Wheelchair Girl: Chapter 6-5

RAWS: https://novel18.syosetu.com/n2611p/34/

Chapter 6-5: At the Shore

―7―

After that, the two of them handed over all the fish they caught to the cats.

Since their catch was given up immediately, their bucket remained empty and the water left in there reflected the sky like a mirror.

Seemingly having warmed up to them, the kittens came out of their box and moved closer to Kazutaka and Haruka as they kept catching fish for them.

They were quite curious about the worms, giving them cat punches.

When occasionally a worm stuck to their paw, they overreacted as if they were saying, “Gyah! It’s eating my paw!” and then they’d roll around on the ground to get it off.

As the stomachs of the cats grew full, the two of them started to lose their catching streak. Haruka, having gotten tired of fishing already, got out of her wheelchair and played with the cats on the ground. She reached the point where she could freely manipulate the cats with her fingertips.

The Cat and The Girl.

In a sense, that’s the strongest combo, isn’t it?

Kazutaka pulled out his digital camera and focused his lens on Haruka playing with the cats.

Noticing him, Haruka waved her hands, trying to shoo him away.

“I-I’m not photogenic at all. Taking a picture of me isn’t fun!”

“I don’t think people take pictures for fun, though.”

Haruka ignored her objections and went for it. In her embarrassment, Haruka quickly lifted a cat in front of her face to guard herself, hiding her red face.

Kazutaka complained.

“Oi, don’t move around like that. The image got blurry.”

“Buuuut….”

“Look here, laugh, what is 1+1?”

Making a troubled face, she kept lifting a cat in front of her face.

“Uhm… well… if you really want to take a picture then…”

Haruka said:

“If you want to take a picture, could you take one without that one?”

Haruka poked the unmanned wheelchair behind her. Kazutaka was surprised and tilted his head.

“Without the wheelchair…? Why?”

She replied rather vaguely.

“You know… I just felt like it.”

Kazutaka did as he was told, pulling the wheelchair towards him and out of the camera frame.

Haruka sat up like an Onee-san, placed the cat on her lap, and faced the camera.

(TLN: Onee-san sitting style refers to ‘sitting on the floor with one’s legs tucked under to one side.’)

This time she didn’t resist at all, she openly faced the camera and showed a bright smile.

Kazutaka took a picture of her.

The LCD showed the image of a girl. It was here that Kazutaka somewhat understood why she wanted him to remove the wheelchair from the picture.

(Ah…)

A girl sitting with a cat. 

Seeing just that, no one would think she was actually disabled. She was just a normal girl posing for a picture, nothing else.

(So that’s why, huh…)

I can’t do anything about it, I can’t move my legs.

Even though Haruka should be aware of that, some part of her might still be rather resistant to ‘getting on the wheelchair.’ She didn’t want to be seen ‘that way.’

“Nyah…”

Right then, the parent cat meowed, calling its children.

The kittens perked up their ears in response, jumped out of Haruka’s hands, and ran up to their mother.

The mother gave a silent bow to Kazutaka and Haruka before leaving with her children, taking them somewhere.

“Aww, they left.”

Haruka kept staring at their retreating figures accompanied by the sound of their paws hitting the sand.

And then it was just the two of them.

Kazutaka called out to Haruka.

“I think I had my fill of fishing. Wanna walk around and check out the beach instead?”

Haruka looked up at Kazutaka.

“But the tires might get stuck in the sand, making it impossible to move the wheelchair.”

“In that case, let me give you a piggyback ride.”

Kazutaka said this casually.

“No, but… what will we do about the fishing tools and the wheelchair? They might get stolen if we just leave them here.”

“If someone likes fishing, they can’t be a bad person.”

Coming up with a suitable counterargument, he tried to convince Haruka.

“Let’s go. It’d be a waste if we came to the beach without checking it out.”

Kazutaka was quite assertive today.

He turned his back towards Haruka and gestured to her to get on top of it.

