Vol 1 Chapter 3 (2/2)

“That guy didn’t come seek for our help, did he? We don’t even knohere he is, so we could only stay out of this matter”

But, I had this feeling – he ht have sunk into a seriously helpless state, and that it’d be best if someone could hear his soundless voice But at least I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t do anything

“My eyes exist for the purpose of taking note of the nu for a kid that’s addicted to drugs is Yondaime’s job”

After saying all that, he sank into his pachinko ain

Was this guy really a boxer……?

I suddenly stood up, and went closer to Tetsu-senpai Alazine, I threw a punch at senpai’s stomach, and uttered a late sound My fist was blocked by Tetsu-senpai’s large left hand

“What are you doing?”

Tetsu-senpai didn’t sound angry at all I shaked my head and squatted down

“…… Tetsu-senpai, please teach ”

“Why do you want to learn how to box all for a sudden?”

“No particular reason”

I know that I’m just a feeble kid, but I still feel depressed when I know this fact clearly It can’t be helped, I couldn’t do anything in reality

That’s right, I should tell Ayaka about what happened to Toshi+ But how should I tell her that? While thinking, I looked for Ayaka from the kitchen to outside the shop, but I couldn’t see her anywhere

“Min-san, where’s Ayaka?”

I poked my head into the kitchen backdoor and asked Min-san answered without getting her eyes off her pot on the flames:

“She went home early just now She looked like she’s very ill, did so happen to her?”

Went home early?

I looked at Tetsu-senpai’s face

“She’s not here when I came”

It couldn’t be because she already knew about Toshi+ taking drugs? It’s impossible Then what could be the matter? Or did she eat the leftover hemp ice cream alone, and then had a stomachache?

I leant ht noas as though I’ve walking around the wrong place and then going to a dead end, then repeating the saain

I lowered my head, and the phone in my pocket started to quiver

“I’ve heard froot about such iet to her phone”

As? Alice’s voice sounded extremely cold

“…… It looks like she went home early because she felt ill”

“Went ho Toshi+ The third seht? If you see her in school toh I don’t really think the siblings are in contact……”

At that ht that Toshi+ called Ayaka He said that he was calling from Hakamizaka’s phone

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ve really had enough of your dim-wittedness, I really don’t knohat to co to the speed that your brain processes, the speed that stalactites grow at could be considered quicker”

Being cruelly chided, my whole body almost curled into a ball

“When was that last call? Try to think of an exact time”

“It should be…… Before seven Why are you asking me about the time?”

“I could find out who they are just by checking the phone log Since we can’t get to Toshi+’s phone, ould have a breakthrough if we could just find out Hakamizaka’s way of contact”

Checking the phone log? But how?

“But Ayaka said that there’s no number displayed”

“So what? It’s just not displayed on Ayaka’s phone, but there would still be a record at the telecommunication center!”

How can you check such a thing? Isn’t that a crime?

“Aren’t you so down on NEET detectives?

Alice hung up

I stared at my cold phone for awhile Which re like that She could investigatethrough her nose, right? But shouldn’t it be iate the records of the telecommunication center?

It’s useless if I worry The only thing that I could do is to tell Ayaka about Toshi+’s proble her this is my duty But how should I say it? Your brother is currently addicted to drugs so don’t go near to hi like this?

I don’t know I don’t have the confidence to tell her about this

On the day of the opening cereo to school I orried that she had a bad flu, but she didn’t answer the phone when I called It couldn’t be helped I could only take care of the garden and the plants alone, while ignoring the greenhouse

Ayaka didn’t go to school the next day too Looking for her at the ramen shop, she wasn’t there too

“She doesn’t seem like a person ould be absent for no reason” Min-san knitted her brows As she was extreave her a hand in washi+ng up the dishes

The day when I finally saw Ayaka was the fifth day of the new semester, a Friday I immediately went to the rooftop after school, and saw a familiar silhouette With a black ar the plants I was taken aback when I saw Ayaka, who turned her head over Obviously nothing changed for her, but she looked like someone else for a moment

“I’ absent without a reason”

“Did you get flu?”

