Chapter 103: I Reminisced

**I Reminisced** is the one-hundred and third Chapter of *Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu*.

## Summary

Moriya-sensei announces that it is 19 days, 18 hours, and 23 minutes left until the last middle school Sports Festival of the student's lives. Moe annoyedly says that she doesn't have to break it down, but Serina counters, saying that she did the exact same thing for Valentine's Day. Moriya continues despite Moe's disinterest, saying that last year her class suffered a crushing defeat and came in third place, ranting on about unity, dedication, and hard work, which Ichikawa comments as lame in the back of the class. Moriya concludes that her main goal is gaining a sense of superiority over the other teachers, which surprises Moe with her honesty. Ichikawa thinks of this as the most pointless event in the history of the school. Yamada comments that that was the same thing he was saying last year, and he thinks back to his very first contact with Yamada.

A year prior, Maeda is deciding who to pick for the individual events. Moe recommends Ishimuro for the 100-Meter Dash, and Adachi tries to recommend events with close physical contact to brush up against the girls. Ichikawa is fittingly left behind as the events are filled up with the most athletic kids first, and eventually gets chosen for the centipede race, alongside Hara, Oota, Okamoto, and Yamada. Hara calls Yamada over, as she's talking with Chi. They talk over how they can't allow Yamada to get hurt, though Hara says that should apply to everyone. They tie their legs together in preparation for the race, and as they begin practicing, Ichikawa supposes that Yamada must be upset having to work together with this group of "rejects." They practice one time, barely managing any forward momentum, until the time of the real event.

On the day of the event, they get in their positions. Ichikawa's sister roots for him from the sidelines, and they begin to move, but he is uncomfortable touching Yamada's shirt because her bra is visible due to the sweat. The teacher begins the race, and their team tries to start running, but Yamada immediately falls over due to not having his support and from the other students pushing him into her. As she falls, he suddenly grabs her and pushes her away, taking most of the impact himself and bloodying his elbow. Yamada asks if he is okay, while Adachi, looking over the barrier, accuses him of pulling on Yamada. Ichikawa doesn't reply and just releases himself from the centipede, walking off while mumbling "lame." Adachi yells at him, angry that he won't argue. He recalls how he withdrew using his injury as an excuse, and was happy that he got to opt out of the "hellish" traditional dance.

Back in the present, Ichikawa thinks on how Yamada remembers strange things. Suddenly, a three-boy group led by Hosaka walks up to him, startling him, and asking if he'll play the "rider" role in the mock cavalry battle. He asks why they're picking him, and he offers it's because he's so tiny, but Yamada stands up, saying he's not tiny. Hosaka walks off disappointed, saying he thought he had guts and begins talking with his friends. Yamada, still angry, insists that Ichikawa does have guts, and he tells her to calm down.

Later, in the men's bathroom, Ichikawa is feeling down, and Adachi asks him if he won't be the rider. He says that he plans on being his class's rider, but laments that they couldn't have had a mixed-sex cavalry battle instead, where instead everyone was in swimwear and in place of grabbing the other team's bandanas, they'd strip the girls of their bikinis. Ichikawa interrupts him, saying that even on Showa Era television, nothing like that would be shown. Adachi recalls how Ichikawa got hurt last year, and he asks him why he even remembers that, with Adachi apologizing for accusing him of pushing Yamada over. Ichikawa says not to bother, and that he's forgotten, but Adachi adds that Yamada told him he was wrong, and that he did it to protect her. As Adachi washes his hands, feeling as though he'd gotten it wrong, and concludes that Yamada was a pretty nice person. He tries to talk more, but Ichikawa begins to leave, and he stops.

Outside, Yamada waves Ichikawa down behind a pillar. He walks over to her, asking what is wrong, and she grabs his arm, noting that there is a small scar from where he fell. She apologizes, and thanks him for saving her as Adachi looks on at them. He suddenly walks up behind Ichikawa and lightly jabs him in the back, demanding him be the rider, and saying he wants to have a one-vs.-one with him.