Haruka felt bad for making Kazutaka go so far, remained hesitant for a while but eventually gave in and nodded.

“…Okay, I understand. I’m sorry for the trouble, but please take care of me.”

She shyly grasped Kazutaka’s shoulders and pulled herself onto his back.

“Heave-ho.”

Kazutaka stood up as if he was carrying a little girl or something.

At the start, he was rather nervous about giving a girl a piggyback ride; his movements were awkward, but now he was more used to it and could do it more casually.

Kazutaka walked with Haruka on his back over the breakwater and returned to land.

He used the stairs and descended to the coast.

There, the white sandy beach spread out in front of them.

Here, empty bottles or driftwood were lying around.

Kazutaka carefully threaded through the sand to make sure he wouldn’t stumble. He keenly felt Haruka’s weight on his shoulders, her presence.

Each time he moved his feet, the fine sand under him made a small crunching sound.

They passed by a family and a little girl who had noticed them urged her father to do the same with her.

Kazutaka asked Haruka, who was on his back.

“Where do we wanna go?”

“Hm… Ah, there! Let’s go over there.”

Haruka pointed at a shore where shallow waves were crashing in.

Kazutaka moved towards it carefully.

He noticed something buried in the sand.

“Oh, it’s a shell.”

“Hm… where?”

“Here, look over here.”

Kazutaka kicked through the sand and revealed the shell.

Haruka was curiously reaching out for it.

“My hands are already occupied, take it yourself.”

Kazutaka went down to his knees, tilting his upper body slightly.

Haruka stretched her arm from his back and picked up the ping-pong-ball-sized cherry-blossom-like shell.

“Wow, it’s so pretty. Look!”

Haruka held up the shell so Kazutaka could see it too. She positioned it in front of the sun, creating a beautiful backdrop that accentuated its beauty.

Kazutaka nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, it’s pretty.”

The sun has gone down quite a bit.

Evening was approaching.

(TLN: Damn, this is so romantic, will never happen to me… (˙◠˙))

“Ah, there is another one!”

Haruka said and pointed in front of them.

A different kind of shell was buried at the edge of the shore, a beautifully curly-shaped one.

“Will you take that one too? Though you might get wet…”

Haruka asked shyly.

“Hm… got it. All good, I’ll get it.”

Kazutaka gave her a reassuring smile.

If he grabs it while the tide is receding, he could pull it off without getting his pants wet.

“That being said, the one who’ll grab it is you, so it’s up to you now, retrieval squad!”

“I see… Leave it to me!”

Haruka took her job seriously and nodded. Kazutaka did some warm-up exercises by gripping and turning his ankles. He estimated the timing.

When he confirmed that the waves were receding, he said, “Okay, here we go!” and started to dash towards them.

He reached the shell and squatted down right away.

“Now, get it!”

“Yes!”

Haruka reached out for it over Kazutaka’s shoulder.

Her fingertips made contact with the shell.

But right then, the waves with their white bubbles made their comeback.

“Uwaa, we’re getting wet! We’re getting wet!”

Kazutaka hurriedly stood up, but alas it was too late and his shoes got soaked.

In the heat of the moment, he lost his balance and was about to fall backward.

“Kyah!”

Haruka, who was still clinging to his back, hurriedly found herself clinging to Kazutaka’s neck.

They managed to avoid the worst.

Getting his balance back, he quickly moved away to a spot that couldn’t be reached by the waves.

“I’m sorry, Haruka. Are you okay?”

Kazutaka asked Haruka, who was on his back.

“Y-yes, I somehow made it.”

“And… what about the shell?”

“Tada!”

Haruka showed him the spiraled shell they had managed to secure.

“Oh, so you managed to get it in time. Nice.”

“Yes, though I almost turned into a beanbag there…”

“Good job.”

In response to Kazutaka’s praise, Haruka puffed up her chest proudly, trying to play it down but still happy about it.

The two of them laughed.

