Illustrations

Prologue: The Moon That Day

Chapter 1: Rainy Days and Dreams

Chapter 2: Declaring War on the Illusions

Chapter 3: Reminiscent of the distant, blue night sky

Chapter 4: Nishino Asuka (The Wind That Blows Tomorrow)

Epilogue: The Moon This Day

Afterwords

Translation Notes
Prologue: The Moon That Day

On my way home, I looked up to the moon.

The full moon was huge and beautiful, bright and gentle as if it could
be easily touched by reaching out our hands, but in fact, it was
much, much far away.

I wondered if the moon has always been the moon since the day it
was born.

I suddenly thought of it.

That must not be easy for them.

Whether it was hidden in the pitch-black darkness that made it

invisible, or a smiling crescent moon, or even a half-circle, the shape
must eventually return to the full moon.

To have to put on a smile the next day despite how empty they felt
inside, or wishing that they could stay as full moon forever… Did the
moon ever have those thoughts?

A school teacher once told me that the moon couldn’t emit its own
light in the first place.

The moon was reflecting the sun’s rays, they said.

If that was true, it meant that every day, the moon was forced to
change into something it didn’t want to be. Despite this, people still
carelessly threw words like how they wanted to see a full moon or
crescent moon, or how they felt sad because they couldn’t see the
moon that day.
──Does the moon ever dream of becoming the sun?

The sun was an existence that could shine brightly and strongly by
itself, without depending on something. It also gave life to all people,
animals, and plants.

I thought it was cool, but I still liked the moon after all.

Whenever we walked in the dark and unsettling night, the moon

always lightened up the path ahead, so that people didn’t have to
worry.

The moon accepted our light, expectations and prayers, but still
watched everyone while keeping its composure.

That was who I wanted to be.

As I was thinking that, I put more strength into my left hand, which
was warmer than usual.

I could not be the moon that floated in the night sky.

Because it was something that was determined from the moment we

were born.

That’s why, I would be fine by only becoming a good imitation of the

moon.

So at the very least, the moon wouldn’t feel ashamed when we stood
by each other.

—Hey, could I become a moon like you?

Chapter 1: Rainy Days and Dreams

Part 1

The rain was like old glass marbles.

The classroom windows were rippling with a continuous stream of

water droplets, enveloping the empty playground in a soft,
translucent veil. The dull sky, which had begun to show signs of the
rainy season earlier than usual in June, looked heavy and weighed
down the town.

In contrast to the dimness outside, as if night had arrived earlier than

usual, the inside of the classroom, which was illuminated by
fluorescent lights, was unnaturally bright. It gave the impression that
it was the only place cut off from the rest of the world.

On a whim, I opened the window by a finger’s breadth. The moist air

entering through the crack was filled with the smell of wet asphalt
and dust, gently reminding me that the inside and outside were still
connected. For some reason, a distant summer road emerged from
the depths of my memory, before quickly sinking back down again.

I used to think that I hated rainy days.

But now, not so much, I think.

The sound of raindrops bouncing on some metal roof created a

cheerful melody. I pricked up my ears and listened to it casually, and
a wonderful sense of excitement came over me, like a young girl with
red boots jumping into a puddle, or a gentleman putting away his
umbrella and singing a song in the pouring rain.
“…tose…Chitose…. Oi, come back to your senses!”

“Ouch!!”

Thump!

While I was lost in thought, someone gave me a hard flick on the

forehead. But what the heck was that “thump” sound effect? That’s
not how the sound after being flicked should be like!

“What are you doing in a daze?”

Aomi Haru, who was sitting next to me, looked at me with a

dumbfounded look on her face.

“You know what? When girls are gazing at a bored, sexy man’s
profile, don’t they usually give him a gentle kiss or something?”

“Shall I do it for you? A

pooh-pooh
kiss.”

“I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

“Hmm? Are you still sleepy? Do I need to hit you again?”

“Please don’t flick my forehead like you were using a rock drill.”

Monday, after school, the seventh period was over, but instead of
cleaning up or having a homeroom, we waited inside the classroom.

Today, we had an eighth period for the special class. The content of
the class was a career counseling session from third-year students.

Because Fuji High School was one of the top prep schools in Fukui
Prefecture, there were plenty of resources for this kind of thing.
Even though we were still in June of our second-year, some students
had already started to study hard for their university entrance exams.
Although it was a little early to be making decisions about which
school to attend, it should be helpful for many students to learn how
third-year students had decided, or were about to decide, their future
paths.

“Look, Kura-sensei is here. Pull yourself together, class prez.”

Hearing Haru’s words, I looked over to the podium and saw our
homeroom teacher of class 2-5, Kuranosuke Iwanami, standing
there, looking as unmotivated as ever. He scratched his messy hair
and spoke lazily.

“Ah, as you probably know, there will be a career counseling session

from third-year students today. You don’t have to be too formal since
everyone is all students, so feel free to ask any questions you may
have.”

With a clatter sound from his seta[1], Kura-sensei left the podium
and sat down neatly in a folding chair by the window before shouting
at the door.

“Hey, it’s all yours!”

“Okaaay~”

A familiar voice like a silver bell rang out as the ten seniors entered
the classroom one by one.

The person at the front of the line was…. No way!

I almost stood up reflexively, my knees hitting the bottom of the desk

drawer.

──The person at the front of the group was Asu-nee, also known as
Nishino Asuka.
Are you kidding me? Why have I never heard about this?

With her bright smile, Asu-nee felt out of place in this classroom.

Her short and mysterious hair, the illusory teardrop in her left eye,
and her long, snow-white legs sticking out of her modest skirt,
everything looked like works of art. Despite this, the person in
question was smiling like a stray cat, and this conflicting impression
further contributed to the sense of unreality she exuded.

Even I, someone who had grown accustomed to it, felt this way.

The boys in the class, who were probably seeing Asu-nee up close
for the first time, looked dumbfounded with their mouths hanging
open, while the girls were mesmerised.

Although I knew that some third years would be coming, I had no

idea that one of them would be Asu-nee. She probably intentionally
hid it in order to surprise me.

Since we usually talked basically only outside of school, I felt

embarrassed as if I had invited a girl I liked into my room for the first
time, and involuntarily looked away.

As I was doing so, my eyes met Kura-sensei’s, who smirked at me

meaningfully
. I’m gonna crumple these eraser crumbs into a ball and smash it at
that old man.

I took a deep breath and looked at the podium again, just as Asu-
nee, who was standing in the middle of the third-year, looked over at
me. She was smiling proudly and waved her hand happily.

She intentionally does this despite knowing what kind of position she
would put me in, doesn’t she?
After I waved at her with a bitter smile, sure enough, I was met with
cold stares that were saying, “What does this mean?” “Dammit, it’s
him again!” from all over the place.

Hiiragi Yuuko-san, Uchida Yua-san, and Nanase Yuzuki-san, could

you please stop giving me those murderous glares? It stings my
back and hurts.

I turned my head a little bit and saw Yuuko glaring at me. Yua had
seen Asu-nee several times when we were going to school together,
and Nanase had met her last month. However, I had never talked
about Asu-nee in front of Yuuko, so I was sure I’d get a lot of
questions afterwards.

I looked to the next seat with a glimmer of hope and pleaded for
help, but Haru only stared at me before giving me a smile.

Her reaction was annoying, so I sarcastically said, “Are you jealous?”

“Ah~ yeah, yeah, something like motherfucker, right?’

“Do you mean *shit[2]?”

“Who is that person anyway? She’s not your woman from the past, is
she?”

“Don’t make it sound like you’re my woman now.”

As I was calming myself down with the usual silly exchange, I heard
a conversation between Asu-nee and the senpai next to her. That
person was probably a member of the sports club, taller than me and
physically fit. He had neat short fresh hair and distinctive features
that gave me the impression that he was popular with the girls.

“Asuka, do you know him?’

“Yes, he’s my kouhai.”

The way he called her ‘Asuka’ made me feel a bit unpleasant.

Since they were classmates, it was no surprise that he called her by

her first name, just as I called Yuuko and Yua. However, I felt
strangely childish for being so upset with how I addressed her as
Asu-nee.

The senpai smiled bitterly and asked again, as if he didn’t get the
answer he wanted.

“All the second year students are our kouhai, what kind of kouhai is
he?”

“Just my kouhai.”

“Oh?”

I wonder if he sensed something in the words “just a kouhai” or if he

took them literally, probably the latter. Well, I didn’t know if it meant
anything other than literally.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he looked at me.

Oh, he definitely liked Asu-nee. He looked like he’s finished rating

me right now and gave me a message that said
, “I understand that you admire her, but you should give up on her
soon because Asuka is mine.”

Don’t underestimate the number one man-slut shithead in Fuji High

School! You’d better go to the school’s anonymous forum and get
called out a hundred times, otherwise you’re not good enough!

…Any actions between Asu-nee and him made me irritated.

That person had more time to spend with Asu-nee than I did, and
they wrote their daily stories together, while I was more like a
scribble in a textbook.
In short, I had a hard time accepting such a very natural and simple
fact, and I was sulking about it. I acted like a child crying in front of a
toy store. It’s beyond disgraceful.

──Geez, every time I was in front of her, I lost my cool.

The senpai gave Asu-nee a light push on the back.

I understood that this gesture meant that she was going to be in

charge of the event, but putting that aside, I wonder whether he
preferred the ocean or the mountains as the place to scatter his
ashes. I guess I’d give him three seconds to answer.

As I was thinking about it, Asu-nee took a step forward, away from
senpai’s hands.

“Alright~ then, you

(kimi)
, lead the greeting.”

Wait, I didn’t have to go to all that trouble to cremate him.

I could have buried him in the corner of the playground with just his
head sticking out and stuffed him with Fukui’s famous sweet,
habutae mochi every morning and evening.

“Hey! You there!”

Oh, there was also this method!

I could lock him in a dark room and he would not be allowed to leave
until he had removed one hundred legs of Fukui’s famous speciality,
the Echizen female crabs. The crab legs were so thin, it was tiring to
peel them. He would definitely collapse halfway through.

“The narcissist who loves himself and like to act cool~”

Who’s she talking about? Is that me!?

The giggles that filled the class finally made me realize that Asu-nee
was referring to me. Well, it was my fault for not reacting sooner, but
could she please stop activating landmines that would definitely
explode later?

“Um, stand up.”

Everyone rose to their feet.

“Bow. Sit down.”

After the established procedure was completed, Asu-nee nodded her

head in satisfaction and then began to say.

“Hello everyone, I’m Nishino Asuka, a third-year student. Nice to

meet you today!”

In the classroom, the voices of “Nice to meet you.” rang out

sporadically.

The most energetic was Asano Kaito. That part of him that never
changes felt really reassuring.

Asu-nee calmly continued. “Now, how should we proceed?”

With a slightly calmer head, I observed that Asu-nee, who was

standing at the podium and speaking, seemed to be in charge of the
proceedings, both from other third-year students and from Kura-
sensei.

One of the senpais responded to her.

“How about grouping the students who are close to each other into
four or five groups? Then, two or three of us could take charge of
each group, it’ll be easier to do counselling.”

Asu-nee glanced over at me.

Knowing what happened between Yamazaki Kenta and Uemera
Atomu, she was concerned if there would be a problem with this
idea. I smiled gently and nodded. Kenta had been fully integrated
into Team Chitose, and Atomu would normally be in a group with
Ayase Nazuna and the others.

Despite having this class labelled as a “popular class”, it was not like
we were in conflict at the moment.

In the past two months, most of the small groups in the class had
been fixed, and as far as I know, no one was an outcast, so there
was nothing to worry about.

Asu-nee gave a small nod.

“Then, let’s go with that. Let me know when the number of students
is confirmed.”

As expected, all the students were divided into groups one after
another without any problems, and they reported to Asu-nee after
the groups were completed.

Asu-nee assigned the seats by the number of students. Everyone

followed the instructions and moved their chairs and tables.

To be on the safe side, after making sure that all the groups outside
of Team Chitose had formed, I finally reported the group as the last
one.

“There are eight of us in this group.”

“Got it. You can go to the empty seats over there.”

But still.

I felt strange to see Asu-nee as the central figure of the third-year

students and was giving instructions very smoothly. From the way
the other senpais put their full trust to let her handle this, it seemed
she was also like this on a regular basis.

The Asu-nee I knew wasn’t like that.

She was always alone, which was a better word to describe her.
Therefore, I thought that she was alone at school too, not letting
anyone get close to her. Of course, I knew that she was quick-witted
and could talk to people with ease, so it was no surprise that she
was the centre of the class. Or rather, considering her abilities, it was
only natural for her to be so.

It’s just—

Somehow, I felt lonely, as if I had lost something.

I projected my fantasies onto her without permission and then

shattered them on my own. The words that were said and
understood because of her before, had now turned into a knife that
hurt me.

However, the fact that Asu-nee was an ordinary high school girl also
made me relieved.

To get rid of these silly thoughts, I tugged on my crooked tie and

straightened it. When I was about to walk towards my group, Asu-
nee’s voice called out from behind me.

“By the way, I’ll be in charge of your group.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d love to talk to the kids I hear about all the time~”

“Won’t you feel restless, though?”

“It won’t be me, but you.”

“If you know, don’t create more trouble for me!”

Asu-nee’s personality was really troublesome.

Part 2

We lined up eight desks and chairs with me, Kazuki, Kaito and Kenta
on one side, and Yuuko, Nanase, Haru and Yua on the other side.

Yuuko opened her mouth as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“So, is there anything you want to explain?”

I averted my gaze, trying to brush off the question.

“I-I wonder what kind of experience the senpais are going to share
with us today.”

Yuuko cupped her cheeks in her hands and deliberately tilted her
head, showing a sweet smile.

“That’s right~ I also wonder what kind of experience they’ll share?

Especially from the beautiful and lovely Nishino-senpai, who made
eye contact with Saku secretly♪”

“W-well, I think that person will answer any question you ask.”

“That person… I see, you’re getting a lot of experience from her too,
heh?”

Yeah, Yuuko had zero intention of letting me get away with it as she
pressured me repeatedly.

At this point, Nanase smiled and joined the conversation.

“Eh? You haven’t met her yet, Yuuko?”

“Have you met her, Yuzuki?”

“I just happened to meet her. Chitose said they’re just senpai and
kouhai.”

“Is that so? I see…” Yuuko patted her chest, as if relieved.

While I was complimenting Nanase on her good work, she

continued.

“But… Nishino-senpai said that if I’m not careful, Chitose would be

snatched by her.”

“Ugh, whether it’s Nishino-senpai who said that or Yuzuki who acted
like it was nothing, both pissed me off.”

I couldn’t resist anymore and protested. “Wait a minute, Nanase, I

don’t remember she said that.”

“Really? If you read between the lines, I think it was something like
that.”

I turned my eyes away from Nanase, who replied in a nonchalant

manner, and Yuuko, who was on the verge of exploding, and looked
at Yua for help. She must have sensed my distress signal, because
then she opened her mouth.

“I met her a few times on my way to school and Saku-kun introduced

us to each other. I didn’t get the impression that they were more than
senpai and kouhai from their conversation.”

I like you the most, Yua-chan!– When I was thinking that, she
continued.

“But… when Saku-kun saw Nishino-senpai, his face lit up like a little
boy. He ran over to her excitedly while wagging his tail and
completely forgot about me.”

Was that what I looked like to you? That was the most hurtful thing
you could say. Please don’t pretend that you were harmless before
you slashed the axe straight at my heart, okay?

As I was dumbfounded and didn’t know what to say…

“I’m sorry to keep you all waiting~”

Asu-nee greeted us, she came over with her own chair.

The senpai from earlier was also next to her. They sat down side by
side between me and Yuuko, the so-called main seats.

The distance between them sitting shoulder-to-shoulder made me

feel a bit restless, but I tried to play it as cool as possible so as not to
attract any strange speculation.

“I’m Nishino Asuka, a third year student, and this is…”

“I’m Okuno Toru, I’ve been in the same class as Asuka since second
year. Despite her appearance, she’s actually more on the clumsy
side, so I’m here to support her.”

Ah, Okuno-senpai, it would be dangerous if you sit there. The demon

sealed in my left hand sometimes wanted to go out of control and
attacked people nearby.

His speech had nothing to do with career counselling, and no one

asked him about it. The fact that he talked so much might be a way
of keeping me in check.

By trying to show his superiority, he was admitting that there was no

deep relationship between them; it’s just… those words managed to
annoy me, and I was in no position to mock him. However, I didn’t
want to lower myself by talking back, so I decided to pretend that I
didn’t notice the eyes who were peering at me for a reaction.

Kaito, who seemed to be completely oblivious of the gut-wrenching

competition going on beneath the surface, raised his hand
energetically.

“I have a question, are you two dating?”

Okuno-senpai answered the question. “Well, how should I put

it….haha.”

His shy smile would give the impression to anyone that they were
already in a relationship or just one step away from it.

However, Asu-nee…

“He’s not dating me.”

She simply denied it.

“YESSS!”

Asu-nee ignored the embarrassed Okuno-senpai and the excited

Kaito, and gave me a wink.

“….neither this guy.”

It was a very typical response to settle the atmosphere. It was not

only directed at Okuno-senpai, but for everyone else in the room
who were nervous.

