Horikita had no idea of the thrilling battle of wits Amane had experienced there.
All her attention was now focused on the door in front of her.
More precisely, on the doorknob.
She had stood there for a full twenty minutes, yet still lacked the courage to knock on the door.
She had prepared various excuses before coming here, but before she even had a chance to use them, she was separated by a door.
Would Amane already be impatient from waiting?
Horikita hated her own cowardice at crucial moments.
"If you do something wrong, you apologize, don't you? What are you hesitating for, Horikita Suzune? Is it because you can't let go of your pride? Or do you think apologizing to a 'weakling' like Sakura is shameful? Put away your shame, you can do it..."
Horikita mumbled to herself, trying to encourage herself.
Finally, her hand rested on the door, poised to knock.
But the moment the back of her hand touched the door, she quickly pulled it back as if she had received an electric shock.
Horikita looked at her trembling hand, her face slightly flushed.
There was no one more timid than her.
Slap!!
Horikita used her retreating hand to deliver a loud slap to herself.
"Is someone outside?"
"Huh? How come I didn't hear anything? Always making a fuss. If you want to look, go look."
Voices came from inside the room. The first voice fell silent, and not long after, the door slowly opened.
Sakura cautiously poked her head out and looked around.
"Horikita-san? What are you... doing?"
Sakura looked at Horikita, somewhat puzzled. The clear palm print on Horikita's face was still there, making her look as if she had been hit.
"I have something I want to discuss with Sakura-san. Are you free now?"
Facing Horikita's invitation, Sakura felt a little scared.
After all, Horikita's identity now was not as simple as Amane's playmate. Although many people now had some reservations about Horikita, before the special exam results were out, Horikita was still the leader of Class D.
The class leader suddenly wanting to see a student with a very bad reputation in the class, it couldn't be anything good.
"Okay, please wait for me a moment."
Sakura turned and went back into her room to put on a jacket, then followed Horikita to the deck.
Although Horikita also wanted to find a secluded place to apologize properly, she was worried that Amane might think her attitude was problematic. So, to speed things up, she could only choose to apologize to Sakura in a place where people might pass, like the deck and corridor.
"Horikita-san, is there something you want to tell me, coming to find me so late?"
Even though Sakura was a bit slow to react and didn't have Karuizawa's ability to read situations, Horikita's hesitant and reluctant manner made it clear to anyone with eyes that she had something difficult to say.
Suddenly, her heart raced.
Because she happened to be in the favored person group that hadn't ended yet. If Horikita needed her to do something, it might be very troublesome.
After all, no one knew her own capabilities better than she did.
"Actually, it's about what happened before. There's something I want to tell you."
Horikita's face was red, and it took her a long time to squeeze out that sentence.
What happened before?
Sakura immediately thought of that day, Amane's look of anger and disappointment.
"Then, Horikita-san, what do you want to tell me?"
Sakura forced a smile. As the notorious betrayer in that incident, no matter what others accused her of, she had no right to retort.
She knew very well that betrayal was betrayal, and no matter the reason, the betrayal had indeed happened. Since she chose this path, she had no right to turn back. Her only worry was that Kanzaki still held that photo.
Her betrayal merely delayed the photo's release. She knew this clearly, but she had no idea how to eliminate this hidden danger.
She could only muddle through day after day like this. She didn't dare to tell Amane about it. Betraying her to protect Amane from public criticism... Amane wouldn't believe such a reason.
Moreover, if she went to say such a thing now, it would look more like she was seeking credit, seeking credit in a self-move way.
Sakura believed she couldn't bring herself to do something so shameless.
"What happened before, actually, was largely my fault... I was the one who gave that photo to Kanzaki!"
After speaking, Horikita immediately bit her lip nervously, trembling all over, her eyes tightly shut, preparing to face Sakura's furious scolding or attack.
But after a long time, there was no movement from Sakura.
Horikita gathered her courage and looked up at Sakura.
Sakura was staring blankly at Horikita at this moment, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks, dripping one by one onto the deck.
But Sakura herself seemed completely unaware of it.
This reaction left Horikita completely at a loss. She had no experience in this area. The apology wasn't over yet, so she could only steel herself and complete the next steps.
"I'm very sorry, Sakura-san. My personal selfishness has caused you so much harm... If you want to hit me or scold me, you don't have to hold back. If you need me to clarify things to everyone, I can. If there's anything you need help with, I can also contribute... Sakura-san."
Horikita spoke for a long time, but seeing Sakura still crying, with no other reaction at all.
Her mind went blank for a moment. She wanted to comfort Sakura.
But given what she had done, comforting Sakura now would inevitably seem insincere.
Horikita was in a bit of a panic at this moment. Even if Sakura slapped her a few times or scolded her, she would feel better.
Anything was better than this lack of reaction.
Thinking that Amane was also like this made Horikita feel an even greater headache.
If Sakura didn't punish her, and Amane didn't punish her, what should she do?
What could she do to atone for her past mistakes and the harm she had caused others?
"Okay, I understand. I'm a bit tired. I'm going back to my room to rest. Horikita-san, please help yourself."
"Sakura-san."
"I want to be alone."
These words were more powerful than any others.
Horikita stopped in her tracks, watching helplessly as Sakura ran back to her room.
Through the door, she could hear her loud sobs.
Perhaps this simple girl never expected that the person who framed her would be one of her own? Just as Amane never expected her betrayal at the time.
"Why did things turn out this way?"
Horikita closed her eyes in pain.
Why?
Why, after the countless times she had dreamt of her misdeeds being exposed, did the scene of her being judged not appear?
There were no accusations, no insults, no bullying.
Only a 'I understand' and an 'I want to be alone'.
Was a 'very sorry' and a bow enough for atonement?
Horikita was lost. She didn't know why Sakura and Amane were unwilling to judge her, nor did she know how to make amends for the harm she had caused others.
She was like a lonely boat in a fog, lost in the ocean of self-redemption.
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