Episode 30 – A Farewell Gift To Me On That Day

Scenes of that moment run through my brain. Shivers and chills overtook me, and nausea came over me as if the flow of blood had stopped.

“Haha, I honestly had my doubts, but your face looks like you’re for real.:

“……How did you.”

“I got a tip. From someone who hates you.”

He had a sickening smile on his face. The man, Riku, was also worried when he saw me competing with Kai, but it seems that Kai’s confidence has been restored and he is now completely at his ease.

“We’ve cornered a lot of guys up until now. They’re just as scared as you are right now. Now, let’s put the past behind and go for round two.”

“What are you, saying……”

“At first, I thought I’d use this as a joke to threaten you, but I completely changed my mind because of you, Senpai. If I don’t hurt you just a little, I can’t be satisfied.”

Kai was excited earlier, but gradually regained his composure. On the other hand, my heart was beating loudly all the time. I was not expecting to hear him mention about that time here.

“Don’t worry, you won’t die. It’s just a little pain in the upper and lower parts of your body. That is, if you’re a virgin.”

“I’ll leave it to you, Kai. I’m still hurting my eyes. I’ll be there in a little while.”

“Oh, I’ll take care of it.”

Kai then switched back into battle mode. But I can’t switch my mind immediately. I can’t get my body to follow me when I remember that time.

(Kuh… at times like this)

I’m strong. I’m different from that time.

No matter how many times I have tried to self-medicate, I could not change. I must have become dependent on him in the first half of my middle school years, and I was no longer able to walk on my own. And it continues to this day.

No, it may be worse than in the past because I have lost the opportunity to be involved with the extraordinary since his disappearance.

I couldn’t get over my past trauma.

“What’s the matter? You look pale.”

“Hey, hey, you ain’t gonna run away now or say something cold, are you?”

Kai and Riku grinning. Then Kai stepped under me. I tried to deal with it somehow, but when I realized it, he grabbed me by the shoulder.

(Damn it, I let my guard down……)

I try to shake it off hastily, but I stiffen, unable to compete with Kai’s overwhelming power. He put all his strength into his arm and said, .

“Well, let’s have some fun……!”

Kai pulled me back and blasted me toward the bookshelf with all his might using centrifugal force. I fell down into the bookshelf as hard as I could.

“Ugh.”

I hit my back against the hard part of the bookshelf and for a moment I couldn’t breathe. Moreover, the books that fell down hit my head and shoulders, and I felt a tingling sensation where they hit. I was greatly damaged in this one moment. I glared at Kai as I kneeled on the floor.

“Totally…violent.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you,…….come on, let’s dance !”

Then Kai kicked me vigorously. I avoided it by twisting my body and tried to counter kick him with my right foot which floated on his dovetail. But.

“Ha, you’ll never get me twice.”

“Ugh !?”

My kick was easily caught, and he grabbed my leg as it was. Furthermore…..

“Oi, oi, don’t let me down, Vice prez ! !”

“Aaagh !?”

What pure strength. My right leg is being tightened by his hand. My bones creak, and a dull pain signal hits my brain.

“S-stop…don’t do it !”

“Oops !”

I shoved my gripped leg in and forcefully kicked him in the stomach. It was a slight impact, but I managed to escape with the momentary gap when the restraint on my hands was loosened.

(My bones look fine.)

I thought it was at least cracked, but I could still move with it. I got a blue bruise, but this is still acceptable. I’m sure I can run if I can endure the pain.

“Seriously, even though you’re a bullied child, you’re so stubborn.”

“……!”

It’s bad, my body is starting to stiffen up again. When the darkness of the past hits me, I can’t move. This is my, Shinkai Sakura’s big weakness..

“Heh, it seems like saying this will work. Was my intuition correct?”

“Who’s the……bullied child?”

I try to fake a wry smile, but I can’t seem to get it right. It’s funny, I thought I was pretty confident and well known for controlling my facial expressions.

“No, you’re a genuine bullied child. I will guarantee you. You will go back to that time again.”

“!?”

A tremendous chill ran through my body. But I mustn’t just give up the freedom of my body here. Then, it would be the same as that time…..

(Even I….Even, I !)

If I’m prepared, I did it twice on that school rooftop. Then I know what I have to do.

Walking while resisting. Even if I’m all alone.

“Well, I’m gonna do you last, don’t worry. Until then, be my sandbag at best. If you stay still, I might go easy on you.”

“Do I look like a woman who obeys such words?”