“Yeah, that’s right It’s probably just flu”

She gave me a faint smile, one that even I knew that it was fake

“It seemed like you did the club activities properly when I’m not here”

“I’m a club member, after all!”

“Thank you, Fujishi+ma-kun” Ayaka showed me a transparent smile that made people feel helpless “But if you would put on the armband, I would be even happier”

“No, that’s too e Hey! Stop that!”

Ayaka took off her own ar to put it on my left hand

“You must wear it the whole day, that’s an order from the club president”

Ayaka looked really happy that day She taught s, like how to prune, pick seeds, types of fertilizers and floriography, until I al Ayaka like that, I couldn’t help but have an urge to ask her for a few tiinally wanted to tell Ayaka about Toshi+, but didn’t do so as I didn’t kno to tell that to her

Finally, it was already sunset The clock on the school building opposite to this building said that it was four forty-five We sat side by side on the railings and looked at the evening sky

“Do you have any siblings?”

Ayaka asked

“A sister”

“Really? How’s your relationshi+p with her?”

“Not really good Recently I kept going ho scolded But sister would always uess?”

“Your sister is the only one cooking? What about your parents?”

“My father is only home for about five days in a year, while my mother’s already dead”

“Ah – sorry”

“Why is it that whenever I answer that izes to ry Or is it only norry now?”

“Hmmm…… Hmm?” Ayaka’s eyes wandered “I don’t think you need to force yourself to get angry”

“Really? I don’t knohat they mean by normal”

“You don’t need to feel that you have some kind of handicap!”

“That’s because your words made me feel handicapped”

Ayaka laughed dryly

“That’s just a lie As I don’t really kno talk to the others, actually I only wanted to talk to you”

I felt Ayaka’s gaze on my face, but I couldn’t turn my face over

“I didn’t go to school when I was in h school, I just feel that…… feel that I should start over Until about May or so, I passedrecess and after school After that, I tried to chat with the others and avoid co to the rooftop But I still felt very lonely in

Ayaka raised her head to look at the setting sun

“One day, I came back to the rooftop because of despair, but I found that you were here”

When did that happen, I wonder? Much earlier than when I noticed Ayaka, she had already kneho I was

“That time I wanted to look for you and have a talk, but I didn’t have a chance So I moved a few plants to the rooftop and pretended to stay at the rooftop because of club activities”

I almost couldn’t breathe at this moment

“I’ht not feel it, I’ comes –”

Ayaka stopped and gazed at the soil full of weeds

When spring comes?

What on Earth was the s that ht? I must ask her about this

But as I was about to speak, there was a sound that indicated that so the door to the rooftop

A person wearing a pale green coat and unforgettably long hear appeared at the door It was the consultant teacher for the Gardening Club – Sayuri-sensei (because everyone calls her by her name, I don’t knohat teacher’s surname is)

“Ah, both of you are here”

Wearing high-heeled shoes, Sayuri-sensei ran unsteadily while waving at us

“shi+nozaki, did you take leave because of flu?”

“I’m okay already”

Ayaka showed a nervous s

“Really? Then that’s great That’s right, you should clear the plants at the rooftop”

Ayaka frowned and said: “Is there going to be any activities there?”

“The group photo for the graduation yearbook I’ve heard that ould assemble at the rooftop, and the photo would be taken from above on a helicopter”

Sayuri-sensei looked around the rooftop

“But there’s sothem”

As sensei have said, the weeds occupied the whole rooftop just by growing in the cracks in the floor

She took out a tape measure and started to measure the size of the rooftop There are about two hundred people or so graduating from our school (it’s actually rare for a school in this district to have so h for that many people?

“That’s right, it’s already the season for graduation Time really flies”

After Sayuri-sensei left, Ayaka said in a lonely tone:

“But there’s no proble to recruit a lot of new members next year!”

