"So you knew all along today, and then you accompanied me to..."
"Find an opportunity to save Yukino!"
Hayashi answered Tomie's unfinished sentence without hesitation, full of righteous indignation, instantly making Tomie, who was in Yukino's flesh, so angry that the curve of her airport runway grew even larger.
"Heh~ So that's how it is!!"
Tomie gazed into Hayashi's eyes, clearly feeling that this guy was definitely not telling the truth, yet he truly hadn't fallen under her charm.
This awkward feeling made Tomie unable to understand.
'Could he really be such a person of deep emotion and integrity?'
'Impossible, even a person of deep emotion couldn't resist my charm!'
Tomie refused to believe it.
Because all of Tomie's memories are interconnected—even though every "she" wants to kill other Tomies, their memories are always one.
But no matter what, their memories are one.
She had seen many deeply emotional couples, but in Tomie's perception, no couple could withstand her test.
'True love' 'Love'
In her eyes, they were simply jokes!
But today, Tomie felt unusually frustrated; she clearly sensed that the desire in his eyes was definitely not associated with beautiful words like "purity" or "flawlessness."
Yet, her charm had no effect on him!
This sense of disconnect made Tomie extremely uncomfortable!
"I don't believe it! You must like me!"
A somewhat agitated Tomie grabbed Hayashi's collar and shouted angrily.
"Can you let me see Yukino?"
Hayashi completely ignored her anger, yet pleaded with a "sincere" expression.
"***"
Ignored! Ignored!
This was what Tomie found most unacceptable. She was vain, arrogant, and malicious; you could curse her, envy her, or hate her.
But you absolutely could not ignore her!
And Hayashi, of all people, knew how to infuriate this Miss Tomie.
For a moment, she cursed very foully.
"Feeling better? So, can I talk to Yukino?"
In response, Hayashi merely brushed her hand away and tidied his clothes, maintaining an elegant posture, not at all angered by her insults, as if she were just a roadside weed.
To be played with when needed, ultimately just a blade of grass to set off the snow lotus that is Yukinoshita!
Rage surged in Tomie's heart, her face twisting.
Finally, she seemed to think of something and said with a sinister smile,
"Hehe~~ Since you insist so strongly, I'll grant your wish!"
As soon as her voice fell, a truly Tomie-like pretty face emerged from Yukino's profile.
—But it wasn't the usual stunningly beautiful and alluring appearance, but a demonic, hideous face, revealing her true nature due to anger.
At the same time, Yukino, who had been dominated by Tomie, finally regained control of her face.
"..."
Yukino, who had regained control of her body, looked at Hayashi with complex eyes, showing shyness, gratitude, and many emotions she herself couldn't decipher.
However, this glance lasted only a moment. Soon, Yukino's gaze sharpened, and her dark, beautiful hair danced as if alive, covering Tomie's face.
At the same time, she parted her cherry lips and said coldly.
"I judge you guilty..."
Ice crystals then covered Tomie's terrifying face.
—She finally seized the opportunity to use the power of the cursed tool.
But unfortunately, if Yukino had discovered Tomie from the beginning and struck when she burrowed into her soul, it might have been possible to prevent her parasitism.
Now... Tomie's face was devoured by hair and ice crystals.
But as a sharp pain came, Yukino stopped her movements.
If she continued, she didn't know if Tomie would die, but she felt her brain was about to be torn apart.
As Yukino's power ceased, flesh wriggled on her frozen profile, and Tomie's face reappeared.
This time, she wore an arrogant, mocking smile; her bewitching eyes playfully glanced at Yukino, then looked at Hayashi and said,
"Is this the power of the cursed tool in your memory? How terrifying! But unfortunately, the owner of this body is me now!"
"You can't kill me, Yukinoshita!"
"And Hayashi! You can only watch as Yukinoshita is replaced by me."
"Hehe~ How about it, despairing? Furious!?"
But soon, Tomie noticed that Hayashi's expression hadn't changed at all, as if he hadn't heard her words, merely gazing at Yukino calmly.
