2.

April. The school entrance ceremony. I rode the bus to school,

bobbing and shaking in my seat. While I looked idly out my window,

watching the city’s scenery change, the bus picked up more and more

passengers.

Most of them were young people wearing high school uniforms.

There was also a frustrated salary worker, who looked like the type to

have once mistakenly groped someone aboard a crowded bus. An unsteady

elderly lady stood in front of me, wobbling so badly I thought she was in

danger of falling. Considering I’d known how packed this bus would likely

be, I supposed I was simply reaping what I’d sown by getting on.

I was fortunate to have found a seat, but it was still crowded. I forgot

about the unfortunate elderly woman and patiently waited to arrive at my

destination, my mind clear as a passing stream. The weather was especially

fine today, not a single cloud in the sky. It was so refreshing that I nearly fell

asleep then and there.

However, my gentle respite was promptly obliterated.

“Excuse me, but shouldn’t you offer up your seat?”

My eyes, which were about to close, snapped back open. Huh? Could

this person be angry with me? But I realized that it was someone else being

scolded.

A young, well-built blond man of high school age had sat down in one

of the priority seats. The elderly woman stood right next to him, and another

woman stood beside her. This second, younger lady appeared to be an office

worker.

“Hey, you there. Can’t you see that this elderly woman is having

trouble?” the office lady said.

She seemed to want the young man to offer up his seat.

Her voice carried quite well throughout the quiet bus, attracting several
people’s attention.

“That’s a really crazy question, lady,” the boy said.

I wondered whether the boy was angry, unobservant, or just painfully

honest. In any case, he grinned broadly and crossed his legs. “Why should I

offer up my seat? There’s no reason for me to do so.”

“You’re sitting in a priority seat. It’s natural to offer up those seats to

the elderly.”

“I don’t understand. Priority seats are just that: priority seats. I have no

legal obligation to move. Since I’m currently occupying this seat, I should be

the one who determines whether or not I move. Am I supposed to give up my

seat just because I’m young? Ha! That reasoning is nonsense.”

He didn’t speak like a normal high school student. His hair was dyed

blond, which made him stand out.

“I’m a healthy young person who certainly wouldn’t find standing

inconvenient. However, I’d obviously expend more energy by standing than I

would by sitting. I have no intention of doing such a pointless thing. Or are

you suggesting I should act a bit livelier, I wonder?”

“Wh-what kind of attitude is that to take with your superiors?” she

demanded.

“Superiors? Well, it’s obvious that both you and the old woman there

been alive longer than I have. There can be no doubt about that. However, the

word ‘superior’ implies that you’re referring to someone of a higher position.

In addition, we have another problem. Even though our ages are different,

wouldn’t you agree that you have an impertinent attitude and are being

extremely rude?”

“Wha— You’re a high schooler, aren’t you?! You should be quiet and

listen to what adults tell you!”

“It’s f-fine, whatever...” the elderly woman mumbled.

She apparently didn’t want any further commotion and tried to calm
the office lady. But after being insulted by the high school student, the

younger woman still seemed very upset.

“Apparently, this elderly woman is more perceptive than you, which is

nice. Also, I haven’t given up on Japanese society yet. Please enjoy your

remaining years.”

After flashing a pointlessly vigorous smile, the boy slid his earphones

in and began listening to rather cacophonous music. The office lady now

clenched her teeth in frustration. Though she tried needling the boy by

arguing further, his smug, self-important attitude remained fixed.

At any rate, I had to at least partly agree with the boy.

If you ignored the question of a moral imperative, it was true that he

wasn’t legally obligated to give up his seat.

“I’m sorry...” Desperately fighting back her tears, the office lady

apologized to the elderly woman.

Well, it was all just a minor incident on the bus. I was relieved that I

hadn’t been caught up in the situation. Honestly, I couldn’t care less about

giving up my seat for an elderly person.

Clearly, the egotistical boy had won. At least, everyone secretly

thought so.

“Um... I think that the lady is right.”

The woman received unexpected support from someone standing

alongside her. The helper, a girl wearing my high school’s uniform, gave her

brave and frank opinion to the boy.

“And the new challenger is a pretty girl, eh? It would seem that I’m

rather lucky with the fairer sex,” the boy said.

“This poor woman appears to have been suffering for quite some time

now. Won’t you offer up your seat? While you might consider such courtesy

unnecessary, I think it would contribute greatly to society.”

Crack! The boy snapped his fingers.

“A contribution to society, you say? Well, that is a rather interesting

opinion. It’s certainly true that offering up one’s seat to the elderly could be

viewed in such a positive light. Unfortunately, I have no interest in

contributing to society. I care only for my own satisfaction. Oh, and one more

thing. You’re asking me, the one in the priority seat, to give up his spot, but

couldn’t you simply ask one of the other people seated on this crowded bus?

If you truly cared for the elderly, then something like priority seating would

be a rather trivial concern, wouldn’t you agree?”

The boy’s haughty attitude remained unchanged. Both the office lady

and the elderly woman simply wore bitter smiles in response. However, the

girl didn’t back down.

“Everyone, please listen to me for just a moment. Won’t someone give

up their seat for this woman? It doesn’t matter who. Please.”