I Risked My Life To Save The Cheeky Girl, And As A Result, I Lost My Right Arm.

Hate. —Part 1.

“…Studying, you say?”

During the lunch break, as usual, I was on the rooftop with Hasegawa.

Sitting on the floor with our backs against the railing, the two of us were eating our lunch. It was then that I told Hasegawa about my promise to have Kurasaki-san help me with my studies.

“She asked me to come to the library after we finish eating. It’s quiet there, so we can study in peace. We’re planning to use the rest of the lunch break to focus on studying.”

“I see…”

“Sorry for making plans without asking you. If you want, you can head back to the classroom first.”

“No, it’s fine. I will… join you…”

She trailed off mid-sentence and fell silent.

I looked at her face while chewing on my sandwich and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no… It’s just, the person who offered to help you study, Kurasaki-san, she’s a girl… right?”

“Yeah. You’ve met her once before, haven’t you? Do you remember?”

“Um… pink hair, seemed kind, an upperclassman, right?”

“That’s the one.”

“………………”

Hasegawa went quiet, gripping her chopsticks, her gaze oddly distant and melancholic.

Tilting my head in confusion, I called out to her, “What’s up?”

She snapped out of it and replied quickly, “It’s nothing.”

“I will go with you.”

“Are you sure? If you have other plans, you don’t have to force yourself, you know?”

“It’s fine. I will be there.”

“…Alright then.”

I couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind her reaction, but the impression she left in that moment strangely stuck with me.

After finishing lunch, I returned to the classroom to grab my study materials. Then, Hasegawa and I started walking down the long hallway toward the library.

“Yo, Nakamura! Who’s that with you? Is she your girlfriend?”

Occasionally, friends passing by would call out to me like that.

“No, no, Hasegawa and I aren’t like that. She’s just my junior.”

“Yeah, right! You two were walking together carrying lunchboxes—doesn’t sound convincing to me!”

“Well, yeah, we did eat together, but—”

“Oooh! I knew it! You’re showing off, aren’t you?”

“Hey, stop it! You’re embarrassing me!”

“Haha! Alright, see you later! Don’t forget to tell me how your date went!”

After teasing me to their heart’s content, my friends waved and walked away. It was the usual routine between us.

“Man, will I ever stop being the butt of their jokes?”

I sighed, but despite myself, a small smile crept onto my face.

“Still, being mistaken for your boyfriend is kind of embarrassing. I mean, we do eat lunch together and all, but… haha.”

“………………”

Hasegawa didn’t respond to my comment. Instead, she kept her head down, staring at the floor.

“Hasegawa?”

When I called her name, she lifted her face slightly and replied, “Yes?”

“Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“…No, I’m fine.”

“………………”

After that brief response, she lowered her head again.

There was something off about her. It had been that way during lunch, and now it felt even more apparent.

Could it be that Hasegawa doesn’t like Kurasaki-san? Maybe she’s uncomfortable being around her and… doesn’t want to tag along with me?

(No, that doesn’t make sense. Hasegawa and Kurasaki-san only met once, and there wasn’t enough interaction for her to form such strong feelings.)

Then again, it’s true that sometimes, we form impressions of people in just a few seconds. It’s not impossible, but…

***

“…Ah, Nakamura-kun. You made it.”

Kurasaki-san was already waiting in front of the library. She was holding a stack of textbooks and notebooks in both hands.

“Sorry for making you wait, Kurasaki-san. I’m late.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s perfectly okay. Well then, shall we head inside?”

“Yeah. Hasegawa, is it alright if you join us?”

“Yes, Senpai.”

As I was talking with Hasegawa, Kurasaki-san murmured softly, “Ah, right, I forgot.”

“Is it fine, Hasegawa-chan? It might take us quite a while.”

“…Yes, I’ll wait.”

“Okay?”

Hasegawa nodded quietly in response.

Seeing that, Kurasaki-san smiled faintly and said, “Alright, I understand.”

“Then, wait here until we’re done studying.”

“Okay.”

“If you’d like, Hasegawa-chan, I can help with your studies too. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need help.”

“…Thank you.”

With that, the three of us entered the library.

…At the long, rectangular table by the window, the three of us were seated.

I sat at one end, with Kurasaki-san across from me, and Hasegawa seated to my left.

At that moment, Kurasaki-san was teaching me history. It was a form of learning where I would solve questions from a workbook and ask Kurasaki-san to explain the parts I didn’t understand.

“The First Sino-Japanese War was settled by the Treaty of Shimonoseki, and the Russo-Japanese War by the Treaty of Portsmouth… Hmm, there are so many difficult terms, it’s hard to keep them straight…”

“You know, Nakamura-kun, it’s easier to remember if you go by feel.”

“By feel?”

“The Sino-Japanese War is a treaty with Chinese-like kanji. The Russo-Japanese War is a treaty with katakana, like Russia. If you start by remembering the general feeling of it, you can narrow down your choices on multiple-choice questions. That’ll make it easier to score points.”

“Ah, I see. The Sino-Japanese War is Shimonoseki. The Russo-Japanese War is Portsmouth… I can kind of see the connection now.”

“Exactly! Once you’ve got that, you can study the details of the history. The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and the Treaty of Portsmouth is…”

Kurasaki-san’s teaching style was incredibly thorough. It was almost like the phrase “hand-holding” applied perfectly—she carefully explained every little detail.

Above all, she was extremely good at praising me. Every time I got something right, she would say, “That’s impressive!”

“Okay, so the Sino-Japanese War came first, and then the Russo-Japanese War?”

“Yes! That’s right, Nakamura-kun! If you can remember that, you’ll be all set!”

“Ha, haha, thanks…”

I didn’t expect to be praised so much, so while I felt happy, I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.

Meanwhile, Hasegawa had been reading a book beside me. From time to time, she would glance over at the back-and-forth between Kurasaki-san and me.

Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.

Before I knew it, the lunch break was almost over.

“Alright, I think that’s enough for today. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow,” Kurasaki-san said as she stood up and closed her textbook with a snap. I followed her lead and stood up as well.

“Thanks a lot, Kurasaki-san. I really didn’t get this part at all, so your help means a lot.”

“Hehe, it’s no trouble at all. I’m happy I could help you, Nakamura-kun.”

“Hahaha…”

Kurasaki-san smiled at me with a bright, radiant smile, and I found myself feeling a bit embarrassed, lowering my gaze.

At that moment, Hasegawa, who had been sitting beside me, also stood up. I turned toward her and said, “Sorry, Hasegawa.”

“I made you spend the whole lunch break here.”

“…No, don’t worry about it.”

Hasegawa’s expression was still clouded. She looked somehow sad, but unable to express it in words, her lips were sealed.

I really didn’t understand why Hasegawa had this look on her face. She wasn’t always smiling, but I’d never seen her face this clouded before.

“…What’s going on?”

“You have to destroy my life. It’s because of me, senpai, that it’s become this way.”

Suddenly, the words Hasegawa had said to me flashed through my mind. The thought made my chest ache with a sharp pain.