CHAPTER 5
To become a husband and a father was one certain man of faith's lifelong dream. Ever since he was in middle school, all he wanted was to find his significant other and to make and raise his children with her. While the rest of his male friends were hitting puberty and could only think of one thing when it came to the girls, he was always different. All he wanted was to connect with that one special girl on a mental and spiritual level before they would join each other at the physical level. Though he was given a rough time for it by his friends, even they knew he was pure of heart and didn't have a single bad bone in his body and they knew he would someday make that one special girl very happy.
Tadao Hiiragi had a relatively easy and simple life growing up. His father was a very religious man, much like the path he would one day follow. He had only the best principles and concepts taught to him by his father, who played a major figure in not only Tadao's life, but also all of Japan during the occupation by the United States in the years following the war. After four years of relentless bloodshed in the Pacific, the war finally ended and the nation of Japan faced unprecedented fears of uncertainty when the occupation of the American government and military forces began.
With the island nation left in shambles by the war, the US Government set up numerous programs to help rebuild Japan to do everything from reestablishing the Japanese Government, to setting up food drives for the starving. One of those programs was known as Government and Relief in Occupied Areas, also known as GARIOA, and overseen by American General Douglas MacArthur. It was also one of the first programs to have direct Japanese civilian involvement, mostly by local and religious leaders to gain the trust of the Japanese public.
One of the religious men involved was named Taichi Hiiragi, Tadao's father. Everything that people knew about Tadao was a carbon copy of his father. Taichi was revered by his local community as an icon and he played a large part in bringing a sense of peace in the postwar jitters. He helped American soldiers unload trucks of food and supplies to the general public and continued to play a supportive role in rebuilding until the occupation ended in 1952.
However, what Tadao took away the most from his father was not his immense kindness or spiritual teachings that made him revered in his community, nor his cooperation and peacekeeping role with the Americans. It was his views on the female gender as a whole that inspired young Tadao to be a step above most boys his age when they started noticing girls.
Taichi Hiiragi saw women as a class that bordered on the godly. In his eyes, they were creatures that were the epitome of everything that involved purity and especially the gift of life. According to Taichi, he had tremendous respect for all women as he, as well as every single human on Earth, owed their very existence to women. They were the mothers that gave birth to the human race, as well as the wives that gave love and comfort to the men they loved and the children they birthed. This was why Taichi held the female gender close to his heart and soul and saw them as sacred treasures of the Earth that always needed to not only be loved, but also protected. He also connected with ancient religions such as the Celtics that also shared the same concepts regarding women, and especially in Buddhism, where Queen Maya, mother of Gautama Buddha, was hailed as a hero for giving birth to the future religious founder and becoming a martyr as a result when she died shortly after the birth.
With all of these lessons forever sealed in his mind, it didn't take long for Tadao Hiiragi to catch the attention of many of his fellow students when he was in high school. Some saw him as a nerd or a little "too feminist," for lack of a better term, while in other cases he caught the attention and the respect of many of his female counterparts in his school. Some girls were flattered by the deep conversations and his sentiments towards them and even charmed by him, while others didn't know what to make of it. One girl however parted the crowds and caught his attention more than any other one day.
Miki Orihara was a lot like Tadao in the regards where she too was different, though in a more diverse way. While Tadao's upbringing was simple and sometimes financially constrained, Miki was born into a rich family. As an only child, she was showered with endless lavishes and luxuries that became a double-edged sword for her social life. She was blessed with two supportive and loving parents who, like any other normal mother and father, wanted their child to only have the very best and anything less than that was considered barbaric and even bordered on child abuse. However, all of these luxuries made it hard for her to make friends, even when she was a little girl.
Upon entering high school, she only had a few friends as the other students were uncomfortable around someone of her sumptuous upbringing and even intimidated by not only her wealth, but also her beauty. Miki was always grateful for her parents and every yen they ever spent on her to ensure that she was never uncomfortable, but she still longed for a simple lifestyle and even becoming a mother one day. The young woman was truly blessed with the life she had because she had the money and the ability to literally become anything she wanted, but her biggest desire was so pure; to know the joys of motherhood. She also always wanted to know what falling in love felt like. She may have had one or two crushes in her life, but they would come one day and would be gone the next. What she wanted was the real thing; to connect with a man that would sweep her off her feet and truly fall down the warm and sensational abyss that was love.
