"Miyuki-chan!"
Habara across the street waved at Miyuki who was approaching. Miyuki also waved back. When she arrived, Habara took her arm, his voice mixed with surprise and slight reproach.
"Miyuki-chan, why didn't you invite me along when you went out?"
Miyuki scratched her head, her voice gentle.
"Sorry Habara, I was just going to do some shopping but can I meet you here now or can we just go out?"
"Why do you ask, of course we have to go out together when we meet, right, hehe, let's go, I know there's a fun place."
Miyuki looked at her best friend who was holding hands and walking in front, and suddenly she smiled gently.
Habara has light brown hair, slightly curly at the ends. Today she is wearing a simple dress. Her cute, chubby face will leave a very deep impression just by looking at it.
As for Miyuki, she is a bit of a contrast to Habara's cuteness. She has long black hair and a slightly mature temperament.
When two people stood next to each other, people around them constantly turned their eyes to them.
Habara took Miyuki to many places, from cafes to entertainment places in shopping malls. Miyuki suddenly had a few shopping bags from Habara in her hand. She didn't care much, just went with Habara and listened to her constantly talk about all kinds of things in the world like a knight walking behind the princess to protect her.
"... That hateful Hoshigaki, he keeps texting me all day and it's annoying me to death!"Seeing Hobura so angry, Miyuki handed her a bottle of water from behind, her voice softening slightly.
"It's alright, Hobura, I'll help you deal with that Hoshigaki."
"Oh, really, Miyuki-chan? That's great, I should have asked you for help."
Miyuki smiled without speaking, her eyes becoming slightly cold. She thought to herself, "So it's that guy who's been making Hobura so down these past few days..." She was racking her brains trying to figure out how to make Hoshigaki pay for daring to mess with her best friend.
Suddenly, Hobura poked her in the face. Miyuki snapped back to reality, looking at her curiously.
"What's wrong, Hobura?"
Hobura pouted slightly and looked away.
"Aren't you thinking about someone else...? You're so distracted... You didn't even hear me calling..."
Miyuki heard this, gave a wry smile, transferred all the bags from her right hand to her left, then patted Hobura's head.
"I was thinking, why is my Hobura so cute?"
Hobura's face flushed red, glaring at Miyuki.
"Who's yours?! You idiot!"
Miyuki's hand ruffled Hobura's hair even faster, messing it up completely.
"Ah! What are you doing! Stop ruffling! People are watching!"
A few dozen seconds later, Miyuki finally let go, her face beaming with joy, while Hobura ignored her, taking out a mirror to carefully adjust her messy hair.
They walked on until sunset, the twilight stretching across the road back to their home. Hobura gazed at the distant sunset and exclaimed,
"Wow... Sunsets are always so beautiful..."
"Mm."
They were walking on a rather deserted road, quite far from the urban area behind them. To their left was a large, grassy slope, below which was a large baseball field next to a river. The scenery here was quite like something out of Doraemon.
Hobura's brown hair was even more radiant and beautiful now. Her eyes reflected the distant sunset, and a smile unconsciously formed on her lips as she turned around.
Miyuki stopped just in time before their eyes met, her eyes slightly puzzled as she looked down at Hobura's smiling face.
"Miyuki-chan, I'm so happy to have met you, so promise me we'll always be together."
Hobura then held out her little finger. Miyuki paused slightly, then gave a wry smile.
"You really..."
Without saying anything more, Miyuki hooked her little finger with Hobura's. It was a childish promise, but Miyuki was sure she would never break it.
While the two were smiling at each other, in the distance, a crimson gaze was watching them.
Hobura then cheered up considerably, even skipping slightly as she walked. Miyuki watched her with affectionate eyes.
"You really are a fool..."
Muttering softly, Miyuki didn't want Hobura to hear, otherwise she would get angry and refuse to look at her.
Suddenly, on the way, a man completely covered from head to toe walked past. Miyuki glanced at him, but her gaze didn't linger; she immediately looked towards Hobura to make sure she didn't trip and fall.
Out of Miyuki's sight, the man in the cloak smirked, his eyes bloodshot, muttering incessantly.
"Oh, Mother Gaia, I've found a sacrifice to offer you..."
Miyuki's ears twitched slightly. Her eyes followed the strange man walking away, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, but then she shook her head, thinking to herself,
"Maybe I'm being a little too sensitive..."
Miyuki, walking forward, suddenly stopped. Ahead, Hobura also stopped, not because they had seen something shocking, but because an arm had pierced through both of their stomachs.
The arm slowly withdrew, Hobura fell to the ground, blood continuously oozing from the wound in her abdomen. Miyuki was no better; she immediately collapsed, sweat beading on her forehead, her trembling hands touching Hobura's body.
"Ho... Bu... Ra..."
Finally, Miyuki could no longer hold on and fell, her body and Hobura's lying side by side. Looking at Hobura's tear-filled eyes, seeing her struggling for breath, Miyuki's adrenaline surged wildly. She struggled to get up, hugging Hobura tightly and running.
Each step she took was a moment of her life slipping away. Hobura in her arms gradually dilated, her steps becoming unsteady, her adrenaline almost wearing off.Sensing that things were not right, Hobura forced a smile, gently touching Miyuki's pale face.
"Mi... Yuki... I'm so happy... To have... been your friend..."
Hearing Hobura's broken words, Miyuki quickened her pace, disregarding the pain. Her steps quickened, but Hobura, in her arms, had closed her eyes, seemingly asleep.
"Don't... sleep..."
She had no strength left to speak. At that moment, only one thought occupied her mind: "Save Hobura! I must save her!" But fate wouldn't let her and Hobura escape.
Slash! Her leg was severed as if by a sword, a clean cut like a laser.
They both fell, Miyuki using her whole body to support Hobura. Looking at Hobura's peaceful sleeping face, Miyuki also felt an urge to sleep.
But the sound of approaching footsteps was like a flash of light in the dark cellar. Whether it was good fortune or misfortune, Miyuki struggled to lift her head to see the person coming. It was the strange man who had passed them earlier, now stripped of his hood, revealing a gaunt face and blood-red eyes.
"Sacrifice... Don't run..."
His crazed, deranged gaze sent a chill down Miyuki's spine. Perhaps this was the man who wanted to kill them both, and perhaps she would die like this too... No! She couldn't die!
Helplessly, she watched his hands draw closer. Her vision blurred, and specks of light began to appear like static. She knew she would die here, but why was she so unwilling to accept it...?
"Someone... Please... Save me..."