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AKUJI WOKE UP TO strange whispers. The voice was familiar and upon opening her eyes, she realised Aguni was muttering under his breath. The two were propped up against a tree, both of their injuries patched up.
Akuji glanced over to the person who Aguni seemed to be whispering to: Akane.
Akuji struggled to get to her feet, trying to walk toward her, but Akane instantly dropped the sticks she had collected (presumably to make a fire, perhaps to cook food) and sprinted over.
"Don't, you'll injure yourself." Akane told Akuji, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her back to sitting on the floor. Although her voice was scolding, Akuji noticed a softness in her eyes that she had not seen in a long time - something that she had missed.
Aguni let out another murmur and suddenly, Akane's attention was on him. She hugged him, bursting out crying in relief. It was clear she believed he had died.
Despite Akane's words, Akuji struggled to her feet. She was unsteady but standing; and that was what mattered to her. If she could stand, she was okay. Even if she couldn't stand, she would still find some way to carry on, even using her teeth to crawl across the floor if she had to.
"What did I say?" Akane snapped at Akuji, offering her a hand so she was more stable in her balance.
Akuji shook her head, forcing herself to stand on her own. It's not that she didn't want her friend's help, she would gladly take it in any other situation, but she wanted to prove to herself that she was still strong. Plus, Akane didn't know Arisu for more than a few hours; this was something Akuji needed to do on her own.
"Arisu- he's- I need to make him a grave." Akuji forced the words out, barely able to think straight. Although her head no longer hurt and her vision was fine, she still struggled to think properly at that moment - possibly due to lack of sleep.
"Arisu isn't dead. He escaped the grenade by jumping off the cliff and into the river." Aguni told her.
Akuji doubted that Arisu could have survived that but any hope at all that her friend was alive had made up her mind:
"I need to find him." Akuji said, grabbing onto a tree for support as she started to walk away.
"Don't!" Akane exclaimed immediately, "You need to stay."
Akuji glanced back at her in confusion. The question she asked was not out of malice, but pure puzzlement. "Why do you care? You hate me."
"No, I don't. I never did. I just couldn't trust you, I couldn't let myself get close to you again. But you saved me, you still care about me." Akane replied, biting on her lips in nervousness. After she was so rude to Akuji, she would not be surprised if the girl did not feel the same fondness.
