Trial Lover 39 (Patreon)

Main Story 38 - The Day Without Hiori

RAW

Friday, May 7th.

I wake up, open the curtains, and... I see leaded clouds spread out in the sky. When I open the window a little, cold air comes into the room. The weather forecast last night said it was going to get cold but, to think it’s this cold.

“So cold.”

My body trembles and I hurriedly close the window. At that moment, a bad feeling overtakes me.

I eat breakfast at the dining table in the kitchen and return to my room.

Ever since I started dating Hiori on a trial basis, I've been checking my smartphone at this time. Because I might have gotten a contact saying that something has happened to Hiori and that she won't be able to meet up as usual.

I press the power switch on my smartphone, and wake it up from its sleep mode.

“...Eh?”

There is a notification on LIME that a message has been sent on both Hiori’s individual chat and the group chat of the members who went to the amusement park. This is the first time something like this has happened, so a chill runs through my entire body. When I quickly check the individual chat,

[I've caught a cold. I will be absent from school today. So please go to school by yourself. Also, it seems we can’t go on an after school date today. Or even the date somewhere tomorrow. I’m sorry.]

I see that message that was sent 15 minutes ago.

In the group chat too, there is a message from Hiori that she would be absent from school. And a message from Himura-san and Hazuki-san, saying, [Take a good rest].

Yesterday, Hiori had been looking sleepy since morning and said she was still tired from playing at the amusement park the day before yesterday. She looked more energetic around noon, but the afternoon PE might have sapped her energy. It’s been quite cold since last night, so that may have been a contributing factor to her poor health.

So Hiori is going to be absent today from poor physical health, huh? That’s pretty lonely.

[I got it. Take care. It's cold, so keep your body warm and get some rest. I'm going to school alone today. I don't have a part-time job today, so I'll visit you after school. Let's go on a date when you get better.]

I send this message to Hiori’s individual chat. I also send a message to the group chat that I wish her a good rest and that I will be visiting her.

Immediately after I send the message, Himura-san and Hazuki-san send messages saying, [I'm going to visit too]. However, there is no response from Hiori. The message I sent to the individual chat is not marked as [read] either. I wonder if she's sleeping. Or is she in so much pain that she can't even look at her smartphone? Also, the reason why there is no response from Kazuo and Shimizu-san is probably because they are in the middle of morning practice for the track and field club.

The weather forecast this morning says it will be cloudy and chilly all day today. So I put on my blazer jacket.

When I grab my bag and is about to leave the house,

──Brrrr.

I hear the sound of my smartphone vibrating. When I quickly check it, I see that it’s from Hiori on LIME's individual chat and group chat.

[Thank you very much. I'll be waiting for you after school.]

That’s the message. These words make me feel a little less lonely.

The forecast said there was no danger of rain, so I decided to go to school by bicycle today as well.

I feel chilly right after I depart from home, but as I continue pedaling, my body gradually warms up.

Eventually, I see the underpass where I usually meet up with Hiori. Of course, Hiori isn’t there. I know she caught a cold and won't be coming today, so seeing that sight makes me feel very lonely.

I pass through the underpass without stopping. This was normal until I started dating Hiori. Still, a feeling of loss wells up in my heart.

Just as I am feeling shocked enough to shed tears, it starts to rain. Isn't it supposed to not rain? I guess there are days when the unexpected happens. If it’s going to happen anyway, I wish it was unexpected in a positive way.

*

I arrive at Kasagaya High School, and head to my classroom.

Even though I'm alone today, there are still as many students looking at me as there were yesterday. Could it be, because I'm alone? After all, after I started dating Hiori on a trial basis, it was normal for us to go to school together.

“He’s alone today, that guy. Did something happen during the holidays and they broke up?”

“But I saw them together yesterday. But since he’s alone, something probably happened and they broke up.”

“Serves him right.”

After that conversation between the boys, I hear a scornful laughter “Haha-”. There are probably other people who think the same way as them. The laughter continues to spread. As proof of that, when I stop and look around, I see a number of students glancing at me with unpleasant smiles on their faces. Are there at least this many people who are not happy about me and Hiori dating on a trial basis?

I was with Hiori until yesterday, but since I’m alone today, I guess it's natural for them to think, “Something happened and he broke up with Hiori.”

