That Summer Day

"That Summer Day" (あの日のあの夏) is a short story released within "MF Bunko Journey", a limited commemoration booklet from the MF Bunko J Summer School Festival 2018.

Summary
Seeing Arisu wrapping a brown handkerchief on the can of hot coffee, Masumi asked her about the handkerchief and said it was for boys and didn't suit her. Arisu complimenting her for her tendency to not mince words, answered her that the handkerchief was not her and said it was something she borrowed. Masumi hearing her said that isn't borrowing a handkerchief a bit creepy. Arisu answered laughingly that maybe she was right.

Arisu then began reminiscing about the summer vacation when she was in her third year of middle school. Wanting to go on a summer adventure, she had traveled to a sea alone on a train. It was a beach she often visited as a child but had gone less often as she grew older. Due to her inability to swim, it was a place she didn't really need to go but now, after having enrolled in a high school, had a fond memory of. Being a cripple, she knew she would have a hard time walking on the beach but still went there to admire the rippling waves of the sea.

Suddenly, The white hat she had been wearing to protect herself from the sun, flew away along with a breeze. She began panicking but being a cripple she couldn't reach it as it flew away. As it was a precious hat, her father had bought for her, she needed to pick it up and so she began taking a detour to the beach under the heat of the sun. After walking a while, she collapsed arriving at a bench with a roof. Even though the hat was still being blown towards the sea, she couldn't get herself to move. Having decided to cool herself on the bench, she closed her eyes as she went to sleep. After a while, she felt a cool sensation on her neck. Having opened her eyes, she saw her hat that had flown away and a wet handkerchief placed on her neck. When she looked around, she saw a boy walking away. The boy, who looked to be someone around her age, had taken all the measures to guard against heat stroke and left without seeking any gratitude.

Thinking as if the boy can't be him as 'he' can't be in the outside world, Arisu whispered that she wanted to see Ayanokōji. Having only seen him through a glass, She wanted to hear his voice, touch him and then she wanted to break him. She wondered about the emotion she felt and prayed to meet the boy again looking at her back.