Vol 2 Chapter 2 (1/2)

Chapter 2: Misgivings

Narita Yuzuru was the one waiting for him an hour later when he came out of the principle’s office

“Takaya”

“”

He sla, and kicked the wall for good measure

“Those assholes! Goddammit!”

“Takaya!”

He looked co been preached at for the entire hour Even at the best of tiht now glinted in his eyes

Takaya had been su a motorcycle to school

The school had received a report of the accident fro school regulations Takaya had endured a three-pronged attack from the principle, vice principle, and educational councilor (The homerooree said by the others)

In actuality, it was not without reason that the teachers had their eye on Takaya, a troublemaker as known for intractability and impertinence and a sometimes defiant, acrimonious attitude towards teachers And so even before the confrontation there had been mutual hatred between them

A few days earlier Takaya’s rebelliousness had risen to such levels that it had driven the new homeroom teacher to skip school He had taken the chance at thisnext to the other staff, to air out his complaints

This incident had become the perfect excuse

“Goddaoats! They went over every trivial little detail—I couldn’t stand their babbling! They toldthis incident’—can you believe that? If they’re selling gratitude so that they can feel good about themselves, I’d rather take the punishment”

“Takaya, listen”

“Those bastards think they’re so superior”

Takaya caainst the , looking up at the ceiling and sighing deeply

“I told the , and that they should stop treating me like a kid and what not They told me that I was responsible for my own damn personality, dammit”

“Did they really tell you that?”

“ Well” Takaya disgustedly brushed the hair out of his eyes “They were caught up in the moment and really let loose They said that a family’s circumstances didn’t matter at all, and even went into the whole ‘that’s why a one-parent household’blah blah blah”

“”

“What the hell does it have to do with them whether I have one parent or two?”

Yuzuru looked over at him anxiously

“Takaya”

“”

Takaya glared steadily out the , his expression ether and said brightly, “Hey, Takaya”

“?”

Yuzuru turned and held out a gym uniform and shoes to Takaya

“PE’s next—we have volleyball in the gye if you don’t hurry”

“”

Takaya looked at the uniforly

His expression changed just a little

“Thanks”

They walked down the corridor together

“By the way, Yuzuru”

“Hmm?”

“You haven’t heard of a guy called Chiaki Shuuhei, have you?”

“Eh?”

Yuzuru looked at Takaya, bewildered

“What about Chiaki?”

(He really does)

He groaned unthinkingly

“Ah— Well Um” Takaya scratched his head “What was What was Chiaki’s student nuain?”

“Chiaki’s student number? Uuumlet’s see What was it? Hmm, it’s slipped my mind all of a sudden”

Yuzuru began to grope after the memory

“I’m fifteen, soToht? That’s after ”Ta” Fourteen, thirteenmaybe twelve?

(Huh?)

Takaya thought it dubious

Taniguchi, Teduka

(That’s strange)

“It must be twelve, but why do you need to know?”

“Ah, it’s nothing” Takaya shook his head, still caught up in thought

(Tanaka, Taniguchi, Teduka After Taniguchi is Teduka There’s no one between them)

Strange

Wasn’t it strange?

“Anyway, Takaya, we only have about two more minutes Shouldn’t we hurry?”

“Huh Where’s your uniform?”

“I have a checkup today” Yuzuru s well recently, and for soet tired really quickly My club activities have been busy too, and I can’t really stay ho for these checkups”

“Hmm”

Now that Yuzuru had mentioned it, his face did look rather pale, and he seemed somehow listless

(So he’s feeling unwell?)

“You haven’t caught soen’s next-in-linelike Kasuga no Tsubone, maybe?”

“Don’t say weird things like that”

It scared hi with him

“Are you really all right?”

“Yeah And it’s different this ti unwell”

“Yeah?”

Yuzuru shtly “Jeez You’re such a ort, Takaya Co to be here soon, and then you’re going to be late again”

“Argh”, Takaya groaned, and began to descend the stairs

Though—in the end Takaya didn’t make it in time to roll-call after all

They were having a volleyball ymnasium today PE was separate for male and female students; four teams were formed, determined previously within the class

Takaya’s team acted as referees in the first match Takaya entrusted that task to his tea the wall He eyes darted here and there, chasing his classmates as if to confirm their identities

(I know all of them, their names and their faces)

Of the four teams, there was not a face he did not know

With a single exception

(Chiaki Shuuhei—)

He, too, was there Participating in the match as if he were really a member of the class But he was an outsider noelse seeround as he focused his attention on that single person, but none of his surrounding class amiss around Chiaki They chatted with him as if he just were another friend

Takaya appeared to be the only one who thought anything was odd

(Or is it really ot a loose wire somewhere?)