Ayaka looked at the black armband on my arm, and I nodded silently

Until much later, I still remembered what Ayaka said that time – what did that mean?

Does she mean that she’s okay if she’s with me?

Or – does she mean that it okay if it’s just me?

“So, Fujishi+ma-kun……”

Ayaka hesitated, staring at my face That was the first ti to me That was obviously an unusual situation, why didn’t I notice it? Why?

But Ayaka gave me, as confused, a smile and shook her head

“Sorry, there’s nothing”

The club activities ended for that day After that, ent to the raether Ayaka was harshly scolded by Min-san for being absent without a reason, so she broke a pile of bowls due to being overactive

When I was trying the abnormally bitter mocha ice cream, Tetsu-senpai, Major and Hiro appeared, which was quite early for them

Hiro said: “We visited the hospital just now”

“Visited the hospital?”

“One of the kids in Yondai, but that guy had a knife and he started to crave for his drug”

“Then……”

“Anyhow it’s fine if he’s okay He was my kouhai, too”

Tetsu-senpai sat on the ladder and sighed

“Now Hirasaka-gu in the streets, so if Toshi+ is also a drug dealer……”

Senpai sneaked a peek at Ayaka as in the kitchen, lowered his volume and said:

“He’ll probably get caught soon”

Major told us: “It looks like Hakamizaka really is a researcher from our school” “Alice is on that trail, so we could probably catch him soon”

I sneaked a peek at Ayaka too, thinking that I don’t need to forceas we’ll find him soon I consoled myself that way, and didn’t want Ayaka to worry on the other hand

I just hope Toshi+ coincidentally got the drug from someone, and then was addicted

“Good Before Toshi+ comes back, let’s just teach Narumi first”

“Let’s start fro dices!”

Eh? How did things turn up like this?

But I could not refuse as I was surrounded by Tetsu-senpai, Hiro and Major It was actually the first tiame of dice In the end, senpai owed me about two hundred and seventy thousand yen Senpai who lost all of his h I don’t have anyto bet ten thousand!”, or “I can’t pay all that anyway, so I’ll add twenty thousand!” What a ridiculous person

Ayaka hurriedly chased the bus, and waved at me

On the way home, I walked to the busstop with Ayaka, but still couldn’t say anything When alked past the bridge, the bus coincidentally passed by us Ayaka hurriedly chased the bus, and waved at me

I could still remember clearly Ayaka’s face at that moment

That was the last time that I saw Ayaka’s healthy smile

In the cold air of the Tuesday arden in front of the school building The teachers and students fro the blood that was splattered on the cearden that she tended to for ten reen face and reddish blackher look like she’s in the battle clothes of the natives

The girls turned their head around and threw up Although the teachers were desperately shooing away the students, the croas still there I also stood in the wall of hu closer

I kept staring at Ayaka’s s moved to a stretcher, until the white car sed her up and left The sound of the a lot for bicycles, opened the lock like I was going to break it, got on my bike and rushed out

I chased the a wind scratchedto cut my ear off

I don’t really remember what happened after I reached the hospital I reht on top of the door of the surgery roo here and there, and the footsteps of the nurses

Ayaka was sent directly to the ICU rooer, while I was kicked out of the hospital A croearing fah it was so late

“Fujishi+ma, how is Ayaka?”

“Have the surgery finished?”

“Hey, is Ayaka okay? Hey!”

Surrounded byat the floor The noise was painful to my ears I pushed away the people and ran away

At the pitch black bicycle parking lot, my bike was so cold that it was as if it had frozen

When I went ho the s on the rooftop to ju, but I couldn’t What’s with this? What on Earth is with this? My tightly clenched hands started to tre nauseous I fervently tried not to, and in the end I went into the realm when reality and dreams interlaced and slept

The next , the television broadcasted the news of a feh School It sees, but didn’t find a will When the screen showed the fas, I rushed into the washrooastric acid came out

“I’ll help you call the school for sick leave!”

