"With classes over for the day and most club activities winding up for the semester, the long process of pre-holiday cleanup has begun. With most of the track club members having fled using various terrible excuses, a half dozen of us are left to finish the job.

"That said, we make good progress even with the reduced manpower. A couple of students are dedicated to organising the mess in the storage shed, and another to fossicking around for litter. Equipment collection duty ended up assigned to Hisao, Haru, and I, though I can't remember agreeing to it."

mik "Haru, stop being a moron."

har "Hmph. Kids these days just don't understand good fashion."

"He reluctantly plucks the large orange cone off his head after pouting a little, stacking it on top of the others before picking them up and heading for the shed. Satisfied that he's pulling his weight, I reach down to grab another running block off the track. It's dull work, but the sooner we get it done, the sooner we can leave."

"With Hisao being so uptight, I'm surprised he didn't call Haru out. Righting myself and slipping the block into the bundle held in the crook of my other arm, I glance around to check what he's up to."

"I'd expected him to be distracted with his own work, but instead, he stands a good few yards away bouncing a soccer ball he's found on his head. Doesn't look half bad at it, either. Occasionally he tilts his head this way or that, sometimes bouncing the ball on his shoulder or foot, but he never seems to need much concentration to do so."

"Rather than yell at him to cut it out, I decide to let him be. He deserves what little enjoyment he can still get from his old hobby, even if he can't play for real any more."

suz "He's enjoying himself."

mik "Woah!"

"I nearly drop my whole bundle in startlement at the voice suddenly piping up to my right. The girl simply stands there looking at Hisao with her usual disinterested face, barely acknowledging the jump she's given me."

"Wait... has she been waiting until I was alone to approach me? Her timing sure feels coincidental."

mik "What's up?"

suz "Just bored. I see you're keeping yourself busy."

mik "There was something I wanted to tell you, though. Dad invited me home to spend the holidays."

suz "Are you going?"

"I just shrug."

mik "Might've been funny to see how Hisao dealt with country life, but nah."

suz "It's not like you to pass up a chance to tease him."

mik "Oh no, I've been caught out."

mik "But seriously, I like going to your place. It's our last summer holiday together, so I wanted to spend it with you and your family."

"Though that brings the question of what I'll do afterwards. I'm sure as hell not taking up the family business, but I'd get eaten alive trying to enter any of the bigger universities."

"Suzu's marks might not be fantastic, but she's bull-headed enough to have a good chance at the exams. Hisao... well, he'd probably do fine no matter which university he tried for."

"The boy himself finally notices our staring, dropping the soccer ball and kicking it towards the shed before walking over."

his "Hey, Suzu."

his "I can take some of those if you need a rest."

mik "C'mon, who do you take me for?"

"I reach beside me and firmly grab Suzu's blouse, hand gripping the back of the neck. With a slight grunt I pull my arm upward, the slight girl following."

"The act is made a little harder than usual thanks to her being beside me, but I manage to get her a good couple of inches off the ground, her feet hovering in the air. Being a little short and having no muscle to speak of, her low weight makes Suzu easier to manhandle than some weights I use."

"Her head just hangs drearily, with no effort on her behalf to try and escape from my grasp. Given the difference in our strengths, even with one of my arms occupied, she knows all it'd do is make this look more ridiculous."

mik "See? Still good to go."

his "Are you really okay with her doing this to you, Suzu?"

suz "You get used to it."

"Hisao just sighs. If she really didn't like it, I'm sure she'd say so. Perhaps she enjoys being my plaything from time to time, given that it's one of the few things we can do together."

"That might be wishful thinking, though."

"Haru emerges from the shed and begins to head over, with Suzu beginning to swing her legs as he does. Taking my cue, I gently lower her back down to the ground. Other than adjusting her uniform back to her liking, she doesn't seem perturbed."

har "You're going off at me about not working, and here you lot are horsing around."

"He's not very good at feigning frustration, but that's more due to his personality than ability in acting. He's the type that's hard to imagine being angry, or even particularly serious, towards anyone."

his "Fine, I'm going. Miki?"

mik "Yeah, I-"

suz "I have business with her."

"Suzu's sharp rebuke takes us all off guard. It's odd to hear such an authoritative tone out of her."

"Shrugging in deference to her instructions, I pass the bundle of running blocks to Hisao before leaving with her. Neither of the two seem to mind as they get back to work with the others."

