Chapter 436

She had absolutely no idea what to do.

When she received no response, Haihara paused, her gaze flickering subtly before disappearing, leaving only a somber expression.

Just then, Kazama Kiriori saw Haihara trying to stand up.

The girl, supporting her body which looked like it might collapse at any moment, tried to stand up. Before Kazama Kiriori could react to what Haihara was about to do, she instinctively helped Haihara up, and then felt that the other girl was feverish due to illness and her body was frighteningly weak.

Haihara tried to brace herself against the cabinet with one hand, then walked towards the door.

Kazama Kiriori paused for a moment, then asked in a panic:

What are you trying to do?

Her heart was beating faster and faster.

The wind and snow outside were still falling heavily, the sky was very dark, and there was no one on the streets. It seemed that even the snow on the roads had not been cleared yet.

Kazama followed closely behind Haihara, watching her reach the doorway. Unsure of what Haihara was up to, Kazama quickly stopped Haihara, blocking the doorway.

"Calm down, where are you going?"

She stared intently at Haihara's weakened appearance.

"I want to go find Kougami... she'll probably talk to me, or anyone else will do..."

Haihara may be delirious from the fever, or she may still be lucid.

She spoke absurdly, panting heavily.

Kazama Kiriori raised an eyebrow, her expression somewhat stern.

"Now?"

"How could that be? You're sick, and it's so cold outside. How could you possibly go to see Aunt Kougami?"

Before he knew it, Kazama also began to lose control of his emotions.

Of course, Haihara was well aware of this as well.

Her downcast, uneasy face lifted slightly; her usual docile and calm demeanor in front of Kazama Kiriori was now tinged with emotion.

"... How much longer do I have to stay here?"

I don't know how long it's been.

It all started when Kazama Kiriori suddenly brought her to this house without saying a word.

She was kept by Kazama Kiriori's side the whole time, and was not allowed to go anywhere, leave the house, or meet anyone.

There's nothing we can do.

But if asked when this kind of life would end, Kazama Kiriori's answer would always be the same.

Kazama Kiriori unconsciously raised her voice:

"Of course, it will continue until you recover and are safe. Didn't we agree on that?"

For Kazama Kiriori, she and Haihara had always lived in this house together.

Finally, Haihara reached her limit.

"Why you..."

When her body could barely hold on, and she was utterly Haihara, Haibara's gaze turned cold and piercing.

"To me, how are you any different from everyone else? Why should I have to stay with you?"

She said some very offensive things.

Words that pierce the heart like the fangs of a viper.

Kazama Kiriori froze at first, her beautiful, tired face turning slightly pale as she lowered her gaze. For a moment, she revealed a rather vulnerable expression:

"You already guessed it, didn't you? Why say such things...?"

She began to lose her composure and no longer cared about hiding the fact that she and Haihara mother and daughter.

"You adopted me, and we've been together ever since... so of course it's different."

"Liar..."

"... Huh?"

She stood frozen in place, motionless.

Haihara stared at Kazama blocking the doorway. Her breathing had become increasingly heavy and rapid, and her face flushed red as her body temperature rose.

She was completely overwhelmed by those terrible emotions.

"Someone like me... would never adopt a child."

"I can't do anything right, and I can't raise anything well. In the end, they all die."

"Even owning a puppy is terrifying for me; I never know when it might easily die..."

Warm tears streamed from the girl's dry, cold eyes; she seemed to be venting something, or perhaps fearing something.

"That's why... I don't have the courage to adopt you. If I did, you would probably die just like them... easily."

Haihara spoke strange words in a tearful voice.

That's truly incomprehensible.

But this is very similar to what Tachibana said to Kazama Kiriori before.

Completely unable to understand Haihara's words, and overwhelmed by a moment of annoyance and grievance, Kazama Kiriori felt the string of reason in her mind snap in an instant, leaving only rebellion against this incomprehensible situation.

After snapping out of her long daze, she lowered her head, trembling with anger.