She met Tadao Hiiragi one day in their high school's library. She was always a notable student and studied hard, but even she came across a subject every now and then that was beyond her reach. For her, the subject was history. Miki corralled mountains of books around her at a table and sat alone, trying to comprehend the material that was surely going to be on her history final. She tried to copy notes in her notebook but struggled to memorize all of the important dates, key figures, and motives.
As she sat alone, Tadao entered the library and sat at another table for his own studying session and his eyes suddenly caught sight of the lonely young woman. As with many of the other boys who saw Miki, he only saw beauty. Though she looked stressed and frustrated, Tadao could see that everything about her was flawless. Her long hair that dangled to her lower back that flowed so freely and playfully, her violet eyes that looked like two exquisite pools of peace, and skin that was clearly soft and delicate. He didn't even know her and he could already see she also had a beautiful soul that burned brightly in her eyes. Tadao knew this lonely girl was not a diamond in the rough, but rather the entire shining jewel itself that was perfect in all aspects.
He glanced at the pillars of books surrounding her and saw they were history textbooks, which was his best subject thanks to his father. Tadao was interested in her right when he first saw her, but at the same time didn't want to disturb her. It was when her body language began to show clear frustrations and the desire to call it quits that prompted him to scoot closer to her. He asked her if everything was okay, which she said yes and added that she was just frustrated about her upcoming history final. He kindly offered his services to help her, which she accepted given her situation. The two became fast friends, especially after Miki aced her history final. For Miki and Tadao, the rest, as the old saying goes, is history.
When Miki accepted his marriage proposal, it seemed that all of Tadao's dreams were coming true. He finally had a wife and soon, a daughter, then another, and then two more on top of that. Unfortunately for his father, Taichi Hiiragi wouldn't live long enough to see the birth of his twin granddaughters, though he was already proud with Inori and Matsuri. Tadao never forgot his father's philosophical wisdom regarding women so when Miki blessed him with four daughters, he saw it as divine planning before his eyes.
Given Tadao's history and views on women and his daughters, no one in either his family or his community could even begin to comprehend his grief and pain when he delivered the funeral service for his own daughter. Despite the act she did that contradicted every principle he ever taught her and nearly drove him to disown her, Tadao couldn't throw his own flesh and blood out no matter how grotesque it was. Matsuri Hiiragi was tragically taken from him and the rest of the family by a horrible accident and now, he felt that not only had another gem disappeared from the world, but it was his gem.
Matsuri Hiiragi was laid to rest one week after the accident, as was her friend who traveled with her that day. Regrettably, Kagami would never know of the conversation Matsuri had with her friend the day she died so she never knew of Matsuri's intentions. She didn't know that her older sister was going to make amends to her with an apology and a present, but now Kagami also lost her chance to say she was sorry to Matsuri and to tell her how much she loved her. Instead, the twin-tailed girl believed that she drove her sister to her grave with her angry outburst and words that came to fruition. Kagami felt endless guilt and the family not only grieved for Matsuri, but they also began to worry for the twin-tailed twin because she hadn't spoken a word since her older sister died, nor did she make any attempt to leave her room, let alone her home, as her first college semester started. She grunted and whimpered every now and then to answer a question but since her own meltdown along with Tsukasa after the police called and informed them of Matsuri's death, she completely clammed up and shut down.
At the emotional service at a nearby cemetery, the Hiiragi family sat at the front of the rows of mourners, their watery eyes latched on a closed casket covered with flowers standing above a freshly dug grave. All dressed in black and watching their male household leader in Tadao read from his religious scripture, he glanced up every now and then to see Kagami. In her black clothing, she still stared at her sister's casket resting only a few feet in front of her, her eyes still leaking while she held a blank expression on her face. So much Kagami wanted to say to Matsuri, yet all her words would be in vain and would bring no closure to this feud that brought the middle Hiiragi daughter's death and endless regret and shame to Kagami.
