Chapter 6 — The Strongest and The Hopeful

About five years ago, in the Hinata Household.


Another hot morning; summer had just started, but it was already agonizing.


From my room, I could hear kids laughing and playing in the nearby park.


I leaned my elbow on the windowsill to look at them; it became a habit, as this was the only park around our neighborhood.


They were playing tag, running in all directions. So lucky; I wish I could play with them too. If only my health allowed it... I, Hinata Ryûko, was born with a weak body. Weak to cold, to heat, and other hazards such as illness since birth.


Playing outdoors was a privilege beyond my reach. The heat makes me dizzy and frail. Because of my condition, I cause constant worry to my parents. They have to work double shifts to cover the cost of my care.


Just a few weeks ago, I got out of bed too fast and fell, fracturing my left arm. It wasn't the first time, and the doctor advised surgery to avoid further weakening. That's why Papa and Mama have to work even in summer; otherwise, they can't do anything if I have another accident.


If only I had never been born... Their life would be happier without me for sure...


"Excuse me."


"Huh...?"


My eyes peeled open gently; I had to dab my tears away to see where the voice was arising from.


"A boy?"


Yes, a boy with purple hair was right in front of me!


"Whoa!!" I jumped back in surprise. I almost tumbled onto my back. Fortunately, the boy reached out and grabbed my arm just in time.


If he didn't, I would surely have cracked my skull open again.


But wait... my room is upstairs—how did he get to my window, then?!


"Are you okay? I didn't mean to surprise you." His voice was soothingly calm... and his eyes a soothing blue, a bit like the deep blue sea I saw in documentaries.


Back to the topic, how did he get here?! With a ladder??


"I just flew up here." He said it so casually, even though it is anything but normal... and how did he know what I was thinking?


"Because I read your mind." He explained himself in a nonchalant tone, once again.


Flying and mind-reading... Was he... just like those on TV and manga? The people with superpowers are called Kikai.


He entered the room fully. We were roughly the same height. His clothes were slightly dirtier, and his hair was a bit messier.


His tranquil blue gaze made me step back instinctively. I hadn't been this close to someone my age in a long time. I was never allowed to leave the house and play with the other kids.


"Um..."


I stepped back again. My heart was pounding so hard, I didn't know what to do. It was so scary... The purple-haired boy tilted his head innocently. Surely, he was aware of the effect he had on me?


His head tilted even more before he softly hammered his palm, as if an idea had just come to his mind.


He glanced around him, his gaze settling on the shelves where my manga were stored, and on one in particular.


"Do you read <A Case of Heroism> too?"


A case of heroism, a manga set in an alternate universe where superpowers are very rare. The main character is a boy who chooses to fight evil using his super strength. He always works in a duo with his childhood friend, who doesn't have a superpower.


"I like the childhood friend; I think he is my favorite character."


I leapt forward as his apathetic words reached my ears. He likes the same character as me, and it was like the fear just disappeared in an instant.


"I like him too! He never hesitates to help people; he is kind and funny! He helps his parents a lot, even after they rejected him, with the money he gains from his hero job. He is so cool, just like the time when that bad guy was about to destroy Tokyo with that giant robot! Mr. Childhood Friend threw himself into its core to destroy it and protect everyone!! And when he..."


The boy was looking at me strangely... not really, but as if he were indifferent. I realized what I just did, speaking so loudly and so close to his face... It was super embarrassing!!


"S-Sorry... I didn't mean to—"


"You're funny." His calm voice stopped me mid-apology. Looking at his face, it was easy to doubt what he had just said. When something is funny, we usually laugh.


"Sorry that I can't laugh, but I'm honest. You are funny." His voice was so calm, it was both reassuring and a little terrifying.


"You know, you are cool. People who are passionate about something like you, I admire them, or something like that. So I think you are cool."


He... admires me? Really...? Still hiding my face from him, a soft "thank you" slipped out.


"Now that you have calmed down, I need your help, please. A bird has stolen something that belongs to me and is hiding in the tree in your garden. Could you help me get it back?"


"Um... I-I..."


He can fly... so why didn't he take it himself?


"Because Marie said that people in Tokyo have security alarms in their houses. Breaking in could lead to trouble."


"Um... d-didn't you just... do exactly that...?"


"Ah... I guess I did."


I chuckled awkwardly, a soft smile spreading across my face.


That boy's face remained unreadable, no matter what he said. What a weird guy. But he doesn't seem mean; he even told me that he admired me. I will help him, like Mr. Childhood Friend.


I guided him downstairs. We reached the garden in one piece, and as soon as we arrived, the boy ran to the tree and caught the bird.


What an awesome kid, to think we are the same age. I wonder if I will be as lively as him one day. A kind of charm was hanging from the bird's leg. So that was what the boy had come to find.


"Thank you for your help." He bowed his head slightly. "I will head out now; someone's waiting for me."


"Oh... Okay..."


I accompanied him to the front door and opened it. After another bow of the head, he walked past me.


I almost reached out to pull on his shirt. Why leave now? He could stay a little longer; we could talk about <A Case of Heroism> and have fun together.