My heart sank a little, like a child who had broken a precious vase
because they were playing around too much.

Asu-nee clapped her hands together.

“Let’s get started. Kura-sensei also said that we don’t have to be too
formal, so if you have any questions, just ask. At this time last year, I
had no plans for the future either. Do you have any general ideas in
mind?”

After a tentative exchange of glances, Kaito spoke first.

“I don’t really have a clear goal. It doesn’t matter where I go as long

as I can continue to play basketball. I’ve also thought about using a
recommendation letter for athletes, but with the level we’re at in high
school, it may be hard to get in.”

No matter how good a player Kaito was, Fuji High School was by no
means a powerhouse in the basketball department. It would be
unrealistic to expect that you could go to higher education based
solely on athletic ability.

Asu-nee was probably amused by the overlap between his answer

and the characterisation she had heard from me. She replied with a
smile.

“In that case, Asano-kun, perhaps you can start by thinking about
which university team you would like to play for.”

Kaito looked a little puzzled that Asu-nee knew his name, but he
soon smiled happily as if he didn’t care about the small details.

Haru continued, following Kaito’s lead.

“I think I’m similar to Kaito. Because I need my parents’ financial

support, they want me to go to a public university. However, I have
no idea which university to choose.”

Asu-nee gave a mischievous smile as she listened to Haru.

“If you’re aiming for a public university, you’d better study hard first.
Right, Aomi-san?”
“How did Nishino-senpai know my grades? Chitose, you bastard…!”

“A-at least I didn’t tell her about your exam score too.”

“I hid the score on purpose, how could you know?”

“I didn’t mean to look, but you were cursing next to me, so I turned
my head and saw everything.”

“Ugh…..”

Asu-nee burst out laughing at our interaction. When she finally

stopped laughing, she continued.

“So… what about you, Nanase-san?”

Nanase put her hand over her mouth and thought for a moment
before responding.

“I’m thinking of leaving Fukui. Maybe to Ishikawa, Kyoto, Aichi,

Osaka or Tokyo.”

“I see, you belong in the leaving-hometown category… you do give

the impression that you will do that.”

As was probably the case in most regions, the first two choices Fukui
high school students faced when considering university entrance
were whether to leave or remain within the prefecture.

If they wanted to go outside Fukui, the most popular options for Fuji
High School were the neighbouring prefecture of Ishikawa or the
prestigious universities of Kansai. These places were much bigger
than Fukui, and the feeling of being able to go home whenever you
want was one of the reasons why they were so popular.

I didn’t think there were as many people who decided to come to

Tokyo in the first place. The reason for this might be that Tokyo was
the opposite of other places; it was so far away from Fukui, both
mentally and physically.

While I was thinking about this, Mizushino Kazuki responded to

Nanase’s words.

“I want to go to a private university in Tokyo. I think there are a lot of

pretty girls. I want to join a circle where I can eat, drink and have fun,
enjoying the campus life all day.”

There were certainly not many people who saw Tokyo in that way.
This was very much his personal opinion, but then a question came
to my mind.

“You won’t play soccer anymore?”

Kazuki shrugged and smiled somewhat sadly.

“Don’t look at me like that, I know what I’m capable of. My soccer
skills can’t support me forever, so I’m going to quit after high school.”

“I see….”

I didn’t want to pursue the topic further. If you’d been involved in

sports from a young age, sooner or later you were going to have to
make that choice. Whether to aim to become a professional athlete,
or to take up sports as a hobby, or to give up on it.

In my opinion, Kazuki had the skill to be a regular player at a strong

school, but perhaps because of that skill, he was able to see where
his limit was.

Kenta, who was listening to our conversation, spoke timidly.

“I’ll probably… go to Fukudai. I can’t imagine myself leaving this

place.”
Fukudai, also known as University of Fukui, was the only national
university in the prefecture. If students from Fuji High School want to
go on to higher education in the prefecture, a high percentage of
them would pick Fukudai as their first choice.

In fact, there were many students who didn’t want to leave Fukui.
Some simply liked Fukui, while others were afraid of leaving the town
they had grown familiar with or to live alone.

I had heard that most of those who didn’t leave Fukui went to
Fukudai and then went straight to work in Fukui.

They were born in Fukui, grew up in Fukui, started a family in Fukui

and spent their lives in Fukui. I didn’t know if that could count as a
fulfilling life, and I was sure no one knew the answer either.

Yua agreed with Kenta.

“My opinion is the same as Yamazaki-kun, I can’t quite imagine

myself living in a big city…”

Asu-nee smiled slightly.

“The big cities are not the only places outside Fukui prefecture.
There are many famous universities in small towns too.”

“But if I were to go to a university in another prefecture, I think I

might as well stay in Fukui. I’m also not sure if I can live by myself.”

When Yuuko heard Yua said that, the former responded excitedly.

“Huh! Uchi is so capable, you will be fine, I’m sure of it! As for me, I
don’t even know how to cook and do laundry, so I would be very
uneasy about leaving my parents’ house.”

Nanase waved her hand, interjecting with a teasing tone.

“Yuuko, you’ll have to start learning if you want to be a wife. Well, at
least I can cook and do the laundry, so at the moment, I’m ahead of
you~”

Don’t look at me like that! See, Yuuko also noticed.

“I’m pissed off! I’ll start learning today, I can make boiled eggs!”

“That’s what they taught us in home economics class during

elementary school, right?”

I couldn’t help but spit it out, and Yuuko’s cheeks puffed up in anger.

Asu-nee looked at her and asked.

“So, Hiiragi-san, would you choose to stay in Fukui? Or go to other

cities?”

“To be honest, I don’t have any idea yet. It’s very possible that I will
just go with the flow and attend Fukudai…. What about you two,
senpai? Have you decided which university you want to go to?”

I was surprised to hear that answer, but it also sounded convincing.

Yuuko might seem like an airhead, but she was actually quite a
meticulous person. And although she looked impulsive, when it
came to taking the really important step, she was extremely
cautious. However, this imbalance was not a weakness, but a
strength. For some reason, I suddenly thought about it.

At that moment, Okuno-senpai, who up to this point had left the

proceedings to Asu-nee, spoke up.

“Um…. Mizushino-kun, right? Like him, I want to go to a private

university in Tokyo. My first choice is Keio, and I also applied
for MARCH[3].”
His tone of voice was less loaded with words and he was simply
talking to us about career planning as our senpai.

For students who were going to further education, choosing a

university was a crossroads in their lives, and this was not the right
occasion for personal feelings. He switched over very quickly, which
made my impression on him a bit better.

Yuuko asked back.

“Is that because senpai wants to study at Keio? Perhaps you chose
them because you have a professor you respected there? Or is there
a department that will influence your career in the future?”

Okuno-senpai pondered for a moment before answering.

“Although I would like to answer that as your senpai, unfortunately,

my reasons are not so grand. I just wanted to have a chance to live
in the biggest city in Japan because I grew up in Fukui. I chose Keio
because, well, if I’m going to Tokyo, I might as well become a Keio
student, right?”

“Ehh… Is it okay to decide for that reason alone?”

“I know this is not the best encouragement for students. But I think
you should choose the best university you can enter into with your
grades. As long as you choose your department carefully, you can
spend the next four years slowly thinking about your future.”

As a third year student who had an entrance exam looming right

before them, he offered very relevant advice.

I thought that there would not be many people, including myself, who
had decided on their career path in high school.

In that way, it could only be determined based on where you wanted

to live, a university you wanted to go to, your interests, which subject
you were good at, or simply what departments that were easy to get
a job in.

Yuuko nodded in agreement, and then changed the subject.

“Have you already decided, Nishino-senpai?”

The question made Asu-nee feel embarrassed, she chuckled and

scratched her cheek.

“Ahaha… I’ve come here to talk about your career plans, but in truth,
I haven’t decided yet whether to stay in Fukui or go to Tokyo.”

“Wow, that’s a surprise! From the impression you’ve given today, I

thought you’d be very decisive on such matters, Nishino-senpai.”

“….No, I’m not. I’m actually feeling lost too.”

From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she was unconsciously
speaking from her heart.

As I was thinking about how to respond. Okuno-senpai spoke up

first.

“I’ve been telling Asuka to come to Tokyo with me…”

Alright, let’s go with me then, senpai. Let’s do a tour around the

Tokyo Bay with your body in a barrel, sailing through the ocean.

Asu-nee was unmoved and took him up on his offer.

“Hmm, if Okuno-kun buys me an apartment in Shirokanedai for me

to live alone, I might consider it, okay?”

“At least say it’s for both of us.”

—Tsk.
I watched as they were joking around like any other high school
students, trying not to let my sour mood get the better of me. I
couldn’t figure out if my disappointment was directed at Asu-nee or
myself.

Asu-nee smiled softly, as if she could see through my feelings.

I felt sorry for some reason and turned away from her gaze.

Part 3

After that, they spent a lot of time taking questions from everyone.

Halfway through the discussion, Yuuko noticed that I hadn’t

mentioned my future plans and brought this up. However, Asu-nee
responded, “You don’t have to talk about it now, it doesn’t matter~”
This intriguing comment almost sparked off a war.

After the career counselling session, team Chitose went off to their
club activities, and Kenta, who was also a member of go-home club
like me, left the school in a hurry because it was the release day for
his favorite light novel.

—Then, what the hell am I doing here?

For more than twenty minutes, I leaned against the glass door of the
school building, listening to the endless sound of rain. Somehow, I
didn’t want the day to end like this.

Swish, swish,
colorful flowers passed me one after another.

A first-year girl, who still had her freshness, spun her umbrella with
joy. The raindrops that bounced off the umbrella were scattered,
blossoming like hydrangea[4] flowers.

I stuck my hand inside my pocket, stroking the leather of my brand

new phone case softly. When I lifted my fingertips to my face, the
familiar scent of a baseball glove relaxed the corners of my mouth.

At that moment, there was a tap on the back of my head.

Startled, I turned my head and saw Asu-nee behind the glass door
with a fresh smile.

“Are you waiting for me?” She came to the side of the door and
looked at my face.

Before I could answer…

“Asuka?” A voice intervened. The person who appeared behind Asu-

nee was Osuno-senpai, who sat next to her earlier in the class.

When I thought that they might be going home together, I felt my

heart sink and was at a loss for words.

In her usual calm voice, Asu-nee said.

“Osuno-kun, see you tomorrow. I’ll go home with him.”

“But…”

“See you tomorrow.”

Asu-nee’s tone was calm, but also leaving no room for argument.
Although Okuno-senpai couldn’t accept it, there was nothing he
could do. With a scowl on his face, he walked away towards the
school gate.

I took a breath as if I was just remembering it and spoke as casually

as possible.
“It’s rare for you to call me that[5].”

Asu-nee giggled as if she was amused.

“Because you didn’t seem to accept the way you were addressed
before.”

“So you wanted me to accept it during Nanase’s case?”

“Is this mouth saying some non cute stuff?”

She squeezed my lips, her delicate fingertips emitting a faint scent of

soap. I turned my head away in embarrassment, and Asu-nee simply
let go of her hand.

“Okay, let’s go home. Can I come with you~?”

“Did you forget your umbrella?”

If I’m not here, is she going to share an umbrella with Okuno-

senpai? This childish thought crossed my mind.

“I just want to do that today.”

She seemed to have read all my thoughts.

“Well, if that’s the case, it can’t be helped then.”

“Yup, there’s no other choice.”

I unfolded my cheap, plain plastic umbrella.

A whimsical stray cat snuggled up to me. Without a word, we walked

slowly, and soon, the raindrops began to dance on the surface of the
umbrella, fluttering and splashing everywhere.

“Your umbrella now has a polka dot pattern.”

Asu-nee said as she looked up at the sky through my plastic
umbrella.

I used to think that I hated rainy days. But now, not so much. I still
thought so.

Part 4

We walked alone along a familiar riverside path.

It was well past the peak of after-school hours because we had

eighth period today, and there was no one else in sight, either in
front of or behind us. It was funny how this person didn’t care about
being alone, but didn’t want to be alone when she was with others.

“Hey, it should be half-half.”

She probably noticed that the umbrella was leaning towards her.

Her small shoulders pushed towards me.

I straightened my umbrella back up. “You’re going to get your clothes

wet.”

“A woman who had her clothes wet is more attractive, isn’t she?”

“Well, there’s a rumor that this river is haunted by the woman ghost
who drowned herself.

“You’re always like this~,” Asu-nee chuckled and continued. “Thank

goodness, you’re back to your normal self.”

“….You can tell?”

“Yeah, you feel a bit distant today.”

“I think it’s you who feels distant today.”

“You’re the one who is distant if you really think so.”

“You surely are a normal high school girl.”

“That’s right~”

Don’t you know?

Asu-nee pulled up her skirt in a mischievous way. Even if I didn’t
explain, this person probably saw right through me.

Like the girl I had seen earlier, I twirled my umbrella, which looked
like a hydrangea bloom.

It was the kind of day that calls for the most boring jokes.

“So, what’s the relationship between you and that guy?” I asked in a
deliberate tone.

Asu-nee laughed beside me, her body shaking.

“It’s exactly as you see it.”

“The way he flirted with you was so nasty.”

“If you put it that way, there are a lot of girls who flirt with you too.”

At the unexpected response, I looked at the person beside me and

saw her cheeks puffed out like a child.

This time, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“No, I was just thinking how calm you looked earlier.”

“You are still pretending to be cool.”

“I’m not pretending. I’m a cool, mysterious guy after all.”

This conversation was like a ritual. We teased each other, fooling

around, before finding a balance between the complex feelings of
oneself and the partner.

The rain suddenly got heavier and Asu-nee moved a half step closer
to me.

Our arms, now in short sleeves after changing into summer

uniforms, felt cold against each other, and I realised that her body
temperature was much lower than mine.

“The career counseling session was so fun~ I feel like I was one of
your classmates!”

Needless to say, Asu-nee, who was born one year earlier than me,
would become an adult before me and leave school ahead of me. If
two people were not born in the same school year from April to
March, they would never become classmates, no matter how much
they wanted to be. Unless the one who was born first stepped on the
brake.

Everyone understood this.

However, Asu-nee continued.

“There’s Hiiragi-san, Uchida-san, Nanase-san, Aomi-san, Mizushino-

kun, Asano-kun and Yamazaki-kun, I can’t help but wonder why I
wasn’t one of them.”

“Do you think I don’t want you to be there?”

“Yup, I know about that very well. Because… I have to be your

reliable senpai~”
I think I was the one who made her say that.

Ever since we met on the riverbank that evening, she had been
trying to be Asu-nee for me.

“You know….”

It’s okay, you don’t have to be nice like that.

I put the words that I almost said back into my pocket. I should have
given it back a long time ago, but as I had been indulging her
tenderness for a while longer, I became afraid to let those hands go.

As if she was tracing my stammering words, Asu-nee opened her

mouth,

“Hey…” The slender arm that was pressed against mine was slightly
tense. “If we were classmates and met at the opening ceremony,
would we go home together like this every day?”

“If we had met at the opening ceremony as classmates, maybe you

wouldn’t have been interested in me, Asuka.”

“You wouldn’t be interested in me either, Saku.”

So, this example was meaningless. I walked on as if nothing had

happened, and changed the topic.

“Asu-nee, you haven’t decided whether you want to go to Tokyo or

stay in Fukui.”

“…Yeah.”

Last month, when I was still involved in Nanase’s situation, I

happened to meet her and found out about it. I knew it wasn’t an
easy decision to make, but seeing the way Asu-nee discussed this
topic at the career session, I felt I had to ask her more.

“Is there anything you want to discuss with me?”

I didn’t ask what I could do for her, since I was aware that I couldn’t
possibly help her.

“No,” Asu-nee said firmly. “If I discuss it with you, my resolve will be
shaken.”

“That sounds like you’re about to make up your mind.”

“…Yes.”

I let out a heavy sigh.

“If you’re going to lie, you have to be smart about it.”

“…Yeah.”

I sighed deeply again. And then I said, playfully.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, why don’t we start with a special
code? If you ever feel like running away, touch your left ear and
that’ll be my cue.”

Asu-nee looked a bit surprised, then nodded with a small smile.

“Then, are you willing to stay with me?”

“I’ve already answered that question.”

Asu-nee rested her head on my arm.

Feeling ticklish and jittery, I pretended not to notice her gesture.

Part 5
When I got home, I took a shower and dozed off on the sofa when I
was woken up by the urgent sound of a
ding dong
from the door. I checked the time on my phone screen and it was
after 7pm.

I didn’t have a modern device like an intercom here, so I looked

through the peephole and saw the two familiar people standing
outside, one with a bright smile and the other with a worried
expression.

I opened the door in disbelief.

“Good evening, the bridal course service has arrived!” said Yuuko
brightly.

“Oh, we already got that in the house.”

Just as I was about to close the door in a hurry, my toes were

pressed against the door. This wasn’t a home service, but a pushy
salesman.

“Don’t be like that~ You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll cook!”

“I don’t want to eat dinner with just boiled eggs…”

I had no choice but to open the door again, and there was Yua who
was standing behind Yuuko with an apologetic look on her face.

