016 Various forms of evasion

  The girl's hand suddenly stopped turning pages. She raised her head, her voice still calm, "I'm reading a book, not flipping..."

  Koumura was clearly disbelieving, "A good book should be savored and read carefully, every word and every sentence should be relished, what you're doing is just skimming through."

  The girl seemed to be annoyed by his words. She pursed her lips, lowered her head and continued reading, ignoring him.

  Koumura shrugged and didn't mind. He just walked over to the phone and dialed the club's number with ease.

  The girl has almost recovered. At least she can walk, run and bend over, although the healing speed that makes people amazed, but Kōmura is actually very happy. Because this way he can go play tennis.

  It's been a whole seven days since he last held a tennis racket... This was a very long time for Suguru, as he had never gone more than two days without playing tennis since he started learning at the age of four.

  The coach's voice was as warm and caring as ever. He asked with concern about the illness of his relatives, whether they had improved a bit, and took the opportunity to express that since he wasn't there, Genichiro's practice had become somewhat lax, hoping he would return soon and give those arrogant kids a good scolding.

  Yukimura smiled and replied calmly. Because the girl's origins were unknown, and the injuries she had suffered were also unusual, he told the coach that a relative at home needed to rest quietly, so please ask Genichiro to temporarily not come home. She was a very shy person, extremely afraid of meeting strangers. A psychologist who had seen her before said that she suffered from a psychological illness called "male phobia". When she was ill, if a boy appeared in front of her and triggered her panic, it could easily lead to shock and death.

  It may cause shock death, and in the knowledge that such a thing might happen, Genichiro would not recklessly run to his house, although it's one phone call a day, but it's better than someone actually running over.

  As for why no one asked him 'You're also a man, won't she be afraid?' such an idiotic question...... Sugimura's face was right there, whoever asks is the idiot.

  Kouko finally hung up the phone after talking with the coach for a long time.

  She had already thrown the book to one side and was staring blankly at the kettle.

  Her hair was still scattered and disheveled. Or rather, as long as that hair didn't interfere with her eating or reading, she could pretend it was growing on someone else's head and ignore it completely.

  Koumura thought, maybe he should go buy her a few hair ties or hair clips.

  Perhaps even he himself did not realize it in his subconscious mind.

  He has been ignoring the fact that the girl's wound is healed and she might have to leave soon.

  Just like he never asked for the girl's name.

  Because if she left too, that empty house would be left with only him again. It's a kind of escape in disguise.

  As long as he didn't know her name, even if she suddenly disappeared one day, he could convince himself that everything that happened and the warmth they shared was just an illusion. That way, even when facing an empty house alone again, he wouldn't feel empty and sad because of what he had once received; this was his self-protection mechanism, or perhaps a selfish hypocrisy?