A week into Haruna's recovery, the teacher of her classroom stood at the forefront and made an announcement. "As I'm sure you're aware," she began. "The school trip for all of you second-years is coming up in a few weeks. If you haven't talked to your parents yet, I highly suggest you do so before it gets too late. Also, don't forget to get your permission slips signed by either your parents or guardians so you can actually go on the trip."
A student raised their hand. "Do we know what the schedule will be like yet?" he asked. "Well, we're still working out the finer details, but it'll involve a lot of pre-scheduled stuff. That's just for the first day I think though. Oh, but that does remind me. While we're on the subject, I'd for you all to start thinking about your groups. Due to the fact that we won't be traveling far, the school has decided to allow you to group up with anyone from any class, provided they're a second-year student."
At this, some students practically jumped for joy. It meant that they could have a group full of just their friends instead of dealing with awkward encounters. Of course, some people would probably still have to deal with that. Slipped into that explanation was that the groups would be of four people, so someone (or multiple someones) were bound to get left out or be left over. Although, for the more social, this just meant more opportunities to make new friends.
"When the time gets closer," the teacher continued after quieting the class. "We'll hand out official schedules and a list of items we recommend you bring. Now, if there are no other questions, I'd like to start class." Ignoring the groans, the teacher went on to do as she had said, but not everyone's attention was captured.
"Groups with anyone we want…" Haruna thought. "I wonder… if Kanako and I can group up together." That only made two out of four, but Haruna figured Chiyo could tag along and maybe Jasmine. "That would be a good group," she thought, but then rejected it. "No, then it just seems like I'm forcing Kanako to join my group of friends. Besides, she'll probably get snatched up by her own anyways." Haruna wasn't sure what the state of Kanako and Michi's friendship was in, but at the very least, she assumed that Itsuki and Mayu would propose the idea for the four of them to be a group.
Even if Haruna was in a group with Kanako, she wasn't sure she could handle it. Being together most of the day. Sharing the same room. Most likely sharing the same bath. Trying to envision it all just made Haruna nervous. "Would I be okay?" she wondered. Seeing Kanako in so many different ways in such a little time and in such close proximity felt like it might be overwhelming. "It's not like I'm some sex-crazed beast, but still…" Haruna thought.
And while Haruna had her concerns about being with Kanako so much, there was another one that worried her as well. "Will I have to bring these crutches with me?" she wondered. Trying to limp around in a big city was not something that sounded like the idea of a fun school trip to Haruna. Doing a bit of research on her own, she had found that it was possible for her to be walking unassisted in another week or two if things went well, but she'd still have a brace on to keep her bones in place so they could heal properly. "If I can at least walk on my own, that'd be good," Haruna thought. She knew it might be wishful thinking, but just the idea of lugging around her metallic, temporary legs gave her a headache.
For the most part, Haruna had adjusted to the crutches. She still felt a little sore in her armpits and her hands were beginning to form callouses, but overall she could move relatively well. It still wasn't up to normal, healthy human walking speed, but Haruna at least felt like she wasn't slowing everyone down around her as much as she was before.
Regardless of her progress though, she still hated them. She'd whack the wall when making a turn. She couldn't carry much of her own stuff. She still tripped on a step now and then. It was an annoying thing to deal with, and it was one that Haruna was sure that if it accompanied her on the school trip, it'd ruin her entire mood for the entire time.
So while the teacher taught, Haruna sat and hoped that she'd be able to get rid of her crutches in time to enjoy her school trip with Kanako.
*****
Around the beginning of December, Haruna had an appointment with her doctor about her ankle. The hope was that if things were going well, they'd be able to get her off crutches and potentially moved into a brace or boot so she could move around easier. As Haruna rode in the car with her parents, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
When they arrived, the Endos only sat in the waiting room for about five minutes before the doctor came out and greeted them. He was the same man as before, and thanks to one or two previous visits between the first time they had met and the present, Haruna and her parents were beginning to become quite familiar with him. After exchanging greetings, the trio was led to the back.
