~Suzuno's POV~

Nagumo and I went back to the camp site, and I realized that everyobody was staring at us. I felt scared and frightened... Were they mad at Nagumo...?

Chapter 3: Camping Day 2- The Past's Truth (Part 2)

"What...?!" Nagumo blurted out angrily. Everyone seemed scared of him, they just kept quiet.

"S-stop scaring us, Nagumo..." Atsushi said in a soft voice.

"Y-yeah... I can't believe you pushed Hiroto in the water..." An hid behind Atsuishi.

"..." Nagumo turned away. "I-I'm sorry... I just remembered-..."

Nagumo quickly ran to the tent, hiding there.

"N-Nagumo!" Suzuno tried to chase him, but Hitomiko grabbed her hand making Suzuno turn to her franticly.

"Suzuno, Nagumo needs to be alone now... Just talk to him later okay?" Hitomiko said calmly.

"..." Suzuno turned back to the tent worriedly.

Later, at night, they were eating their dinner already around the campfire. Some ate the fish they catched this morning.

"So, Suzuno, how many did you catch?" Midorikawa asked while munching.

"...None." Suzuno replied looking down, with just holding Yuu-chan in her arms.

"What? Y-you didn't catched anything?" Atsuishi turned to her.

"Well... I caught one, but it was still small, so I set it free." Suzuno smiled a little while looking down, but faded away after.

"What?! Why did you-!?"

"Shut up Netsuha, you'll hurt my bestfriend." Kurione covered his mouth even she wasn't looking at him.

"Fine." Netsuha muffled, as Kurione removed her hand on his mouth and continued eating.

"I think it was very kind of you to do that Suzuno..." Kurakake smiled at Suzuno.

"Thank you, Kurakake." Suzuno smiled back, but again, her smile faded.

"Hm... I wonder where's Nagumo, he's missing dinner!" Atsuishi wondered.

"..." Suzuno kept looking down sadly.

"...Suzuno, come here." Hitomiko called. Suzuno came to her, leaving everyone.

"What is it, Hitomiko-san?" Suzuno asked.

"The reason Nagumo's acting wiered is that-"

"He doesn't like to be called "scary"?" Suzuno guessed.

"Well, that's one of them, but there's still more." Hitomiko smiled.

"Wait... What did Nagumo mean when he said he remembered something?" Suzuno asked.

"That's the point, he remembered "it"." Hitomiko sighed.

"Why? What happened?" Suzuno tilted her head worriedly.

"Well... It started last year's camping, you weren't here yet." Hitomiko started as Suzuno listened. "Nagumo was a loner at that time... He had no friends yet, he thought that he would always be left behind, everyone called him scary, sarcasticly like, they would laugh, call him names... Then one day, when he was fishing alone on the dock..."

Nagumo's Flashback

"Hey! You!" A nearly teen-aged boy pointed at Nagumo, standing on the dock, while two were standing behind him.

"W-who? Me?" Nagumo pointed to his chest.

"Yeah you! Are you stupid? You're the only one here!" The boy laughed.

"..." Nagumo looked down, he was embarrassed and offended.

"Hmph! You're no fun! Let's go guys..." The boy left with his friends and left the dock.

"Ugh... I hate it when they're here... Why'd even Hitomiko-san bring them here?!" Nagumo thought in his head, reaching for his slippers. "Well, I better get back, and-"
Nagumo realized his slippers weren't there with him. "Oh man! I left them on the shore! Those guys better not be-"

Nagumo stopped and was completely shocked, he saw them carrying them beside the shore.

"HEY! THAT'S MINE!" Nagumo shouted from the dock.

"WHO CARES?!" The boy laughed, his friends did too.

"I DO! GIVE THEM BACK!" Nagumo rushed down the dock, to them.

"TRY CATCHING THEM YOURSELF!" The boy threw them into the water. Nagumo saw his slippers floating from a far.

"NO!" Nagumo cried and walked to the water.

"Ha, ha... Stupid kid." The boy smirked.

Nothing was stopping Nagumo to get his slippers, then he realizes that the water level was already on his waist, and his slipperes were just few steps away.

"Woah! Dude! We're busted! We better help him! He might drow-!"

"SHUT UP! We better get out of here!" The boy just rushed back to the path.

"We can't just leave him! He will-!"

"I DON'T CARE! When I say let's go, LET'S GO!" He dashed to the bushes. The two looked at Nagumo, then glanced and followed him to the path.

"Gotcha!" Nagumo grabbed finally grabbed his other slipper, and walked back to the shore... But it was too late.

The waves pushed him deeper into the water, a wave made the water level to his chest, then his neck! Then to his head! Poor Nagumo was panicing, he didn't know what to do, he was scared and terrified of the roaring waves, swallowing him. But he held on tightly to his slippers.

"I'm... Not giving... up..." Nagumo swam towards the shore, but the waves pushed back, harder.

Nagumo was drowning, he lifted up his hand, hoping that someone would see and save him. ...But no one did...

"This is the end... I'm never going to see daylight again..." Nagumo looked up at the sun, shinning in different directions from the water, he cluched tightly to his slippers, slowly closing his eyes.

Suddenly, a miracle! A strong wave pushed him forward, strong enough to push him to shore. Nagumo was brought to shore slowly as the waves brushed on the sand...
He woke up from the hot shinning sun above him.

