Interlude: Hinata’s Interest
This time, we’ll explore how Hinata came to learn about Yuuki’s past.
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My name is Kamiya Hinata, a 26-year-old school nurse. Before heading to Yuuki’s house, I received a call from Yuki, so I’m now on my way to her place. I have a rough idea of what this is about, but since Yuki was crying, I should probably listen seriously.
"Alright then, let’s do our best to persuade Yuki."
I rang the doorbell at Yuki's house.
“...Is that you, Hinata-san? Please, come in.”
Her eyes seemed a bit red—likely from crying. I sat on a cushion across the table from Yuki.
“So, what’s the reason you called me here today?”
“I want to understand why Yuuki-kun rejects me so strongly. To be honest, I thought we were getting along, but it turns out I was wrong. That’s why I want to know more about him.”
“Hmm…”
It’s rare for Yuki to show such interest in someone else. For Yuki and Yuuki’s sake, I suppose I’ll have to give this my all.
“I can tell you, but even after learning, you’ll have to interact with Yuuki as you always have. He probably doesn’t expect you to know about his past.”
“I’ll be fine. No matter what, I’ll support Yuuki-kun.”
If someone overheard, they might mistake that for a proposal. That could be amusing in its own way, but I’ll refrain for now.
“I learned about Yuuki’s past from three people during his middle school years: his homeroom teacher, the school nurse, and one other person.”
“One other person…?”
“It was back when I had just become a school nurse. During a psychology training seminar, I noticed a woman furiously taking notes. She caught my attention, so I decided to talk to her. She turned out to be surprisingly interesting.”
“And who was she?”
“Her name is Takigawa Shino. We were close in age, so we hit it off and shared our dreams with each other.”
---
It was a cold day, and I thought warming up with some alcohol would be nice.
“What’s your drink of choice today?”
“...I don’t drink.”
“Haha, that’s right, Shino.”
Shino and I were at a private room in an izakaya. It could turn out to be a fun night.
“So, what’s the topic today?”
“You’re as curt as ever, Shino. Why not enjoy yourself a little more?”
“...I don’t have time for that.”
“Sigh... You’re no fun. Alright, alright. I’m curious—why did you want to become a psychological counselor? I looked into it and found out you were a police officer. Not just any officer, but an elite one.”
I was genuinely intrigued. Why would she give up an elite career as a police detective to pursue psychology?
“...Yes, I was an elite who had never even done patrol work. But there was an incident that made me willing to throw it all away.”
“What kind of incident?”
“...If it’s you, Hinata, I guess I can talk about it.”
“That makes me happy.”
“...There was a boy I desperately wanted to save. But back then, I didn’t have the knowledge or skills to do it. In the end, I couldn’t save him. I even ended up crying in front of him, and he comforted me instead. I promised myself that next time, if I encountered someone like him, I’d be able to help.”
What kind of boy could inspire such a transformation? My curiosity was piqued.
“And what happened to that boy?”
“...I don’t know. But if I ever meet him again, I want to apologize.”
“I see. Could you tell me his name? I’m a school nurse, so if he’s still a student, I might be able to find him.”
“...This is my issue, not yours, Hinata.”
“Hmm… That’s true. But I want to know why you’d risk everything for this boy.”
Though I said that, the truth was simpler. When Shino talked about the boy, her face looked like she was about to cry. I wanted to help her.
“...I know you won’t stop once you’re interested, Hinata. Fine.”
“That’s great. I’ll do my best to look into him.”
“...His name is Kiriyama Yuuki. That should give you enough to go on.”
When I heard that name, I was shocked. He was the boy who had once dominated headlines, a name you couldn’t avoid hearing—even someone like me, who rarely watches TV, knew about him.
“...Please, if you find him, support him, even if it’s from the shadows. I’m begging you.”
Shino bowed deeply as she asked for my help. At the same time, I felt a pang of envy. To care about someone so deeply—it’s a feeling I’d never experienced.
“Alright. I’ll do everything I can to help. I’ll even fully exploit my role as a school nurse for this.”
“...Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Now, let’s drink the night away.”
I poured a glass of beer for Shino, who wasn’t much of a drinker, and made sure she drank until she was thoroughly drunk.
And that was what inspired me to start investigating Yuuki.
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Author's Note:
Next time, we’ll explore how Hinata uncovers Yuuki’s middle school experiences and how Yuki reacts to what she learns.
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