The Hedgehog Girl forcibly pulled the thorns out of her arm with tweezers, and then fainted from the overwhelming pain.
No matter how he thought about it, this was the only explanation.
In the middle of the night, the Blanket Man was running quickly while carrying the Hedgehog Girl on his back.
"Blanket..."
Minami Hyuga called his name weakly as she lay on his back.
"Yeah?"
"Do you know?" The hedgehog let out a sigh under the moonlight and said with a bitter smile, "I originally hoped to live a normal life. Even when I was with you guys, I thought... maybe I could find happiness too."
"But... in the end, fate still struck me down."
"Someone like me, who always hurts those around them, doesn't deserve happiness, right?"
"No, that's not it..." The Blanket Man's voice choked up the moment he spoke.
"Blanket... in this world, only a turtle's shell can withstand a hedgehog's thorns. You are not a turtle, you can't withstand my thorns..." the Hedgehog Girl said, "You should go. Being with me will only get you pricked and eventually covered in wounds. Being with someone covered in thorns like me, you won't find happiness."
"No, that's not true!"
The Blanket Man shouted, and while running with the Hedgehog Girl on his back, he gathered his courage and gritted his teeth as he said:
Minami Hyuga sobbed as she pounded on the Blanket Man's chest with her little fists.
"You are not allowed to leave me behind ever again!"
Megumi Hayashibara voiced Minami Hyuga's despair and loneliness to the extreme.
It made people feel both heartbroken and sad.
It was the first time Furukawa Hiroshi had experienced such a hateful yet fascinating game plot.
***
Hayashibara Megumi voiced Hinata Minami's despair and loneliness to perfection.
It makes one feel both heartbroken and sad.
This was the first time Furukawa Hirozawa had experienced such a hateful yet captivating game plot.
Could such a plot—one that takes a sudden, unexpected turn, hits you with a triple dose of tragedy, and leaves you completely stunned—really be something a human came up with?
Just that morning, everything was fine; the smile on Hinata Minami's face was so bright as she encouraged Blanket Man to live on.
Yet, by night, everything had suddenly changed.
Who could possibly endure this!
Jun Maeda's scripts have always been like this: starting off sweet, even immersing you in an overdose of sugary, funny, heartwarming, and healing moments, but then suddenly spiraling out of control in the later stages, detonating your tear ducts like a bomb when you least expect it.
One can only say that Furukawa Hirozawa was still too young; even though he had developed some resistance to Gen Urobuchi, he still couldn't withstand Jun Maeda's bombardment.
At this very moment, Furukawa Hirozawa's feelings were identical to those of Blanket Man in the game—
He only hoped that nothing would happen to Hedgehog!
***
"Yes! I don't have a turtle shell! But why, why must I have a turtle shell? Why must I resist you?
Hedgehog, do you know?
I don't think a hedgehog should be with a turtle.
Even if I don't have a turtle shell, I have a blanket.
The blanket is soft, reliable, and can completely embrace you, accept you... and love you."
In the end, he had said it, though he had never imagined it would be in such circumstances.
Shun Uesugi felt his face burning.
But after he finished speaking, the night sky fell into a deathly silence.
When he turned to check, he realized—
Hedgehog had fainted again, having completely failed to hear the last part of what he said.
***
Damn the scriptwriter!
Damn you, Ishino Mika.
Furukawa Hirozawa choked up, laughing and crying at the same time.
Just a moment ago, he had been worried to death about the heroine, terrified that she would be killed off. But when he saw the part where the guy in the blanket gathered his courage to confess, Furukawa Hirozawa had burst into tears of being moved.
Yet, he never expected Hinata Minami to just faint right then and there, without hearing a single word.
He couldn't help but feel both touched and amused.
The person capable of writing a plot like this must have a delicate and gentle pervert living inside them, right?
Other than that, Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't find any other reasonable explanation.
In any case, now that he had cleared the game, he was determined to send razor blades to the producer and the scriptwriter!
***
Blanket Man took Hedgehog Girl to the nearest hospital, where she was quickly placed on a stretcher and rushed into the emergency room.
With such extensive skin damage, there was a risk of infection, and if not treated properly, it could even lead to death.
The skin is the most important barrier of the human body, and now, Minami Hyuga had destroyed it herself.
One could only imagine how much she must have hated the thorns on her own body, and what terrifying willpower she possessed.
Just thinking about it made Hirozawa Furukawa shudder.
At the same time, it was heartbreaking.
After a while, the hedgehog's family arrived.
A man and a woman.
The woman was Kimiko Ono, the girl's mother, and the man was Tasuku Ono, Minami Hyuga's father.
At first, Shunichi Uesugi found it strange that their surnames were completely different from Minami Hyuga's, but he quickly realized the truth—
Minami's biological mother had remarried into the Ono family, which is why she had changed her surname as well.
