Even so, we are living in the present

Chapter 40 – Being Inseparable As a Form and Its Shadow

It had been a month past since Kyosuke was wounded.

The story that a student had been involved in a stabbing incident with a fellow student spread marginally throughout the school, casting a gloomy shadow over the school for a couple of days.

However, in accordance with Kyosuke’s wish, the information was not disclosed to the public to a great extent, thus saving the school from any reputational damage, resulting in the successful holding of the sports festival.

Then──

During the morning arrival to school, with the sports festival only a week approaching.

“Are you sure it’s safe to remove the bandages now?”

As they walked close together, Yuu asked him, to which Kyosuke nodded his head while gripping his left hand a couple of times.

“Ah, the scar caused by the surgery still bothers me, but the wound is almost healed, so it should be no problem.”

The muscles he has been working out were regenerating swiftly, and grateful for his self-healing abilities, he tenderly stroked his partner’s hair.

“…”

Despite Yuu’s shy, sullen look and averted gaze, he no longer disliked the fact of having his hair stroked outside. With a smile at such an adorable partner, he glanced up at the vivid sky with clouds peacefully drifting by.

From then on, Okino Yuka underwent a juvenile adjudication by the family court, and was placed on probation after the possibility of recidivism and room for rehabilitation were taken into consideration. Even though she will remain at home, she will be rehabilitated under the guidance of her probation officer.

It will be quite a while before she returns to school. Since the specifics were kept confidential, even Kyosuke was unaware of the details, but if it means that he will be safe and sound, then so much the better.

“Will you be able to participate in the sports festival?”

The question posed to him unexpectedly drew his gaze from the sky to his partner.

“There’s still a week to go, of course I’m going to be there. Do your best with the broadcast, Yuu.”

“Mmm.”

Hearing a normal reply, he was relieved and headed towards the entrance of the school building he was approaching. Over the past month, despite taking a break from club activities, he has instead been accompanying Yuu in the preparations and rehearsals for his broadcasts. Today, too, his schedule remained the same as before.

“Oh, Ichinose! Sonohara!”

“Hmm?”

When a familiar voice echoed from behind them, both of them halted and turned around. With her beautifully dyed blonde hair swaying, Ayana came running towards them.

“Good morning!”

“Oh, good morning.”

“Good morning…”

Each of them uttered their respective greetings, and they began to saunter off again, with Ayana, who had supposedly arrived after them, taking the lead. Since the day following the incident, Ayana had taken a week’s break. Neither Kyosuke nor Yuu found out about it, and when they attended school, their classmates were concerned for them, hence they were mentally occupied, leading them to learn about Ayana’s absence afterwards.

The reason for her absence was that she suffered from a mental breakdown.

Why did Yuka commit the assault?

That became the source of her distress, and she was finding it hard to sleep.

But now, thanks to the medication prescribed by the doctor, she has recovered enough for her to succeed in sleeping at night and presenting herself at school during the daytime as before.

Nevertheless, the possibility of her relationship with Yuka being restored in the future was low. Even if it could, that would demand a considerable amount of time.

For Ayana, the psychological shock was so devastating that she could not even walk near Yuka’s house anymore in addition to not grasping Yuka’s feelings for her.

At school, Ayana has been displaying a cheery demeanor.

Even if this appearance contradicted her true feelings, it would be difficult for those around her to perceive it.

Even Kyosuke and Yuu were no exception.

“Sonohara, please look after me for today’s after-school activities too!”

“… Got it.”

As usual, Yuu nodded reluctantly to the resilient tone in her voice. He knew she would be overwhelmed if he told her it was a hassle.

Besides, more than anything else, his beloved partner was chaperoning him, therefore he figured it would be okay to go.

On the school grounds, the bell rang for the morning.

With the warm air that heralded summer, the leaves on the trees were rustling softly.

────────

Then a week later.

At the high school Kyosuke and his classmates attended, the sports festival was in full swing.

Under the sunny sky, a fresh breeze was sweeping across the school building, which was bustling with lively students.

Yuu and Ayana were in the broadcast room together, and when they were not broadcasting, the two of them watched the screen displaying the competitions in the schoolyard that were being filmed.

“Ah, it’s Kyosuke…”

“Eh, which one?”

Ayana, reacting to even his small murmur, looked at the screen along with him. The image of Kyosuke performing mild warm-up exercises for the long jump was projected on the screen. Both of them stared at him in his short-sleeved, short-pants gym clothes as if they were devouring the image.