“I’m sorry to bother you so suddenly. Yuuko-chan was so eager to

come over, and I couldn’t persuade her.”

She held up the supermarket bag in her hand. I couldn’t help but
laugh at the way the commoner-style green onion was sticking out of
the plastic bag, which somehow suited her.
“Well, if Yua is here, at least we don’t have to worry about causing a
fire. “

“That’s terrible, what do you mean by that!?”

After inviting the two of them into the house, Yua neatly organized
the ingredients.

She knew the house well because she came here from time to time.
Not only did she check the seasoning, but she also bought some
dashi stock which was about to run out and refilled them.
You’ll be a great housewife, Yua-chan.

As for Yuuko, she grabbed a paper bag and quickly disappeared into
the changing room.
Hey, aren’t you here for a bridal class? Watch the teacher here up
close!

I switched on the Tivoli Audio, connected my phone with Bluetooth,

and randomly played the music inside. GLIM SPANKY “Road to the
Wild” started playing.

“Ta-da!”

Yuuko lifted the curtain of the changing room. This overproduced

entrance music made me think,
please concentrate on your cooking!

However, as soon as I turned around, I became speechless.

Over the familiar uniform, Yuuko had an apron designed to look like
a normal dress. The apron was vintage in style, with small blue
flowers adorning the top half and a large bow tied around the waist.
The part of the dress below the bow was simply blue, which
complemented the ponytail tied up in preparation for cooking and
looked quite elegant. Above all, her semi-circular E cup was clearly
highlighted since the waist was tied tightly.
Frankly, it was insanely cute and erotic.

“Well? How do I look~?”

Yuuko came over towards me. I was feeling awkward to give her an
honest compliment, so I answered her jokingly.

“You look good, like a new wife who’s in a hurry to take a cooking
class.”

“Wife!!”

“That’s not a compliment.”

“Since we’re here, why don’t you put on a yukata too?”

“What’s the correlation with your apron?”

While we chatted, Yua put on her apron too.

She wore an apron from the well-known outdoor brand CHUMS,

denim texture with lots of pockets and the red Booby logo was eye-
catching.

The emphasis on practicality was very much like Yua, but the
authenticity makes her feel more like a real wife, very cute and
moderately sexy.

“Did you know, Yuuko-chan went out of her way to buy an apron
after school.”

Yua giggled, as if she thought it was cute.

“Did Nanase’s words upset you that much?”

Yuuko’s cheeks puffed up in anger.

“It’s not like that. I just don’t want to limit my future options just
because I don’t know how to do housework properly!”

“I’m impressed that you think that far, but why do it in my home,
though?”

“Huh? Of course, it’s because I’ll be more motivated cooking for the
boy I like than cooking for my dad.”

“Don’t ever say that in front of your dad or he’d cry.”

I smiled bitterly and looked at Yua, who made a sorry gesture in front
of her chest.

She must have made a lot of common sense suggestions to try and
dissuade Yuuko – the image came to me vividly.

Hey, it was a bit of a shock, but I wasn’t offended by the idea of

beautiful girls coming to my home to cook for me.

I shook my head to say it was okay, and then I asked Yua.

“What are you going to cook today?”

“We’d like to do something as basic as potato stew, which is not that

difficult.”

“Great. But underneath that apron, it’s naked… Hey, I’m just kidding,
if you want to slaughter something, please choose a live jumping fish
instead of me.”

Part 6
The room was filled with the rhythm of dinner preparation. I laid on
the sofa and listened to these sounds.

It was like going to a friend’s house or staying at my grandmother’s

house when I was a kid.

My parents basically worked late on weekdays and went to work

whenever they needed to on holidays, so I had very few memories of
the whole family sitting down together for dinner. When I lived alone
in high school, I either had to rely on convenience stores or
takeaway food for a meal, or I would just cook it myself.

I guess that’s why. For example, on my way home from school, when
the smell of curry wafted up somewhere from the back alley, I
sometimes felt inexplicably lonely.

It felt nice to spend time like this, waiting for a dinner that someone
cooked for me.
Perhaps Yua sensed my feelings too, and that’s why she would
come over to cook for me from time to time.

“Yuuko-chan, watch your fingers!”

“Don’t worry! It’s safe!”

One day when I started a family, maybe it would look like this
, I thought to myself.

I would be lying on the sofa like this, listening to music and drinking
beers while reading novels.

“Yuuko-chan, if you keep peeling the potatoes, they’ll be gone!”

“Hey… I can still peel them.”

This room, which was forcibly renovated from a 2DK room to a 1LDK
room[6], didn’t have a counter in the kitchen.
I looked up and saw the two girls standing in the kitchen in the
corner of the room.
When people think about girls in aprons, their eyes tend to focus on
the front view, but I personally found the back view more appealing.
Of course, the bow that emphasized the curve of the hips looked
sexy, but I also felt a sense of comfort when I saw their backs.

“Yuuko-chan, wait a minute, a teaspoon doesn’t mean you have to

literally
put a teaspoon in the cooking!”

“Roger!”

“Hey, is it really okay?”

I was going to ignore their conversation and immerse myself in this

happy atmosphere, but unfortunately I couldn’t resist to speak out.

As I got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen, I saw Yuuko
had gotten all sorts of stains on her brand new apron. It was a mess.

Despite this, Yuuko was still in high spirits.

“Hey Saku, cooking is fun♪”

I couldn’t help but look over at Yua, who was washing dishes and
giving instructions. She looked exhausted and I understood how she
was feeling. When I pat her on the shoulder, she replies weakly.

“I-It’s almost ready, can you help set the table?”

“Leave it to me!”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Saku-kun, can you roll up my sleeves?”

“Okay.”

I stood behind Yua and rolled up her sleeves with both hands.

“Ucchi, you’re so cheeky!”

“Yuuko, just watch the pot. The pot!”

I left the kitchen and laid out placemats for three on the table. I wiped
the table using sanitizing alcohol on kitchen paper and arranged the
same number of chopsticks and cups.

At first I didn’t have any placemats, and I only had my own cup and
chopstick, but thanks to Yuuko and Yua, the house became well
stocked. Kaito and Kazuki would only buy food at most, but the two
of them thoughtfully brought in a lot of things.

I turned on the electric pot, put the hot Fukui’s Koshihikari rice into
bowls and sat down at the table. Incidentally, the people of Fukui
have been taught since childhood that Fukui is the birthplace of
Koshihikari rice. In fact there was a lot of complicated history behind
this, but if we talked about the topic, it would lead to an endless war
with Niigata Prefecture. So we should be careful not to talk about it.

It seems that they have recently developed a variety of rice beyond

Koshihikari, called “Ichimore”, which I would like to buy some day.

While I was thinking about it, Yua and Yuuko had finished cooking.
The main course was a potato stew and miso soup, and foods that
looked like a side dish were also brought to the table.

Yua took off her apron and sat down at the table, looking a bit
apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Saku-kun, but there’s not a lot of food today.”

Since she usually prepared three dishes and a soup, she probably
thought that the number of dishes was too small. I could understand
her feelings, but I really had no complaints.

“No, these dishes look very good. What’s this?”

I pointed to the only dish I couldn’t tell what it was.

“Because there were leftover radish leaves from the miso soup, I stir-
fried them with chili peppers, small dried fishes, and dried bonito
flakes in sesame oil and seasoned them with mentsuyu. I thought it
would go well with rice.”

“Your way of thinking is really like a housewife.”

“Hey, hey, stop there!” Yuuko then brought over another bowl. “Here,
Saku, enjoy it!”

“Yes, thank you. If possible, maybe next time you can peel off the
shells and cut them in half to make it look more like a proper meal?”

She really did make three boiled eggs.

Yua smiled happily from the sidelines.

“Yuuko-chan insisted on trying.”

“Uchi taught me how to do it, so I’m a master of boiled eggs now!”

I thought to myself,
“It’s not easy to fail at boiled eggs, is it?
” but since she was giving the yay sign with gusto, I didn’t want to
pour cold water on her. Come to think of it, when I first started living
alone, I couldn’t even fry an egg.

“I was looking forward to it. Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”

“Hey, Saku, do you want to have dinner first? Or a bath? Or….”

“Dinner, of course!”

Part 7
Yuuko and Yua’s dishes were all tenderly seasoned and delicious.

If I cooked it myself, I always ended up with a rough, boring meal, so

this kind of home-style cooking was very welcoming.

Although there were some messy chopped vegetables in the dish,

thinking that Yuuko did her best was enough to increase my appetite.
I didn’t know if it was Yua’s guidance or wild instincts that did the
trick, but the boiled eggs were perfectly cooked.

When I honestly told them what I thought about the food, they both
just smiled sweetly, and I felt a bit sorry for not helping.

“Yua, this radish leaf is delicious.”

“Want a second?”

“Yes.”

I passed my empty bowl to her and she filled it with rice.

“Saku-kun, do you want tea?”

“Sure.”

I raised my cup and she poured barley tea into it.

“Your cheek.”

“Oh.”

I brought my cheek closer towards Yua, and she took a grain of rice
from my cheek and put it in her mouth.

“Stoooooopp!!!”

Yuuko suddenly shouted.

“Hey, Ucchi, that’s too sly! What’s with that wifey feeling! There’s no
room for me between you two!”

“Er…. even if you say so…” Yua scratched her cheek as if she was
at a loss for words.

Well, I understood Yuuko’s feelings. I wonder what with this

overwhelming acceptance was, I’ve inadvertently surrendered my
mind and body to Yua.

“You’re really amazing, Ucchi. I’m not talking about today’s scene,
but I’m sure you’ll be fine living alone right away.”

“I don’t know about that. Although I can do the housework, it’s lonely
living on my own…”

“Don’t you ever feel lonely, Saku?” Yuuko turned the topic to me.

“Of course I’m lonely, in fact, I’d like to sleep with you two today side
by side.”

“I’m staying!”

“You’re not.”

Well, joking aside, I began to speak seriously.

“When my parents got divorced and allowed me to live alone….”

As I brought up the topic, they both became quiet. Of course, I had

already told them about my family situation.

“Honestly, I felt relieved rather than uneasy, and more grateful than
angry. They don’t seem to get along well, but they respect my will.”

As I had mentioned to Nanase before, my parents’ personalities

were completely different.
However, they shared a common approach to education, which was
to ‘think for yourself and make your own decisions’. Of course, in
return, they told me to take responsibility for it, but this was much
better than having my wish being denied outright.

“In this sense, I was happy at first because I chose my own life. It’s a
bit pathetic coming from someone who still receives financial
support, but I don’t dislike the feeling that everything in my life is
under my responsibility.”

Yuuko and Yua listened intently to my words.

“Well, I’d be lying if I said that I never felt lonely. That’s why I’m glad
you guys come to visit me from time to time like this.” I said with a
smile.

Yuuko seemed to have mixed feelings.

“I see… If I’m being honest, I hadn’t really thought about moving

outside Fukui or living alone until I heard everyone talking about it
today. I got a little sad thinking that Kazuki and Yuzuki will leave
Fukui.”

Whether going to university in Fukui or moving outside, there was no

doubt that it would have a significant impact on our relationship.

If we all chose to go to Fukudai, we would still be able to hang out

and form a long lasting friendship. However, those who leave Fukui
would meet new people in a new city and find a new place, and at
best they would only get together with their old friends when they
returned home during the New Year holidays.

Of course, even Asu-nee was no exception. No, because Asu-nee’s

school year and circle of friends were different from mine, once she
goes to Tokyo, we would have almost no chance or reason to see
each other again.
That would be too lonely.

Yua seemed to be thinking of something similar.

“Even if we can contact each other immediately by phone or SNS, if

Saku-kun and Yuuko-chan move out of town, it will be difficult to
have dinner together like this.”

“Ucchi, don’t say sad things like that~”

Half-crying Yuuko was clinging to Yua. Yua stroked her head to calm
her down and then continued.

“But we’re also at the age where we should start thinking seriously
about this stuff, when we can still be together like this.”

Realizing that the atmosphere had turned somber, I opened my

mouth.

“All right, let’s all lie down like the kanji character ‘川’ today…”

“Saku-kun, why don’t you lie down like a ‘う’, instead?”

“That position feels super lonely!”

Part 8

Because it was late, I took them home and went back to my house.

When I unlocked the door and entered the house, the room was
quiet, as if the lively atmosphere before had been an illusion.

—It was true that occasionally I get lonely.

I didn’t turn on the lights in the living room and headed straight to the
bedroom, relying on the light from my phone. I then lit the lamp in the
shape of a crescent moon on the small table.

The soft light spread across the cold room and I laid down on the
bed, feeling somewhat calm.

I stared at the ceiling and thought of Asu-nee.

It was strange for her to look so indecisive. Although it was natural

for high school students to feel confused about the future, I felt that
she insisted on not giving a reason.

Asu-nee said that she couldn’t decide whether to go to Tokyo or stay

in Fukui. She also said that she was about to make up her mind and
was afraid that if she told me, her decision would waver.

She was the type of person who would say something carefree like;
“I should just be myself, the place I’m standing in is where I should
be, and following my heart is my principle in life.”
That kind of weakness didn’t suit her at all.

However, I think…

Perhaps I was the one who forced her to behave in this way.

You are like an

illusion, I told her once.

Asu-nee said that if we got any closer, we might not be able to

maintain the relationship between a good kouhai and admirable
senpai.

“You surely are a normal high school girl.”

“That’s right~”

Let’s say…
Random conversations we had earlier came to mind. My head
gradually became foggy, and I fell into a dream world.

Could it be that I forcibly imposed my fantasies on Asu-nee?

I wanted to believe that this was not the case.

There was a side of her that was exceptional, a side of her that was
sublime and beautiful that she was surely not aware of, and I wanted
to carefully let her know.

–-Just like on that day, when a girl in a white dress told me that I was
a free boy.

Part 9

A few days later, on a long-awaited lunch break on a sunny day. I

finished my lunch early and went to the baseball field with Haru.

She had bought a new baseball glove and told me to be her catching
partner. Instead of asking, it was more like a demand, which was
very much like Haru.

It had been almost a year since I quit the club, maybe it was time to
start playing baseball just for fun. I guess this is Haru’s way to make
me realize that.

“Wow Chitose, the ball is so hard and heavy. If you get hit, you’ll be
seriously hurt, right? Yoosshh, I’m so excited! I’m gonna throw a
magic ball!”

…Nope, I was overthinking this. She simply wanted to have more

hobbies to vent her excess energy.
I put my regularly maintained MIZUNO PRO baseball glove on my
left hand and patted the center with the back of my right hand. The
still-vivid bitter orange colour, the woven mesh, the smell of leather –
all of them felt so nostalgic.

I took a deep breath and the pungent smell of dust washed over my
nose.

The intense sunshine in the middle of the rainy season seemed to

announce the arrival of summer.

—Ah, I really stepped on the field.

I gestured to Haru, who was ready, and the ball flew neatly into my
glove.

In that moment, the sensation of running to catch the fly ball and
sending it back to home plate, the nervous exhilaration of sliding to
the next base after stealing a base, and the exciting sensation of
hitting the opponent’s winning pitch with my bat, those feelings all
came together and made me want to cry.

I held on to the ball, which was a little dirty and fuzzy, so that Haru
wouldn’t notice.

I said thank you in my heart and threw it.

Haru’s motor drive was very good. She caught the ball with her new
baseball glove, but unfortunately the ball slipped out and rolled on
the ground, coming back to me.

“Ah…! I thought I caught it!”

“Haru, let me borrow your glove.”

“Tsk tsk, you’re a second-rate player if you blame your mistakes on

your equipment, Chitose-kun.”
“Just give me the gloves, rookie.”

I took Haru’s big red baseball glove.

She probably bought it at a sports shop for a special price. Of course

it was not the kind of glove that a professional team would use, but
surprisingly, it was indeed, a right baseball glove.

The glove was still stiff, so I folded the thumb and pinky sides over
and over again to make a crease in the glove. After the glove had
softened a little, I hit the ball against the part of the glove called the
core, which was made for catching.

After adjusting it to some extent, I gave the gloves back to Haru.

“Here, try it on.”

Haru took the gloves, opened and closed her hands.

“It is softer than before!”

“The glove could not be opened and closed easily in such a short
period of time, but if you follow the creases, it will become easier to
use. You can keep the ball in the palm of your hand, and if you can
tie it up with an elastic band, it’s even better. I’ll bring it to you next
time.”

“A present for Haru-chan?”

“It’s just a Velcro strap.” I said as I walked behind her. “Let me hold
you.”

“Noo~♡”

“I don’t have ulterior motive, I’m just giving you an example of how to
do it!”

“Just kidding, you can do whatever.”

I put my hand on Haru’s glove with the catch side facing up.

“It’s slightly dented here, and there’s a catch mark, right? Remember,
this is basically where you catch the ball. Put a little pressure on your
left hand… oh!”

POW!

I pressed the ball hard at the spot I had just mentioned.

“It huuuurts!!”

“Good, don’t forget the pain.”

“Why are you going Spartan mode all of a sudden!?”

“Okay, here it comes!”

“IT FUCKING HURTS!”

I hugged Haru from behind and held her left and right hands. A guy
pressing his body against a girl’s back shouldn’t be a big problem.

