"Apologize?" Sayo's words caught Chiba Yo somewhat off guard.
"Why do you want to apologize to Mr. Himejima?" Chiba Yo asked in confusion.
"I was... the one who got Mr. Himejima sent to prison..."
Sayo's voice trembled, thick with tears.
She struggled inwardly for a long time after hearing his words, but finally gathered the courage to say it. Once the words were out, she felt as though a great weight had lifted.
"I was the little girl he protected all night... who ended up identifying him as the murderer..."
Chiba Yo was stunned by those two statements, but he said nothing. Sayo clearly felt deeply guilty, and the fact that she felt that way suggested she was not a bad person. He wanted to hear what she had to say.
"But I was talking about the demon that attacked everyone... The others thought I meant Mr. Himejima... I was so scared that I didn't dare open my eyes to see what was happening, and then I passed out..."
Sayo explained, her voice growing quieter again afterward.
"But even so, I was still the reason Mr. Himejima was thrown into prison... To be treated that way by a child he'd risked his life to protect... He must have been in so much pain. Of course he would have been disappointed...
It was all my fault... Everyone loved and respected Teacher Gyomei so much, but I nearly got him killed... Sob..."
Sayo covered her face and began to cry as she spoke. The way she addressed Gyomei had changed, too. They had all called him their teacher in the past, but after learning what she had done, Sayo felt she no longer deserved to call him that.
Now, overwhelmed by emotion, she had unconsciously slipped back into her old way of