Upon hearing the signal for the start, Kyosuke made the jump. Using his whole body and swinging his arms, he jumped high and higher. Eventually, when his feet landed on the ground, the student in charge of the event measured the distance he had jumped.

Kyosuke then struck a rare, full-body fist pump. Although no sound came through, the result was apparently quite favorable.

Through the screen, Yuu saw his happy countenance, and naturally smiled unconsciously. That expression was so strikingly beautiful that Ayana was glued to his profile for a while. The look in his eyes was that of a maiden in love.

“… Can I leave for a moment?”

“Y-Yeah…”

When Yuu, smiling serenely as he stared at the screen, asked her, she nodded her head, unable to refuse. However, when Yuu became aware of his fawning gaze, he came to his senses, scrunched up his expression, averted his face, and left the broadcast room as if he were fleeing.

─​───────

After the competition in the schoolyard, Kyosuke was relaxed now that he had finished his part in the competition. If any help would be requested from other competitions, he intended to accept it and participate, but so far no such request had arisen. For the time being, he decided to wait until the next turn to compete and walked to the shade of a tree at the edge of the schoolyard in search of shade from the intense sunlight.

“Kyosuke!”

“…?”

Turning at the unexpected call, he found Yuu hurriedly approaching him.

“Oh, what’s up?”

“Ha… ha…”

In a similar gym uniform, with his white skin exposed to the sun and his hands on his knees and catching his breath, he asked his partner if something was wrong.

“Kyosuke, did you finish the competition?”

Out of breath, he asked back. Faced with his partner’s unusual appearance, Kyosuke nodded, half-overwhelmed.

“Ah, there are two more rounds to go, though.”

“I see… I’ll stay with you until then.”

“… O-Oh.”

Did you run all the way down here just for that?

Sonohara Yuu, who seemed as if he was made of listlessness, came running. Only for the sake of coming to meet him. The impact was so profound for Kyosuke that he stared at him for a while with an expression of astonishment itself, as if he were petrified.

“Are you not pleased?”

When Kyosuke’s face revealed more surprise than joy, an icy glance pierced through him, prompting him to hastily shake his head.

“Of course I’m pleased! But why did you go through the trouble?”

“… I mean…”

At what he casually asked, Yuu’s cheeks flushed slightly and his gaze averted.

“Your happy appearance, even I want to see it up close…”

“…”

When Kyosuke heard the reason, which was expressed in a shy and sullen manner, he blushed involuntarily.

You’re too cute…

“… What? Are you not pleased?”

When his partner caught sight of him as unresponsive for not saying anything, he peered into his face.

No matter what words or gestures he expressed, he could only see how cute they were and he inevitably averted his gaze.

“Of course I am pleased.”

“… Well, that’s good then.”

His cheeks were cupped by two white hands, somewhat smaller than Kyosuke’s, forcing him to meet his gaze. His beautiful red right eye was staring at him.

“…”

“…”

Their silent time, passing as they exchanged gazes at close range, prompted Kyosuke’s embarrassment, resulting in an unbearable averting of his gaze.

“It’s your loss, Kyosuke.”

With that being said, his cheeks were released. Although not knowing what he wanted to do, for some reason, he felt extremely blessed.

“Ichinose, it’s about time!”

Apparently, his turn came sooner than he had expected. It may have just felt like their time together passed quickly, though.

“…”

Even though his lover came to meet him purposely. When he thought it was difficult to separate from him, he received a gentle pat on the back.

“Do your best for the next one.”

The person who encouraged him to do so had a beautiful, peaceful smile on his face. This was a special smile that was directed only at him. He was naturally filled with a sense of euphoria.

“Thank you.”

After responding to his partner’s words, he nodded joyfully before turning on his heel and heading back on foot. Kyosuke’s mouth curled up in delight as he watched his beloved walking back.

I am loved, aren’t I?

The only reason why the person whom he always spent time with came all the way here was simply to meet him. No doubt, he wanted to be the closest person to observe him competing. When Kyosuke recalled the words he assembled while embarrassed, it made him bite down on the happiness he has been given.

It doesn’t matter what form it takes.

If there are thoughts that need to be conveyed, do not neglect to do so.

Before you can no longer convey them.

Before your heart is broken.

That is necessary irrespective of how far away or how close you are.

After the incident a month ago, and through his correspondence with his lover, Kyosuke has learned the significance of this again.