Summary
Letting out a horrified scream, Nagisa falls as she thinks of the day she spent with Yumi and weeps, asking why as she hits the ground. Bruised and weak from pain, Nagisa forces herself to turn over. It then dons on her that she isn't on the ground -but the roof- and she calls out to Yumi as the bullies laugh in amusement. Nagisa pleadingly tries to get an answer from Yumi and asks her why she would do this if they were friends; but Yumi coldly responds and shuts the window on her.
In this time, she happens to notice the stove is still on and observes the nearby gas tap...
Nagisa attempts to call for Yumi again- and suddenly, the Home Ec room erupts in a devastating explosion! Glass rains down on her as the sound and scent of the burning room alert nearby teachers, and as they rush up to the scene, Nagisa loses consciousness.
Back in her body, she awakens in the janitorial room with her Teacher above her, trying to make sure she's alright. Nagisa cries out for Yumi in a daze and sits up before noticing the name Makoto Housaka on her name tag. Realizing that she was the girl whose body she had been given for the past, she quickly asks her about Yumi. Makoto is stunned hearing her name, until she sees the nearby picture album and slowly understands.
She brings Nagisa outside to sit down, revealing that she kept the only item of Yumi's she could find after the incident: a burnt shoe. Yumi killed herself by starting that explosion. It had been so intense that it not only blew off the bottom half of her body and destroyed the room, but it also took the life of the leader of the bullies. Yumi died instantly and by the time the ambulance arrived, they were unable to find the bottom half of her body and it has never been found. For many years she has felt remorse for not being brave enough to help Yumi; she wanted to stand up for her but had been too frightened, so she left early that day to avoid what could have transpired.
As Nagisa expresses surprise to know how different their actions were, Makoto earnestly believes that Yumi didn't do the right thing. She wishes that she could have saved her dear friend from her torment, and having been unable to she decided to become a Teacher in order to make sure tragedies like this didn't happen again. Due to this school being her own, she specifically chose it.
In hopes of cheering Nagisa up, she thinks about what Yumi would say at a time like this if she was still alive, then she grasp Nagisa's hands and suggests that for Yumi's sake, they should live happily. She would want this. Nagisa realizes in this time that Makoto cares about her and that she isn't alone, then teary-eyed she agrees. While she is saddened for Yumi, she feels better knowing why God sent her to experience that day. She wants Yumi to see that she can overcome her tormentors and bullies, and have a happier life not living with fear.
The following day Nagisa arrives to class to find trash entirely covering her desk. She sheds a tear as the girls nearby mockingly remark upon this, but Nagisa realizes that Yumi doesn't want her to give in, and boldly she tells them to shut up and throws the trash at them. The girls are shocked, and covered in filth they run from the room; just to bump into Makoto. She kindly offers them a shoulder to lean on should they need to talk, which startles the girls and they run away. Amused by this, Nagisa and Makoto exchange hands and take of, being joined by two of Nagisa's classmates. She prepares to walk off with them when she happens to feel something pass by, but as she looks to see nothing, she mentally makes a promise to show Yumi how happy she can live her life, and stand up against those who want to cause her or others pain.
As the group begin to walk away, Yomi observes them in a crowded hall with a smile.
Tropes:
- Adults Are Useless: it's subverted in this part, when Makoto decides to become a means of support for Nagisa and go against the colleague who tells her to stay out of it in the first part.
- Backstory: The second part of the first one of Yomi.
- Break the Cutie: Nagisa and Yumi start the chapter this way.
- Driven to Suicide: Yumi's fate, which turned into Taking You with Me when Makoto reveals that the Leader of the bullies was killed too.
- Fake Defector: Nagisa was led to believe Yumi betrayed her and sided with the bullies. She only learned what her plan was after it was too late to stop her.
- Happily Ever After: While it is sad that Yumi died, Nagisa took something from the experience and came to realize that she had someone standing by her side. She made new friends, and she decided not to let fear allow her to be miserable any more and stood up for herself.
- Kids Are Cruel: The group of bullies cheered for Yumi after she pushed "Makoto" out of the window and were fairly amused afterwards; even the one who seemed concerned about how badly hurt she could be.
- Never Found the Body: Which explains why Yomi is Half the Man He Used to Be. Her bottom half went missing in the destruction of the room.
- Stock Shoujo Bullying Tactics: Nagisa finds trash covering her desk at the ending of the chapter. But unlike before, she picks it up and throws it back at the girls responsible.
- Stuff Blowing Up: Being in Home Ec, the gas tap played a part in Yumi's plan.
- Tragic Keepsake: Yumi's burnt and torn shoe serves as this for Makoto.
- You Are Not Alone: Yomi showed this to Nagisa, and Makoto's help reinforced it.
