A short story celebrating 100th chapter.
It’s been a year and two months since I first met Misaki.
And I’ve been writing my diary everyday without fail, before I knew it I’m already on my fourth book.
From a part-time jobber at the bottom of society that I am, to learning programming at a suspicious company. From the time when Misaki couldn’t even reach the doorknob with her hands, to now where she can properly hold onto the doorknob and open it by herself, and by one way or another managed to enter elementary school.
And during all that time I’ve contributed very little to this development, it’s largely all thanks to Kohinata-san and Aniki, the lolicon and co., also my any other clumsy friends.
Is this really okay? I haven’t done anything wrong right? I’m still worried about those things until this day. However, compared to one year ago it has faded somewhat. And surely it’s because I now learnt how to rely on other people.
It’s all thanks to a lot of people that I am what I am today.
Because I was helped by many people, Misaki’s able to energetically doing warm-up exercises today as well.
“Misaki, today’s the day you’ll achieve your goal.”
“……Un.”
Today’s the monthly test day.
The day we measure Misaki’s growth.
“Ummm, so what exactly are we going to do today?” (Kohinata)
Kohinata who joined us just now, asked in a puzzled voice while doing warm-up exercises together with us. Geez, how can you ask that while you’re wearing a jersey and cheerfully doing warm-up exercises like this.
“It’s the day…… Misaki grows up.”
So far, Misaki has been improving her record every time.
Today’s Misaki is always cooler than yesterday’s Misaki.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“……”
Suuー, haaー, Misak takes a deep breath.
I gulped.
And next to Misaki is Kohinata-san, who I felt like did the same as me as well.
Early Saturday morning.
There’s only three of us in the park.
The park we always come.
Wide enough for kids to run around the place, with a drinkable water faucet and public toilet in it. The only playground equipment are a swing and a slider, a little lonely.
I take a deep breath in slowly, filling my words with power as if to send the power to her, I said.
“Amenbo!!”
“Amenbo akaina A I U E O! Ukimoni, Koebimo, oyoideru!”
Alright, the “A” syllable column is perfect!
“Kakinoki, kurinoki――”
As expected of Misaki, she also nailed the “Ka” and “Sa” column as well.
Alright, the real obstacle is here.
I remembered very well. How Misaki’s like up until now.
Totetote, tattata…… ta, tta, ta……tat, tata, ta!
Misaki couldn’t pronounce the “Ta” column very well.
Whenever I see Misaki dejected at that column, I also feel dejected as well.
However, today’s different……!
“Totetote…… tatta, to!”
Misaki!?
“Tobitatta!”
……She said it. Finally, finally she completed the “Ta” column!
“Not yet Misaki, don’t let your guard down yet, the real deal comes after this.”
“……Un.”
She nodded strongly, and adjusted her breathing.
“Namekuji, nyoro nyoro, na ni nu ne no!”
You conquered the “Na” as well Misakiii!
And then―― here comes the most difficult of all, “Ra” column.
“……”
Misaki’s expression tensed up.
Which is natural, this part here isn’t in her usual “Amenbo” practice.
Misaki’s exclusive test, the trial of “Ra” column!
……Do your best, do your best Misakiiii!
“……”
Misaki adjusted her breath.
“……mm.”
Misaki opens her mouth!
“Rerarura, rerirura, ruーrirure, rururiru, rirerura, raーruraru!”
“You casted a magic spell just now Misakiiii!”
She said it! Finally she said it!
“Alright the last one, make it a perfect run Misaki!”
“Un! Wai wai wasshoi, wa i u e wo! Uekiya, idogae, omatsurida!”
Currently, I’m shaking.
And then I reminisced everything…… Our days of special training!
Speaking is not Misaki’s forte. Her word range is extremely small, she only speaks a single word each time, and couldn’t use particles to join words to form a sentence.
Which is why we started our special training. Our pronunciation practice.
Those days were full of hardships.
The curse of ‘Tatta’
‘Ra’ column’s Gestaltzerfall.
Tongue twisters, which made Misaki bit her tongue.
Today, Misaki overcomes all of that.
……Crap, I feel like I’m gonna cry.
“You did it Misaki, finally, Amenbo, you cleared it……!”
“……”
Apparently Misaki’s also impressed with herself as well.
She grips her hands tightly, I knew that she’s trying to contain her joy that’s about to explode with all her might.
It’s okay you know, Misaki. Be as happy as you can!
Immediately after I thought so―― for some reason, Misaki runs away.”
