The Approximation of the Distance of Two: Prologue: Simply Running is Too Long; Present: 12km15 min read

3. Present: 12km

There are a lot of clubs but there is a limit to the number of new students. In April, Kamiyama High School Freshman Recruiting is especially intense. Last year, I had no intention of joining any clubs so I had ignored all of them but, this year, someone had decided to put me in the midst of it all. I knew that was the first time I tried to rest. That was a hard-fought battle.
Not knowing left from right, the new students are being scrambled over with invitations. That’s why, more or less, a problem will occur. One should refuse. Though even if they considerably do not refuse, it seems that it’s also the person’s fault. Somehow, whatever number of people they get to join is good enough. With that, it appears as if the clubs are merely forcing them to join. It’s impossible for a person to win if they go through with force. The provisional club enrollment and the real club enrollment are the two stages that one experiences. The person themselves should make sure that it’s their true intention to joining a club. If they do not file a withdrawal notice, they will automatically be considered a part of the club.
And the deadline for filing the withdrawal notice is this weekend. Today is the deadline.
I tentatively checked.
“Just because they didn’t turn in their main club enrollment form doesn’t mean that they can’t join that club again.”
“Of course.　Kamiyama High School’s clubs are ones you can join anytime, and quit anytime. All is free.”
After saying that, Satoshi sadly adds.
“Simply, the club estimate is determined based on the number of people at the end of the provisional club enrollment period. After passing that, the leaving and joining of clubs is the one that’s not delightful and that’s the truth, right? There’s nothing more than that.”
“I know.”
The problem isn’t the paperwork.
If something troublesome really did happen yesterday, then it should be dealt with as soon as it’s found out about. The person in question is Oohinata, and Chitanda’s going home and not even trying to say something about it. However, one more day slowly passed. And with this, the weekends came in and Oohinata’s club withdrawal was a completely “done deal.” Reversing this would be impossible.
Today, there won’t be any class if the Hoshigaya Cup finishes. However, for the time being, we will have homeroom time. After that, it’ll be time for class to be dismissed.
In other words, being able to restrain Oohinata today only. If I am able to contact her, then the fact that there is hardly any other chance and time to do this gives me no other choice.
“However, I indirectly contacted her, only making the situation unpeaceful.”
Satoshi said in a small subdued voice.
“Yesterday after school, Oohinata was terribly angry. It seems that she was depressed about something. However, I guess that you don’t know the cause of it?”
“I don’t know because I was only reading a book.”
“If that’s the case, then Chitanda-san is the source of it all. But then I just heard the story from Mayaka and it seems that they’re at odds with each other.”
The uphill has yet to be a real uphill. The left and right side of the road are lined up with houses. This gentle slope will continue on for a while. With my slow pace, someone will move to the side and casually pass me by. Probably, 2-B has already started after us and that they’re confident about running.
I asked in a murmur.
“What did Mayaka say?”
Taking a glance, I saw that Satoshi had a disappointment face.
“What? Didn’t you hear it from her?”
“She won’t tell me anything.”
“I wonder if there’s no other time to say this. It’s just that, the story that I heard is vague.”
Lightly gazing around, Satoshi confidently said.
“If I’m not mistaken, Chitanda-san was talking about a “Buddha-like person” or something like that. She remembers not saying a bad comment at all.”
That wasn’t the whole story I just heard. I still don’t know what Oohinata said at club recruitment.
“Is that the story of what really happened yesterday?”
“What I said might possible be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that it happened yesterday.”
So, Oohinata’s “not joining the club” and “Chitanda’s Buddha-like person.” Something about those two things was said. If I were to honestly think about this, it seems that her ‘I’m not joining the club, however, that’s not because it’s Chitanda’s fault’ has some meaning to it.
Then, if that’s the case, I have to say something about Oohinata’s decision to withdraw from the club. But yesterday, I really didn’t do anything. Certainly, I don’t remember hearing anything and if I were to say that, it’ll only seem like a lie. I told Satoshi that before entering the clubroom, as I read my book, I’ll see if there’s anything we can pick up on. But it’s just that…
“…Still, the way I see it, it doesn’t look simple at all.”
But Satoshi murmured a “yeah it does.”
“I think it’s really simple. The new member comes in. They change their minds. They withdraw from the club. These kinds of things happen all the time.”
For the time being, Satoshi accompanies me while pushing his mountain bike as I run. As expected, he really prefers cycling and he calls himself a good walker. And finally, Satoshi will have to reluctantly continue.
“Hey, Houtarou. This may be inconsiderate to say, but what if you think about Oohinata’s withdrawal from the club as something that she had to reluctantly do? That girl is certainly interesting. Mayaka also, from what I’ve seen, seems to be pleased with her. If it’s her own decision to quit the club, then it’s not right to say all kinds of things about her.”
