How We Met Again

Chapter 25: Eternal Rivalry is Difficult

In the course of my studies, I'd stumbled across some of the grizzlier sides of history. Torture devices, waterboarding, days without sleep... there were a wide variety of ways that humans could exact pain onto others, and those arts had been perfected by the darkest elements of society over the centuries.

Nevertheless, I was fairly certain I'd discovered the pinnacle.

My muscles screaming in agony, I lifted yet another large log designated for the bonfire; or, more accurately, one end of a log. On the other, Yotsuba was looking back at me with a blank look on her face, only the barest of hints of pity detectable in her eyes.

It was enough. I felt pathetic.

"Uesugi-san... do... do you think you'll be ok?"

"Yeah... yeah, I'm fine," I panted, not capable of even lifting one hand from the log to wipe my brow -- if I allowed my grip to loosen even slightly, the log would certainly smash to the ground, and make the acquaintance of my foot. "This is just... just a bit heavy."

"If you're sure," she said doubtfully. "Um... remember to lift with your legs, Uesugi-san!"

"Noted," I hissed painfully, and we began to carry the log down the eternally long slope leading from the warehouse to the lodge. The flag from the morning's orienteering had long since been removed, and in its place was a steady stream of students transporting logs. This was our fourth trip already, and my arms were on the verge of giving out.

"Now now, Fuutarou-kun, I know you can give it a bit more. Come on, now."

The teasing voice came from behind me, and I turned my head to see Ichika carrying her own log with another girl. She winked at me as they rapidly passed us, our slowness caused entirely by my own weakness. Frowning, I squared my shoulders, and lifted the log a bit higher.

"Let's keep going."

Yotsuba nodded approvingly, and we continued down the path. Eventually, we reached the plaza where the students assigned to campfire duty were constructing what could only be described as a pyre. The stack of logs had risen almost to my height, and I was starting to get worried as to how we would put ours on top.

"Hmm..." Yotsuba mused as we arrived, clearly having come across the same conundrum as me. "This might be tricky..."

"Let's use physics, not raw strength," I groaned, shaking my head. "I'm too tired for that."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Yotsuba frowned.

"First, I'll get as close as I can..."

Walking up to the edge of the log pile, Yotsuba holding the other end, I bent my knees slightly, and then raised the log up onto my shoulder. Wincing at the weight and the strain on my biceps, I then adjusted my hands to push it up, and up, and up, until the edge of the log rested on the top of the structure, pointing in the direction I wanted it to go.

"Do you have a firm grip?" I asked.

"Uh... huh," Yotsuba said, eyeing my manoeuvre with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Yeah... that's probably deserved.

I began walking my hands down the log towards her, providing upward force the entire time so as to never let the entire weight of the log rest on Yotsuba. As I got closer to her, the amount of force I needed to employ got less and less, a consequence of getting further and further away from the pivot point. When I finally reached her, we were able to hold the log together with relatively little effort.

"Great," I said. "Now, let's both lift and push at the same time. On the count of three..."

"Ok!" Yotsuba said brightly. Counting down from three, we both simultaneously pushed and lifted, and the log rose into the air before pivoting over the log that was acting as its fulcrum. Eventually, as the centre of gravity passed the sustaining log, we were forced to switch from pushing up and forward to pulling down and forward. Nevertheless, eventually the log was in place.