The first room they went into was a basic examination room. Typical whitish-beige walls with generic decorations made up the surroundings, along with a small plain counter with cupboards above and an exam table in the middle. Having gone through this process a couple of times already, Haruna immediately hopped up onto the table. Then, the doctor proceeded to ask her questions.
"Has anything felt unusual?" he asked. Haruna shook her head. "How about your ankle? Any new pain?" "Um, actually, it has felt a little sore lately," Haruna answered. "Oh?" the doctor remarked as he continued to check Haruna over. He did the standard things like checking inside her mouth with tongue depressor and checking her lungs with a stethoscope, but he also checked the muscles in her right leg, then her left, then back to her right. "Alright, let's see if we can find out what the problem is with that soreness you mentioned."
Next was getting an x-ray. Haruna had had one done during her stay at the hospital, but this would be the first time since then. Going into the room, Haruna did as the present nurse instructed, getting into a somewhat awkward position so the machine could scan her whole lower right leg. With a buzz, the scan began, and after about 20 seconds, it was over. The nurse then guided Haruna back to the examination room where her parents were as they waited for the doctor to return with the x-rays.
First five minutes went by, then 10. "How long does getting a person's x-rays take?" Haruna wondered. The waiting was beginning to make her anxious. She sat on the exam table, left leg bouncing as she kept eyeing the clock on the wall. 15 minutes. Up to 20. "Where is he?" Haruna thought, starting to get impatient. After a few minutes more, the person she and her parents were waiting for finally appeared.
"Sorry for the wait," he said. Haruna noticed his tone was different. The man she had become familiar with was usually one on the happier side. Not overly optimistic or disgustingly chipper, but just an easy amount of happiness that almost came off as comforting. However, now that same doctor seemed to look a little grim.
"So I took a good look at your x-rays," he began. Haruna unconsciously swallowed. "And… well, it's not great news." "What do you mean?" Haruna's mother asked. "Well, you see, because of the previous stress fractures your daughter had, they led to making a more severe break than normal for an ankle fracture. Through surgery, it seemed like we had gotten it set right and everything would heal back in place but…" the doctor trailed off, appearing hesitant to finish what we was saying. "But what?" Haruna said, trying to push him on. The doctor nodded. "But… it's not healing right."
"What does that mean?" Haruna's father asked. "In simple terms, it means that when the bone got set in surgery, it was properly stabilized, but at some point along the way, it slipped out of place and began healing in a way it shouldn't," the doctor explained. "Is that going to cause any serious issues?" Haruna's father asked. "Well, it could. It depends on Haruna's activities and how the bone continues to heal in general," the doctor said. "Can it be fixed?" her mother asked. "Over time, it should fix itself. There's always the option of re-breaking it to try to stabilize it again, but I wouldn't recommend that, as it's possible you'll just end up in the same situation you're in now or worse."
While Haruna's parents discussed her condition, there was something bothering the girl herself. She had picked up on the doctor's hesitation, but considering the way he was explaining, it didn't seem like the bone healing in the wrong way was inherently the problem. "Hey," she said, getting the doctor's attention. "What's really going on?"
For a moment, the doctor stared at her, then gave a regretful, small smile. "Looking at your x-rays, along with previous scans of your muscles and ligaments, you should be able to walk around without any issue going forward in your life." "But?" Haruna pressed on. "But," the doctor continued. "Because of the damage you've already suffered, along with this new break…"
"You'll never be able to snowboard again."
The words hit Haruna like a punch to the gut. "...w-what?" she squeaked out. "I'm sorry," the doctor said. "To be honest, walking would be the most I recommend. A light and short run might be okay, and maybe in the future, one that's a little longer, but aside from that, I would highly recommend against any activity that involves high impact with your feet or ankles. Naturally, that eliminates nearly all sports. I've come to this conclusion because it appears that your muscles and bones won't be able to heal up well enough to sustain any more pressure than walking without causing further damage. Again, I'm truly sorry." The doctor finished with a polite bow as Haruna took in everything he had said.
