Misunderstanding (誤解 Gokai) is the second chapter of Utsutsukowashi-hen.
Summary[]
Class ends. Mizuho looks at her eraser charm and then at Shion, who’s snoring at her desk. Mizuho wakes her up and asks if she can play karuta with her, and Shion becomes excited that Mizuho’s worked up the strength to ask that. Some classmates take notice of the sudden commotion. Shion asks why they’re playing karuta since there’s two of them, and Mizuho says she couldn’t think of anything else. Shion says it’s an improvement, and that soon Mizuho will be able to talk more about herself.
The two girls walk outside. Shion says she’s tried to talk to Mizuho in the past, but she was a little stubborn. However, Mizuho never worried much about what others thought of her. Mizuho accepts that as a compliment, calling it’s the eraser’s power. Shion says Mizuho is the first friend she’s made in this school, enthusing about being able to do all sorts of fun things with her.
The girls run into Yukari, who hands Mizuho last week’s French homework and tells her to do it over; the nuns can’t be allowed to see such a bad thing. Shion asks what gives her the right to order that, and Yukari says that as the class rep, she must preserve the equilibrium of the class. Mizuho’s grades are bringing down the class average, and everyone’s gotten tired of doing duties every week because of it. Yukari accuses Mizuho of either doing her work too fast or not putting enough effort into it and asks what she’ll do. Shion tells Mizuho to refuse, as she knows how hard she’s been working and wants Mizuho to properly defend herself. Mizuho instead bows her head and apologizes. Yukari says Shion’s work is bad as well but decides to overlook it and asks if Shion making a charm for Mizuho was an order from Sister Maria. Shion insists that’s not the case, and Yukari says Shion asked her about it earlier. Mizuho bows to Shion and also apologizes to her, saying she didn’t know about her punishment and that she’ll do her best not to be a nuisance to anybody. Mizuho walks off alone, and Yukari soon leaves too. As Shion ponders by herself, the twins appear and say the situation is cruel, like telling a flightless bird about the beauty of the sky. Shion asks what they want.
Mizuho goes to the chapel and thinks of a time when some students were asking her why she came to St. Lucia, because of something with her family. Mizuho says she won’t cry and that this is a punishment while clenching her hands. A student comes up from behind Mizuho and hugs her, saying she needs to pray. Mizuho is caught by surprise and the girl says she needs to stay quiet otherwise she won’t hear the song. Suddenly, a girl falls off the roof of the school and hits the ground, creating a puddle of blood. Mizuho is asked if she heard her song and calls out her name. Mizuho asks how she knows that, and the girl says everybody in St. Lucia knows Mizuho as the "survivor of the tragedy". She says the truth is different and introduces herself as Saki Ootori, and that she’s the same as Mizuho.
Characters[]
References[]
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