And as for "Hyuga"... with her stubborn personality, she probably couldn't bring herself to agree to the change, which is why she was at odds with this family, felt like an outsider, and was even described as being like a hedgehog, perhaps?
"Ah~ what a handful of a child. Running away from home at the drop of a hat." Ono Tasuku took out a cigarette and was about to light it, but suddenly remembering he was in the emergency room, he walked outside.
Only Minami's mother and Uesugi Shun remained in the waiting area.
"It's you, isn't it?!"
Minami's mother glared at Uesugi Shun with red, swollen eyes.
"Hello, I am Minami Hyuga's..." Uesugi Shun hesitated, truly not knowing how to introduce himself.
[I have never successfully confessed my feelings, so surely Minami and I aren't in a romantic relationship.
But friends... does that count?
Or maybe just roommates?
If I had to say something...
Perhaps "dependent on one another," two fellow misfits leaning on each other to get by—that would be the most accurate description of our relationship, wouldn't it?
But I haven't the faintest idea what word to use to describe such a relationship.]
Just as the protagonist was thinking this, Minami's mother swung her handbag and rained blows down upon him.
"It's you! You're the one who made Nannan end up like this, aren't you?!"
Hinata's mother cried out, wishing she could tear him to shreds.
"I'm sorry..." Shun Uesugi apologized, clutching his reddened cheek.
Although he didn't even understand why he was apologizing, he did it instinctively.
At least on one point, she wasn't wrong.
Getting to this point, I'm undeniably involved.
Yet for some reason, he couldn't feel the pain on his face at all.
"What's the use of saying sorry?!"
The heroine's mother screamed, then walked over and grabbed his hands fiercely.
"And... the fact that you're wearing a quilt like this, it's just too rude, isn't it?"
"Take it off!"
"I'm sorry..." the male protagonist said, hanging his head. "I want to, but I can't."
Is this author a devil?
Even though he was feeling terrible inside, and this scene definitely wasn't something to laugh at, when Furukawa Hirozawa saw that line about telling the male lead to take off the quilt, he really couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
***
Shun Uesugi was ruthlessly kicked out by Hinata's mother.
Walking on the streets of Tokyo, it began to rain heavily.
In the game screen, the male protagonist stood in the darkness, with ripples spreading all around him. The city lights in the distance were blurry, even less distinct than the moon hanging in the upper right corner.
Raindrops fell into the darkness, splashing like little flowers.
Shun Uesugi's hair was soaking wet; it was impossible to tell whether it was rain or tears on his face.
The quilt felt increasingly heavy, just like when he first met the hedgehog.
A flashback hit him, and Hirozawa Furukawa almost couldn't hold it together.
This game was so poetic. The two flashbacks, the transitions and contrasts between the images were so similar, yet so different, making one involuntarily recall the little drama of their first meeting, which made one's heart ache terribly.
Shun Uesugi looked at everything around him, his eyes becoming numb.
Everything had returned to the way it was before.
Except for the quilt on his body and the extra memories in his mind, the world didn't seem to have changed at all.
Now, he was alone again.
***
In this world, everyone is an island.
No one is indispensable to anyone else.
Hinata going back to her parents is better than staying with me, right?
Shun Uesugi thought this to himself; at least Hinata would be able to get proper treatment.
Judging by their attire, her parents seemed to be wealthy.
Back in the small rented room they shared, Shun Uesugi couldn't even be bothered to wring out the blanket; he just collapsed onto the floor and fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, the sun shone in from outside, hitting Shun Uesugi directly on the face.
Instinctively thinking it was the Hedgehog Girl playing a prank on him with a mirror, he waved his arm.
"Cut it out, Hedgehog, let me sleep some more..."
Before he could finish, Shun Uesugi froze, his eyes opening slightly.
He raised an arm to shield his eyes. The sun outside was bright, and crystal-clear dewdrops hung on the leaves.
Besides an extra blanket on his body and some additional memories in his mind, it seemed nothing in this world had changed.
Now, he was alone again.
***
Yes.
The Hedgehog was gone.
She had gone back.
Back to where she belonged.
Shun Uesugi felt empty inside.
If he had lived alone from the beginning, he might not have felt this regret, but now that the Hedgehog wasn't by his side, he really wasn't used to it.
Yes.
The hedgehog is gone.
She has gone back.
Back to the place where she belongs.
Uesugi's heart felt empty.
If he had lived alone from the beginning, there wouldn't be this kind of regret, but now that the hedgehog was no longer by his side, he really wasn't used to it.
He continued to work at the convenience store and buy food.
He came back and made instant noodles.
While eating instant noodles that night, Uesugi had a hallucination.
"I want some too..." Hinata's voice.
Acting spoiled with the coldest tone.
But when he looked up, the room was completely empty.
The next day.
The third day...
I seem to have gotten used to a life without the hedgehog.
As if!
