Chapter 51: Old me

　[Kana Miyajima]

If she had changed her opinion 180 degrees and said she would be on Kitami’s side, would I be able to believe her?

　Maybe she and I could have become friends. I am sure we could have become friends under different conditions and with different encounters.

　One by one. We made a mistake.

　The scars of the past never go away. Even if the wounds heal, even if the victim forgets, the fact of the past will never disappear.

　The girl in front of me —- Mizuki Itakura. And one more. It was inevitable that he was invited here.

　Everything is connected. The past will follow him wherever he goes.

　Hopefully, it is a threat to him.

　The time is 5:00 p.m. The weather is cloudy. The mood is that of a rough storm.

　Walking with heavy steps, IーーーKana Miyajima slowly walked to the meeting place.

　I left my house with plenty of time to spare, so I still have some time left. I thought of somewhere to kill some time, but my heart was not in it, and I arrived at the rendezvous point about 30 minutes before.

　”Oh, he’s already there…”

When I arrived at the café where we were supposed to meet, I spotted Itakura-san inside the store. It seemed that she had arrived early as well. The other person did not seem to have arrived yet.

　”Hello. Thank you for coming today. You came out of the blue.”

“Hello, Miyajima-san. I don’t mean that… I just want you to know that I can’t go on like this either… I think you know what I mean.”

　We may be in different positions, but we are no longer outsiders. Regardless of how we act or what we think, we can no longer be unrelated.

Regret for my own actions and guilt toward Kitami will not allow it.

　At this point in time, the only reason to move is a sense of duty. It is ugly and self-loathing to the point of ugliness.

　That’s why there was no way I could turn back here. With the unreliable hope that I had tucked into my chest, I miserably and desperately reached out my hand, desperately trying to get my face above the water.

“”…””

　An awkward silence. Well, it can’t be helped. We only know each other’s faces. We are not more than friends of acquaintances, no matter how far we go.

　I was impatient that the other presence I had invited here did not show up at the appointed time. Could it be that he was planning to skip out on our appointment?

　Looking at Itakura-san sitting in front of me, I noticed that she too was constantly looking at the entrance of the restaurant. She must be anxious as well.

　Twenty minutes after the appointed time. He came.

　As soon as I saw his face, the unpleasant memory of that day came back to me vividly.

　”It’s been a long time, Miyajima, Itakura…”

　”Yeah, it’s been a while, Okajima-kun.”

　Taichi Okajima, A being I thought I would never see again.

—He was the leader of the group that used to bully Emi, as well as Kitami with me participating.