# timeskip

"A mighty yawn rings out as we descend down the hill into town, a good stretch loosening up my muscles a bit."

suz "Tired?"

mik "Just bored as shit. Thanks for bailing me out, there."

suz "You only agreed to get out of work, didn't you?"

mik "Duh."

suz "You have the worst work ethic."

mik "Least I'm not a terrible person like you are."

suz "Where did that come from?"

mik "I was thinking about what you said about Hisao. How I only invited him out of pity."

suz "Isn't it true?"

mik "No, and I think that the fact you think so says more about you than me."

mik "You gotta stop being so cynical about people. Sometimes others do have their fellow man's best interests in mind."

mik "Maybe this kind of thing is why you don't get more people hanging around you."

"Rather than protesting the point, she simply sighs and turns away. I don't really get it; she usually doesn't mind when I take a harsh tone with her."

"That said, I'm not willing to retreat from the point, either. After we graduate, she isn't going to be able to rely on my company. Hisao was a first good step out of her comfort zone, but that isn't enough."

# Timeskip

"With a deep bow, Yuuko takes her leave after setting down our drinks. A coffee for me, and tea for Suzu."

"After that conversation, there wasn't really much for us to say to each other, the rest of the walk down being in silence. Unusually, it's her who speaks first."

suz "Do you really think I'm a bad person?"

"So she was dwelling on that comment. I suppose it is normal to be wounded by such a comment."

mik "Don't look at me like that..."

mik "Look, maybe I was using a little bit of hyperbole. I like hanging with you, don't get me wrong, but you have to learn to trust others."

suz "I got used to Hisao."

mik "That's good, but you need to do more. Be more proactive. Put yourself out there."

suz "You make it sound so easy."

mik "It is! People aren't hard. It's like a snowball; once you talk to a couple of new people, you'll get more used to it and strike up conservation with a few others. Keep that going, and you'll be fine with talking to whoever you bump into."

mik "There's a whole world of people out there, Suzu. So what if you've had to deal with a few assholes, just move on and change the crowd you hang with."

suz "What if I'm fine with the crowd I have now?"

"Struck out by her monotone reply, I fall back and scratch my head to try and work out a new approach."

"We really are two totally different people. She knows Hisao, and she knows me. Two people. How can anyone be happy with that number of friends? How can you just shut yourself off from a whole world of other new and interesting people, each with their own life story, interests, and personalities?"

"Introverts are weird. Time and time again, this girl reminds me of that fact."

"Exasperated, I throw my hand up in surrender and let it fall on the table."

mik "So what's up, anyway? It's not like you grab me out of the blue."

"She moves to speak, but quickly brings her hand to her mouth in order to more carefully consider her words. I wonder if she's picking that habit up from Hisao."

"Before long, she places both hands in her lap and forces out what she wants to say."

suz "You might have helped me find words for this."

suz "You said I should be more proactive, right?"

"Oh, she's going to suggest something? I quickly lean forwards in interest, but her upper body moves back as far as my face has moved forwards."

"As if I'd stolen the words from her lips, she suddenly goes silent once more."

mik "C'mon, what is it? Tell me! Tell me!"

suz "You're like a child..."

"I grin in full agreement. All it does is make her quickly turn away. Something's with her today."

suz "Just... put your arms out in front of you."

"Without any reason not to, I obediently do as she asks. My hand lies palm-down on the table, with my stump laying beside it. I'd probably feel a bit antsy about people staring like this, if there were anyone hovering around."

mik "Okay, now...?"

suz "Now close your eyes."

mik "What?"

suz "Just do it."

"She's starting to look flustered. Given what she's telling me to do, shouldn't I be the one feeling put off?"

"Regardless, I give a sigh and close my eyelids. She's not the type to pull magic tricks, nor the type to do a dumb prank, so all I can do is wait for whatever's coming in darkness."

"Seconds pass. The Shanghai's pretty quiet today, now that I think of it."

"A long, shakey breath comes from before me. One soft hand presses to the top of my own, and the tips of her other fingers settle on my stump."

suz "...Don't make me regret this."

"Regret what? What's she planning to-"

"My eyes flash open in shock as realisation dawns on me, but it's far too late."

"A set of lips press to mine, soft and trembling. Suzu's body cranes over the table to reach me, her own eyes closed as she presses her mouth to mine."

"All I can do is close my eyes in response."

"My heart stops. Everything around us falls away. Even my feelings of shock and startlement seem to disappear. My mind is emptied, save for the feeling of those lips pressed to mine."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say, or what to do. All I know, is that the life I, no, we, had led until just a few minutes ago... has disappeared forever."