Tsukasa held onto her sister's numb hand as she too cried while Miki sat next to Tsukasa, her arm wrapped around her shoulder and also sobbing. Inori sat alone, her face nestled into her two open hands as she cried. Though many friends of the Hiiragi family came to pay their respects to the late Matsuri, one friend in particular watched the funeral from afar, also dressed conservatively with her long blue hair tied in a ponytail.
Konata stood under a tree and watched the emotional and heartbreaking scene unfold before her eyes. Though she never knew Matsuri at the same personal level as Kagami and Tsukasa, she now regretted it because of not only how badly this was hurting her best friends, but also because she knew that Matsuri had to be a good person and was going to be dearly missed. Anyone related to Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi had to be some of the best the world had to offer, as the two fraternal twins proved by simply being themselves on a daily basis. Konata wanted to rush over to Kagami and hug her and Tsukasa as tightly as she could and say the magic words that would take away all their pain.
However, Konata knew there was only one problem as she leaned against the tree. No magic words existed in any language that could even possibly begin to reassure her friends that everything was going to be okay. Konata didn't know every single detail, but Tsukasa did text her several times and informed her that Kagami and Matsuri had a fight before the latter passed away and the former never got the chance to say she was sorry. Konata knew that that was something that would be nothing short of mental torture for her twin-tailed friend. Still, Konata wanted to be there and be able to hold Kagami and Tsukasa closely when the service was over, as the end of it approached.
Tadao finished his ceremony and everyone held their heads low as the casket still sat before them. Everyone kept their mouths sealed shut to keep the harmonious yet ominous silence upon the graveyard as a show of respect for the late Hiiragi daughter. As everyone kept their heads kneeled, Kagami slowly lifted hers and gazed at the flower-draped coffin that held the body of her sister. Knowing that she would never see her or hear her voice again and that her body would be committed to the cold, dark soil instead of the warm and loving atmosphere of the family home made the tears leak from her eyes.
How could this have happened to them? Kagami only graduated high school with her sister and then, after a grueling fight, Matsuri was taken away from them. It wasn't fair. Kagami was supposed to have started school, but the death of her sister still was fresh in her mind. In addition to Matsuri's death, Kagami felt the mounting pressure of her own lifestyle as pointed out by Misao, as well as the scolding and reminders that her life could shatter if she made another mistake like at the party. Kagami however believed that she already made another mistake and now her sister was dead because of it. She felt sick to her stomach and wanted to throw up but she tried to keep it all in as the mourners began to depart the heartbreaking scene.
One by one, the supporters of the local community began to leave the cemetery. Some approached Tadao and said more words of comfort to him, as well as to Miki and her three surviving daughters. They all kindly nodded and thanked them, but it still didn't help or heal the scars that now pained their minds. After another fifteen minutes, all of the mourners had exited the cemetery, leaving only the five remaining Hiiragi family members.
Konata sighed and slowly walked out from under the tree and approached the grieving family. The birds singing happily and flying overhead in the beautiful blue sky above them brought a contradicting mood to everyone involved in this tragedy. One of the nicest families Saitama has ever known had suffered a devastating loss, yet the entire community was more than likely out and enjoying this day while they were busy burying their daughter.
The blue-haired girl made her approach, catching the Hiiragi family's attention and Tsukasa could no longer contain herself when she saw her friend appear at Matsuri's funeral. The youngest of the Hiiragi family rushed over to Konata and hugged her tightly and cried loudly, prompting the blue-haired girl to return the hug and rub her back gently.
Konata lifted her eyelids as Tsukasa continued to cry on her shoulder and looked at Kagami. The twin-tailed girl's attention was still fixated on Matsuri's coffin and she slowly walked over to it and she simply stared at it with her crying eyes. As if she suddenly transformed into a block of ice, Kagami froze and stood before her sister hidden in the flower-covered structure. The twin-tailed girl completely disregarded Konata's existence while Inori continued to seek comfort in her parents.
"How's Kagami?" Konata whispered lightly into Tsukasa's ear.
Tsukasa slowly looked back and sniffed. Her only response was to slowly shake her head, telling Konata that her twin sister was still an emotional train wreck and a silent one at that.
