It had been fourteen days since Onoda’s visit to Hakone. Fourteen days since he had seen Manami, the usually cheerful, careful climber who always had a smile on his face. Except that his smile was a bit forced at first when he saw him.
He took out his phone. There were a couple of new messages, but none from the one he was waiting for.
That was when he believed that Manami had no intention whatsoever to maintain their friendship, even in the most convenient way.
A couple of days ago he had given sending Manami messages since none of them were replied to. Being the overly-considerate person he was, Onoda spent the rest of the hours worrying about how Manami must had gotten annoyed at him, and was trying to avoid him at all cost.
But the other never failed to surprise him in one way or another.
“Sakamichi-kun, I am in Akihabara now.”
When Onoda frantically rode on his bike and dashed to the place he loved the most, the only evidence left of Manami’s presence was a water bottle, tucked on the sidewalk unnoticeably.
Onoda had regretted so much why he had not picked up the phone earlier, so he could come here earlier, and ask Manami directly if he really was being the worst friend he thought himself as.
A few more weeks had passed and Spring crept into the air, wiping away the last scent of Winter and bringing warmth again, which meant that training would start anytime soon.
“Sakamichi-kun,” he started. “I’m in front of the back-gate slope.”
Onoda’s heart almost skipped a beat when he heard this news.
“You mean…the one at the back of our school?”
“Yup.”
“I’m coming over! Please-please wait for me, Manami-kun!”
In fear of Manami disappearing again, Onoda quickly grabbed his bike, not even bothering changing into his jersey, and rode down the slope as quickly as possible without tumbling over.
There he was, with his trademark grin and a casually-worn school uniform, waving at Onoda as he pulled the brakes and stopped in front of him.
“Hey,” he said. “It’s been a long time.”
“M-Manami-kun…” Onoda stuttered, still astounded by the fact that Manami was standing there, right in front of him. “Why are you here?”
“Didn’t feel like going to school, so I came here,” he merely shrugged and replied. “So, Sakamichi-kun, how about a race? Just you and me, and this slope, let’s see who’s faster this time.”
Onoda remembered the last time when Toudou ‘invited’ them both for a private race but it ended up being canceled due to the massive amount of snow that was blocking their way on the hill. He found himself returning a smile equally bright.
“Sure!”
And they did. In spite of the tire Onoda felt burdened in his body from a full day of school and training afterwards, but while Manami rode side by side to him, all the tire could be forgotten in an instance.
“You know,” halfway through the slope, Manami suddenly broke the silence. “I hated you for winning.”
Onoda did not know what to say.
“But I guess I was just being childish, I shouldn’t resent someone else for being better than me,” Manami sighed, but it was more like a sigh of relief, as if he had finally gathered up his courage to say something in his mind. “Sakamichi-kun, can you promise me that, if we are left to compete each other in the next Inter-high, just like the last one…” He trailed off, but Onoda knew what he should say now.
“Of course, Manami-kun,” he smiled at him and said. “I will race you to the top.”
Manami looked at him, and the genuine smile he had offered him after hearing the fact that Manami had once despised him for winning the race a few months ago. He felt like he somehow owed this boy something else.
“Sakamichi-kun, can we stop to rest just for a second?”
Onoda was confused because Manami never asked for an interval during a race, not to mention that this was a race on a mountain that he loved the most, but did the same when Manami jumped off his bike and put it aside.
Before he could ask what was wrong, Onoda found himself being held in a tight embrace.
“Thank you,” Manami whispered. “For climbing with me.”
FILL: TEAM NANASE HARUKA/TACHIBANA MAKOTO, RATED G
743 words
It had been fourteen days since Onoda’s visit to Hakone. Fourteen days since he had seen Manami, the usually cheerful, careful climber who always had a smile on his face. Except that his smile was a bit forced at first when he saw him.
He took out his phone. There were a couple of new messages, but none from the one he was waiting for.
That was when he believed that Manami had no intention whatsoever to maintain their friendship, even in the most convenient way.
A couple of days ago he had given sending Manami messages since none of them were replied to. Being the overly-considerate person he was, Onoda spent the rest of the hours worrying about how Manami must had gotten annoyed at him, and was trying to avoid him at all cost.
But the other never failed to surprise him in one way or another.
“Sakamichi-kun, I am in Akihabara now.”
When Onoda frantically rode on his bike and dashed to the place he loved the most, the only evidence left of Manami’s presence was a water bottle, tucked on the sidewalk unnoticeably.
Onoda had regretted so much why he had not picked up the phone earlier, so he could come here earlier, and ask Manami directly if he really was being the worst friend he thought himself as.
A few more weeks had passed and Spring crept into the air, wiping away the last scent of Winter and bringing warmth again, which meant that training would start anytime soon.
“Sakamichi-kun,” he started. “I’m in front of the back-gate slope.”
Onoda’s heart almost skipped a beat when he heard this news.
“You mean…the one at the back of our school?”
“Yup.”
“I’m coming over! Please-please wait for me, Manami-kun!”
In fear of Manami disappearing again, Onoda quickly grabbed his bike, not even bothering changing into his jersey, and rode down the slope as quickly as possible without tumbling over.
There he was, with his trademark grin and a casually-worn school uniform, waving at Onoda as he pulled the brakes and stopped in front of him.
“Hey,” he said. “It’s been a long time.”
“M-Manami-kun…” Onoda stuttered, still astounded by the fact that Manami was standing there, right in front of him. “Why are you here?”
“Didn’t feel like going to school, so I came here,” he merely shrugged and replied. “So, Sakamichi-kun, how about a race? Just you and me, and this slope, let’s see who’s faster this time.”
Onoda remembered the last time when Toudou ‘invited’ them both for a private race but it ended up being canceled due to the massive amount of snow that was blocking their way on the hill. He found himself returning a smile equally bright.
“Sure!”
And they did. In spite of the tire Onoda felt burdened in his body from a full day of school and training afterwards, but while Manami rode side by side to him, all the tire could be forgotten in an instance.
“You know,” halfway through the slope, Manami suddenly broke the silence. “I hated you for winning.”
Onoda did not know what to say.
“But I guess I was just being childish, I shouldn’t resent someone else for being better than me,” Manami sighed, but it was more like a sigh of relief, as if he had finally gathered up his courage to say something in his mind. “Sakamichi-kun, can you promise me that, if we are left to compete each other in the next Inter-high, just like the last one…” He trailed off, but Onoda knew what he should say now.
“Of course, Manami-kun,” he smiled at him and said. “I will race you to the top.”
Manami looked at him, and the genuine smile he had offered him after hearing the fact that Manami had once despised him for winning the race a few months ago. He felt like he somehow owed this boy something else.
“Sakamichi-kun, can we stop to rest just for a second?”
Onoda was confused because Manami never asked for an interval during a race, not to mention that this was a race on a mountain that he loved the most, but did the same when Manami jumped off his bike and put it aside.
Before he could ask what was wrong, Onoda found himself being held in a tight embrace.
“Thank you,” Manami whispered. “For climbing with me.”