Just then, as Uesugi was eating his instant noodles, recalling every little thing that had happened in this room, he couldn't hold back his tears anymore.
***
A new discoverable event had appeared on the hospital building on the main map.
Seeing that golden cursor, Hirozawa Furukawa couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
Ah~ thank goodness, the game producer wasn't so cold-hearted!
Even though Hirozawa had previously thought it might be a tragedy, at this very moment, he desperately hoped this game would have a happy ending.
After breaking the hearts of half the cast, at least, at least let the male and female leads be happy!
In order to see Hedgehog, Comforter returned to the hospital once again.
This day happened to be the day Hedgehog was being discharged.
After some effort, Comforter finally saw Minami Hyuga walking toward a car, following behind her mother and stepfather.
"Hedgehog!"
Comforter called out.
Minami Hyuga stopped abruptly. Although it was just her back, one could still see her shudder, as if suddenly struck by a cannonball.
"Why is it you again? Didn't I tell you..." Minami Hyuga's mother, who had no fondness for Comforter, began to scold him.
But before she could finish, she was pulled back by her daughter.
Minami Hyuga tugged gently on her sleeve, then turned around and forced a smile at Shun Uesugi.
"I'm not a hedgehog anymore, you know."
Minami Hyuga smiled gently.
Huh?
Shun Uesugi was thunderstruck, swaying slightly.
"Look."
Minami Hyuga rolled up her sleeve, exposing a piece of her pale arm, and held it out under the sun for him to see.
The skin, though still slightly bruised, showed absolutely no trace of any quills.
"I've realized that all our [symptoms]—the hedgehog, the blanket, even the small flames and fireworks—are actually all born from within our hearts."
"Look. I was rebellious, pricking others, hurting those around me who cared, so I deserved to become a hedgehog."
"But, you see. As long as you're obedient, the quills will disappear."
"I'm going to be a good, obedient child now," the hedgehog said with a smile, "You should work hard too. I believe your blanket will also change because of your actions. As long as you..."
"As long as you truly want to change from the bottom of your heart... there will always be a way."
"I'm not a hedgehog anymore, so you don't need to stay by my side to protect me, right?"
"Goodbye, Blanket."
"Sayonara."
***
Yeah...
Since you are no longer a hedgehog,
you probably don't need the Blanket Man anymore, right?
I have no reason to forcefully keep you by my side anymore, either.
Shun Uesugi thought sadly, then waved at the departing Hedgehog.
He wanted so badly to say "Sayonara," but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
The words reached his lips, but his throat choked up.
However, perhaps the only thing I can do now is wish you well, right?
***
How could it be like this?
Having played to this point, Hirozawa Furukawa felt it was just too gut-wrenching.
Comforter, I don't want to give up, give me an option not to give up, you bastard!
Don't give up, Uesugi.
Blanket Man was dejected, already preparing to leave, and the two walked in opposite directions.
Having only walked a few steps, Shun Uesugi clenched his fists in agony.
Lies!
You're clearly lying!
Memories flashed by, and the TV screen displayed the bits and pieces of life he had lived with Hedgehog.
[Are you an idiot? How could there be a comforter in the forest?]
[Ah~ If only these carefree days could last forever.]
[The Disqualified, we are all a bunch of guys who have been stripped of our human identities, why don't we call ourselves the Disqualified?]
[The League of the Disqualified, we must always, always...]
"Hedgehog!"
Blanket Man suddenly woke up, then ran toward Minami Hyuga.
Minami Hyuga trembled all over and stopped in her tracks.
"You said you wouldn't give in! You said we would live together!"
Shun Uesugi shouted again, "Hedgehog!"
At this very moment, Hedgehog could no longer ignore his response to her trembling body.
She turned around, tears streaming down her face.
"Comforter..."
"Comforter, you really are an idiot!"
"Comforter!"
The Hedgehog let out a shout.
"Nannan..."
Her mother hurriedly reached out and grabbed her wrist, not letting her do anything rash.
"Don't go. You promised you would listen to me."
But the next second, a sharp pain shot through her palm.
When she raised her hand, tiny beads of blood had been pricked out of her palm by white quills.
"Nannan..."
She looked at Minami Hyuga in disbelief.
Right at this very moment, on the skin that had once been smooth, quills were growing out one by one.
"How... how could this happen? Wasn't it already cured?"
"I'm sorry, Mom," Minami Hyuga said with a smile.
"I was always this kind of girl, after all—covered in spikes, hated by everyone."
"But, it doesn't matter anymore."
"Because..."
She turned to look at Shun Uesugi, her eyes beaming with joy.
Minami Hyuga shook off her mother and ran, throwing herself at Shun Uesugi.
Then, she suddenly crashed into him.
"You were the one who left me first!" Minami Hyuga cried, pummelling Blanket Man's chest with her little fists.
"You're not allowed to leave me ever again!"
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