Waiting for You in the Rainy Garden - Chapter 12

The following week, Hiyori was summoned by the track and field club advisor and had a long discussion in the club room.

I waited in the hallway, but the voices coming from beyond the door sounded tense.

The hallway outside the club room was quiet, bathed in the evening light, and Hiyori’s voice seemed to drift from far away.

Time felt like it was stretching out slowly, and a restless unease churned deep in my chest.

“Ayase, it’ll be tough for you to compete in the tournament as things stand now.”

“…I know.”

“Hiding an injury and running is dangerous. Don’t push yourself.”

An injury—?

My heart fluttered with anxiety.

I’d never heard anything about Hiyori being injured.

I felt like I’d caught a glimpse of the reason why there’d been a shadow behind Hiyori’s smile lately.

From beyond the door, Hiyori’s voice sounded small and trembling.

Mixed with the advisor’s sigh, I could feel the air growing heavy and sinking.

I grew restless and paced back and forth in the hallway several times.

Outside the window, students returning from club activities were laughing together, but it felt like time had stopped only in this place.

Hiyori is strong.

But the stronger someone is, the more they tend to push themselves.

I know that better than anyone.

Eventually, the door opened and Hiyori came out.

They were trying to smile, but their eyes were red.

Had they cried, or were they about to cry—either way, my heart ached.

“Hiyori, about your injury…”

My voice trembled.

Hiyori averted their eyes for just a moment, then quickly forced a smile.

“It’s nothing serious. I just twisted my ankle a little.”

The words were light, but Hiyori’s voice sounded somehow weak.

“But, the advisor…”

“It doesn’t concern you, Mashiro.”

Those words were colder than I expected.

A stabbing pain shot through my chest.

It was rare for Hiyori to push me away like that.

Hiyori quickly added, “Ah, sorry,” but the stabbing pain in my chest didn’t fade.

Hiyori’s voice was trembling, and I could tell they were forcing a smile.

“Hiyori… I’m worried…”

When I squeezed out the words, Hiyori lowered their eyes slightly.

“I know. But this is my problem.”

Hiyori gently patted my head and smiled weakly.

The gesture was kind, but it felt distant somehow.

“You just focus on yourself, Mashiro. I’ll be fine.”

That smile only fueled my anxiety instead.

Hiyori is not fine.

The moment I thought that, my chest tightened painfully.

Hiyori’s back grew farther away.

As I watched them go, I could only stand there frozen.

My hand, wanting to reach out but unable to, was left hanging in the air.

—Hiyori, why do you have to bear it all alone?

The question sank deep in my chest, never forming into words.