[Novel: Venus Syndrome] [245] Clumsy Training

Chapter 1: Clumsy Training

Ura-Bandai, Goshikinuma.
In the highland area where the scent of the forest and the chill of summer mingle, the "Colchicum Association" summer camp has begun again this year.

Girls without arms—Venus children—gather here from all over the country.
There are about 30 participants this year. Most are in their early teens, ranging from upper elementary school to first year of junior high.

Tsubasa Hashigami, a secretariat staff member, was in charge of the reception.

"Yes, you're from such-and-such prefecture, right? Here is your name tag. The water is over there, too."

With her ponytail tied up, wearing a blouse and a tight skirt, and metal prosthetic arms on both shoulders.
Although she is now completely a "behind-the-scenes" person, she was actually on the participant side of this camp over a decade ago.

(...I couldn't do anything back then either.)

Watching a girl struggling to pick up bread she had dropped in the grass with her feet, Tsubasa felt a sudden wave of nostalgia.
The annual "living with your feet" training.
Putting on socks. Lifting plastic bottles. Writing. Cooking.
At this camp, doing everything with your "feet" is the basic rule, which is why it is often said that Venus children possess phenomenal flexibility.

But this year, the venue was buzzing more than usual.

"Hey, she's coming, right? Really?"

"Yeah, that person really did 'braid her hair with her feet,' didn't she...?" (Episode24Story).

Voices of anticipation whispered among the children.
The moment that name was mentioned, eyes lit up everywhere.

—Maho.

A popular YouTuber with over 3 million subscribers. Despite being a Venus child with no arms at all, she has continued to post videos showing her life "just as her body is," without using any prosthetic arms.

Recently, she also gained further attention by guest-starring in a video by the super-popular creator Nolar. (Episode230Story).

And now, she was coming to the summer camp as a special lecturer.

"Is she really coming...?"

"She might talk a lot in her videos, but she could be quiet in person..."

"What does it mean to be able to braid hair with just your feet?"

—That "legend" made Maho, who had yet to appear, all the more mysterious.

In the afternoon, the opening ceremony at the plaza.
Slowly appearing on the stage was Maho, with black hair down to her shoulders, wearing a tank top, shorts, and sandals.

From both shoulders down, there was nothing.

The girls gasped at that simple, obvious fact.

"Hello. I'm Maho."

She bowed with a smile.

In that instant, the atmosphere changed. The children's expressions shifted from the surprise of "She really came..." to a serious gaze, as if trying to grasp something.

Seeing that, Maho smiled brightly.

"You know, I came here today for some 'clumsy training.' Let's all make lots of mistakes."

—That afternoon.
The training program began. Leg stretches, foot operation practice, floor wiping.
Maho watched quietly from behind the instructors, occasionally calling out to them.

It's okay to fail with your feet. It's okay to drop tools.
Not laughing at "I can't do it" is the rule of this camp.

Eventually, evening approached, and as the training ended.
Maho said quietly.

"…Hey, do you want to see me braid my hair?"

At those words, the children's eyes lit up in unison.

"We want to see!!"

"It's the real thing!!"

"Wow, are you really going to do it!?"

Maho sat quietly on the grass and slowly raised one foot.

Finally, the "ultimate technique" was unveiled.

—Braiding hair with feet.

Chapter 2: The Bench at Twilight

The first day of camp was coming to an end.

The plaza, which had been filled with laughter during the day, was now dominated by the sounds of the forest and insects.
In a rest area set up near the wooden path of Goshikinuma—Tsubasa Hashigami and Maho sat side-by-side on a wooden bench in the corner.

Tsubasa, as usual, was in her white blouse and tight skirt, without removing her metal shoulder prosthetics, and had taken off her high heels to rest one foot on the edge of the bench.

"...Honestly, when I heard you were coming, Maho-chan, I thought, 'Seriously?'"

When Tsubasa said this, Maho shrugged her tank-top-clad shoulders and laughed.

"I thought about turning it down at first, too. But lately... well, it's just been one lousy thing after another. So I thought I'd come see the young ones and clear out the bad vibes."

"You mean the incident where Pantsucchi was eaten to death."

The night air grew a little heavier. (Episode199Story).

"Yeah. The other girl who was invited by that guy—she was shaking at the scene during the memorial stream, too. She said she still hasn't been able to put anything out."

"...I imagine so."

Tsubasa lowered her eyes gently.
For the past few months, heart-wrenching events had been happening one after another. Society, the internet, and the field were all on edge.

"But, I watched Nolar's video. That 'Knife Man'." (Episode 230)

Maho laughed, nearly bursting.

"You're going to call him Knife Man, aren't you? Officially, he's 'Cocktail Mask'."

"Huh, why?"

"He wears a top hat, carries a kitchen knife, holds a bottle of gin... and says, 'A cocktail after justice tastes great!'"

"What is that, I don't get it (laughs)."

"But... my subscribers increased a lot. That's the one thing I'm grateful to Nolar for."

After the laughter, there was a brief pause.
The sound of the wind passing by. The surface of Goshikinuma shimmered slightly.

"But, Tsubasa-chan, you worked hard too."

"...I was catching the last train every day. Going to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for subsidy negotiations, reviewing the nutritional allergy charts, on-site inspections, adjusting equipment delivery—I was working so hard I didn't even know what I was doing anymore."

"...Even so, there are kids who come. I almost cried today watching them."

"I've been told that crying during the final farewell is my job as Tsubasa-chan. It's a stylistic beauty by now."

"Stop it, seriously."

The two laughed. Suddenly, the forest air softened.

"...But, those kids were amazing during the braiding."

"Yeah. Honestly, I thought it was presumptuous for someone like me to be an 'object of admiration'... but I can tell by watching. Those eyes."

"You said it was 'clumsy training', didn't you?"

"Yeah. I was saying that to myself."

Maho glanced at her own shoulders.

"I appeared in videos without arms, expressed myself freely, made mistakes, laughed, and still wanted to say 'that's me.' ...I think I'm probably still in training."

"Yeah... but did you see the faces of those kids when you braided your hair with your feet?"

"Yeah, I saw them. ...That's why I do it."

Beyond their gaze, the night forest swayed quietly.


#AINovel #Novel #VenusChild #VenusSyndrome
#MahoKaname #TsubasaHashigami #ColchicumAssociation
#WeeklyShortShortNote #ClumsyTraining