"I guess… there's nothing you can do," Haruna said. "That's just how life goes sometimes, you know?" "Haruna…" her mother said. "It's okay. Really. It's not like I was aiming to be a pro athlete anyways," Haruna continued. She spoke those words, but one look at her face told a different story. It showed her pain, her frustration and her sadness, but she didn't dare let those emotions seep into her words.
Trying to keep things in a more positive light, the doctor pulled out another sheet. "While it's unfortunate you won't be able to compete anymore, you'll at least be able to do these rehab exercises. Who knows, it might get you out of that boot more quickly. And, let's not forget, now and then a miracle happens with this stuff." "Thanks doc, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't give me false hope like that," Haruna said in a somber tone. "Of course," the doctor said as Haruna took the sheet offered to her out of his hand. It had several different exercises on it, most of which appeared easy. Haruna wasn't new to working out, as sometimes she'd had to hit the weights for her club, but the exercises she saw on the paper were certainly different from the ones she had done in the past.
"Now, you'll have to come in again to be guided through these, see how they need to be done and the frequency, but after that you'll be able to do them on your own if that's what you desire. You might have to buy specialized equipment if you go for that route, so the hospital might be better anyways. If you do choose to decide to do these at home, just be sure to keep up on them," the doctor said. "...okay," was all Haruna said.
After that conversation, the doctor also proceeded to inform Haruna that while the bone in her ankle wasn't healing properly, it was at least fine enough to remove the boot that had been put on her. In exchange, Haruna was able to return the crutches she had been using and got a brace put on her ankle. It was still bulky, but it at least meant she'd be able to walk on on her own (with some difficulty). For the first few days, she was told it would be a bit of a challenge because she'd be using muscles that she hadn't been using for several weeks.
Once the appointment was finished, the Endos left the hospital. While in the car, Haruna's mother noticed how quiet her daughter was. "I'm sorry about the news dear," she said. "Yeah…" Haruna said back quietly. She didn't really have many words at the moment, although in her mind she was doing her best to convince herself. "It's fine. I wasn't going to be a pro, so it's not like this really matters. Besides, it's not like I was that athletic anyways. And now, I'll be able to get out of gym class, so it's more like a win than a loss…"
It felt impossible to believe herself. No matter how much Haruna thought about it, there was little she could come up with that made her feel better about her current situation. Letting out a sigh, Haruna stared out the window. Outside, the streets, sidewalks and everything in between was covered in snow, continuously piling onto itself as the unofficial beginnings of winter were well underway in Hokkaido. Along the way, Haruna saw two kids running around, each throwing snowballs at each other. It reminded her of the time last year when she had done something similar with her fellow club members. "...damn it…"
By the time they got home, Haruna wanted to do nothing except lay on her bed, motionless. She wished she could just remain that way for a while, perhaps even for the rest of the week, but that wasn't an option. Even if she didn't have school, there was still an appointment for her that had been scheduled for the next day. She'd be going to the physical therapy division of the hospital to learn how to properly do her exercises. "What's the point…?" she mumbled into her pillow.
*****
When the next day arrived, Haruna took the day off from school. With it being winter, naturally the number of injuries had risen as well, leading to the rehabilitation center being more busy than usual. Because of that, Haruna had needed to take an appointment made for the middle of the day. The time didn't really bother her, but it was clear she wasn't in the best of moods.
Of course, most people weren't too happy on their first day of rehabbing from an injury. It was bound to be difficult, regardless of which bone was broken or muscle pulled. In Haruna's case, she was even more negative because even doing the rehab wouldn't get her back to competing. She had continued to try to convince herself throughout the night, but her efforts had all fallen a little short.
"Hello!" a nurse greeted her enthusiastically. "Are you Haruna Endo?" "That's me…" Haruna said with a sigh. "Great! If you could, please follow me," the nurse said, leading Haruna through the lobby and a couple of hallways before stopping in a room they had turned into. The inside was much different compared to what Haruna had seen thus far. The walls were the same drab color, but the décor consisted mostly of cheesy motivational posters. What made the room so different was the stuff inside. All sorts of machines, support beams and various equipment covered the floor. "Right this way," the nurse said, guiding Haruna over to a small station.
