Volume E Chapter 4

Volume E Chapter 4

[And then, the thing that Yuigahama Yui received is]

In the end, the marathon quietly progressed with no changes to my plans of laying or sleeping on the ground.
After my collapse, I stayed on my back for a while. Totsuka did come to help me up, but since I couldn’t bother him more than I already had, I had him go on ahead. I managed to make it to the goal, dragging my hurt leg by myself.
For the most part, I didn’t place last, but for the last spurt, I had joined the very last group of the marathon and made frantic efforts at the moment of the goal. It’s to the point I checked around wondering, “I don’t need to make it to the goal anymore, right…?” By the way, the one who answered me was Zaimokuza who was running together with me at the end.
When we finished running, my trembling knees gave in and this was a good time for Nico Nico Nii…[1]
I checked my condition after falling over and was in terrible shape.
My knees and lower leg were grazed, my shorts were messy with mud, I was cramping around my butt area, my side was aching the entire time, and trying to find any part that didn’t hurt was difficult. In the first place, I was always a painful child, so if I could get even more hurt than this, it might actually be worth studying (it hurts).
If it wasn’t for cheering myself up halfway through with “Do your best ♡, do your best ♡”, I think my life would’ve turned into zero.
Of course, there’s no one waiting for me at the goal.
Rather, there’s just one gym teacher regretfully present near the goal site while everyone else seemed to be gathered at the square of the park.
I went over there to take a peek and they were right in the middle of a public ceremony event.
Usually, a marathon didn’t have an awards ceremony like this, but seeing that Isshiki was serving as the host of the event, the student council probably planned it in a hurry. Surprisingly, she was a capable individual. Isshiki Iroha was one to be feared.
“Now then, now that the results have been presented, we’d like to hear a general comment from our winners!” Isshiki spoke happily, holding a microphone that looked like she brought from the student council room. In the meantime, seeing the vice president adjust the speakers was a little surreal.
I quickly surveyed the area and the first and second year boys and girls couldn’t be distinguished from each other and were gathered here at the square of the park. People from my class such as Yuigahama, Miura, Ebina-san, Tobe, and Totsuka were in there as well.
As I watched from afar, Isshiki called forth the winner. “The winner, Hayama Hayato-san, please come up to the stage!”
When Hayama was called, he ascended onto the improvised stage wearing a laurel wreath. The gallery erupted into cheers. Actually, I can’t believe he seriously won…
“Hayama-senpai, congratulations for winning! I totally knew you were going to win, you knooow!”
“Thank you.”
Isshiki gave him a clear, bias greeting and Hayama answered with a refreshing smile.
“Now then, please give us a comment.”
After handing the microphone to Hayama, he was given applause and hand whistles followed by the start of the HA-YA-TO call. When she handed the microphone to Hayama, what followed were applause and hand whistling, and the start of the HA-YA-TO call. Tobe’s interjections of “Heeeeeya”, “Yeaaaaaah”, and “Yeah, yeah, yeah!” were incredibly annoying.
He waved at them with an embarrassed smile and began speaking.
“It was looking a little close in the middle of the marathon, but thanks to my good rivals and everyone’s cheering, I was able to make it to the end. Thank you very much,” said Hayama, stating without hesitation. He then paused for a moment. After spotting Miura in the crowd, he waved at her. “Especially Yumiko and Iroha… Thank you.”
Then, the cheering voices swelled even louder. Oooka whistled with his fingers while Yamato sent magnificent applause. As for Miura and Isshiki, they turned stiff from having their names suddenly called, but gradually started twisting their bodies in embarrassment and hung their heads with flushed cheeks. Hearing that, Ebina-san smacked Miura’s shoulders and grinned broadly.

When the onlookers saw Hayama’s warm gaze and the two’s reactions, they grew noisy. I see, so this is what he meant by bringing it to an end. So that’s the way you do things.
The winner continued further with his comment.
“After this, we’ll focus on our efforts on our club and do our best for our last tournament. Also, to the soccer members today, it seems like a lot of you ended up with poor results, so I’ll be whipping you guys into shape.”
Hayama directed a malicious smile at Tobe and his group. Tobe fell backwards with a “Whooooa~”.
“Hayato-kuuun, ya can’t do that! You gotta let us know that beforehand!”
Tobe raised his natural voice so it didn’t lose to the microphone and everyone exploded into “dowahaha” laughter. What a kind world this is…
“Okaaaay, thank you very much. And that was our winner, Hayama Hayato-san. Okay, round of applause… We don’t really need to bother with second place and the rest, right?”
Slipping in the loud applause was Isshiki’s needless confirmation to the vice president which got picked up entirely by the microphone. What the heck is she doing…?

