Last year, the middle school students were assembled in order to participate in the magic tournament.
“I surrender,” Yui’s opponent declared, and immediately afterward, the judges loudly announced Yui’s victory and her opponent’s defeat. At the same time, a loud cheer rose from the crowd. However, mingled in with all that noise were many angry shouts of “Coward!” and “Rigged!”
It was an odd feeling. After all, Yui had just secured her advance to the semifinals. But every match of hers up until then, including this one, had been decided by her opponents—they’d either been in poor health and unable to fight, or they’d gone missing before the match, and some had even surrendered right at the start. Yui hadn’t actually fought once. As such, the shouts were from disgruntled students who hadn’t gotten a chance to fight in the tournament. They continued voicing their displeasure at her after she exited the ring, and she heard them as she headed to the competitors’ waiting room.
There were many staff in the wings, along with other students who were in the tournament. Including Yui, three out of the four students who would be advancing to the semifinals had already been decided, and the last match of the quarterfinals was starting shortly. The others who were there and not preparing for their next match were the ones who had already lost. Turning left or right, there was no difference; Yui could feel their doubting gazes on her everywhere she looked. As she walked through this veritable lion’s den, she sighed deeply. So annoying, she thought. If you have a complaint, you should direct it to the people who gave up without even fighting. Why am I the one you’re suspicious of? As she was feeling a bit irritated by this inconsistency, Yui spotted Rouelle in her field of view.
Rouelle noticed her too, and she walked over. “Well done, Yui.”
“Rouelle, I didn’t fight at all, so I haven’t really done anything...”
“That’s not what I mean.” Rouelle glanced at everyone around them.
With that, Yui understood that Rouelle was talking about the hostility radiating off of the other students. “You can say that again. I haven’t done anything at all, but because of it, everyone’s suspicious of me, and people are calling me out just to bother me!”
“Yeah, I get that it’s frustrating, but it’s not worth getting all worked up about. All doubts about you have been cleared, and apparently, the organizers issued a warning to all the cowards who surrendered to you. Well, not that that made anyone less suspicious of you...”
“I knew I shouldn’t have come. I know Ivo and Clo begged me to, but I just want to go home...” Yui said. At first, in contrast with the other contenders, Yui hadn’t felt a single bit of interest or enthusiasm about participating in the tournament. However, after persistent invitations from her friends, she had eventually caved in. And after all of that, this was what she had to deal with.
Rouelle smiled awkwardly. Yui looked displeased enough that she worried Yui would leave if she didn’t say anything. “If you keep saying that, Ivo’ll raise a fuss again. In the first place, you came because Lyle lured you in with sweets, right? Let them all say what they want. They’ll have to shut up once they see your match with Ivo.”
Do I endure all these exhausting looks and fight Ivo, or leave now and face his wrath? Yui wondered, stuck between two extreme choices. No, Ivo’s too annoying. She didn’t want to be at the receiving end of one of his rants, so she chose the first option. “Hmmm, fine... Rouelle, I’m going for a little walk, okay?”
“Ivo’s quarterfinals match is up next. You’re not going to watch?”
“No, I don’t need to. There’s no way he’ll lose. I want to escape somewhere for a bit before the semifinals.” Yui’s goal for the time being was to get away from all the uncomfortable looks and find somewhere to calm down.
“Yeah, I can’t blame you. And don’t forget: the semifinals are at one o’clock.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. I’m not a little kid, you know.”
Yui parted with Rouelle and walked around the venue, looking for somewhere without any people. When she finally found an empty passageway, she leaned up against the wall and took a short break.
Then she saw a man up ahead. He was walking toward her. She had a bad habit of looking down instead of meeting people’s eyes, so only the man’s feet were in her field of view. He approached her, and just as she thought he was about to pass by, he stopped right in front of her. Thinking this suspicious, Yui looked up at the man’s face, and what she saw made her instantly freeze in place.
“It’s been a while,” the man said derisively, in a quiet, yet overpowering voice. Yui’s face went stiff. “You’ve certainly made it far in the tournament...after all the times you’ve disgraced me with your worthlessness.”
Yui knew she had to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat, and she couldn’t speak.
“You can’t even answer me? You really are useless,” the man spat. “Well, whatever. I don’t know how you did it, but it’s to your credit that you’ve lasted this long. I thought I didn’t have a use for you, but I guess you aren’t a failure after all. How about this? Do whatever it takes to win, and I might think about taking you back.”
The man’s contemptuous words made Yui’s body go stiff from fear, and she listened quietly. Even after he left, she couldn’t move for some time. When she finally unfroze, her body began to tremble against her wishes, and she crouched down on the spot. She suppressed her shaking body and thought over the man’s words again and again. Why did he show up again after all this time? And what did he say to me? When she understood fully what he had meant, she felt truly afraid—this was no joke.
Yui quickly stood up and left the venue.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Hey, did you see Yui?!” Rouelle shouted.
“No, she wasn’t anywhere,” Lyle replied, panicking.
Gayne hurriedly joined them. “She’s not in the waiting room either!”
It was already almost time for Yui’s match, but they didn’t know where she was.
Rouelle looked frantic. “If we don’t find her soon, her match will start!”
“Yuiiii, I have sweets for you, so come on ouuuut!” Lyle yelled.
✦ ✦ ✦
As her friends searched for her, Yui was at a café nearby. Perhaps because it was close to the tournament venue, the place was full of what looked to be spectators, and the employees were briskly moving around and serving people. Yui opened up a menu, quickly made a decision, and then called over a nearby employee.
“Excuse me, I’d like a strawberry pancake with maple syrup, a seasonal fruit tart, and a slice of chocolate cake. Oh, and lemon tea, please,” Yui said.
“Coming right up!” Contrary to Yui’s low spirits, the employee’s reply was lively, and he quickly went away.
After a short wait, Yui’s order came out and was lined up on the table in front of her. She took a bite of cake, then checked the clock on the wall. It was already well past the time her match was supposed to start, and she was pretty certain that she’d already lost by default.
Things won’t go the way he wants now, Yui thought.
“I bet Ivo’s really angry at me right now,” she said. The image of the friend she was supposed to have faced in the semifinals came to mind. He had been more overjoyed than anyone when he’d learned that she was going to be his opponent. He wouldn’t be happy one bit when he advanced to the finals because of her disappearance; no, she was certain that he would be furious.
When I get back, he and Rouelle will probably scold me. But what’s a good excuse for this? I can’t tell them the truth... I don’t want to.
“Sorry, Ivo,” she murmured. “I was weak, and I ran away... I’m sorry.” That was right—she had run. There had been other options. She could’ve even fought back. But she hadn’t; she had closed her eyes and covered her ears to seal off everything she hadn’t wanted to deal with, and she’d run away. “Just how much longer will I have to... El, help me...”
Without anyone hearing it, Yui’s trembling whisper faded away in the noise of the bustling café.
✦ ✦ ✦
The sky was dark. It was still the middle of the night, and Yui awoke from an unpleasant dream. The dream had been about something she had forgotten—something she absolutely shouldn’t forget. It had been a warning—she had gotten too excited after Filiel had confessed to her, and she had gotten carried away.
What was I even thinking? There’s no way I could ever hope to be with someone like him...