“Hahaha, that’s right !”

Then the battle resumed. Thanks to Kai’s useless talk, I was able to relax enough to move around a little.

“Shhh !”

“?!”

Kai thrusts his fist out from the front. It’s rather crude, but I guess a collapsed fist thrust would be a more appropriate term. It looks as lame as possible, but its power is much more powerful than most punches.

“…..Puh !”

Right now, I don’t have the muscle strength to catch it head on. That’s why I put all my attention into evasion and parry. I use my hands and arms to block fists that are thrust at me from the front, and I backstep instead of countering with my hands and arms. I knew that the more I was brought into close combat, the more disadvantageous it would be for me. If that was the case, I would let him attack to some extent until I could bring him into exhaustion.

[If you meet an opponent who is superior to you, don’t hesitate to run away, right?]

(Shut up, you’re so noisy !?)

Since I started fighting him, the voice of my nemesis echoed in my mind. It’s been a long time since I myself have done anything resembling kumite, so when I recalled a bit of that time, that man’s voice came in with me.

[Running away doesn’t mean losing. As long as you can survive the situation, you can create unlimited possibilities for the future.]

(If I could escape, I would !)

I go into a state of extreme concentration, but I also scrub away the memory of the man that is unnecessary. What I need now is the skill and technique to cross over  the man in front of me. Remember. What did I learn in those days……

“Hey, hey, you’re boring me if you keep avoiding me ! !”

“Kuh !”

Even though you can think in parallel, the threat in front of you is powerful enough to block it. I said I would bring him to an exhaustion, but at this rate, I will be killed before I can do that.

(If this continues……)

[That’s why you can’t change forever.]

“! !”

I dodged the approaching fist by bending down, sticking out my shoulder and thrust into Kai with all my might.

“What !?”

He was probably surprised by this unexpected counter attack. Kai’s face was stained with surprise as he lost his balance and fell backwards. I grabbed him by the hem of his uniform and slammed him to the ground with all my might.

“Gah !?”

I knee kick him again in his dovetail. The impact from the front and back of his torso would keep him still for a little while. Then I jumped up and started running, stepping on Kai’s face.

“Hey, wait  ! !”

Riku, who had never touched me, stood in my path. But…

“Your feet…..are open, right?”

“Huh?”

Riku probably didn’t know what was going on. He was looking at the ceiling when he came to his senses. And just like that, his back hits the floor vigorously.

“Guoo !?”

And then he tries to stand up again while showing a gesture as if his body is hurting. Well, it seems that he has guts. However, seeing that he could not get up, he must have suffered a lot of damage.

It may have happened in an instant. But……now, I was able to stand on the stage where Tachibana Kanata was. He said that when people are pushed to the limit, it’s only then that all the hard work they have put in over the years comes to fruition.

I may have graduated from that man in the true sense of the word.

(Even so, that man attacked me viciously at that time.)

Although it was a spur-of-the-moment technique and incomplete, I did a foot-sweep to get his feet off the ground, and then I kicked him lightly in the shoulder and rotated his torso sideways in mid-air. Then, I would give them momentum and have them fall to the ground on their backs.

At the very least, it’s not a technique that boys should be allowed to use on girls, and there is a risk of breaking the spine. If it’s done badly, it could result in an accidental head injury……

(Hm, but the pain I felt at that time was not so much……)

An attack as spectacular as that would have done as much damage as Riku in front of me. But that time, I only felt a light shock……

“You stepped on my face, you…..”

“!?”

I turned around and saw that Kai had already gotten up. If I continue to fight like this, I will only suffer a one-sided loss. I ran towards the door and tried to unlock it and escape.

(If I escape like this, I win……)

But something was wrong. Hm, this door….why is there glue in the doorknob…..

“……Are you done yet?”

[ [ [ !?] ] ]

This is the first voice I’ve heard in all of our previous interactions. No, no, this voice just recently…

”What, W-who the hell are you !? How long have you been there !”

There was a man standing there.

His hair was long and his eyes could not be seen clearly, but an eerie, distorted atmosphere enveloped him. At first glance, he looks as if he would hesitate to get involved, but I have met him once.

Yes, I believe it was President Haruka’s ……

“You’re from that time !”

Then Kai and Riku are also surprised to see that person’s face. Perhaps they had met once somewhere. But it doesn’t matter.

(Why is he ……)

Could it be that he had seen everything? If so, since when…..

(……Shiina kun)

The younger brother of the student council president, whom I respect, Shiina Kanata, was there.