Isshiki somehow managed to gloss over her slip and Hayama who descended down the stage had a friendly chat with Miura and the others.
The sense of distance they had before was no longer there. In fact, Miura was shrinking back, embarrassed by the gazes of the surroundings, and was hiding behind Yuigahama and Ebina-san’s back.
After making sure of that, I left the square of the park.
When I left the square, I encountered a group of people dismissing themselves at the same time. The boys and girls were having a trifling chat.
“Yeah, that rumor was just a lie, after all!” “Hayama-kun and Miura-san get along really well!” Watching them with a sidelong glance, I started to walk, dragging my staggering leg along.

“Ouch……”

I found a suitable place by the road to sit down and began inspecting my wound. Even my eyes started to hurt upon seeing my bloodstained wound. That wound is going to probably sting once I enter the bath.

Uwa--- As I moaned about the pain, I touched the wound gently, and groaned in pain once more. I then heard the sound of running footsteps. Hearing those urgent footsteps, I immediately knew who they belonged to.

“Hikki!”

“S’up.”

Yuigahama’s breathing seemed to be panting, having jogged all the way here. Taking deep breaths of air, she showed me the first-aid kit that she had brought along.

“I heard from Hayato-kun that Hikki might have hurt himself……”

“Huh? Why would he know about this?”

“Eh…… Didn’t you two run together? That’s what Hayato-kun said anyway.”

Yuigahama tilted her head, a surprised expression on her face.

There was indeed a period of time when I was running with him, but that was mostly during the starting part of it. Furthermore, that time when I fell was after Hayama and I had split up. Why would Hayama know about it? ……Oh! Don’t tell me Hayama has ESP?! Hmm.

As I thought about all these pointless things, Yuigahama squatted down and took out various items from the first-aid kit.

“Okay, Hikki, put your feet out.”

She slapped the floor as she said that.

“Ah, it’s just a small wound so you don’t really have to……”

As I said that, Yuigahama puffed out her cheeks. Hugging her knee, she looked at me with upturned eyes and didn’t answer me. Being stared at in that manner, I could only just obey her and do as I was told. ……Well, it did indeed hurt more than normal, so maybe I should get it looked at after all.

“……Then, sorry to impose on you then.”

“No problem!”

Yuigahama sounded happy for some reason and nodded her head energetically. As she hummed a song, she began to take out various medications from the first-aid kit. A bandage with disinfecting solution on it, ointment and compresses. Then, there were BAND-AID, KATTOBAND, SABIO……Hey wait, aren’t those all band-aids?! Come to think of it, why is she taking out the ointment and compresses for?

As I looked at her uneasily, Yuigahama first took the disinfection solution, struck up a pose with it and looked all fired up for some reason.

“Eh?”

In the same instant that I uttered that sound of doubt, the disinfectant squirted out like some pear juice, striking the wound directly.

“Ouch! OUCHH!!!! It stings, stings, stings! Oi, that was too violent!”

Following my cry of anguish, Yuigahama went, “Huh?” as she cocked her head. Hey, cocking your head now at this moment is weird. Also, what’s up with the ‘it’s only natural for survival treatment in the wild to be like this’ look? What, don’t tell me you were once a doctor on the battlefield? Are you Doctor SomethingJack? [2]

“Oh, whoops! Did it sting?”

“Y, Yes. Very much so……”

She had an apologetic look as she played with her bun of hair. In the meantime, I kept blowing at my wound. Although there was no particular meaning in doing this, I thought that it would somehow lessen the stinging pain. Ah even so, it still hurts as expected…… Tears came running out from the corner of my eyes and Yuigahama hanged her head, looking despondent.

“S, Sorry. Let me do it carefully once more.”

“It’s, it’s fine…… I am grateful for what you just did……”

Upon hearing me, Yuigahama raised her eye and chuckled. This time, with the help of tweezers, she picked up a piece of absorbent cotton gingerly and began treating the wound once more. Each time her clumsy hands touched the wound, it hurts as though someone just bit me lightly. At the same time, each time it happened, be it my feet or any part of my body, I could feel a sweet numbness coursing through.

So as to not notice it, I averted my eyes from the wound.

Right in front of me, I could see the top of Yuigahama’s head. Her expression was serious. The corners of her mouth ended off in a straight line as she began to start bandaging my wound with a serious look in her eyes.

I guess she probably wasn’t used to doing something like this. The bandage wrapped around my wound once, then twice. Her bun of hair shook in tandem with her motion, and I could smell the fragrance of shampoo and cologne as the wind blew.

We didn’t have any conversation in particular. All I did was stare at her, watching her every move. As she went about wrapping the bandage, I notice those cherry-colored lips as she hummed a song. Those sparkling eyes of hers. However, those eyebrows of hers wavered uneasily, and the pretty curves that her eyebrows made, temporarily morphed into the number 8 (八). Then, as though trying to hide her cold sweat, her delicate fingertips swept a tuft of her faint-peach colored hair behind her ear.

