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Escape Galge - Chapter 17

Published at 24th of March 2018 07:50:40 AM


Chapter 17

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It’s Saturday.
 In terms of the game, it’s the『adjustment day』when everyone’s favourability ratings raise easily.
 I often used to spend this day out with the scum.

 Urk… I remembered.
 Things like walking around holding hands and how the food we had together was delicious. The memories I want erased are revived.
 So cold, it’s pretty chilly even though it’s still daytime.

 I’ve accumulated a considerable amount of stress.
 It may cause stomach ulcers.
 To reinvigorate, I decide to head out for a change of mood.
 Let’s dress up fashionably and loaf around alone.
Translated at nakimushitl.wordpress.com
Please read at the translator’s site. Thanks!
※※※
Translated at nakimushitl.wordpress.com
Please read at the translator’s site. Thanks!
 Gathering my hair, I wear it up.
 Although it’s cute because I added a braid in, it somehow gives off the feeling of a『working lady』… I believe.
 I also match my clothes in monotone colours, creating a chic outfit. 

 It’s mature-looking, if I may say so myself.
 I believe I’m heading in the complete opposite direction of twin tails.
 Yep, sure enough, I prefer this style.
 I also chose slightly taller heels.
 Though I did think『That was a mistake』when I started walking.
 Even though I may have to walk a lot… it’s already hurting.
 I may have overreached myself.
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 Boarding a bus, I set off for my favourite general goods store.
 Although it’s in a residential area with few shops, it’s very well-maintained and clean. There’s greenery too and is very calming.

 Alighting from the bus, I walk on a classy brickwork path.
 It’s as though this isn’t Japan.
 My objective, the general goods store, is in the immediate vicinity of the bus stop.
 Ahead, a lodge-like building begins to enter my sight.
 There’s my objective.

 Clink clank, a pleasant sound welcomes me when I open the door.
 How comforting.
 My heart also leaped with joy at the merchandise lined up before me.
 There may be a lot of North European merchandise here, but there are trendy accessories too.
 I decide to have a look around the store.

“Ah.”

 I found a familiar item in the accessory corner.
 To be exact, the colour is different but…
 A silver necklace with a key-shaped charm that has a gem inserted in it.
 It’s that necklace the scum gave me as a present.
 That idiot, did he buy that here?
 … Did he remember that I like this shop?

“Sigh…”

 I naturally gave a huge sigh.
 Even though I came to reinvigorate myself and drive out the scum from my thoughts! To think he’d invade my brain even when I come to a place like this…
 It’s really disgusting, this is the worst.
 My heart hurts and incomprehensible tears well up in my eyes. This is too much of a pain.

“Ah!? You!”
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 Hearing a loud voice behind me all of a sudden, I almost jump up.
 What’s going on!?
 Moreover, it feels like that voice is directed towards me.
 Turning around timidly, I see a green-haired, healthy-looking beauty.

“Midori-senpai?”

 Why is she here?
 To think we’d meet in a place like this.
 Be it the necklace from the scum or Midori-senpai… it seems that the God of Fate isn’t willing to let me rest.

“Accompany me for a bit.”
“Eh? Eh?”

 Thunk thunk, footsteps resound as Midori enters the shop, grabs my arm and pulls.
 She’s bringing me to some unknown place!
 I’ve yet to do any shopping though!?
Translated at nakimushitl.wordpress.com
Please read at the translator’s site. Thanks!
※※※
Translated at nakimushitl.wordpress.com
Please read at the translator’s site. Thanks!
“Aoi’s mine, got it.

 I was brought to a park situated between large apartments.
 Midori’s taking on an imposing stance in front of me, who was made to sit on the swing.
 Scary…

 Matching the streets, this park is clean and well-maintained, giving a feeling of safety. It’s spacious too.
 There’s also an open space where a family is playing badminton.

 In the midst of such a harmonious scene, with her eyebrows are drawn together and her expression demonic, Midori threw the words before at me.

“… Is that so.”
“Yes it is!”

 I wanted to say『It is better to give up on a guy like that』but I’m powerless in front of this intensity.
 Well, even if I face her and repulse the scum, I don’t think she’s the type to listen.
 As I thought, I should attack from a different angle.

“It’s good that you understand.”
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 When I nod, Midori sits in the swing beside me and begin swinging.
 May I take my leave already?
 Such that the bear doesn’t get stimulated, let’s slowly and stealthily escape.
 With that in mind, I try to stand up but…
 Even as Midori gets on the swing, her expression changes to a meek one that differs from before. Sensing that something is off, I halt and stop my movements.

“I wonder, what’s my rank.”
“Eh?”
“It seems like you’re above me right now. Nah, you’ve always been above. Seriously annoying.”

 It sounds as if she’s talking to me, but also as if she’s talking to herself.
 Having stopped swinging, her figure as she looks down appears small.
 Her current behaviour suggests her understanding that the scum is close with girls other than herself.
 Although I thought that Midori was the type to not acknowledge the scum’s wrongdoings even if she heard about them…

“Ahaha! Over hereee!”
“Geez, wait for me~!”

 Raising energetic voices, the children run around innocently.
 They pass by before us while appearing like they’re going to fall from too much horsing around.
 Looking at Midori, she’s gazing at the children with gentle eyes but… I can sense some sort of gloom.
 Perhaps the figures of herself and her childhood friend whom she separated with, overlapped with those children.

