Distance is the second chapter in the Adachi and Shimamura manga. It was released in tankōbon format 22 December 2016.
Characters in Chapter[]
Summary[]
Shimamura is at a book store with her friends Hino and Nagafuji looking at a table tennis book. Her friends begin to ask her about her skipping class, and they decide to look for her the next time she skips. This worries Shimamura as she doesn't want them to find Adachi. As they are leaving, they notice Adachi waiting on her cell phone. Shimamura and Adachi quickly advert their gaze as they notice each other, but decide to look again and make eye contact, before quickly looking away again. Shimamura thinks about how they're just like a secret couple. Nagafuji ponders who Adachi is, as she hasn't been in the classroom since April.
The next day, Shimamura is alone in the gym so she decides to practice her table tennis. Since Adachi isn't around, she is worried that she upset her yesterday by not speaking with her. Adachi eventually comes up the stairs instead of going home because she could hear the ping-pong balls. The two of them discuss their meeting yesterday, and Shimamura asks Adachi if she'd rather go to class or go home together. Adachi decides to stay at school until the end of the day so the two of them can walk home together.
Adachi offering Shimamura her umbrella
They meet at the same place they saw each other yesterday, though today it is raining. Adachi is waiting with an umbrella and shares it with Shimamura. Unfortunately, they realize they live in opposite directions. So they decide to ride to Adachi's house first, riding two-up on Adachi's bicycle. On the bicycle ride, Adachi asks Shimamura about her friends. She is surprised to learn she has so many and had assumed she went to that book store because she had none. When Shimamura asks about Adachi's friends, she admits that Shimamura is probably her only friend.
When they arrive at Adachi's house, Shimamura is soaked and Adachi's bangs are wet. Adachi invites Shimamura inside for a towel to dry off, but Shimamura worries she'd be troublesome coming inside being so wet. When she nervously accepts, Adachi doesn't like her tone and sends her on her way home. At Shimamura's request, Adachi gives her a map back to the school. Shimamura borrows Adachi's umbrella and promises to return it the next day at school. Adachi accepts, if she decides to go to school the next day and throws Shimamura a lemon yellow towel. Adachi then offers to walk Shimamura home, but they ultimately decide that would be pointless.
Shimamura smelling Adachi's towel
Shimamura is sad the towel doesn't smell like Adachi, but also realizes she doesn't know what Adachi smells like. She then wonders if Adachi was there waiting for her yesterday or not. Smiling to herself, she hopes to see Adachi again tomorrow.