Comics, daily stories

“Don’t answer. Go find Yang Nai yourself. It’s not like she said she’s busy. College students have plenty of free time.” Nomiyama passed the task to the person who wasn’t there.

"Oh no! Last time she came to pick me up, she said she'd make me a hangover soup, but she brought me a pot of poison made from canned herring. I almost died at home." Hiratsuka Shizuka patted her chest with lingering fear.

"..." Nomiyama remained silent; this seemed like something she would do.

"Give me a massage, don't just stand there." Hiratsuka Shizuka scoffed at the scumbag's distracted state.

"You're such a busybody." Nomiyama shook off those thoughts, bent down closer, and put his hand on her shoulder and neck.

The door to the music room was pushed open.

The elegant and composed young woman stood at the doorway, watching the two of them with a calm expression.

Nomiyama glanced at Megumi at the door, then looked down at his own hands gripping Hiratsuka Shizuka's shoulders.

It's a bit like he's about to bend down and kiss Hiratsuka Shizuka.

Chapter 239: Hiratsuka Shizuka, Piano, Miyabi

On my 23rd birthday, I met someone, and it was the first time I realized that lifelessness and vitality could coexist in one person.

It was springtime, and the sun shone through the branches of trees not far away, bringing a touch of warmth. In contrast, the morning breeze was cool, and pink petals drifted through the campus.

I looked at the hospital's medical record, which had his name on it.

Nomiyama Kazehaya

The reason for hospitalization was: pufferfish poisoning.

I put away the form and looked at his pale face. I no longer suspected anything, but I was just a little curious.

Nomiyama was a good-looking boy, you could say he was pretty, or you could say he was handsome. With his light eyebrows, it wouldn't be wrong to say he was delicate-looking. He was thirteen years old at the time, which is the age when he was growing taller. When I first met him, he was already almost as tall as me.

But what interests me most is not his appearance or his grades; I'm more curious about Nomiyama himself.

He carried an innate air of death, but noticeably, his eyes were not lifeless; instead, they resembled a beautiful mountain spring.

Those contradictions were subtly present in him; if I didn't consider myself extremely accurate in judging people, I would almost have thought I was just imagining things.

He probably has some unpleasant past, but that's all in the past. Now he's someone who really enjoys life.

This was our first meeting; it wasn't particularly good or bad, but it was certainly special.

Perhaps because of this, I later observed him frequently.

He's probably not easy to approach, and this difficulty doesn't stem from his temperament or attitude, but rather from his primary school past.

Listening to the students talk about his past, he said that one day, he and another person went from classroom to classroom, beating up about twenty students in the process, and ended up in the principal's office. He was a serious advocate of school violence.

In Japan, probably very few students want to be associated with the words 'school violence'.

Occasionally, a few girls would show interest in him, but when they finally got to him, they would become hesitant and afraid to speak up. As a result, the rumor that he had a bad temper and scared girls away spread.

However, he never showed much emotion about these things, as if they were other people's stories. Only when someone deliberately provoked him would he become animated and start using violence.

His daily routine seemed to consist of only a few things: spacing out, carrying a fishing rod home from school, and beating up classmates.

And, spending time with a blonde heiress.

Only then did I realize that this person was not taciturn at all; on the contrary, he actually talked quite a lot.

I thought I understood why Nomiyama wasn't very interested in others—that is, the so-called romance, the most vibrant chapter in the story of youth.

Later it turned out that wasn't the case.

He wasn't very interested in his classmates simply because he felt it was unnecessary, and his dislike of dealing with people was purely out of laziness.

Having coached him for a year, I've learned quite a bit. For example, he has a childhood sweetheart in London, and his eyes always sparkle when he talks about her, which always makes the young lady of the Sawamura family sulk.

What kind of person would he like so much?

Occasionally, this thought will cross my mind, but only occasionally.

That person is ultimately unrelated to me. Compared to the entanglement between the three of them, I am actually more interested in him as a person.

So on the day I was about to take up my post at Zongwu High School, I went to talk to him.

Then, naturally, I took him to an izakaya (Japanese pub) and naturally, we talked about the relationship between students and teachers.

Like his future life, like his personality flaws, like the personality flaws of some other classmates.

In the end, I slumped onto the table and finally passed out drunk.

He carried me home on his back, neither too fast nor too slow, steadily and reassuringly.

Later, perhaps sensing his soft heart, or perhaps feeling more relaxed around him, I started asking him to pick me up from school frequently.

During those nights we spent together, he would come when it rained, when the wind blew, and even when the world was covered in snow.

He always seems to come over. Whenever I speak and show even a hint of helplessness, he appears with a look of disgust and complaint, then squats down in front of me and carries me home on his back.

I loved the roads back then, the streetlights casting a warm orange glow, his shadow clear and distinct on the road, his voice tinged with helplessness, yet so close.

Most of the time, we walk home quietly in the evening breeze, and I will lean against his back without saying a word, but occasionally, I will want to say more.

I used to think that everything could wait, and that when I got to a certain age, those expectations would come true, whether it was the person I liked or the job I liked.

I say that liking someone is an emotion that only arises from mutual understanding. So-called love at first sight is just because the other person is standing there and you want to have them. It doesn't count as liking, it only counts as wanting.

I said those polite blind date partners were disgusting, but it wasn't their politeness that was disgusting, it was their affected manners that were disgusting.

