Sakayanagi Volume 8 SS 2

                                                          That Summer Day



Early February. Just when I could feel the breath of spring. I held a warm can of coffee in my hands. Since the can happens to be very hot, I took out my handkerchief and wrapped it around the can.
"Hey, I want to hear it upfront".
"Ara. What might the matter be?".
While watching me, Masumi-san said so.

"You seem to be carrying around quite a lot of stuff but isn't that brown handkerchief for boys?".
"Does it not suit me?".
"To be honest, no".
"I don't really dislike how Masumi-san's not one to mince words".
I laughed thinly and glanced at the handkerchief. Certainly, it's a very plain and simple one meant for boys that it's hard to say I'd normally be interested in it.

"This is not mine. So it's no surprise it doesn't suit me. Shall I say it's something I borrowed?".
"Borrowing a handkerchief.....what's with that? Isn't that a bit creepy?".
"Fufu. Maybe".
"But you're laughing......".

I first encountered this handkerchief before I enrolled at the Advanced Nurturing High School. Let's go back to when I was a 3rd year in middle school and the summer vacation of that time.
Calling it a summer adventure, I got onto a train alone and travelled to a sea far away. A place I used to visit many times as a child but grew apart from as I grew older. Since I can't swim, it's a place I had no business being at. I used to think that in those days but now that I've enrolled in high school, that's become a fond memory for me.

I realized that there's plenty of value even in simply admiring the rippling waves of the sea. But I realize too that a cripple like me would find it difficult to walk down the beach and so I settled for gazing at it from the paved road along the coast. To protect myself from the blazing summer sun, I made sure to wear a white hat.
However---
"Ahh------".
Not too long after that, along with a breeze, the white hat I had been wearing flew off into the sky. I panicked and reached out but a cripple like myself couldn't possibly reach it and it flew towards the beach.

"......a mischief of the wind, I suppose? There's no other choice then".
That hat is a precious belonging of mine that my father bought for me. I need to go pick it up somehow.

I decided to take a detour down to the beach while bathing directly in the sun's rays that I'm not used to. However, the blazing sun sapped away more of my strength than I had expected.
"Honestly.....I'm no good when it comes to doing anything physical".
Feeling very dizzy, I collapsed as soon as I arrived at a bench with a roof over it near the lighthouse.
Even at this very moment, my hat may be blown further out to sea. That was what I thought but my body simply won't listen to me. Then let's have a short break.

I thought that and decided to cool myself down on the bench. I wonder how much time's passed since then. I felt a cool sensation on my neck and opened my eyes. It would appear I fell asleep.
The fact that I've been walking long distances must be one of the causes of that.
".......this is........".
Both my hat that had flown off and a wet handkerchief that had been placed on my neck were there.

To prevent the hat from flying off again, an unopened bottle of mineral water had been placed on the rim of the hat.

When I looked around, I saw a boy walking away alone. Judging from his physique and his height, he's my age or maybe slightly older. It would appear he's taken appropriate measures to guard against the risk of heatstroke but......that boy left without even seeking any gratitude from me.
For some reason, his retreating back didn't seem familiar to me and so I eliminated that possibility.
Because there's no way 'he' could be here in the outside world.

"I want to see you......Ayanokouji-kun".
I unconsciously whispered that.
I want to see him with my own eyes since I was only able to see him through the glass.
I want to hear his voice.
I want to touch him.
And then I want to break him.

I wonder what this emotion, this urge, filling my heart is. I'm sure the answer to that can only be found in making contact with Ayanokouji-kun.

Please......I hope to meet you again someday.

While looking at that boy's back, I prayed.