Cardfight!! Vanguard: Generations Volume 5 [Yukina Sympathy]

Chapter 1: Kazuraba Yukina's Soliloquy

There's a memory from middle school that always haunts me.

Back then, I was the same as him.

Everyday, at the library during lunch time...

...he would be sitting there, reading a book.

A blonde haired boy with baby blue eyes.

Eyes that looked as empty and hollow as mine.

I think that was the reason I was drawn towards him.

Towards the person who would become irreplaceable in my heart.

Takanori Yuuto.

Yuu-kun.

Yuu.

Both of us were loners who were emotionless and liked reading.

That's what made my days spending time with him so comfortable.

Words didn't have to be said.

Just having each other's presence was enough.

And if we felt like it, sometimes we'd speak.

Whether it would be as silly as sharing books with each other.

Or whether it would be as mundane as doing homework together.

The conversations we had always made me feel...

...happy.

I really loved those days.

But... at the start of my 3rd Year of middle school, somehow I lost it all.

There's a memory from middle school that always haunts me.

It was the turning point between mine and Yuu's relationship.

I don't know what changed.

But suddenly, I wasn't alone anymore.

I met people like Taiga and Natsumi.

They pulled me away from him.

Everyone drew me away from him.

The class forced me to stay away from him.

I couldn't do anything.

The mood was too suffocating to go against.

And then, one day—

"Let's go, Yukina."

Aoyagi put his hand around my waist, pushing me away.

"Wait, but I..."

I tried turning around, but his hand blocked me from moving.

"Is something wrong?"

A lump formed in my throat.

My eyes were wide and burning.

I felt that, at any second, tears would spill.

"Yuu-kun..."

I reached my hand out.

But he was too far away.

Yuu was on all fours.

The lunch that his mom packed for him was scattered in front of his face.

And inside that bento box, mixed with the rice, were cockroaches.

"If you're worried about him, don't be. He enjoys it."

Yuu shovelled it into his mouth.

"If he didn't, he wouldn't be doing this right now, would he?"