The classic distance-running lie: the boy who said "let's cross the finish line together"- and then just stayed by my side for the rest of my life.
That day, the sky was strangely high, strangely clear.
High School, Second Year - Autumn.
On this day, the long-distance running competition - the event I, Takahashi Yui, dreaded more than anything else, was taking place.
"Let's cross the finish line together!"
Two laps around the three-kilometer perimeter of the green-space park. I was still in the very early stages of the six-kilometer course.
It was my classmate Hayami Shun who called out to me, as I fell behind the back of the group, already gasping for my breath.
Hayami Shun - a name that practically suggests speed, was naturally a member of the track team. He was the real deal.
After all, even I, who barely had anything to do with him, kept hearing rumors like, "Hayami won another tournament."
Given that someone like him had said something like that to me, my response was, of course -
"Whoa, there it is!"
"What do you mean?"
"When an athletic guy says, 'Let's cross the finish line together,' it's the biggest lie you'll ever hear!"
"Ahaha, what the?"
What the, wasn't that my line?
What type of idiot would still believe - even in high school - the classic clichéd line that every slow runner has heard at some point?
They'll usually say something like that, but then right before the finish line they suddenly start sprinting at full speed. As a result, the slower person (the one who was told that) ends up feeling completely betrayed.
Honestly, I doubt anyone has ever actually kept that promise.
"I mean, it's a lie anyway, right?"
"Come on, I'm not gonna just leave you behind halfway there!"
"Nope, I don't believe you-"
"Ehh-"
Huh, that wasn't right?
That said, Hayami had already adjusted his pace to match mine.
At this point, whether I want to or not, it's up to the faster runner to decide how far this goes.
Because the slower runner can never overtake the faster one.
Aaah, seriously, what is with him?
Fine, then - do whatever you want. All I have to do is stop thinking of us as running together.
I'll just pretend to go along with it for now.
Then, even if he does end up 'betraying' me, it won't hurt.
"Okay, got it. But I'm warning you now - don't leave me behind halfway through!"
"Yes! A samurai never goes back on his word!"
What the heck is a samurai supposed to be, anyway?
Isn't it "I'm a man of my word"?
Whatever, it doesn't really matter to me.
So, for whatever reason, the 'When Will Hayami Finally Betray Me? Grand Race' suddenly began.
And then -- in the next moment.
"Heeeeeeey!!"
The moment we started running together, Hayami blew past not just me but all the other students as well, then disappeared far off into the distance.
I couldn't help but yell after him, but by then, he was already too far away to hear me.
No way, I don't want to be betrayed!
And on top of that, look how fast his legs are!
Are you wearing Shunsoku or something!?
[TL Note: Shunsoku (瞬足 / シュンソク) is a popular Japanese brand of children’s running shoes designed with speed in mind. Because they were marketed around running faster and taking corners better, Shunsoku became especially famous as the shoes kids would want for sports day in Japan.]
It's fine since I already knew you'd betray me, but still... !
"What the hell?! He said he wouldn't leave me behind halfway through!"
Hmm? No, wait - I guess he didn't leave me behind "halfway."
Still, he left me behind right from the start.
Well... either way, that's how it is.
"That's exactly why I can't stand athletic types! You're no samurai - you're not anything!!"
With a shout of complaint, my nightmarish journey began all over again.
Fifteen minutes later.
I had finally reached the final stretch of the first lap.
"hh… haah… haah… I'm gonna die…"
I was already so exhausted that I couldn't have cared less about being betrayed by Hayami.
Wait, where is the starting line...? We're not even halfway done yet?!
I can't take it anymore, seriously can't, I'm at my breaking point...
My side hurts. My throat hurts too. My legs hurt too. Everything hurts.
Whatever. I don't even care anymore.
Hurry up and end already, this time.
And then - just as I was thinking it was the end of the world…
"Hey."
"--!?"
Suddenly, Hayami's voice came from the side.
Actually, he was running right alongside me, keeping pace.
"...Ha... Hayami...?"
Huh, this guy's fast!
He's practically finishing his second lap before I've even done my first.