My sister said to me, who closed myself in my room It was only at these moments that my emotionless, stern sister with her sharp eyes“I’ out of the entrance I’m the only one left in the house

There’s only me left

I recalled the day on the rooftop Did I say anything wrong? Was Ayaka trying to say anything to ? If I asked her, would she answer? Why didn’t I ask? Why? My phone rang for quite some ti the few hours on that day at the rooftop

The only thing that Ayaka leftClub, printed with an orange logo on it It’s the armband that she wore on her arm that day After I was forced to put it on, I wanted to return it to her, and brought it back hohtaway

Have Ayaka already planned to suicide at that moment?

I don’t get it

When I suddenly felt like opening the curtains, it was already dark outside As soon as I turned on the lights, the glass s reflected the pitiful face of a young man

That person was me

With , I squatted down on the ed to another person, as I couldn’t even feel a hint of coldness

When I finally saw Ayaka, it o days after that

In the rooht, Ayaka laid on the ht that Ayaka would be surrounded byher seem like a scary pincushi+on; but there’s really just an IV hanging on her hand I only recognized Ayaka’s face Her hair were cohtly wrapped head laid on the pillow looked very small in comparison

I sat on the round stool, looking at the pale eyelids that wouldn’t open again At the other side of the bed, the doctor was explaining to Ayaka’s etative state and brain death

I thought to myself: What’s the difference?

Both could not talk or laugh, so what’s the difference?

Why didn’t anyone say anything to et it It’s probably because I cah it was already school time, so I was mistaken as her family? The doctor then started to explain the payht not be a doctor, but a merciless person from the insurance company You all should just shut up Why could you say these things in front of Ayaka as if nothing have happened?

Why did this happen on Ayaka?

Anger suddenly surged inside of me

This is all someone’s fault, some person forced Ayaka to an ie of His notebook? Although it was a duht, but I couldn’t stop it At a place that I don’t know of, even if someone is stabbed, shot, or ran over, I don’t care, but not about Ayaka

I huggedthe duhts that exploded in my heart

After that, my classmates ca Ayaka, they were even more surprised when they saw me It seemed that they said stuff like cheer up, you can’t skip school or so like that, but I couldn’t really remember it

In the end, the only person in the as me Only ht that passed through the curtains were slow and weak

I couldn’t take it, so I dragged my stiff body and ran out of the hospital, went home, and closed myself in my room

On the following two or three days, I didn’t even go out of my room

I didn’t feel like going to the hospital anymore, as I didn’t want to see my classmates, and I felt sad when I saw Ayaka

My sister knocked on the door and said: “ You’ve skipped school for about a week now, huh?” I silently shook h she couldn’t see e in front of the door and went to work

I didn’t even touch it, and left the porridge to cool It was not until noon that I opened thethat I didn’t open for three days, and breathed in the outside air My lungs and throat were burning, giving out white fumes so clear that you could even catch it with your hands The sunny sky was so dazzling that even my eyes started to hurt

The last h with Ayaka on the roof, was also a sunny day like this

Seeing the fact that I would turn out like this, I felt perplexed too It was just so suicide, it was just soain, that’s all

The ht now, huh? Or -

The doorbell suddenly rang, scaringbelow the s At thetwice, thrice, and then a whole lot more The sharp sound of the electric doorbell pierced my eardrums Who was that? Why did they do that? Was that a child playing a prank?

The sounds of the doorbell finally stopped, and the sounds of an exhaust engine started I peeked at the road outside the s, and saw a skinny silhouette donning clothes for ca away a motorbike, and disappeared at the corner

It was Major

Why did Major come to my house?

