It was summer season trip throughout her third yr of grade faculty. That day was the day when Aoi’s coronary heart broke for the primary time, the worst day of her life.

“I’m glad that you just’re protected~ C’mon, everyone seems to be ready for you, so let’s go dwelling collectively!”

“No!”

“Eh? You don’t wanna go dwelling?!”

When the boy who later turned this present day into one of the best day of her life, Takayuki, discovered her, Aoi felt relieved, however on the identical time she was upset.

In any case, again then, Takayuki was somebody that she hated.

“Why although?”

“As a result of… Nobody understands my struggling…”

“Why are you sulking?”

To her, Takayuki was an outsider. He was somebody who’d solely come to the city for the summer season trip. The younger boy was the one little one who’d refuse to deal with Aoi like a princess. Each child within the city would go together with Aoi’s selfishness, aside from him, who’d give her a transparent refusal each time she tried to impose her selfishness on him.

Naturally, this made her livid. She didn’t bully him, however each time he was round, her temper would flip bitter instantly and that made each child reluctant to play with Takayuki.

Now the identical child she hated was attempting to assist her. It hurted her pleasure and Aoi hated that.

“I gained’t inform you! Even when I had been to inform you, you gained’t perceive!”

“I see.”

“…You see, simply now, Haru-kun…”

“So that you’re going to inform me.”

Nonetheless, she couldn’t bear the ache anymore, so she determined to compromise. In any case, it could be higher to confide with somebody that she hated than being caught alone on this darkish place.

“He’s an excessive amount of, isn’t he?! I went out of my method to confess to him!”

“That was your fault, although.”

Even so, Aoi was appearing selfishly as at all times. She saved whining and requested to be spoiled by Takayuki. Regardless of this, the younger boy didn’t ditch her. As an alternative, he listened patiently to her complaints and stayed by her facet.

“Um, so what ought to I do to get you to return with me? Ought to I make it easier to make up with this Haru-kun?”

“No! I don’t like him anymore! I hate him! …I hate him, however…”

Immediately, Aoi began crying.

“I hate him, however why does my chest harm a lot? I don’t need it to harm anymore! Assist me, please!”

Aoi saved crying as her tears refused to cease, not realizing that sooner or later she’d come to remorse this pathetic motion. If she was a bit extra mature, she’d remember that if it wasn’t Takayuki who was beside her, they’d already deserted her out of annoyance.

“Hmm… Alright, let’s do that!”

“Huh?”

“I’ll be your hero! I gained’t let a woman preserve crying!”

But it surely was Takayuki who was beside her. He reached out to her.

“W-What are you speaking about? My chest is admittedly hurting proper now! You possibly can’t do something about it!”

“You gained’t know except you strive! My grandfather as soon as instructed me ‘Every little thing will finally flip into reminiscence,’ so, I hope that sometime this ache will flip into a superb reminiscence for you! I’ll strive my greatest that will help you to make it occur!”

He prolonged his hand to the crying Aoi, pulling her out of the darkness the place she sat down and spilled her tears.

His motion was one thing that Aoi’d come to admire later. She’d reminisce about this scene over and over and every time she did, the extra her admiration towards him grew.

The truth that this was the second that led to Takayuki gaining his skill made Aoi really feel completely satisfied. In any case, it was his skill that reunited them each.

*   *   *

“Satou-kun, are you able to reply me? Are you the hero from that point? Are you the one who discovered me once I was alone in the dead of night?”

Aoi approached Takayuki with a barrage of questions. She was so excited to the purpose that she leaned her physique ahead unknowingly.

“…For those who’re asking me if I used to be the one who discovered this little s**t who was inflicting hassle for everybody as a result of she received her coronary heart damaged, the woman who was crying and screaming on a regular basis to the purpose that I had to make use of my skill to calm her down, sure.”

Takayuki saved his mouth shut for some time, however finally, he gave in to Aoi’s ardour. With a sigh, he admitted that he was certainly the boy who saved her again then.

Although not with out throwing some thornful remarks at her.

“I knew it! You bought uglier, your character grew to become rotten and there’s so many unhealthy rumors about you, however deep down you’re nonetheless a superb individual! Nonetheless, Satou-kun, my childhood hero!”

“I believed you’ve grown as much as be an honest individual, however you’re nonetheless a egocentric prick.”

Aoi grabbed Takayuki’s hand firmly, fully ignoring Takayuki’s impolite conduct. The drive she put into her grip made him suppose that she was attempting to interrupt his bones although.

