Passersby, witnessing the horrifying scene, were stunned.
They began to gather, their horrified gazes and murmurs filling the air. Some even raised their phones to record the terrifying spectacle.
Surrounded by the prying eyes of adults, the children were like stripped prey in a crowded street.
Shame, fear, and rage surged within Himeko.
She panted, lips pressed so tightly they bled, eyes red with fury. Her shoulders trembled, not just from the cold, but from boiling anger.
Never before... had she been so humiliated.
She glanced around, searching—
But by now, that small figure was nowhere to be seen.The girl froze, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
All she could see was the distant silhouette of the little girl, who had vanished at some point, completely fled and disappeared without a trace.
"Yumiyo!! You bitch!This is all because of you!
Stop right there!! You damn thief!
I'll tell my dad! He won't let you off!
You whore! You're dead!!
BASTARD!!"
Her furious and insane screams echoed through the street.
But now, she was utterly powerless, engulfed in unprecedented shame.
As for the little girl—Yumiyo—still dazed, a hand suddenly grasped hers.
A soft, warm hand gently held her tiny one. Startled, she looked up instinctively.
It was the emeral-haired sister!
Now, she could clearly see her face—Smooth, fair skin, eyes sparkling like emeralds, every feature in perfect harmony, like a fairy stepping out of a painting.
So breathtakingly beautiful, that even a girl like her couldn't help but hold her breath in awe.
As for Kyouno, she too paused for a moment, slightly stunned.
She was only wanted to test something—
If the girl really could see her, then… could the two of them actually touch each other?
And the result was…
Yes. They could.
Her hand had truly touched that tiny hand!
No, it wasn't just that—
The very moment her fingertips brushed against that soft skin, a strange sensation suddenly surged from her palm, cool and trembling,
As if an invisible current had passed straight through her mind.
That feeling…
was heartbreakingly familiar.
Kyouno stood frozen, but only for a moment.
She gently shook her head, forcing herself back to the present.And quickly regained her composure.
"Let's go. We need to leave here quickly, kid!"
Kyouno said gently. Without waiting, she held Yumiyo's hand tightly and led her away from the now-crowded scene.
Glancing back at the frozen children, Kyouno smirked and whispered:
"Don't worry, kid. Those brats won't thaw out for at least two days."
.....
"Hah… Hah…"
The ragged breathing came from the small figure, each gasp echoing the exhaustion that had been building up all this time.
After being dragged along for such a long distance, the little girl's thin legs were completely spent, she could barely take another step.
In contrast, for Kyouno, a short run like this was nothing more than a stroll compared to her usual hunts.
She felt no fatigue at all, and so unconsciously kept pulling the girl along, unaware that her companion was nearing collapse.
It wasn't until she felt the small hand trembling in her own that Kyouno suddenly paused and turned around.
Seeing the girl's drained expression, Kyouno blinked in surprise:
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice softening noticeably.
The little girl, still panting heavily, instinctively looked up at the sound of that voice.
And once again, their eyes met.
In that moment, after their frantic escape, the girl's long hair was a tangled mess, tossed wildly by the wind.
Those fine black strands, like silk threads, were swept into the air, fluttering chaotically like a ribbon slipping from the hands of an artisan.
They danced around her flushed cheeks, clinging to the fabric of her shirt as it rose and fell with every breath.
Gradually, her delicate face came into view, revealed beneath the tousled strands of hair.
And now, Kyouno could finally see clearly—
A face slightly gaunt, yet with features that were fine and defined.Her pale skin lacked smoothness, yet it carried a strange softness, fragile and delicate.
Her cheeks, beaded with sweat, glowed with a faint rosy hue.
But most striking of all—Were her eyes.
Those glimmering eyes, with irises shaded in a deep, dusky brown, as if tinted by a gentle twilight—calm and serene.
They did not shine with the spirited brightness she had seen in other children, but instead held a quiet sorrow, simmering and subdued, an unspoken melancholy.
Eyes that made your heart sink the moment they met yours. So gentle they left you breathless, so beautiful it was hard to look away.
Her fringe hung loosely across her forehead, with a few strands brushing her dry, cracked lips, accidentally enhancing the quiet, sorrowful beauty she wore.
A still, aching beauty.
And yet, as Kyouno looked into that face, she frowned slightly.
That face...
Why did it feel so… familiar?
It was as if she had seen it before—not just vaguely, but as if she had laid eyes on it only recently.
But when?
She couldn't recall.
She was certain she'd never met anyone with a face quite like this girl's.
Then why…?
Why did looking at that face make her feel
… Sorrow?
While she was still lost in her tangled thoughts, the little girl's voice suddenly rang out, clear and delicate, like a wind chime in the autumn breeze:
"Um… pretty big sister…"
Her voice was as light as air, pausing for a moment, as if she had mustered all her courage just to speak.
"Are you… a fairy?"
.....