Love Story in College

Chapter 11

The eldest son of the Hayashida family, who Banri only knew as "Ani", was gone by the time he entered high school.

Hayashida-san in her class who joined the running club with her is Linda, in short.

"Actually, it's my older brother," he said, pointing before him with a sour-looking face.

He was a volunteer who replaced the coach of a football club who trained on the same field as a running club.

A graduate of Banri's high school, and also a long-time member of the football club, Ani was at that time a third-year student at a local college. It was unexpected that she was Linda's older brother, but even Banri had heard of her before. The coach, his voice strangely loud, shouted "Go Big!" and on that occasion it seemed like all were looking.

Faster than the others, he was seen around the dusty tracks wearing old clothes. Standing up gracefully, he lay in wait as the football team, running twice, gathered for him.

"Uvoi!"

He shouted at them one by one, as if his voice was like a bolt of lightning thrown out by a sky god. While he was nodding, his chin was pulled back, his eyes were burning hot, he was clapping hard with his big palm. The team members obediently shouted back, "Avoi!", The group was now slowly forming and running with light legs as usual. Of course there is a reason why that football club tends to be hoarse forever.

In that place, if there's a girl calling "My Boy!" (the average fan girl), some say "My Ball!" (which is noisy), and some even yell "Move it!" (Fans of demon trainers). There were even some who seemed to have shot themselves so they could shout, "Oi! Oh!" (punk rocker type).

His muscular silhouette was completely Donkey Kong. All of Ani's body produces an impression: her athletic body, the characteristics of an experienced football player's feet, even monkey-like friendliness towards others. You can't say that the appearance was flattering, as if he was a descendant of a gorilla. Her slim little sister Linda was almost exactly the opposite, the two of them never looked like each other.

Finally, Ani seemed to notice the gaze directed at her. While easily waving towards us and showing a friendly smile, he deliberately shouted "Uvoi!", Like a gun exploding.

But Linda, who did not slacken her to her sister, frowned and complained, "Hey, stop! It's a shame," flipped her long (punched) hair, and quickly turned the other way.

Without answering, he turned "Uvoi!" it is useful to fill the entire yard with roar. It was not the giant back, like a glove, or the closing smile, that completely put away that sad place.

Unable to sit still, Banri rushes in alone, reacting too late to him. Flying in front of Ani, imitating, no, imitating the members of the football club, she shouted, "Avoi!" at the top of his lungs.

Ani took what she heard with a happy face. He looked just as happy as the gorilla that saw the banana in the forest. Banri knows that by wild animal standards, he is a lonely man. In the natural world, being isolated from the herd was life-threatening.

From then on, to where every time Ani and Banri met, they would greet each other with shouts. Sometimes, punching each other in the shoulder, almost crushing them, they called out with good humor, "Hey, how's it going !?" and "Whatcha up?", don't really expect an answer. Before long, it got to where Ani even yelled at Linda.

One day, Ani decides to look for a job, and quits the training she has been doing for two whole years.

— Well, that's it.

If he says so, then that's all there is.

"Your brother is a good man, I can't watch and see him betrayed like this!"

It was a summer day, in their third year of high school.

Banri spoke forcefully, looking at Linda's profile squatting next to her. Whether it was true anger, or an equivalent feeling, Banri's voice became high and hysterical. Although he was only acquainted with this matter, to Banri it was something that he could not let go of.

On the street under the scorching sun, the two play detective like children.

They make themselves small, hiding in the gap between the telephone pole and the bushes. A hot ray of sunlight shone down on their heads, risking the preparations they had made for their college entrance examination. Almost an hour has passed.

A drop of sweat flowed profusely from Linda's temples to her tanned cheeks. With hesitant eyes, they fell into the shadows at his feet, not staring at Banri's face. His lips moved slowly.

"I understand. But, calm down a little."

"What's wrong with this?" Banri muttered to himself, quickly and violently.

Initially, it was Linda who suggested that there was something important they should talk about. He said he might need his help.

That guy's having an affair. He betrayed Ani. I won't allow it. Linda continued like that, her lips twitching.

She had heard from Linda that they decided to get married after Ani worked for a year. It was around the time of summer rain, if he wasn't wrong. She remembers standing next to Linda, talking while watching raindrops paint arteries in the glass and pale hydrangeas blooming throughout the school grounds.

