The boy gradually forgot the maple tree in the park.
Then one day, he suddenly remembered this friendship that had ended without warning.
He remembered... his monster friend, Ya Ya.
Looking at it that way...
He really had been awful.
He had cut off contact with Ya Ya without a word.
Though it hadn't been intentional.
It had still been his choice.
He had chosen his mother.
Then he had forgotten Ya Ya.
Now, after all this time, he had come before Ya Ya to defend himself...
Even he thought he was being incredibly shameless.
But...
Since it was so rare for him to see Ya Ya again...
Even if it meant being shameless...
He still wanted to tell Ya Ya the explanation he'd put off for so long... about the circumstances he'd been in and what he'd been thinking at the time... all of it.
Whatever the outcome, at least his regret wouldn't be quite so great.
Though the more he spoke, the less sure of himself he became...
After he finished, the boy still couldn't help gazing at Ya Ya hopefully.
He was so nervous that he suspected he might pass out at any moment.
"Glug~"
The boy swallowed.
Ya Ya turned her face.
She looked at Spirit Maple in the tree.
She did want to climb up there.
She had climbed up before, too.
Unfortunately...
Spirit Maple had quickly knocked her back down.
Every time she climbed up, Spirit Maple attacked her.
And each time, the blows grew harder.
Clearly, Spirit Maple didn't feel any kinship toward her.
Fine.
She didn't feel any toward Spirit Maple, either.
She was weaker than Spirit Maple.
She accepted that.
If she couldn't climb the tree, then so be it.
The gray-haired monster took it