"Okay, now if you could take a seat here," the chipper nurse instructed. Doing as she was told, Haruna took a seat on the floor. Around her were several bands, along with a mat next to her. Staring up at the nurse, she continued. "Alright, first, we'll just check your flexibility. If you could put out your right leg for me?" Haruna did, and the nurse bent down to grab it. "This might hurt a bit," she warned before taking Haruna's brace off, then taking her foot and slowly bending it toward it's owner.
Little by little, she kept going. "Ow!" Haruna exclaimed when it was suddenly too much. "Oops! Sorry about that!" the nurse said. "But at least your mobility in this direction is about normal for someone in your condition." Next, she went the opposite direction, which ended in the same way. "Is she trying to hurt me?" Haruna wondered after her second bout of pain. This went on for a few more minutes before the nurse switched to one of the bands.
From there, she showed Haruna various exercises involving positions on both the floor and standing up. The standing ones had been somewhat difficult, as Haruna had almost lost her balance a couple of times. The nurse had offered her encouragement, but it did little to make Haruna feel better. By the time they were done, Haruna was certain she felt worse than when she had arrived.
"So, should I make an appointment for tomorrow?" the nurse asked. "Um, sure… I guess," Haruna muttered. She had needed to take a taxi to the hospital due to no one being available to give her a ride, so that also meant she was on her own to decide when the next appointment would be. With an affirmative, the nurse made a note and handed it to Haruna. "We'll see you tomorrow at 4!"
After getting another taxi home, Haruna headed inside and flopped down on the couch. "My ankle is killing me…" she groaned. Looking at the time on her phone, she saw it was almost time for school to let out. "I wonder if Kanako will come by," she thought. For the duration of her recovery, Kanako had been over at her house almost every day, skipping her club a lot. Haruna had asked if that was okay, but Kanako had insisted that it was fine.
In fact, for the whole time Haruna had been injured, Kanako had practically been like glue, sticking to Haruna's side at any time it was possible. At first it had felt awkward having Kanako around that much, but after about a week of it, Haruna got very used to it. "It's nice… having Kanako with me all the time like that," she thought. It felt a little selfish to think that, but it was what Haruna honestly thought. Although, while they were closer now than ever, Haruna still couldn't shake that feeling of distance.
It was due to little things. Kanako would go to do something, but then she'd stop before switching it up. Going for a hug, then switching to taking up Haruna's hand. Going for what appeared to Haruna like potentially stroking her head, only to put a hand on her shoulder instead. Even in Kanako's speech, there were weird hesitations. She'd start out by saying she loved something, but then would pause before adding more to her sentence. Sometimes Haruna caught Kanako looking at her with an endearing sort of gaze, but then Kanako would always look away.
To Haruna, who had confessed, had yet to receive an answer, and kept noticing all those things, she couldn't help but draw a negative conclusion. Haruna already believed that it was nearly impossible for Kanako to actually fall for her, but seeing her behavior over the last couple of weeks only further increased her belief. "There's no way she feels that way about me," she thought. It just felt too optimistic. All Haruna saw was a girl getting closer before then pulling away. Surely the reason was that she wanted to remain good friends, but knowing how Haruna felt about her, she wasn't sure if she could do certain things without giving Haruna the wrong idea. "That's probably it…" Haruna thought dejectedly.
As she continued to wallow, there was a ring from the doorbell. Getting up, Haruna slowly made her way over to the door, wincing several times along the way. When she did open it, she found Kanako on the other side. "H-Hi Haruna," she said sweetly. "Hey," Haruna said simply. Even after everything she had just thought, Haruna couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat every time Kanako greeted her like this. Letting Kanako in, Haruna closed the door behind her.
