Run Over Chapter 5.1

The Apes Get Into Paradise
Chapter 5 Part 1
"I want to discuss the program for the cultural festival," said Minato, standing on a raised platform before the students.

The exams were finished at the end of the first semester, and after the final lesson which felt like an amazing performance, the closing ceremony was held in the gym.

The principle, who only appeared in public in the past few months, praised a few club activists for good results and gave instructions for the summer break. Preparations for the festival have already started, but be patient blah-blah-blah. No one was listening.

After this we returned to our cla.s.ses, where the responsible-for-us Bizon announced that, "this cla.s.s period has to be used to determine what we will do during the festival", and "respecting the independence of students", retired to his office. To my surprise, Minato rose to the platform with initiative.

"So what should we do?" asked she, clapping her hands together. "Any ideas?"

I looked around the cla.s.s, whose attention was captured by Minato, standing on the platform. No one was planning on expressing their ideas – on the contrary, the cla.s.s was wrapped in apathy. A wonderful scene.

"If there are no ideas, then do you not mind to accept mine? I think, a haunted house will do. Of course a lot of time will be needed, but if we combine our efforts, it will be a piece of cake. Tomorrow, the summer break will begin, and I want to start as soon as possible, so I want to ask you to come here starting tomorrow. Any objections?" Minato blurted out in one breath, but it doesn't sound as if she had any interest in her speech. With her whole image, she showed that there wasn't the slightest chance to object.

"I'll let you know if something changes, so keep checking your phones," Minato finished and walked off the platform.

*** 

"Hm, any questions?"

I asked Shibata what he will be doing tomorrow, after which I placed a smartphone in his hand, stolen from a person who didn't put a pa.s.sword.

"Why me..? You could've done everything yourself," Shibata said, unhappy that I shoved this job on him. His expression unambiguously said that he took this request with hostility.

"If you don't come, I won't be able to catch the right moment."

"The same thing again?"

"Perhaps, this time will be even rougher."

Shibata took a deep breath.

"And if I refuse..?"

"I will ask you again."

I looked into Shibata's doubtful eyes. I looked closely. Silence, uncertainty, confusion, I didn't put up with any of this, I just looked. He was still acting neutrally towards me, even knowing about the things I've been doing, and I was encouraging him to finally make the choice between black and white.

"It will kind of be the end of everything," I said. My vision began to swim before me, and it seemed as if the distance to Shibata decreased, and then increased. The proximity was turning on and off, and Shibata, being vaguely visible through the veil in my eyes, nodded slowly.

Finally, tomorrow.

When I thought about it, darkness rose from the depths of my mind.

***

That same evening.

To the sounds of flutes and drums, I slid through the crowd. Wherever you look, there would be people, but you stop, you would get trampled. The summer festival of fireworks didn't attract as many people. From time to time I glanced behind, to make sure that Minato is still following me.

"Fireworks start at eight, right?"

"I don't remember."

I, dressed in an unusual t-shirt and jeans for this occasion, walked by Minato, who was dressed in a yukata. When I glanced at my watch, it showed half past seven in the evening.

"You want to eat something?"

"If it's something tasty."

"Caramel apples are tasty."

Looking around, I noticed a tent with the sign , to which we headed, maneuvering through the crowd. Apples and pineapples were selling on the counter, stuck on sticks and covered in caramel.

"There are pineapples."

"I want to try apples."

"Ok."

I bought a caramel apple from the seller with a bandaged head for three hundred yen and gave it to Minato.

"Uh no, you forgot to take for yourself? Give us another one please."

From the small wallet in Minato's latch, she took out a coin of five hundred yen and bought another apple.

"Here, Idzono-kun, it's my treat." And smiling to her ears, she gave it to me.

Holding the caramel apple by the stick, we walked on. Taking off the plastic wrap, we tried the candy. They didn't distinguish us from the crowd, many were eating on the go. I licked the candy in Minato's hand, and she licked mine. With her little tongue, Minato licked my sweet apple, a bit larger than a ping pong ball. Losing my patience, I ate the apple in one go, but Minato stuck out her pink tongue and continued licking the candy enthusiastically. And this looked utterly touching.

I couldn't think of a subject to talk about, so we just walked around. It was strange that nothing could come to mind. We lived together, and a conversation topic should be found by itself, but here all the options flew out of the mind. We kept silent, and gradually the rumble of the crowd began to seem painfully loud.

I didn't find the catching of goldfishes and shooting at targets particularly interesting, so I didn't know wether Minato would agree to go there if I offered. I wouldn't be able to stand both of us trying to show that we are having fun.

Joyful cries in the distance only aggravated everything.

"Tomorrow, right?" Minato said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"The performance."

"You're right… So that's it?"

"That's it. The farewell to everyone. The preparations weren't easy, but now everything will happen instantly."

"What do you mean "preparations"?"

"Many different things, many. Followed you like a tail, collected the thrown out wallets, checked everyone in the cla.s.s. I don't even know anymore how much time I wasted.

I still didn't understand, why Minato is going down this path. Maybe she really was getting revenge, but maybe, revenge was just an excuse. And in general, I knew very little about her. But I really want to know more, although this was nothing more than my selfish desire. At the same time, I was afraid that she will tell me some tearful story and will turn into some tragic heroine for me. And everything will lead to me trying to make a hero out of me, who wants to save her. So I was glad, that I invented a story for her myself.

I asked bluntly:

"You're talking about how you blackmailed, broke into my home, and subdued me to yourself?"

"Didn't I already tell you, Idzono-kun?" Minato answered my question with her own and stopped. I didn't notice how we left the alley with rows of shops. Somewhere far away, the traditional drums rumbled loudly, and then the fireworks flew into the sky.

"For what purpose are you asking me of this?"

"What do you mean, "for what purpose"?"

"Give me a hint. You're just itching for the answer, aren't you? I always said, that I love you, but I was simply pretending to manipulate you… What would you do, if I told you that?"

I couldn't answer her anything. The fiery flowers flashed one after the other, tearing up the sky, as if saying goodbye to the leaving month and its last day. And I was still thinking about what to answer.

And finally I came up with something.

"I will be grateful."

That is what I answered.

"Grateful? Seriously?"

"Mhm. Thanks to you these past two months turned out to be fun. Even if you were just pretending, I liked everything. Thank you."

A sudden grimace appeared on Minato's face, as if she was in extreme pain. Under the flashes of the fireworks I couldn't see anything else – only her. And then, Minato declared through laughter:

"What's with you, did you fall from an oak?"

Maybe so, I said and laughed too.

***

We returned home.

"Tomorrow we're getting together in cla.s.s 2-4 at ten in the morning," she wrote to all the students.

Edited by: Akshaythedon