“…I knew it, it’s you.”

She may really feel Takayuki’s heat. It felt like she was being taken to that point. Again once they had been strolling collectively, hand in hand.

“My hero…”

“Ugh…”

Aoi held Takayuki’s arms tighter. He may see her eyes beginning to tear up. Her passionate gesture was akin to a maiden lastly assembly her long-lost lover.

Dealing with that expression of Aoi’s, Takayuki didn’t appear to be entranced. Quite the opposite, he had a bitter smile, as if he had simply swallowed a bitter capsule.

“Are you able to cease?”

“Huh?”

“Cease calling me ‘hero.’ I’m not a hero…”

His phrases sounded as if he was denying Aoi’s beliefs.

“I’m not a hero now, nor was I one again then. I’m only a loser, nothing much less and the previous me was no higher both. Sorry, for shattering your delusions about me, Miyama.”

After Takayuki completed speaking, Aoi slowly launched her grips on his arms.

She blinked, her eyelashes trembled and a hiccup got here out from the again of her throat. Her beforehand shining eyes now trembled.

“Eh? B-However… It’s my dream to be a hero along with you… I’ve devoted my life to that objective…”

“My unhealthy then. Too unhealthy I can’t do this since I’m not a hero to start with. I’m a monster. I’m somebody who used his skill for his personal private achieve.”

“B-However…”

“Didn’t you hear the rumors? Not all of them are lies. A few of them are wild, however what I did was atrocious sufficient to justify them. I’m not the individual that you must admire.”

The phrases that had been thrown by him at Aoi had been like bullets that ripped by means of her coronary heart.

To be rejected by the individual she longed for was fairly a shock for Aoi.

“…However, there are deeper circumstances behind the rumors about you, proper?”

“That’s simply your assumption. I’ve been doing worse issues than you’ve ever imagined. Effectively, I haven’t finished any crimes but, however I’ve brought on sufficient hassle for different individuals. Not precisely a hero-like conduct, proper?”

“However, you helped Tomoe…”

“Solely since you compelled me to do it.”

Takayuki’s response made her really feel perplexed. It was clear that the boy was attempting to push her away. She wished to say one thing, however ultimately, she shut her mouth tightly and lowered her gaze.

“…I don’t perceive you anymore, Satou-kun…”

“In fact, we aren’t even pals to start with, simply classmates. We barely interacted with one another, how would you perceive me?”

Ignoring the woman’s disappointment, Takayuki delivered the onerous reality to her.

“Let me inform you this. Don’t attempt to be a hero simply since you’re attempting to mimic somebody. There shall be a time whenever you’ll come to remorse it.”

Aoi nonetheless saved her mouth shut. Her gaze was nonetheless down, as if she was considering one thing.

“Sufficient.”

Finally, she let loose these phrases and stood up.

“I’m an fool for doing this.”

Earlier than Takayuki may name out to her, she dashed out of the shop.

It was as if she was working away from the fact that she refused to simply accept.

*   *   *

In fact, Aoi had thought-about this chance.

In any case, seven years had handed, it was lengthy sufficient for a grade schooler to develop to be a excessive schooler.

Throughout that point, it was inevitable that folks would change. Actually, it could be a miracle if somebody had been to remain the identical for that lengthy. Even Aoi herself had modified, it could be unreasonable if she had been to count on that the boy would keep the identical as he was again then.

However, Aoi couldn’t settle for the truth that he had stopped being a hero.

“…Why?”

Aoi, who was working with out minding about her environment, let loose such phrases whereas panting fortunately.

‘How did it find yourself like this?’ She contemplated.

“…Why?!”

After letting out a shout, Aoi began working with a fair larger pace.

She dodged the passersby with minimal actions. Her legs moved rapidly, who is aware of the place they’d convey her, however she couldn’t care much less about it. 

As her legs moved, so had been her ideas.

“Why did I even get my hopes up?…”

She ought to’ve anticipated that she can be left upset. It was clear from the rumors that Takayuki wasn’t the hero she as soon as knew.

But she let her expectations clouded her judgment. The craving she had for the previous seven years distorted her ideas and gave her unreasonable expectations towards the boy.

Despite the fact that she out of all individuals ought to know that it was unhealthy to drive others to suit the picture that she created in her thoughts.

“…Haah… Haah… Phew…”

In the long run, she saved working till she managed to vent all of her pent-up emotions.

