Track 18. ポニーテール (Ponytail)

T.N.: ポニーテール (Ponytail)

The Physical Education drill was about learning how to steal the ball from your opponent in handball. Yukino, eight years old, stood face to face with the girl who had accused her of pulling her hair.

The whistle echoed, and the teacher tossed the ball into the air so one of them could grab it first. The girl jumped first—high. Yukino made only a short, half-hearted jump.

The girl sprinted toward the goal. Yukino paused slightly and waited until she had moved ahead. No one understood what was happening; some even complained that she was just standing there.

Suddenly, Yukino began running, increasing her speed, arm stretching forward. All she wanted was to find the right distance. The right moment.

That was when she reached the girl’s ponytail.

She grabbed it and pulled hard.

The speed sent the girl crashing to the ground, and the ball slipped away.

Classmates and teachers watching were confused, trying to understand what had just happened.

“THERE. NOW YOU’RE RIGHT. NOW I REALLY DID PULL IT!” Yukino shouted.

The teachers rushed over and asked what had happened. She explained everything in detail. They listened carefully, looked at the class, and asked who had lied.

Silence swallowed the court.

No one spoke—but it felt like the teachers had expected that.

She wasn’t sent to the office. Class continued normally.

The lack of punishment made the ones who had started the bullying feel their stomachs twist. Their hearts tightened. They wondered whether the long-haired black-haired girl was somehow being “protected” by the teachers.

But some things changed after that day.

Yukino’s drawings were no longer torn. Her art supplies stopped appearing broken.

A few days later, the girl who had accused her approached and apologized. She had discovered who had really lied and pulled the hair—and she realized what she had done wasn’t fair.

Yukino apologized too. She recognized that what she had done had been stupid as well.

The truth was that both of them had been manipulated by the same person.

The year passed. The teasing decreased. But Yukino remained a lonely child.

Until the following year, in third grade.

The Following Year — Beginning of Third Grade

It was the start of a new school year, and like every year, there was always at least one new student. That year, it was a girl who was tall for her age. She entered the classroom quietly, and the teacher introduced her:

“Class, this is the new student, Aino!”

The students greeted her. The teacher noticed an empty seat and pointed.

“You can sit there, next to Yukino.”

She pointed to the desk beside the girl who, at that moment, was focused on drawing before class began.

Aino walked over, but before sitting down, her eyes fixed on the drawings flowing from Yukino’s hands.

“Hm?” Yukino murmured, noticing she was being watched.

“Your drawing’s beautiful,” Aino said, genuinely impressed.

At first, Yukino wasn’t sure whether she meant it or if it was just first-day politeness. She was used to initial admiration followed by indifference.

But as time passed, she realized Aino truly liked her work.

They quickly became friends.

Yukino was amazed—it was the first time someone genuinely paid attention to what she did.

They exchanged ideas. Aino made sincere comments and suggested things she thought would be cool to draw and create. Yukino was very happy—but she didn’t know how to express her feelings and ended up lightly hitting her new friend instead.

Soon, they discovered they were distant relatives. They spent a lot of time together, especially during recess. They made friends with other girls as well.

But when Yukino discovered one of Aino’s abilities, Aino showed she had very particular concerns.

“No, Yukino. I don’t want anyone knowing I write poems. Everyone who stands out—who isn’t ‘normal’—suffers. You draw. I think it’s cool. But everyone calls you weird for it. And I already get told all the time I look sick because I’m so pale. My voice is thinner than normal too—people already pick on me for that. And I can’t change any of it. I was born like this. I just don’t want more trouble.”

Despite all her excuses, Yukino insisted she participate in the school’s poetry selection.

Aino found courage, wrote, and submitted her poem.

She was selected.

Yukino entered the illustration contest for the poetry book cover.

The results took longer than usual. When the day arrived, the teacher entered the classroom holding the sample book.

“Kids! Look how cool—the cover winner is from our class!” she said.

The class grew excited. Everyone wanted to know who it was.

“Yukino, everyone agreed yours was the most beautiful. But since you’re the only person in the school who knows how to draw, it wouldn’t be fair to give you the prize. I hope you don’t get upset.”

Yukino went blank.

Her eyes stared into nothing—open, but unfocused. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. Her mind tried to rationalize the situation.

She tried.

But there was no logic.

None.

It simply didn’t exist.

She never entered another contest at that school again.

Aino tried to cheer her up, but Yukino pretended everything was fine. She had never been good at expressing her feelings. Her face showed one thing. Her heart felt another.

