Volume 2 - CH 1.2

[Kouki Mihou PoV]

I enter a fast food restaurant and quickly place my order when I find the person I am looking for.

“Ou, Kouki, you look well.”

“It’s been a while. Senpai also seems to be doing well.”

“These days, I can’t eat a large size of fries by myself anymore. I realize I’m not getting any younger. Come on, you should eat too.”

“You are only one year older than me, what are you talking about?”

My face naturally breaks into tears at the sight of the nostalgic figure. He is one year older than me and was a member of the same basketball team in junior high school.

After entering high school, he is still a regular on the basketball team at a strong school.

“How are you doing lately?”

A vague question. I was enjoying these conversations and had so much to talk about.

“Every day, We break our noses”

“You do? Haa, there are some pretty amazing guys out there.”

I was screaming with muscle pain all over my body after he beat me. However, the pain is so pleasant that it’s unbearable. It was a craving that had long since been forgotten, a craving that was welling up inside of me.

“I found that guy.”

A common understanding between us. For us, there is only one “that guy”.

“That guy? …… I see, that guy. You finally found the one we’ve been chasing!”

Daigo Senpai leans forward. I remember the unforgettable summer when I cried in frustration with my seniors.

His dream was dashed and he was blocked by a guy who was a sophomore at the time, just like me.

A lover. I was convinced that it was an odd thing to say. After losing to him, we may have fallen in yearning for him. We had a longing for him.

We swore that we would defeat him and avenge our seniors, but we never got that chance.

“At that time he broke his arm.”

“Broken arm huh……. I guess it can’t be helped”

Third year summer. The older students who had come to cheer us on must have been disappointed.

We made it to the nationals, but in the midst of the jubilation, the presence of that guy lingered in our minds, smoldering forever and ever. The regret of that summer.

It’s not that I resented him. On the contrary. Every day was just fun.

I wanted to go to the nationals. That was my goal, but above all, I was absorbed in the fact that there was an opponent I wanted to win against and a wall I had to overcome. I spent time with the seniors who practiced hard for that. The time I spent after the seniors graduated and I was in a position to lead the team.

It was fulfilling. It was a glorious time of my youth. It may sound clichéd and adolescent if I put it into words. But that’s what youth is all about, isn’t it?

I could only be grateful to him for giving me that time. That’s why I can’t allow it.

The environment he is in now. He is being unfairly degraded.

“So you’re going to keep playing basketball? This is something to look forward to. Oh yeah, I see you’re now at the same school as him. I’ll have to talk to my advisor and see if we can set up a practice game.”

“I’m not good enough to play with Senpai yet.”

“Oh. “yet” means that you are planning to do so.”

“He doesn’t seem too interested in the match, though. I’ll go even if I have to pull him.”

“What kind of a guy is he, really?”

After digging deeper into his personality, I couldn’t find a good description of him.

He is always surrounded by people, even though his words, attitude, and actions reject others. I am aware that I am one of them.

If I think about why this is, perhaps it is because no matter how much he rejects others, there is no emotional hatred in his rejection.

People are sensitive to the subtleties of emotion. They would never approach a person they dislike without a reason. But he doesn’t hate anyone. It is as if no such feelings exist in the first place. That’s why I want to get close to him. I want to touch him.

Otherwise, there is no way that a wary Shakado would be attracted to him.

And once you touch him, you want to stay by his side.

The container must be huge. Tremendously, so much so that it can take it all in.

He’s like a guy who can’t be left alone because he’s so contrary to everything else.

“He’s like a guy who can’t be left alone because everything is against him.”

“What the hell? But, well, I’m starting to look forward to it too. Then I’ll be waiting for you, Kouki.”

“I won’t make you wait that long.”

“You look excited like a schoolboy, you’re a little different too.”

“Is that so? I don’t recognize it myself.”

“You were more abrasive in junior high.”

“I’m a lot more open-minded now.”

“Oi, oi, stop with the male tsundere, it’s not cool.”

Hey, Yukito. I wonder what I look like now. You may not be into it, but I want to chase my dream again. This time with you, in a high school environment. I finally got to meet you. I’d be happy to hang out with you for a while.

I think about the next three years. I am sure there will be many happy days ahead.

After that, I continued to enjoy a moment of rest with Daigo Senpai, reporting on recent events and chatting about trivial matters.

[Shiori PoV]

“It’s not weird, right ……?”

I check in the hand mirror and tie my hair up lightly.

“Don’t get carried away, Shiori Kamishiro!”

