Heroine Life

Chapter 17: Words I Want to Convey

When I was young, I always believed that my stepsister, Airi, was my ally.
Unlike my father and stepmother, who were always indifferent, she was the only family I had at that time who smiled at me.
In the beginning, she didn't care about me just like my stepmother, but her attitude suddenly changed when she saw that I never noticed when I was badly injured.
When she found out that I didn't feel pain, she started injuring me under the pretense of play. Airi was smart and made sure to only target spots that would not be visible to others so she wouldn't be found out.
She would also hold back a bit to not leave any scars. When a wound healed, she would replace it with a new one. She repeated this over and over again and never got tired of it.
I accepted this play without rejecting it. Whatever Airi did to me, I never resisted.
That's because she smiled at me. Even though she wounded me, I was happy that she smiled at me.
Unlike my former stepmother who was always mad, Airi just laughed happily so I didn't hate playing with her.
I was glad that my body which doesn't feel pain could be of some use.

I didn't realize it was strange until I met my new family later.
The person who taught me how abnormal and sad that was is no longer in this world.
I'm not stupid enough to repeat that playing again.

"I was told that you have a fever, but you seem to be doing fine, Chiharu."

The person I thought I would never see again is so close.
Remembering the past made me feel nauseous, but Yuzuha standing by my side gives me strength.
I told her to leave and wait for me because I thought I would be fine on my own, but she shook her head and wouldn't move from her spot.
I really didn't want to get her involved, but to be honest, it is very reassuring to have her by my side.

I exhaled to cover up my nervousness and stepped forward with all my strength to keep my legs from shaking.
I'm not going to run away. I'm not going to keep quiet in an unsightly way as I did before.
I ready myself and turn to face her.

"So, you came all this way because you were worried that I got sick, Airi?"
"Of course not. I didn't even know you had a fever until that girl told me about it just now. I had other reasons for coming here."
"...Did you come here to play?"
"That's half right. The other half is that I came here to invite you."
"Invite me?"
"That's right. Hey, Chiharu. Why don't you come with me instead of staying here in the countryside? Let's live together again, just like before."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious."

Just like before.
If I had trusted this person like I used to, I might have readily accepted her invitation.
If I didn't have someone I could call family, I might have accepted playing with her again, even though I now know that was abnormal.
But now, no matter what happens, I will never accept her invitation.

"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of leaving this place. Also, I have no intention of playing with you anymore."
"......Hmm. Come to think of it, Chiharu, it looks like you've made a couple of dear friends."

Airi smiles innocently and put her hands on both my shoulders. Then, she suddenly tightens her grip with all her strength.

"That's no good. You shouldn't get the wrong idea, Chiharu."
"...!?"

The force is so strong that I can't bear it and fall to one knee. I try to shake her arm off, but my strength is no match at all for hers.
She still has her usual child-like smile. She grips my shoulder as if she is trying to crush me. It's as if she's trying to destroy a toy she no longer liked.
This is bad. This is my first time trying to resist her, but I didn't think I'd be so helpless.
It doesn't hurt, but if she applies this much force, things won't end with just a bruise. In the worst-case scenario, she might end up dislocating my shoulders.
Unlike back when I was a sturdy child, my body has become weaker than average. I have to shake her off somehow.

"Chiharu!"
"Ngh!"

Yuzuha, who was watching over me, relentlessly pushed away Airi, who had me cornered.
She then immediately rushes to support me back to my feet.
Of course, I am grateful to her for helping me, but I can't face her because I feel pathetic after I boasted that I would be fine by myself just a short while ago.
I looked at Airi sitting on her back at the gate after being pushed away by Yuzuha.
For a while, she is stunned, not understanding what happened. However, she soon recovers and her face fills with anger.
She quickly gets up and goes after Yuzuha, reaching for her. Yuzuha was worrying over me and didn't notice Airi approaching, so I could only warn her as quickly as I could.
Watch out, she's coming. Whatever she's planning to do to Yuzuha, I can't let it happen.
I don't want her to get hurt.

I'm definitely not going to let that happen.

"Don't get in the.....!"
".........!"

Before she reached Yuzuha, I grabbed onto her hand and stopped it.
My body just moved on its own before my mind could catch up, but I breathed a sigh of relief that I managed to make it in time.

"Wha.... what are you doing!? Let go!!"

She resists and frees her hand.
To stop her from going after Yuzuha again, I stand in front of Yuzuha. My only way to protect her is to use my own body as a shield.
She would surely not want me to do this but I'm so powerless that this is all I can do.

"Don't get Yuzuha involved in this. If you do anything to her, I'm not going to forgive you."

As long as I can protect her, I'm willing to do anything. I'll become the champion of justice I had given up on once before.

"Tch... what's with those eyes? They're so irritating. You look like an idiot. What an eyesore."
"I wonder which one of us is really the eyesore. Cut it out with your tantrum. Not everything is going to go the way you expect."

Then Airi bursts into laughter. Although I liked to see her laughing away happily in the past, now it feels unpleasant.