Chapter 20: Pursuit 1

Translator: Soafp

June 8. Saturday. 6:42 PM. I am 16 years old. The anniversary of Kai-chan's death.

The child looks about four years old. But unbelievably fast. And I'm not good at sports; my stomach feels strangely heavy, and I can’t run fast. Still, I chased after the child desperately.

A cute long wolf cut hair, wearing my hand-me-down pink bear shirt. The shirt is worn like a dress, so that child isn't wearing pants, occasionally revealing cute underwear.

The hem is stained with what looks like blood, maybe from a nosebleed. The small feet are wearing clear pink sandals—those were mine too.

…It's definitely Kai-chan. I don't know why, but I'm chasing after Kai-chan as a four-year-old. Kai-chan ran up the stairs, entered the promenade, and continued running straight towards Minami-Oosawa Station.

“Kai-chan! Wait, Kai-chan!”

I called out many times, but Kai-chan didn't stop. It was a Saturday, so the area in front of Minami-Oosawa Station was crowded with people, but Kai-chan ran straight without bumping into anyone.

I, on the other hand, nearly collided with others multiple times while desperately trying to follow the small shadow in the crowd.

Kai-chan slipped into an old, pink-striped limited express train heading to Shinjuku. I hurriedly ran down the stairs and jumped onto the train.

“Please refrain from running to catch the train,” the conductor announced with a hint of annoyance.

Inside the limited express train, I lost sight of Kai-chan. Where did he go?

…It must have been a mistake. As I was about to get off at the next stop, Keio Tama Center… someone pulled my hand.

Eh? Turning around, I saw an elderly man who had stood up to get off, awkwardly avoiding me. …Maybe it's not here yet. I took a seat that had just become available.

Across from me, a boy about Kai-chan's age and what seemed to be his mother were happily talking. Kai-chan had always belonged to Mom since then.

How nice. Kai-chan was supposed to be protected by me. I wanted to have Kai-chan all to myself. I didn't want to be called an unwanted child, ever.

I began sucking on my thumb, making the usual noise. As I absentmindedly spent the time, I saw a child who looked like Kai-chan get off the train at the edge of my vision.

It said Keio Inada-tsutsumi on the platform where they got off. I chased along the path, passing in front of my workplace, and ran up the stairs of the newly renovated Inada-tsutsumi Station.

I lost sight of them at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Tachikawa-bound platform. While searching, the Nambu Line train bound for Tachikawa arrived. Again, guided by an invisible hand, I got on the yellow-striped train.