And on top of that, here I am practically dying, while he's looking all breezy - it makes no sense.
I want to curse him with "traitorous samurai!" - or something of the sort - but unfortunately, my lungs are so starved for oxygen that I can't get a word out.
"Let's cross the finish line together!"
"No way, that's-- that's obviously-- impossible! I'm-- already a lap behind--!!"
"I got this."
That's not going to work at all.
You went and blew past everyone all at once, and now you're acting like that?
"Even if you cross the finish line, I'll just say, 'Too bad, one more lap!'"
"The girls only run two laps, but guys have to run three.."
"...What?"
"Huh, you didn't hear about it?"
"Ah..."
Ahh...?
Come to think of it, I think the teacher might have mentioned something like that before?
Shoot, I hate long-distance running so much that I barely listened.
Does that mean when he pretended to betray me and blasted off, it was just so he could catch up to me after my one-lap handicap!? Are you kidding me!?
If you tell someone, ‘Let’s run together,’ of course they’re gonna think you mean running together from the very first lap!”
Seriously, how badly do you want to cross the finish line with me?!
"Come on, you're in first place right now, so just run your race and you'll be fine!"
"Eh, but I'm just not that interested in my time anyway."
"Still, there must have been other people - like close friends. Why me, of all people?"
"I thought it'd be nice to get closer to you, Takahashi. I've been kind of interested about you."
"Huh?!"
"No good?"
"It's not... that I don't want you to, or anything..."
What is up with him? Seriously!?
What do you mean, ‘you were curious about me’!
Such a breezy-looking face, and yet it makes absolutely no sense!
"Ha ha, your face is bright red!"
"Th-that's because I'm running!!"
I know full well that running isn't the only reason my face feels hot.
Well, that's the first time anyone's ever told me they were interested in me, so of course I had no idea how to handle it.
"Then it's fine, right? If I run with you."
"Sure, but... I'm really slow, you know?"
"I know, I know. That's why I'm still here."
"Would you just shut up already!"
That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't make any sense at all.
I hated this event more than anything, so why am I kind of happy about it right now?
I looked up and realized that Hayami and I were passing the starting line again.
My legs already feel a little lighter, somehow.
"Alright! One more lap! C'mon, hold on!"
"H-Hell...! Uuu, aaahh~!!"
"Bwahahaha! You look like you're about to die - hilarious!"
"I'll kill you!!"
Even though my legs felt lighter, that last lap was still pure hell.
But maybe it was because Hayami stayed with me until the very end - either way, I got through it faster than I expected.
I think it's probably a mental resolve type of issue.
True to his word, the samurai never left me behind along the way - he stayed with me, matching my pace, right up to the very last step.
Looking back, that day marked the beginning of a gradual change in my daily life.
＊＊＊
Ever since that day, Hayami has started finding me and talking to me.
In the hallway, at the school store, sometimes even at the front gate.
At first, I just thought, ‘What's with this guy?’ But before I knew it, I found myself searching for that voice.
I can’t deny that he has been on my mind.
The reason is...I wonder if it's because he's fast?
No, don't people usually think - thinking someone’s cool just because they’re a fast runner is something you only do through elementary school?
But then again, if you think about it, there is no moment a fast runner looks uncool.
That, and above all, it was probably because I was told he was interested in me.
"Let's cross the finish line together!!"
During lunch break - Hayami came running down the hallway shouting "Takahashi~!" at the top of his lungs, then stopped right in front of my desk and said this.
Smiling as always, he showed me the college brochure he was holding.
"Goal? Wait, what - this is my target school. How do you know that?"
"I asked the homeroom teacher!"
Hey, just don't go asking around.
Seriously, the teacher shouldn't be giving out that info without permission.
That's fine, I guess.
"...or rather, I should be asking - why did you bring that?"
"Hm? I figured I'd come with you."
He’s way too casual.
Don't say it like you're just dropping by the convenience store.
--Or, if that's what he meant by "let's cross the finish line together."
"Sure, it's up to Hayami if that's what he's aiming for, but do you have any idea what the admissions criteria is?"