"I-It's too bad you weren't at school today," Kanako said. Haruna had texted her last night to let Kanako know so she wouldn't worry. "Why? Did something happen?" Haruna asked. "Oh, n-no," Kanako said. "Anyways, are you hungry? I can make something for you." "Sure…" Haruna said, then thought, "It seemed like she wanted to say something more when I asked if something happened."
While Kanako cooked, Haruna watched her. This had become a regular occurrence as well. Haruna felt a little bad about it, but again, Kanako insisted, so Haruna let her do what she wanted. When the cooking was done, Kanako placed a plate in front of Haruna and then set one down for herself. Together, the two of them gave thanks for their food.
It was quiet for a moment, and in that quiet Haruna unintentionally let out a sigh. "Hm? Is something wrong Haruna?" Kanako asked. "Oh, um…" Haruna said, realizing she had caught Kanako's attention. "Should I tell her?" she wondered. Haruna remembered how much Kanako seemed to be impressed by her snowboarding. Wouldn't it just depress her if she found out Haruna couldn't compete anymore?
"I, um… I went to the doctor the other day," she began. Whether she wanted to keep it a secret or not, it seemed that Haruna's lips had other plans, because the words began coming out before she could stop them. "They took x-rays, and… it turns out, my ankle isn't healing right." "W-What does that mean?" Kanako asked nervously. Haruna averted her eyes. "It means… that I can't do anything with high impact. Hard running, jumping… snowboarding…"
When she finally got it out, Haruna looked to see how Kanako was taking the news. At first, she looked surprised, but then her expression changed to one of serenity and peace. "I see," she said calmly. "That's too bad, isn't it?" "Huh?" Haruna let out. "Hm?" Kanako responded. "I-I thought… you'd be more bummed out or something. You seemed to really like seeing me compete," Haruna said. "You're right. I did. It was really cool seeing you fly through the air like that. But, it almost sounds like you think I like you because of that," Kanako said. "It's unfortunate that you can't snowboard anymore, but you're still here. And, as long as that's true, I'm happy."
Haruna heard her explanation, but there was one part she was stuck on. "I… like you?" she repeated. Kanako's eyes went wide at her. "O-Oh, n-n-no, that's not what I-" Kanako tried to stumble through her words, but Haruna stopped her. "It's okay Kanako. I know you didn't mean it like that," she said with a sad smile. Kanako looked away. "Maybe I did…" she muttered, but Haruna didn't catch it.
After an awkward moment of silence, Kanako picked up the conversation again. "Did something happen today? T-That sigh seemed like more than just about what you said." "Well, I guess I'm also tired. I started physical therapy today and it turned out to be harder than I thought. I'm pretty sure the nurse I had doesn't understand the fact that she's supposed to help heal the patient, not injure them more," Haruna explained.
"D-Do you think… I could come with you next time?" Kanako asked. "Huh? You want to come?" Haruna asked, surprised. "W-Well, I could come as s-support, or something…" Kanako said softly. "If it's hard, I want to be there for you Haruna." "Ah…" Haruna let out, blushing a bit. "A-Alright, I guess if you really want to…" "Great," Kanako said.
It wasn't too long after that that Haruna's parents came home, Kanako departed, and Haruna herself was wondering how the physical therapy session would go with Kanako present.
*****
When Haruna went to go to the hospital again after school, she met up with Kanako and together the two of them got in a taxi and headed toward their destination. "I-I'm kinda nervous," Kanako said. "Why are you nervous?" Haruna said. "W-Well, I've never been to physical therapy before," Kanako said. "You do know that I'm the one doing it, right?" Haruna asked. "I-I know that! Geez!" Kanako pouted. Haruna giggled. "Maybe they'll let you try out one of the machines. You know, since you're so nervous about physical therapy," she joked. "Now you're just teasing me!" Kanako cried.
Having Kanako with her certainly helped to make Haruna feel a little better about the whole situation. She wasn't too keen on the idea of rehabbing when it seemed like it wouldn't make much of a difference in her life, not to mention that the nurse she had wasn't the best. However, with Kanako, it would probably be more bearable.