I say that there is a kind of "true thing" in this world, and it must be the answer between people. It is the most satisfying thing. Once you get it, a great sense of peace will nourish every sunrise and sunset thereafter.

As I spoke these words, I expressed complaints, sorrow, anticipation, pride, and self-pity.

He rarely interrupted, only occasionally blurting out a completely irrelevant remark after I had finished speaking.

"Hiratsuka Shizuka, you've gained weight again, you're so heavy."

I know he doesn't want to talk about these things. He sees it all too clearly; he sees that I just want to vent my frustrations, not to get anyone's comfort or pity.

He thought I was strong.

Strong people are sometimes vulnerable, and what they need is not others' gossip, but others' listening.

I think so too, but only occasionally, very briefly.

I keep thinking, why don't you comfort me? I'm actually very sad.

One of us was sober, the other was drunk; through this interaction, we gradually came to understand each other better.

Then, the year he entered high school, I finally became his teacher again.

I finally met the person who had always lived in his heart.

Her name is Yukino Yukinoshita. She is so beautiful, both beautiful and proud, she shines just standing there.

Just like me many years ago.

......

Nomiyama looked at his girlfriend and raised his hands: "Megumi, I know everything..."

“I believe in Kazehaya.” Kato Megumi walked towards him with her usual pace.

Nomiyama breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, my girlfriend always believes in me.

He looked down at Hiratsuka Shizuka lying on his lap again, preparing to lift the lid.

He reached out, but his hand was blocked.

The two looked at each other, put their hands together, and exerted their strength.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was thrown up by the force, but fortunately she was prepared this time, and fortunately she had learned the so-called "Qi Absorption" from him, so even though she was thrown up two meters high, she was still able to land steadily.

"Nomi Yamakaze Hayate!"

Nomiyama looked at her, who seemed about to clench her fist and charge forward, and said seriously, "Teacher, please be mindful of the distance between teachers and students."

"Huh? Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"Just now? What just now? I don't know."

Hiratsuka Shizuka, too lazy to waste any more words, clenched her fist and charged forward.

Nomiyama sat quietly, and as her fist came towards him, he reached out and grabbed it, saying helplessly, "Don't you have to go to work?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka tried to pull her hand away, but found she couldn't budge it at all. She narrowed her eyes, realizing that she was practically powerless to resist at the moment.

He sneered, "Ha, let go, I have to go to work."

Nomiyama released his hand: "Please do your best in your work."

"Tsk." Hiratsuka Shizuka turned and left, nodding to another of her students as she did so.

Kato Megumi waited until Hiratsuka-sensei left before sitting down in the chair next to him and asked, seemingly casually, "What are you doing here, Hiratsuka-sensei?"

Nomiyama flipped through the sheet music: "Slacking off, that guy is a pay thief."

Kato Megumi's tone was more pronounced: "Then why were you lying on Kazehaya's lap?"

Stopping his hands from turning the pages of the sheet music, Nomiyama scratched his head: "I'm so used to carrying her home on my back that I forgot to keep my distance."

Kato Megumi paused for a moment, thinking about how he would occasionally go out at night in the past, and nodded: "I understand."

Nomiyama skipped over the topic and asked with some curiosity, "How did Megumi know I was here?"

Kato Megumi thought for a moment, then said in a calm voice, "At first, I left the meeting room to look for Kazehaya, but then I thought it was too much trouble, so I went back and checked the performance list. I found that Yukinoshita had applied for a performance and even filled in Kazehaya's name."

"So they came looking for us."

"She applies for and approves her own application?" Nomiyama clicked his tongue. "She really has some ideas."

He turned to look at Hui: "Hui, you're a bit too smart. You even managed to notice this."

Kato Megumi's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile: "Kazehaya, every girl in love is a great detective."

"I think I've heard this saying before."

Nomiyama reached out and took her hand: "Megumi, would you like to hear me play the piano? I just learned a piano solo."

Kato Megumi replied, "Okay."

So Nomiyama reached out with both hands, pulled her into his arms, and held her close.

With his chin resting on his girlfriend's shoulder, he pressed his face against her soft, slightly cool cheek and began to recall the scene of Yukino playing the piano.

I also thought about the lyrics to "Scarborough Fair".

With eyes closed, fingers press down on the piano keys slowly and precisely, as if they had practiced beforehand.

The prelude flows gently like water, continuous and smooth.

Nomiyama pressed the piano keys, listening to the notes tapped out by his fingers, and began to hum softly.

He began to sing along with the music, that medieval European folk song.

As her fingers moved, Nomiyama sang those lyrics, her thoughts drifting away.

Finally, he stopped, remained silent for a while, hugged the person in his arms tightly, and buried his head in her hair.

Kato Megumi keenly noticed a change in his mood and asked, "What's wrong?"

Nomiyama buried his face in her hair, his voice muffled: "I feel like these lyrics are pretty good."

Kato Megumi asked softly, "What is the meaning of the lyrics?"

Nomiyama held her close, pressing gently against her.

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair? If you are, please bring me some things: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme; and if you meet that person, please tell her that I have always loved her deeply."

"Kazehaya, you've completely mistranslated the lyrics." Kato Megumi snuggled closer to him.

"Make do?" Nomiyama nudged her shoulders and neck, holding her and rocking her slightly.

"Do you miss that person?" Kato Megumi asked directly, pointing out the problem.

Nomiyama paused for a moment, then spoke.

"I was thinking that if she didn't even know that I liked her, then those days must have been quite difficult."