Episode 39- Trauma is not easily forgotten

Golden Week is over and people are tormented by a nasty disease called May Sickness.
The holidays are over from today, and we have to go back to school life again.

When you couldn’t go, you wanted to go so much, but when going becomes a matter of course, going becomes a chore. Human beings are greedy creatures.

The problem of Kurase’s stalker, which occurred during the Golden Week holidays, has not progressed after all.
I had told Kurase to be careful since then, but she didn’t seem to have felt any eyes on her or received any suspicious items at home.

And about the person who was stalking Kurase in question.
According to Fujibayashi, Asagiri’s younger brother is the most likely candidate, but we were not able to hear anything about that from Asagiri during the Golden Week holidays.

In fact, when I sent her a line, she didn’t reply at all.

–I wondered if there was any point in exchanging lines with her.

This is the second time I’ve wondered this.
If I didn’t misread between the lines, she said when we exchanged lines that I could count on her when I was in trouble. No, she didn’t say that exactly though
But what was the point of not getting a reply?

[Please, asagiri! There’s a problem!]

No message could have been more brief or more succinct in its request for help. When I look at the screen of my phone, there is no ‘read’ there.

It hasn’t even been read. What, have I been blocked?
I have so few friends, I’m starting to get worried.

“When I get to school, I’ll definitely ask her why she’s been ignoring me. And I’ll complain about it.”

I’ve set my first goal after Golden Week.
And yet …….

“Why aren’t you at school?”

I muttered to myself as I looked at the seat next to me.
I’m worried that only one person has not finished Golden Week.

I look out the window during class. The sky was overcast, even though it was the end of the vacations, and it made me feel even more depressed. I want to go home.

“Fuaa….”

I even yawn. My head hurts.

“Ito. You’ve got some nerve yawning in my class. Try to solve this problem.”
“…………”

Really, nothing good has happened since the vacations. ……

◆

It was Monday, the day after Golden Week.
I changed into my school uniform as usual and headed to school.

The only difference was that first thing in the morning, my younger brother – Yuto – had come to the station to see me off to go home.
Originally, I had planned to return home on the last day of Golden Week, but due to circumstances at my parents’ house, it was today morning.

However, I was supposed to see him off at the station and say goodbye, but he didn’t want to enter the ticket gate.

“What’s wrong, Yuto?”
“Hey, let’s just skip this and go somewhere to have fun, okay?”
“What are you saying? No… …… Yuto has school, too, right?”
“I’m a high achiever, so I can handle it for a day or so. Yeah? It’s okay, right?”
“But ……”
“It’s fine.”

In the end, I was swayed by the train without being influenced by Yuto, skipped school and came to a different place.

During the Golden Week, I should have been taken to many places all over the place …… I couldn’t shake my head at Yuto’s request.

But I really didn’t want to come to this place. And I didn’t think I’d ever come back.

“It hasn’t changed,…….””

The place where I landed for the first time in five years is also the place where I was born and raised.
The days of nostalgia and pain come back to me.

As usual, the number of people is incomparable to the town of Mizuhara.
Nagahama is also a prosperous town, but it was nothing compared to this place. In front of the station, many buildings are lined up and going to the sky.

I …… feel like I’m going to get sick

In many ways I was feeling worse for wear.
In many ways. Even just for the sake of it, I am not good at crowded places. Nevertheless, I was tired of being in all those places this Golden Week.

“Well, nee chan. Let’s take a break around here.”
“Yes.”

I went into the café as Yuto urged me. I was tired from all the walking. It was already past noon.
It was midday and the café was full of office workers and office ladies having lunch, so it was hard to find a seat to sit down.

“finally got a seat,”
“Yeah, I’m going to go order ……. What do you want?”
” I’ll go do it, You must be tired. I’ll do it. What do you want?”
“…….Umm”
“Do you want me to pick one out for you?”
“…… please.”

Unusually, I was at a loss for words at Yuto’s kind suggestion. I left it to Yuto as it was and decided to sit in my chair and wait for it.

“Phew. …….”

I finally took a break after watching Yuto get in line at the checkout counter.

This Golden Week was very difficult for me because Yuto took me around.
Especially when he went to Nagahama before. As usual, Yuto’s wildness has always pushed me around.

“Oh, my smartphone…”

While waiting for Yuto, I turned my phone back on.
I had turned it off for most of the Golden Week.
The reason was because Yuto had asked me to do so. He didn’t want me to look at my phone all the time and not pay attention to him.

When I turned on my phone, there were a few notifications piling up on my line.
Nanami also contacted me.
It feels strange to live in the same place and not be in touch for so long.

“I have to apologize to Nanami again.”

She invited me to hang out with her, but I turned her down. Today, too, I took the day off without permission and ignored Nanami’s call of concern.
I was feeling a bit like I wanted to see Nanami.

“Ah, that guy also contacted me…….”

It is rare that I receive a call from someone other than Nanami. To begin with, I don’t have any contact information other than Nanami’s.
When I think about it, this is the first time I’ve heard from him since we exchanged contact information.

[please, Asagiri!! We’re in trouble!]

“What’s this?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the message, which was sent in a strange tone. I thought, this is not like him.

“Huh……?”

I was thinking about it, Yuto hasn’t come back for a long time after sitting down.

I looked at the cashier and didn’t see anything that looked like Yuto.
I wonder where …… he went? The bathroom?

I looked down at my phone to call Yuto, and then I saw someone’s shadow.
I noticed it and looked up.

“───. W-Why?”
“What is she doing here?”

There she was – mymother.

She stood and stared at me for a while.

“Heeee. You have the good sense to skip school on a weekday.”
“…..I-I’m sorry.”

My voice trembled. I couldn’t help but to speak in an honorific tone of voice. She sat down in front of me and crossed her legs in an overbearing manner.

“I heard there’s Yuto here.”

……What in the world?

“I-I don’t know …….”

I lied as quickly as I could.

“Don’t play dumb. I’m sure you’re the one who took Yuto out!”
“…..”

Suddenly, the yelling voice is made, and I shrink back.
…….I’m afraid

The others caught on to the loud voice and glanced at me.

“Unlike you, he is a good boy. He would never leave the house without telling me. Do you understand?”
“…………”
“It’s true that his grades might be a little low right now, but if he focuses on his studies for the entrance exam, he’ll get better soon.”
“Eh ……? Yuto, your grades are bad ……?”

She stared at me, and my voice became quieter.
This is not what I had heard from Yuto. Yuto always excelled and got good grades,…… unlike me,…….

“But you, you’ve been taking him out at such an important time of the year,……, and you’ve been getting in our way.”
“Well, I’m not getting in the way of …… your life.”
“Hmph. I know that Yuto was at my mom’s house. I know it’s an important time of the year and you’ve been taking him around during the Golden Week holidays. That’s enough.”
“T-That’s because Yuto is ……”
“Shut up!”
“—-“
“……!”

The sound of banging on the desk frightened me.
Then, an incoming call rings on Mother’s cell phone. The mother picked up the phone without hesitation. Then she started to talk about something.
She was talking to someone from work, but her high-pressure way of speaking was still the same.

“Yes. Do that. I’ll call you back.”

She hung up immediately and turned around to face me again.
I couldn’t stop shaking.

“Anyway, tell him to come back as soon as you find Yuto. I don’t expect anything from you, but you can do that much.”

With that, she left.

For a while after she left, I couldn’t move from that spot.
A drop of water dripped onto my desk and spread.

My phone shook.

I forgot something, so I’m going back to my grandma’s house to pick it up.

That was the message from Yuto.

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