "really", Chitose would pound the ground with his fist.

　The "boom, boom, boom" sound was louder than the girls' heartbeats.

　"I want to stay by your side, too, really..."

　Aine could no longer tell whose tears were rolling down her face.

　She picked up little Chitose, and their four beautiful legs were crossed, but not as tightly as the girls' hearts.

　Chihaya Aine saw it. It was the first time Chihaya Aine saw a girl with eyes full of her.

　[Who on earth would be so willing to bully such a cute girl? Really...]

　Aine thought for a long time about some vicious words before finally coming up with one:

　[God damn it!]

　They hugged each other and for a moment the only sounds in the room were the girls' breathing.

　No teachers or classmates passed by looking for them outside, and no birds flew past the window. The world seemed to be frozen at this moment.

　Chihaya Aine coaxed Noshiro Chitose like this until the other party calmed down.

　She's so cute.

　[He hugged us so tightly, as if he wanted to hold us together.]

　"Love, I like you...but my family of origin is terrible. Please leave now. Your life is a smooth road."

　Chitose held Aine’s little face in her hands, mumbling softly with red eyes.

　"You have parents who love you, a wealthy life, and friends who care about you... We are from two different worlds, so please abandon me."

　"You will have better friends...and find a lifelong partner...I'm sorry I can't fulfill any of these roles."

　"After all, I'm just a filthy creature that's spent my whole life in the sewers... My fate is to continue rotting in the darkness..."

　Noshiro Chitose was clearly smiling.

　She pushed aside Chihaya Aine's bangs so that they could both see each other's feelings and reflections in each other's sparkling pupils.

　"Just being able to meet you, being your friend for a week... being able to eat your lunch box, being able to have a hot dinner with you, someone I love... I'm already content. Thank you for showing me so much... You're the only person in the world who doesn't despise me for being a burden, a fool, or someone who looks ugly because of my scars..."

　"I think as long as I have this little bit of beauty in my life...it's enough for me to continue to endure the pain...so don't worry about me. After I return home, no matter how hard or sad it is, I can endure it..."

　[Do you really want to let go? ]

　Aine's sanity and heartbeat were shattered by Chitose's words.

　Noshiro...Chitose...

　This soft guy in her arms really likes her...

　"Should I really let go? I know it will be extremely troublesome if I continue to interfere in his life."

　Therefore, letting go is the most sensible thing to do. Qiansui is absolutely right.

　but…

　"But if I let go, I won't be Chihaya Aine anymore! I'll be a complete bastard!"

　Aine wanted to speak!

　She's going to say...

　"Shhh."

　Noshiro Chitose pressed her fingers against Chihaya Aine's lips.

　She shook her head, her smile mixed with relief and enjoyment.

　"I know what you want to say... Thank you, your eyes are enough to make me happy for the rest of my life... Thank you for letting me know what love is."

　Chitose broke free from Aine's arms.

　She walked to the door, her hand covered in Band-Aids dangling over the metal doorknob.

　"As long as we can still see each other, I'm satisfied... Go to class. Won't we see each other again in the future? At least we can see each other for another full year before graduating from junior high school, which is enough. I probably won't be able to go to high school."

　Looking at Noshiro Chitose's back, Chihaya Aine was unable to move for a moment.

　A voice resounded in her heart:

　[Indeed, Chihaya Aine, calm down.]

　You are just friends, not family after all. She is just a passing person in your life, you don't need to take her so seriously.

　[If I continue to pester him, it will probably just be like the other day when he was taken home by his mother, causing him endless torture.]

　[Perhaps next time... I will suffer even more inhumane torture.]

　Her pupils trembled as Aine saw Chitose's hand already pressing the doorknob.