Vol 3 Prologue (1/2)
Prologue
The eldest son of the Hayashi+da faone by the tih school
The Hayashi+da-san in his class who joined the running club with him was Linda, for short
”Actually, that's ely sour looking face
He was a volunteer as subbing in for the coach of the soccer club which practises on the sa club
A graduate of Banri's high school, and an old member of the soccer club too, Ani was in those days a third-year student at a local college It was unexpected that he was Linda's older brother, but even Banri has heard of hiely loud, shouted ”Go Big!” and on that occasion see
Faster than the rest, he caht around the dusty track dressed in an old jersey Standing i double-tiathered to him
”Uvoi!”
He shouted at the cast off by a sky-God While he nodded, his chin drawn back, his eyes burning hotly, he clapped loudly with the pal back, ”Avoi!”, the group noly taking shape and running off as light-footed as ever There was certainly a reason the soccer club had a tendency to be forever hoarse
In that place, if there were girls calling out ”My Boy!” (average fan-girls), there were also those saying ”My Ball!” (the noisy ones), and there were even those shouting ”Move it!” (the demon coach's fans) There were even a feho seemed to have fired themselves up so they could just shout ”Oi! Oi!” (the punk rocker types)
HisAll of Ani's body brought about the impression: his athletic body build, the thick feet characteristic of an experienced soccer player, even a certain monkey-like friendliness towards others You couldn't say those looks were flattering, as if he were descended froer sister Linda was al resembled each other
Eventually, Ani see in our direction and showing a friendly s off
But Linda, not cutting hi her brother, frowned and co her long hair (done in a ponytail), and quickly turning the other way
Without answering, he turned his ”Uvoi!” gun to vainly fill the entire grounds with its roar Not the giant, glove-like back of his hand, nor a covering sot rid of that sad place
Unable to sit still, Banri rushed in by hi, no,the members of the soccer club, he shouted ”Avoi!” at the top of his lungs
Ani took what he was hearing with a happy-looking face He looked as happy as a gorilla spotting a banana in the forest Banri knew that by the standards of wild animals, he was a lonely one In the natural world, to be isolated fro
Froot to where every tireet each other with shouts So each other in the shoulder, nearly sood-hu!?” and ”Whatcha up to?”, not really expecting an answer Before long, it got to where Ani even shouted to Linda
One day, Ani decided to find a job, and quit the coaching he'd done for thole years
---Well, that was all
If he said so, then it really was all there was
”Your brother is such a nice guy, I can't just watch and see him betrayed like this!”
It was a suh school
Banri spoke forcefully, looking at Linda's profile crouched down next to hination, or an equivalent feeling, Banri's voice was going high and hysterical Even though he washe could not be quiet about
On the road in the blazing sun, the tere playing detective like kids
They were ap between a telephone pole and so down on their heads, putting at risk the preparations they had done for their college entrance exams Nearly an hour had passed already
Drops of sweat flowed steadily down fro in concern, they fell to the shadows at her feet, not looking at Banri's face Her lips moved slowly
”I understand But, calm down a little”
”What's with this?” Banri hly
At first, it was Linda who suggested that there was soht need his help
That person is cheating on him She's betrayed Ani I won't allow it Linda went on like that, her lips tre
He'd heard froetfor a year It was around the time of the su next to Linda, talking while watching the raindrops paint arteries across the glass and the pale hydrangea bloo all over the schoolyard
At that time, Banri blessed Ani from the bottom of his heart He felt that she must have been quite the wooodness in that Ani He heard the ceremony would be in the fall, when the colors were at their best, and he inificent day Dancing on the brightly colored leaves under a deep blue sky, the couple would have celebrated a sort of youthful happiness Thinking along those lines, even the chill of that day's rainfall was forgotten
But this summer, Ani's fiancée betrayed him
At another guy's suggestion, he had gone out to a part of town he didn't know so he could take the e prep school when by chance he'd spotted Linda
Linda said the photo she'd taken was proof Jabbing the irrefutable evidence towards hi to Ani and all their relatives on both sides, and get them to own up to their ement would be called off, of course She said she wanted her to fall apart, living alone, branded as ”a woman of questionable virtue” forever yetto brand a scarlet letter on her forehead, it didn't sound like she was joking Frankly, she's a little scary, Banri thought
In spite of carrying on sowith her to the apart occurred When Ani's fiancée, arm in arm with her boyfriend, was about to enter, she suddenly lowered her voice and aimed her cell-phone camera at the
At Banri's side, an aggravated Linda witnessed the scene of the cri pair, had walked all over Ani and ht about it, the er This is horrible, he thought Isn't this a bit too ht, if they were to somehow break into the apart even h, he wondered, with only the photo of the filthy couple entering the apartment hand in hand?
