“H-Hey…help me…don’t just laugh…”
“Y-You alright? kanae, that’s a bit much…”
“Hmph! He won’t die from this level!”
“You trying to kill me!?”
Itsuki makes a fuss and they somehow end up laughing together. Before long, one by one, students start disappearing from the classroom. kanae’s club activity time starts approaching as well.
“Ah! It’s this late already… Sorry you two but I gotta go!
“Never come back again!”
“I’ll make sure to come back just to spite you!”
Saying that, kanae heads off to club activities.
Kurotsuki who wasn’t in any club and Itsuki whose club was off walk away together with no real reason.
“So yeah, about that TV show yesterday–“
Kurotsuki, now a high school first-year, speaks.
That time was probably the happiest.
☆☆☆
“Haah, haah… D-Damn…!”
Itsuki supported himself with his shoulders as he rested both hands on his knees.
Today in gym class was soccer.
Itsuki belongs to the soccer club. Piling up blood, sweat and tears, he had been the soccer club’s ace since his first year.
At least in effort, he was absolutely unbeatable.
He had confidence in that, and in his own ability. That’s why he was convinced no one in a mere gym class soccer game could be his match…
…At least until just now.
He wipes the sweat from his brow and looks ahead.
There, Kurotsuki shoots the ball into the enemy’s goal, with the yellow team letting out anguished screams.
Among them is kanae, and seeing her, Itsuki shows irritation.
“So cool, kanade Kurotsuki! And so lame, Itsuki!”
Hearing kanae’s voice, Kurotsuki wryly smiles.
“You’ll lose if you let it get to you. It’s just provocation.”
“I know, at least that much…”
But dissatisfaction still builds up inside even if he understands.
He knew Kurotsuki kanade was a genius… He thought his talent made him an unmatched opponent.
But does talent completely ignore all the effort he’s put in?
He spent much of his youth on the path of soccer.
And it crumbles before the single word of [Genius].
As just another ordinary boy, Itsuki grinds his molars.
Why, why can’t he play an active role?
Why can Kurotsuki play such an active role?
“Hey, kanade!”
“…Hm? What is it, Itsuki?”
The words came out before he could think.
Itsuki is at a loss under Kurotsuki’s puzzled return question.
Unable to follow up, in desperation he ends up asking something childish.
“H-How…can you do it so well?”
He knew it was an obvious question. Yes, Itsuki himself also understood that.
“L-Look, I’m in the soccer club right? Your movements and stuff…! I thought maybe I could reference them! If you’ve got any tips, teach me! We’re best friends right?”
Faced with the demanding Itsuki, Kurotsuki smiles wryly.
Seeing his expression, Itsuki opens his eyes wide and bites his lip.
That’s right, Kurotsuki is just an ordinary person despite being good, not in the soccer club or anything.
Why did he ask something like this? Asking a beginner for advice even though he’s my best friend in the soccer club. It must be hard for Kurotsuki to answer too, the one who should be teaching.
“S-Sorry! That just now was…”
Itsuki hurriedly tries to say ‘never mind’ and opens his mouth.
But before that, Kurotsuki’s answer came back.
“Sorry, since I’m a genius…I don’t really know any tricks.”
The moment he heard those words, his answer.
For some reason, Itsuki heard the sound of something breaking.
He doesn’t know what it was that broke.
But he can definitively declare it was something important that shouldn’t have broken.
“…Genius.”
With his mind a jumbled mess, he doesn’t even know what to think anymore.
Itsuki echoes the two characters Kurotsuki uttered.
Everyone recognized Kurotsuki was a genius. Itsuki understood that too.
But hearing it from his own mouth was completely different–
“…Itsuki? What’s wrong?”
“N-Nothing… Sorry for the weird question.”
Itsuki says that, then runs toward the ball.
The left behind Kurotsuki tilts his head puzzledly but soon runs after him.
Kurotsuki overtakes Itsuki shortly after starting to run.
–The next week, Itsuki had quit the soccer club.
☆☆☆
“Alright! Nice, kanae, kanade!”
Today was test return day.
Looking at his returned test, Itsuki seems happy and the two who saw Itsuki’s answer sheet show great surprise.
“No…way… You got over 90 on everything! D-Don’t tell me, you cheated…”
“I didn’t! I won’t dishonor everyone’s hard work by cheating.”
“Kidding. I know best how hard you were studying.”
After quitting club activities, Itsuki had been studying hard.
Because he was losing his ‘enjoyment’ of sports.
And he wanted to show kanae he could study properly too.
In sports, he would definitely never match up to kanade. Itsuki sensed that from years of experience.
