Nanako-chan SOS (Part 1)
Play *4
That day, the weather was the worst.
The rain began before I went home, just as I was hoping that it wouldn't. And by the time I started heading home, it was pouring.
On the road while running home, I could see that the river I always passed by was overflowing.
Thinking 'this is a complete typhoon,' I ran across the bridge. But right then, I spotted something coming down the river from upstream.
The piece of junk caught my fancy as a collector, so I swam into the swollen river and retrieved it.
Since I picked it up, it is now definitely mine.
After I got home, I cleaned up that piece of junk and put it in my room.
After that I took a bath to wash my drenched body, and then went straight to bed.
It must've been partly because that piece of junk I brought home was stupidly heavy.
As tired as if I had worked at a construction site for three days straight, I fell asleep immediately.
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Then, for some reason, I unfittingly dreamt about something that happened a long time ago.
(switches to a classroom scene)
"Looks like there's no one apart from you worthy of becoming my rival."
I cut off a piece of mince for an elementary school student the same age as me, not even ten years old, and gave it to him.
That's right, if it's elementary school, the fact that this classroom is visible is evidence enough. Anyway, it's hard to remember the school I used to go to as a kid, so let's leave it at that.
"---------"
It seemed that this kid didn't think anything of me, who was standing before him.
It wasn't that he was ignoring me. He was looking at me as if I was merely a part of the scenery.
"..........................."
It made me angry, so I ate his pudding.
That was definitely mealtime. On top of that, it was the one day a month when we got pudding.
"Hmph."
I showed him a smug smile.
"---------"
Even so, he remained silent, and, as if uninterested, began eating his meal.
"Th, this guy----!"
I was completely pissed.
After that, a fist fight broke out.
Well, we were restrained by the teacher, and we were both scolded, but in its own way, it felt good for me, so I was happy.
Because that kid who attacked me with that calm face was, as I had predicted, the same kind as I.
Anyway, having taken four hits to the stomach, many to the face, even to the back and sides, and a decisive hit on the knee, all the way to the end, that kid did not make a sound.
Well, as I thought, he was someone who was broken.
That kid, who didn't speak from beginning to end, and who was so calm as to make you angry, is called Tohno Shiki.
I'll say it for the record, but my name is Inui Arihiko.
This was my first encounter with the guy to whom I would become ridiculously close.
(switch to black screen)
...... But, what is this?
Why am I the lead this time around?
"... That's right, this time Arihiko-san is the lead..."
Ah, I see. Lucky.
---Do you think I'll say that and just let this slide? What is this, this tone that I can't distinguish whether it's happy or gloomy?!
"Huhuhu, you'll enjoy it when you read it.@ Well, pay one year of your lifetime in return."
...... Ah.
For some reason, I feel like a horrible headache is about to come----
Stop music
(Title Card)
(switch to different scene)
Play *2
In the evening, at the blindingly bright river bank, we engaged in fisticuffs.
It wasn't because I hated him, but rather because I was so unhappy with myself that I wanted to train someone similar to myself by hitting him again and again.
It was the same with him, so without reason, we hit each other until we were satisfied.
Although in the end, both of us got to the point where we couldn't take even one step, so it became a double knock out.
Then I think we lay in the grass while complaining 'my tooth fell out--,' or 'I think I'm gonna throw up--.'
Of course, even though we beat each other up until we were satisfied, my dissatisfaction with myself hadn't gone away.
But whatever, I was still relieved.
I knew that dissatisfaction with oneself was something that never went away, and I was satisfied enough with knowing that there was another fool just like me.
Plus, I was glad that that kid who was usually cold was still very much like a child.
I can't quite recall what we said to each other then.
It must definitely have been petty and boring things that elementary school kids talked about. That conversation that isn't even worth remembering was only worth something back then.
But.
Still, the last thing we said is a memory that has remained deep in my heart.
I don't know why the conversation went that way, but we started to talk about death.
What we would think about in that final moment on the death bed, that was the topic of our un-childlike conversation.
"I've already chosen that. When I die, I definitely have to apologize. I have to politely lower my head, and say 'everyone, I'm sorry for everything up to now.'"
'Yes,' he said and nodded.
Looking at the riverbank with a face that seemed to say 'this kid understands,'
"Maybe I'll say 'Thank you. Everyone, I'm thankful for everything up to now,' like that."
He said, with such a happy expression.
Then, I realized it.
That this kid, who I thought was a lot like me, was in fact unbelievably stupid.
The difference between us is extremely small. It's such a little amount, like two hands on a clock off by just an hour. There's no need to even acknowledge such a small difference.
However, that's why I realized it.
That this kid, who could say something like 'thank you' at the moment of death, was someone I could never defeat.
The moment I rejoiced that this rival, whom I didn't like, had turned around completely and had become a friend, this kid had come to realize that we were rivals.
That was such an extreme betrayal that I obviously resented it.
Even so, I was laughing.
This unfairness, or this irrational violence, or the fact that this kid who was like a piece of the world's spite and pain said something like that were unbearably joyful things.
So I laughed.
In front of the river sparkling due to the evening, I grabbed my stomach still hurting from the fight and laughed loudly---
Stop music