Conveniently enough, an empty bottle was lying close by. They stuffed their found shells inside as well as some of the driftwood they found, creating a pseudo beach inside a bottle to take home with them.

―8―

With Haruka on his back and the sound of sea waves as his BGM, Kazutaka strolled over the sand. As they strolled through the beach, they passed by a dog and also a jogger listening to music, and a couple that walked at a slower pace than them.

“Nee…”

Haruka called out to him while looking at his feet.

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Isn’t it actually hard to walk through sand like this?”

“Hm, I guess you’re right. It is more difficult than pavement.”

“How does it feel?”

“How… Hm… Can’t really describe it well.”

Kazutaka tilted his head.

“No, I just wanted to know how it’d feel when you walk over sand. The sensation of it.”

Kazutaka stared at Haruka’s face over his shoulder. It has been already four to five years since she last came to the beach. Kazutaka stopped, groaned, and looked up to the sky.

“Even if you ask me to describe the sensation…. Hm…”

He stood still for a while, trying to find the right words.

“Why don’t you try walking yourself?”

“Eh?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Personal experience is the best for these kinds of things. Let’s do it.”

Kazutaka found a large piece of driftwood washed up on land and carefully lowered Haruka onto it.

“Okay. Haruka, please take off your shoes.”

It turned into a rather commanding tone in the second half. Haruka sat up on the driftwood and just tilted her head.

“Take off my shoes? And then what? Even if you say that experiencing it myself would be for the best, I…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just do it.”

Kazutaka responded in a carefree tone and went on his knees right in front of her. While still feeling puzzled,

Haruka did as she was told and took off her shoes. Her shoes weren’t dirty at all and looked almost brand new.

“…These shoes… what brand are they?”

Kazutaka asked while staring at her shoes. Since she knew she wouldn’t be walking with them, she had just gotten herself some cheap shoes she could find. She didn’t really care about the brand and had thus no idea about it.

Well, that aside.

Haruka also took off her socks. She was now barefoot.

(TLN: FEET)

“What do I do now?”

Haruka asked with a confused expression.

“We do this.”

Kazutaka told her he’d touch her legs and then gently grasped both her ankles. While making sure to not flip over her skirt, he commenced to move her feet step-wise, reminiscent of a healthcare worker, making her ‘walk’ over the sand.

“Try closing your eyes.”

Truth be told, he would have loved to see her walk by herself but he knew his limits and this was the best he could come up with. He just wanted to convey the sensation of treading over sand to her somehow. From what he had heard from her, some sensory nerves still remain in her feet, so she should be able to feel the grains of sand to a certain extent.

“How does it feel? Does it feel like strolling around the beach?”

Haruka did as she was told, closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on the sensations her feet were still able to perceive. The sound of stepping on grains of sand entered her ears.

“What do you feel?”

“Hm… It is a strange sensation.”

Haruka felt the sandy beach directly below her soles for the first time in a long time. It tickled her and she couldn’t help but giggle, her upper body was trembling.

“Some sandcorns went between my toes. It feels kind of icky…”

“That’s what you have to say?”

Kazutaka found himself laughing too. He played with the sand and sprinkled some of it over her feet. Kazutaka cleaned his hands and suggested:

“Okay, might as well try to walk on water for a bit.”

“Eh..?”

Haruka opened her eyes in surprise and looked up to Kazutaka.

“If it’s just up to your ankles, it’ll be fine. Let’s enter the sea!”

Since they went through the trouble of coming to the beach, he’d love to recreate these classic beach scenes depicted in Anime and Manga.

(TLN: An onomatopoeia was used here but I decided to translate it to pretty much what I think he’s referring to. I.e., these scenes where the boy and girl have their feet in the water and splash each other.)

There was a truck tire left at the beach. It was a huge rubber tire. They could use that as a makeshift chair and avoid getting their clothes wet in the water.

“But… isn’t it dangerous?”

“Rest assured, I’ll make sure to support you.”

“But if we fall over at the water’s edge, both of us will get submerged, no?”