“Is senpai no longer, going to run?”
“Eh?”
“Ah, I once heard that senpai was an amazing athlete. But I have never seen it, so…”

 Having unconsciously questioned her, I was frantic about how I carelessly spoke of my game knowledge.
 Affirming Midori’s state as I gloss it over, she’s holding the chain of the swing tightly and looking down even lower than before.
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“… I don’t have the right to run. I lost it.”

 I somehow heard it but it was a frail voice that’s unlike Midori.
 As I thought, it appears that Midori has yet to get over the past.

“Besides, I got dull already!”

 This time, it’s a voice one can clearly hear.
 The lifted face has turned into a cheerful one but the smile is sad.
 It only looks like she’s putting up a brave front.
 The guilt of injuring her childhood friend and the lingering affection towards running.
 It appears as though she’s forcibly stuffing in the overflowing regret.
 Even I, the onlooker, feels distressed.
 I wonder if there’s anything that can be her strength?

 … Oh right, I just thought of something good.

“Compete with me, Midori-senpai!”
“Huh?”

 Standing up enthusiastically, I challenged Midori.

“Senpai has to listen to me if I win! That horizontal bar[1] is the goal! Ready, set!”
“Eh? Hang on!?”

 If we do things the proper way, even though she distanced herself from the sport, I can’t beat Midori.
 I must get at least this much of a handicap!
 Having ran while Midori’s still baffled, I got to kick start before she could stand up.

“What’s the matter suddenly!? Wait up!”

 I don’t see it as I don’t have the luxury to turn back but I dare say that Midori’s chasing me.
 I’ll soon be overtaken if I don’t run for real.
 My decision to wear high heels became a disadvantage here too.
 It’s hard to run! But I’ll do my best!
 There’s not much distance.
 I suppose it’s similar to that of a 50 metres dash.
 Although my feet’s starting to crick thanks to the heels, I advance with my fighting spirit…!

“Gueee… ha, it’s my win!”

 I, won!
 Though the horizontal bar’s digging into my stomach due to momentum!
 Though I’m embarrassed because I rushed at the ‘goal tape’ that’s the horizontal bar and let out a weird sound!

“Fu… hahaa, ahaha! You let out a voice that sounded like a frog just now!”
“!?”

 Turning back, Midori’s holding her stomach as she laughs.
 I was surprised that she’s right behind me, meaning we reached at about the same time. However, I’m more concerned about her laughter.
 You don’t have to laugh so hard!
 I was desperate!

 More importantly, it’s my win.
 Let’s have her promise me.
 It’s a promise I pushed onto her out of the blue but her chasing after me shows that she acknowledged it.

“Midori-senpai. I won. Therefore, please obtain your『right to run』.”
“Eh?”
“If you lost it. Just obtain it again.”

 Such a ‘right’ doesn’t truly exist.
 That’s why it’s dependent on Midori’s feelings.
 Midori had laughed at my frog voice but her expression turns cloudy at once.

“I don’t get you… Besides, why must I do something like that?”
“But you are having regrets, right?”
“…”
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 Not replying probably means she has no objection.
 I can read that from her still-cloudy expression.

“You do not have to solve everything at once. Even if it is just one step, how about you step forward starting from what you can do?”

 I believe that up till now, there were times where Midori had also thought about facing forward.
 Although she knew that there are things that has to be done, she couldn’t bring herself to step forward.
 Although she knew that it’s important, she wants to turn her eyes away. I understand that very well.

“Me too… there are things I must bring myself to face.”

 There was doubt in me these few days.
 Doubt only grows as the days pass… it grew even more when I spent yesterday with him.

“About Aoi?”
“… That, is right.”

 Having glimpsed the true Kagurazaka Aoi, something within me was smoked out.
 I started to hold the slight hope that perhaps he can still be salvaged.

“Do you like Aoi?”
“… No.”
“… So you have『doubt』too, huh.”

 Unable to say a thing, I can only gloss it over with a wry smile.

“I, don’t intend to yield Aoi to you. But… yes. Perhaps I shall work hard, just a little, for what I’ve never been able to to step forward for.”

 With that said, Midori grabs the horizontal bar and does a beautiful flip-over[2] without any useless movements.
 As expected, athletic people can do anything.
 I can’t do flip-overs.
 I could do it in elementary school but it’s impossible now.
 I can only dangle unsightly.
 For a second, I thought of challenging her but… let’s not.
Translated at nakimushitl.wordpress.com
“Hey, you know how you and Aoi fell from the stairs because of me?”
“Yes.”

 I look at Midori who starts talking in reminiscence while she’s still mounted on the horizontal bar.

“I, didn’t realise that Aoi’s foot was sprained… You noticed, didn’t you. I was a little vexed about that.”

 Having finished speaking, she does a front flip-over and gets down from the horizontal bar.
 I simply watch over her smooth movements like that of a gymnast.

 So Midori found out afterwards that he had a sprain.
 I think Midori didn’t realise because he took care to not let the cat out of the bag for her though…

“See ya! That awful voice just now was amusing! So much so that I’d want to let Aoi hear.”
“Please forget about it.”

 As though she’s said all she wanted to, she energetically runs off before I can bid her goodbye.

“She really is fast. The way she runs is beautiful too.”

 Even though Midori’s only running casually, her back view seems to shine.
 The day I can see this on the sports ground may be close.
Translated at nakimushitl.wordpress.com
Please read at the translator’s site. Thanks! 

[1] Horizontal bar.
[2] 逆上がり instructional video





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