He looked at me as he added.
“Certainly, mine is better than Houtarou’s. But, I believe that that was only a suggestion, right?”
But what he said is most likely. To tell you the truth, from the moment that Ibara came in feeling confused, I too thought that indifferent about it.
It seems that she has her own reasons. In Kamiyama High School, one is allowed to be in up to two clubs at the same time. However, when you want to join three other clubs, I don’t blame her for cutting her ties with the Classics Club. At any rate, the purpose is unknown. Being able to do the sports you want, I was going to start a motion committee.　After all, I want to focus on studying instead… Whereas there are many reasons behind her withdrawal from the club, the Classics Club will detain her even if there is no reason. Unfortunately, there was no fate. I haven’t thought about that.
I changed my mind. There are several reasons. However, I don’t feel like explaining it to Satoshi one by one while running. After this, when Satoshi rides his bicycle, will be a good time. Running is something I have to do. Talking while running is tiring. I’ll settle for talking less.
When he sensed that I wasn’t going to answer him back, Satoshi lightened the talk.
“Well, just… Hey, if Houtarou decides to stop her from leaving, then I have no intention of stopping you. And then, having to look for Oohinata-san and persuading her, will you be able to take it?”
He had attacked me at my most vulnerable moment.
“Persuading her?”
“That’s right. This is how you bow your head. ‘Though we have a lot of unpleasantries here, please, endure us one more time.’”
Saying that with a matching gesture, Satoshi also had a strange look on his face.
“You don’t mean that, do you?”
I didn’t consider doing that. Surely, there must be some other way. And yet, “Oohinata also, when you stop for a reason, you should at least tell us. Even without knowing the reason, I wonder if we can sort this out,” the groaning returned.
“I guess it can be sorted out, this I mean. This may certainly not be in Houtarou’s nature. However, I ask you, without question, to apologize at any cost. Come now, above all, finishing up in a hurry… I think that’s surprisingly better.”
Could it be just like that? I have a feeling I shouldn’t believe that much. At least, I don’t think that if I were to persuade Oohinata, everything will be calmly sorted out.
First of all, I don’t think I want to beg Oohinata to stay. Putting aside everything, I will only write about the club recruitment notification. Later, I can probably pretend that I don’t know anything about it. It’s only because it’s troublesome to put it off later. I like to avoid things but I like to ignore more. However, I don’t like to put things off later. I can also just turn a blind eye to troublesome things. It will eventually be just a bigger burden if I don’t deal with it…
“I have no intention of begging.”
“Then how about you persuade her head-on?”
“That’s also troublesome. What do you think about I talk to her softly?” (tl/n: says smooth-speaking but I can’t think of a synonym or another phrase to replace this.)
“I didn’t think of that. To slowly persuade her. When it comes to mysteries, you’re the type to settle everything in one go by saying a few words.”
After saying that, Satoshi kept quiet.
He steadily watched my face.
“Earlier, you said that the situation isn’t that simple. I wonder if it’s perhaps Houtarou wants to find out the reason behind Oohinata’s club withdrawal.”
Saying that I want to find out is a bit exaggerated.
“I’m just trying to remember things, so far. If I try to remember, I won’t have to suffer from any trouble.”
Satoshi takes the time to think a little about that.
“…Remembering, huh. I see! Then, only thinking that there’s a reason to Oohinata-san being angry or sad yesterday after school doesn’t mean that there is one. I think that the cause, or should I say underlying cause, can be just about anywhere else.”
That was very perceptive of him.
I know that I didn’t do anything yesterday. Then, in Chitanda’s case, aside from Ibara’s “Buddha-like person” testimony, if you think about it, if I was talking to her in a violent manner, wouldn’t she be filled with deep hurt? If I say something bad to Mayaka, I already know what will happen. A petty comment is fatal. But quickly making something like a cutting remark at her is possible. And yet, when it comes to Chitanda, she would just tilt her head.
If I were to think about it, the cause only happened yesterday. What if, every day during the provisional club enrollment, Oohinata started to accumulate intolerable feelings? And then yesterday, she finally reached her limit.
“I have no intention of stopping but… This is troublesome, huh?”
“It seems so.”
“No matter how many times Houtarou tries to remember, that’s only essential information that you’re gathering altogether, and that won’t guarantee anything.”
“Well, that’s likely.”
The Classics Clubs members aren’t necessarily always all together. I, too, don’t go to the club room every day. I didn’t see anything. I also didn’t hear anything, though I expect that there should be. I don’t know everything that’s under supervision. When something is about to start and about to end, thinking about only that is useless.