As Miki and Tadao escorted the still crying Inori away from the coffin to help calm her down while Kagami still stood above the casket, Konata gently slipped out of the hug and walked towards Kagami as Tsukasa continued to mop the tears out of her eyes. The short blue-haired girl stood behind Kagami and was still at a loss for those desperately sought magical words and didn't know what to say. She wished she could trade places with her best friend if it meant that she wouldn't be sad anymore.
Regardless, Konata had to say something despite the absence of anything magical. "Kagami…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…I…I don't even know what to say."
Suddenly, Kagami quickly spun and opened her mouth to speak for the first time since Matsuri's death. "There's nothing to say. My sister is dead. I killed her. Congratulations on graduating, Konata. Now leave me the fuck alone."
Upon finishing her angry and bitter request, Kagami brushed past Konata, nearly shoving her out of the way as she continued walking away. Konata stood as she looked downward and slowly turned her head, her eyes now beginning to flood as well upon hearing how deeply hurt and broken Kagami's voice was. One tear escaped her green eye as she sighed and looked away again.
The first thing Kagami said in a week and it was not only to Konata, but it was also for her to leave her alone. The ailing twin-tailed girl also walked past her crying twin sister, still upset and scared by the loss as she kept her face covered and wailed, her knees trembling in her depleting energy. Kagami disregarded her very existence as well and continued walking, as if she didn't hear her cries of mental agony and Konata sighed again.
The request by Kagami for her to keep her distance hurt Konata deeply, though she knew that her twin-tailed friend was in mourning and needed time to grieve. However, Konata was never going to truly keep her distance from her friend. She would always be there for her and, like anyone else in her family, would drop everything she's doing and run to her if it would help. Unfortunately, Konata still couldn't help but think one question to herself as she heard Tsukasa continue to weep while Kagami still ignored her.
Why do I feel that so many dark days are on the horizon?
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(- )-(-)
Two weeks had passed since the death of Matsuri Hiiragi and the household that she used to call her own had been deafly quiet ever since. When Kagami uttered her cold and dark words to Konata, she once again silenced herself and remained quarantined in her room. She would come out every now and then for the usual necessities, whether it was the bathroom or for meals, but then immediately retreated to her room again. Everyone was worried about her as they knew why she was acting so strangely. The last encounter Matsuri and Kagami had was still fresh in the twin-tailed girl's mind and she was convinced that she murdered her sister by driving her out of the house. She didn't even care about the lewd act Matsuri committed that nearly got her thrown out of the house anymore. Kagami just wanted her big sister back.
As Kagami now rested on her bed and curled in a tight ball, she hugged one of her pillows to her chest while she rested her head on another. Her eyes still dripping tears and staring into space, Kagami breathed deeply after completing yet another meltdown on her bed. She sniffed and trembled while feeling alone and cold. She had weathered some tough times before in her life but never had she encountered something this terrible.
A knock sounded on her door and before she once again ignored the person behind it, they opened it and Inori slowly walked in. She left it open and sat down next to Kagami, who remained unresponsive and distraught over this turbulent ordeal. The first thing Inori did was rub her sister's crying head and she began sobbing silently again.
"I don't know how many times we have to tell you this, Kagami, but what happened to Matsuri wasn't your fault. They're called car accidents for a reason." Inori whispered.
Kagami didn't respond.
"We're really worried about you, baby sis." Inori added. "You know, before you and Tsukasa came along, Matsuri was my best friend. We were as close as you and Tsukasa are and we were completely inseparable. Because of that and that I've known Matsuri longer than you have, I can safely say that she doesn't blame you either. If she was here, she would probably be the one to grab you by your ankles and drag you out of bed herself if she thought it was necessary."
Still, Kagami remained silent.
"Anyway, I brought someone over and I thought that maybe she could take you out for a walk and get some fresh air. It's a beautiful day out, you know." Inori said and turned back to the door. "Okay you can come in now."
Kagami still stayed comatose, even when she heard another person enter her room and felt her sit down next to her. The twin-tailed girl's mind concluded who it was and she muttered bitterly, "I told you to leave me alone, Konata."
"It's me." A voice said that wasn't Konata's but was more pitched and blunt.
Kagami turned her head and saw Misao Kusakabe sitting next to her and Kagami squinted. "What are you doing here?"
