"W-What... are you...go... going to do?" — The little girl, upon seeing that eerie grin, couldn't help but stammer.
In response, the surrounding boys also smirked meaningfully, one even cracking his knuckles with a loud "crack", making the little girl even more panicked.
And the one gripping her hair—also the leader of this gang of children—Hearing the girl's trembling words, the grin on his face grew even more gleeful.
"What are we going to do to you?" — he sneered.
"Aren't you the daughter of that filthy witch, right? And for me, I absolutely despise that old hag! That's why…"
He paused, as if to heighten the girl's dread, then continued:
"We're going to make you our little plaything. We'll torment you until you scream. Think of it as a 'small lesson' for all you disgusting witches."
"Don't blame me, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself for carrying the same filthy blood as your damn mother."
The moment those words fell, little Kyouno froze, feeling as if her entire world had collapsed.
Though she didn't fully understand the meaning of words like "plaything" or "torment," judging by that expression, it was sure to be something terribly awful.
By now it was around noon, and the villagers had already gone home, leaving the street completely deserted. And, even if there had been people around, they would've just assumed it was a bunch of kids playing around.
Kyouno was desperate. She wanted to scream for help, but she was too frightened to even make a sound.
In that moment, tears began to well up in her eyes, slowly streamed down her cheeks.
In the end, she couldn't be strong like mom. She couldn't make friends like sister.
In the end, she was nothing more than... a failure.
Just a coward.
Kyouno slowly closed her eyes, letting her body go limp, as if everything was already hopeless.
But just when she thought it was all over, suddenly—
"Hey! Victor Arkwright, up to your thuggish antics again?!" — A voice rang out, clear and confident.
That clear voice rang out, like a beacon of light for the little soul sinking into the darkness of despair, like a guiding post appearing before a girl being swept away by a raging current.
Kyouno froze upon hearing that voice, slowly opened her eyes in suspicion.
Standing there—
Was a small girl, looking to be around the same age as Kyouno.
She had soft, natural hair that flowed freely, glowing with a reddish-pink hue, accentuating her pretty little face, which was puffed up in anger.
Paired with her hands-on-hips stance full of fiery energy, altogether, made the little girl appear both adorable and strong.
Witnessing the fierce and strong-willed demeanor of that little girl, showing not a hint of fear despite facing a gang of tough-looking kids; Kyouno was left stunned.
Meanwhile, the arrogant boy — Victor Arkwright — turned pale the moment he laid eyes on that little girl.
"C-Chloe… w-what are you doing here...?" — he stammered.
In response, the little girl—Chloe—pointed straight at the gang of delinquent kids, her voice firm and resolute:
"What I'm doing here doesn't matter! What matters is that you punks are always causing trouble, and now you're bullying a little girl like this?! Do you believe I'll tell the village head so he can deal with you properly?!" — The little girl spoke while raising her tiny fist, as if to threaten them. That stance, though not at all frightening to look at, radiated strength, decisiveness, like someone who simply couldn't be subdued.
The gang: Aren't you a little girl too?! Who are you calling 'little girl'?! (ーー;)
Victor, hearing her words, along with that expression full of disdain, suddenly found himself on the horns of a dilemma.
It wasn't that he feared that grandfather- the village head, if he did, he wouldn't be causing trouble so openly.
It just that… he had a bit of a crush on this girl, so when he saw that expression completely devoid of any goodwill, he became anxious.
"Tsk, I'm not in the mood anymore. I'll let this brat go today. Let's move out, boys!"
After hesitating a moment, he clicked his tongue in frustration, finally released Kyouno's hair, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground.
The other kids stared in surprise.
"L-Leader, we're not gonna deal with the little witch anymore?" — One couldn't help but ask, only to get shot a cold glare by Victor in response.
Seeing that, the whole gang fell silent. In the end, they reluctantly followed.
At this moment, only the little girl was left sprawled on the ground, still dazed by what had just happened.
Suddenly, a small figure cast a shadow over her. At the same time, a gentle, soft voice rang out.
"Are you okay?" —It was the same clear voice, now no longer stern or firm like before, but tinged with kindness and concern.
It was the girl, Chloe. Seeing the small figure sitting on the ground, she had quickly rushed over, worried that the girl might be hurt or something like that.
Kyouno instinctively looked up, meeting the smiling face of the girl in front of her.
In that instant—
Little Chloe froze.
Because, right now, right before her eyes, was a smooth, porcelain-like face. That face had soft, rosy cheeks, and a pair of glistening emerald-green eyes, now shimmering with tears.
In that moment, she could only utter a word—
"Gorgeous!"
As for little Kyouno, seeing the girl staring intently at her, felt a bit uneasy.
She was about to speak, but before she could say a word—
"Awwww~ You're so adorable~" the girl cried out in awe.
"???" — Kyouno, seeing the girl's expression, blinked in confusion.
