Chapter 14: Collapse

It began when Runa started avoiding me.

『Sorry. Starting tomorrow, you can go ahead in the morning.』 Read 7:02

「Did something happen? If you have some business, I'll wait.」 Read 7:02

『No, today I thought I'd go with different friends for a change of pace!』 Read 7:03

「I see─ See you later then.」 Read 7:03

At first, I thought it was just a coincidence.

But the next day and the day after that, mornings when I could walk to school with Runa never came.

At school too, when Runa saw signs that I was approaching, she would sense it and flee in the opposite direction from where I was.

I even forcibly grabbed her hand once.

Then Runa, looking frightened of something, shook off my hand.

She no longer smiled.

There must be some circumstances, but more than that, I had a wounded heart.

But I still couldn't believe the fact that I was being avoided, so I went to the convenience store where Runa worked, pretending it was a coincidence, just like before.

『I started working part-time so I wouldn't burden my mother!』

The figure of Runa who had smiled saying that was no longer there.

Runa had already quit her job.

The fact that Runa was becoming a stranger again was very suffocating.

I was scared of the increasing number of Runas I didn't know about.

Since Runa was always normal with other guys, seeing that made my chest ache painfully and emptily, like being stabbed repeatedly with a knife.

However, eventually Runa stopped talking to anyone.

It was probably because of rumors like this.

──Hasaka Runa is a bitch. Someone saw her doing papa-katsu and compensated dating. Apparently she'll let you do her if you pay.

All of this has to be lies.

There's no way that's true, yet everyone who believes it seems foolish.

The girls in class whisper Runa's rumors amusingly among themselves, and my male friends look at Runa with ape-like eyes.

An atmosphere of avoiding Runa like she was air flowed through the classroom.

Every time someone laughed, all that laughter seemed to point at Runa.

「...Why, damn it.」

A voiceless voice echoes sadly in my room.

I just want Runa to be smiling.

Where did these rumors even come from in the first place?

Such questions arise.

I couldn't sleep that night.

Who benefits from this?

The moment sunlight streamed in, I realized.

At that moment, everything connected.