"Your sister called me and told me everything that happened." Misao replied quietly and even with some guilt in her voice. "I think we need to talk about a few things. What do you say we go out for a bit? It's a nice day outside like your sister said and some sunshine will be good for you."
Inori stood and left Kagami's room to give her some privacy. She hoped that Kagami would accept the offer to get out of the house, if not for only an hour and out of her dark and isolated room. Her mind needed to be focused on other things because the more she sat in her room, the more she could only think about Matsuri and their last encounter. From there, Kagami would only feel worse and worse. Misao was well aware of what happened to the middle Hiiragi daughter and also felt guilty because everything led back to her lying to Kagami about parental supervision being at that party.
"Why you of all people?" Kagami snarled and turned her head away again.
"Because I feel guilty about what happened to your older sister. All I wanted was for us to have a good time together, maybe have some life changing experiences and grow closer together but instead…this happened." Misao said with sorrow. "Seeing you like this is only making me feel worse so please, get out of bed and let's take a walk. We don't have to go far or anything, maybe just around the block once or twice."
Kagami shifted her head further into her pillow. "I don't want to go anywhere."
Misao lowered her eyes. "There are a few things I want to…no…there are a few things I need to tell you and I can't do it here. You're the only one I can tell these things to so please, come with me and let me get all of this off my chest."
The twin-tailed girl closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She still didn't want to go anywhere but knew the stubborn persistence Misao possessed and that she would never know peace again unless she went with her. Reluctantly, Kagami slowly pulled herself up, her bones creaking and cracking with her movements and showing how long she had been immobile. She rubbed her puffy eyes several times as Misao waited downstairs for her to change clothes and freshen up a bit. The brown-haired girl did her best to keep her eyes focused on the floor as she sat in the living room and was surrounded by family pictures, most of them including Matsuri in their images with the family. It was like being in a museum of horrific reminders that one of the Hiiragi's was no more.
Kagami soon came downstairs fully dressed, her purse with the long thin strap hanging from her shoulder and she had a discontented look as she walked towards the door, again not acknowledging Misao. Kagami left it up to her brown-haired friend to follow her as the two girls left the household and began walking down the street towards the town.
With her arms folded across her chest, Kagami held her bitter and distant facial expression and snapped, "Well, what is it?"
"I needed to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I lied to you and that all that happened. It was never my intention, Hiiragi." Misao said, almost ready to cry.
"You told me that already. A few times actually so what makes this any different? My sister is still dead." Kagami bit back.
"Please, I'm just trying to help." Misao submissively replied.
"You're trying to help yourself by making yourself feel less guilty well fuck if I'm gonna help you do that!" Kagami raised her voice.
Misao became defensive. "I wasn't the one who told Matsuri to drop dead!"
Kagami froze in her footsteps. Her angry and discontented face was abruptly replaced by an expression of deep pain that was always there, but simply masked by anger. "Who…who told you that?"
"Your little sister." Misao snapped back.
"…Tsukasa…"
"That's right. She's still crying too, you know." Misao snapped and began to try and push Kagami's attitude back as it now involved her sister. "Your little sister is still upset, scared, and confused by all of this. She misses your big sister too but all she wants is you right now and you're pushing her and your other friends aside."
Kagami gulped and once again felt her heart clench inside her chest in mental pain. Ever since the funeral, she remembered Tsukasa had never stopped crying while Kagami started throwing a pity party for herself and disregarded her very existence. It hurt Kagami even more when she remembered a few times when Tsukasa would knock on her door and ask if they could talk, but Kagami would ignore her, making the youngest twin cry again and leave.
The twin-tailed girl sighed with guilt and asked, "Is this why you dragged me out here, Kusakabe?"
To her surprise, Misao shook her head. "Not exactly, though I still stand by what I said regarding your sister. She's your hero, you know. Wherever you go, she goes, but only because you're there with her."
Kagami nodded. "I usually don't say these kinds of things…but I love her. I love her so much."
"I know you do, Hiiragi. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I take back everything I said on the train about how you need to let go of your old lifestyle and live a little loose." Misao said. "I don't want you to end up like me. You know how I told you on the train that I was taking a year off to go on trips across Japan before I would even touch college?"