This made Tomie break down a little again! She said in exasperation:
"Why are you still so indifferent? Don't you like Yukinoshita?
Don't you think I'm inferior to Yukinoshita? Get angry, be furious!!!"
Tomie's roar failed to get Hayashi's attention, but it made Yukino speak.
"I'm beyond saving. Hayashi, please tell Kaguya, and tell my sister and mother that I've gone to a secret national department and can no longer contact them...
There's a letter I left at the bureau; give them one every year..."
Yukino said resolutely and sadly, her hands continuously moving, preparing to completely freeze herself.
Tomie, however, became quiet, showing no intention of stopping her—because she didn't believe Yukino could truly kill her.
Although there was a saying that Tomie feared fire, in reality, even if she turned to ash, she would not truly die.
She was eager to see if, after Yukino committed suicide and she, Tomie, grew out of the ground again, Hayashi could still maintain that hateful, calm expression.
But just as Yukino was about to make her move, Hayashi's words made her stop.
"Ah~ that might be a bit difficult, because your sister seems to already know."
Upon hearing this, Yukino's beautiful hair, ready to devour itself behind her, and the ice crystals spreading up her legs, all froze.
Following Hayashi's pointing finger, Yukino saw her sister Haruno and Asuna-san behind a nearby tree...
"Little Yukino..."
Haruno stared at this scene in horror. What Kaguya-sama's mission? What hateful scumbag? It was all her own delusion.
And Yukino's current situation made her even more bewildered.
A grotesque "Tomie face" emerged from her sister's profile, dark, beautiful hair writhed like Medusa's snakes, and ice crystals spread from her sister's feet.
—But it seemed the latter two were controlled by Yukino's will... My sister... what exactly have you been through!
"Sister... I'm sorry; I kept some things from you for your own good. Because some mysteries, just knowing them can bring danger...
So, please don't tell Mother, Yukino is sorry to her..."
Before Yukino could finish her sentence, and while tears were still welling up in Haruno's eyes before they could burst, Hayashi suddenly spoke:
"Wait, Yukino, perhaps you can still be saved—for example, by asking me for help."
Hayashi suddenly said to Yukino, making her brewing sadness momentarily halt.
"Save?... Save me?"
Amidst Tomie's mocking expression of 'So that's it, you think you can save her?', Yukino hesitantly and uncertainly asked Hayashi for help.
"Well~ that's a bit difficult!"
Tilting his chin, a look of difficulty suddenly appeared on Hayashi's handsome face, as if he was about to sacrifice "brothers, dearest friends, and loved ones."
"Pfft~"
His expression dissipated much of Yukino's resolute, sad, and uneasy emotions, even making her unable to help but playfully glare at him.
"Then what do you want?"
"Yukino, you owe me a kiss...?"
Hayashi chuckled softly.
Before he could finish speaking, his mouth was sealed by the girl. Afterwards, Yukino boldly whispered in his ear:
"One? What about three, and I can also..."
By the end, Yukino's voice grew softer and softer, and her plucked-up courage visibly waned.
If not for being overly provoked by Tomie these past two days, with Yukino's personality, she would never have been so bold—this had a hint of revenge... and Yukino's "revenge," it must be said, was very effective!
Feeling like she had become part of their play, Tomie was furious!
"Then, it's a deal!!"
Although he didn't quite hear what Yukino said at the end, Hayashi unhesitatingly agreed to her self-proposed price increase.
Then, under everyone's confused and shocked gazes, he placed the long sword that Jabami Yumeko had transformed into against his neck and sliced down.
"Huh?" Haruno didn't understand what was happening, but Hayashi said he would save Yukino, so perhaps this was his method.
She looked at Hayashi's "corpse" with anticipation.
"Hayashi!" Yukino screamed in horror.
"That's it?" Tomie blinked, then scoffed.
"Hayashi-san!!" Yuuki Asuna cried out in sorrow.