When they arrived, Haruna went through the same routine as last time. She asked about Kanako too, and it turned out that it wasn't unusual for people to bring others with them as a form of encouragement. Following the nurse through the halls, they arrived at the same station as yesterday too. "Okay, let's get started!" the nurse said happily.
As instructed, Haruna went to the floor and began doing the exercises. However, having Kanako with her proved to be having the opposite effect. With each exercise Haruna did, she began to get more and more emotional. Part of it was the difficulty. The exercises themselves weren't hard for the average, healthy person, but when trying to do them with a broken bone, the difficulty got much higher. Because she had been learning them on the first day, Haruna hadn't noticed as much, but now that she was trying the exercises unassisted, she found them to be more challenging than she had realized.
Of course, the other part of what was affecting Haruna was Kanako. She had thought that having Kanako there would've been a good way to feel motivated, but she quickly realized she had been wrong. Having Kanako see her in such an embarrassing state just served to make Haruna feel pathetic. "I hate this…" she thought. "All I'm doing is showing Kanako how pathetic I am."
Trying to prove to both the unaware Kanako and herself that she was more than capable, Haruna started doing the exercises more quickly. The nurse gave a word of caution, but Haruna ignored it. "I can't stand showing this side of myself to Kanako. I've shown enough of it to her already," she thought.
Suddenly, the band Haruna was using slipped off her foot and snapped back violently. It just missed hitting her in the face. "...next," Haruna said, standing up. "Oh, Endo-san, maybe we should continue doing the floor ex-" the nurse tried to suggest, but was she was stopped. "I'm moving on," Haruna said sternly. Her emotions were piling on top of each other fast. "I have to show Kanako that I can do this just fine," she thought.
Standing, Haruna tried doing one of the exercises she had been taught, but before she could get far with it, she lost her balance. It had involved putting more pressure on the broken ankle than on the healthy one, but Haruna went too much to one side, causing her ankle to give and sending her down to the ground. "H-Haruna!" Kanako exclaimed. In response, Haruna just sat there, her face pointed toward the floor.
For a moment, it was quiet. Then, Kanako turned to the nurse. "C-Can you give us a minute?" The nurse nodded and left the room, leaving Kanako alone with Haruna. Crouching down next to her, Kanako tried to see Haruna's face. "A-Are you okay Haruna?" she asked. Silence. However, despite that, her body shook, giving an answer in its own way. "...Damn it…" she finally uttered. "Haruna?" "...I… really wanted to look cool for you y'know?" Haruna said. "Instead, this is just so… demeaning."
Kanako waited for Haruna to go on. "I...I never really thought it would hurt this much to have you see me like this." She paused. "I hate it… feeling this helpless… I hate… having to rely on you so much right now. I hate that… I can't compete anymore…"
Haruna looked up, her eyes appearing to be on the verge of tears. "I never dreamed of going pro. It wasn't something I ever really wanted. I was happy just being able to be out there, putting down tricks and competing. But, I have to admit… when I won every once in a while, it felt great. I felt like I was on top of the world, because winning… meant beating Izumi Komatsu."
"She's great. You saw her. Practically unbeatable in every way when it comes to the snowboard. But… every now and then, she'd make a mistake, and I'd be having a great day. That combination propelled me to victory. Now though… it doesn't matter how many mistakes she makes. I'll never get to test myself against her again. I-I'll never be out there again… a-all because I was reckless… I can't e-ever ride around like that again, even just for fun… I-I never wanted to go pro… I didn't… I was never planning on even taking this sport seriously, but now I...I!"
Tears were pouring down Haruna's face. "...Because now that it's gone, you miss it more than anything," Kanako finished for her. Haruna gave a vigorous nod. "I can't compete again! I can't go against Izumi again! I can't have fun with my club members again!" she wailed. "Instead, I'm just stuck here, on the floor like a helpless child! I'm making a fool of myself trying to do this stupid therapy, and for what?! It doesn't mean anything! Who cares if it makes my ankle a little better?! It won't get me back into the half-pipe!"
