Black Black Lotus ch9

p1
>Orihara-senpai...
>You've worn that outfit before, haven't you?

>At the QT Building up ahead.

>What's this? You been taking peep photos or something?
>That wasn't me.
>Eh...?

>It'd be bad to stay here for too long...

>>At last, a confrontation with White Rose!

p2
>>Darkness lurks within that gentle smile...

p3
>B-But
>I saw someone who looked just like you the other day, White Rose-sama!

>At the nearby rental space
>wearing the exact same clothes you are...
>Clothes...

>Which rental space is this?
>Eh...?

>I don't really remember,
>so could we go check together?
>That's...

p4
>These clothes are kinda embarrassing,
>but they're perfect for taking a nighttime stroll.

>You know that I'm Fuyou's student council president, right?
>Even buying cup ramen at the convenience store at night would spark rumors within the school.

>Eh!? That's not!

>What do I do...?
>White Rose-sama's surely confident that I don't have the evidence to convict her.

p5
>But... you know Hirai Narue-san, don't you?

>Hirai-san? Sure. We're both in the student council, after all.

>...

>Hirai Narue won't betray me.

>I don't know about what this rental space is about,
>but I'm not gonna be caught by some wannabe high school detective.
>I've made all kinds of compromises...
>so I can keep living in this society.

p6
>...

p11
>...Fu...
>..."She's" not here anymore.

>If there's no other business, I can see you home if you'd like.
>It's dangerous to be out alone at night.

>...She's not alone, though.

p12
>You're talking about whether or not you're ***, right?

p13
>I know about this message board. People have asked for my advice on it.

>Drop the bullshit...!

>B-But,
>when I tried to send a message to ***-san on the site, Hirai-san came to silence me.

>Hirai-san was involved with ***-san and felt indebted to them.
>...Anything come to mind?

p14
>Fu...

>Beats me.

>No matter how close people are with each other...
>No, it's because they are close that they have things they can't say.
>I don't recommend forcing people to expose themselves.

>They may have things they want to hide so badly...
>that they would rather choose death, y'know?

p15
>Is that a threat?

p16
>A threat? Surely you jest. Everyone just has their own circumstances.
>For example, can you tell me why you've been investigating this message board?

>My best friend... was killed by that site...!

>Killed?

p17
>This is a Suicide Matching Site, right?

>Then what are you implying killed her?

>Was it someone who was simply asked to be with her in her last moments because it was scary?
>Or maybe some people who sent her off with a "guess you have no choice but to die"?

>Or maybe

p18
>it was some idiot who was oblivious to her suffering?

>I-I...
>It's nothing. Thank you.

p19
>I...

>Hey.
>Did something happen recently? You haven't been looking so good.

>Ng...

>...It's nothing.
>Thank you.

>If there's anything bothering you, let me know. I'll punch it into submission.
>Ahaha

p20
>Why... didn't I listen to her more properly...!?

>I just wanted to know...
>what expression that girl made at the end...

>Ah.
>It's...
>...It's all
>my fault.

p21
>You're wrong!

>You're wrong...
>The reason she never told you
>was because she didn't want to worry you, Fuuka.

>She was scared.
>She couldn't say anything... because she didn't want to get you involved...

>That's all it was, Fuuka.
>It was because she loved you.

p22
>Just looking at you gives me energy, Fuuka.
>I need to do my best too,
>so always stay by my side.

p26
>...I was truly hoping...
>that girl wasn't scared or crying until her last moments...
>That's why...

p27
>...If you get scared, you can always quit.
>That's how the Suicide Matching Site works.

>There's been a few girls who have quit that way.
>Such as Hirai-san.

p28
>But if they still insist on choosing death,
>then someone will stay by their side until the very end
>to lessen their worries and loneliness just a little bit.

>That's the kind of site it is, is it not?

>...Was it the same for Black Rose-sama?

p29
>Was Black Rose-sama
>in a situation that made her want to die...?

>Who knows? I don't really know much about her.
>I don't even know why she posted to that site herself in the first place.

>"Herself"?
>What do you mean by that...?

>If you can keep quiet and listen, I might be willing to tell you.

p30
>...

>P-
>Please tell us...

>The one who came to me for advice on that site was Black Rose...
>Kyouko-san.

p31
>The one who created Black Black Lotus
>was Kyouko-san herself.

>>The truth comes to light...!