I scolded myself, and to calm my racing heart, I pulled out my wristwatch from my baggage.

The glass was cracked and the bezel was peeling paint. No hands move anymore.

It had long since lost its function as a watch. It was a gift from my grandfather to commemorate the day I became a junior high school student. I broke it within three years.

I’m sorry I didn’t take good care of it. I murmured in my heart and gently stroked it. I kept it for a long time without throwing it away. I couldn’t throw it away.

When I fell from on the bridge, Yuki protected me. I wasn’t hurt, but I must have hit the ground hard, and it was broken by the impact.

The time engraved on it is from that moment. The time when I foolishly took everything from Yuki.

That is why I carry it with me always. It is a reminder. To remember what I did.

Waiting for Yuki after club activities. I was so happy during this time. It was scary because I was happy.

Afraid that I would lose him again. I was afraid that I would make a mistake again.

It’s no wonder he hates me. It didn’t matter if he hated me. I was not surprised that I was rejected and condemned, that he didn’t even want to look at me.

I had done that much.

Yuki is so kind, kinder than anyone else, and he still gives me happy times like this. And yet, I can’t allow anyone to speak ill of Yuki!

Many people do not think well of Yuki. This is especially evident in the riot. It’s not that it has developed into violence or bullying. It’s just that somehow, I’ve felt that kind of atmosphere more and more.

What I couldn’t tolerate was people saying bad things about Yuki while claiming to be concerned about me. I was struggling to hold back the urge to lash out.

……I guess that’s what they say about the outcasts. I can’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. There is no hammer that can strike Yuki. If you do that, you will only get yourself torn to pieces.

Strong resentment. A black urge wells up in my chest. Because of Yuki’s help, no one else was hurt, not Suzurikawa-san, not Sato-san, not Miyahara-kun, nor anyone else.

Everyone is grateful to Yuki. And yet, people speak ill of him without knowing anything about him.

This is painful, infuriating, and unforgivable. If there is anything I can do, I will do something about this situation.

The only thing I can do is to repay his kindness so that Yuki will never be alone, so that he can have a good time at school.

“What’s wrong, missed what? What’s broken?”

I turn around in a panic at the sound of Yuki’s voice. I hesitate, trying to hide my impatience.

I love you, I want to fix things up. I love you, I try to make myself look good. I love you, I want you to look at me. I love you, I don’t want to make you worry. I love you, so I deceived you, I love you, so I lied to you.

A series of small lies accumulated like that lead to an irreversible situation someday.

I decided that I will never lie to Yuki again, remember!

I’ll tell Yuki about this blur in my chest and about the watch. He is always kind, and he always listens to me, no matter how ridiculous my story is. He will give me answers if I need them, hints if I’m missing something, and think with me if I don’t understand something. That’s why…

“This watch was broken that day.”

Without pretending to be someone I am not, I face him as I am. That is the answer for me as a person who has grown up.

[Yukito PoV]

“…..I see. It looks like it would be difficult to repair it.”

“No, I won’t fix it. It’s fine as it is. I musn’t forget”

The watch in Shiori’s hand was familiar. I remember she always wore it when we were in junior high school. I hadn’t seen it since we met again in high school, but I had no idea it was broken. It seemed it had also broken when she fell on the bridge. I held on to it as quickly as I could and felt relieved that I had managed to keep it from hurting her, but I guess I couldn’t even protect the watch.

The watch was a gift from her grandfather, and it was a very important one. I’m sorry.

“I wish I had done better. …… I’m sorry.”

“No way! Yuki didn’t do anything wrong!”

I wonder if the accident was traumatic for Shiori, and no matter how many times I say I don’t care, it’s probably not something that would easily convince her.

But she can’t move on if she keeps worrying about it. She has remained stagnant at the time indicated by the static clock. Even Shiori has the right to enter high school and enjoy the time of her glorious youth. The limited time of only three years, which is only now.

“That’s right! Then I’ll buy you a watch as a gift.”

“…… Eh? Stop it, Yuki. You don’t have to give me such an expensive one!”

“Wait, wait. The money is not a problem. I’m having trouble using it. Actually…”

I came up with an ingenious idea. When I was hospitalized with a broken bone, Shiori’s parents apologized to me and almost gave me a substantial amount of money for my hospitalization as well as a consolation payment. I was not willing to accept the money, so I declined, but they were not satisfied with that, so I ended up receiving a little extra in the form of hospitalization charges on top of the hospital fee.