At that moment, Banri blessed Ani from the bottom of his heart. She felt that she must be quite a woman, to fall in love and understand the goodness in that Ani. He heard the ceremony was going to fall in the fall, when the colors were best, and he imagined that it would definitely be an amazing day. Dancing on the brightly colored foliage under the deep blue sky, the couple would celebrate a kind of youthful happiness. Thinking along that line, even the coldness of the rain that day was forgotten.

But this summer, Ani's fiance betrayed her.

On the advice of others, she goes to a part of town she doesn't know so she can take a mock exam for a top college prep school when she happens to see Linda.

Linda said the photos she took were evidence. Dropping irrefutable evidence on him, he said that he would tell everything to Ani and all their relatives on both sides, and make them admit their mistakes. He said he had to stop the train. The engagement will be cancelled, of course. She said she wanted him to fall apart, live alone, branded as "a woman with questionable virtues" forever, unable to make a living but having to pay for a settlement. Even talking about wanting to incise a red letter on his forehead, it did not sound like he was joking. Frankly, he was a bit scary, Banri thought.

Despite doing so much, Linda makes Banri come with her to the apartment where the cheating took place. When Ani's fiancee, hand in hand with her boyfriend, was about to enter, she suddenly lowered her voice and pointed her cell phone camera at them. They waited a little, crouched down once more, not moving.

On Banri's side, an aggravated Linda witnesses the scene of the crime. Indeed, the two who did, this loathsome couple, had walked around Ani and fooled her. The more he thought about it, the more he lost control of his anger. It's terrible, he thought. Isn't this too much? Instead, Banri thought, if they somehow got into the apartment, surely they would be able to get a picture showing more evidence of their affair. Is this enough, she wonders, with just a photo of a dirty couple entering the apartment hand in hand?

Apart from that,

"… Hey. As they walked hand in hand now, did you take pictures with your phone as well?"

"I took one. I took it, but even so, somehow a more certain shot …"

"Are you going to delete it for me?"

His mouth agape like an idiot, Banri looked back at Linda's face. Verifying that her hearing was fine, Linda opened her phone.

"Wait !? Huh !? What are you doing !?"

Before he could stop her, he deleted the photos they ended up taking at the end of their reconnaissance.

"sorry. I changed my mind."

Finally Linda looked up. He was very pale, his color was a bit pale,

"I'll wear my 'adult mask!"

Banri swallowed his retort at once.

He could not imagine what kind of change had awakened in Linda's mind in these past few minutes. She could not understand at all, except that her expression staring at him looked cold.

'Adult masker'? What does that mean, specifically? He couldn't even ask her.

When the sound of heels descending the iron stairs of the apartment reached their ears, Banri and Linda both gasped. Ani's fiancee came out alone. His car was sitting there in the parking lot. Flashing, the keychain swaying and tinkling. As Banri sighed and thought about what to do, Linda stood up on her own.

"I'll talk to him."

You wait here, he said.

"Eh !? B-Speak about what !?"

"To tell him to stop doing these things."

"Tell him ... that he lives by red letter?"

"Tell him ... that he lives by red letter?"

Without answering, Linda spun around in her summer uniform skirt and ran herself to the parking lot in front of the apartment. His fiancee, trying to enter his shiny silver Suzuki Wagon R, must have realized that Linda was getting closer to him. Who knew what he was feeling, freezing in place for a few seconds, expressionless, then laughing excessively, "Whaat !? Eheh!" When Linda said, "I want to talk to you in the car," her face suddenly became frightened. Saying, "Eh, you're wrong, wrong! I can't right now!" he tried to get back to the apartment. If Banri had not run and blocked his path as if he was meditating, he would have left by then.

Carrying a large tote bag, a beige cotton hat on her head, her arms covered by long gloves to protect from sunburn while driving, she was a rather ordinary woman.

She gets into the car with Linda, and even Banri can see she is upset and starts crying. As if she was trying to get on Linda's good side, she pushed playfully with both hands onto Linda's shoulders in the passenger seat, leaning her body and bringing her face closer, desperately arguing about something.

Banri turned his back on the situation, putting his ass on the hood of the car. He flinched from the burning hot metal plate, but faced it, putting his hand into his pants pocket.

In the apartment, on the second floor. The curtains that had hitherto been tightly closed moved, and he noticed that from the gap of a few centimeters, a man looked down on them.

It was another man they had seen before. Banri could not say his expression from one eye peeking through the curtains.

Scary, he thought.