"Dunno! Still.. Takahashi, you’re going, right?"
"Oh come on, even I'd love to be able to go, that's all it is. I've never even seen your name up on the test score board, so there's no way you're getting in."
"Okay then, I'll study! So teach me!"
...Is that really how you talk to someone when you're asking for a favor?
I'm barely keeping up with my own studies as it is.
But part of me also just thinks, "Well, I guess I don’t mind," and that's kind of frustrating.
Besides, I still owe him one for running alongside me in that distance race... though, come to think of it, is that really something I ‘owe’ him for? And even if it is, tutoring him for entrance exams hardly seems like a fair trade.
"...Fine. I'll take a look at it for you."
"Wait, seriously?! Lucky me!"
"But only if you actually do it properly, okay?!"
"I'll do it, I'll do it! I'll do it every day! I'm gonna cross that finish line with Takahashi!"
...That again.
"...Studying for exams isn't a marathon, you know."
"But there's a goal, isn't there?"
Oh, come on.
That's the kind of thing you do.
"...Sigh. Fine, whatever - but don't come crying to me if you fail."
"I'm not gonna fail. Takahashi's here, and I wanna stay with you!"
What...?
He was like this during the distance run too..., is he saying this without even realizing it?
That's so unfair.
That makes no sense.
"...Okay, starting today, then. After school, in the library."
"Okay, got it!"
Why do I keep getting dragged into this so easily?
But - probably.
From that day, that day of the long-distance running race, I'd already been dragged into it.
＊＊＊
----And then, a lot happened.
Before we knew it, the seasons had turned, and we'd graduated high school and moved on to college.
That "let's cross the finish line together" had, without my even realizing it, become a given - words I'd come to take for granted, always there beside me.
During the long-distance run.
For an entrance exam.
Over and over again.
And every time, I get swept up in it--
But in the end, Hayami stayed by my side the whole time.
And now.
"Are you nervous, Takahashi?"
"Keep it down, would you...?"
Beside me sat Hayami, dressed in a suit.
Senior year of college, spring.
Job hunting, final interview.
You've got that breezy look on your face as if it was distance-running, but this isn't some laid-back school.
The company.
And on top of that, it's the final interview.
Come on, seriously, please tone that casual attitude down a little.
Seriously, why did we end up working at the same company?
There are countless companies out there in the world, you know?
Out of all the companies out there, why on earth are you applying to my top-choice company, acting like it's the most natural thing in the world?
I already had a bad feeling about it, since he's got a track record of pulling stuff like that - remembering when he'd figured we would go together - that time when we were applying for college entrance exams.
I did have a feeling…
I never imagined you'd actually come this far with me.
"For that reason... I believed my creativity could contribute, which is why I decided to apply."
"I see..."
The interview proceeded in a matter-of-fact manner.
What I devoted myself to during my school years.
Statement of Purpose
Things I want to do after joining the company.
I did my best to give a safe, noncommittal answer.
Carefully, one step at a time, following through exactly as I had rehearsed in my mind so many times before.
Alright, not bad. Probably.
At least it wasn't a complete flop.
Meanwhile, Hayami, unexpectedly, was actually giving decent answers too.
Talk about unexpected...
But honestly, even when he was preparing for his college entrance exams, everyone was sure he had no chance- yet somehow, this guy actually pulled it off and got in.
In that sense, you can't let your guard down.
If it ends like this...
If I just keep a low profile...
We'll probably both make it to the finish line just fine - me and Hayami both.
It was at that very moment I thought so.
"Mr. Hayami, could you tell me a bit more specifically why you're interested in working for our company?"
One of the interviewers asked quietly,
Hayami paused for a moment, as if giving it some thought-
"Well... if there's another reason, I guess it's that I just want to be with Takahashi!"
"Hah...!?"
I couldn't help but turn around to face the person beside me.
What the hell is this guy talking about?!
What are you doing right now!? Job hunting!! Interviews!! The turning point of your life!!
And that's the answer you're going with!?
Hey, if you wanted to lighten the mood with a joke, surely there was something better you could've said!