Inside, her blood boiled with rage.

The following year, Aino left the school. Yukino’s fourth-grade experience became hell again.

One day, their parents met by chance and talked. They discovered Aino had suffered severe bullying at that school. Even as her friend, Yukino had no idea.

Yukino’s bullying had been loud and obvious. Aino’s had been silent—and therefore harder to detect.

Aino’s mother said she was doing much better at her new school. Yukino’s mother took interest.

When Yukino reached fifth grade, she transferred her there too.

By fate or coincidence, they ended up in the same classroom.

And truly—compared to the previous school, this one was much better.

Fights still happened. Bullying still existed. But no one was ever alone. Someone would always step in.

Teachers did not pretend to be blind. If they saw a problem, they acted. They resolved it. Issues didn’t drag on for months or years like before.

Yukino learned how to build relationships with teachers. It helped greatly.

She also improved her communication skills.

She was still known as “the creepy weirdo who likes drawing.”

But she learned to let it go. And when things crossed the line, she settled it directly.

At twelve years old, she began practicing martial arts.

People assumed it was for self-defense.

It wasn’t.

It was discipline.

Self-control.

The accusations of “you didn’t draw that” and “it’s not fair because you’re the only one who can draw” never stopped.

She chose to live with it.

And to use the self-control she was learning.

School — April 2, Back to the Present

Yukino’s mind had wandered far, revisiting countless moments of conflict and hostility from her past.

This flashback got huge… and it’s still missing a lot… Like the time a “friend” asked her boyfriend to beat me up…

Well. It’s a fact that things like this wake these memories up in me… she thought, irritated by her own lack of control over them.

School — April 3, Day 6 of the Gincana — Saturday

Only a Gincana could make students excited to go to school on a Saturday morning.

The sun shone brightly in the blue sky.

The covered court would host the final showdown between the Firefighters, Glaciers, and Oceanics teams. At this time of year, the place was packed like no other day. You could feel the euphoria in the air.

The teams chanted their battle cries. The “arena” was ready.

Dance teacher Rubi was the MC for this event and was fully in competition mode.

“AND NOW, WE MOVE TO THE FINAL EVENT! IT’S TIME TO TEST OUR STUDENTS’ INTELLECT! LET’S GO TO ‘QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS’!”

She extended her arm dramatically.

“THE CONTESTANTS ARE READY! WHO WILL WIN!?”

She gestured toward Miyu.

“THE BRILLIANT BOTANY GIRL!? WHO ARRIVED THIS YEAR AND ALREADY TOOK DOWN THE NERDS?”

“Botany what!?” Miyu complained.

“OR THE TALLEST GIRL IN SCHOOL—WHOSE INTELLECT IS JUST AS TALL?”

Naoko remained silent, though clearly uncomfortable.

“OR WILL IT BE OUR GREEK GOD, WHO HAS PROVEN HE’S NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE!?”

“What the heck is ‘pretty face’ supposed to mean!?” Adonis asked.

“NOW FOR THE FIRST QUESTION! AND TO WARM UP—THIS ONE IS EASY! ‘QUINGENTÉSIMO’ CORRESPONDS TO WHICH NUMERAL?”

Naoko rang her bell immediately.

“500!”

She’s fast, Adonis and Miyu both thought.

“WHAT IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE METAL IN THE WORLD?”

“GOLD!” Adonis answered.

“WRONG!”

“RHODIUM,” Miyu replied.

“CORRECT!”

“WHEN DID WORLD WAR I BEGIN AND END?”

“FROM 1915 TO 1918,” Miyu answered.

“INCORRECT!”

“FROM 1915 TO 1919,” Adonis tried.

“INCORRECT! OCEANICS?”

“FROM 1914 TO 1918,” Naoko said.

“CORRECT ANSWER!”

“WHEN WAS THE BRAZILIAN NATIONAL LIBRARY FOUNDED? AND WHY ON THAT DATE?”

“October 29, 1810. That was when the first collection of books arrived, transferred from the Portuguese Royal Library,” Adonis replied.

“VERY GOOD! THAT’S TWO IN ONE!”

The competition remained intense. Questions were answered correctly and incorrectly. The crowd was tense—it was nearly impossible to know who was ahead.

After almost an hour, the event finally ended.

Rubi blew the whistle.

“AND THAT’S IT, EVERYONE! WE’VE REACHED THE END OF THE FINAL EVENT—AND WE’RE ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE THE RESULTS!”

Now came the waiting.

Miyu, Naoko, and Adonis stood tense.