“Misaki!? Hey, where are you going?”
Hello, Kohinata Mayumi here.
For some reason I woke up really early today, so I decided to go to the toilet.
And then after I got out of the toilet, I happened to met Tendou-san and Misaki-chan here.
“……Fuhihi, what a coincident isn’t it.”
I said so while suppressing my slight embarrassment, but really just what kind of humiliation play is this, to have to meet someone just outside the toilet!? That’s what I thought, so I decided to greeted him for now.
Then I joined Tendou-san and Misaki-chan in warm-up exercises, while also thinking stuff like exercising in the morning sure feels great, or it reminds me of when I was an elementary schooler I was exercising with radio music back then, exercising with the two is quite fun honestly.
And Misaki-chan’s pronunciation practice suddenly started.
Ahー, I’ve heard that many timesー, I thought while smiling and watching them.
Misaki-chan, you’re a different you from one year ago. Recently I often thought that her voice has become easier to listen than before, so this is because of that practice I see.
Then Misaki-chan finished her pronunciation practice brilliantly.
Seeing how impressed Tendou-san and Misaki-chan were, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling as well. However, for some reason Misaki-chan ran away.
Tendou-san dropped his head down in dejection.
“Uhhh umm, I-, I’m going to take a look alright.” (Mayumi)
“……Yeah, please.”
And so I followed Misaki-chan to the outside of the park.
What do I do if she went to somewhere faraway, I thought while going after her but immediately after leaving the park I found her sitting on the ground, holding her knees.
What are you doing? I was about to ask her that, but then stopped myself from doing so.
Taking a closer look at her, I can see Misaki-chan’s hands are gripping hard and trembling. Looking even more closely, her mouth is in a huge grin.
I kept watching her, Misaki-chan then hides her face with her hands.
And she flutters her leg around.
……What’s this what’s this!?
So cuuuute! Di-, dis is too cuuuute!
After a while, Kohinata-san and Misaki comes back. Misaki seems to be happy. As expected of Kohinata-san. Although I don’t quite get it, but surely it’s because of Kohinata-san that Misaki’s mood improved.
“……Thank you for helping me.” (Ryuusei)
“No no, the same goes to you as well.”
The same goes to you as well? Did I hear that wrong? ……Well whatever.
When I look at Misaki, she nodded and walks to her usual spot.
From the front of the swing to the public toilet on the opposite side is about fifty meters (Visually guessing), is the special stadium area for Misaki only.
The first time Misaki ran here, she could finishes a lap in about fiftheen seconds (Human-powered stopwatch). After that her record steadily improves, and now she can finishes it in about a little over twelve seconds.
“……Ummm, what are we going to do here?” (Mayumi)
“Fifty meters sprint.”
“Ahhh, I see…… Eh, you don’t use a stopwatch or something? I have a phone so, well, if you want.”
“Thank you. Mark the time with me please.”
“Fueee?”
Right now I’m really nervous.
Today’s Misaki is different than usual, I felt that inside me.
If it’s today’s Misaki then, maybe she’ll be able to break this twelve seconds wall down……!
“Misaki, are you ready?”
“……Un.”
“Ahaha, somehow, I felt like I got left out of this……” (Mayumi)
Misaki readied herself at the start line.
I sharpen my nerves.
Readied myself to accurately measure Misaki’s run time to the very second.
The early morning sunlight is not that strong, and there is no wind. The ground seems dry enough, no chance of slipping today.
“Ready……” (Ryuusei)
Misaki put her hands on the ground, her eyes straight at the goal.
“Set……”
Misaki silently lowered her gaze and raised her hips up.
“Go!”
In an instant―― an air-tearing sound echoed.
Misaki moves her body in big leaps, perfectly aiming straight for the goal with no loss movements.
……If she’s at this pace, she can do it!
“Misakiiiiiiii! Run with all you gottttt!”
I shouted loudly as if to use my voice to push her back, and Misaki magnificently accelerated even further. Her distance to the goal gradually shrinks while her momentum rapidly increases, and then――
Misaki who ran past me, look at me while shoulders are still shaking.
I look downward…… quietly give her a thumbs up.
“Eleven seconds, eight-seven-three…… Goals achieved! You did it Misaki!”
I’m bursting with emotions!
I feel like I really want to hug Misaki tightly immediately, so I open my arms wide.
However―― yet again, Misaki runs away.
“Misaki!? W-, what why!?
“……Ummm, shall I go take a look again?”
