I can't say I'm surprised that this was the sum of her story.
But that doesn't mean it hurts any less to see someone taken so quickly, realizing that they were never told something so fundamental to one's sense of self.
For an entity like Kuro--self-professed hater of humans--to affirm Hotaru's worth & value when no one else would, is telling. And it's all the more tragic that she can't even make peace with her Second Regret because she so embodies that desire to please everyone before herself, that even in death she won't confess her love for her friend for fear of it potentially hurting either him, or the third of their trio.
That all said - quite the tempest of a first volume, and it seems like it can only get more intense from here. Being asked to kill someone by this other spirit--whose identity is still not fully confirmed--can only speak to greater trials in store for our protagonist. And that's on top of seemingly actively avoiding her primary goal, if that "two weeks later" is any indication.
I have no idea how this all wraps up in 8 more chapters. But I'm excited to find out.
Thanks for your continued work on this series.