Her legs introduced her to someplace removed from the espresso store. It was a bridge within the buying district. There was a tinge of remorse in Aoi’s coronary heart when she realized how far she had run. Her ideas wander to recount the occasion that simply occurred earlier than this.

“Why?”

Then, she spouted out a query whereas panting.

“Why did you comply with me, Satou-kun?!”

“…Haah… *coughs*… Haah…”

The query was directed at Takayuki, who was standing proper behind her. Sweat coated his face as he struggled to catch his breath.

“I observed you midway by means of, I attempted to shake you off, however why are you continue to following me?! What would you like?!”

“Haah… Haah…”

“Additionally, who paid for our drinks? Don’t inform me you had been dine and dashing?! I do know that I don’t have the correct to lecture you as a result of I used to be the one who jumped out first, however…”

“Haah… W-Wait…”

Whereas attempting to calm his breath, Takayuki raised his hand to cease Aoi from asking him one other query.

“Haah… Phew… Okay…”

After a minute or so, he lastly managed to catch his breath.

“Very first thing first, I paid for the payments. As a result of I had no time, I gave the waiter 5,000 yen and instructed them to maintain the change. Because of that my pockets is virtually empty now.”

“Sorry about that. I’ll pay you in half later…”

“No, you don’t have to, I used to be the one who introduced that to myself. As for what I’m doing right here…”

“Yeah, why are you following me right here? Did you neglect to inform me one thing?”

Aoi didn’t hassle to cover her annoyance as she gave him a chilly stare.

If it was some other male scholar, they’d be trembling in concern, intimidated by her presence. However this was Takayuki. As an alternative, he replied to her glare with a fearless grin.

“Yeah, there’s that…”

Immediately, his expression froze.

“Uh, how do I put this…”

His gaze wandered round.

“…Really, I adopted you simply because.”

In the long run, he answered her query with a joke, which enraged her much more.

“What? Are you an fool?! No, that’s a pointless query, you ARE an fool!”

“I used to be nervous about you, okay?! What if you happen to received into an accident by working round like that?!”

“You adopted me since you had been nervous about me?”

“Sure! I don’t need something unhealthy to occur to you, so I adopted you!”

“Fool!”

“I can’t refute that…”

Seeing Takayuki appearing meek made Aoi notice that he was telling her the reality.

His idiocy astonished her. He was attempting to chase Aoi, somebody who was actually good at working. Even Tomoe, a member of the monitor membership, acknowledged her talent. To not point out the truth that he was critical about it too. He may simply faux to chase after her and quit alongside the way in which, however he didn’t.

Additionally, she was astonished by her personal idiocy.

What was she considering when she arrange such excessive expectations for this fool in entrance of her?

“Satou-kun.”

“Sure?”

“You’re such an fool.”

“…Sure, I’m.”

“Don’t attempt to deceive me and reply my questions truthfully. For those who don’t need to reply, simply say that you just don’t need to reply.”

“I don’t need to reply…”

“By the way in which, if you happen to get me in a foul temper, I’ll report you concerning the time whenever you went right into a resort with an grownup.”

“Cease it! I believed you wished to be a hero?! Why are you blackmailing me?!”

“Above all else, my justice prioritizes my very own will.”

“The world doesn’t want such a hero!”

Takayuki desperately tried to search for an escape route, however Aoi gave him an Enma-like smile. He froze in his place. (T/N: Enma is the Japanese title for Yama, the god of Buddhism who dominated over hell.)

“Satou-kun, you instructed me to cease being a hero, proper? Why? May it’s that I misunderstood your phrases since you’re an fool who couldn’t clarify issues correctly?”

“…No, I actually instructed you to cease. I’m simply talking from expertise. As soon as upon a time, I attempted to be a hero as a result of I admired another person, however I failed. As an alternative of serving to, I solely brought on hassle to everybody round me as an alternative. I don’t need to make that form of mistake, Miyama. In addition to…”

“In addition to?”

“…Not like me, you’re a woman. Simply mediating a dispute must be high-quality, however I don’t need you to do harmful issues like shielding a child from a automotive or barging into again alleys to beat up delinquents.”

“What? I’ll by no means do one thing like that. Why would I?”

“What?”

“…Did you truly do it?”

“Making errors is simply a part of being a human. What issues is whether or not one may settle for mentioned errors and replicate on them.”

“So you probably did it. Are you an fool? Wait, you ARE an fool.”

