“You’re stretching my back awfully hard today, Nakagawa-san!”

“Oh, sorry, Conchi-san!”

Our classmate’s voices echo in the October wind. Now outside in our physical education class, Conway-san and I stretch together.

“Damnit, I told you over and over…It’s Conway!”

After my abuse Conway-san adjusted her back and glared at me.

“Your head has been in the clouds today. Mind telling me what’s going on?”

“Err…it’s nothing.”

“If that was the truth then my back wouldn’t be nearly broken!”

“It’s just…some family problems. Nothing you should bother yourself over.”

I found myself digging my toes into the dirt. Even this conversation with Conchi-san was pulling along half-heartedly. Conway’s glare toned down for a moment. She looked to the side and I could see her nod slightly.

“Yes, family problems can be…quite troublesome.”

With her arms crossed she looked back at me.

“However, that doesn’t mean I won’t lend you my ear if that is the case.”

“Hm, you’re actually reliable too?”

“How dare you!”

Conway-san’s face flared up.

“I-I should have chosen a more reliable partner myself!”

Conway-san began stretching my back now. As I sat there like a log, she pushed forward gently, in contrast to the way I abused her moments ago.

“You’re annoying but that doesn’t mean I won’t hear you out, Nakagawa-san.”

“Hm?”

“W-What I’m saying is…I am here...if you would like a shoulder to hear you out…”

“Hm…Sorry Conway-san, it’s a little complicated.”

“Your entire existence is a ‘little complicated’.”

I chuckle through my nose.

“Well, that’s to be expected. We barely know each other anyway…”

“Oh, …it’s not like that, Conway-san.”

I do my best to look back at her…I can tell Conway-san is doing her best to show her support despite me not feeling comfortable telling her about my circumstances.

“No, that’s only natural.”

“Huh?”

“I won’t hold it against you if you don’t want to talk about it. Knowing how bizarre your life is…”

I nodded lethargically.

“Why don’t you take the lunch period to talk with Watanabe-san alone about it?”

“Huh?”

“She’s your childhood friend and the person whom you should lean on in times like this, right?”

“Hmm…”

She’s right. I don’t know why I’ve been holding this in and not reaching out to Ma-chan about it.

“Thanks, Conchi-san.”

Suddenly she pushed my back hard and leaned on me. I could feel her slender chest press up against my back. It was a tad embarrassing…

“I’m sure everything will be okay.”

Her voice was tender…even comforting despite how Conway-san is normally. But as abrupt her mood changed, she raised up.

“Alright…now for the hard part.”

She patted her shorts as she took to her feet and started jogging prompting me to stand up and race after her. Now side by side she turned to me.

“Now remember, we both finish at the same time. No going off and finishing without me!”

Conway-san seems to be the slowest in the entire class. She has little to no stamina so to feel like she’s not alone I would slog in the back with her. However, recently it hasn’t been on purpose. My legs would start to give out. I certainly don’t have as much stamina that I did before those two years happened.

I closed my eyes and let the wind take me back…everything comes back to that. When I think about sports I think about my coma. When I think about my coma, I think about her…Koda-san.

I sighed as the wind brushed past me. I need to get this off my chest. If I find out how we were in the past, then that will better set me up to understanding how I want to proceed in this relationship. I know I can’t keep being rude and leaving her at arm’s length. Soon it’ll become awkward and Mom or Hana-san would try and intervene making the situation more complicated.

“Ohh!”

“Ah?!”

I hit the ground, but a firm object softened my blow. There I sat eye to eye with an unfamiliar face. After the dust cleared her rosy cheeks came into view. My mind still in a haze, I stared blankly at the face now too close for comfort.

“Eh?!”

She cried before pushing me off her. I fell to the side with a thud, still unable to figure out what happened.

“Ouch.”

There I lied, looking at the dazzling blue sky.

“Oh my god! Are you okay?!”

It took a lot of effort, but I finally stood up and dusted myself off.

“S-sorry for that.”

Now looking back to her I caught wind of her ash hair flowing down her back. The crimson trickling in her eyes captured me. She stood taller than me, yet her figure was slim. That’s right, she was the girl from the previous day.

“I-I wasn’t paying attention and bumped into you! I’m so sorry…”

I shook my head in protest.

“N-No it’s fine. I wasn’t paying attention. I should be apologizing to you.”

Her eyes darted away like a mouse looking for its exit. My mouth moved on its own as I asked…

“Hey…do I know you?”

The girl’s eyes widen to my surprise and a mousy voice escaped from her.

“Y-You don’t know me…?”

“Hey, Nakagawa-san! We had a deal, you traitor!”

I looked over to see Conway-san racing to me.

“Huh?”

Her speed was like a jackrabbit. I have never seen her sprint this fast. Goes to show you that Conway-san can even move when she wants too.

“I looked back over my shoulder, like a ghost, the ash haired girl vanished into the crowd of another class.

“Hey, you said you’d run with me!”

The little shark tugged my jacket in a fit. Only then did I come to understand what happened. It appears I fell into a trans and completely left her in the dust. I look down at her and gave her an apologetic smile.

“S-sorry.”

“Save it! Next time I’m teaming up with someone who’d run with me!”

Conway put her tongue out to me. I deserved this…

“It’s okay, I’ll run another lap with you.”

“N-Now you’re just pitying me!”

“Wow, …she did that?”

My eyes danced about the blue sky. My lunch sat promptly on my lap, but I wasn’t hungry. At my side, Mae leaned against the wall of the gymnasium. Conway-san vanished. My guess is she wanted to give me alone time with Ma-chan. It’s not that I didn’t want her here with me though. But even if I say that I’m sure she knew that I would have been being courteous.

“Yeah, …it’s strange for her to treat me like this.”

Ma-chan puts her finger to her mouth and turned to me.

“Do you…think she likes you, Madoka-san?”

My head goes blurry as I look away from her.

“I’ve…considered the thought. But then…”

My mind raced back to the park. There we sat as Koda-san promised me that she does love my mom. I truly felt that she was telling the truth. But if she is going behind her back and…doing things like this with me… Wouldn’t that mean that she was lying about that?

“I truly believe…she loves my mom.”

I couldn’t deny that she may…have an attraction towards me though, but I can’t deny that she does love my mom…

“Love is complicated, you know.”

I turned to Mae-chan who sounded unnatural in my ears. She searched the sky with a sense of wonder.

“…It’s better, to be honest, and express yourself, Mado-chan.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, you have to step up and speak with her. Open your heart to her!”

Ma-chan kneeled and grabbed my hand suddenly and lifted us both up.

“You’ve always been the kind of girl to not act unless you’re pushed! So, I’m pushing you to find out how Koda-san truly feels!”

Our eyes meet. It’s as if Ma-chan could stare deep into my soul and pull out the little girl hiding within. She’s the sole reason why I started basketball back in elementary…she pulled me out of that hole called loneliness. But unlike her and Hana-san…I can’t express my true feelings as readily as them.

“That’s easier said than done, Ma-chan. I can’t even get her alone right now...”

“Do you have her email?”

“…No.”

“What about your mom or your stepsister?”

“Well, yeah, of course, they do but…”

“Then why don’t you try this...?”

She dug in her backpack and pulled out a pen and paper. It took me a moment to understand what she was implying. She wanted me to...do something like that?