Why this time?

“When you find your path, you must not be afraid. You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes. Disappointment, defeat, and despair are the tools God uses to show us the way.”
- Paulo Coelho, Brida

Another boring day.
I put the book - that Abe-san had lent me to read, back into my bag. Of course, I accepted it, and I will read the substance on the internet.
What Okazaki are doing right now? I was surprised when it turned out that we were going to the same school. I haven't paid attention to the juniors. Huh, then a younger one told me to grow up. Annoying.
I don’t know what to do with what happened yesterday. What I saw was... It was like in a fantasy book.
"I'll just sweep it under the carpet."
"Takaki-kun!"
I turned back at the school gate where Hasegawa stood. Her pink hair was in two braids as before and she wore her uniform. She was squeezing her school bag. She looked... She looked embarrassed. There was no sign of the girl that I saw last night. Confident, loud, and tough. Now she looked like a simple girl who would feel safe if she could hold her bag in front of herself.

"Hasegawa, are you looking for someone?"
She stared at the ground and didn't speak. The other students were on their way home too. Lots of people walked past us and as soon as they saw the girl with pink hair, they started talking about her.
"Look, look! That girl is really beautiful!"
"Yeah, a real cutie! Which school's uniform is this?"
"I don't know. Who's that boy next to her? Boyfriend?"

"Don't joke like that! They are not in the same league. Maybe they are siblings."
Au, now I'm pretending it doesn't hurt that much. Hasegawa grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and began to pull me after her.
"Hasegawa?"

She didn't turn back, she just went straight who knows where.

"Shuichi?"
Behind us, Haru just came out of the gate and he was the one who said my name. His eyes widened as he glanced at me, at the sleeve of my shirt, and then at the girl. He doesn't need more than a pretty girl and he goes crazy.
"I'm Haru Kuramoto, nice to meet you, Miss!"
Hasegawa hid behind my back. Has she always been this cute? In my head, her personality looked somehow different but I'm enjoying her cute style.
"Shuichi! How could you do that?" Huh? "Why didn't you talk about your super cute girlfriend?"
"Haru, you just misunderstood ..."
Hasegawa poked her head out from behind me to look at Haru.
"I would never get along with such a weak, boring, and simple person."
Each of her words hurt more and more. When I thought she was cute! Haru burst out laughing, and then they introduced themselves properly. She was refusing to talk for a few minutes ago, and now they seem to be coming out pretty well. Together we decided to go somewhere to eat.
"So, how do you know each other?"
"He broke into our old store."

"Oi, that's not quite how it happened!"
Hasegawa looked at me and tilted her head. "Then what would you call it?"
I broke into, but... I HAVE NO OBJECTIONS! What would have happened if they hadn’t been there? Do they report me? I'd go to jail? I just would caused Grandpa even more trouble. How could I be so irresponsible?

We entered a fast-food restaurant. The two of us with Hasegawa sat down at a table while Haru applied to order for us. He whispered to me before he left us alone ‘A lady needs proper company’. This lady could kill you at any moment, then she could hide your body, and no one could find it.
"What is it? Is there something on my face?"
Hasegawa put a lock of hair behind her ear and watched me curiously waited for my answer. I have a lot of questions, but this is not the best time to ask them.
"You behaving normally with Haru. Why?"
She clasped her hands tightly on her lap.
"You're an idiot, you surely can't find bad friends." Excuse me? How would these two be connected? "It's easy to talk to you, so I thought it will be also easy to talk with your friend. He's a good boy."
We both looked at Haru who was just waiting in line then he turned to us and when he saw that we are watching him, he started waving at us. Is he stupid?
"Yes. He is."

In the meantime, he arrived too and sat down. He seemed cheerful. I'm glad he's having fun.
"Hasegawa-chan, where is your school?"
"On the edge of the city. A girl academy."
"Oh, I've heard that only the best in town can get hired there! You're really smart then! A smart and beautiful woman is the best!" as if you have a lot of experience idiot! "Do you have a hobby?"
She played with a french fries between her two fingers. She closed one of her eyes and fitted the fries to my then Haru's head.
"Target shooting with a gun. And I'm pretty good." Yes, she is. "Do you have a hobby Kuramoto-kun?"
"I'm on the school football team! But wow, yours is a thousand times cooler. Anyway..." He leaned closer to her ear. "Reassure me that Shuichi didn't do anything to you. He's a pervert."
"I don't want to hear this from you!"
"Anyway, he's not a bad boy, so take care of him please."
Hasegawa tilted her head.
"Thank you for being his friend. Please stay with him even when he's annoying."
"Why are you talking about me like I wasn't here?"

Haru pressed his hands together in prayer and closed his eyes. "Rest in peace."

Hasegawa did the same and nodded.
"Am I dead now?"
After we finished eating and went out, Haru said goodbye to us and headed to his workplace.
"So," I started. "What do you want?"

"We want to train you."
"Train me? For what?"

"Fighting."
"Huh? No, no, I can't go near them again. It was enough to see them once, I don't want to get involved in your things."
I headed home but she grabbed my shoulder. "I'm sorry, but backtracking is no longer an option. You're already in it."
I shook her hand off and I wanted to leave her but then she started talking.
"Takaki, where's your necklace?"
I touched my neck, but nothing was there. Where is it? Then I remembered, the last night I took it off at the playground and forgot to take it back. I left it there! I started running to the scene.

I knelt where Okazaki and I were sitting. The necklace was in the same place, but the pendant broke. Grandma ... That was the very first thing I got from her and it was important to her. It was important to me. I knew I shouldn't listen to her! It's all her fault! She and the other two.
"Takaki!"
Hasegawa clutched her side and keeled over, then straightened and her face stiffened. She was searching for something in her bag and she took blades out of it. She cut her other palm, which was not bandaged, and dripped her blood on the other blades.
"Listen to me carefully, when I say 3, you'll bend down. Do you understand?!" What? "3!"