Running Away Again
When Yuuki woke up in the morning, he was no longer at the inn but back in his own room.
His shoulders felt a little heavy, and his body sluggish, probably because the fatigue from the trip had not completely worn off.
Still, since he managed to wake up around his usual time, he reluctantly stepped out of his room and went to the washroom to wash his face.
The cold water splashed against his skin, and little by little, his drowsiness faded and his mind cleared.
“G-good morning, Nii-san.”
Without even turning around, Yuuki saw his younger sister Rei’s face reflected in the mirror. With an annoyed look, he quickly wiped his face with a towel and left the washroom.
Before, he would head into the living room, but even that felt unpleasant now. Instead, he went straight back to his room, got ready for school, and hurried toward the entrance. Aika stepped out from the living room as if she wanted to say something, but Yuuki ignored her and walked outside.
On the way, he stopped at a convenience store, bought breakfast and lunch, and continued on to school.
Yuuki had almost no hobbies.
At most, he would play on the game console his mother Aika had bought him as atonement, but he had never once bought anything for himself.
The only time he ever spent money was when he went on dates with Ayaka.
Because of that, his savings were far greater than those of the average high school student.
Even so, it would be difficult to keep living without relying on his mother Aika.
Thinking about what to do, he walked toward school.
“Ah, Yuuki. Good morning.”
Ahead of him, a girl in the same uniform waved.
Yuuki’s expression twisted, and he looked at her as though she were something disgusting.
Seeing that, the girl’s face grew uneasy.
“Hinata Arisa. Don’t come near me.”
Not understanding what he meant, Arisa froze in place.
Until recently, Yuuki had treated her kindly as usual, so this reaction left her bewildered. She asked,
“Why? Did I do something wrong?”
At her words, Yuuki let out a sigh and spoke.
“Did something wrong? Have you forgotten what you did to me back in elementary school?”
“Th-that’s…”
Struck by his words, Arisa could say nothing more, only opening and closing her mouth like a fish.
“If you don’t remember, do you want me to tell you everything from the beginning?”
“…”
Yuuki pressed further, piling on his words toward the silent Arisa.
“When you were being bullied, I protected you. And yet you abandoned me. Do you want me to explain exactly how it happened?”
“S-stop it.”
As Yuuki tried to go into more detail about those days in elementary school, Arisa raised her voice loudly to cut him off.
“Hah. Then don’t get involved with me anymore. I don’t want to talk to you, and I don’t even want to see your face.”
With that, Yuuki walked past Arisa and headed straight for school. She could say nothing. When the time came for classes to begin, she had no will to go. Instead, she drifted aimlessly, her feet eventually carrying her back toward her own home.