All of the emotions that Haruna had tried to hold back came bursting out of her. When the doctor had told her she couldn't snowboard anymore, she hadn't felt much at first. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized what it meant. Haruna hadn't wanted to admit it to herself, but she loved being a part of the Girls' Snowboarding and Skiing Club.
As Haruna cried, Kanako looked on. She didn't know what to say. What were the right words for a situation like this? Were there any? Kanako searched and searched, but she didn't find ones that fit. So instead, she took up Haruna's hand. Feeling the girl's touch, Haruna looked at her. "I… don't know what to say. I can't say that I know how you feel, because I don't. I can't say it'll get better, because it might not. But I want to find some way to make you feel better. So please Haruna, tell me what I can do to help you."
Haruna stared at her. "You've helped me so much already," she thought. "I couldn't possibly ask for more." And yet, Kanako wanted her to. She stared back at her with such compassion in her eyes. There wasn't pity or disappointment, but just sheer love and care contained within her gaze.
"...hold me…" she said quietly. "Hold me tightly. Stroke my head. Lie to me and tell me it'll be okay." It was probably the most selfish request Haruna had ever made, and yet Kanako simply nodded. Moving closer, she pulled Haruna into her, placed one arm around Haruna's waist and her other hand on Haruna's head and began to move it up and down. "It'll be okay," Kanako spoke softly. "When you're in pain Haruna. When you just want someone to cry to. When you feel things that you can't handle on your own… lean on me. I want you to keep showing me this side of you Haruna. I know you said you hate it that I can see it, but I love this side of you. I love being able to see your vulnerabilities and your weaknesses."
"W-Why?" Haruna asked. "Because it means that I get to see all of you," Kanako said. "And I love that most of all." There, in the quiet of the physical therapy division of the hospital, one girl held the other close.
*****
The next day after school meant another appointment. Kanako had decided to come with Haruna this time too, and when they greeted the nurse, they both gave their apologies. After what had happened the previous day, the two of them had gone home with just a simple goodbye to the nurse. Although, despite being brushed off, she didn't seem to mind. "It's all good! Emotional healing is part of the process too," she responded.
The group went through the same process once more, and Haruna began going through her exercises much more carefully than she had before. "That's good Endo-san," the nurse said. It was still embarrassing to Haruna, but she felt much better about it than she had. For the next 30 minutes she continued going through the list until the nurse said they should take a short break.
While the nurse left the room to go get something, Haruna and Kanako were left alone again. "H-Hey, Haruna?" Kanako began. Haruna looked at her. "I… asked someone to join us today." "Who?" Haruna asked with some concern. "Y-You'll see," Kanako said, apparently trying to keep whoever it was a surprise. She didn't have to wait long to find out though.
"Hey, hey Haruna-san!" a voice boomed into the room. "I brought her just like you asked Nakatomi-san!" the nurse said behind the voice. "Thank you," Kanako said with a bow. "Huh? What's going on?" Haruna asked. Standing in the doorway was none other than Izumi. "While you were doing your exercises, I asked the nurse if it would be okay if Komatsu-san came," Kanako explained. "Yep, yep," Izumi nodded. "It was easy to find her in the lobby too, with that super long hair she has," the nurse said. "So here I am Haruna-san!" Izumi declared. "Yeah, I see that…" Haruna said. "Y-You're not mad, are you?" Kanako asked. Haruna sighed. "No. It's fine. After all, the prez was there when I broke my ankle in the first place."
Ever since that day, the two had hardly spoken. Other than Izumi checking on Haruna to see how she was doing within the first few days, they had only exchanged greetings in the hallways. This would be their first real conversation in weeks.
"Um, w-we'll give you two a moment," Kanako said. She wanted to give them privacy. Whatever the president of Haruna's club had to say to her underclassman wasn't something for Kanako's ears, nor the nurse's. Once they stepped out of the room, Izumi approached Haruna. "So how's the ankle?" she asked. Haruna had yet to give her the news. Biting her lip, Haruna looked away. "No more competing huh?" Izumi guessed. Haruna turned back to her, eyes wide. "How did you…" she said. "It's not hard to guess. You've never hesitated to tell me what's on your mind before, so since you're doing it now, it's not hard to figure out it has something to do with the club. Easy, easy," Izumi explained.