Even though we didn’t speak at all, I didn’t grow weary at all from looking at her ever-changing expressions.

Yuigahama snuck timid glances at me, looking very much like a puppy that had just been scolded. Oh, what have you done now? I took a look at the bandage and saw a very unsightly knot on it. One look at it was enough to know that she didn’t really know how to tie knots. It looked like some sort of wrinkled, shabby Mobius ring.

“A, ahaha…… Sorry, perhaps I am not too good at this sort of thing……”

I think so too. This girl, didn’t she suck at cooking too? How should I put it? She was obviously good when it comes to showing care and concern for others but she can be just so sloppy at times.

“S, sorry okay? If it was Yukinon she would’ve done a better job…… Hayato-kun seems to be looking for Yukinon now. She gave up halfway during the marathon and is now resting at the infirmary.”

Yuigahama cast a worried glance in the direction of the school. That was kind of expected, Yukinoshita had no stamina like always.

“……I see. Ah, it doesn’t matter anyway, this is fine. ……Thank you.”

I thanked her as I touched the bandage lightly. It was a little twisted, unsightly, messy scar. A ‘medal’ that was quite fitting for me.

However, Yuigahama didn’t seem satisfied with her work, and as thought to make up for it, extended her hand towards me.

“Well…… Take it.”

She touched the top of my shoulders gently, and then taking my arm, tried to help me to stand up.

Don’t just come near me all of a sudden, I nearly jumped up in fright there.

“You don’t really have to do that…… I can walk by myself……”

“But, you are hurt……”

Saying that, Yuigahama grabbed onto my shirt.

“Don’t, it’s all sweaty, you will get dirty.”

Not to mention that I was sweating like crazy even now. If you want to come closer, at least give me a heads-up…… If you had said something, I could try and avoid you at least.

However, upon seeing me trying to evade her, Yuigahama came closer once more.

“I don’t care about something as trivial as that.”

“But I do…… This wound is not really that serious anyway, so I’ll be fine on my own.”

Thereupon, I gently extricated the part of my shirt that was being grabbed onto. Thereupon, Yuigahama knit her eyebrows and pouted. Then, she started shaking the first-aid kit that she was holding in her other hand left and right.

“Hey.”

In the instant she said that, the pendulum-like first-aid kit struck my wound.

“Ou……ch……”

I let out a cry of anguish involuntarily and Yuigahama had a grin on her face. Then, she grabbed my arm by force and placed it around herself.

“It really hurts, huh?”

“Duh? Why did you attack me?”

Ignoring my question, Yuigahama pulled me along. Taking into account that act of violence just now, I guess I had no choice now but to follow her. …….Oh well, let it be this way then.

I obediently allowed her to pull me along, towards the direction of the school.

Then, Hayama and the rest passed by in front of us. A glance in my direction. In that instant, Hayama nodded his head lightly with a smile. It was as though his action was asking me if I had finally understood.

Ah, I understand now. This was what you said earlier, about your own way of doing things…… However, before I could nod my head in reply, Hayama found himself caught between both Miura and Isshiki and was then marched off by them.

Everyone was looking at Hayama, the center of the crowd. However, occasionally, there would be a few curious glances in my direction.

Because of that, I couldn’t calm myself down. My heart as well. My heart was pounding even faster than it was during the marathon. It was beating so hard that I thought I could almost hear it.

“Hey, Hikki.”

When I heard her, my heart jumped even more than before.

Without looking at Yuigahama’s face, I used my breathing as a form of reply. Thereupon, Yuigahama said it softly.

“About that rumor…… I thought, that maybe there was something I could do about it…… If I did this, then, perhaps the rest wouldn’t be so concerned about Hayato-kun’s rumor.”

“……Maybe so, but wouldn’t it create another rumor?”

Even as I said it, I was trying to suppress my voice, whereby its pitch was rising sharply. In response, Yuigahama shook her head.

“That’s fine.”

“It’s not……. It’s okay to treat an injured person kindly and all, but there’s a time and place for everything.”

“That’s not it, it’s not about having to be kind at all. It’s nothing like that”

She said those words with a degree of reservation, then she turned her head slightly, looking at me. The distance between us was so close now that our cheeks were almost touching, that the breaths we exhale would intertwine with each other. The moist eyes looking at the ground, the cheeks stained a bright red.

I always ended up with these expectations. And I always ended up with these misunderstandings. And before I knew it, I stopped hoping. That's why I will always hate nice girls.

However, as for those unkind girls, I no longer hate them.

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[1] Love Live: Yazawa Nico’s catchphrase.
[2] Black Jack. A 1970s manga.