"Come with me then. We can have fun together." The boy held out his hand.


His invitation was tempting, yet...


"I can't... I will get sick because of the heat..."


"I can create ice; I will make sure you don't overheat," he promised.


"B-But..." I grabbed my skirt tighter. "I will get injured, and my parents will be sad again."


"I will make sure you don't get injured, I promise."


"No, you can't! It will happen for sure... and even if I didn't, you wouldn't have fun since you would have to deal with me! I don't want that!!"


Tears streamed down my cheeks; I couldn't even lift my head or form a sentence. I wanted to say everything, everything that made him suffer, everything that prevented me from being like everyone else...


I wanted so much to go there, to play and laugh with my friends. To say hello to an old lady to make her smile, to stroke a little cat in the street, to make friends whom I could make happy. But I can't...


"I said that you were funny, so I think it will be fun. There is so much that you want to do, so let's do it. It may sound straightforward, but..."


He grabbed my hand. "Everyone has the right to hope. And if you are out of hope, let it be me. I'll be your hope that everything will be all right."


Hope. It's so abstract. At that age, I didn't really understand it. Yet, I followed him without asking myself any more questions.


That random encounter changed me profoundly. You have the right to hope. To think that it was so easy to take the first step.


I suffered quite a bit in the years that followed. It took so much effort to live the life I wanted. I met some wonderful people.


There were ups and downs, but now I am no longer alone. Because I have so many sources of hope around me, Hinata Ryûko was allowed to live, all thanks to you, Harumaki Yuuki.


*


A lightning bolt flashed outside the gymnasium. The showdown was not over as rain poured outside.


The effect of Waguri's Kikai had just worn off, and the next blow could be the last. An acknowledgement that flashed in the eyes of Yôsuke, Mori, and Akira.


With no time to dream, Yuuki sprang into action. He rushed at Yôsuke, now disarmed of his umbrella.


He anchored himself against the wall and dropped with a downward kick. Yôsuke had no time to dodge. He got ready to block, but Yuuki moved around his guard. Then, Yuuki landed a strong kick right to Yôsuke's face.


"Tsukishima!!" The blow failed to knock him out; hence the sudden call for Mori.


She froze the ground where Yuuki was about to land. The opportunity was there, and Yôsuke was ready to take it.

To his surprise, Yuuki had barely set foot on the ground when the ice, like part of the floor, shattered.


The trap backfired. Now, he faced Yuuki one-on-one. It was the quickest way to lose.


Since it was ruined anyway, he took out the coins he had in his pockets.


He focused the rest of his energy on this attack: pointing two fingers at Yuuki. He unleashed a powerful electric blast through every coin before reaching Yuuki.


Impossible to dodge, victory was theirs for the taking, right?


Well, no. The lightning headed toward Yuuki, but it didn't hit him, as if an invisible force had repelled it.


"Oh, come on!!" Yôsuke complained, but it was too late. Yuuki's wrath came crashing down, and with a clap of thunder, Yôsuke was defeated.


Without hesitation, Akira took his chance in turn.


"He followed my advice too, acting mainly as a backup rather than a real participant. It's working well for now, and if Mori attacks at the same time, it's not so bad."


Despite his positive thoughts, Yuuki quickly knocked Akira to the ground. As is often the case, it seemed that it would be settled between him and—


"Sorry... I overslept a bit."


Right next to Mori, Ryûko had regained her consciousness. Her smile was as radiant and confident as ever, which seemed out of place, especially given the circumstances.


"You did well to hold on, Mori. As I thought, you are super strong. Yôsuke, Waguri, and Shin-chan, too, I'm proud of you."


"Ryûko..." Mori fell into her friend's arms. She had given so much since the start, and even though Waguri's Kikai healed her wounds, Mori had still used all her strength.


"I will take it from here, you can rest."


She gently laid her friend on the ground before looking at her opponent again.


"So it's you and me now, just like the first day," Yuuki said calmly. But Ryûko shook her head.


"No, it's still one on five." She put her finger on her heart. "Because I never fight alone!"


"I see that Ryûko still believes that she can win. She saw it like me, even the five of you aren't enough." Yuuki continued.


"Yeah, you might be right. Hope alone is not enough. But I think it's a decent first step. Fun is important, too, because that's why I live: for my friends to be happy and to have fun."


Ryûko took her fighting stance, ready for the battle ahead.


"So let's have fun together, Yuuki."


No reaction; Yuuki simply looked at her, waiting for her attack. And it didn't last long.


Ryûko was a little faster than before. She seemed lighthearted, and her smile proved it.


One kick, followed by another even more spectacular one. Ryûko used her hands to keep her balance and attempted a third kick, all of which was dodged by Yuuki.


"Nice moves, let me try something else!"


She did a backflip and landed on her feet before launching herself forward again. Another spectacular move, a flying kick that left her very vulnerable.


Against an opponent who is comfortable counterattacking, this is almost suicidal. But the young girl knew what she was doing, even before Yuuki's counterattack. She swung her body to slightly change her trajectory.