Kagami nodded.
"I lied about that, too. I was rejected from all the schools I applied to." Misao confessed, making Kagami gasp lightly. "I was at another party and got into a drinking contest and got so wasted, I stripped off all my clothes and pictures of me hanging upside-down from a tree in my undergarments surfaced on the Internet. When the schools ran their background checks and found them, they turned me away."
The twin-tailed girl gulped again and felt a chill down her back. She remembered she was so excited when she got her acceptance letter from her first pick school and to think that college was most likely not going to be an option for her friend because of her decisions that became property of cyberspace.
"Then why did you lie about something like that?" Kagami asked with real concern.
"Because…I still wanted us to be friends. I know you, Hiiragi. You're a strong, smart, and honorable young woman who looks down on people who act like that and for good reason." Misao confessed. "It would've broken my heart if you too found out and you distanced yourself from me, so I tried my best to cover it up. Everything I did was wrong so please try to forgive me one day."
Though Kagami was once again shocked by her friend's confession and skeletons in her closet, she did have to admit that Misao not only had the best intentions in mind, but she was also a good friend to her over the years. Kagami felt like her parents now when they had to deal with Matsuri's mistake and, like her parents, Kagami didn't have it in her to simply kick her to the curb and erase their history as if she was hitting the delete button on a computer keyboard. This still didn't make her feel any better about how she treated Matsuri in the end, so Kagami continued to walk around and engage Misao in conversations to take her mind off the family tragedy.
The two girls continued walking around the neighborhood and eventually made it into the town as the night sky settled upon the land. As they walked past several restaurants, they approached a bar and three guys walked out, one of them was a familiar face to both Kagami and Misao. It was Ryuji Katsumoto from the party a few weeks ago that started all of this dismay.
As he approached the two girls, he recognized Kagami instantly by her trademark pigtails. He smiled and approached them both and said, "Misao…and Hiiragi, right?"
Kagami looked up at him and nodded once with a blank face then averted her eyes.
Misao stepped forward and said, "Uh…tonight's not a goodnight to hangout, Ryuji. Hiiragi…she…there was a death in the family not too long ago."
Ryuji instantly showed a face of deep remorse and sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Hiiragi. I know how it feels to lose somebody. How have you been holding up?"
Kagami took a deep breath. "It…it was my sister I lost. I said some pretty…despicable things to her before she died so…I'm still in pain."
Ryuji nodded and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notepad and also retrieved a pen and began writing. He tore the paper off and handed it to her and saw it was his phone number.
"Anytime you want to talk…or if you're ever in the need for some…items…that will help ease the pain…give me a call." Ryuji said, his eyes looking around quickly, as if he was fearful the wrong person was listening in on him. "Me and the boys gotta go so we'll catch you girls later."
The young man and his friends quickly left the scene as Kagami still stared dumbfounded at the piece of paper. She turned to Misao, who held a look of suspicion with narrowing eyes at the departing Ryuji.
"Did…did he just ask me out on a date or…what was that about?" Kagami asked as she stuffed the paper in her pocket.
Misao huffed at Ryuji, placed her hand on Kagami's back, and continued to lead her away. "Forget about it, Hiiragi. Besides, you're too good for him anyway. He has…he has a history."
"History?" Kagami asked as they approached another outdoor bar where it seemed another graduation party was happening.
"Yeah, I know him. He's uh…he has a history of dealing drugs." Misao snarled with a look of disgust. "He can get anything but like I said, you're too good for him and girls as beautiful and classy as you should be dating the Prime Minister's grandson, not some lowlife drug dealer like him."
Kagami nodded and made a mental note to throw away the piece of paper when she got home.
The two girls continued to walk side-by-side and approached the bar with an outdoor setup of tables and chairs, where they saw there was a party happening for a young man who had graduated college. It was very rambunctious and there was heavy drinking involved among the dozen young men, making Kagami cringe. The horrid memories of her first and last drinking experience and the following consequences still haunted her as she continued walking with her friend. However, she had a bad feeling about this.
It was confirmed for her when she heard one of the boys exclaim, "Hey look at what we got here! Two little lotus blossoms walking down the street looking for a good time! I know we are!"