Besides, the women in the car were scary. Even though he was crying miserably now, could his personality suddenly change completely, becoming angry? She doesn't know what's going to happen to her, nor to Linda. Since these people can casually do terrible things, what makes sense to most people may not apply here.

While being under such fear, Banri remained firmly on his shoulders, sitting in a hot pocket. Exaggerating his movements deliberately, he crossed his legs, subconsciously patting his feet, pouting, glaring, trying to seem a little bigger and like an adult, stronger, bracing himself to look more dangerous.

He acts as Linda's bodyguard. Although it's not easy, for now. At the very least, he needed to put himself between himself and the danger. Therefore, even though he was nervous, Banri desperately acted as a tough guy.

When he did, he thought, "We curse you." We blame the woman completely, beyond the hope of redemption. You are the worst. We will be your ruin, will never forgive you, and are determined to so condemn, rebuke, and punish you for being tattooed with deep red letters.

However, contrary to Banri's thoughts, what he heard from his voice by Linda maintained her composure until the very last moment.

If you still think you want to get married, then please don't do anything like this again. Because I forgot. I beg you, please stop.

Repeatedly trying to ascertain if Ani's fiancee just sobbed and nodded, saying,

"Please calm down a bit before you drive. Be careful not to have an accident."

Linda got out of the car, Banri rushed up to her with long, half-step steps forcing her arms around her shoulders. While they were walking like that, curled up as if they were lovers,

"Absolutely don't look behind you .. That guy's watching us all the time."

"… really? Scm …"

For some reason, Linda laughed softly.

The shoulder he was holding shook.

Being stiff and pale, Linda's face was like something from a painting she saw in an art history textbook in high school — was probably from Joanna the Mad. That one was completely broken, a woman with lights on but no one was home. He remembered it because it was popular to emulate for a while. For Banri, it feels like that.

Just before leaving the parking lot, Banri carefully looked back. Inside the car Ani's fiancee was still crying, and the man who had looked at them could no longer be seen. Even so, he was still scared, and until Banri turned two corners, he grabbed Linda's shoulder.

Still silent, the two of them continued walking down the twilit road.

They wanted to get as far away from that place as possible. Even though she didn't say anything, she thought Linda must have thought the same thing. They continued to move at a rapid pace, not looking back.

Asphalt released its heat to their feet, and from the distant mountains, crickets cried. You can't compare it to mid-summer, when a hairdryer-like wind blows on you, probably because of the angle of the sun. It might even be a little refreshing. In warmth, the scent of summer green grass filled the air.

Nothing else was heard when the two entered a shop, bought a few drinks and sat side by side in a parking block.

Wetting their dry throats, they remained seated like that for a while, and Linda finally spoke.

Wetting their dry throats, they remained seated like that for a while, and Linda finally spoke.

"… If I tell you to, stop. Understood?"

Entiendo.

Not immediately knowing if he should go there, Banri just stared at Linda's face. Linda, while bowing her head, took another drink from her sparkling water, and, playing with the bottle in both hands and breaking the bubbles, broke,

"… it's better than total destruction. I pretended not to know anything about what was going on, and until now, everything had gone smoothly. I'd rather it be if nothing happened."

He gave me something like an excuse.

Drinking cold uulong tea, gulping down the sound, finally Banri's voice came out.

"Is that true?"

Under the orange sun, blinding her half-closed eyes, Linda stared at the bubbles in the water. Why did he look down and around on the ground as if he had dropped his sports bag, he had no idea. Answering like that, he put his bottle of water on his leg. He put his chin on his raised knee.

"… Because, but, I don't think I want Ani to get hurt. In that place, I was ready to 'end it all' and then I .. I was really afraid of making Ani sad…"

"That's for Ani !?"

Clutching his plastic bottle so tightly that it collapsed, Banri, looking at his own shoes, raised his voice.

"You think that leaving her as she was and pretending not to know will really benefit Ani !? After this, forever !? Has he become family !? Maybe even have a child !? That person as a sister, seeing her as your own older sister !? If your father or mother sees, "

"Stop!"

Crying, Linda placed her face between her knees. Quite annoyed, he covered his hair and ears along with his hands. The way you are instructed to refrain from surviving a plane landing. The position that your body must take in order to survive is slapped to the ground from whatever height it rises.

"Now, as you say, I agree with you completely! I knew! I might have made a mistake! But that can't help, can it! What was done was done!"

Her body trembled as if in denial, Linda ruffled her long hair with her fingers.