Ryûko landed violently on the ground, but she was able to plan her next attack.


"I will get you this time, Yuuki!"


She moved her hips again for another kick to the upper body. Yuuki had seen it coming, and Ryûko knew it. She paused and ultimately did not raise her leg, instead throwing a quick jab. It was the first one since they had met, and it took Yuuki by surprise at first glance.


The blow ultimately missed its target, stopping just in front of Yuuki's face.


Ryûko couldn't move, wracked with pain. Yuuki punched her in the stomach with such force that she fell to her knees, ready to throw up.


"Your wounds may have been healed, but you still lack the stamina to keep this up. I made sure to warn you yesterday, didn't I?"


He glanced down at Ryûko's burnt-orange bob swaying as she was trying to steady her breath.


"... Don't count me out just yet... I still have... a kick or two left in me before I go down. Hehe."


"You're funny." His calm voice was still the same, and his face made it easy to doubt what he had just said.


"When something is funny, we usually laugh. Yuu—"


He kicked her violently, sending her flying into the wall. This time, she couldn't help but throw up, she felt like she had broken ribs. Her legs had already given out when Yuuki reached her.


"Stand up."


An order so cold that it seemed to proclaim the opposite. But staying still meant defeat. Ryûko had to get up.


She endured another punch, then another, even harder. And each time she fell, the same order forced her to stand up.


Her legs wanted to give out more than anything, her whole body begged her to end the torment, but she got up again and again, a smile plastered on her pained face. Yuuki stopped, allowing Ryûko to catch her breath.


"Are you done already...? 'Cause I'm not." She tried to throw a punch, but her arm didn't move.


A whole week of pain for this result. Weren't they too arrogant to challenge Yuuki like that? Hope keeps us alive, but unfortunately, it does not work miracles.


As Yuuki turned to leave, he shot one last glance back at Ryûko. Her legs trembled even as she leaned against the wall. She wasn't in a state to fight anymore.


"Ryûko, you chose to fight even though you stood no chance, and now... you're risking your health when you can no longer win. I respect you for that. But Ryûko, this is pointless."


"I get you... I'm not strong enough to protect their dream... and yet, here I am, smiling like an idiot."


She pushed herself off the wall; with what seemed to be immense pain, she looked up.


"I'll always do my best for everyone, even when it won't be enough. I'll be there no matter what, standing up and determined to fight. I can't help it, because... I'm their hope."


In a movement that looked like torture, she raised her fist. Her blue eyes had a golden glow.


"I told ya... I still have one or two kicks in me. You can dodge them, I don't care. I will find a way to throw another!"


Each step was more painful than the last, but she kept going. Nothing would stop her, because Hinata Ryûko was more than an optimist, she was a passionate soul unwilling to give up.


Her fist turned white as she clenched it tightly. She searched Yuuki's guard for the slightest flaw... and there was none, just as she thought; the person in front of her was indeed The Strongest.


Meanwhile, Ryûko's words were stirring in Yuuki's mind. "Their hope... huh?" Even though she had already earned Yuuki's respect, a deeper feeling was awakened within him.


He looked up at the overcast sky through the gym windows. It reminded him of the most important memory of his life.


"About ten years ago, I met a girl. I left school early that day, and because of the severe winter conditions in Hokkaido, the six-year-old me got lost on the way. Luckily, someone helped me—a girl named Marie."


Yuuki reminisced with nostalgia. He would smile if he could, but instead, his neutral voice recounted his most precious memory.


"Marie gave me food and a place to warm me up. We spent that afternoon shoulder to shoulder. Most of it was just me listening to her talk about anything and everything. Marie was so... passionate about living that I couldn't look away. It was strange that at that time, I was capable of getting drawn to someone. That's when I realized that I admire passionate people. For some reason, I'm pulled towards them, and my logic forces me to admire them."


Yuuki faced Ryûko once more and slowly held out his hand.


"Ryûko is also one of these people..."


Everything suggested that it was an ill-advised risk. Yuuki had everything to win on his own, so why give himself a handicap for no reason?


The Erabarshimono no Kyousou, in its basic concept, was the playground of the most selfish student in an entire nation. Nothing mattered as long as they could win in the end.


Unfortunately, Yuuki lived as he saw fit. For better or worse, he trusted the young girl in front of him.


"Hinata Ryûko, lend me your hope, and in return, I will lend you mine, to transcend destiny and fulfill our ambition. Would you do me the honor of winning the Erabareshimono no Kyousou alongside me?"


Ryûko reacted moderately, perhaps from relief, or more likely, surprise. She didn't have the strength to take another step towards Yuuki before her body fell.


Yuuki caught her mid-fall and embraced her tenderly, sealing the end of the fight once and for all.


Ryûko burst into tears in his arms. Her loud sobs almost drowned out the rain.


On this night of April, Harumaki Yuuki tied his fate to Hinata Ryûko. A fate of great misfortune and hatred for those who lived, who live, and will live. And its first due date was: The Erabareshimono no Kyousou.



To be continued...