In spite of that,
”Hey When they alking arm-in-arm just now, did you take a shot with your cell-phone too?”
”I took one I took it, but even so, somehow a more definitive shot”
”Would you delete it for me?”
Hisopen like an idiot, Banri looked back at Linda's face Verifying that his hearing was fine, Linda opened up his cell-phone
”Hold on!? Huh!? What're you doing!?”
Before he could stop her, she deleted the pictures they'd finally taken at the end of their stakeout
”Sorry I've changed my mind”
Linda finally looked up She was so pale, her suntan seems to have faded,
”I will put on my 'adult mask'!”
Banri sed his retort at once
He could not ies had awakened in Linda's mind in these last few minutes He couldn't understand at all, except that her expression looking back at him seemed cold
'Adult mask'? What did that mean, specifically? He couldn't even ask her
When the sound of heels descending the iron steps froasped Ani's fiancée was co space Flashi+ng, her keyholder swayed and jingled As Banri sighed and thought about what to do, Linda stood up on her own
”I'o talk with her”
You wait here, she told him
”Eh!? T-Talk about what!?”
”To tell her to stop doing these things already”
”Telling her that she is living with a scarlet letter!?”
Without answering, Linda spun around in her su spot in front of the apartet into her shi+ny silver Suzuki Wagon R,closer to her Who knohat she was feeling, frozen in place for a few seconds, expressionless, then giving an exaggerated laugh, ”Whaat!? Ehehe!” When Linda said, ”I'd like to talk with you inside the car,” her face suddenly beca! I can't right now!” she tried to return to the apartment If Banri had not run up and stood in her way as if he were otten away then
Carrying a large tote-bag, a beige cotton cap on her head, her arainst sunburn while driving, she was a rather ordinary woman
She got into the car with Linda, and even Banri could see she was upset and had begun to cry As if she were trying to get on Linda's good side, she was pushi+ng playfully with both hands against Linda's shoulder in the passenger seat, leaning her body and drawing her face close, desperately arguing about so
Banri turned his back to the situation, setting his butt against the hood of the car He flinched fro with it, stuffed his hands into his pants pockets
In the aparthtly shut curtainof a few centi down on them
It was the other guy they'd seen earlier Banri could not tell his expression froh the curtain
Scary, he thought
Besides that, the wo sorrowfully right now, could her personality suddenly change coe? He didn't knoould happen to him, nor to Linda Because these people could casually do horrible things, as coht not apply here
While under such fear, Banri nevertheless squared his shoulders fir his s, unconsciously tapping his feet, scowling, glaring, trying to see hierous
He was acting as Linda's bodyguard Though it wasn't easy, for the ti At the least, he needed to place hih he was as nervous as could be, Banri desperately acted the tough guy
As he was doing so, he thought, 'We conde the woman completely, beyond any hope of redemption You are the worst We will be your ruin, will never forgive you, and are resolved to so conde tattooed with the scarlet letter
However, going against Banri's thoughts, what he heard leaking out to him of Linda's voice retained its composure to the very last
If you are still thinking you want to get ain Because I forget I beg of you, please stop already