Look at the interviewer! There's zero reaction!
He didn't even laugh.
He doesn't back down, either.
He just quietly looked over at me, saying nothing.
Uh-oh, I need to say something too-
"Um, well, he-"
"Even back when we were prepping for our college entrance exams, we used to say we'd cross the finish line together..."
Hey, don't just start explaining and ignore me!!
Don't spread it out!!
That reminds me of a memory from back then!!
"Wait, Hayami!?"
"Alright! Let's cross the finish line together!"
That is so not the point!
He wasn't about to listen to me telling him to stop.
It's over now!
The moment you said that, it became certain that neither of us would be able to reach that goal - let alone together!
"If I join your company, we could work together, couldn't we?"
"Hayami"
"So I just thought... it might be fun if we did it together."
"Hayami!"
You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You! You!!
I just want to bury my head in my hands.
I just want to run away right now.
But since we're in the middle of an interview, I can't do that.
It's over.
My job search might be over.
After that, honestly, I don't remember what happened.
After that, I was asked a few more things, and I must have answered them well enough.
That's what I meant to do.
Take it easy on yourself, me.
To be honest, though, I barely remember any of it.
"...Haaaah..."
A long sigh escaped, as if I'm emptying every last bit of air from my lungs.
"Wow, you're taking a really deep breath."
"That wasn't a deep breath. That was a sigh of despair."
"Buwahahaha!"
Don't laugh.
Even if everyone else laughs, you mustn't.
Well, whose fault do you think that is?
"Hey, Takahashi."
Hayami stood in front of the vending machine and held out a can of coffee to me.
After taking it, I glared at him.
"...You goal-obsessed idiot."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Next time, don't go saying 'let's cross the finish line together' in a place like that, okay?"
"Huh, why not?"
"Anything at all!"
Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re putting me through?
But...
Just as the warmth of the can slowly seeped into my hand, Hayami's smile had, for a long time now, settled into my heart as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
We'll finish it together - yeah, together... I want us to cross the finish line together.
I'm definitely not telling him I feel that way, though... not yet, anyway.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"Hey... let's take our time heading back today."
＊＊＊
"Let's cross the finish line together!"
----Not this again.
I meant to say something, but this time, unlike before, I couldn't immediately retort.
Beyond the window, a night view spreads out like scattered jewels.
The top floor of an astonishingly high skyscraper.
I was sitting by the window at a restaurant - the kind of place where a strict dress code is required, a sort of setting that rarely ever comes up in my life.
Across the table, there was Hayami Shun, smiling like always.
And in the hand held out to me was - a small box.
I know exactly what lies within, waiting to be opened.
There's no way I wouldn't know.
I mean, this is the kind of thing you only ever see in dramas or something.
Even after I finished job hunting, there was a lot going on after that, too.
Somehow, we both ended up passing that awful interview.
Even after starting his career, Shun was just the same as ever.
All day, he has no sense of personal space - but somehow, on the toughest days, he's always the one I want by my side.
So maybe, somewhere deep down, I'd always known a day like this might come.
Even if I expected it, that doesn't actually mean I was prepared for it.
"Yui……"
Hearing my name called, I was startled and looked up at his face.
His voice had grown just a little deeper than it used to be.
And how Shun, dressed not in a suit but in a well-fitted jacket, looked so much more mature than he had back in his student days.
And yet, when you smile, it's exactly the same as it was in those days.
That's all so unfair.
"Seriously? You're still saying that, even now?"
All I could finally manage to say was that.
My voice was shaking far more than I expected.
Shun smiled, just a little awkwardly, then looked straight at me with that same face he always used to have.
"I mean, that's how we've always done it, right?"
That's not fair.
That's really not fair.
You just left me behind without a word.
Catching up on your own, without asking.
You just barged into my life.
That includes taking exams, too.
College too.
Job hunting too.
Work too.
I've been swept around so many times.
Cursing at him over and over…
So many times, I just couldn’t believe him.
And yet, here I am, having come this far after all.
Before I knew it, I was no longer that girl left behind in the long-distance race that day.