“Cease it! I’ve heard sufficient of that already! Everybody round me at all times reacted the identical manner each time I did one thing silly! I’ve mirrored on it already, so minimize me some slack!”

Seeing Takayuki being plagued by his personal previous made Aoi perceive one thing. The picture of a ‘hero’ that that they had was totally different.

“Look right here, the ‘heroic’ deeds that I’ve finished had been simply the issues that I may do with my very own energy. I solely helped out individuals near me, lent an ear to everybody who requested me for recommendation and did volunteer work. I instructed you that my justice prioritizes my will over every part else, proper? I gained’t do silly issues to place myself in peril or do one thing that I don’t need to do.”

“…Alright, then neglect what I beforehand mentioned to you on the espresso store.”

“Satou-kun. These rumors about you… Had been they the results of your reckless heroism?”

“No remark.”

Aoi’s query was a bullseye.

Seeing his response gave Aoi an concept concerning the boy in entrance of her. She may guess that somebody should have scolded him actually onerous again in center faculty.

“I see. In order that’s why you tried to present me recommendation with such a smug look.”

Takayuki turned his head away.

A fantastic smile bloomed on Aoi’s face. An indication that she had already regained her composure.

“Satou-kun, may it’s that your love counseling gig is initially a part of a volunteer work? As a result of somebody scolded you for doing it free of charge, you began charging individuals for doing it?”

“No, it was only a pastime of mine. I imply, I’ve the power to do it, wouldn’t it’s cool if I may achieve some pocket change from it?”

“…What?”

Takayuki hurriedly made an excuse to Aoi.

“I wasn’t kidding, okay? I used the cash for my allowance!”

“However, if it’s only for cash, isn’t it simpler to simply get a standard part-time job? I don’t know what sort of contract you’ve with that witch, however there’s no manner that it entails you to undergo that a lot of a problem. I imply, voluntarily in search of individuals with damaged coronary heart, giving them recommendation, attempting to realize their belief and meet them in individual. All these work for pocket change? If I had been to transform every part into an hourly fee, it wouldn’t even contact the minimal wage.”

“That’s… You realize…”

Takayuki flinched.

Amused by the state of affairs, Aoi pushed him much more. 

“You preached to me about not being a hero or whatnot, however why are you doing this to your self?”

“…”

His reply was silence. He solely stared at Aoi firmly with out opening his mouth.

“I suppose you gained’t inform me something, huh?”

“…Sorry. I’ll strive my greatest answering your subsequent query as an alternative.”

“Hmm…”

Seeing Takayuki bowing his head, Aoi determined that she had sufficient enjoyable teasing him and moved on.

“Alright, subsequent query then.”

She determined to ask him a query that had been bugging her since a very long time in the past.

“…Satou-kun, after saving me, why did you disappear? The summer season trip was nearly over again then, however there have been nonetheless just a few days left. Even when there was an pressing enterprise that you just needed to attend to, couldn’t you come again the following yr afterwards?”

“I didn’t count on to listen to that query from my childhood bully.”

“Why are you speaking again to me? Would you like me to report your deeds to the varsity?”

“Give me a break! Okay, high-quality! The explanation why I disappeared… Effectively…”

After hesitating for a second, Takayuki spilled every part.

“I used to be busy, I needed to attend my grandfather’s funeral for the remainder of the holiday.”

“Eh?”

“The explanation why I used to be there for summer season trip was as a result of my grandfather was there. After he handed away, effectively, I had no purpose to go there anymore. That’s all, Miyama.”

“That’s… I’m… Sorry…”

“Don’t be. It occurred a very long time in the past anyway.”

Takayuki didn’t appear to be mad about it, however his tone felt empty.

Aoi understood that she had tread upon a delicate matter. Even when she had the correct to ask this query, this wasn’t the correct place and circumstances to speak about it. She mirrored on her actions.

Nonetheless, after considering for a bit, she began to suppose in any other case.

‘If I had been to again off now, wouldn’t it’s onerous to make him begin speaking once more? Ought to I make use of the momentum to say every part that I wished to say?’

Seven years in the past, again when she let the boy’s hand go, she ended up saying nothing to him. If solely she made use of the momentum and talked to the boy, she wouldn’t be left with regrets.

“Are we finished? …For those who don’t have any extra questions, I’ll go dwelling. Sorry, for hurting you, Miyama. Nobody ought to have the correct to disclaim somebody’s emotions like that. I used to be fully within the fallacious…”

Seeing Aoi maintaining her mouth shut, Takayuki apologized to her and tried to go away the place.

