Anyway, I should head home...

Luka, Len, thanks for listening. I'm gonna try my best!

Of course. I'm sure you'll do just fine, Mizuki.

So, um... Please come back if anything does happen, okay? We'll be here to help.

Thanks! See you later!

Thank goodness...
Mizuki seems to be feeling a lot better.

Yes, especially compared to the face we saw earlier...

Yeah, I was really surprised then...

Oh, you were?
It's fairly normal for anyone to have something weighing on them...

Yeah, I know...

But Mizuki's such a nice person.
Trying so hard to come up with any way to help Mafuyu...

Yes.

(There is genuine kindness there...)

(But during our conversation, other realities came to light...)

(Still, now...)

Hehe...

We shall see how Mafuyu takes what Mizuki is going to tell her.

(Since she may very well act on what she hears instead of just listening to it.)

...

Hm...?

Len, is something wrong?
You always avoid making eye contact with me.

Huh? No, um... It's just...

You want to slip back into your shell when I look back, no?

I've been wondering this for a while now... Are you afraid of me?

What? No, uhh...
I'm not afraid of you, but...

But?

You're not afraid of being blunt or talking about serious topics. My heart jumps whenever I hear that sort of stuff...

I mean, during your conversation just now, you weren't afraid to call Mizuki a coward...

Oh, that?
I simply said what was on my mind.

Because the unadulterated truth is what makes people pause or snap out of it.

Especially when it's something they don't want to hear.

But...

That seems really mean not just to Mizuki, but the others as well...

Oh, is that how you see it?
Then, allow me to remedy your misunderstanding.

The way I see it, they're all being bound by forces that are keeping them from escaping these unfortunate circumstances.

Unfortunate circumstances...?

Yes.

Each of them is in a different situation. Some are in shackles, while others are surrounded by high walls.

(And one even seems to prefer being imprisoned...)

In any case, doing nothing won't solve anything, right?

So, they need to break free.

...!

Hehe. Does what I'm saying make a little more sense now?

Y-Yeah...
But “break” still sounds kinda strong...

I believe what you're feeling is also valid, Len. Getting a person to rise up after being subjugated for so long is going to involve some amount of pain.

And if you can't break free of your shackles, you'll just have to tear your own arms off. And if push comes to shove...

What?!

B-B-B-But that would be excruciatingly painful...! We can't let anyone...

Hehe. That was just an example.
I don't plan on causing them any pain needlessly.

Oh... R-Right...
Thank goodness...

(I think she's just teasing me a little...
B-But she still kinda scares me...)

Hm? What's going through your mind now...?

Huh?! N-Nothing...!