I thought maybe, with this person, I could go anywhere - no matter how far.
I had become the kind of woman who couldn't help thinking that way.
"Yui"
He called my name once more, slowly as he held out the box to me.
"Let's stay together forever. I promise I'll make you happy."
No good.
That's obviously going to make me cry.
My vision blurred.
I actually made an effort to look nice today, and now this.
Everything - the dress, the shoes, my hair - all of it.
I've been working hard to keep it looking nice for a day just like this, and now it's all gone to waste.
But even so, the tears wouldn't stop.
“…Seriously…”
A sound escaped me - I couldn't even tell myself whether it was a laugh or a cry.
"Honestly, you're such a goal-obsessed idiot..."
Nothing has changed since then.
Whether it's college entrance exams, job hunting, or even times like this.
At the most important moment of your life, couldn’t you have come up with something better to say?
For example, maybe making it more romantic.
Something more like a proper proposal speech, or whatever.
You could've easily used dramas or movies as a reference, you know.
And yet, this is what it all comes down to with him.
"Let's cross the finish line together."
That means running together.
That means I won't leave you behind.
Even when things get tough, even when I look pathetic, even when I feel ashamed of myself - I'm still going to be right there beside you.
Those words he said to me during the long-distance run that day.
The words she said as he handed me the college brochure.
In front of the interview venue, he said it to me with an innocence that left me dumbfounded.
Everything - every single thing- had been leading up to this.
Shun's eyes widened just slightly.
Then he smiled happily.
Oh, I give up - I'm no match for this.
From the very beginning, all along.
Maybe I never stood a chance against this person.
That's entirely up to him - whether we run together or he gets left behind.
Even with my face a mess of tears, I smile anyway.
No, maybe it's not quite right to say I never stood a chance from the start.
Because I've chosen to be by his side, over and over again.
“Honestly, what am I going to do with you?”
After all these years, at last.
I want to tell the version of myself from that day - the one who was left behind during the long-distance run.
That "samurai who makes no sense."
That "goal-obsessed idiot."
They say a day will come when you realize you want to be together forever.
"Alright, let's cross the finish line together."
The moment I said that, his face broke into an expression of delightful, unbelievable joy.
I heard the night view is beautiful.
Apparently it's on the top floor of a skyscraper.
That kind of thing didn't matter anymore.
Only the future I'll share with this person matters.
Because to me, right now, nothing shone brighter than that.
＊＊＊
I was having such a nostalgic dream.
The sky outside the window was strangely high, strangely clear.
I absolutely hated long-distance running.
I was dragged around by some self-proclaimed samurai who just started talking to me out of nowhere, and I didn't understand what he was talking about.
As with entrance exams.
In job hunting too.
That day, when you proposed to me, too.
Over and over again, he said it with a laugh.
"Let's cross the finish line together!"
I'd already believed it, long before now.
Forever from here on.
No matter the road, no matter the view.
That he really was there, right by my side.
----But... that's not how it turned out.
The ceiling I looked up at was white and without a single decoration.
It was nothing like the night view - like scattering of jewels - I'd seen from the top of that skyscraper.
It was neither beautiful nor special.
A white ceiling - simply blank, simply silent.
The only sound reaching my ears was the rhythmic and steady noise of a machine.
Beep, beep…an awfully punctual noise reverberated flatly through the silent room.
...Aah.
I see.
“I… I can’t anymore----”
"Yui...!"
My hand is squeezed tightly, accompanied by a hoarse voice.
As I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids, there he was - still right beside me.
I'm not calling you "Hayami" anymore.
He's been my husband for decades now.
The person who has always walked beside my life, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
And yet now, that face looked like it was on the verge of tears, though it’s trying hard not to fall.
You're trying to laugh, but you're not really laughing at all.
Don't look at me like that.
I pressed down just slightly with my fingertips.
That was all I could manage.
"I'm... sorry..."
"Don't force yourself to talk."
His answer came immediately, though his voice trembled as he spoke.
Even when I think I'm speaking firmly, it doesn't come across as firm at all.