Her voice was as deep and cold as an ice cave.

"My mom would never say something like that to me..."

At this moment, she didn't want to see the little girl in front of her as her most important mother.

I just felt like this was something else that had been secretly swapped with my mother.

When Haihara realized what she had said, she looked up and saw Kazama Kiriori's icy gaze.

"... You don't understand anything at all."

"I did all this for you, why can't you understand me?"

"If we just wait until you recover, nothing will happen. What's the point of knowing the truth anyway?"

"You are the one who should be protected! If I'm not careful, without my protection, I might get caught up in dangerous situations and get hurt."

"So, you just need to listen to me, right?"

Kazama didn't know was...

His words, just like Haihara's words, were very effective on Haihara.

She had just completely lost her composure and spoke to Haihara in a harsh and terrifying tone.

Those words were like those of a stranger to Haihara, yet they also felt like something Haihara.

In her past memories, someone had said similar things to her.

You don't need to know anything.

As long as you behave and listen to me...

Even this time, it seems that there's no need for Haihara to know what Haihara is hiding from Kazama.

Yes, you don't need to know.

Once she realized this, Haihara lost her temper.

She gritted her teeth.

But she couldn't suppress it at all; she was consumed by her emotions.

"---I don't need it."

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her usually cold and indifferent face had never shown such a distorted expression.

Her outburst of emotions caused her to disregard her high fever and lose control, venting her anger on Kazama, or perhaps someone else:

"You are, Kougami is, that person is, no matter who it is... they're all making a fool of me."

"I don't need to know who I am... I don't need to know why... I don't need to know what happened."

"Then what am I, exactly?"

This seems unrelated to the current topic.

Or perhaps, the things that Haihara has been enduring all along are now reflected in Kazama Kiriori's character.

The two of them vented their emotions to each other.

They had never spoken or used such words or tone to each other before.

But now, the two of them have nothing to do with the mother and daughter.

It seems like two strangers trying to find familiarity and attraction in each other, but in the end, they both hurt each other with the coldest words.

After that, in the deathly silence, only Haihara, hoarse voice remained—

"If you're all so concerned about something that doesn't even belong to me, then give it back to me..."

"Don't treat me like your toy..."

In the end, the two remained deadlocked.

Haihara stubbornly wants to leave.

Kazama Kiriori wouldn't allow Haihara to go out now. In fact, Haihara's body temperature is probably already rising, and if this continues, even going to the hospital might be dangerous.

If Kazama Kiriori hadn't retained a shred of rationality, she might have even considered knocking Haihara unconscious.

Kazama Kiriori was overwhelmed by anxiety and almost suffocated, but she couldn't think of any other way.

"Where exactly are you going? You should know that you can't go anywhere right now, right?"

"Or should we go find Takanashi and the others?"

After calming down a bit, Kazama Kiriori also began to consider whether she should compromise for Haihara's sake.

However, Haihara also didn't want to go find those Magic girls who had always been kind to her.

"I don't want to shamelessly go to them again..."

For her, staying in other people's homes has always been a feeling of gratitude mixed with unease.

She didn't even have a way of repaying them.

I can only hope that I can make amends once I become an adult again.

But now, Haihara doesn't want to endure this anymore.

"Where do you want to go? There's nowhere else to go, is there?"

Kazama Kiriori couldn't understand.

It seems that the only option left is to use the method she least wants to use.

Her gaze shifted from hesitation to coldness.

After gritting her teeth, she still commanded Haihara in the sternest tone:

"No matter what you say, I won't let you leave. You must stay here until it's safe."

This was neither a prior agreement nor a request.

It was imprisonment.

Of course, she knew how Haihara would view this and what kind of dislike Haihara would provoke.

But this won't change her mind.

However, she felt an unavoidable sense of fear.

She feared that Haihara would truly despise her because of this, and be disappointed in her... and say things she didn't want to hear.

Just like the words of distrust she heard next.

She said: