Volume 1 - CH 3.1

Posted on April 27, 2022by Soafp

Translator: Soafp

TL: I usually don’t cut in parts if not necessary but this was way too much.

“Don’t talk to me at school.”

“Haa. You’re annoying me. Why do you have to be so familiar with me like a little girl?”

“Stop this. I’m busy. –Are you stupid.”

“Liar.”

Disgust in her eyes. I thought we were getting along.

Friendship, affection, bond. I believed without any reason that such invisible and certain things existed. By the time I realized it, it was too late. I just accepted the fact, realized that it was too late, still struggled miserably, and then it was over without a care in the world. I was used to being hated.

Now it was her turn. That was all there was to it. Somewhere I had the impossible illusion that she was the only one who was special. It couldn’t be true. If that’s what she wants, I can’t cause her any more trouble. I wished her happiness in the future. I hoped so and turned away from her.

“You disappoint me.”

“Why did you–!”

“I don’t want you by my side. You will make me unhappy.”

“—Don’t ever come back.”

The irritation, the frustration, the accusation in her words. The expectations that had been betrayed before I knew it. I didn’t even know why. But I was not surprised to be disappointed.

Perhaps I had vaguely sensed that this would happen sooner or later. The first words exchanged after a long time were a farewell, and there was nothing to do but to obey.

We had almost lost touch with each other in any case. Our relationship was redefined by her. We are no longer “childhood friends,” no longer friends, just unrelated strangers.

Humanity has made steady progress in civilization, but some things have not changed.

The origin of the umbrella is said to date back four thousand years, but that silhouette has remained unchanged.

This does not mean that the folding umbrella has not evolved since it was invented 120 years ago.

Why do we say “cheese” when we take a picture or “yoo-hoo” when we try Yamabiko?

[TL: Yamabiko (山彦) is a mountain god, spirit, and yōkai in Japanese folklore. Literally translated, “yamabiko” means “echo”. It is the yōkai responsible for the natural phenomenon in mountains or canyons.]

It’s time for us to evolve without being bound by our origins. And so, I called out to the mountains in front of me to take charge of human evolution.

“Tartaros!”

Yamabiko never responded. What a disappointment. The tension is straight into the abyss.

Giving up on my challenge to human history, I asked the question that had been bothering me.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you fresh-looking guy.”

“Is there anything more jokey than your current eccentricities?”

“I’m just challenging humanity’s potential. So what’s this all about?”

The sky was covered with thick clouds and looked as if it was not welcoming.

I inhaled deeply and felt the breath of fresh greenery.

In front of me was a magnificent natural setting that is rarely seen in the city.

According to the weather forecast, the weather is supposed to break down at night.

When I put my face back down, I was hit by a flash of handsome men that was 150% more intense than usual. Is this guy equipped with a flash?

He is acting as if nothing happened, but I’ll give him a chance to explain how it happened.

“Nananano? What’s wrong with this group?”

“‘Nananano’ shut up. Are you a broken robot?

The four of us, who would have been the most incompatible group in the class —- me, Kouki Mihou, Hinagi Suzurikawa, and Shiori Kamishiro were all in the same group.

A conspiracy of fresh and handsome people.

We are waiting at the entrance of the mountain road for our departure, but I am full of question marks about this situation.

We are on a field trip.

The out-of-town study is an annual hiking trip held soon after the students enter the school to deepen the relationship between the students. It takes two hours to climb a mountain trail, have lunch, and then descend the mountain. It is as if the students are trying to backfill a hole they have dug.

“This is crazy! Why am I in a group of hikers? Isn’t the role of a gloomy person to be welcomed with a look of disgust by a group of people who are instructed to form a group as they please, and then, after being left out, we are forced to join the group their homeroom teacher asked them to join?”

“We had a spot open”

That is true, but the biggest concern at the moment is not this man.

“Why don’t you do me a favor and say no?”

“I don’t know! I just happened to be with those two.”

While I was secretly confronting Kouki, the stares of Suzurikawa and Kamishiro were still poking through me. It was awkward. I was told that it was a rude meeting, but I felt as awkward as a new employee who has made the boss’s mood worse by talking to him. Well, I don’t have any working experience.

I don’t want to disturb their school life. I just want them to enjoy their school life without worrying about me like a bag of gloves on the highway.

I’m not trying to make them feel uncomfortable. There is no need to feel uncomfortable.

The teacher’s whistle blew, and we climbed the mountain for two hours. The trail was gentle and comfortable, with no particular difficulties or dangers.

On the contrary, the atmosphere along the way was terrible. The fresh and handsome man was a perfect talker. He was careful not to break off the conversation as he talked about the topic at the top of his lungs. I would have preferred the three of them to be friendly anyway, but for some reason, he would talk to me a little bit too. Every time he did this, I would repeat, “Oh, yes,” “Nothing,” or “On the contrary,” and I became a bot. I know people often say it the other way around, but isn’t there a need to say it backwards?

In the meantime, we arrived at our destination. Many people’s faces naturally broke into tears at the pleasant sense of fatigue and accomplishment, and at the beautiful view from the summit.

However, there seemed to be a certain number of people who were not physically strong enough, and about half of the group was sitting on the grass at the summit, screaming in agony.

Haa……. I was not inclined to do so. But I couldn’t ignore them, so I reluctantly called out to them.

“Are you alright, Suzurikawa?”

“Yukito? Ah, thanks. but why?”

I handed a sports drink that I had just bought to Suzurikawa, who was sitting a short distance away from me.

She looks flustered, perhaps startled by being spoken to, but her expression is not good.

It is natural for her to have doubts. I have never spoken to her since I entered the school.

It is true that I have kept my distance from her, but for some reason, I could not understand why now I was concerned about her as a childhood friend. I denied it in the past, even though it was Suzurikawa herself who chose to reject me. That is why I tried to take the first step, but in the end I was rejected.

I recall that as soon as I entered junior high school, Suzurikawa told me not to talk to her at school.

I suppose she felt that it was bothersome to drag her old relationship with him into the new environment, as she was building a new relationship with others. It was a natural extension of our estrangement. Perhaps that is the extent of human relationships.

For her, I was more of a hindrance. Our relationship, which had become nothing at all, had become a stranger and should have ended long ago.

“It’s convenient to have vending machines everywhere, isn’t it?”

Suzurikawa’s breath was coming in quick bursts. But that’s not all. A gesture of protecting and covering her ankle. She tried to hide her ankle, but it was obvious. We had hardly had any conversation on the way up to this point, but there was no point in trying to make up for it in a place like this. She knew better than to make such a gesture, and this was not the time to be talking about it.

“I was sorry. I didn’t think about your pace.”

“No, I’m sorry for dragging you down.”

“Don’t worry about it, Suzurikawa-san!”

“I will be more considered on the way back.”

Kamishiro and Kouki also looked worried. I’ve made it too much for her. By coincidence, all the students were in the ultra-indoor group that went home, but I was me and I still do not miss my running and muscle training. Kamishiro, who was in the girls’ basketball team in junior high school, and a refreshingly good-looking guy who is also an all-around sportsman. Maybe that’s why our pace was quite fast to climb up to this point.

This put a great burden on Suzurikawa. She was not physically fit. In the old days, I would have noticed that she was pushing herself too hard. But even though that was the distance between us now, I could not bear to see Suzurikawa in such a state of pain.

“Suzurikawa, strip.”

“……Eh? I-in a place like this!? I’ll take that kind of thing somewhere else—-“

“What are you talking about? Just show me your legs.”

Somewhere else? I took out the taping from my backpack and sat down in front of Suzurikawa. Suzurikawa’s face turned bright red as she realized her mistake, but she reluctantly nodded her head and took off her shoes.

“I-Is this okay?”

“You have to take off your socks too, otherwise I can’t wrap them up.”

“B-but ……”

“? Aah, it doesn’t smell don’t worry about it.

“Y-you don’t have to say it like that!”

I don’t have any ulterior motives at all, but I guess it is embarrassing to be with someone of the opposite sex. I am sorry for that.

“Yeah, yeah. I lacked delicacy. It’s floral, so it’s all right.”

“You don’t understand me at all!”

“No, but I thought it might hurt your feelings if I said it smells ……”

“S-Smell?!”

“It’s hard to eat cream puffs without spilling the cream.”

“Don’t change the subject! Do they, hey!”

“All right all right. I’ll hold my breath so you don’t smell it.”

“That’s the same as saying it stinks already!”

“If you insist, I’ll sniff it. Smell it!”

“Yes go a head sniff it! Eh, stop stop! No sniffing!”

Now, right. Now is not the time to be enjoying the smell of Suzurikawa’s feet.

“Don’t be rash. Calm down. I’m going to touch you a little.”

“Nnn….”

She suddenly became quiet, as if she was a maiden in distress. From the outside looking in, I was the perverted *sshole who was touching a high school girl’s raw legs. If I am reported, I will turn myself in honestly.

However, Suzurikawa does not show any signs of reporting the incident. Safe. Carefully taping the soles of the feet, from the ankles to the heels, from the calves to the Achilles tendons.

“You are very handy, Yukito. Do you always carry it with you?”

“I do a lot of running.”

“Let’s join the sports club together.”

“To me, going home is the athletic team.”

I’m not wrong. As a loner in the shadows, the only thing I do when I go home is study or train my muscles. Friends? Hahaha.

“How tight is it? Can you move it?”

“Y-yeah. …… I think it’s okay.”

“This will help a little. Take it easy on the way down.”

“Thanks.”

“Tell me if you feel any pain. See you later.”

“W-wait!”

As I was about to leave, I was stopped, but someone tapped me on the shoulder from the side. When I turned around, I saw a small Sayuri-chan, my homeroom teacher with an zealous look on her face. She’s really sweating.

Zombie, this person. How little stamina does she have?

“Kokonoe so heavy …… sorry, please give me one …….”

“Sensei, what are you going to do about your children’s field day?”

“I’m not married!”

“You’ll be in trouble eventually, you know. At the very least, you should be physically active.”

