Red Data Girl - Series 1 & 2

The First Makeup - 18

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Red Data Girl: The First Makeup
By Noriko Ogiwara
Chapter 3: Manatsu
Part 3 (1 of 3)

Mayura sobbed and clung to her brother while Manatsu stood still, supporting her.

Izumiko was struck by what Mayura had been courageously holding inside of her up until now. She had never cried like that before. She hadn't seen Daisei or her grandfather, Takeomi cry like that either. The sight before her was rare enough that she had no memories of her own to connect with it.

It's probably normal that I don't have any experiences like this. I haven't worked this hard to do anything yet...

It was while she thought about this that she heard a voice from outside of the open window.

"-isn't the best time to get here, but can I come in?"

Miyuki was peering into the room, his head and shoulders leaning through the window. Izumiko stepped back without realizing what she was doing.

"Why are you here too, Sagara?"

"Because I wanted to check in with Mayura and Manatsu."

"You're hurt too. What about your injuries?"

"I'm fine to climb up to the second floor."

Miyuki raised himself up and slid his body through the window. His left palm was wrapped in a bandage but as he had said, it didn't seem to inconvenience him any.

All the same, Izumiko still thought he was being reckless. She had never seen him misbehave before so his behavior seemed strange to her. Still, Miyuki spoke as if nothing was wrong.

"It's not a bad injury. I didn't get cut by the glass. I was sent to the hospital, but it wasn't because the window shattered."

Izumiko recalled the sound of beating wings resounding through the air and suddenly shivered in fear.

"I thought there was something worse than the glass there... but what could it have been?"

"There was something worse there. There's no arguing about that."

Miyuki sat down. Like Manatsu, he was also barefoot but he was much more composed than the other boy. He also seemed more aware that he was intruding. His voice remained quiet as he spoke.

"I thought there was no way Mayura could still be upset about what had happened so I thought I'd come over. However, it seems like there's been an unexpected development..."

Miyuki seemed just as surprised to see Mayura crying as Izumiko was. Somehow, Izumiko could sense that the number of uncomfortable people in the room had grown.

"Mayura was pushing herself before to be strong," Izumiko insisted.

"Then has Takayanagi won? Don't make me sick."

While Izumiko and Miyuki whispered back and forth at each other, Mayura's tears had finally stopped. She had also noticed Miyuki's arrival. Now she lifted her head from Manatsu's shoulder and quickly brought a hand to her face.

"Ah, I hate this. If you see me like this now, I probably won't be able to show my face in class tomorrow," She said, sounding embarrassed.

Noticing Mayura's distress, Izumiko pulled out a terrycloth handkerchief and offered it to her wholeheartedly.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Mayura. You've gone through a lot."

'"Thanks,"

Mayura accepted the handkerchief obediently. By this point she had already put her own away.