A short while later, Aina opened her hood again and returned to the conversation. Slowly, she said, “The truth is... This wasn’t the main thing I wanted to talk about.”
She reached into her backpack to pull out a clear, plastic folder. In it was a single sheet of cartridge paper with a drawing on it. Upon further inspection, it was clear that there were several thin cracks running across the paper, like a layer of patchwork.
“Could it be?!” Nanaka exclaimed.
“It’s the one you’ve heard about,” Aina said with a nod. “This is Eru’s illustration... The ripped one. Don’t worry, I taped it all back together.”
Kai took the picture out of its clear sleeve so that he and Nanaka could see it more clearly. It was definitely rougher around the edges than her current work, but there was no doubt that this illustration had been made by Kuroba Eru. It was undeniably hers: it depicted a lovely girl, with delicate attention to the details. And all across it were tiny fissures that had no business being there.
“Everything you heard from Eru... is true,” Aina admitted. “She’s such an idiot. All those monkeys wanted to do was say, ‘I’m not bad at drawing’ and play around, but Eru told them the truth by saying, ‘You’re garbage because you don’t draw.’ And of course, the monkeys are stupid, so they threw rocks at her. But even then, it didn’t get her, so I really thought she was—”
“Aina-chan, wait,” Nanaka said, cutting her off and advancing toward her. “Let me get one thing clear. Did you do this?” she asked insistently. “Did you... tear it up like this?”
“Do you... Do you really think I would?!” Aina asked hotly, her hands quivering with emotion, and Kai worried that her fists were squeezed tightly enough to leave marks.
“She was... my catalyst,” Aina told them. “I put my voice to this drawing and... it made me want to be someone else. That was why I wanted to become a voice actress, you know? I could never ruin something this amazing. I was just the first person to find it afterwards.”
“Then...it’s all a misunderstanding,” Kai muttered. “In that case, why didn’t you tell Kuroba-san that—”
“...You think I could say that to her?” Aina demanded incredulously. “Just because I didn’t do it with my own hands doesn’t mean I wasn’t responsible. If I hadn’t gone overboard and caused a scene, none of this would have happened. I was always in that room, watching her spend day after day completing this one illustration. Always... always... ‘I didn’t do it. I didn’t do anything.’ ...I will never be able to tell her that.”
Although Aina had been facing the ground as she spoke, she now took a step back and raised her head to reveal a beaming smile. “And thus concludes this tear-jerking episode of Yozakura Aina theater! ♪” she sang out. “That was everything I can tell you. Nanaka-chan, I’m leaving that drawing to you, okay? I’m sure... she wouldn’t want me to have it, either. Buh-bye,” she said, waving her hand.
As Aina began to walk away, the one to take hold of her waving hand was Nanaka. “Aina-chan,” she questioned, “are you planning on quitting the club?”
“Wha?!” exclaimed Kai, who couldn’t understand why that would be the case.
Aina squinted at Nanaka and replied, “...As the president of your club, do you really think it’s a wise idea to have someone like me hanging around?”
“When I first called you out today... I wasn’t planning on it,” Nanaka admitted. “But that’s what I want to do now.”
“You have the development competition’s deadline coming up, too,” Aina reminded them. “Are you sure you should leave Eru all pouty by letting me stay?”
“But, Aina-chan... You were there for Eru, weren’t you?” Nanaka asked gently.
“...Let go of my hand,” Aina told her, turning away.
“No way,” Nanaka replied firmly, pulling Aina’s arm back when she tried again to walk away.
Before his mind could catch up with the series of events that were taking place, Kai had joined Nanaka and grasped at Aina’s hand, as well.
“...There’s something wrong with you people,” said Aina. With her back turned, neither Kai nor Nanaka could see her face. Nevertheless, her voice had an unbecoming waver to it that only caused them to tighten their grip. “...Are you sure?” she asked again. “Can I really stay?”
“That’s what we’ve been telling you,” Nanaka said in confirmation. “Right, Kai-kun?”
“Right,” he agreed.
“...It’ll definitely end up being a huge pain,” Aina reminded them.
“When that time comes,” Kai reassured her, “we’ll be there to worry about it with you.”
“...Then, if I’m ever in trouble... will you come help me?” Aina wondered.
“So long as you rely on us, Aina-san.”
“...No matter what it is?”
“Of course,” Kai insisted.
“...Now you’ve said it,” she said brightly.
Huh? By the time Kai’s brain had registered his confusion, it was already too late.
“I’ve been waiting for you to say that!” Aina declared triumphantly, spinning around to face them with all the agility of a twirling figure skater. She wore a mischievous grin across her face, and Kai could hear the unspoken Gotcha! overwriting any trace of the meekness she’d had before. In spite of himself, he couldn’t help but think that this attitude was far more fitting for Aina, and he let out a laugh.
“Hey, what are you laughing for?” Aina demanded to know. “Well, whatever. I mean, you know? At the beginning, right? I was thinking that maybe I should apologize and all... but do you remember her attitude?! Every time she opened her mouth, it was ‘tramp’ this, ‘witch’ that. And at the end of all that, she didn’t want my rotten voice on her drawings?! I’m impressed she could talk so much smack when she doesn’t even know how good I am...!”
Aina stomped her feet on the ground and angrily shook her fists as she recalled Eru’s bad behavior. After a moment spent silently trembling in rage, she suddenly went completely still and looked up toward Kai, sporting the most beautiful, cutest, and... most horrifying smile yet. “There’s no way I’d just let that all slide now, is there? ♪ Kai-kun? I’m going to make her eat her words... and of course, you’ll be helping me, won’t you?”
Aina’s grin bloomed across her face like a beautiful flower, and despite the difficult expression on his face, Kai had no choice but to nod.