“I always get home around 11 pm. I’ve been eating out for dinner all the time, and lately my foundation has not been going on as well as it should because I’ve been so inadequate. I don’t have time to exercise. My life is over! I’m going to wither away!”

Sensei was devastated. She was too raw to be picky.

But I felt uncomfortable touching the adult teacher. Oh, yes!

“Kamishiro, please teach Sensei how to tape.”

“M-me?!”

I called out to Kamishiro, who was watching from afar, and handed her the tools.

“You said something about becoming a manager. That’s about as essential knowledge as it gets.”

“I see, right. Un, understood. I will do it!”

“With a serious look on her face, she began to apply the taping with a fearful hand.

“Tight, tight, tight!”

“Wawa, I’m sorry!”

“Ah, Sensei, I found cellulite. There is one here, too.”

“You idiot! That’s the one thing you don’t say to a woman!”

“Calm down. I’ll teach you an effective massage method to get rid of cellulite.”

“You can expect to get a good grade.”

“Thanks. Kishashashasha”

“I’m too scared when you laugh with a straight face. That’s not a laugh.”

Free time. I returned from the restroom and sat down next to Suzurikawa.

She was rubbing her ankle, as if the taping was bothering her.

“These things really work, huh? I’ve never seen it before, so I’m curious.”

“I’ve got blisters and sores. There is also a Band-Aid plaster, so don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“I wonder why you are so well prepared. ……”

“Somehow, there have been a lot of strange incidents. I’ve got a lot of them on hand.”

“By the way, Yukito, you were seriously injured in ninth grade, too.”

“You knew that?”

“Of course I knew. I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

You were watching me the whole time? Suzurikawa, and me? For what purpose?

“I have not been watching you. Even today, I didn’t notice you were in pain.”

“……About that, why did you help me?”

She looked thoughtful. Thinking back, Suzurikawa I knew would have been much more aggressive and harsh to me. Now, that atmosphere has faded away. The impression does not match.

It was as if she had returned to the old Suzurikawa of long, long ago, but not even then.

“We’re classmates in the same group. I should at least worry about you.”

“Classmates…… I see. Right.”

“I’ll give you some chocolates. Eat it and cheer up.”

“Eh? Thanks ……. You used to give me chocolates all the time.”

Sugar is the best remedy for fatigue. It’s kind of comforting.

“Just rest and you’ll be fine in no time.”

As I turned to leave, a thin hand grabbed me.

“—-I’m sorry, don’t go.”

“That ……, you still do that huh?”

“Eh? Ah, you remembered …….”

“I have confidence in my memory.”

Suddenly, I noticed an ugly bear strap attached to Suzurikawa’s phone case.

The coloring is all faded and tattered. It didn’t even look good. I was surprised that she was still wearing it.

“We had fun back then. ……”

“Are you and your boyfriend having a fight or something?”

“That’s ……. You know, Hiori said she wanted to meet you.”

“I haven’t seen her lately. How is she doing?”

“She is fine, but we’re in a fight.”

“Really? That’s unusual, since you used to be good friends.”

“Yeah, that’s because of me. What do you think I should do?”

“I guess you’ll just have to apologize.”

So it was not her boyfriend who was fighting with her, but her little sister. But if it was a fight between sisters, I don’t think it would be that difficult to make up. I’ve never had a fight with Yuuri-san.

Hiori-san is the younger sister of Hinagi.

She is a person who calls me “Onii-chan,” and I can say that she is also a young and familiar sister to me. I remember Hiori as a kind and gentle girl, overflowing with preciousness.

“She would never forgive me. Because I also trampled on her.”

As if recalling something with a distant look in her eyes, Suzurikawa simply gazed out at nature. I am an outsider, and I cannot interfere in the quarrel between sisters. But I could somehow sense that she was waiting for me to say something.

“If you can’t go back to your original relationship, you have to make a new one, right?”

“…… Eh?”

“Even if you can’t go back to your original close sisterhood, a new sisterhood would be up to Suzurikawa and Hiori-chan, wouldn’t it? Well, what I say is not very convincing since Yuuri hates me.”

“Fufu. That’s never going to happen. But I see. I know. Thank you Yukito and…”

Suddenly, her expression softens a little. But it was only for a moment, and then she let out a breath as if she had made up her mind, and turned her stiffened expression toward me.

Suzurikawa slowly stood up, straightened her back, and bowed deeply and profoundly.

“I’m sorry for all the terrible things I’ve said. I thought I had to apologize as soon as possible. But I was so excited that maybe we could go back to the way we used to be, and be together as if nothing had happened. I can’t pretend that it never happened.”

“Suzurikawa? What are you talking about?”

“I know I’m being selfish now. I was arrogant, self-centered, ugly, and all I cared about was myself. That is why ……I am sorry!”

Her shoulders shook and she repeated her apology. It is the regret that Suzurikawa has been carrying around. Without even bothering to look at the crowd, she conveys her feelings to me. But

“Uhm……… I’m sorry. I don’t remember you ever saying anything bad to me.”

“…… Eh?”

I was just puzzled. I don’t know what Suzurikawa is apologizing for.