My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 12

Anyway, once this is over, it'll be finished. Just a little longer. I regulated my breathing and mentally reviewed the techniques I had practiced and the knowledge I had learned.

"Positioning—Ready—"

I kicked the ground.

Posture, arm swing, the way my feet touch the ground. I focused intently on all of this, recreating the ideal state in my mind.

I feel my body moving forward at a speed I couldn't have imagined a year ago. Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. Even last-minute cramming works. I'm not like that man who wouldn't even try.

That man and I are no longer "the same".

I am now better than that guy.

The other runners disappeared from sight at the same time. The finish line was almost there, ten meters to go. I leaned forward and kicked the ground harder. Just a little bit more, just a little bit more, just a little bit more…!

I crossed the finish line.

My legs, which had been swinging beyond their limit, finally relaxed. I was out of breath and couldn't say a word. I could only look at the testing personnel while trying to get some oxygen.

"Eight and a half seconds—!"

The record I shouted out was the fastest I've ever run in my life. No, but right now, more important than the joy of that achievement is—

"……it's over……"

For a moment, I couldn't tell up from down.

……strangeness?

No way.

Oops.

Feeling dizzy.

Where is the ground?

"—Be careful."

When I regained my sense of direction—an arm supported my body.

It's a thin arm that hasn't developed any muscle at all.

Even so, the arm held my shoulder firmly and without the slightest sway.

"(……Thanks a lot.)"

A familiar voice whispered in my ear.

"(However, don't push yourself like that again.)"

I lifted my eyes, which still had a slightly shimmering quality, and saw his usual grumpy face right in front of me. But his expression seemed a little angry, so I could only bury my face in his shoulder.

He patted my back a few times, like he was coaxing a child. It was as if he was saying, "You've tried so hard," which made me even more ashamed to lift my head.

My body is burning hot... and I smell sweat.

"Irito-san! Are you alright?!"

I heard Nan's voice. At that moment, this guy completely changed his attitude and roughly threw me aside.

"Whoa, watch out!"

I became unsteady and couldn't stand up again, but luckily Nan seemed to catch me.

The man who casually tossed me aside said:

"You can decide what to do next."

He casually tossed out that sentence, then turned his back to me and quickly left the playground.

Me, Nan, and the other students who witnessed the whole thing...

They could only stand there dumbfounded, watching that figure—Irito Mizuto—leave.

"...Didn't Irito-kun already finish the outdoor tests...?"

After Mizuto's figure completely disappeared, Minami murmured.

Since the boys started the fitness test before the girls, we would run into each other at the gymnasium, probably because they had already completed the outdoor tests, unlike the girls.

If that's the case, then the man was here just now because...

...Irito Mizuto, no matter what, could never be a hero.

He couldn't escape a perilous crisis, nor would he save a complete stranger.

Allow me to reiterate this again and again.

No matter what, Irito Mizuto will never become a hero.

At least... for people other than me.

Nan led me to the infirmary room that was empty after my physical exam and had me lie down. I insisted to her that I was just a little dizzy and it was nothing serious, but Nan argued with me firmly: "How can 'a little dizzy' be nothing serious!" I had no way to refute her.

I lay on the clean, white bed, closed my eyes and rested for a while, and the fatigue slowly dissipated from my body.

...Perhaps I've accumulated more fatigue than I imagined. My mother remarried, we moved, new family members joined us, I started high school...maybe it's because my environment has changed so much...

"I'm so sorry, Irito-san... I had no idea you were so tired."

"No, it's okay... It's my fault, I shouldn't have been so concerned about saving face..."

"Concerned about saving face?"

Perhaps it was because of the man's frank and natural behavior. Surprisingly, I immediately told Nan the truth.

I told her the truth: I'm actually not athletic at all. I only forced myself to prepare for the fitness test because I didn't want people to know.

I don't think Nan would break off our friendship over such a small thing, but she might be a little disillusioned with me... If that happens, there's nothing I can do. Even though I'm completely different from who I was a year ago, there are still one or two things I can't change.

However, I feel that it's not quite right for someone like that guy to have remained unchanged.

"……hehe."

I was mentally prepared for a disappointed reaction, but what I actually saw was Nan's joyful smile.

"I feel like I'm developing a sense of closeness to Irito-san."

"Huh? Why...?"

"To be honest, Irito-san is actually a bit hard to approach—she's beautiful and smart, you see, isn't she the kind of person who's unapproachable? Oh dear, but I see. So you're neither athletic nor proud!"