While Haruna was still on the floor, she stared up at the short girl. It worked out well for Izumi, as Haruna on her knees was about the same height as Izumi standing upright. "What are you doing here?" Haruna finally asked. "Aw c'mon, c'mon! A good club president always checks on her members when they're hurt!" Izumi said. "Is that so…" Haruna said. It was a little hard to believe considering how distant Izumi had been from her lately.
"Also," Izumi continued. "I had some things I wanted to tell ya. So when Kana-chan came up to me at school today, it felt like the perfect opportunity." "So that's how she ended up here," Haruna thought. "Anyways, first off, I need to apologize," Izumi said. "Huh?" Haruna let out. "I should've warned you better about the ice. It was pretty slick, but I still went for it anyways. I got lucky that some of those tricks landed y'know? If I had fallen, you probably would've been more cautious too, am I right?"
Haruna gasped at Izumi's assessment. She was right. If Izumi had slipped up, Haruna definitely would've gone for a simpler run. "I'm that obvious?" she muttered. Izumi laughed. "I don't know if I'd call if obvious. I mean, of course I'd notice stuff like that with my rival."
Haruna's eyes went wide again. "Ri...val? Me?" she repeated. "Huh, huh? Yeah, of course you. No one else ever came close Haruna-san," Izumi said easily. "You… thought of me as your rival?" Haruna had to ask the question again. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Ever since she had joined the club, whether she had realized it or not, she had been chasing Izumi's back. Every practice, every meet, Haruna tried her best to not only catch her, but surpass the girl known as the greatest snowboarding prospect in Japan. And now, here she was, basically saying she had always thought of her as an equal.
Izumi looked at Haruna, giving her a soft expression. "You bet, you bet," she said. In a few strides, Izumi stood right in front of Haruna, who was on her knees. Gently, Izumi wrapped her arms around her, bringing Haruna's head to her chest. "So I apologized," she said. "Now, I want to say thank you." "Thank you?" Haruna repeated. "Yep, yep," Izumi said.
"Thank you for being my best competition. Thank you for pushing me to be better. Thank you for helping me lead the club. Thank you for giving it your all. Thank you for putting up with me and my obnoxious personality. And finally, thank you... for joining my club."
For the second time in as many days, Haruna cried. "You're… welcome… President."
The girl that Haruna had admired in competition had now giving her profuse thanks. In response, all Haruna could offer was her own gratitude, along with putting as much respect as she could into her tear-strained voice.
*****
The day after her conversation with Izumi, Haruna visited her club room and gave her official resignation. There were some tears from the other members, but they accepted it, wishing Haruna all the best and insisting she still stop by and come to meets. As for Haruna, the wound in her heart from having lost a part of herself was still far from healed, but it had certainly been put on the right course.
Within the next couple of days, Haruna's focus, along with the entire body of second-years, shifted to the upcoming school trip. It was only days away now, and that meant that groups were being finalized. "Aren't you excited Haru-chi?" Chiyo asked. "I guess?" Haruna answered, though she really didn't care. For her, the group she'd be with consisted of herself, Kanako and Chiyo, along with a random person. Chiyo had insisted that the person would be a good fit, but Haruna wasn't sure. It was someone she didn't know, although when she had told Chiyo as much, the gal had seemed annoyed. "She's in our class Haru-chi!" she had exclaimed.
For the most part, Haruna hadn't interacted with the other people in her class, and even her limited interactions weren't too positive. "I wonder who it is," she thought as the teacher stood in front of the class reading off the groups relevant to her class. When she got to Haruna's group, she read off the following names:
Kanako Nakatomi
Chiyo Wakabayashi
Haruna Endo
Hinami Yamane
Haruna blinked at the name she heard. "Hinami… Yamane?"
End of Chapter Nine.