He asked a few people: “Is he really in our class?”

Everyone he asked gave him a uniformly blank look and replied,

“What, is that a new joke?”

Or:

“Did you have a fight with Chiaki or so?”

Or: “You should go ho Takaya’s forehead

And there were also those who undertook to give him advice

In the end, the sa about?

“He’s been with us since our first year!”

That’s what everybody said

But Takaya couldn’t re hiht about it, he ca

If everyone else was right, then Takaya was the one as off his rocker

He i He didn’t re his head when he’d fallen, but it wasn’t like he could recall each and every second of the accident

But for argument’s sake, even if his memories had been knocked out of him

(I re else; it’s just that one person that I don’t know at all—is that even possible?)

Only thehim had slipped clean out of his head

Takaya’s brows knitted

(Why is it that I’ve only forgotten Chiaki Shuuhei?)

That was completely unnatural, wasn’t it?

“Hey! Ougi! Did so?”

He let his head fall back It was one of his classmates, Yazaki

“Who’re are you calling amnesic?”

“That’s what everybody’s saying You had an accident this ht? There really are people who lose their memories because they hit their head That’s pretty cool, chump”

“You lookin’ for a beating or so?”

“Hey, hey,” Yazaki said, and took a seat next to Takaya “So what’s it feel like to be amnesic?”

“If you wanna know, go make yourself into one”

“We joke about it, but otten by one of his best friend like that, that’s the worst Poor Chiaki”

Takaya jerked

“Wh Best friend? Who the hell are you talking about?!”

“You and Chiaki, of course”

“Stop shi+tting uy like that?”

Yazaki let out a loud laugh “Are you guys playing a big joke or soood”

“No I’uy?!”

“All right all right, I got it” Yazaki waved away Takaya’s protests “So letfor first, second place in school He’s a Godday, and e the Great God of Miracles Chiaki tons for helping us out He’s totally popular with the girls, and the teachers love hi out with someone like you?”

“I told you that wasn’t it!”

“I feel really bad for hi friends with a cold-hearted bastard like you It’s just a bit enius like that for a friend you should be a bit more sincere too, okay?”

“Hey, look—”

Soofily, Yazaki clapped Takaya on the shoulder “That’s about enough for a joke, too If you’re gonna be this pig-headed, he’s not gonna let you copy his homework tomorrow”

“Yazakiiii”

Yazaki seemed convinced that Takaya’s amnesia was a joke

And also

Apparently Chiaki was not only Takaya’s classmate, he was Takaya’s best friend too

(Nowto hurt)

Taniguchi came over

“Hey, Ougi! We’re playing! The match is on!”

“Hey, Taniguchi”

“You know, if you’re gonna make all that noise, you should coes? You’re in, right? We’re totally gonna win against Group 2 today, so you’re playing no matter what”

“I’h”

“Whatever Group 2’s already gathering, so hurry up and get over here”

Their opponents, the members of Group 2, were already assembled on the court where the last match had just finished

“Ugh,” he muttered

Chiaki was there

“Woah, this is thepissed, so be careful!”

“ Yazaki, dammit”

The whistle signaled the beginning of the match

(But we’re supposed to be good friends,) Takaya thought, getting into position to receive the serve (If he were someone I wasn’t particularly close tobut would I totally forget a good friend?)

He glared across the net at Chiaki, who must be 5’11” at least and had a beautifully-proportioned body which could well rival that of any ave, coe, and Takaya could understand why he was popular with the girls But, as he’d thought, they wouldn’t move within the same social circles

Chiaki would stand out wherever he went

(Could I really have forgotten him?)

Just then

Chiaki suddenly stared right at hih Takaya, and Chiaki—

Chiaki grinned at him

(He!)

“Ougi!”

He started at the sound of his naht at him

“!”

He promptly received, but couldn’t control the ball It flew back to the other side without going to the setter

(Urgh Not good)

Free ball The other team passed the ball to the setter in a sh toward the left

On the left wasChiaki!

“Watch out!”

“Two blockers to the left!”

A running juher than the block

Too high!