Chapter Text
The world after death felt just like the world of the living for the killing game participants. It was as if they'd all continued to be roommates even after their untimely demise. And of course, roommates can fight.
Noriko could tell you. After all, she'd fought with Taku many times since coming to the group's new shared home in the afterlife. Though this time was different; now, they weren't speaking. And she had decided to take a walk outside.
Everyone else present had told her this was a terrible idea. After all, even if it wasn't dangerous for her anymore, it was snowing quite a bit outside! But in truth, Noriko was only inspired further. Apparently, this was the first snow after death any of them had experienced. Not even Nanae or Taku had felt such a winter after death. This must be a sign. So she decided, to clear her mind, she was going to be the one to find the reason.
And find it, she did.
She left the house and headed down the steep hill, suddenly feeling just how freezing it was. The cold on her burnt skin felt less like the absence of warmth, and more like the knowledge that there had been warmth before now. A warmth that healed a heart, a warmth that was wasted and used up.
It felt more human than weather.
There had to be someone here, Noriko thought. This isn't normal.
And she was soon proven correct, as she heard what sounded like retching further down the hill.
Someone needed help. This looked like a job for a goddess!
She carefully ran down the hill, noticing what seemed to be deep brown hair. Further down, Noriko noticed that it was a person, laying on their side and crying. Another retching sound rang out, and Noriko sprinted, nearly falling behind the person's back.
"Hey...a-are you okay...?" The itasha painter asked softly as she knelt down. The person seemed to recognize her, and as they rolled over…
"Hidemi...!?"
Matthias had duct tape over the bottom of her face, and there seemed to be a bit of reddened skin underneath, judging by a small strip of skin showing right above the tape. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. When Noriko carefully pulled off the tape, the dressage rider immediately turned back around and started vomiting for a good twenty seconds straight...before bawling incessantly.
Noriko gently pulled her friend's head into her lap, wiping away the mess around her lips. She noticed the burns over the girl's nose. "Oh, my dear angelic Hidemi...who did this to you?"
But all that came out of the dressage rider's mouth was incoherent babbling and blubbering. Well, that's what the itasha painter believed, until she listened a bit closer.
"He didn't love me."
"He killed me."
"Why would he do that?"
"All I wanted was to be his."
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts."
Noriko stood up and helped Matthias to her feet before pulling her into a warm hug. "My poor, sweet girl...I'm so sorry that-- that wretched man hurt you...but it's okay. You're safe here with me." She wiped away the tears from her eyes and the gasoline-snot mix from her nose with her sleeve, then softly stroked her friend's hair. "I missed you dearly. Even though I wished it wasn't so soon, I'm glad we can be together again."
"I missed you too, Miss Ogura..."
"Ah ah ah~" The goddess chirped, pulling away slightly and giving her devotee a smile. "You're one of us now. So you get first name privileges! That's Noriko to you!!"
"Then...I missed you so much, Noriko."
The itasha painter started to tear up. "Thank you, Hidemi...let's go home."