"I was deluding myself into believing that the greatest threat had been dealt with, deluding myself into thinking that my life could remain peaceful, deluding myself into believing An Ya was fine... I had never imagined something like that happening, to the point where it felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, and everything around me became unreal."
"To tell the truth, if you had actually shown up then, I might have had to find a way to hide because I wouldn't have known what to say to you."
She paused for a moment and took a shallow breath, speaking softly, "But fortunately, you didn't come, not even one person. There were only some neighbors she knew from day to day, Abnormal Strategy Bureau employees in hiding, and the Magical Girls of Fangting City at that time. Each person had their own version of 'An Ya', each person had their own understanding of my identity, they might not have known much about the truth, but at least at that time, no one would question me."
"So you actually think it's a good thing I didn't come? It was a teammate's funeral, such a big event and I didn't show up, don't you even worry if I might have died too?" Asou Haruka's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You wouldn't, you're more afraid of death than anyone else," Emerald Sparrow said lightly.
"That's quite a harsh comment for a Magical Girl, haven't you ever considered using a different adjective? This kind of behavior could also be called valuing one's life."
Asou Haruka countered with her index finger raised, "And haven't you ever thought that even if I value my life very much, I might still encounter an adversary I can't escape from?"
"One that you can't escape from?"
Emerald Sparrow glanced at her sideways, "A Remnant Beast like that exists in this world?"
"Who knows? Before An Ya's incident, we all believed that there would be no enemy capable of killing her, right?"
Asou Haruka withdrew her hand and looked ahead as well, "Honestly, when I heard the news from the dean, I thought she was playing some sick joke on me. It wasn't until this incident was officially listed as a key investigative item in the archives that I realized it was true."
"So you knew right away?" Emerald Sparrow asked softly.
"Ah, probably the second day after it happened."
"...After talking this much, aren't you going to ask me why I didn't come?"
Seeing Emerald Sparrow's indifferent manner, Asou Haruka felt even more helpless, "Wouldn't most people hope that their teammates all come back, so they could make plans for revenge together?"
"I didn't need to drag you into this mess," Emerald Sparrow replied calmly. "Whatever could kill An Ya is definitely no simple entity. To seek revenge against something like that, you have to be prepared to pay a heavy price. I couldn't ask you to join such a dangerous matter."
"Sometimes, your thoughts are as inflexible as a pickling stone; both smell and hard," Asou Haruka complained with narrowed eyes but soon gave a resigned smile, "But then again, it does sound like something you would think. So, treat the following as if I'm talking to myself."
"You don't ask why I didn't come, then I'll just tell you myself. Do you know why I didn't show up?"
"...Why?" Emerald Sparrow echoed.
"Because someone stopped me, told me not to go just yet."
Asou Haruka leaned back in her seat, looking forward together with Emerald Sparrow, "The dean met with me personally, told me not to interfere with your thoughts, to let you consider by yourself what to do."