Look, you really should try walking across the Rainbow Bridge at least once.
Even for someone like me who isn’t exactly fond of heights, if you steel your nerves and accept that you might let out a weird yelp or two, it’s manageable.
I had been walking across the bridge for a while now with Hayashi latched onto me. She looked like she was trembling, focusing every ounce of her energy just to keep up with my pace.
"You okay?" I asked.
"I... I hate heights..."
"Then why did we come up here?"
Apparently, Hayashi suffered from a case of acrophobia. Seriously, if it was that bad, why did she force herself to climb up here? I felt a growing sense of doubt as I watched her shiver.
"Whoa."
Well, if she could keep moving as long as she was clinging to me, I suppose this would do for now.
With that thought, I turned my gaze toward the cluster of skyscrapers in central Tokyo visible through the iron grating. Towers stood in layers, and rising between them was the brilliant red needle of Tokyo Tower. This was a sight you rarely had the chance to behold back in the countryside.
"Hey, Hayashi, look at this."
The pedestrian path bowed outward to circumvent the massive pillars supporting the bridge. In those sections, the protective iron grating gave way to a simple handrail. I stopped walking to take in the cityscape and leaned against the rail.
"Don't stop! Keep moving!" Hayashi shrieked.
"Seriously, why are you even here?" I retorted.
Looking closely, I saw that Hayashi had both eyes squeezed shut, clearly determined not to see her surroundings. Her body twitched at the slightest vibration, and a thin layer of sweat beaded on her forehead.
Is she really that far gone?
Seriously... why did she come?
Left with no choice, I started walking again. The strength in the arms clinging to me grew tighter by the second.
"Ugh..." Hayashi let out a low groan as we moved.
At first, I thought she might be feeling nauseous, but that didn't seem to be the case. She was likely feeling guilty for being in such a pathetic state despite being the one who had initiated this.
Looking down, the water of Tokyo Bay was as brown as ever. Several ships cut through the murky surface as they went about their business.
That reminded me, I think there’s a water bus that runs from Asakusa down the Sumida River all the way to Odaiba. The sightseeing cruise we took around Yokohama Port was actually pretty fun; maybe we should try that next time.
"Kyaah!"
While I was enjoying the scenery on my own, Hayashi let out a shriek as if she’d just stumbled upon a grisly murder scene.
Honestly, if she was going to be like this, she shouldn't have said she wanted to come. I felt a flash of exasperation, but then I remembered that Hayashi was only pushing herself like this so I could go somewhere I wanted.
"Hayashi."
"...What?"
"We haven't made any real progress in a while."
"...I’m sorry."
"I'm not angry."
"I’m sorry."
The apology likely wasn't just for our slow pace.
"Want a piggyback ride?"
"Eh?"
"Shall I carry you? At the very least, you won’t feel the bridge shaking as much. Even if you keep your eyes closed, it won’t be dangerous."
Hayashi finally opened her eyes. She stood there in a daze, her mouth hanging half-open.
"I... I-I... There's no way! I can't!"
"I see. Never mind, then."
Nothing for it, then. I thought it was a good idea, though.
"Wait, why are you giving up so fast?!" Hayashi whispered, her face looking like she was about to burst into tears.
Good grief, which is it? I wanted to snap back, but I held my tongue since it looked like she really would start crying if I pushed her. Seeing her throw a fit like this, I started to see glimpses of why people used to call her "The Queen"... honestly, I might have actually wanted to see more of that side of her.
"Come on, get on."
I decided to just take charge without giving her a choice. I crouched down in front of her and turned my back.
Hayashi hesitated for a long moment.
"...Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"But I just ate lunch. I might be heavy."
"It's fine."
"But...!"
The thing that finally cut her hesitation short was a car speeding past on the adjacent road, well over the limit. Startled by the roar of the engine, Hayashi hugged my back, and after a moment, she finally let her weight lean into me.
"Here we go."
"Hya!"
Another small scream escaped her. She pressed her body tightly against mine.
"D-Don't shake me too much."
"Ah, sorry."
"Okay."
"...Let’s go."
"Okay."
I started walking slowly, doing my best to ignore the sensation of her warmth against my back.