The Nonfiction That Only You Know

Chapter 20

Original Author: ひのはら (Hinohara)
Date Submitted to Kakuyomu: 2021/06/14

The number of people on the train gradually decreases before eventually, the only two people left sitting there are Chiho and Mii.

Although they are sitting on the same side, the distance between them is far. Chiho feels like this one person's worth of empty space represents the current distance between them.

As the train travels towards the suburbs, the scenery from the train's window changes from sights of the city to something more natural.

In this quiet train, the two do not speak to each other.

Even though Mii is next to her, Chiho feels like the two are terribly far apart.

If she doesn't hide her true face, she can't even have a decent conversation with Mii.

"...Mii-chan's mother is very good at cooking. The food was really delicious... I envy you for having such a beautiful mother."
"Mm... I'll let her know."

Whenever Chiho tries to talk to her, she receives short replies.

Is Mii nervous or is she watching herself around Chiho?

Even though Mii is always the more talkative one when they're on the rooftop, here, their positions are reversed.

Chiho is trying her best to get Mii to relax.

Even though this is a rare chance for her to communicate with her without writing...
Afraid of being hated for being too persistent, Chiho doesn't say anything more.

Even though she wants to see Mii's natural smiling face without her bangs getting in the way...
Has Chiho always been this timid?

In the end, Chiho never saw Mii's smiling face a single time throughout the whole ordeal. Mii's face was tense with nervousness and she could barely look at Chiho's face.

In the form of Isuzu Minami, Chiho can not become friends with Mii.

She couldn't say anything back after Mii told her that Minami is the person she admires.

While letting out a sigh, Chiho heads towards the regular school building to go to the roof.
She has recently gotten used to the obstructed view through her bangs.

It truly is comical that she has to hide her face and look like a ghost just to get Mii to smile at her.

Looking up at the sky to lift her lowered spirit, Chiho notices a cat sitting on the branch of an overgrown tree.

"Meow."

She initially thought the cat was just basking in the sun, but that meow sounded somewhat sad.

She tries to walk past it, but the meowing gets louder and more persistent so Chiho stops in her tracks.

"Is it stuck...?"

It must have climbed up on its own and gotten too scared of the height to get back down.

She looks around to see no one else.
If Chiho doesn't help, that cat might stay stuck up there forever.

Chiho has never climbed a tree in her life.
Her athleticism isn't bad, but it's quite difficult to keep her balance when there's no solid foothold.

"Uwaah..."

She loses her footing and tumbles to the ground.
Since she wasn't that high up, she didn't get injured but she winces from the pain.

While she rubs her left leg, the cat that had been mewling so much earlier dashes down the tree.

It glances at the fallen Chiho before nimbly running off somewhere.

"Huh...?"

Chiho can only helplessly wonder what she went through all that pain for.

If it could get down by itself, it should have just done so from the beginning.

Someone extends a hand to Chiho, who is still down on the ground.

When she looks up, she sees Mii looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright?"

After taking her hand, Chiho slowly stands up.
She makes a circle with her thumb and index finger to let Mii know that she's okay. Mii puts her hand on her chest in relief.

"Thank goodness... I saw you just before you fell so I was worried that you got hurt..."

The way she's talking now is a complete change from yesterday.
She keeps her eyes firmly on Chiho and looks completely relaxed as she smiles.

This is the face Chiho wanted so badly to see yesterday.
This is the voice she wanted so badly to hear.

She kept on seeking the Mii that called her Chiho-chan.

That's why she felt so unbearably frustrated.

Something floats up from the depths of her chest. It feels like something is clutching her heart tightly. Her heart hurts and is burning up.

"I really love that kindness of yours, Chiho-chan."

Even Chiho is aware of her blushing cheeks.
She desperately tries to cover it up, but could not suppress it.

She remembers what Anzu once said to her at the gym.

"Well, I'm sure you'll experience it one day. To love someone so much that your chest... no, your very heart heats up."

Chiho laughed it off at the time, but is this what she was talking about?

Her heart beats faster whenever Mii is in front of her.

She wants Mii to smile... she wants to see Mii happy.

She wants to talk to Mii more and get to know her better.
She wants to have Mii all to herself... she has begun thinking that.

This possessiveness and obsession up until now...
Chiho finally realizes that all of that is connected to her love for Mii.