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Kanako Yuzuki has saved Yoriko Kusumoto, this can be said for certain.
Yoriko never liked herself all that much. She was poor, weak-willed and neither very smart nor particularly good-looking. She knew since young age that she was doomed to become like her mother: old, ugly and miserable. She was nothing but a mediocre disappointment that could never even hope to achieve anything in life. Many times she thought about how much she wanted to disappear from this world forever, to finally end this pathetic farce once and for all.
But then Kanako, beautiful, illustrious Kanako, on whom Yoriko thought she could only glance from afar, has noticed her, and became determined to be her friend. Kanako took Yoriko with her to dance in the moonlight, to flee from the bounds of time. Yes, no longer was she be terrified of growing up, of getting older and having no choice but to live an empty life, to marry a man she could never love and that would never love her, to carry his child she never wanter – now, she would remain forever young, together with Kanako, her Kanako!
Not only that, but Kanako had told her that they are each-other's past lives! There was no more reason for Yoriko to despair about her life – after all, when she dies, she will be reborn as Kanako, the greatest being to be born in this ugly, worthless world. And, of course, now she knew she shouldn't waste her own life and try to live it with dignity to the best of her ability, so that Kanako would find her a worthy vessel once she dies.
For the first time in her life, Yoriko Kusumoto was truly happy.
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She didn't mean to do it.
No, she was right to do it. She was sure that Kanako would thank her for it if she had the chance. She was no longer a heavenly being - her perfect skin had just one small blemish, but it would've surely grown with time. Yoriko was certain, it was “Decay of the Angerl” Kanko told her about. She knew that Kanako would never want this, that she would rather die and be forever young and beautiful in death then become just like all other, pathetic and worthless people. This is why Kanako cried on that train station, right? This is why Kanako smiled at her in that box before she disappeared, right? And now, she has ascended to heavens, to dwell among angels just like her! Yoriko had saved Kanako from her sorrow, she should be proud of what she has done, right?
Right?
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Now that Kanako is no more, she has become Yoriko. And with this, Yoriko has become something other then her old, worthless self. But even so, something didn't feel right.
Yoriko has done everything she did with Kanako. She danced in the moonlight, she read the books from adults, she listened to foreign music – but none of it brought her joy she did before. Yes, she did all of this only because Kanako did it, but now that Kanako is her, shouldn't she start enjoying it herself? What was missing? Why did she feel she exactly like she did before, prior to meeting Kanako? If Kanako is now forever a part of her, why did she feel so... alone again?
*************
Yes, yes, yes! It worked, it worked!
That painter, he noticed her, he noticed her beauty!
He wants her to pose for his painting, isn't he? This means she has truly become as beautiful as Kanako! After all, who would pay attention to pathetic worm, Yoriko? Everything was finally alright again. Her mother has completely lost herself to that man's ravings, other girls in the school hated her – probably because they were jealous of her brilliance – but none of it mattered anymore. Nothing mattered anymore, because she has become a being of pure light, one that will rise above this dirty world, one that will never age and remain beautiful forever.
And so, as she rushed to see that painter, Yoriko thanked Kanako, for giving her keys to eternity, for helping her escape the suffocating box that was her life.
Yoriko Kusomoto has a long and happy life ahead of her, she has no doubts about it.