Kagami formed a glare and glanced over her shoulder to see a man in his mid-twenties approach them with a big inebriated smile and a glass beer bottle in his hand. He had a short haircut and was pretty muscular, telling Kagami he was probably a jock. The twin-tailed girl was instantly disgusted by both the man and his advances so she turned her head and kept walking forward.
"Hey baby, my friend here just graduated and we could use some special entertainment if you catch my drift! How about it?! We'll make it worth your while!" He pursued Kagami. "Maybe do a dance, maybe take something off, show him a good time, you know!"
The twin-tailed girl gritted her teeth as her anger rose. She quickly spun around and yelled, "Fuck off you pig before I shove a tree branch up your ass and mop the ground with you!"
The sudden and blunt retort from Kagami sent the young man's friends into a laughing frenzy while some even hooted for the twin-tail's attitude. Misao herself also giggled as Kagami turned back and kept walking away with her. However, Kagami's earlier bad feeling was about to become validated. Hearing a girl like Kagami not only reject him but knock his male ego down several pegs in the process made him angry. He was the type of guy who was never rejected by a girl so the only thing that could justify his bruised ego was a bruised Kagami.
He dropped his beer and rushed over to the shorter girl. Violently latching onto one of her pigtails, he pulled her almost off her feet, prompting her to scream in pain and fright as a fight began. Misao quickly reacted and rushed the muscular guy and tried punching him until he released her but his muscular body acted a shield to her blows. As he dragged the screaming Kagami by her hair, the guy's friends weren't as hostile as he was and rushed to help the girls. They pried his hand off her and let Misao pull Kagami away as they pushed the raging man back.
Kagami rubbed her head and trembled as the college graduate who was being celebrated rushed to the girls. He bowed in deep regret several times while exclaiming, "Please, please forgive us, ladies! Our friend, he's…he's not himself when he drinks! Please forgive us!"
"I don't give a fuck if he's like that when he drinks! He assaulted a woman so now we're calling the cops!" Misao screamed as she stood in front of Kagami and the heated feud was drawing more public attention. A bartender inside was already on the phone with the police reporting the incident but this didn't cool off the heated exchange.
"I know but please there's no need for this! We're deeply sorry and we'll—"
Before the upset college grad could continue his apology, the raging muscular lunatic that attacked Kagami broke free from his friends' grip and reached into his pocket. He withdrew a switchblade knife, opened it, and reared the weapon.
"I'm gonna kill these bitches!" He yelled and pushed his way towards Kagami again ready to use the weapon.
The college grad who first apologized quickly used himself as a shield to protect the two girls but to his horror, it didn't detour his drunken friend. He didn't recognize his friends by this point as he took a swing with the knife, cutting the former student's face and knocking him out of the way as he bled. The drunken man plowed past another male friend trying to stop him until he eyed Kagami who tried to turn and run.
Misao however threw herself in the way and once again fought to keep the angry man away from her friend. She tried to wrestle his thick arm for the knife but unfortunately for Misao, she always had a thing for impulsive actions without thinking everything through. The man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her aside, flailing his other arm like an angry gorilla until the knife dove deep into the brown-haired girl's abdomen.
More and more people congregated onto the scene to assist and more men tackled the angry assailant and pinned him to the ground as Misao fell. Kagami watched the whole ordeal from beginning to end and screamed her lungs empty when she saw the shining blade enter her friend's body. She quickly rushed over to Misao and held her in her arms as the blood continued to flow out of her.
"Hold on, Kusakabe!" Kagami yelled and cried.
"Hiir…Hiiragi…are you…okay…?" Misao whispered and took Kagami's hand cupping her cheek.
Kagami nodded fiercely while still crying. "I'm fine. You saved me there!"
"You…you would do the same thing for me." Misao whispered. "Thank you, Kagami Hiiragi…for being my friend."
Kagami held Misao close and continued to tell her loving and supportive things as more people crowded around and did their best to apply first aid for the wounded girl. It didn't take long until the police and paramedics arrived, but they landed at a scene that Kagami was once again forced to become familiar with. The twin-tailed girl coddled her friend in her arms and cried even when Misao died at the scene.