Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume24 Chapter1 4

Riding a Bicycle. Part 4

"Because I really don't want you to let go."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

We were in the park and I was learning to ride a bike. It's called a park but there isn't any playground equipment, so it's more of a place to take a stroll surrounded by greenery.

The area where we were practicing was in between some big trees. It was a bit small, but there was nothing that could be done about that. Bikes, and dogs, were forbidden on the grass.

"Why don't you let go? Normally, you're supposed to let go even when you're told not to, right?"

"Huh?"

Diving into the water when told not to, eating the oden when told not to – what am I, a joker?

"Alright. I'll let go, okay?"

So this time, Rei-chan let go when it was really still way too early. As a result, the bike fell over. But since I wasn't going fast, I was able to put my feet down on the ground.

"No, not yet."

"But, Yoshino, you told me to let go."

"I did, but."

Yes, I'd definitely told her to let go. But in my mind I mumbled that I wasn't ready, so it'd be a problem if she really let go.

"Let's try something different this time. You should be able to tell by watching. From the speed, or how it's wobbling."

"That's too difficult, Yoshino."

My precarious balance was apparently impossible for someone who could propel their bike forward as they stood up off the saddle, like Rei-chan, to understand.

"Look, now, now, let go now."

"Then don't beat around the bush when saying that, just tell me to let go straight away."

"Then that won't work at all. The proper way of training is for you to let go when I'm saying don't let go."

"Who decided on that?"

On and on in this manner, Rei-chan failed to masterfully assist me time and time again. Just as I was starting to resign myself to the possibility that there was no wonderful time for her to let go, after an exquisite distance the bike and I were riding on the wind.

"Awesome, Rei-chan, awesome."

I quickly said, "Let go," and the bike still hadn't fallen over or come to a stop, instead smoothly gliding over the ground and fallen leaves.

(Huh? It hasn't fallen over or stopped?)

I was holding the handles, sitting on the seat, turning the pedals. I was, undoubtedly, riding a bike. But what should I do now? I could pedal but I didn't know how to stop.

"Rei-chan … "

The moment I turned around, I heard Rei-chan shout.

"Yoshino, look out, in front of you!"

"Huh? In front?"

I quickly turned to face forwards and a telephone pole was coming up right in front of me. I couldn't rely on Rei-chan, that much was certain. Because when I'd turned to look back, she'd been unbelievably far behind me.

Ah, so I'd ridden that far on my own. That sort of self-admiration was of no use whatsoever in the face of this impending crisis. Then, like I was thinking that it was something I had to do, my gaze focused on it, the handlebar remained straight and unwavering, as I single-mindedly plunged on towards that goal.

The end result was that I rammed straight into the telephone pole. More accurately, the bike I was riding did. Then, as a result of that crash, I fell off the bike and thumped into the ground.

"Yoshino!"

As I watched Rei-chan come running over, concerned, I idly thought, "I did it even though it's something I shouldn't have. Isn't that the typical joker's pattern?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah … Oww."

I'd landed hands-first, so my palms were covered in damp earth. And then it looked like some part of the bike had hit my knee, or the inside of my calf. There was no blood on either to confirm this but they really hurt. Maybe I'd get a bruise.

"Why didn't you stop?"

"I don't know how to."

"You should have used the brakes. I told you that at the beginning. That you grip this here, on the handlebar."

Rei-chan said as she picked up the bike.

"But, you know."

I said.

"If I'd hit the brakes quickly, I would have stopped quickly."

"Well … "

"And if I'd stopped quickly, I still would have fallen off even if I hadn't hit the pole."

"You could have put your feet down."

"My feet? How could I have done that without getting off the seat?"

"One leg would have been fine."

Then Rei-chan gave me a practical demonstration – one foot on the ground, with the bike on an angle.

"I already know that, you don't have to show me."

"Ah – "

Rei-chan put her hands to her head.

"Teaching is hard."

Oh my. What was she saying? Hadn't she been relentlessly coaching her juniors in the kendo club up until now? For someone who wanted to become a PE teacher, could she really afford to be this timid?

But if I'd said any of this, Rei-chan would have undoubtedly laughed and said, "There's not many students as difficult as you, Yoshino."

After that, I fell off a few more times in the park, then after I'd more or less learned to ride I ran into someone's fence on the way home, then got the tire stuck in a storm-water drainage grate and came off, so not only did I get good at riding, I also got quite good at falling.

But with all the crashes, Rei-chan's beloved bike turned into a bit of a clunker.

Despite this, when we came to our house, Rei-chan said she'd take her bike to the bike shop tomorrow and somehow or other they'd repair all the damage.

But then right at the last moment I ran full force into the gate to Rei-chan's house and the bike made a sound like a death-rattle. I don't know a lot about bicycle construction, but it looked like something was broken, or had otherwise come apart.

Despite all this, Rei-chan still thought she'd get it repaired and ride it again, but the bike store owner who'd been servicing it for all these years finally said, "You should buy a replacement." He said that even if he fixed it this time, it'd just break again soon, and that the repairs would be expensive and take quite a long time, so Rei-chan tearfully gave up on the idea. No matter what, she had to have a bike by January 2.

Waiting alongside my bike was a new bike for Rei-chan.

Since there was no disputing that I had broken her previous bike, my dad bought two new ones.

That night, I gave Nana a call.

With that, Rei-chan's bout with Nana was set for the 4th of January.