Chapter 4, Part 3

"Yuichi".

"Um."

Why are we blindfolded?

The slender girl hugged her knees tightly with her arms and sat on the edge of the bed, gently rocking back and forth.

Her chin rested on her knees, and she looked up, following the hand movements of her childhood friend.

"This will reduce the impact on me."

Yuichi Echizen adjusted the tightness of the cloth strips behind his back with both hands, speaking in a steady, unhurried voice. His voice reassured Yuichi.

So that's how it is.

Airi Matsuzaka stopped asking questions.

She believed everything Yuichi said without question, so she decided to say no more.

Yuichi Echizen waited a short while and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Airi quickly shift her attention.

Does it really work?

He reached out and covered his eyes.

Honestly, is this effective?

it's useless.

This is the final warning line, serving as a constant reminder—don't get too close to Airi.

Yuichi Echizen didn't want to break the promise, so he had to do his best to stop the increasingly frantic desire in his mind while protecting Airi's safety.

I want to touch her.

He wanted to assault her.

He wanted to control her.

Become one with love, then kill her.

Just imagining her face and body makes me feel hot all over and my head throb.

Unable to control their physiological reactions.

Ah, that's right, he really liked Airi.

This impulse is understandable.

Yuichi Echizen gave all his love, desire, and hatred to one person.

The mere thought of that person's name lingering on his lips couldn't help but stir his heart.

Every night, the desires exposed in his dreams clearly tell Echizen Yuichi that turning dreams into reality is not impossible.

He knows.

Airi Matsuzaka wouldn't refuse him.

Obey without question, have unwavering faith, and trust wholeheartedly.

After Airi's parents died at his hands, all her knowledge of the outside world came from Echizen Yuichi.

It can be said that he personally taught them.

For those you trust, the distance between you is incredibly blurred.

He could make any unreasonable request, and Airi would probably comply even if she didn't understand it.

Because they are already deeply trusted, there is no need to doubt them.

Isn't that a very tempting test?

He faces his beloved every day but has never even kissed her.

It's not that he hasn't felt restless at times; he's just a young man. Despite his many experiences, he still feels anxious and full of anticipation when facing his lover.

But there are always some things that are more precious than one's own desires.

Airi doesn't understand love, doesn't understand men, doesn't understand desire, and doesn't know the meaning of distance.

Maintaining a peaceful life was already incredibly difficult, so he never explained these things. Deep down, he didn't want Airi to be involved in these matters.

What is the reasoning? What is the definition? Yuichi Echizen hopes that Airi will figure it out for herself.

Using the name of affection to coerce or harass is the greatest desecration of affection.

It is above all else, surpassing even the truths of the world.

I love you, disregarding truth and transcending human morality.

Pure romance, yet filled with boundless terror.

Yuichi Echizen never explicitly stated his feelings for Airi, blurring the lines and erasing any distance between them.

She doesn't need to know how much someone loves her, how much they've done for her, or how far they'd go for her.

no need.

It exists silently, standing still in stillness.

It is the best form of companionship.

I will protect you.

I never guarantee or promise anyone anything I will accomplish. Promises are constraints, shackles, and fetters.

Because I don't care about them.

But you are different.

From the moment I said those words to you, they will remain effective for a lifetime.

This is my one and only promise, which I give to you.

May it, along with my unreachable feelings, transform into boundless power to protect you.

There's nothing wrong with protecting the girl I like.

#

I will protect you.

Even as a child, Yu said this to Airi so solemnly.

Airi, who is two years younger than Yuichi, is at the age where she loves watching cartoons.

Friendship, promises, righteous police, protection—aren't these the kinds of things that often appear in her favorite cartoons?

She immediately immersed herself in the story, imagining herself as the protagonist who would go through many hardships and finally find happiness.

Yuichi was her first companion on her journey.

Okay, you have to keep your word.

#

He did indeed do it.

Airi Matsuzaka was very popular from a young age, and this popularity manifested as favoritism.

The best one is always reserved for her.

She was the only one who received special treatment.

Even the most hot-tempered person would be unable to fight back and would be all smiles when she hit them.

She also has half of the best snacks and treasures that the children secretly hide away.

No one competed with her for it, and no one felt anything was wrong; they all subconsciously treated her like a precious treasure.

However, the older you get, the more troublesome it becomes.

Until everyone she saw turned out to be a scumbag who hurt her under the guise of affection.

Friends are the most unreliable; they can easily turn on you.

Her parents held on a little longer, but they still fell to the knife of her childhood friend who had stood in front of her to protect her.

Those who had been kind to her in the past have repeatedly tried to pounce on her, to stab her in the back, or to inflict a bleeding wound.

So this is what love is like—a terrifying thing.

Airi Matsuzaka's understanding of love is distorted.

They even avoid using the word.

Treat it like a taboo.

If it weren't for Yuichi's protection, she might have died somewhere long ago, perhaps even brutally murdered by multiple people.

Airi Matsuzaka has always been very grateful for Yuichi's appearance, for appearing like a hero and for stepping forward like a hero.

but……

I don't want you to fall like a hero.

"Yuichi, please, Yuichi, don't go."

Don't leave me too.

"Yuichi?"

Airi Matsuzaka hurriedly hugged him, she had never seen Yuichi suffer such a serious injury.

I don't even know where to put my hands.

Yuichi Echizen felt very light, floating and uncertain, yet also very heavy, so heavy that he couldn't lift his hands.

Oh, right, both of his hands were broken by Emi Amamiya.

He suffered multiple serious injuries, including a fatal wound to his chest. Perhaps it was a precious time that God had given him to make arrangements for his affairs with Airi before he died.

Thinking of this, he immediately struggled.

"Airi, I can no longer protect you."

He tried his best to enunciate clearly, speaking softly and slowly, without strength, yet with great weight.

"Be careful... don't get scammed again."

"Don't cry."

Yuichi Echizen wanted to reach out and wipe away the tears on her face, but he couldn't move.

I'm sorry, I still made you sad.

He couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow at the thought of being separated by life and death.

"Hide...don't be...found, don't...be seen..."

He hadn't finished speaking; there were still so many things he wanted to say, and so many plans for them to complete.

Airi, avenge me!

If losing me leaves you with no reason to continue living, then find Emi Amamiya and kill her.

I kept searching for reasons to survive, but I still regretted it.

As long as you're alive, there's always a chance. Just hold on as long as there's even the slightest possibility.

I know Airi has done a great job, but your life is much harder than others'. My presence here can give you some rest, but from now on, you'll be all alone.

Struggle is life.

It wasn't until his death that Yuichi Echizen understood.

To offer no resistance is to trample dignity underfoot.

Airi, be proud enough, you are better than everyone else.

Goodbye, Airi.

In the end, I couldn't bring myself to kill you. I fought against the curse, and I won, but I also lost.

The girl I love is about to embark on a journey alone, and I can't be with her.

What a pity.

#

Men, women, and children are all my enemies.

Don't underestimate the power of what you love.

Airi Matsuzaka thought that the strange attraction that accompanied her would only attract men, until her trusted childhood friend was killed by a female friend she trusted.

She was finally left with no one to rely on.

"Amamiya Emi..."

Airi Matsuzaka whispered, and then her beautiful face was softened by a smile.

The final image is as follows:

A broken, unrestrained, sweet smile.

Reason has completely collapsed.