Hello, Kohinata Mayumi here.
There’s a thing that surprised me. I used my phone’s stopwatch to measure the time…… and the result was 11.88. About the same as Tendou’s san measurement. But Tendou-san is really something, to be able to measure the time down to the very hundredth of a second like this……
That being said, I walked after Misaki-chan who had ran away to the back of the public toilet. Because of what happened earlier, I secretly peek at her again.
She’s standing.
The familiar little figure, she’s standing there alone.
Looking closely you can see that her back is trembling slightly.
She’s gripping her hands hard, her body is slightly curled forward.
And then in the next moment――
……She’s jumping! She’s bouncing up and downnnn!
Misaki-chan hops up and down while doing banzai pose each time she jumps up.
Sto-, stop stop stop, I can’t-, such cuteness, this is too cute, I ca-, I can’t anymoreeeee!?
※Her nose is bleeding.
After a while, Kohinata-san brings Misaki back again an……
“Kohinata-san!? Are you okay!?”
I unintentionally raised my voice when I see the large amount of nosebleeds.
“……Fu, fuhihihihi, my life, it’s completed, na, fuheee.”
“Kohinata-san! Get it together Kohinata-san!! Goddammit what has happened in just a short amount of time? Don’t tell me is it an illness? If that’s so then maybe Kohinata-san catches a strange disease…… The-, the ambulance, right the ambulance. Kohinata-san I’m going to borrow your phone for a sec―― dammit how do I even use this frickin’ thing!?”
Thud, something pulled on my cloth.
“Misaki? What’s up?”
“She’s okay.”
“No no she’s not okay at all isn’t she, her nosebleed amount is real crazy.”
“Her usual.”
W-, what’s with her calmness. If any other normal person bleeds this much they’ve fainted on the spot…… By what she said her usual, just what does it mean, like exactly.
“Mayu-chan, manga, time, usual, buー”
“She becomes like this when she draws manga?”
“……Un.”
“As I thought it’s better if we bring her to the hospital, this is getting serious.”
“……Un?”
――And so, such an event happened, today’s an another memorable day too.
I’m sure that I’ll never forget today’s when I was able to check Misaki’s growth.
And also I’m sure that today’s the day I started to always have a towel with me whenever I met Kohinata-san.
A short story celebrating 100th chapter.
It’s been a year and two months since I first met Misaki.
And I’ve been writing my diary everyday without fail, before I knew it I’m already on my fourth book.
From a part-time jobber at the bottom of society that I am, to learning programming at a suspicious company. From the time when Misaki couldn’t even reach the doorknob with her hands, to now where she can properly hold onto the doorknob and open it by herself, and by one way or another managed to enter elementary school.
And during all that time I’ve contributed very little to this development, it’s largely all thanks to Kohinata-san and Aniki, the lolicon and co., also my any other clumsy friends.
Is this really okay? I haven’t done anything wrong right? I’m still worried about those things until this day. However, compared to one year ago it has faded somewhat. And surely it’s because I now learnt how to rely on other people.
It’s all thanks to a lot of people that I am what I am today.
Because I was helped by many people, Misaki’s able to energetically doing warm-up exercises today as well.
“Misaki, today’s the day you’ll achieve your goal.”
“……Un.”
Today’s the monthly test day.
The day we measure Misaki’s growth.
“Ummm, so what exactly are we going to do today?” (Kohinata)
Kohinata who joined us just now, asked in a puzzled voice while doing warm-up exercises together with us. Geez, how can you ask that while you’re wearing a jersey and cheerfully doing warm-up exercises like this.
“It’s the day…… Misaki grows up.”
So far, Misaki has been improving her record every time.
Today’s Misaki is always cooler than yesterday’s Misaki.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“……”
Suuー, haaー, Misak takes a deep breath.
I gulped.
And next to Misaki is Kohinata-san, who I felt like did the same as me as well.
Early Saturday morning.
There’s only three of us in the park.
The park we always come.
Wide enough for kids to run around the place, with a drinkable water faucet and public toilet in it. The only playground equipment are a swing and a slider, a little lonely.
I take a deep breath in slowly, filling my words with power as if to send the power to her, I said.
“Amenbo!!”
“Amenbo akaina A I U E O! Ukimoni, Koebimo, oyoideru!”
Alright, the “A” syllable column is perfect!
“Kakinoki, kurinoki――”
As expected of Misaki, she also nailed the “Ka” and “Sa” column as well.
Alright, the real obstacle is here.