I had neglected to do so, but I was sure Shiori’s parents would be happy if I used it for their daughter. If it would help her to move forward, there was no better use for the money. I was happy to explain this, but Shiori was not convinced.

“Don’t ever, ever do that! That money is for Yuki–“

“I’ve decided to spend it on you. Don’t complain about how it’s being used.”

“I can’t be happy about that. ……”

I was proud of myself for thinking it was a good idea, but by the looks of things, it was unlikely she would accept it.

I think about this when I see Shiori’s anxious look on her face. Once a relationship is broken, it can never be restored. She could not remain the same, and she had to change. It was me who made her do it.

If that’s the case, all I can do is to make her feel a little better.

“Then, I’ll make you a watch. Not a pre-made one, but a unique watch for you.

“Make ……? Yuki……?”

“I’d like to make the parts by hand from scratch, but that’s going to take a long time and be difficult, so that’s something I’ll have to work on. Better hurry. DIY”

“Hey, hey Yuki! I’m not that–“

Pushing Shiori’s back, who resisted, I made her walk.

Once again, so that she can smile carefree.

It is early in the morning for a watchmaker. Lies, I’m just a high school studenttttttt! I teased.

The classroom is quiet in the early morning. For the past few days, I arrive at school about 30 minutes early and get to work.

Tools such as precision screwdrivers, tweezers, and three-point openers are scattered on the desk. The tool set was surprisingly inexpensive. The set can be used for repairs and battery replacement, so it’s good to have.

“You look sleepy. You don’t have to go out of your way to keep me company, you know?”

“Yuki is here early, and I can’t just ignore you. You know, why did you decide to assemble it at school?”

“What if my s-s-s-sister finds out while I’m working on it at home!”

My hands trembled with fear. If she finds out, I’m sure she’ll be in a bad mood. (Reference example)

[Ha? Why don’t you have one for me? Are you licking me?]

[I didn’t lick …….]

[Why aren’t you licking it?]

[What are you talking about……]

[Hmm.]

[…………]

[I’m gonna put honey on it.]

[Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]

This is too scary. …… If anything, I feel like she’s been in my room more often than me lately. She’s definitely going to find out. It’s impossible to fool around.

Anyway, it took me a long time to get all this together after I decided to make it on my own. I apologize for making her wait so long. I hope this can be forgiven because I’m a bit of an obsessive person.

I chose each part according to Shiori’s preferences, but I also decided that it would be boring to make compromises, so I decided on detailed specifications and placed an order, so the cost was reasonable.

I was lucky that I had a large budget for this project. Secretly, it was close to six figures.

Shiori’s birthday is in July. I made a part of the dial with pieces of ruby and sphane, her birthstone. What makes it unique is that, at Shiori’s request, the time of the accident is embedded as an in-dial, although it has no actual function like a chronograph.

I then decided to transplant some parts from a broken wristwatch.

Considering the original purpose of the project, I was worried that Shiori would feel gloomy every time she looked at the watch, but she was adamant and would not budge.

Since this was my first attempt, I did not equip the watch with any complicated functions. It simply displays the time. Even so, it became a special wristwatch, the only one of its kind in the world.

The hour, minute, and second hands were stacked so that they were parallel to each other. This process was very difficult. After carefully blowing to prevent dust and dirt from entering the case, the sapphire glass case is attached and the back cover is fitted. After all this, all that was left was to put on the belt.

“It’s working, Yuki!”

“I did better than I thought I would. Congratulations.”

Fue, finally, a weight was lifted from my shoulders. If I fail in this, I’ll be in deep trouble. I took a deep breath and straightened my back. I was tired because I had been concentrating so hard, but it was a pleasant kind of fatigue.

When I turned to Shiori, she was sobbing. What the hell is going on?

“What’s wrong? Is there something you don’t like about it?”

“No! I can’t return anything to Yuki even though you’ve been so kind to me…….”

“I’m not asking for anything in return.”

“But!”

The ponytail was also crying with sadness. Pon pon, I pat her head.

“If that’s the case, stop blaming yourself already. You should move on with your time.”

“Thank you……. I will treasure it forever.”

“Shiori, don’t make the mistake of valuing things. You cannot replace or repair it. If you hurt yourself, you may have a scar that will never heal, or you may be left with a disability. You are not a thing.”

“—Yes”

“Thank God you’re not hurt.”

“Ugh……gu…… sorry, I’m sorry!”

In a classroom of just the two of us, she cried like a little girl.

She was crying like this when I was injured.

But I wanted to think that the tears she is shedding now are different from the tears she shed that day.