Haru stiffened up for a moment, but then immediately relaxed. I also

tried not to pay attention to the body heat that was being directly
transmitted to me.

“Unlike for the shot put, you don’t throw the ball as if you’re pushing
it out. You have to twist your body like this.”

I guided Haru’s body to the correct form.

“When you throw the ball, you have to keep your other hand back.”

After teaching her a series of throwing postures, I let go of her body.

Haru looked at me with a slightly embarrassed face and then, as if

she could not hold back, she suddenly burst out laughing.
She clutched her stomach, “Oh, that’s funny. You’re being awfully
aggressive today, aren’t you?”

“I don’t remember I ever hit on you.”

“You seemed to be hitting on me passionately, though. So that’s how

you like it, huh?”

“I’m just teaching you how to play catch.”

The petite Haru lifted her head to look at me. “But I really like this
Chitose.”

“….You’re the one who is being really aggressive today.”

“You’re saying that I should slam the ball into the core, right?”

Haru said, hitting my left chest with the ball in her hand. I swallowed
hard and took the ball, trying to escape the topic.

With mixed feelings, I put on as big a smile as I could. “Okay, let’s

practice.”

“Sure!”

Haru put some distance between us and I threw the ball at her, a
little faster than before.

*
Clap
* There was a crisp sound and the ball went into the glove.

Then, Haru threw the ball back, this time with the correct posture.
The speed was a bit faster too.

I increased the speed of my pitch just a little bit more, but Haru
would catch it in an amusing way and throw it back to me again,
again, again, and again.
This is fun
. I wish this could go on forever.

On the fifth pass, Haru seemed to have put too much strength and
threw a big foul ball that I couldn’t catch even though I jumped as
hard as I could.

It hit the ground hard and I turned to retrieve the ball that had fallen
behind me…

“Saku!”

A few of my former baseball teammates were standing there.

The person at the front picked up the ball that had rolled to his feet
and threw it back at me with his bare hands. The ball was a little off,
but I caught it. I took a deep breath, and smiled.

“Yuusuke…. Sorry for the mess, I’ll use a rake to tidy up the ground.”

The prestigious number four hitter of the Fuji High School baseball
team, Ezaki Yuusuke, frowned sadly as if he hadn’t heard me.

“Are you still playing baseball?”

I kept my smiling face. “I’m just playing for fun, I’m trying to get
closer to that girl who likes sports.”

I looked over at Haru and continued to throw the ball at her, only to
have it fly over my opponent’s head and land on the far side.

As if she sensed something strange, she didn’t try to pick up the ball,
but ran towards me instead.

“Chitose, who’s this guy?”

“My old teammate.”

Yuusuke ignored my casual remark and took a step towards me.

The familiar faces behind him looked worriedly at the scene before
them.

“Saku… are you ever going to come back?”

“How can I come back, I’ve been out of the game for a year and my
touch is long gone.”

“But, It’s only been a year, you don’t lose your touch that easily.”

“Didn’t I tell you? A batter’s instincts are forgotten as soon as they

don’t swing a bat for three days.”

“But from the look on your face… you still like baseball, don’t you?”

“…You really still have the nerve to say that.”

I reflexively retorted, but after realizing what I had said, I shut my

mouth quickly.

“It’s up to us to tell the coach that

it
won’t happen again. After you leave, we finally…”

“Hey!!”

I was clenching my teeth when Haru’s angry voice interrupted

Yuusuke.

“I have no idea what’s going on, but when Chitose wanted to quit,
not only you didn’t stop him, you
refused
to stop him, right?”

The petite ponytailed girl stood in front of me, like she was shielding
me, protecting me.
“There must be some reason why he chose to quit playing baseball. I
don’t know if you guys are accomplices or just pretending not to
know anything but—” Haru slapped her glove in front of her chest.
“Right now, I’m the one who’s playing catch with him.”
I was about to touch her slender shoulders when…

“Hey, Chitose.”

A loud voice called out to me from behind.

I turned my head and reflexively took two or three steps forward

when I saw the over-the-shoulder pitching stance.

—There was a buzzing sound in my ears as the ball flew towards my

chest like a super fast ball that had been straightened out.

Pop.

As I caught the ball with my glove, the feeling of pain and joy washed
over my body.

“Nice shot… Atomu.”

The person who threw the ball came up to me as if nothing had

happened. “If you’re having so much fun, let me join you,”

Yuusuke looked surprised at first when the intruder appeared, but he

immediately opened his mouth. “Are you… Uemura from Yoko Junior
High?”

“Hmph, I’m not interested in you, so there’s no point in letting you

know.”

“There’s not many people who play junior high baseball who don’t
know who you are.”

“Chitose didn’t remember me at all.” Atomu said self-deprecatingly,

and continued.

“What a bunch of dumbass baseball guys doing to let such a snooty

genius get away?”
Yusuke’s eyes narrowed as if he was annoyed. “What does it have to
do with you?”

“I actually don’t care. I just saw Chitose playing catch with a girl and
came over to tease him.”

They just stared at each other for a while, not saying a word. And
then Yuusuke grunted and turned away.

“See you later, Saku.”

“Yeah.” I echoed, raising my hand to the back of the guy who had
stepped away.

After Yuusuke and the others had left the field, I spoke. “Let’s play
catch, Atomu.”

I passed the ball, he caught it and stared at his hand, then slammed
it back into my palm.

“Are you kidding me? You should at least teach Aomi the proper way
to hold the ball.”

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, I’ve been focusing on pitching stance and

forgetting about teaching her the basic grip. He could see clearly
from such a distance, as expected of a former pitcher.

“Besides, it’s not like you can forget baseball since you keep
practicing your swing.”

“……”

He seemed to have lost interest, or maybe he was here for another

reason. After he said that, he left without even looking at us.

“What a weirdo.”
I held the ball by the seam with my middle finger and index finger
and passed it towards Haru.

“This is the correct way to hold the ball. And…”

Snap.
The ball went into my opponent’s glove. “Thank you for being my
catching partner.”

Haru looked a little embarrassed but then grinned. “Did I hit you in
the core?”

“Right in the heart.”

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break. We ran to our
classrooms while raking out the ground to fill the embarrassing
pause that somehow drifted by.

Part 10

After school that day, students from class 2-5 were getting ready for
their club activities or going home. I was chatting with the team
Chitose members as I put the books and stationery into my
GREGORY backpack.

Yuuko, who had packed her bag ahead of me, said cheerfully, “Saku,
do you have any plans after school today?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Can I cook at your house again?”

“Is it your wife’s housekeeping service after the bridal course?”

“Wife!”
“I’m not complimenting you, go look it up in the dictionary.”

Carrying a sports bag, Nanase, who was about to go to the club

activities, came over.

“Chitose, if you’re not busy, do you want to watch us practice?

Misaki-chan said to bring you again.”

“I don’t want to, Misaki-sensei is scary.”

“She says you have to take responsibility.”

“What responsibility?”

“For making me do that?”

“Don’t talk in such a misleading way!”

After the stalker problem was solved, we returned to the relationship

between Chitose and Nanase. The students were vaguely aware of
the distance between us, treating the subject as if it was something
taboo.

In addition, in the school’s anonymous forum, there was a post

saying, “Chitose from Class 5 got dumped again!”

While we were chatting, the door in front of the classroom clicked

open.

“Hey, you over there! Let’s go on a date with your big sister, shall
we?”

Asu-nee shouted as she walked into the classroom with a smile.

I couldn’t help but look at the two girls standing next to me.

Wow, what beautiful smiles! Please, your eyes should be smiling too!
Saku-kun is freaking out here!
Asu-nee walked towards us with light steps. “Hey, let’s go on a date!”

She squatted down in front of my desk, her chin resting on her arms
as she looked up at me mischievously.

“Why so sudden?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? I’m not good at making plans.”

“I remember you saying you didn’t want to go on a date.”

“It’s been so long ago, I’ve forgotten.”

“Does it have to be today?

“I don’t know about tomorrow.”

“Casablanca[7], right?”

We were talking like lines from old movies, and Asu-nee stood up
quickly.

“So, Hiiragi-san, Nanase-san, can you lend him to me?”

“Uuuuuuuhhh.”

A complicated look appeared on Yuuko’s face.

Their first meeting was at the career counseling session, the

impression that the other party was a grade above her was very
strong so she couldn’t respond with her usual attitude. Besides, she
also had a club activity coming up, so there was no reason to stop
her.

In contrast, Nanase’s attitude was very relaxed. She waved her hand
and spoke up.

“Sure, go ahead if you don’t mind my used good~”

“Hey, what do you mean by ‘used good’? I don’t remember you
letting me do it.”

“…Coward.”

“What’s with that long pause?”

At that moment, someone held my hand tightly. As if to say that

Nanase’s words didn”t affect her, Asu-nee said cheerfully.

“Then I’m taking him with me~”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I got up from my seat. Asu-
nee said, “Let’s go,” and ran off.

“”Wait, who said we’re giving him!””

Leaving Yuuko and Nanase behind, we ran out of the classroom and
down the corridor. Along the way, all the students turned their heads
in curiosity. We ran, skipping over the angry voices by some of the
teachers.

It got kind of crazy as we both laughed out loud.

Part 11

Not knowing where we would be going, I stopped by the boys’

basketball clubroom and borrowed a bicycle key from Kaito before
leaving the school. For the time being, I pushed the bike and walked
along the familiar riverbank.

“So, what kind of joke is this?”

Asu-nee, who was a few steps ahead of me, turned her head
happily. “It’s called a uniform date according to rumour around the
streets.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“You know…” She slowed her pace and walked beside me. “When
you’re in third grade, don’t you have to start thinking about the
future? When I was watching you in your classroom on the way
home, I thought to myself, ‘This is the only time we have as students
with each other’. In the future, no matter how much I wish to go
back, this present time will never return.”

“Is that why we’re going on a date in uniform?”

Asu-nee scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

“You see, we’ve always met on this riverbank, talked and said
goodbye, right? We don’t even know each other’s phone numbers or
LINE. That kind of relationship is very poetic and beautiful, but can it
be a good memory that will remain in the photo book and leave no
regrets in my approaching of youth? I have such doubts.”

That emotion might be described as sentimental. Most high school

students would have the same thought.

However, time was definitely moving at different speeds for Asu-nee,

who would be leaving school, and for me, who would stay here for a
while.

The day that seemed ordinary for me was the day that was precious
for her as the time went on.

“It’s surprising, I thought I would be the one who would say

something like that one day.”
“I thought so too… If I had known, I wouldn’t have gone to your
class’s career counseling session just for the sake of curiosity. If I
didn’t know anything, I could have disappeared from your life as an
illusion.”

Her voice was soft and sounded a bit lonely.

“….You’ve always been the big sis that I admire, Asu-nee.” I said it
as firmly as I could. To be honest, it was something I had to say.

It was me who forced that role onto her because I was weak back
then,
and I am still weak now.
In the end, I let her be an adult again.

“Hey, you know what. When you watched me and Okuno-kun

interact with each other, the feeling you had back then, was the
same feeling I had whenever I saw you chatting with Hiiragi-san and
Nanase-san.”

I recalled the touch of the hand that had just held mine.

“To be honest, I couldn’t sleep on the day of the career counseling

session. So I laid around in bed, trying to figure out why, as if I were
shaking the can open to see how many sweets were left inside.
Finally the lid was off and the answer came out.”

Asu-nee showed me a smile that was as transparent as it could get.

“I just want to enjoy my youth with you as a mere high school

student, Nishino Asuka.”

The first time I saw this expression, I felt as if my heart was about to
burst, and a dull reply came out of my mouth.

“Even if it’s just a normal relationship between senpai and kouhai?”

“Is it bad to be normal?”

“No, I just find it a bit hard to imagine.”

“If that’s the case, there’s still time and reason for us to give it a try,
right?”

I relaxed and laughed at those words. “So, it turns out that you’re
more interested in me than I thought.”

“Don’t you know?” Asu-nee said mischievously. “──I’ve liked you

since a long time ago.”

A sudden silenceness fell between us.

It was as if the wind blowing towards tomorrow had passed us by. A

stray cat carefreely crossed in front of us, the crows cawed in the
distance, and the sound of the river echoed nearby.

We stared, stared, and stared at each other. Asu-nee didn’t look

away, neither did I.

All this time, we had drawn a line between us two. Or perhaps it

would be more correct to say that I had allowed her to draw a line.

Therefore, that statement wasn’t a confession of love, but a gentle

farewell from Asu-nee to put an end to this strange and contrived
show.

I had no right to refuse.

In less than a year, we would no longer be a senpai and kouhai in

high school. And maybe the distance between us would be so far
that we would never cross paths again.

So, I said the most clichéd thing I could say. “Anyway, let’s have
some high school fun!”
“Yeah!”

Probably for the first time since we met, we both looked at each
other and smiled like high school students you could find
everywhere. Her expression became bright as she pulled her tie
loose.

Part 12

Along Route 8, which was the same road as the Elpa shopping
center, there was a game center and a manga café standing rather
close to each other. They were places I sometimes visited with
Kazuki and Kaito. I decided to go to a manga café with Asu-nee who
was on the back of the bicycle.

Although this place was called a manga cafe, it actually had various
facilities such as karaoke, darts, billiards, etc.

I suggested that we each get a private room and read manga

separately, however…

“The only things that should be separated on a date are the PAPICO
ice cream and popsicles on the summer day!”

She immediately rejected my suggestion.

As a last resort, I tried to choose a room with a two-person sofa, but

without hesitation, Asu-nee told the staff that she wanted a Japanese
room, where the chairs there had no legs or arms.

Inside the room, we sat as if we were two people on a bed, with me

as close to the wall as possible. But Asu-nee kept approaching me
and talking about the manga she recommended, which made me
physically and mentally exhausted. Her lavender scent filled the
small space, making me unable to breathe and within an hour I gave
up.

After informing the staff, we entered the room with the dart machines
and billiard tables, and finally I was able to take a deep breath. The
room was spacious and there was no one else but us two.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

As I muttered this, Asu-nee, who was excitedly holding a long, thin

billiard cue, turned her head towards me. “I thought you’d be more
calm.”

She showed me a mature smile as the scene earlier seemed like an

illusion. The space, which was dimly lit by indirect lighting, made her
smile even more attractive.

I sighed as the colourful billiard balls rolled on the table covered with
a bright blue thick cloth.

“The senpai I always admired came up to me out of the blue and

asked for a date. If there’s a guy whose heart doesn’t skip a beat, I’d
like to know who it is.”

“Aren’t you used to it? This level of closeness with girls.”

“I’m not used to being this close with you.”

“Is it comfortable? Or annoying? Or maybe……do you feel

overwhelmed and don’t know how to respond?”

“What a silly question. It’s like asking a newborn baby, ‘What do you
think about the world?'”

Asu-nee chuckled and pulled up her cue with an ease, but it slipped
out of her hand because of too much force. Picking up the cue in
hurry, she turned to me, as if saying, “Did you see that?” and
scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

“Hey, you know what~” she grinned. “There’s no girl in the world who
wouldn’t be thrilled when going on a first date with a wonderful
kouhai.”

Asu-nee said it was her first time playing billiards, so I taught her the
rules.

Simply put, the table had balls with numbers one to nine on it, and
the first ball to hit the nine in the pocket wins. Basically, your cue ball
must touch the smallest numbered ball on the table. It was a simple
game where you win if the ball bounced back and you dropped a
nine.

To be honest, I didn’t know any other way to play.

The balls were arranged in a diamond shape, with the number one
ball at the top, the number nine ball in the middle and the other
numbers in any order. The game started when the cue ball hit the
first ball and the other balls dispersed.

While I was explaining, Asu-nee immediately practised hitting the

ball with her cue ball. Her technique was so poor that I couldn’t help
but laugh.

“This is not fencing, you can’t hit the ball with one hand!”

After I said that, she pouted. “This is the first time I’ve been to a
place like this.”

“It’s rare for high school students in Fukui to never come here.
Usually, at some point, someone will suggest hanging out in this
place.”
“My parents…” said Asu-nee, leaning on the billiard table and staring
at the ceiling like she was reminiscing. “They are quite strict. My
mother is a middle-school teacher and my father is a high school
teacher. They always say things like how I can’t buy food from the
festival stalls, can’t stay over at a friend’s house, and not come to
certain places alone.”

To be honest, I was not expecting this.

In my mind, Asu-nee was a symbol of freedom. I didn’t think she

rebelled against her parents, but I couldn’t imagine her being bound
by things as family rules either.

Of course, each family had its own rules regarding how strict they
were towards the children. Some parents like mine allowed high
school students to live alone, and others had a seven o’clock curfew
if they didn’t have clubs or cram schools

I thought that Asu-nee’s situation would be similar to mine. I

wondered why she told me this.

Maybe it was simply that she hadn’t had the chance to bring up the
subject before, or it could be that this moment had made her want to
tell me in a spur of a moment.

After some hesitation, the most general words I could think of came
out of my mouth.

“You’re missing out so much if you haven’t tasted the yakisoba and
marumaru-yaki made by those old men at the street stalls, and how
delicious it was when you washed them down with ramune.”

“That’s what you did with Nanase-san the other day, right?”

