"Do you want the whole class to keep saying you're a liar..."
"To keep treating you like a bad kid and shunning you?"
Child's Mom said these words with a heavy heart, but she still had to go on.
So that her child would only have to suffer like this once...
"...Do you want Lulu to keep ignoring you?"
"No!"
At last, the mushroom-haired little girl managed to force a sound out of her throat.
It was weak and broken.
The mushroom-haired little girl's face was red.
She had clearly struggled hard to force out those two words.
Her eyes were wide.
She looked as though she had used every last bit of strength.
Child's Mom's eyes reddened at once as she watched.
Why...
Why had her child had to go through something like this?
"...If you don't want that..."
Child's Mom took a deep breath, then said very solemnly, "Do what Mom told you."
"Don't..."
"See the shadows again."
"Even if you do, pretend you didn't."
"Do you remember?"
"Anna."
Child's Mom pleaded with her, "This time, only one of your classmates saw..."
"And it led to such serious consequences."
"You're very upset, aren't you?"
Child's Mom stroked the girl's head. "Your classmates blamed you and shunned you, and your best friend grew distant..."
"If more people saw..."
"...Could you accept the consequences?"
The mushroom-haired little girl trembled even harder.
Her face was deathly pale.
"Anna."
Child's Mom softened her tone. "Do you still want to play with Lulu?"
"Do you still want to get along with your classmates?"
The mushroom-haired little girl nodded slowly.
Of course she did.
"Then do what Mom told you."
Child's Mom repeated the words again and again for emphasis. "Do you remember?"
"You have to