"...Sorry, I'm feeling a bit angry right now. Can I be angry?"

"Sure. I want to see Irito-san get angry!"

"Well... I'll just have to apologize—you, have you had enough?"

I lay in bed, reached out, and gently poked Nan's forehead.

...I'm so bad at losing my temper.

"Pfft... Ahahahaha! 'Are you done yet?' So cute!"

"...No, don't laugh at me...it makes me feel so embarrassed..."

I wriggled and burrowed under the covers, hiding my face. I lacked all social experience...

"Hey, Irito-san?"

I could see Nan's figure through the sheets; she peeked over and looked at me on the bed.

"May I call you 'Yui-onna'?"

Call me by my name directly!

Wow, this is the first time a friend has called my name... I should say, aside from family, this is probably the first time anyone has ever called my name. Ugh, how to put it? I feel so excited!

"What's wrong? Yui? Yui—? Is it okay? Or not? Which one is it?"

After feeling utterly ashamed under the covers for a while, I only peeked out from under the sheets and, looking at my incredulous classmate Nan, managed to squeeze out a few words:

"Yes...yes, it's fine. I should say...um, you absolutely must do it this way."

Then, it suddenly occurred to me that since she was calling me by my name, shouldn't I also call her by her name?

Okay, okay, okay. Let me do it, I'm going to call it. This is a big step in my growth...!

"Xiao... Xiao... Xiao..."

--Ughhhhh! I feel so embarrassed! I actually called my friend by her first name...! Doesn't that make us look like best friends?! I can't accept that... We've only known each other for a week...!

Xiao, Xiao, Xiao—just as I was becoming like a key witness to my PTSD flare-up from recalling tragic memories, Xiao—Nan-kun, for some reason, broke into a big smile.

"Okay, okay, take your time—we'll get used to it little by little—"

Then she started patting my head like a mother would.

Does she think I'm stupid?

"...Please continue to guide me in the future, Nan-kun."

"Oh dear, you won't call me 'Xiaoyue'? And why are you being so polite all of a sudden!"

After looking at each other for a few seconds, we shook our shoulders and chuckled softly.

Ahhh—I...I really made friends.

◆

After lying down for a while, I felt much better and thought I could change my clothes and go home, so I walked out of the infirmary with my classmate Nan.

Since we were both still wearing our gymnastics uniforms, we headed towards the school building entrance to go to the changing room. Just then, we saw a boy in a suit jacket coming downstairs.

"ah."

"........."

The man—Mizuto Irito—let his crooked tie cover him up at all, and silently looked in my direction.

...Just now, this guy helped me...right?

This guy probably doesn't have anything to do at the sports field. So, he probably noticed I wasn't feeling well and came all the way from the gym to find me.

...I think I should still say thank you. It's basic courtesy. Yes, anyone with common sense would say thank you in this situation... Okay.

I made up my mind and spoke up:

"...Um, just now—"

"Eye."

As if to seize the initiative, Mizuto suddenly pointed at my eyes.

"I've got dark circles under my eyes."

"...Huh? Really?!"

Seeing that I hurriedly tried to take out my smartphone to use as a mirror...

"Just kidding."

Shuidou grinned mischievously and strode towards the shoe cabinet.

What the heck?!

What's wrong with him? What's wrong with that guy?! I was just thinking how gentle he'd become, and now this pointless lie!

Ugh... Oh right, I forgot. That guy was that kind of man. That utterly awful jerk, he loved seeing me struggle. Thinking about it now, I'm starting to suspect he came to the playground just to watch me embarrass myself and save face. No, that's exactly it! Ugh, that's enough, so awful! Thank goodness, we broke up!

Just as I was angrily glaring at my stepson's retreating figure, my classmate Nan whispered beside me:

"...Irito-kun is so kind to Yui."

"Huh? Where is it?"

"I don't know about that~"

After reciting her lines as if reading from a script, Nan walked down the corridor with loud thumping footsteps.

Looking at the ponytail swinging back and forth, I could only tilt my head in confusion.

Volume One: Past Romance Remains Unresolved; Ex-Boyfriend Takes Care of Patient – ​​“It’s a Small Matter”

Looking back, I can only say it was a mistake I made when I was young. However, I did have what is commonly known as a girlfriend between my second and third years of junior high school.

Every time I do this reflection, I think about whether the human capacity to forget, while remarkable, has any significant flaws in its application. Essential knowledge is constantly being lost from the brain, while some memories, the more you try to forget them, the more they stick to your mind and you can't get rid of them.