She sulked and turned her head away, “But… actually someone took
me there a long time ago.”
“Your parents?”

“….What do you think?” She gave a meaningful smile as she jumped

off the pool table and picked up her cue stick. “That’s why I hope you
can teach me those
bad
things~”

“It’s just playing billiard, you’re exaggerating.”

“But this is my first time.”

“Is it okay to give such a valuable first time to a man like me? You’re
a bad girl.”

“That’s exactly because you’re a man like this that I’m okay with it.”

The unexpected words made me stumble over my words. “That’s…”

Asu-nee grinned wryly. “After all, if we don’t leave a good memory,

you could just forget this moment as if you got bitten by a dog,
right?”

“Fine, get back here. I’ll train you until you can’t even stand
anymore.”

If it were Yuuko, Yua, Nanase, or Haru, I would have been able to tell
this non-classy joke in a casual manner as a part of my daily life. It
was the kind of clean and proper high-school banter that I thought I’d
never have with this person at all.

Strangely enough, Asu-nee’s image in my head had not collapsed. I

breathed a sigh of relief and picked up my cue stick.

“Start by doing this with your left hand.”

I demonstrated the basic stance of how to hold up the cue stick. Asu-
nee imitated my gesture and moved her fingers.
“…Is this fox?”

“We’re not doing shadow play at the moment! Make a circle with
your index finger and put your little finger down.”

Her finger movements were so incorrect that I became frustrated and

grabbed her hand.

“Tsk! Do it like this! Extend your left hand in this shape and put it on
the table. Then, put the tip of the cue stick through the ring of your
index finger and hold the other end firmly with your right hand…”

Suddenly, Asu-nee’s raindrop-like hair touched the tip of my nose,

mixing with a girl’s scent that came from her slender neck. I jumped
back in surprise.

Oh shit,
I almost coached her myself like I did with Haru when playing catch.
No, I’ve
already done
it.

Once I became aware of my actions, the delicate hairs on the neck,

the small earlobes, the slight protrusion of the cervical vertebrae all
came to my mind.

“And then… what next?”

Asu-nee turned her head around with her cue stick in hand, her
cheeks were slightly red, but I couldn’t look at her directly and turned
my eyes away.

“The next step is… clamp your right arm tightly and hit the stick
straight out to the center of the cue ball.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her nod softly and turn intently to
face the billiard table.
“Like this?”

I turned my eyes back as she leaned forward, her small, rounded

buttocks rising and the back of her not-so-short skirt pulling up about
ten centimetres higher than usual.

As a result, the inner thighs were thus exposed, showing a softness

and dazzling elasticity unimaginable from the neutral impression of
Asu-nee, making me strongly aware that she was more than just the
senpai I admired, but a girl.

I couldn’t help but turn my head to make sure there were no other
guys in sight, but just like when we entered, there was no one else in
the room but us.

“Y-yeah, something like that.” I stammered in response and moved in

front of Asu-nee.

If it had been a strange girl I’d met by chance, or if it had been Yuuko
or Nanase, I might consider myself lucky to be able to gaze at those
thighs. However, I felt awkward to ogle the person in front of me.

Knock
, Asu-nee missed the center of the ball and it hit the bumper on the
table before rolling towards me. I picked up the cue ball and passed
it back.

“That was close, but it’s better than before.”

“I think I’ve got the hang of it, watch me.”

She put down her cue ball again and bent forward to hold up the
stick.

In a flash, the chest part of her shirt loosened, revealing a sky blue
ribboned fabric and a pure white bulge.
A tingling sensation ran down my lower back and I quickly turned
around, but the actual sensation of flesh was imprinted on my mind
and would not go away.

“Asu-nee, tie, your tie!”

“Huh?”

She responded to me blankly. After a three-second pause, I could

feel she was turning her back on me in a hurry. Only then was I
finally relieved and turned my face.

Asu-nee hurriedly re-tied her tie and spoke to me. “…Did you see it?”

“I’m trying hard to pretend I didn’t see it.”

“How much did you see?”

“So Asu-nee likes sky-blue, huh?”

“———!”

She crouched down, exaggeratedly covering her face and hid behind
the billiard table as if wanting to hide from my view. I laughed out
loud at how funny and cute that look was.

“Ugh, I can’t get married.” She squirmed.

“Do you want me to take responsibility?”

“…Are you going to kill yourself?”

“Can you not be so scary?”

With her hand on the billiard table, she lowered her head a little and
muttered.
“Then let me hear you sing. Put your heart and soul into the song,
like a greeting when we met for the first time, and a goodbye we’re
going to say someday.”

“You’re in for a treat! But, I’ll sing like this is just a start, and how it’ll
never end.”

I told her this, knowing that our conversation was not the answer.

Knock
, the cue ball hit by Asu-nee hit the number one ball smoothly. The
balls then scattered and the number nine ball fell into the pocket.

Part 13

After pocketing the number nine ball with beginner’s luck, Asu-nee
got completely carried away and continued to play three more
games.

The result was one win and three losses for me.
How could I have lost so badly?

“It doesn’t add up,” I said in front of the drinks bar, and Asu-nee
giggled. “Why? Why is it that every time I drop more balls than you,
you conveniently hit the number 9 ball?”

For example, even if I hit all the balls from number one to seven into
the pocket, Asu-nee’s cue ball would then hit the number eight ball,
and then the ball would roll toward the number nine ball before falling
into the pocket. In the same way, after I had made a break shot and
scattered the balls, she would hit the cue ball and drop the number
nine ball.
After a series of losses like that, I managed to pull off just one win in
the last round, which was a very mature and gruelling battle.

Asu-nee filled her glass with melon soda, looking calm and relaxed.
“The first one who drops the number nine ball wins, right?”

“That’s right, but, but… I can’t accept it! And why did you look more
surprised than me everytime the ball fell into the pocket?”

“Hey, a man isn’t supposed to make excuses!”

“Hmph! Don’t pat me on the shoulder.”

I filled my cup with iced coffee and the two of us walked towards the
karaoke room together.

The sofa was set up in a U-shape with plenty of space, but Asu-nee
didn’t hesitate to sit next to me. I sang a few songs at her request
and tried to invite her to sing along each time, but she insisted on not
picking up the microphone.

After teaching Asu-nee how to use the touch screen remote control,
she happily played with it.

“Let’s sing this one, ‘Guild[8]‘.”

“This is the song that reminds you of me, right?”

“To be precise, it reminds me of

you
back then.”

She was probably referring to the time when I quit baseball and gave
up on myself. It was last autumn when I met her for the first time.

“Do you remember?”

“How could I forget?”

After all, if I hadn’t met Asu-nee, I’d probably still be a walking
corpse.

──Back then, the things I had devoted myself to since elementary

school slipped from my hands. I felt helpless, frustrated and angry at
the environment around me, at people who did it, and most of all at
myself for having given up and accepted it.

The Asu-nee I met on the riverside at dusk looked as beautiful as the

moon itself, which I had longed for and reached out to touch.

As a matter of fact, I would say that she was just a fool who joined in
with a group of children who had gone a little too far with their antics,
and made the original discordant atmosphere become harmonious,
that was all.

However, such a simple act was the only thing that seemed dazzling
to me at the time.

Not caring about what others think, not caring about their cunning,
their weakness and their nastiness, just walking on what she thought
was the right path.

Instead, she was like the wind that blew freely, like a stray cat that
leisurely walked down the main street, moving forward without even
looking at the compass.

──If only I could have lived like her, I would not have ended up like
this.

So, ever since then, I had been somehow looking for Asu-nee when I
was on my way to school, when I was at school, and on my way
home after school. Whenever I found her, I would almost always
rush over and talk to her as much as time allowed. I wanted to chat
with her.
To be honest, it was the first time I tried to get involved with someone
so actively, because people always came to me and then left on their
own.

At first, Asu-nee was a little bewildered by the kouhai who suddenly

became attached to her, but eventually, rather than accepting me,
she became accustomed to my presence and made me a part of her
daily life.

Over the course of time, her delicate sensibilities have spoken words
of wisdom that have quite literally saved me.

For example, we had this conversation.

“Asu-nee, what do you think about having to look uncool in order to

have an easy life?”

“I think in the end it comes down to who you are trying to be cool for.
What is uncool to you is not necessarily uncool to others.”

“Don’t you think it’s uncool for stray cats to try winning a
neighbouring grandma’s heart for food? They might as well become
a pet at this point.”

“No, stray cats do that to remain stray cats.”

“To give up their identity in order to maintain their original life?”

“You’ll understand one day.”

There was also this conversation.

.
“Asu-nee. Don’t you think it’s better not to trust anyone in the first
place if we’re going to be betrayed anyway?”

“I think life becomes monochrome in inverse proportion to the

number of ‘what-if’ anyway; What’s the point of studying if we won’t
apply them in the future? What’s the point of dating someone if in the
end we’ll break up? Why do we have to fight in an impossible battle
that we can’t win?”

“And if you can’t live beautifully, it is not much different from being
dead.”

“That’s more like your style.”

I’ve also received such a note from her before.

"Dear Kimi (you),

I believe that words hold power.

When the heart is tired

,
music can naturally heal you.

I hope that you will find the piece that can fill the void in your heart.

Asuka."

──She lent me the album “Yggdrasil” by BUMP OF CHICKEN with

that note attached on it.
When I got home, I listened to the album on my old portable player
and tears poured down my face.

The music and the lyrics were wonderful of course, but the fact that
Asu-nee had found such words and sent them to me made me feel
incredibly warmer.

I recalled those memories as I chose a different song from the one

Asu-nee had requested on the remote control.

〈Bye Bye Thank You〉

A song about leaving your hometown for the city of your dreams.

No matter how far away you are, there is always a place here where
you can come back to, and I will be thinking of you from under the
same sky.

I wish that I can convey Asu-nee the same words and actions that
she did for me in the past, even though they were only borrowed
words.

Part 14

When we came out of the manga café, a night-colored curtain was

just about halfway across the sky, and an early crescent moon was
floating in the sky with a cool expression on its face. It seemed that
we had been playing for quite a long time, completely absorbed in
the game.

I offered to give Asu-nee a ride home, but she told me she wanted to
walk for a bit.
Pushing the bike, we passed a small park and rice paddies, leisurely
traversed the irrigation canal path that ran through many parts of
Fukui.

“So, how many points did I get for our first date, senpai?”

When I said this, the person next to me laughed softly. “Well, ninety
points, kouhai-kun.”

“I wish you had given me a perfect score or 120 points.”

“Who told you to take the liberty of making the scene so touching at
the end, so points were deducted.”

Asu-nee stuck out her tongue adorably, and then returned to her
serious look.

“Hey, can I ask you something strange?” After seeing me nod, she
continued. “Do you have a dream?”

“Yup, a harem King with beautiful women all over the world.”

“Seriously!”

“Until last year, I wanted to be a professional baseball player in the

major leagues.”

I could feel her gasp beside me. “…I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have
asked.”

“Don’t worry. If it weren’t for you, I doubt I’d be able to talk about the
past like this. For the time being, yes, my dream is to find a new
dream.”

She might have something to say now, so I responded casually and

asked back.

“What about you, Asu-nee?”

She nodded as if she had been waiting for that question. “I’d like to
do the work where I can convey my words to others.”

“Like a novelist?”

She shook her head. “I had that idea when I was a kid, but not that
kind of work. I still want to be a reader no matter how far I go, but
also to be involved in the creation of the book… I want to be a novel
editor.”

Editor
, I recited in my head.

I only had a vague idea of what an editor was. The first thing that
came to mind was that they were in charge of novelists or manga
artists, pushing them to submit their manuscripts and revising them.

I had known for a long time that Asu-nee liked novels, and the
answer didn’t surprise me too much, I just thought that such people
would aim to create their own works first.

Perhaps sensing what I was thinking, Asu-nee went on.

“I grew up with all sorts of stories and words, some made me happy,
some made me sad, some gave me courage, supported me and
even saved me. Even if my heroes were out of reach, I could touch
something close to them.”

“I think I kinda get it.”

“That’s why I want to help create and deliver those stories.” After
saying that much, she scratched her cheek in embarrassment. “Is
my reason too shallow?”

I shook my head slowly and clearly. “No, it is very Asu-nee.”

I really thought so. Because I was saved by the words she conveyed
to me.

“But you know what, it’s not like I had found a novel that saved my
life, or that I met an editor that changed my fate forever.”

She looked somewhat awkward as I silently prodded her to continue.

“Simply put, I love books and want to work on them, but what I like
it’s not writing, it’s reading, so I want to be an editor. Although I have
a strong desire to do so, I just don’t think it’s clear enough, it seems
too hasty…”

Her voice was getting quieter. I finally understood what was

bothering her.

──When talking about dreams, you need a more grand and

convincing reason.

How many high school students in the world had a clear idea of what
they wanted to do in the future?

It went without saying as a kid, some wanted to be a Kamen Rider,

some wanted to be an athlete, a manga artist, an astronaut, even an
idol.

No matter how ridiculous and small these dreams were, no one

would raise an eyebrow or laugh at them.

But once you reached that age, where dreams of the future equated
to future jobs or lifestyles, most people didn’t mention them anymore.

People who talked about their dreams became more and more
isolated.

In fact, when I told people around me that I wanted to be a Major

League Baseball player, I was met with sneers or lukewarm looks
that implied “stop saying such childish things….”

Being an editor wasn’t as unrealistic as the big leagues, but it wasn’t

a profession that anyone could get just because they wanted to.

So Asu-nee must have developed an inferiority complex.

She thought that she needed to prepare a logic, preferably a

dramatic and exaggerated reason, to convince herself and others
that she could still talk about her dream at her age.

It wasn’t like I couldn’t understand her feelings. So I tried to respond

carefully, in as sincere a tone as possible.

“I love baseball, so I want to be a professional baseball player. You

love novels, so you want to do something related to novels. Isn’t that
a good enough reason to pursue your dream?”

Asu-nee’s face relaxed, as if she felt relieved.

“I see… Thank you. To be honest, I’m not very confident. I’m not
sure if what I like is just a hobby or whether I like it enough to turn it
into a career.”

I looked at her reaction and asked another question. “Do you think of
Tokyo because it is a necessary process to become an editor?”

“…Yes,” Asu-nee nodded awkwardly before continuing. “As I said

earlier, I have no experience of what people take for granted. I
thought I somehow knew what it feels like to spend the night with
friends, to hang out in such places and to go on a first date.”

“Because you read it in the novel.”

“Yes. But the actual experience was even more fun, exciting and
blissful than what was described in the book… That makes me sure
of one thing, whether it is to become a novelist or an editor, personal
experience is very important.”

“There are things you can’t experience in the countryside, aren’t

there?”

“That’s why I wanted to go to Tokyo. I know this is a bit short-sighted

on my part, but I’d like to start there as someone who still doesn’t
know anything.”

It was a great first step towards fulfilling her dream.

If you want to communicate a story or words to others, you must first

convince yourself of its meaning, its weight, its value, its gentleness
and its strength. Just as the words of someone who had experienced
setbacks could reach those who had experienced the same; just as
ones who knew the right way to grip a ball could throw the ball
farther.

Asu-nee smiled sadly.

“Though I said that, it’s also a practical consideration that Tokyo

universities have a high employment rate in the media industry.
Besides, if I really want to work in a publishing company, I’ll have to
go there one day.”

That was true. There were newspaper companies and town

magazines in Fukui, but if you wanted to become a novel editor, you
would have to go to Tokyo to find a job even if you chose a university
in Fukui. If that was the case, it would be more convenient to move
there while you were still in college.

In other words, the choice of whether to go to university in Fukui or

Tokyo was similar to the choice of whether you wanted to stick to
your dream of becoming an editor or to give up the job.
Suddenly, Asu-nee muttered. “Do you remember when I said that I
love and hate this place?”

“Yeah.”

That was last month, when we met each other at the bookstore in
front of the station.

“Fukui is a very warm place, most of the neighbours know each

other, sometimes we meet our friends’ mothers at the supermarket,
and if the kids are playing dangerous games, some stubborn old
men will come and scold them.”

“When I was in elementary school, there was a famous grandpa who

used to watch students go to and from school every day. If we were
eating leftover bread from lunch on the way home, he would yell
about our bad manners.”

“That’s right~” Asu-nee chuckled. “I feel like this town has always
been connected to the past.”

“Not really. We finally have automatic ticket gates at Fukui station.”

“I don’t mean such superficial things!” She hit me on the shoulder. “It
makes me wonder if they just live in continuation. For example, our
parents and grandparents must have lived the same way, and felt
the same atmosphere.”

I understood what she meant.

The people in my family were a bit oddball and shouldn’t be a bar for
what is considered normal. Still, the fact that they had been living in
this place gave me the same impression.

Asu-nee continued.
“Time moves very slowly, which is perhaps an uninspired way of
describing it, but isn’t there a switch for that? A switch that keeps life
and work in balance. People in Fukui are usually just going with the
flow, whether it’s work or family, or on a weekday or a holiday. They
surrendered themselves to the gentle flow of life that continues
unchanged.”

“This place isn’t conceptually challenging. Whether it’s good or bad,

for them, this kind of life is enough where people don’t need to rush
and just take their time.”