"Be .... other than that, would there be any point in being so strong …!?"

For sure, there was nothing that could be done by blaming Linda.

Returning to himself, Banri licked his lips. He drank another sip of uulong tea. He had no right to say he had no choice. Linda chose her own actions, and carried them out. Banri cannot be held responsible for the outcome. It's not for him to judge.

Hmph, he thought. — Speaking of wearing an adult mask, in short, he wondered what he should say. It's not for him to judge. After leaving, he had to hold his tongue.

However, behind the so-called mask, the real face was hidden underneath. She wondered if behind Linda's mask, however, there was still a face that exclaimed, "Tattoo her!" The face she decided to show to anyone.

"… Sorry. I've talked too much."

Linda may be crying. A person who bears the burden of guilt, he may be stricken with grief. Once again calling out to him, he repeated over and over 'Linda, I'm really sorry', yet he didn't twitch so much. Almost as if he was complaining, he replied in a weak voice.

"I ... really made a mess. From now on, I wonder, will I hold it? Ani will live under a trick. And now I'm a lying collaborator. I became a doer. What am I going to do? What am I supposed to do? Its bad. I made a mistake, I did. What am I gonna do? What will I do …? "

"ME,"

Banri sighed, staring at the tense muscles on Linda's neck as she spoke.

"… As for me, I saw. You don't have to suffer on your own. Although I may not be reliable, although there may be nothing I can do, but I am also there. I will always be by your side. "

Banri sighed, staring at the tense muscles on Linda's neck as she spoke.

"… As for me, I saw. You don't have to suffer on your own. Although I may not be reliable, although there may be nothing I can do, but I am also there. I will always be by your side. "

He watches constantly. He watched with ama. What Linda thinks and what she does, what she laments, what she does wrong, what she does to herself. Can't even share it, though,

"I really will, because I won't forget."

I'll be by your side.

Muttering that, the next moment, Linda stretched out her hand for the bag that Banri had under her arm. Picked it up and put his face on the bag where his dirty clothes had been stuffed,

"Aaa ~~~~!"

Shouted Linda.

His voice was loud and loud, his body was shaking, he was shouting. Banri's T-shirt, soiled by dust and sweat, swallowed the scream.

It's okay, Banri said, watching.

What you do is okay.

Yelling is okay. Crying is okay. Linda, you're not alone. I was there. There, always pay attention, listen, react, remember for you. Banri again took a deep breath, and let out his voice.

"When you want to scream, when you want to cry, I will always be by your side. I'll be there with you, sharing the same feelings. Even if it's troublesome, wherever it's possible, I'll really find you . "

"… How are you going to do that?"

"'How will I do it' .. That, I will do whatever is necessary. I will always listen carefully to your voice. When it rains, the wind blows, flower petals flutter or shadows loom. .. Whatever happens, I will seek your voice. That I will do it, I promise you. "

You're not alone. No one else knows your hidden sadness, doubts, or mistakes. Me here. I-i know. That's what I want. So felt Banri from the bottom of his heart.

Banri's hand was suddenly touched by Linda's little finger as she slowly lowered it. Having not been able to hold it, Banri only silently remained where the fingertips could touch.

It seems obvious that she loves Linda very much.

His chest suddenly grew heavy, as if his heated consciousness seeped into it.

It would be nice to be together. Not only that, but there are so many things he wants to share. Hoping for that, he already could not help himself. Linda's fingertips still touched it. If he realized it, if he moved just a little, it seemed like everything would be destroyed. Even breathing is scary.

"…hugely?"

Where they touch, be like the heart itself. Hot pain, painful throbbing.

Linda's voice over and over again, 'Is that true? Really? Did ya? ', Shaking without noticing it, his breathing ended.

"… Should I trust you?"

Linda raised her face. Not looking at his face, his voice still not coming out, Banri nodded nervously. To be honest, at that moment he still thought he wanted to ascertain the escape route, so that if it didn't work out, then they could return to being 'ordinary friends'.

He should have seen it before. He should have said something. He should have thought of such safety.

He should have looked into her eyes and answered her perfectly. If he did that, at that time, it would probably develop into something different.

However, it was somewhat later when Banri had that thought.

Because his hand was already beyond reach. Due to Ani's troubles, the blue and purple hydrangea flowers they both saw, the oppressive scent in mid-summer and the beautiful blue sky in autumn. Because they were both separated, and there was nothing they could do.