Chapter 24: Incoming call 1

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Translator: Soafp

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June 10th, 2024. Monday. 8:02 AM. I'm sixteen years old.

On a humid, cloudy day during the rainy season, I walked past the school gate and saw the soccer team practicing in the field for their morning training.

“Morita-kuun!”

From the edge of the field, a group of girls was cheering in high-pitched voices for Morita, the soccer team’s promising rookie. From first-year students to seniors, everyone was infatuated with Rik-kun.

…I wonder what they would think if they found out I was dating Rik-kun. Would they scream like Saya did the other day? As I thought about this absentmindedly, I made my way into the school entrance.

…

First period was Japanese history. A boring, boring morning lecture. My thoughts drifted to what had happened yesterday. The sudden appearance of Kai-chan, my little brother from when he was younger. After chasing him from Tama New Town to Shin-Kodaira, what I found was a small letter.

I had been too scared to open it since the day before yesterday. Hiding it behind my unnecessarily thick Japanese history textbook, I carefully peeled off the four-leaf clover sticker, Kai-chan’s symbol.

Inside… there was nothing. No, wait. There was a small piece of a photo booth picture. The person in the picture… was Rik-kun. And next to him was a girl. She was wearing our high school’s uniform.

“Forever together.”

That's what was written above it in hiragana. But the girl’s face had been scribbled out with a marker, making it impossible to tell who she was. But I knew it wasn't me. I didn't have any memories of taking a photo booth picture with him yet. And then…

Shalalann. Suddenly, my phone started ringing. I fumbled to silence it, my heart almost stopping.

“Kai-chan.”

That's what the caller ID said.

Shalaan. Shalalann.

I froze, staring at the screen as the ringtone continued to play.

“Arahama-san.”

Takato-sensei, the Japanese history teacher, reprimanded me for not silencing my phone during class.

“Please put your phone on silent…”

But I didn't care. I answered the call.

“…Hello?”

“Onee-chan…”

“Kai-chan? Is that you, Kai-chan?”

There was no mistake. It was my little brother’s voice. There was no way I could be wrong. It was the beloved, beloved voice of the little brother I’d listened to for fourteen years.

Noticing my strange behavior, the classroom began to buzz with curiosity.

“I… I…”

“Kai-chan?”

“It might be too late now.”

“Kai-chan!”

The moment I called out his name…

Whoosh. Thud.

Beyond where I stood by the window seat, outside the second-floor window, someone fell.