That said, there was absolutely no suggestion that people in Fukui

were unmotivated or lazy.

Everyone worked hard and tried to live a good life.

However, I felt that the city people I saw on TV, in movies, and in
novels were always in a hurry.

Did they have time to listen to music on the river banks in the
evening? Did they know the chaotic atmosphere that came from
various family houses on the way home? Could they tell when the
seasons were changing by the smell of the night?

“But you know what…” Asu-nee said. “That’s why I love and hate this
town. I can easily imagine myself staying here forever. I’d go to
Fukudai as a Fuji High graduate, becoming a civil servant, or being
employed in a stable job market at a TV company, newspaper, or
banks… and finally becoming the wife of someone whose name I
don’t know yet.”

My heart ached, but I pretended not to care as I urged her to

continue.

“I will have two or three children, take parental leave, and become a
mother in Fukui with my parents, relatives and neighbours looking
after me, living a life that is ordinary but can be seen as special in its
own way.”

“That is also a form of happiness.” I gave my shallow opinion.

“Of course, I have no intention of denying it, and I respect such

people. But, as long as I stay here, I can’t escape from this clichéd
life. I know it sounds bad, but when I imagine myself being
swallowed by this town’s colour… it’s scary.”

This kind of life was the opposite of what Asu-nee wanted for her
career as an editor.

A life where she wanted to convey her thoughts to people whose

names she didn’t know, or a life where she could cherish the people
who were important to her.

Needless to say, there were many people who managed to do both.

Even if she decided to stay in Fukui now, there would always be an

escape route. She could take four years to think about it again and
then make a new choice.

So, the question was not whether she could actually do it, but
whether her passion for pursuing her dreams would fade away and
disappear into the stability of daily life if she chose to stay at this
point in her life. It was the thing that made her afraid.

I asked her to confirm something.

“So, when you said that you had made up your mind, does it mean
you’re going to Tokyo?”

“I want to hold off on that answer for a while longer…”

“I see…”

I didn’t ask any more questions and stepped onto the bicycle.
Asu-nee also sat sideways in the back seat and discreetly put her
hand on my waist, as if she was measuring the distance between us
now.

I touched the small, overlapping hands on the side of my waist and

stepped on the pedal.

“Maybe one day, I’ll say something like I want to be a novelist.”

“Will I be your editor-in-charge then?”

“Maybe.”

“When I go to Tokyo, we will be so far apart that I don’t know when

we will see each other again; But one day I will find a script you have
written under a completely different pen name. I’ll be moved to tears
by the wonderful story and plan to publish the book. And when the
time comes for us to meet, you will show up at the meeting.”

“It sounds like a fairy tale.”

“Fairy tales can happen in real life too, and they are so close to us.”

Before we knew it, the night had completely overtaken us.

A few street lights illuminated the path, and the quietness of the
countryside prevailed, with no cars or pedestrians passing by.

I stepped on the headlight switch fixed to the front wheel and the
tires became heavy, making a monotonous chirping sound,
illuminating the road just a few meters ahead.

It must be the same for us in the future, checking the road one step
or two ahead, groping our way through the darkness of the uncertain
future.

“Hey, Asu-nee…”
“Hmm?”

I took a deep breath and said,

“If you decide to go to Tokyo, before you do so, see more of the
sights you can only see here, have conversations that you can only
speak here, and shed the tears you can only shed here. So that
even if you go far away, your heart can always come back here!”

“…Ok!”

I put my head down on the pedal of the bike, and Asu-nee hugged
me tightly.

It was as if the two of us were about to fly to the moon together.

Chapter 2: Declaring War on the Illusion

Part 1

On the Sunday after my first date with Asu-nee, I was at Elpa,

everyone’s favourite shopping mall, with the somewhat unusual
group of Kaito, Yuuko, and Haru.

It all started when Haru, who had finished her practice before noon,
suggested “I’d like to try swinging as well.” So as we were discussing
going to the batting center, Yuuko, who had caught a wind,
interrupted. “I want to go on a date with Saku too!” and Kaito, who
was nearby, also joined in.

As for why we came to Elpa, it was because Yuuko suggested that

since we were going out, she wanted to do some shopping on the
way. Haru didn’t seem too interested, but didn’t particularly object
either.

Yuuko showed up at the meeting place wearing a loose-fitting jacket

and shorts set with an elegant glen plaid. Today, her long hair was
pulled back into a rough braid and swept down in front of her
shoulders.

Haru was wearing a slouchy hoodie from Champion. The bright navy
blue hemline only covered half of her thighs, and her legs that exude
a sense of health were stretched out from underneath. “Are you sure
you can move in that outfit?” I couldn’t help but ask her that, and she
said, “Idiot, of course I’m wearing shorts underneath” and lifted up
her dress.

That kind of action will make me deer in the headlights. Stop it.
So we were just chillin’ in Elpa, looking for clothes with Yuuko and
others. Or to be more precise, it was really just two guys standing
around with nothing to do but watching the girls shopping.

Yuuko picked up a flower-patterned one-piece dress. “Haru, do you

usually wear casual clothes like that?”

“Yeah, it’s easy to move around.”

“Hey, you should try this dress on, it’ll look great on you!”

“Eeeh? But this dress is for feminine girls like you or Uchi. Although
Yuzuki would fit too.”

“That’s not true! I can guarantee it! Everyone has different tastes of
course, and I’m not saying you have to wear one every day, but you
should at least have one for a special occasion.”

“What’s a special occasion?”

“Like a date with the boy you like.”

“No, no, no, no! What kind of image do you have of me, Yuuko?”

“A cute girl.”

“How am I supposed to react if you said that with a serious face!”

Come to think of it, the combination of these two was quite rare.
Maybe this was the first time I’ve seen just the two of them talking.

Yuuko turned her head towards us. “Hey, Saku, Kaito, what do you
think?”

Kaito replied, folding his hands on the back of his head. “How can
she wear that, she’s Haru after all.”

“What did you saaaaay!?”

Haru really got angry, and somehow that irritated look was
reassuring. I couldn’t help but raise the corners of my mouth a little.

Well, she said before that she would still get angry when people
pointed that out to her even though she was aware about it too.

As if misunderstanding my smile, Haru spat it out. “Yeah, yeah, I

know. Even Mister also agrees. Sorry for being an unattractive
dwarf.”

“No…” I coughed lightly. “To be honest, I kinda want to see you in a

dress.”

“Wh──!”

Haru’s face and ears were red as she took a step or two backwards.
Though I think it would be more accurate to describe it as retreating.

“You must be watching too much porn and have caught a strange
fetish.”

“Okay, you could have been more subtle, ma’am.”

What I said just now was from the heart, not because I was trying to
be nice.

To begin with, Haru was not at all inferior to the girls of Team Chitose
when it came to looks alone. It’s just that her easy going personality
made her somewhat like a male friend, but at least her appearance
was not something that could be looked down upon.

Well, we usually avoid saying such things to each other because it

would just make both of us embarrassed…
Then why did I say that today, I wonder?

I made a joke, trying to forget the mood that I couldn’t even explain.
“So, Yuuko-chan, I’ll leave it to you to transform her into a beautiful
lady~♪.”

“Leave it to me!”

“W-wait a minute!”

When Haru was about to run away, she was dragged into the store
by Yuuko.

Part 2

“Tadaa~ How do I look?”

Both girls were in the large changing room together, but Yuuko, who
had finished changing, opened the curtains a little and came out first.

She posed like a model.

“Wow!” Kaito, who was next to me, shouted excitedly.

She wore a pair of denim shorts that were not as short as her hot
pants, but still very close, and a slouchy grey sweatshirt similar in
shape to the hooded T-shirt Haru was wearing earlier. In addition,
she also wore a deep navy baseball cap and round sunglasses with
light purple lenses.

It was rare for Yuuko to dress so tomboyish, showing a strong

contrast. However, her slim thighs, rounded buttocks and high
bosom made her look like a Hollywood celebrity on a holiday. The
femininity that could not be hidden was pushed out to the full
surface, and it was modestly, no, it was
incredibly
sexy.
“So? What do you think?” Yuuko asked like a puppy wagging its tail.

Kaito immediately raised his hands and shouted. “Whoaaa, that

looks great! It’s so sexy! So cute! Marry me!”

“Hehe, isn’t it nice to dress like this once in a while?” she said, prying
at my reaction.

I gave her a thumbs up. She looked happy when she saw it, her face
was beaming.

“The next one is the star of the show today, you’ll be surprised! Haru,
are you ready?” Yuuko called out to the changing room.

“No, this is not good at all for me!”

“I’ll open the curtain in five seconds. Five, four…”

“I said no!”

Yuuko counted three, two, one, and put her hand on the curtain.

“Zero!”

The curtain was pulled open.

——！

My breath stopped for a bit.

Haru was wearing a transparent blue dress. It was studded with

small, delicate floral patterns in the same color, unintentionally
reminding me of the approaching summer. The off-the-shoulder
dress with its smooth shoulders peeking out, the chest area where
the non-transparent fabric conversely emphasized the contours, and
the legs seen through the transparent fabric from the inner mini-skirt
were irrepressibly feminine.
Her hair was arranged in a loose braid similar to Yuuko’s in a bun at
the nape of her neck, and a soft yellow scarf was wrapped around
the top of her head from there. Her lips were probably covered in an
orange lip gloss or lipstick.

In contrast to her usual appearance, the girl in question was looking

down with her hands fidgeting.

“This is embarrassing. Don’t look…”

Kaito spoke up with joy. “Yuuko’s magical touch is the best! You don’t
look like Haru at all, you’re definitely becoming a girl!”

I elbowed Kaito hard in the side of the stomach while Yuuko chopped
him in the head.

“Ouch, why are you two hitting me!?”

Haru glanced at me once before grinning in response to Kaito’s

comment.

“Indeed. Tomboyish, easy-to-move clothes suit me better. To be

honest, I also find it funny to see myself in this dress.”

“Haru.” I said. “You look beautiful.”

“Whaaaat!? You’re just teasing me here!”

Perhaps the expression on my face conveyed that I meant it. Haru

turned away with a bright red face, unable to speak.

Yuuko smiled gently and patted me on the back, which made me

think that this personality of hers was the reason why she was loved
by everyone, regardless of gender.

I continued.
“No, that really suits you. I like your usual style, but it’s also nice to
dress up like this once in a while, right?”

Haru responded with her back to me. “S-stop, w-why are you…”

Yuuko, who was next to me, took over. “Since you’re already here,
you might as well buy it, right? I’ll help you pick out your lip gloss
later!”

“Ugh…”

“Are you going to buy it?”

Haru turned her head timidly, glanced at me a little and immediately

averted her eyes.

“…I’ll buy it.”

“That’s right!”

Yuuko and I looked at each other and smiled.

Kaito, who couldn’t figure out what happened, was standing on the
other side of the room with a dumbfounded expression.

Part 3

“HIYAAAAA!!!”

CLANG!

“TAKE THIS!!!”

CLANG!
“YOU FUCKER!!”

CLANG, CLANG!

“Don’t vent your frustration on the bat, Haru.”

After we finished shopping at Elpa, we went to the batting cage

center which was about ten minutes away by bike.

Yuuko, who had come to the mall with her parents’ car, was given a
ride by Kaito. She stepped on the rear hub as usual, shouted “Too
slow!” while slapping Kaito on the back. Kaito looked so pleased with
himself, saying, “Stoop~!” as he was grinning. I found it disgusting,
please don’t hurt my eyes.

I gave the two girls a quick lesson regarding the basic moves of
swinging the bat.

Haru couldn’t wait to get into the batter’s box and quickly got the
hang of it, and now, she was venting her frustration at a 70 kmh
fastball.

Incidentally, the clothes she had just bought were in her shopping
bag. She had changed back to her easy-to-move hoodie and shorts,
her hair was in her usual short ponytail. She also seemed to have
wiped off her lip gloss in the bathroom.

“Aaahhh, I feel so refreshed. Batting cage is really fun, Chitose!”

“You’re a sports freak! Thanks to you, my original plan was ruined,

which was to show you my skill after you missed the ball
completely!”

“You want to show off your cool to Haru-chan ♡?”

“I just wanted to thank you for showing me a beautiful scene earlier.”

“Next time you dare to bring this up, I’m going to give you a full swing
to your heart ♡”

“There’s an important thing I forgot to tell… don’t swing your bat at

people, okay?”

While we were chatting, Yuuko and Kaito came back from the
vending machine to buy drinks. Kaito tossed two bottles of Pocari,
which Haru and I caught with one hand.

“Saku, aren’t you playing?”

“Unfortunately, I’m coaching today. Yuuko, do you want to try?”

“Yes!”

Yuuko answered cheerfully and entered the booth with full

enthusiasm. The mismatch between her elegant clothes and her
tattered, red helmet was strangely endearing. Holding up a
lightweight bat for elementary school students awkwardly, she
looked like she was shooting for a fashion magazine.

A photo shoot where the setting was “Today is my first date with a
baseball player. Aim for a gap by wearing a mature style of
dress~♡ ” or something like that.

As a side note, Haru borrowed a free batting glove and was swinging
an adult bat excitedly.

Buzz, click, click, click.

The arms of the automatic ball launcher rotated before a ball flew
into the air.

“Ha!”

Yuuko yelled with great energy and her swing fell short. Perhaps
because of too much excitement, her body spun around and she fell
on her butt. Her slightly oversized helmet slid off and she scratched
her cheek in embarrassment

She looked so cute that I chuckled.

“You see, Haru-chan. Girls are supposed to…”

“No need to say it, I’m thinking the same thing!” Haru, who was
standing beside me, scowled.

I turned to Yuuko. “You should hold the bat shorter, above your
shoulder. Twist your body like you were playing tennis and hit the
ball.”

“Gotcha!”

After I used tennis as an example, she seemed to grasp the image of

it a little better. Her stance was much more correct than it had been
earlier.

Buzz, click, click, click.

Knock.

The ball grazed the bat and it flew.

“I did it!”

“You’re almost there. Your swing was a bit too quick, next time you
should try to hit it higher.”

“Okie~”

Buzz, click, click, click.

Clang.
This time, the ball was successfully hit at the centre of the bat, and it
went over the automatic ball machine.

“Yay! Did you see that, Saku?”

“Perfect.”

“Hehehe, this is the power of love.”

I looked at Yuuko who was making a victory sign with a big smile on
her face. I then turned to Haru beside me.

“Look, Haru-chan…”

“Aaah, it’s so noisy here!”

She said, huffing and puffing as she walked towards the 80 km

hitting zone, which was faster than the speed in her current booth.

That side of her was somehow very Haru.

Part 4

After having a lot of fun in the batting cage center, we went to the
nearby Hachiban Ramen for a slightly early dinner as usual.
How much do Fukui’s people love Hachiban? Is there no other place
to eat?

I ordered the usual large Karamen with extra scallions and double
size gyoza, Yuuko had the creamy salt-flavoured vegetable ramen,
Haru had the a vegetable ramen with pork bone and fried rice, and
Kaito had vegetable C-set ramen with a large bowl of pork bone and
fried chicken. Incidentally, I was only going to order a regular size
gyoza, but changed it to a double after hearing Haru and Kaito’s
order. They definitely would make me share my portion with them.

Our order arrived, and we chatted leisurely while eating. And just as I
predicted, Haru and Kaito took three gyoza each from mine.

“By the way,” Haru spoke up. “Chitose, do you like Nishino-senpai?”

“”Eeeeeh!?””

—PFFFFFTTT!

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Hearing those abrupt words from someone I didn’t expect, I choked

as the water I was drinking entered my bronchial tubes.

“
Ack
, that’s disgusting. Here, wipe your mouth clean.”

Haru scrubbed my face with a hand towel.

“Can you stop wiping me like you were removing stubborn dirt with a
rag?”

“So, did I hit the nail on the head?”

“You’re unusually persistent, aren’t you?”

The situation had come to this point, of course, the other two were
naturally reluctant to remain silent.

“What? What does it mean? I haven’t heard anything about that!”

Yuuko, who was sitting next to Haru, leaned forward.

Kaito who was sitting next to me saw her reaction and also leaned
towards me with a serious look.

“Oi, Saku, are you serious?”

“You’re the one who acts serious here. Chill, I haven’t said a word
yet.”

I took another sip of water to calm down and asked Haru. “Why are
we talking about this all of a sudden?”

Haru dipped the gyoza she had snatched from me into the sauce
before replied.

“I just thought it’s weird that you didn’t crack any stupid jokes when
you have a beautiful senpai right in front of you.”

“You don’t need to include that ‘stupid’ part, y’know?”

“Besides, I’ve seen you two a few times over a year. You were sitting
on the riverbank chatting intimately after school. I’ve never seen your
face like that at any other time.”

So that’s how it was. Well, we weren’t meeting in secret, so it wasn’t

surprising that anyone could spot us together.

Yuuko, who had been leaning forward, slumped her shoulders and
looked down.

Kaito turned his whole body towards me. “Oi, Saku!”

“…Please calm down. Don’t make things look complicated.”

Yeah, now is a good time to explain. After all, they’re also worried
about me.

“I met her by chance last year after I quit the baseball club. At that
time, you guys didn’t ask me the reason out of consideration of my
feelings, right?”