I ran down the stairs and opened the door to the entrance There was a black box on the doorstep, and familiar words ritten on it in white – Hana hands, I picked up the box, tore away the tape and opened it

White fumes rushed out In the whitish solids – dry ice, there were two round, transparent plastic cup, and there were ice cream sprinkled with chocolate powder on top on it

Tiramisu

‘Give me a pull’

I moved the box to the kitchen and sat down on the floor I took out a cup and ate afood was abnormally hard, I choked on my second mouthful of ice cream The ice cream that was cold, sweet and painful

After finishi+ng the two ice creams, I stared at the dry ice in the box until they finished subliht and coldness ontime

When I took a bath, I felt that my whole body have been refreshed

Finally, it was five in the evening After I dried myself and walked out of the door

I just didn’t go to the raed The shop was full of custo bowls on the chairs outside and on beer crates It’s just the usual view of the ramen shop, but Ayaka was not there

Min-san looked atat the entrance, for a s while reading the sports neere also staring at me

Min-san said: “You’ve finished the two ice creams?” I nodded

“Is that so? One of them was for Ayaka”

Min-san’s words pierced my heart

I left the bright entrance of the shop and went to the backdoor of the kitchen, but only saw Tetsu-senpai’s silhouette in the darkness Senpai was sitting on the second step of the stairs, and was reading a azine about pachinko machines I didn’t even knohat to say, so I could only re food and the sounds of cutlery colliding

Tetsu-senpai finally stood up I was surprised, and hurriedly straightened my back

“Naruht?”

“… Eh? Oh, Yeah…… That’s right”

“I owe you two hundred thousand, so I’ll teach you for free, a two years course”

“Senpai……”

“Stand up, and take off your coat”

Tetsu-senpai’s words were hard to oppose I stood up and took off my coat

“Why did you want to learn boxing?”

I stared blankly at Tetsu-senpai, then lowered my head and looked at my coarse hands

“…… It’s because I wanted to, becoer……”

“Her?”

“Eh? Isn’t it practice?”

“No, the correct answer is……”

Tetsu-senpai took out two rolls of bandages out of the bag beside him

“Put on the bandages”

“Eh?”

“The difference between a boxer and ordinary people is not being strong or weak, but they couldn’t hit other people lessly When you hit other people, your fists would hurt, and the other party would hurt too When you think that the other person would hurt too, you couldn’t hit thees”

Tetsu-senpai wrapped up both of es My clenched fists didn’t even feel like it’sand wore it on his hands

“Come! Punch me! Anywhere is okay”

I lowered my head and started to hesitate I was unable to raise my fists

“Just start! So to hit Don’t think of anything, just start!”

I raised

“I will accept your weak, powerless punches”

My shoulders trembled, and a viscous liquid rose from the upper part of , I would probably just screahtly clenched fists

Right, left, right, I continuously hit Tetsu-senpai’s large silhouette

My outstretched right fist loves A nu pain was transmitted to my elbows and shoulders I didn’t care, and lashed out with loves as soon as I straightened ht, left, right, I continuously hit Tetsu-senpai’s large silhouette Even though I gave punched a lot, the tightly held boxing gloves would receivethe attack back to my body It hurts When you hit people, your own self would feel pain It’s a simple and persuasive fact Did Ayaka feel pain at that moment too? Or did she have no tiand the sound of loves This is a real sound that belonged to me, and real pain

I don’t kno long I’ve practiced, but before I knew it, I stood withthe worn tires As I worked out suddenly,and my chest hurt Sweat flowed from my forehead to my chin

At moment, I finally knehy I came to the ramen shop – for Ayaka, and for myself

I raisedrelaxed

“Do you want practice some more?”

I shook my head

“Thank… you, that’s…… all for today”

I took off the bandages and handed it back to senpai,That’s quite natural, it’s because I’ht not feel this heat any more, but at least I could still stand up with my oo feet

“I’ll go look for Alice”

The room was dimly lit because of the tens of ht be because of her black, luscious hair, but it made her silhouette look just like a vase, and the vase was filled with stars in the galaxy

“This is the way that I express my sadness, because I do not know of any other way”

Alice said with her back againston th