So he would get back at him in studying at least.
See, I can do it too.
Itsuki turns his gaze to Kurotsuki in high spirits.
And there was Kurotsuki, making a complicated expression.
…The definite confidence changes color into bad premonition.
Like dropping a speck of mud into a pure white lake.
The bad feeling soon turns to conviction, and confidence is stained jet black.
“…No way, right?”
Itsuki didn’t know Kurotsuki’s usual test scores.
He knew he could study very well.
But since he himself was getting failing scores, he never bothered to specifically learn kanade’s scores. So he thought he must have won this time getting this high.
But he was wrong.
“Actually…”
The opened answer sheets were all perfect scores.
Even on problems made by the teacher thinking ‘They probably can’t answer this,’ he showed model answers.
They were answer sheets that no one could find fault with, scoring a ‘perfect 100 points.’
“A-Amazing! As expected of kanade, you really can study!”
“What do you mean ‘as expected,’ I’ve been saying it all along.”
Itsuki opens his eyes wide with a ‘Haah.’
His intuition was right, Kurotsuki says those words.
“Because I’m a genius, you know.”
Those words had become a curse.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
☆☆☆
“Because I’m a genius, you know.”
He had heard those words countless times.
Each time he heard those words, his heart felt constricted. His chest hurt, he felt nauseous.
He knows kanade doesn’t have any malice.
Itsuki doesn’t know a nicer guy than him.
He’s always prioritizing others. Earnestly thinking about how to help them.
Many people had been saved by him.
Itsuki and kanae had been saved not just once or twice.
Saved countless times. They were grateful too… Probably.
There’s no one in this town who doesn’t know him.
Because Kurotsuki kanade is this town’s hero.
…But still.
Whenever Kurotsuki’s words.
That line runs through his head.
It dyes his memories with kanade black.
And he feels anger boiling up.
“You haven’t been hanging out much lately huh, Itsuki.”
“Ah… Yeah, I guess so.”
After school. On the country road with just Itsuki and kanade after parting with kanae.
Frogs and insects can be heard chirping from the paddies on either side.
Kurotsuki had noticed Itsuki’s mood was off.
So he wanted to do something about it somehow.
To recreate their usual, happy times like normal.
“kanae said it too. ‘Itsuki’s been kinda hard to deal with lately right?’ …If something happened, tell me. We’re friends right?”
“…Ah, yeah.”
He gets the same response as before.
Kurotsuki smiles wryly as he searches for his next words.
And…notices that Itsuki had stopped walking.
“…What’s wrong, Itsuki?”
“………Hey, have you ever studied before?”
It was a sudden question.
Understandably puzzled, Kurotsuki answers honestly.
“N-No… Not particularly?”
“Then sports… Have you ever desperately trained to the point of death? Struggled sleeplessly because you didn’t want to lose to someone–“
“I-I haven’t but… What about it…?”
Kurotsuki seems to recoil slightly as he responds.
At his words, at his attitude, Itsuki’s anger explodes.
“Don’t fuck with me!”
Kurotsuki opens his eyes wide at the sudden outburst.
“Why, why! kanade Kurotsuki! Do you know how hard I’m trying!? While you’re…while you’re playing with kanae, I’m desperately studying! While you’re casually slacking off, I’m desperately struggling…! I even quit club activities, threw away everything and am working hard…! Yet you…!”
“I-Itsuki…?”
Kurotsuki’s confused voice flies out.
Receiving that voice, Itsuki returns to his senses and opens his eyes wide.
It takes several seconds to understand what he had said.
Eventually covering his mouth, Itsuki whispers “Sorry” to Kurotsuki.
But the true feelings once spilled out can’t be taken back anymore.
“…You probably can’t understand, huh.”
Kurotsuki couldn’t reply to Itsuki’s words.
Because they were right.
“You’re a genius who can do anything. While I’m just a mediocre person. I can’t do anything, and no matter how desperately I struggle… I could never reach you.”
Before long, the lowered Itsuki raises his face.
“Why, why…”
“I like kanae,”
He knew. And couldn’t understand.
Why, why was he telling him this now of all times.
Why, is he…crying?
“I wanted to become someone fitting for her, so I worked hard desperately. …Did you know? She’s the track club’s ace. Working hard day after day… While I’m just a mediocre person with nothing going for me. At least, I wanted one weapon that was better than anyone else’s.”
“Itsuki…I-I…”
“I know you’ve been cheering us on. That kanae is worried about me. But, but, yo…”
He was crying. On the deserted country road at dusk…the one who was once his best friend sobs painfully.
“I hate you so much…I can’t stand it!”
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