Before she could understand what was going on, the girl suddenly grabbed both of her small hands, making the little girl jump in surprise. The girl's eyes sparkled as she looked straight into Kyouno's timid gaze, blurted out an excited stream of words:
"Oh god, how can you be this pretty?! We're clearly the same age; how could you be just so beautiful?! I'm so jealous~ (≧▽≦)"
Kyouno: ( ﾟдﾟ )
This girl... isn't she a bit too enthusiastic? How is she any different from those sisters from earlier?!!
Wait, does she want to bring her home like them?! (;･`д･´)
Suddenly, the girl spoke again:
"Umm… You're so pretty; can we be friends?"
Kyouno froze, standing stiffly for a few seconds. That girl's expression now had a hint of shyness, and a hopeful anticipation.
When Kyouno finally processed what had just been said, she trembled slightly inside.
"Y-You... you just... just said what? Y-You want... want to be... be friends with... with... me?" - Kyouno exclaimed, her voice hesitant, laced with a hint of emotion, along with . . . a trace of disbelief.
How could it be?
Why would anyone want to be friends with someone as timid and weak as her?
She isn't Mana, not that outgoing, cheerful person.
Such thoughts swirled through the little girl's mind, dragging her into a pit of self-deprecation.
"I-I'm timid, weak, pathetic, a-and I stutter a lot too, w-why would you want to be friends with someone like me?" – the little girl spoke softly, her face darkening as she lowered her head, as if she could no longer believe in anything.
She didn't believe in herself, couldn't find anything good in herself that would make others want to be her friend.
But, just as she was about to bury herself in that self-loathing, the other little girl smiled brightly and spoke up.
"Is there anything wrong about that?"
"Huh?" – Kyouno, hearing the little girl's words, looked up in bewilderment. All she saw was the little girl smiling brightly, her eyes full of affection gazing at her.
Then, the girl spoke again, words like a hammer striking down and shattering the chains of insecurity that had bound the timid little girl's heart:
"I mean, who in this world is perfect? Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, right? No one in their right mind would forget someone's strengths just because of a few flaws, would they?"
The girl lowered her voice slightly, hesitating for a moment before continuing:
"And, you're the same. Your strength is that you're REALLY, REALLY PRETTY~! Who wouldn't want to be friends with such a beautiful girl like you?
So, if you don't mind that I'm poor, dress plainly, and not as pretty as you, then pretty please, would you be my friend?"
Those words rang out, like a warm torch, gently igniting the frozen corners of the little girl's heart.
So . . . so she wasn't a total failure after all. She still had her own strengths.
So, there was really someone who wanted to be friends with her.
Inside her, it was as if a warm stream flowed through her chest, soothing the self-doubting, fearful soul within.
"U-Um... if you're okay with being friends with me… then…"
"Really?! You'll be my friend?!" – Before little Kyouno could finish speaking, the little girl let out an excited cry, her eyes sparkling even brighter.
Kyouno trembled slightly, then, she lowered her head, speaking shyly:
"U-Um…"
"YEEEEEHHHH!!! I get to be friends with an ultra-beautiful angel!!!" – the girl, Chloe, shouted with joy.
Kyouno: (O_O)
"Ah–Ahem, sorry, sorry, hehe. I just got a bit too happy. Anyway, I'm really glad to be your friend. I'm Chloe Vivian. And you are?"
"K-Kyo… Kyouno. Kyouno Heather"- Kyouno replied.
"Ohhh, so you're the daughter of that beautiful mage who lives up in the mountains? No wonder you're so pretty!" – Chloe couldn't help but gush—for probably the "n'th" time already.
"U-Um, th-thank you…" – Kyouno responded shyly, seemingly not quite used to the energetic way the girl spoke.
"So, Kyouno, to celebrate our friendship, here, take this! Pretty Pleaaase~!"- Chloe said in a playful, coaxing tone
Kyouno gazed at the item the girl held out to her.
"Is… is that a… a dagger?! (;･`д･´)"
She froze a little. Um… this was… a rather unusual gift, wasn't it? (Though she honestly wasn't sure what friends normally gave each other…)
"Ah… well, my parents are hunters, so I can't give you stuff like fabric pouches or pretty clothes like the seamstresses do. I-If you don't like it, then y-you… you don't have to take it."
Seeing the nervous, uneasy look on her new friend's face, Kyouno couldn't help but let out a soft giggle.
She gently reached out, taking the polished dagger from Chloe's hands, and said softly:
"Um, thank you. I really like this gift. I'm… truly happy."
Kyouno spoke, the corners of her lips curled into a small, blissful smile. The first happiness of the little girl's life had quietly begun to bloom.
"R-Really? You don't mind it?"
"Um. I really like it."
"YEEHHHHHH!!! This is the best~! So we're officially friends now! You have to let me gaze at your gorgeous face every single day from now on, okay?"
"U-Um… that's a little…"
"Nope! No 'little' anything~lemme pinch your cheeks right now! No need to be polite~!"
Kyouno: ( ﾟдﾟ )!!!!!!
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