Yuuko finally lifted her head. Perhaps feeling relieved, Kaito returned
to his seat and answered.

“Back then, you had this aura of not wanting to talk about anything.”

“That’s right. I didn’t want to show you guys how weak I was. Even if
it wasn’t the case, Yuuko looked like she was about to cry every
day.”

Remembering those days made me smile, but Yuuko looked a bit

miffed.

“That’s because Saku at that time was totally different from usual!
You didn’t tell me anything, and I didn’t know how to make you feel
better…”

“I understand. I’m glad for your thoughtfulness, and I think I would

still have dodged the question even if you had asked. For me, you
guys are part of my everyday life. It’s just that… part of me still wants
to find a place where I can shout ‘The King’s ears are donkey ears
[9]’.”

Under the table, Haru’s toes brushed against my Stan Smith.

“So, you found that place in Nishino-senpai?”

“She’s an outsider, and maybe because she’s a senpai, I’m able to

show a more childish side than usual.”

To put it simply, I’ve become dependent on her.

I could tell her anything, and she would listen to my every single
word, and would always respond with words that enlightened me.

Haru looked out the window, giving a somewhat wistful gaze. “I see.”
Yuuko, who was beside her, also had a complicated look on her
face.

“It’s frustrating, but I’m grateful to Nishino-senpai for restoring Saku’s

spirit.”

After everyone had accepted my explanation, I slurped the rest of my

noodles.

Part 5

Yuuko said that her mother was going to pick her up from a nearby
convenience store with a car, so we split up in front of Hachiban
Ramen.

As Haru’s home was in the other direction, Kaito and I parted with
her and rode our bicycles side by side.

After some silence, Kaito spoke up first.

“Sorry Saku, I got a bit too heated there.”

“No worries, I’m used to seeing you like that.”

“Your words are too mean!”

“Kaito.” I said. “Unless you’re the one who tells me, I’ll pretend I don’t
know anything, okay?”

Kaito was silent for a while, like he was trying to figure out what that
meant. Then he looked at the bright red sky in the distance, opened
his mouth somewhat somberly.
“Don’t you know, Saku? The race doesn’t start until someone fires
the pistol.”

“If you’re not on the starting line, you can’t start running even when
the gun is fired.”

“From the beginning, only one person has the right to be in this
race.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a passionate guy?”

“Passionate guys are not a trend these days.”

We were approaching the intersection. A little further down the road,

we would say goodbye to each other and go in opposite directions.

Just to be sure, I said again.

“If you keep playing nice, you’ll end up being a convenient guy.”

“If there’s someone who thinks that I was convenient, I would punch
them right in the face.”

“Yeah sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“I know you said those words for my sake.”

“Hey Kaito, you like me, don’t you?”

“I like you guys.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Heh.”

And we smiled.

“Bye, Saku.”
“Bye, Kaito.”

I turned my back to the T-junction without looking back.

The path I had come and gone, the path Kaito had gone, I wondered
if our paths would overlap or collide again someday. But for now, I
decided not to think about it.
Part 6

After school on Monday, I was heading to the rooftop as I had

nothing else to do.

I didn’t really have a purpose going there, I just thought that lying
down and looking up at the blue sky would make me feel like I was
floating on the sea, washing away the dust that clung to my mind.

I thought so casually, but when I turned the doorknob, the door was
apparently unlocked. It seemed that someone had arrived before
me.

It was either Kura-sensei or Asu-nee.

As I thought this, I opened the door and found that the answer was
both.

Kura-sensei was sitting in his usual spot by the water tower, smoking
a cigarette in a relaxed manner, while Asu-nee was sitting next to
him, looking absent-minded. I knew that he was her homeroom
teacher in the first grade, but this was the first time I saw the two of
them talking together like this.

When she noticed me coming, she waved her hand with a somewhat
awkward expression.

Kura-sensei just went with his pace as usual.

“Yo, the second-generation rooftop cleaner.”

“Are you talking about something important? I can leave if I’m

disturbing you.”

“No, we’re mostly done talking. Come on up.”

I climbed up the ladder and sat down next to Asu-nee.

Kura-sensei pressed his cigarette against the portable ashtray, then

immediately pulled a crumpled pack of LUCKY STRIKE out of his
breast pocket. He lit the cigarette before speaking in a casual tone.

“There will be an interview with Asuka’s parents and she seems to

have decided to stay.”

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what he meant by that.

I was at a loss when Asu-nee reacted. “Wait, Kura-sensei!”

“He’ll find out sooner or later anyway, or perhaps you don’t want a
kouhai who admires you to know about this decision?”

“…That’s not it…”

Through their conversation, I finally figured out what was going on. In
other words, Asu-nee had decided to stay in Fukui instead of Tokyo
after graduation.

Kura-sensei continued. “She wants to be a Japanese Literature

teacher. Well, if you want to live in Fukui, it’s not the wrong choice.”

“A Japanese teacher who is the embodiment of wrong is not

qualified to say that.” I joked.

Why did Kura-sensei bring this up? Why did Asu-nee stay silent?
And what kind of response did they expect from me?

“Chitose, what did she tell you?”

I glanced at Asu-nee. Her head was down, hiding the expression on

her face.

Remembering the dream she had told me the other day, I wondered
what I should do.
Was it okay for me to say it without her permission?

Naturally, the answer is no.

Asu-nee should be the one to decide whether or not to tell Kura-

sensei. And perhaps, she wanted me to be the only person who
knew about her dream since it was something important to her.

However…

If that was the case, why didn’t Asu-nee stop him from asking? She
was not the kind of student who would be afraid to refute a teacher.
Besides, she had known him for a long time.

And why did Kura-sensei ask me this? Although he was a hopeless

old man, he wasn’t the type who never took his students’ feelings
into consideration.

Probably for some reason, both Asu-nee and Kura-sensei had hit a
dead end and were stuck in the middle of something, unable to move
forward or backward.

If that was the case, what they wanted from me was…

“Doesn’t she want to go to Tokyo? To become a novel editor?”

––This was the right response.

Asu-nee’s body trembled slightly, and Kura-sensei let out a sigh.

“I thought so.”

He put out his cigarette and stood up, slipping on his setta sandals
which he had taken off and set aside earlier.

“Listen, Nishino, I’m not going to tell you what to do. I won’t interfere
if the student has already made their decision.
If it’s your own decision, that is.
 I told you that when I gave you the key to this place. I’ve entrusted
this key to you because you have more freedom than most people
but also less freedom than anyone else. You should rethink what
those words mean again.”

Asu-nee nodded, and for a moment Kura-sensei gave me a look that

seemed to mean something. He then climbed down the ladder as if
nothing had happened.

More freedom than many but also less freedom than many.

Can I find the right answer?

The lonely wind blew over Asu-nee, and all I could do now was to
gently support her back.

Part 7

We were sitting side by side on the riverbank near the usual

watergate.

Putting a wireless earphone in one end, we were listening to a

familiar song.

It seemed like a long time since we had spent time here together like
this. I told Kaito and the others that Asu-nee was an outsider, but
without realising it, she had long since become a part of my
everyday life.

I smiled, finding that funny and endearing.

Asu-nee took off her earphone and looked at me with a sulking face.

“How can you tell Kura-sensei?”

“Because you both wanted me to say it.”

“That’s so cheeky of you…” she pulled off my earphone. “…But I’m

glad you’re here.”

I pretended not to notice her fragile tone and responded. “Speaking

of which, why did you consult with Kura-sensei?”

“Aside from being your homeroom teacher, he’s also in charge of

career counselling for third graders.”

“So he’s that good, huh? When I look at Kura-sensei, sometimes I

think that no matter what path he chose, he would still be doing well.”

Asu-nee laughed.
What a clumsy acting.
“Yeah, to feel lost in a college path—–“

“But…” I cut her off, not letting her continue, “Whatever the reason, I
think it is because Kura-sensei is walking down the path he has set
for himself. That old man probably loves his job as a teacher and is
fully committed to it.”

“…Hmm.”

“Is there anything you want to tell me?”

“…Well, you’ve already heard it anyway,” she told me while

stretching her body. “To be honest, my parents, especially my father,
are very much against it.”

“They’re against your plan to study in Tokyo?”

“Yeah. Didn’t I tell you before? Our family is very strict. Forget about
going to Tokyo to pursue my dream of becoming an editor, they won’t
even let me leave Fukui in the first place.”
It was the kind of story that could be heard everywhere. That’s why it
was hard to make decisions.

At the end of the day, we were still children. And children couldn’t
ignore their parents’ opinions.

“Asu-nee, what about your determination?”

“You already know, right?”

Of course I do
. There wouldn’t be any objection from her parents if she didn’t tell
them about what she thought. Asu-nee continued to talk in an
indifferent tone.

“There is nothing I can do about it. After all, they’ve been raising me
until this point, and they’re really stubborn too. If there is no point in
discussing it any further, I thought it would be better to change my
mind sooner rather than later. Besides, if I stay in Fukui, we can
always go on dates y’know~”

I sighed heavily when I saw her trying to act cheerful.

“I don’t want those kinds of dates. Also, it’s not like you to just give
up like that.”

When Asu-nee heard me say that, she looked a bit depressed and
muttered. “
‘Not like me’
? What does that mean? Isn’t that just an illusion that you’ve
imposed on me?”

She stood up, as if to distance herself from me. She took a step or
two forward while staring at the river.

What did I mean when I said ‘not like her’? Did I really impose my
own ideal onto her?
Like how she was far more mature than myself, someone that was
free, gentle, and strong just like her name suggested.

The real Asu-nee is an ordinary high school girl who gets upset,
confused and depressed.

“I told you, you’re glorifying me. Nishino Asuka is just an ordinary

girl, like a castle that was made with paper. At home, I’m just a good
girl who can’t even disobey my father. I always know that the day
where I’ll disappoint you will come anyway, so—-“

However, there was one thing I was certain of.

I stood up and walked quietly towards Asu-nee who was still talking.

Towards a fragile back that seemed could break and disappear at

any moment, a beautiful back which I always admired…

—-I kicked it down.

“Kyaa!”

SPLASH!

With a cute voice and a loud splash, she fell into the river.

The water was not deep enough to drown her, but she must have
panicked because it happened so suddenly. She was flapping her
hands and wriggling around. By the time she finally calmed down
and stood up, her whole body was completely soaked and covered
in mud.

“Huh? What are you doing?” Asu-nee looked up at me with a

confused look.

I took a deep breath and said, “Enough with that mushy stuff! And
you call yourself an illusion? If you keep being wishy-washy you’re
better off becoming an earthbound spirit of a drowned woman!”
Asu-nee retorted in an angry voice, which was very unusual for her.

“What? You’re the one who called me an illusion in the first place.
You impose your ideal on me, going as far to tell me that you admire
me. So, you finally realize that you are disillusioned? Isn’t that what
you hate most?”

“Wrong.” I said firmly.

Yes, I was convinced at this moment.

“At that time, I was struck by your smiling face, soaking wet like you
are now just to make those children happy. And that’s the moment I
began to admire you.”

“I just happened to be there…”

“Yes, even if it was the case, it wasn’t a coincidence. You always

lived like that from the beginning. Even if I never met you and you
weren’t a senpai that I admire, you will always be free, kind and
strong.”

“You’re wrong, I did that because….”

“It doesn’t matter what the reason is, your words reached me and
filled the void in my heart. You, of all people, shouldn’t shrug it off so
easily.”

“….Do you only see the world in black and white?’

I grinned.

“I honestly still don’t know the difference between pushing an illusion

and admiring someone. However, the only thing I’m sure of is that I
can say far more good things about Asu-nee than she can about
herself.”

I held out my hand to her. “Isn’t that good enough?”

Her eyes were frozen as she looked at me, and then a smile like a
flower blooming appeared on her face. Wiping away water on her
eyes, which I could not tell if it was from the river or tears from
laughing so hard, she opened her mouth.

“As I thought, you’re my hero no matter what~”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Asu-nee is my hero.”

She held my outstretched hand, “Ei!” Then without a warning, she

pulled me over.

“Whoa!”

SPLASH!

I fell headfirst into the river.

“Hey!”

“Ah, it’s dangerous to open your mouth!”

Asu-nee splashed water towards me.

“Cough, it’s dirty!”

“I’ve already warned you~”

“You should warn me before you throw water on me!”

“I didn’t know you had such slow reflexes.”

“Alright, don’t move. I’ll turn you into a real ghost right now and add
you to the Fuji High Seven Wonders!”

So we splashed each other with water for a while and went wild.

Splat, splat. Hahaha

Splat, splat. Hahaha.

We were running around, playing happily like children.

The droplets of light reflected diffusely on the soaring water,
glistening and coloring this moment. As if going back to that day, as
if heading toward tomorrow.

“Hey!” Asu-nee said with a big smile on her face. “Can I hug you?”

“Wh—?”

Before I could continue, I was hugged tightly from the front. It wasn’t
like a romantic hug between lovers, but rather an innocent one like a
little girl jumping on her father.

So I patted her on the head.

She smelt like a crayfish I caught when I went fishing as a child.

“Asu-nee, you stink!”

“You stink too!”

“Do you have a gym uniform?”

“No.”

“I don’t have one either. How am I going to get home?”

“Just go home while riding the wind.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

I pulled Asu-nee away from me, who was clinging to my body and
refused to leave. The smile that she showed me was bright and
dazzling.

“If you can’t live beautifully, it’s the same as dying, isn’t it?
I’ll try to do as you do, like a marble floating in a ramune bottle.”
“You don’t have to be like me, just be the way you are now. If you
want to pursue a career where you can convey your heart to others,
let your own words reach your father’s heart first.”

Then we walked home together, with water dripping all over our
bodies.

The path we had stepped on formed a trail, just like the road Hansel
and Gretel walked on in the story.

Passers-by looked back at us with puzzled looks on their faces, but

Asu-nee and I continued to giggle as if we didn’t care about that.

Seeing her walk into the house with a refreshed expression on her
face, I somehow knew that she would be alright.
Yeah, everything is gonna be fine.

Part 8

“Wait a minute, what does that mean?”

The next day after school, I went to the staff office to deliver the
questionnaires I collected as class president.

It was already 6pm and it was my fault for forgetting the deadline, but
it was also because I had to spend a lot of time catching up to the
members of the sports club who had not turned in their
questionnaires.

I was going to leave them on the desk and go home since Kura-
sensei was not there, but I saw him sitting in the meeting area in the
corner. When I went up to him to say hello, this conversation jumped
into my ears.
“Asuka is going to enter Fukuoka University and become a civil
servant.”

The result was that I rushed over to them and shouted out the
question I just said.

The eyes of three people in the meeting area were all on me. On the
opposite side of the sofa sat Kura-sensei, and on the other side sat
Asu-nee with a man dressed in a straight suit.

He was slender and tall, with a straight back. His tie was tight and
seamless, giving the impression of a successful adult.

Through his silver-rimmed square glasses, his intelligent and cold

eyes were observing me.

Asu-nee lowered her head, as if she was ashamed of something.

“Ah, Chitose.” Kura-sensei, whose appearance was the complete

opposite of the man across from him, greeted. “Good work, You can
leave the questionnaire and go home.”

“But….”

“I said you can go back. What right do you have to join this
discussion?”

“…!”

The tone of his words left no room for debate. And what Kura-sensei
said was completely correct.

No matter how I thought about it, I was not qualified to say anything
here.

I bit my lip and was about to turn back when…

“So it’s you,” said the man who was sitting on the opposite side.
“You’re the one who’s been planting the strange idea on Asuka’s
head.”

He pushed his silver-rimmed glasses back with his index finger and
gave me a long, hard look.

“It’s all right, Iwanami-sensei. If he is so inclined, he can join us.”

“Father!”

Kura-sensei mentioned that there would be an interview with

parents, I guess he meant today. Seeing Asu-nee’s behaviour, I
could see what kind of relationship she had with her father. Normally,
interviews like this would be held in an empty classroom. I wonder if
it was because of overtime or something that made them have a
discussion here. Oh well, it didn’t matter now.

“I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Chitose Saku, I’m a kouhai

who is often helped by Asuka-san.”

I sat down next to Kura-sensei without hesitation.

The man opposite me raised an eyebrow and stared at me without

smiling.

I couldn’t accept what he had just said.

Asu-nee hung her head, looking more and more ashamed, and
beside me, Kura-sensei sighed dramatically. I ignored both of them
and looked at the father.

If I looked away, I would never be able to say anything to him face to

face again.

Kura-sensei sighed once more before opening his mouth. “Well,

Nishi.”
“It’s Nishino-san. Please don’t mix public and private matters. I’m
expecting better from the teacher who is supposed to be in charge of
Asuka’s career counselling.”

“You’ve always been a stick in the mud. So, Nishino-san, have you
discussed this decision carefully with your daughter?”

“There is no need for further discussion. I know Asuka better than

anyone, and this is the conclusion I reached after careful
consideration of her happiness.”

“──pfft.”

I snorted, and Asu-nee’s father looked at me.

“Yes, Chitose-kun? You seem to have something to say.”

I cleared my throat and responded to his words. “Sorry. You know

why Asuka-san wants to go to Tokyo, don’t you?”