"...Wha-?... Wh-where am I?" Nagumo slowly sat up, coughing and holding his head, looking around cautiously, noticing he was holding his slippers. "I-I'm alive...? I-I better go back, Hitomiko-san will kill me... Even though it's not my fault..." Nagumo stood up, placed his slippers on and rushed to the path to the campsite.

When Nagumo arrived, he saw Hitomiko very, very worried, she was walking around, he never saw her that worried.

"Tell me... Where's Nagumo... Please tell me, he's okay...!" Hitomiko sat down, holding her head, the three boys were just looking down, everyone was looking at Hitomiko, they were worried as well.

"H-Hitomiko-san... Calm dow-"

"Hiroto! I can't! Nagumo is missing! MISSING!" Hitomiko was terribly in a worried state. Nagumo came out the bushes, soaking wet.

"...N-Nagumo!" Hiroto turned to him everyone did.

"NAGUMO!" Hitomiko stood up and ran to him, hugging him tightly, kneeling down.

"Hitomiko-san..." Nagumo replied.

"What happened? You're soaking wet." Hitomiko looked at Nagumo with her worried eyes. Nagumo just looked at the three boys, calmly.

"WHAT, DID, YOU THREE DO THIS TIME...?" Hitomiko stood up angrily, facing them slowly. "ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL HIM!?" She shouted.

"I-it was an accident... We didn't-"

"LIAR! YOU THREW MY SLIPPERS AWAY! YOU LEFT ME ALONE WHEN I WAS DROWNING!" Nagumo shouted.

"SHUT UP! WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" The boy replied.

"Calm down, Takuy-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME! I'M TELLING THE TRUTH! HE'S THE ONE THAT'S LYING!" He pointed at Nagumo.

"YOU LIAR! LIIIAAAAAAR!" Nagumo glared as he charged at him and tackled him. Everyone screamed in fear.

"NAGUMO! STOP!" Hiroto tried to stop their fight but Hitomiko pulled his hand from behind.

"GET OFF!" The boy pushed him, making Nagumo fall to the ground crying.

"Leave Nagumo, ALONE!" Hitomiko shouted, making everyone quiet and stop. She helped Nagumo up.

"...Hitomiko-san..." Nagumo sniffled and started to cry, he hugged Hitomiko tightly. "They're liars! They left me drowning...!" Nagumo burried his face on Hitomiko's chest.

"Nagumo..." Hitomiko whispered, stroking his hair. "Tell me the truth, you?" She looked at the boy.

"We didn't do anything! We swear!" He replied, while his friends were looking down behind him.

"You two? Do you have anything to say?" Hitomiko looked at the boys behind him.

"..." They didn't reply.

"Say something...!" The boy whispered to them angrily.

"Let them talk, Takuya." Hitomiko told, as she was staring at the two boys.

"...T-Takuya... Got his slippers and threw them away in the water." The boy in the left replied.

"SHU-"

"Let them talk." Hitomiko halted her hand.

"But we swore it wasn't our idea to bully him! We just wanted to go back to the campsite!" The boy in the right added.

"Did you bully him?" Hitomiko continued as she was hugging Nagumo back.

"...Y-yes... But it wasn't our idea that we throw his slippers to the beach...! It was all Takuya's idea!" They replied.

"Why'd you didn't help him? Why'd you didn't help Nagumo?" Hitomiko said in an angry tone.

"Takuya told us... Not to..." They both looked down.

"..." Takuya looked down, the truth was free.

"Takuya..." Hitomiko stood up, and walked to them slowly, leaving Nagumo wiping his tears. "..You and your friends will be set for adoption."

"B-BUT HITOMIKO-SAN! WE-"

"I cannot accept you children anymore, you've all done a lot of mischief... Me and father knew what you've done with some children in the orphanage... But this is the most unacceptable one, you nearly killed Nagumo!" Hitomiko told crossing her arms. Everyone was speechless. "When we get home, pack your things from the orphanage."

"...Y-yes, Hitomiko-san..." They looked down in shame.

-End of Flashback-

"..." Suzuno turned away sadly. "I didn't know Nagumo had that kind of History..."

"I know it's hard to understand, but it's the truth." Hitomiko smiled and held Suzuno shoulder.

"I-I unerstand..." Suzuno looked down. "Why didn't he tell me in the first place?"

"Maybe he was just scared of the truth." Hitomiko replied.

"O-okay..." Suzuno nodded. "Bye, Hitomiko-san." Suzuno turned around and left.

"Bye, Suzuno." Hitomiko smiled and waved.

Suzuno walked to the tent instead of eating, she felt sorry for Nagumo. When she went in the tent, Nagumo was fast asleep.

"...N-Nagumo..." Suzuno whispered sadly as she held Yuu-chan in her arms, facing Nagumo, sitting on her sleeping bag. Suzuno saw something on Nagumo's cheek. "T-tears?" Suzuno went closer to him. "Nagumo was crying?" She reaced out to his cheek, to make sure it was tears.

"...Ugh... No...! N...o..." Nagumo shook his head, he was crying in his sleep. Making Suzuno pull back her hand, but he calmed down after. Suzuno sighed.

"I'm just like you Nagumo... You're not the only one." Suzuno smiled a bit and went to bed. "Good-night, Nagumo." She turned around and slept.

...Good-night...

-End of Chapter 3-