Simply earlier than he left, Aoi grabbed his arm. The sight gave her a deja vu. It was the identical arm that she as soon as held seven years in the past.

“Miyama?”

“…I’ve yet one more query.”

“I-I see. C-Are you able to let go of my arm first? I-I gained’t run away, I promise–”

“Again then!”

Aoi raised her voice, chopping off Takayuki’s phrases.

“Seven years in the past! At the moment! On the darkish evening! After I was struggling!”

She didn’t even know what to ask him. As an alternative, she simply let loose every part that she wished to say to him.

“Do you remorse saving me again then? Do you remorse taking part in a hero simply to console me? Do you remorse every part that occurred again then?”

Though she requested the query with such a vigor, she turned her gaze downward as she requested for his response. She was afraid that his reply would disappoint her. Aoi tried to suppress her racing heartbeat whereas ready for his reply with bated breath.

“I don’t.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t have any regrets, nor do I’ve the intention to remorse every part that occurred again then.”

As a result of she seemed elsewhere, she didn’t handle to catch Takayuki’s expression when he mentioned that. She panicked, attempting to have a look at his face, however by then, he had already worn his normal fearless grin.

“Being a hero or not, it’s a person’s responsibility to save lots of a woman in misery.”

“…Fool.”

“Sure, I’m. However, are you able to please launch my arm? Why are you doing this in public anyway? Additionally, you’re gripping it too tightly! It hurts! Oi, you’re going to interrupt it for actual!”

Listening to his phrases, she put much more power in her grip.

“Satou-kun, you as soon as instructed me…”

“What’s it? Are you able to simply let me go first? I instructed you I gained’t run away!”

“You instructed me that we’re simply classmates, we aren’t pals or something, so there’s no manner that we may perceive one another.”

“Yeah, I mentioned that, so what?”

“You realize, I used to be pissed once I heard these phrases, however I perceive what you had been attempting to say.”

Aoi seemed up on the boy.

She did her greatest to convey the phrases that she didn’t convey seven years in the past.

“That’s why, let’s work together with one another extra any longer. Since there’s a variety of issues we will’t perceive about one another, let’s make it in order that we will perceive one another. Whether or not it’s my admiration in direction of you or it’s your frustration about your self, let’s discover out which one is the correct one. To do this, we should always discuss to one another extra.”

With a critical tone, she made a proposal to him.

“…Certain, I suppose.”

After a second of hesitation, Takayuki nodded his head.

“I’ll do my greatest to not disappoint you.”

“Hehe, don’t fear. If we find yourself unable to know one another, I’ll surrender by myself whether or not you prefer it or not. In return, you may give up on me everytime you really feel prefer it. Let’s begin our relationship with that rule.”

“…Acquired it. Let’s preserve our relationship that manner for now…”

Takayuki held out his proper hand. Seeing this, Aoi let go of his different arm and held his proper hand.

Strongly, in order that she may burn this second into her reminiscence.

Now one may say that the 2 of them had been lastly reunited.

…However there was one factor that they ignored.

“Huh? Is that Satou and Miyama-san?”

“Actually? What are they doing? Is it a shuraba?”

They had been speaking on a bridge, a public place the place a variety of college students from their faculty handed by. They managed to calm themselves down after that tense second, however they had been instantly greeted by the chatters of their schoolmates that had been passing by.

“Youth… Their vigor blinded me!”

“Seeing them made me really feel previous…”

“It’s nice to be younger~”

“I do know, proper? They remind me of myself once I was youthful.”

In fact, their schoolmates weren’t the one ones who witnessed the scene that they made. Individuals starting from kids to aged, women and men, college students to adults in enterprise fits, all had been looking at them.

“…I feel we should always depart, Miyama.”

“Yeah, I’ll go on forward, Satou-kun.”

“Are you going to run once more?”

“It’s okay if you happen to can’t sustain with me. Simply stroll slowly.”

The 2 individuals who had been the middle of the eye exchanged glances earlier than dashing away from the bridge. They made their method to the entrance of the station.

“Haah! …Haah! …Why! …Are you! So powerful?!”

“I strived to be a hero, so I naturally educated myself bodily. I must be the one asking you. Why are you so weak?”

“What?! …I jogged! …Each morning! …I educated my muscle tissue too!”

The 2 quarreled with one another as they ran, not minding the stares that their environment gave them.