However, Satoshi still isn’t able to say that. For me, even if it’s only a little space in my mind, it’s still there. Ever since the provisional club enrollment, Oohinata still hasn’t had one or two weird thoughts about us here. Maybe, she’s poking around something. That something may not possibly appear. Even that, misunderstandings won’t possibly happen. Well…I should still have a go at it. The mood won’t go sour just because of that. At any rate, it’s already 20km. Just running was too long.
I said.
“I have to ask you something that you would probably know about that came out.”
Puzzled, Satoshi frowned.
“Ask? About anyone, I’ll tell you however, from here on out, I have to go on ahead, okay?”
“I know. I guess we’ll have to pass each other somewhere. Besides…”
I showed a small smile.
“You should approach me behind Ibara and Chitanda.”
Blankly for a moment, Satoshi had a shocked face.
“That’s mean! How can you think of such a thing? The Executive Committee has earnestly set up the Hoshigaya Cup, and we are very much informed about it.”
“Isn’t it the Marathon Tournament?”
As I thought, Ibara and Chitanda shouldn’t hear what I had to say.
On the other hand, I have to contact Oohinata before the day is over.
The Hoshigaya Cup is avoiding a traffic jam. For each class, we have to leave one at a time. I’m in 2-A. And Ibara is someone in 2-C. I’m sure that Chitanda is a recent student of 2-H. If I slowly run, eventually, Ibara would catch up to me. If I run even more slowly, Chitanda also will come.
“I wonder what was Oohinata’s class again.”
“It’s B. No wonder that you felt like going at a slow pace, whatever the circumstance may be… No, calm down. I was rather relieved. That’s it. Houtarou is serious about running through to the end. There’s no other reason!”
Satoshi is likely laughing. That was a completely rude story. Last year, I ran properly. In the middle of whatever kilometer it was, perhaps a dozen kilometers, I was already somewhat walking.
“I already know your ulterior motive. By the way, any time now, I won’t be able to work. There’s a limit to loafing on the job.”
He sat on his mountain bike.
He had put his feet on the pedals and had already gone when I remembered. ‘Satoshi, there’s something…,’ I suddenly hesitated. He had stopped moving and looked over his shoulders at me.
“However, this is something I can only say to true friends. Houtarou, you don’t hold it to you much. Houtarou usually thinks of not caring about other people’s circumstances, therefore, you don’t really forget that you don’t have any kind of responsibility over Oohinata-san’s case.”
That was a cruel comment. However, I understand what he’s trying to say. Even I noticed what I think that was. “Oohinata gets to decide in the end,” is what he wanted to say. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it. Someone else should not possibly be aware of it.
“Then, I’m going. Let’s meet somewhere again in the course.”
“Ahh.”
Satoshi broke into an increasingly powerful pedal. Taking off from an ascending hill, despite this, the mountain bike didn’t seem to stagger. Suddenly, he went and sped up. He doesn’t seem to be threshing on the edge. Because he, without fail, settled himself on the saddle, with a forward-bent posture, had went and gone far off.
While slowly running with small steps, I let people’s back pass me by.
I’ve said that I’ve heard Ibara and Chitanda’s story, but the case isn’t that easy.
Even if those two catches up with me, I don’t think I’ll be able to long talk with them. Especially Ibara, who I guess won’t even stop her feet. Maybe, I can overtake them with, at most, one or two questions.
I don’t have time to ask them everything. What I ask them should be precisely sorted out since if I drive them away, it’ll all be completely useless.
I won’t be able to ask surely if I have no doubt that I understand it. And then, the thing to be understood here is with Kamiyama High School, first year student Oohinata Tomoko, and to hear what kind of person she is.
……I remembered something. After Chitanda had left yesterday, Ibara asked me, since I had not left the Geology lecture room.
“Hey, what happened?”
“I can’t answer anything. I- you-you also saw her.”
However, I felt that I had been stabbed in the chest.
Yesterday after school, if only I said that I shouldn’t read a book. I couldn’t bring myself to be concerned about Oohinata. Likely to point out the correspondence in this area, Satoshi often tells me that my thing is somewhat having a dislike of people. I don’t mean that that is confronting me completely, but I have not even deviated. Maybe from an outsider’s perspective, I might have looked like I deliberately kept away from Oohinata.
I wonder if I’ve come to either make Oohinata happy or hurt. Mostly, I didn’t come to have an interest in her. That is what’s called neglecting people. From here on out, however, I wonder if I will be able to take it back. During this 20km? It’s too long to just run. However to understand people, I do not know whether this is a sufficient distance.
No matter what, there is a need to think about this.
The hill has finally become steep. Before I noticed, the left and right sides of the road had gone to a cedar forest, which is unusual. With a slow running pace, yet again, someone will go and surpass me. I had known her since April.
It was at the Freshman Recruiting Week.