CM Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – It Wasn’t Your Fault

Chapter 1, Part 3.2

Novel Title: ひとりじめ (Completely Mine)

Author：椎崎 夕 (Shiizaki You)

Illustrator：小山田 あみ (Oyamada Ami)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: 細川 湊 (Hosokawa Minato -MC) & 荻原 浩志 (Ogiwara Koushi -ML)

*Please read at knoxt.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Rendered speechless, Minato listened as Yumoto cautiously added, “It was obviously beyond your control. There’s no way you could’ve avoided it, and there’s no reason you’d do something like that on purpose. But Ogiwara was a standout in the track team and had a lot of fans in the school. High schoolers may be immature, but they’re old enough to act on their impulses. If things escalate, it could get messy.”

Minato couldn’t recall how he responded to those words or when he parted ways with Yumoto. Before he knew it, he was seated on a bus, gazing out of the window.

At the announcement, Minato rose from his seat, joined the line, and got off at the bus stop. He looked around absentmindedly and realized he was in front of the hospital where Ogiwara was admitted.

Though his mind was blank, his body moved mechanically as he stepped into the hospital. Following the route he had memorized, he reached the elevator, exited, and found himself in the ward where Ogiwara was staying.

It seemed dinner had ended; a white cart was noisily being wheeled into another elevator. Watching it out of the corner of his eye, Minato slowly made his way forward.

Ogiwara’s room was a four-person room, but only two nameplates were displayed. Instead of a closed door, a long curtain hung across the entrance, obscuring the interior.

As Minato gazed at the pale green curtain, a memory surfaced—how gracefully Ogiwara used to leap. Like a cloud, ever-shifting yet steady. Was it true he would never see that sight again?

“It was unavoidable,” Yumoto had said. And that was true. At the moment of the accident, there had been no other choice.

Yet, Minato couldn’t allow himself to say it was excusable. If Minato hadn’t collided with him, Ogiwara’s knee might not have been injured.

Ogiwara had devoted himself to pole vaulting, working tirelessly toward success at regional and national inter-high school competitions. A promising future lay ahead, one where university scouts would vie for him.

And Minato had stolen that future—and even Ogiwara’s present.

“Sensei? You came?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Minato looked up with a gasp.

Ogiwara stood a few steps away. He had apparently just showered; his hair was damp, and a towel hung around his neck. He smiled his usual smile, though under his pajama sleeves, crutches rested against both sides of his arms.

“Your teaching practicum ended today, didn’t it? Thank you for coming even though you must be tired.”

“I-it’s fine…” Minato’s voice cracked, barely audible even to his own ears. Unable to meet Ogiwara’s gaze, Minato heard him speak cheerfully.

“Won’t you come in? I’m still getting used to these crutches; they’re a bit scary sometimes.”

“Sorry, but I’ll head home today. I’ll come by your house to greet your family another time.”

“I actually have a favor to ask, Sensei. I’ve been waiting for you.” With that, Ogiwara lightly pushed Minato’s shoulder, catching him off guard.

“Wait! Ogiwara, don’t let go of your crutches; it’s dangerous!”

“You’re right. So, Sensei, could you go in first?” Smiling brightly, Ogiwara left Minato no choice but to comply.

Inside, the spacious room had two empty beds at the front, with Ogiwara’s spot located at the far-right window. His roommate seemed to be out.

On the bed, Minato noticed a short, thick belt-like object. As he tilted his head, curious, Ogiwara leaned his crutches against the bed and explained with a laugh.

“It’s a weight for rehab exercises. The doctors told me to keep my muscles strong before surgery, so they got me this.”

“I see.”

Minato responded, wondering how Ogiwara could laugh without a care like that.

Lowering his gaze in silence, he heard Ogiwara call, “Sensei.” When he looked up, Ogiwara was handing him a canned coffee. Minato hesitantly accepted it and was invited to sit.

“What’s the favor? If it’s something I can do, I’ll try.”

Minato sat on a folding chair, the creak of its seat unusually grating to his ears that day.

“Someone told you, didn’t they? About my right knee.”

Ogiwara’s calm question left Minato nodding silently. He wondered what kind of expression Ogiwara wore as he said that, but Minato couldn’t bring himself to look. His own cowardice disgusted him.

“I’ve said it before. Ten months after the surgery, I’ll be able to play sports again.”

“But you won’t return to the track team.”

“Unfortunately, no. It can’t be helped; it was unavoidable.”

“No, that can’t be true,” Minato muttered silently in his heart. If their roles had been reversed, if Minato had been quicker to act, if he had declined the invitation to walk home together—everything might have turned out differently.

Still clutching the cold canned coffee, Minato awkwardly rose to his feet and bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry. I know an apology won’t suffice, but I truly regret what happened.”

“You’ve already apologized enough, Sensei. More than enough. Could you look at me instead?”

The wryly amused tone in Ogiwara’s voice was unchanged from earlier, yet Minato couldn’t lift his head. He felt a hand on his elbow, a gentle but firm push that made him stumble slightly and sit back in the chair.

“I’ve told you many times—my injury wasn’t your fault. You don’t need to apologize. We were both victims of that train accident. It just so happened that my right knee was injured, and I had the bad luck of damaging my ligament. That’s all.”

“But I’m the one who bumped into you. You were an athlete with such potential, and universities…”

“There are plenty of athletes more talented than me. Even if nothing had happened, I was planning to quit track after high school. I’ve got my sights set on a university I want to attend, so I’d have turned down offers anyway.”

“But—”

“I’ve done everything I could over the past year, and I enjoyed it. I don’t regret a thing. Sure, I have some lingering feelings. But I’d have felt the same way even if I’d quit before entrance exams.”

Ogiwara’s words seemed to absolve Minato, but instead, they only deepened his guilt. He raised his head slowly and voiced what had been on his mind for days.

“Is there anything I can do for you? Like helping you commute to school until summer vacation?”

“Wouldn’t that be tough for you? You’ve got your university classes too.”

“I’ve already earned most of my credits. Before this practicum, I quit most of my part-time jobs and kept only those with flexible hours. I can make time in the mornings and evenings. You mentioned your family couldn’t always accompany you, so I’d rather you avoid taking the train.”

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*Translator’s Note: Why do I have the feelings that Ogiwara will use his injury to manipulate Minato? Hmm… Isn’t it always like this with those obsessive types? -K

Next update: 2026.08.04

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