I remembered very well. How Misaki’s like up until now.
Totetote, tattata…… ta, tta, ta……tat, tata, ta!
Misaki couldn’t pronounce the “Ta” column very well.
Whenever I see Misaki dejected at that column, I also feel dejected as well.
However, today’s different……!
“Totetote…… tatta, to!”
Misaki!?
“Tobitatta!”
……She said it. Finally, finally she completed the “Ta” column!
“Not yet Misaki, don’t let your guard down yet, the real deal comes after this.”
“……Un.”
She nodded strongly, and adjusted her breathing.
“Namekuji, nyoro nyoro, na ni nu ne no!”
You conquered the “Na” as well Misakiii!
And then―― here comes the most difficult of all, “Ra” column.
“……”
Misaki’s expression tensed up.
Which is natural, this part here isn’t in her usual “Amenbo” practice.
Misaki’s exclusive test, the trial of “Ra” column!
……Do your best, do your best Misakiiii!
“……”
Misaki adjusted her breath.
“……mm.”
Misaki opens her mouth!
“Rerarura, rerirura, ruーrirure, rururiru, rirerura, raーruraru!”
“You casted a magic spell just now Misakiiii!”
She said it! Finally she said it!
“Alright the last one, make it a perfect run Misaki!”
“Un! Wai wai wasshoi, wa i u e wo! Uekiya, idogae, omatsurida!”
Currently, I’m shaking.
And then I reminisced everything…… Our days of special training!
Speaking is not Misaki’s forte. Her word range is extremely small, she only speaks a single word each time, and couldn’t use particles to join words to form a sentence.
Which is why we started our special training. Our pronunciation practice.
Those days were full of hardships.
The curse of ‘Tatta’
‘Ra’ column’s Gestaltzerfall.
Tongue twisters, which made Misaki bit her tongue.
Today, Misaki overcomes all of that.
……Crap, I feel like I’m gonna cry.
“You did it Misaki, finally, Amenbo, you cleared it……!”
“……”
Apparently Misaki’s also impressed with herself as well.
She grips her hands tightly, I knew that she’s trying to contain her joy that’s about to explode with all her might.
It’s okay you know, Misaki. Be as happy as you can!
Immediately after I thought so―― for some reason, Misaki runs away.”
“Misaki!? Hey, where are you going?”
Hello, Kohinata Mayumi here.
For some reason I woke up really early today, so I decided to go to the toilet.
And then after I got out of the toilet, I happened to met Tendou-san and Misaki-chan here.
“……Fuhihi, what a coincident isn’t it.”
I said so while suppressing my slight embarrassment, but really just what kind of humiliation play is this, to have to meet someone just outside the toilet!? That’s what I thought, so I decided to greeted him for now.
Then I joined Tendou-san and Misaki-chan in warm-up exercises, while also thinking stuff like exercising in the morning sure feels great, or it reminds me of when I was an elementary schooler I was exercising with radio music back then, exercising with the two is quite fun honestly.
And Misaki-chan’s pronunciation practice suddenly started.
Ahー, I’ve heard that many timesー, I thought while smiling and watching them.
Misaki-chan, you’re a different you from one year ago. Recently I often thought that her voice has become easier to listen than before, so this is because of that practice I see.
Then Misaki-chan finished her pronunciation practice brilliantly.
Seeing how impressed Tendou-san and Misaki-chan were, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling as well. However, for some reason Misaki-chan ran away.
Tendou-san dropped his head down in dejection.
“Uhhh umm, I-, I’m going to take a look alright.” (Mayumi)
“……Yeah, please.”
And so I followed Misaki-chan to the outside of the park.
What do I do if she went to somewhere faraway, I thought while going after her but immediately after leaving the park I found her sitting on the ground, holding her knees.
What are you doing? I was about to ask her that, but then stopped myself from doing so.
Taking a closer look at her, I can see Misaki-chan’s hands are gripping hard and trembling. Looking even more closely, her mouth is in a huge grin.
I kept watching her, Misaki-chan then hides her face with her hands.
And she flutters her leg around.
……What’s this what’s this!?
So cuuuute! Di-, dis is too cuuuute!
After a while, Kohinata-san and Misaki comes back. Misaki seems to be happy. As expected of Kohinata-san. Although I don’t quite get it, but surely it’s because of Kohinata-san that Misaki’s mood improved.
“……Thank you for helping me.” (Ryuusei)
“No no, the same goes to you as well.”
The same goes to you as well? Did I hear that wrong? ……Well whatever.