I haven't broken up with Hiori, but being laughed at this much is starting to feel uncomfortable. Like hell I’ll become a fodder for other people's pleasure like this. Let's stop it right away.

“I wonder what I should buy for visiting Hiori. I guess I'll ask Hazuki-san later.”

I speak to myself in a slightly louder voice.

At that moment, the surrounding laughter stops. At the word ‘visit’, they’ll probably understand that Hiori is not feeling well and is absent, and that Hiori and I didn’t break up. Just as planned. With this, there will be almost no possibility that the impossible story of “Hiori and I broke up” will spread.

* (T/N: お見舞い - ‘omimai’ - visiting someone who is sick. That’s too long, so I just use ‘visit’, but if anyone has advice, please tell me, maybe I can use ‘patient visit’?, nah doesn’t sound right. Also I’m tempted to use ‘just as keikaku’.)

Once again, I start walking to Classroom Building B where the Year 2 Class 2 classroom is.

Perhaps because Hiori isn’t here, many students are looking at me, just like with the outside. But, none of the students say anything or laugh at me in a way that I can hear.

I enter the Year 2 Class 2 classroom through the rear door. And just like yesterday, Kazuo, Shimizu-san, Himura-san, and Hazuki-san are gathering around Kazuo's seat and are having a friendly chat. Seeing such a sight makes me feel a little lighter.

“Aki is here! Good morning!”

The first one to notice me is Kazuo. Following after him, Shimizu-san and the others greet me, saying “Good morning.” Perhaps because it's cold today, everyone is wearing jackets. I wave at them while heading to my seat.

“Everyone, good morning. Is everyone feeling okay? It's been quite chilly since last night.”

“I'm okay! I ran in the morning practice, so my body is nice and warm!”

“I was with Kazuo-kun, so I'm okay too!”

The couple brimming with energy, Kazuo and Shimizu-san. When I look at their bright smiles, I feel like they are sharing their energy with me. If Hiori sees their smiles, won’t she recover faster?

“I'm also okay-ssu.”

“Me too. More importantly, is Kamitou okay? Since Hiori is absent, won't you get sick from loneliness?"

Himura-san asks in a gentle tone of voice. To think she’s concerned about my health. I'm a little moved.

“I feel lonely since Hiori isn't here, and I might not have my usual energy. But, I'll be visiting her after school, so I'll use that as an incentive and do my best in class today. Besides, everyone is here anyway.”

“...Right.”

When I say those words, Himura-san smiles at me.

“I’m also looking forward to visiting Hiori, and will do my best in today’s class!”

“I’ll also do my best-ssu.”

“Miu and I can't go because of our club activities, so when you visit her, give Aoyama my regards.”

“We’re counting on you.”

“Ok, I got it.”

So, the ones who are going to visit Hiori after school today are me, Himura-san, and Hazuki-san, the three of us huh.

“Ah, right, Hazuki-san. It’s about our visit, but what should we bring when we visit Hiori? Since Hiori likes sweets, I'm thinking about pudding or jelly. But if it's Hazuki-san, then you should have visited Hiori during our first year.”

“I see. Pudding is good-ssu. I visited Hiorin on our first year, and I fed her some pudding-ssu. She had a fever at that time-ssu, but she looked happy eating the pudding-ssu.”

“I want to see Hiori like that!”

And then, I wonder if she's fantasizing about Hiori looking like that. Himura-san looks enchanted. It feels like even if Himura-san catches a cold, the instant Hiori goes to visit her, she’d get better.

“I got it. Then, let's go to a convenience store and buy some pudding and the like on the way to Hiori's house.”

When I say that, Himura-san and Hazuki-san nod energetically.

I hope that by visiting her, Hiori will get better, even a little bit.

*

And then, I continue my school life today.

This is the first time Hiori is absent since becoming a second year student. That’s why, this is the first time I don't see Hiori during class. Perhaps because of that, it feels like time is passing much slower than usual.

Also, I uncharacteristically receive a lot of gazes from Himura-san. I wonder if she's looking at me as a substitute for Hiori since she isn’t here.

Also, for lunch break, I eat lunch with Kazuo and Shimizu-san. This was my routine before I started dating Hiori. It's only been about 10 days, but it gives me a nostalgic feeling.

────

(T/N: I just took my first 3 days of rest. my first time I took that much.)

Previous | Next