“Well, we’ll act accordingly when that happens.”

Haruka kept the carefree tone, took off his shoes as well, and folded up his pants up to his knees, shouting:

“Okay, let’s do it!”

He picked up the truck tire and rolled it up to the water’s edge. Kazutaka’s feet entered the water.

“Ohh…”

Around this time, the ocean’s water was still rather cold. But it wasn’t unbearable. If you get used to it, you could say this cold was pleasant in its own right.

“Are you okay?”

Haruka voiced her concern.

“Ah, I’m good. It feels nice.”
Kazutaka kicked the water and the droplets scattered in the air, glittering brilliantly with the setting sun as the backdrop. After setting up the tire, he returned to Haruka.

“Come here, hold onto me.”

Almost as if he was inviting her to a dance, Kazutaka presented his right hand to her.

“But…”

Haruka shyly looked up to him, then glanced towards the sea and showed her unease. To reassure her, Kazutaka smiled brightly at her.

“It’s alright. Just come here.”

He took her hand.

“If you don’t hurry up, I’ll leave you here at the sea like this.”

“As always… you’re so overbearing…”
Haruka couldn’t help but smile at the mischievous boy in front of her. She nodded and overlapped his hand with hers. Kazutaka then princess-carried Haruka to the tire. The sound of his feet hitting the water rang through their ears. While shyly holding onto Kazutaka’s shoulder, Haruka whispered:

“When was the last time I entered the sea… I wonder…”

Kazutaka carefully carried Haruka to the tire and lowered her gently on top of it. Her feet were hovering over the shallow water’s surface.

“Are you ready?”

“Y-yes.”

Haruka nodded with a slightly tense expression. She lifted her long skirt to her knees. After confirming that the waves were calm, Kazutaka lowered Haruka’s feet into the water. Her toes came in contact with the wet sand.

“Hnn…”

Her body shivered a bit at the sudden sensation.

“It’s coming.”

Both let the gentle waves hit their feet. And then their water was going up to their ankles, the rest was submerged. When the wave came and hit her feet, Haruka was scared for a moment and tensed up, finding herself grasping Kazutaka’s sleeve tightly.

“Ohhh…”

She couldn’t help but raise her voice as she felt the sensation of water reaching her feet for the first time in ages.

Kazutaka asked her.

“How does it feel to get in touch with the water again after such a long time?”

“The water is still a bit too cold. It feels like the waves are licking my feet as they go back and forth. It’s interesting. It’s strange. Sometimes even sand goes over my feet…”

Haruka looked at her own feet with a surprised expression. Another wave came. Haruka bent down and touched the wave. Kazutaka remained by her side and made sure she wouldn’t fall over forward by supporting her. Haruka licked her fingertips that got wet from the wave. Right after, her whole body shivered.

“Yeah, it’s the same as back then. Salty.”

She smiled happily. She drew something on the wet sand. However, the next wave washed it all away. Like a canvas that was cleared up again. 

For a short while, the two of them didn’t say anything, just sat on top of that tire, leaning onto each other. They enjoyed being submerged by the waves from time to time. The calm yet playful ocean. The sun was gradually sinking into the horizon. Haruka would have loved to stay here forever but if they stayed for too long, they might end up catching a cold. 

Kazutaka said.

“It’s time to go.”

“Yes….”

While making a regretful expression, Haruka nodded in agreement. He picked her up from the tire and princess-carried her back to land.

“You know… thank you.”

As they were returning to land, Haruka whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you for taking me to the ocean.”

She hid her face in his arms, thanking him with a whispering voice as if it was about to disappear, almost going into a fetal position. She made herself small and clung onto Kazutaka’s clothes. Tears were starting to form around the corners of her eyes.

Seeing Haruka like that, Kazutaka responded kindly.

Translator’s Note:
First Cliffhanger? Next Chapter: Confession
But man, this Chapter wasn’t too bad either, so romantic, lol.