The bullies always avoid him now.
Not that he can blame them. He'd avoid someone if they had a girl for a friend who could kick them around without even trying.
Nat-chan still doesn't understand the gravity of what she had done. And even when explaining to her, he wonders if she had really done something wrong. That thought scares him.
"I love you," she keeps saying, as if the desperation will be enough,as if the sincerity is enough. He wants it to be, but the question of why still sparkles in his mind like a niggling seed grasping sunlight for the first time and it hurts.
But he can't ask why, that's just hurting her. He never thought that it would matter to him but it does.
…
On warmer summer days, as the month's vacation rolls on, Nat-chan gets quieter. She remains curled in the sunny spots indoors and doesn't always look up when he calls. Instead she stays in a ball, trembles sometimes.
On those days, he pets the fringe of her hair. And when he is brave enough to pull off her hat, well…
The little green wings flutter, all innocence and sweet cuteness and abnormality.
For the second time since they've met, Akihiro flees from her.
It's not very far, but it's far enough that he can't hear her cry.