When I look at Misaki, she nodded and walks to her usual spot.
From the front of the swing to the public toilet on the opposite side is about fifty meters (Visually guessing), is the special stadium area for Misaki only.
The first time Misaki ran here, she could finishes a lap in about fiftheen seconds (Human-powered stopwatch). After that her record steadily improves, and now she can finishes it in about a little over twelve seconds.
“……Ummm, what are we going to do here?” (Mayumi)
“Fifty meters sprint.”
“Ahhh, I see…… Eh, you don’t use a stopwatch or something? I have a phone so, well, if you want.”
“Thank you. Mark the time with me please.”
“Fueee?”
Right now I’m really nervous.
Today’s Misaki is different than usual, I felt that inside me.
If it’s today’s Misaki then, maybe she’ll be able to break this twelve seconds wall down……!
“Misaki, are you ready?”
“……Un.”
“Ahaha, somehow, I felt like I got left out of this……” (Mayumi)
Misaki readied herself at the start line.
I sharpen my nerves.
Readied myself to accurately measure Misaki’s run time to the very second.
The early morning sunlight is not that strong, and there is no wind. The ground seems dry enough, no chance of slipping today.
“Ready……” (Ryuusei)
Misaki put her hands on the ground, her eyes straight at the goal.
“Set……”
Misaki silently lowered her gaze and raised her hips up.
“Go!”
In an instant―― an air-tearing sound echoed.
Misaki moves her body in big leaps, perfectly aiming straight for the goal with no loss movements.
……If she’s at this pace, she can do it!
“Misakiiiiiiii! Run with all you gottttt!”
I shouted loudly as if to use my voice to push her back, and Misaki magnificently accelerated even further. Her distance to the goal gradually shrinks while her momentum rapidly increases, and then――
Misaki who ran past me, look at me while shoulders are still shaking.
I look downward…… quietly give her a thumbs up.
“Eleven seconds, eight-seven-three…… Goals achieved! You did it Misaki!”
I’m bursting with emotions!
I feel like I really want to hug Misaki tightly immediately, so I open my arms wide.
However―― yet again, Misaki runs away.
“Misaki!? W-, what why!?
“……Ummm, shall I go take a look again?”
Hello, Kohinata Mayumi here.
There’s a thing that surprised me. I used my phone’s stopwatch to measure the time…… and the result was 11.88. About the same as Tendou’s san measurement. But Tendou-san is really something, to be able to measure the time down to the very hundredth of a second like this……
That being said, I walked after Misaki-chan who had ran away to the back of the public toilet. Because of what happened earlier, I secretly peek at her again.
She’s standing.
The familiar little figure, she’s standing there alone.
Looking closely you can see that her back is trembling slightly.
She’s gripping her hands hard, her body is slightly curled forward.
And then in the next moment――
……She’s jumping! She’s bouncing up and downnnn!
Misaki-chan hops up and down while doing banzai pose each time she jumps up.
Sto-, stop stop stop, I can’t-, such cuteness, this is too cute, I ca-, I can’t anymoreeeee!?
※Her nose is bleeding.
After a while, Kohinata-san brings Misaki back again an……
“Kohinata-san!? Are you okay!?”
I unintentionally raised my voice when I see the large amount of nosebleeds.
“……Fu, fuhihihihi, my life, it’s completed, na, fuheee.”
“Kohinata-san! Get it together Kohinata-san!! Goddammit what has happened in just a short amount of time? Don’t tell me is it an illness? If that’s so then maybe Kohinata-san catches a strange disease…… The-, the ambulance, right the ambulance. Kohinata-san I’m going to borrow your phone for a sec―― dammit how do I even use this frickin’ thing!?”
Thud, something pulled on my cloth.
“Misaki? What’s up?”
“She’s okay.”
“No no she’s not okay at all isn’t she, her nosebleed amount is real crazy.”
“Her usual.”
W-, what’s with her calmness. If any other normal person bleeds this much they’ve fainted on the spot…… By what she said her usual, just what does it mean, like exactly.
“Mayu-chan, manga, time, usual, buー”
“She becomes like this when she draws manga?”
“……Un.”
“As I thought it’s better if we bring her to the hospital, this is getting serious.”
“……Un?”
――And so, such an event happened, today’s an another memorable day too.
I’m sure that I’ll never forget today’s when I was able to check Misaki’s growth.
And also I’m sure that today’s the day I started to always have a towel with me whenever I met Kohinata-san.
