"!?"
Everyone who had just realized what had happened widened their eyes in shock.
Only then did her companion understand why the auntie had looked pale and terrified just now.
Seeing her like that made her feel uneasy too.
Now that she thought back on it, she still felt shaken.
Of course.
At this moment, she was genuinely frightened in hindsight.
Just a little more...
Luckily...
Thank goodness...
The auntie's companion clenched her hands.
Her heartbeat was still somewhat beyond her control.
The pounding made both her chest and her head feel noisy.
The girl barely heard the auntie's apology.
Her fragmented mind had yet to reconnect fully.
After her friends repeatedly called out to her, the vacant look in her eyes finally began to regain focus.
The faces of her friends appeared in her eyes.
Noise also flooded her ears.
"Kou Kou, are you all right?"
"Are you okay?"
"Hey, can you hear us?"
"Kou Kou..."
The girl reached out, wanting to pull down the hand waving in front of her eyes.
But she found that her own hand was limp and weak.
However, the owner of the hand, realizing what she intended, withdrew it herself.
"Kou Kou?"
"I'm fine."
The girl's voice was somewhat weak.
Her pale complexion was hardly convincing.
But the girl's expression had indeed calmed considerably.
There was only still a trace of terror between her brows.
"How do you look fine at all?"
Her friend took the girl's hand.
Then she released it as though she had been pricked by a needle.
However, the girl clasped her friend's hand in return.
Her grip tightened unconsciously.
Feeling the trembling transmitted through the girl's hand, her worried friend placed her other hand over it as well.
"Why are