Oh, I can tell you're really having a hard time with this.
"Enough. Don't talk. Just... don't."
That's not good.
Not good at all.
That's because I...
There's something I need to tell you, but...
"Together... with me..."
My throat hurts.
My breath won't hold steady either.
I knew I had to say it anyway.
You've been telling me that ever since that day, haven't you?
For the long-distance run.
For the entrance exam.
For job hunting.
For the proposal.
Again and again - with a directness that was almost staggering.
"Let's...cross the finish line...together..."
"Yui"
"I... too...."
That ‘let’s cross the finish line together’
I told you clearly that night, didn't I.
Even though I replied…
And yet
Because… I couldn’t do it with you…
The voice came out in broken fragments, pathetically weak.
Even though I didn't want to cry, my vision blurred with tears.
No.
This isn't right.
During the long-distance run, he stayed by my side instead of leaving me behind.
You were there for me through everything - college entrance exams, job hunting, all of it.
We've come this far.
To think that, only at the very end, I’d be the one to go first…
That's totally not fair.
"No... please..."
Though it came from an old man's mouth, it sounded like a child's voice.
"Don't... leave me behind... please..."
My husband took my hand, which he'd been holding, and gently covered it.
Gently, as if handling something fragile. But desperately so.
"Yui"
Just hearing his voice makes my chest tighten.
"I'm okay."
Of course you're not okay.
How long do you think we've been together?
That "I'm okay" - it’s immediately obvious it's just something you're telling yourself.
"It's not too far off before I join you."
Slowly, as if savoring the moment.
But, it's clear.
My husband said as much.
"So... go on ahead, and wait for me there."
My breath nearly stopped.
That's such a kind thing to say.
That's too kind of you.
It was hopelessly cruel.
That “go on ahead”...
Wait for me.
No way.
That's not fair.
You've always been waiting for me, haven't you?
You matched your pace to mine, didn't you?
You stayed by my side and tried to cross the finish line together with me, right to the very end.
But this time, I go first?
Am I the one who's supposed to be waiting?
There's no way I could just accept something like that so easily.
But...
I had a feeling this person would really come back.
There was an overwhelming certainty about it - one I couldn't shake no matter what.
Because my husband is a fast runner.
He caught up with me before I even realized it, when I was already worn out after just three kilometers.
He's the guy who's actually stood by my side through every major turning point in my life - entrance exams, job hunting, all of it.
So no matter how far apart we may be.
No matter how long the road is.
No matter how hazy the far shore looks.
This person, once again, catches up to me like it's the most natural thing in the world.
Before we make it to the other side of the river.
Without even being out of breath, wearing that same smile as always.
And surely, this is what he would say.
"Let's cross the finish line together!"
That.
"...Really..."
Tears trickled down my temple.
"Goal... obsessed idiot..."
My husband's face looks like a mix of laughter and tears.
Seeing that face looking so exactly as it always did, I felt a slight sense of relief.
"Ah, that's right."
You've always been like that.
Always doing whatever you wanted.
Always forcing your way through.
Never making any sense.
But you never once left me alone.
The whole time, it had always been like that.
Something deep in my heart - all that had built up over so many years - suddenly comes undone.
"Then... I’ll... wait..."
When he finally managed to say that, he nodded again and again.
Crying uncontrollably, just like a child.
Nevertheless I tried to smile, my face a complete mess.
"Yeah. I’ll catch up soon."
'Soon' - to say something like that.
I don't know if I can believe something like that.
But from that day until now.
Because not once had he broken a promise about that 'finish line.'
So I’ll believe him this time too.
Besides, I’m a slow runner.
Even if I go on ahead, I’ll probably be fumbling around for a while.
As my eyelids grew heavier, the one thing I could still feel clearly until the very end was the warmth of my husband’s hand.
I'll just be waiting a little ahead - waiting for him just before the finish line
That's why.
"Let's... cross the finish line... together... okay...?"
When I finally whispered those words...
The hand that held mine gripped me so tightly, gently, that it almost brought me to tears.
Being able to run together with you… It made me so happy.
THE END