“I heard she wanted to be an editor.”

“Can she really be happy if her dream is ignored?”

Asu-nee kept her head down as I spoke. Her hands were on her
knees, clutching her skirt.

Asu-nee’s father responded in a very dismissive tone.

“Dream, huh? What a convenient word. Youngsters nowadays act

like they are free to make a choice as long as they use that word.
Did Asuka tell you the reason?”

“She wants a career where she can convey her feelings through
words.”

“In that case, I’ll ask you. Can’t a Japanese teacher do that? Or
maybe Librarian? These are jobs where you can communicate with
others through words too. And they can be done in Fukui.”

“That’s…”

I couldn’t argue with him and fell silent.

“If she were to become an editor, do you know what the odds are for
her to succeed?”

“I think the competition would be very tight.”

“For a well-known major company, it is not unusual for the ratio of

applicants to be a hundred times as high. Thousands of graduates
apply for the job, and only a few are hired. We don’t live in a sweet
world where you can just get a job by saying that you like them.”

“…..Well, maybe she could start out with small jobs and work her
way up?”

“What makes you think other applicants won’t think the same way?
No matter which path to take, it’s still a difficult one to follow. To
make Asuka’s vision become reality, the minimum requirement is
that she should apply to the novel department which is constantly
making a decent profit, and there are only a limited number of such
publishers.”

“But….”

“Are you trying to say that pursuing a dream is not a waste of time? If
she went into a small editorial publisher and was overwhelmed by
the low pay and heavy workload, it would be too late to regret it
when no one wants to hire her for another job. Chitose-kun, will you
be able to take responsibility when the time comes? Will you support
Asuka?”

I realized that I was still so naive.

He was not tying her hands solely because of his parental
selfishness. He wasn’t lying when he said that he was thinking about
her happiness.

“
Don’t turn your hobby into a job
. Although it may sound cliché, it is actually true. If the harsh realities
of the world turn your hobby into a nightmare, it’s better to treat
reading as a hobby.”

Seeing my lack of response, the father continued in a nonchalant

manner.

“If she stays in Fukui and something happens, she still has a home
to come back to. With Asuka’s ability, she can pass the civil service
exam. And later, if she finds a suitable partner and starts a family,
she will be happy for the rest of her life. Is it wrong for parents to
expect that?”

However, I would not back down.

If I gave in at this point, I was afraid that this was how Asu-nee’s
future would be decided.

Whatever I say, I have to carry on.

“When I was at a low point in my life, when I was looking at the dark
clouds in the sky every day, it was Asuka-san words that saved me. I
believed she was strong enough to squeeze through that narrow
door.”

“How many people do you think believed they could get into Fuji
High School but failed? How many baseball kids believe they could
be a professional baseball player but have to give up in the end?
Confidence without concrete ground is no different from delusion.”

“──!”
Those words hit me right in the gut.

At this time last year, I was feeling so confident that I couldn’t

imagine myself giving up on baseball like this.

“Listen, Chitose-kun. If it is the responsibility of parents to respect

their children’s will, it is also the responsibility of parents to teach and
guide their children. I have already had this conversation with Asuka,
and neither of you can refute what I said.”

From a father’s perspective, everything he said was correct. I

couldn’t help but think so. Of course, what he said was not the only
correct answer, but one of the many.

When there were multiple correct answers, who would have the right
to choose one? It would be someone who was held accountable for
their choices.

I could argue all I wanted, but if he said, “What’s that got to do with
you?”, then it was a checkmate.

──What right do I have to join this discussion?

“You seem to be a reasonable person,” said the father to me. “Do

you see where this conversation is going? Asuka has always been a
smart child, and she has never once disobeyed me as long as
there’s logic behind it. I’m surprised that she’s so adamant this time,
perhaps this is because of your influence, Chitose-kun?”

No──that’s what I wanted to say. I was just giving her a push for the
feeling that was already in there.

Asu-nee’s father went on.

“I see. If it had been a discussion between you and your parents, you
might have had a different perspective, Chitose-kun.” He paused at
this point and looked at Asu-nee, who remained silent. “But this is
our family matter.”

There was nothing more I could say. Kura-sensei then put his hand
on my shoulder.

“Then let’s put Fukuoka University as her first choice

for now
.”

Asu-nee’s father twisted the corners of his mouth. “I thought it was

settled.”

“Don’t underestimate how fast these kids can grow up. You know
Nishi, that pupa can turn into lions after one night, that’s how they
are.”

“It’s Nishino-san. You really haven’t changed at all, Kura.”

“And you’ve changed, you’ve become this stubborn father who

insists on his own opinions.”

“Just continue to be a teacher and you will understand one day.”

With those words, Asu-nee’s father got up from the sofa and left the
meeting area.

Asu-nee followed suit, “I’m sorry.” She muttered those words as she
passed me, “It seems the Asu-nee that you saw in me is just an
illusion after all.”

──You gotta be kidding me.

The sound of her footsteps faded away as the words she just said
kept playing in my head.
Part 9

I couldn’t get up from the sofa when Kura-sensei approached me.

“Chitose, are you free after this?”

“…Yeah, I am.”

“Let’s have a drink together.”

“What?”

I was waiting for Kura-sensei a little distance from the school,

thinking it would be bad if someone saw a student getting into a
teacher’s car in the school area.

As if to mirror my feeling, the dreary, gloomy rain that had been

falling since this morning fell onto my body.

If the rain had been heavier, it would have been easier to just let the
rain drenched me, but it was not strong enough. That being said, the
rain wasn’t too weak either for me to stand around with nothing in my
hands, and it would be too hastle to take out an umbrella now.

Beep
. The sound of a lazy horn was heard.

When I looked at the direction of the sound, I saw Kura-sensei’s blue

Racine with its directional lights on stopped nearby.

I opened the passenger door to find a convenience store bag full of

trash sitting on the seat, so I tied it up and tossed it into the back
seat. The plastic bag hit other bags that must have met the similar
fate, making a scraping sound.

“You should get yourself a girlfriend to help you with the cleaning.”
“You’re really a kid. If I had a woman like that who was willing to be
with me, I wouldn’t have made such a mess in the first place.”

“Don’t you think the reason why women won’t approach you is that
you’re a self-deprecating old man who ignores this tragic life?”

“Well… This is a question of whether the chicken or the egg comes

first.”

“Just clean up the car first!”

After dropping the handbrake, shifting into D and turning off the
hazard lights, the Rachine car took off.

The interior of the car was the same blue colour as the body,
perhaps it was customized. The old-fashioned third hand moved in
time with the accelerator.

After driving for about five minutes, Kura-sensei parked his car in a
coin-operated parking lot in front of Fukui Station. As I followed his
lazy steps, a familiar logo of a red lantern on a blue neon sign
appeared in front of me.

“Are you
really
bringing a student to Akiyoshi?” I asked in disbelief.

“When it comes to having a drink in Fukui, this is the place, of

course.”

Akiyoshi was a chain of yakitori[10] restaurants known as the soul

food of Fukui residents along with Hachiban ramen, sauced pork
cutlet bowl, and grated soba. Some people said that Fukui was
Japan’s largest consumer of yakitori. However, whether that was true
or not, Akiyoshi was definitely playing an important part in the
yakitori industry.
As we enter the shop through the automatic door, we are greeted by
the waiter in a cheerful voice.”

“Welcome, Shachō-san[11]!”

This, by the way, was Akiyoshi’s specialty. From elementary school

students to grandparents, all men were called “Shachō-san” and
women were “Ojō-san”.

We sat at the counter after being led by the waiter.

“I’m wearing a school uniform, you know.”

“Don’t worry, people will think we’re brothers.”

“At least say father and son, you old man!”

A male waiter in an open-chest uniform and Japanese headband

came to take our orders.

“May I take your order?”

“A draft beer, do you want one?”

“You’re supposed to be a teacher and have to drive later.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll call a driver when I get back.”

“Then, I’ll have a ginger ale.”

“What a boring guy. Alright, for now, ten

shiro
, ten
junkei
, ten deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables, ten chicken skewers
with scallion, and a
pitorona
. Also, salt cabbage…”
Kura-sensei looked over at me.

“I’ll have a mix.”

“Yosh!”

The waiter replied energetically and relayed the order to the chef
behind the counter.

His orders might sound like a ridiculous amount, but Akiyoshi’s

yakitori was known by its size that even girls could eat in one bite, so
it was normal to order by the dozens.

Shiro
, by the way, was a soft pork intestine,
junkei
was chewy hen meat, and
pitorona
was a pork tenderloin. The salt cabbage was just raw cabbage on a
skewer, but you could choose from salt, soy sauce, or mayonnaise.
And the mix I ordered had both sauce and mayonnaise on it.

The beer, ginger ale and salt cabbage were served immediately and
we raised our glasses to toast.

Kura-sensei gulped down half of his beer happily, then he let out a
lazy puff before lighting his cigarette.

“So…” he spoke up, exhaling a smoke from his cigarette. “How do

you feel when the father of the senpai you admire said that you can’t
have his daughter?”

“I don’t remember asking his permission for marriage.”

“How does it feel to act as a hero only to get your ass handed to
you?”
“…I haven’t lost yet.”

“That’s a good answer.”

Kura-sensei nibbled on his crisp cabbage.

The waiter came and laid out ten skewers each of

shiro
,
junkei
, and
pitorona
on the silver heat-retention table in front of the counter.

A small plate of yakiniku sauce, mustard, and miso sauce was given
separately with each yakitori. This was another characteristic of
Akiyoshi. For example,
shiro
and chicken skewers with scallion were served with yakiniku sauce,
junkei
was served with mustard, and
pitorona
was served with miso sauce. By the way, I usually dip all types of
yakitori except for deep-fried skewered meat and
pitorona
in the yakiniku sauce.

The yakiniku sauce was added to the garlic paste on the table, so I
picked up the
shiro
and dipped it into the sauce before eating it in one bite. Although it
was a large intestine, it didn’t smell at all and my stomach digested it
easily, so I reached for a second one. I was quite hungry, perhaps
because of the tension I felt earlier.

I used to come here often with my family, but it had been about three
years since I last visited. Akiyoshi was not a place for high school
students to eat alone.

Kura-sensei dipped the

junkei
in mustard before chewing it. I also had a round of
junkei
and
pitorona
before opening my mouth.

“Kura-sensei, do you agree with what Asu-nee’s fath──I mean, what

Nishino-san said?”

“Do I seem to agree?”

“You look like you know each other.”

I didn’t mention it on the spot as it would be inappropriate for me to

bring it up during the interview, but it was clear that their relationship
was more than that of parent and teacher.

“Nishi was my homeroom teacher in high school.”

“So that’s why you had that kind of conversation.”

Considering that Fukui was always introduced as “the place with the
second lowest number of participants in the country” during
summer Koshien[12], it was not unusual for a teacher to reunite with
their former student who had now become a teacher. That’s why it
was also possible to have your former student teaching your
daughter.

“Although I am now a teacher at a top school, when I was a student,

my school life was rather rough. I wouldn’t go so far as to compare it
to Yan High, but at that time, every school had its share of outcasts,
the worst of the yankee class. And I was one of them.”
“Listening to an old man boasting about how he used to be a bad
boy is just plain lame.”

“What did you say, little brother?”

“I told you, we don’t look like brothers at all!”

It was hard to imagine from his current lazy attitude, but when I
asked Kura-sensei for help with Nanase’s stalker case, he had
caught Yanashita’s kick with ease, so it must be true that he had a
rough past as an outcast.

There was no point in prying further, so I went back to the first topic.

“Was Nishino-san the one who rehabilitated Kura-sensei at that

time? Was he used to being more compassionate and dedicated?”

“The first line is correct, but the second line is wrong. Nishi gave me
a chance to face my life seriously, but he used to be the kind of guy
who fought other people’s violence with his justice arguments.”

“I thought I could find his weak link for negotiation, but he turned out
to be exactly the same as the impression I got earlier.”

“Well…” Kura-sensei picked up the beef skewer and dipped it in the

mustard. “He wasn’t the kind of person who dismisses someone’s
decision just based on his logic. He used to tell me about how
miserable my life would be if I continued to live like that, and the only
thing that mattered is our will.”

“Our will, huh?”

“Nishi was also young back then. I don’t know if he became like this
because he’s gotten older and his mindset has changed, or he is so
strict out of love for his daughter, or if there’s another reason.”

“But he is right, isn’t he?”

When I said that, Kura-sensei grinned. “Your perspective is getting a
little bit broader. I thought you wouldn’t back down there and would
keep insisting on your point. Well, I was gonna kick you out if you did
that though.”

“I couldn’t do that. Because he wasn’t lying when he said that he was

thinking of his daughter’s happiness.”

“I agree.”

Kura-sensei ordered additional orders from the waiter; five

shiro
, five
junkei
, five
tan
(beef tongue), five
mino
(miso chicken), green pepper, grilled bean skin with mashed radish,
shochu
[13] and ginger ale before continuing the conversation.

“Teaching is not an easy job, Chitose.”

“Can you say that in a more convincing way?”

“Just listen to me.” He took a sip of the

shochu
he received from the waiter. “If I lived a normal life, I would only
have to be responsible for the life of one kid when they were born.
However, once I’m in this job, I’m responsible for the lives of dozens,
if not hundreds, of people every year.”

“That’s true.”

“The perfect situation would be for all students to graduate and fulfill
their dreams, but unfortunately, the world isn’t that kind. Behind the
shadows of the successful, there are countless setbacks, failures
and regrets… This job is to watch this process from the sidelines.”

“So, are you saying that students have to listen to the teachers?’

“Huh, no way!”

Kura-sensei snorted and took another sip of

shochu
.

“There are plenty of teachers out there, myself included, who have
neither the life experience nor the ability to teach and guide children.
But just as you and Nishino understand other people’s lives through
novels, teachers learn about human nature from their own students.”

I would not normally say this, but I

do
trust Kura-sensei and respect him a lot. I doubted there were many
teachers who watched their students as closely as he did.

In fact, his words really hit me home right now.

I raised a question that suddenly came to me. “Why did you want to
be a high school teacher?”

“Because this is heaven, a lot of fresh high school girls come here
every year.”

“Don’t say such a thing until you really go to heaven… Perhaps you
were influenced by Nishino-san? Something like you want to follow
the path of someone you admire since they’ve changed your life.”

“Nah.” He lit another cigarette and smiled slightly. “Even though I

was determined to lead a decent life, I didn’t want to be a teacher at
that time. But as it turned out, I didn’t have any other role models
than Nishi.”
“I see.”

“That’s how life is, everything doesn’t have to be dramatic.”

“Have you ever regretted being a teacher?”

“Of course I have. There are kids who are cunning but haven’t grown
up since elementary school, and kids who are capable but always
underestimate themselves. Every one of them is so full of youth that
nothing can stop them.”

“The former is not me, is it?”

“The amazing thing is that I haven’t once thought that I shouldn’t

have made this decision in the first place. This is the path I chose
and it’s my responsibility to prove it right.”

Those words made me think that this old man was really cool, but I
didn’t say it out loud.

He would be too drunk to remember tomorrow anyway.

“Okay, Chitose, I’ve had enough here. Now let’s go to the second
round, I’ll take you to the local titty parlor, ‘Don’t Make Me Take Off
My Blazer’ in Katamachi!”

“I’ll pass. I’ve already seen a beautiful bare-breasted high school girl
just recently.”

“I’m going to stab you in the fucking nostrils with this bamboo
skewer.”

“Please watch your language, remember that you’re a Japanese

Literature teacher.”

Afterwards, we had a good time chatting. We finally left the store

after eating Akiyoshi’s famous grilled rice balls and red miso soup.
Part 10

The next day, and the day after that, I didn’t get a chance to talk to
Asu-nee.

I tried to look for her at school as much as possible, and even waited
for her while reading a book on the riverbed, but I couldn’t find her. I
started to think that maybe she was deliberately avoiding me.

Today, three days after the interview, I was leaning against the glass
door of the school building, as I had been the other day, reading
“Territory of Love” by Yoshinaga Fujita, which I had recently bought
at a bookstore in front of the station.

The only thing different from that day was the sky was cleared up
today with the evening air faintly spreading.

I probably waited for more than two hours. I didn’t have to be overly
conscious since I wasn’t staring at anyone in particular, but I couldn’t
help but laugh at myself for acting like a stalker.

“Chitose?”

Suddenly, someone called my name. I raised my head to see

Nanase in a loose t-shirt and short pants, peering at me
curiously.

Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks were burning, and she really
gave an impression that she was a member of a sports club.

Somehow, her appearance looked so unreal that I was fascinated for

a moment.

“What are you doing in a place like this?”

I closed the novel I was reading after putting a bookmark in it and
responded casually.

“I’m waiting for someone.”

“Oh?”

“How about you? It’s still early for practice to end, isn’t it?”

“I lost a one-on-one duel with Haru, and the punishment is to buy

sports drinks.”

She was holding two plastic convenience-store bags which were full
with 500ml of Pocari in it.

“I can’t believe Misaki-sensei would allow you to duel during club

activities.”

“She said the competition is good to create a sense of rivalry. It is

also a change of pace for the team.”

“Why don’t you just buy a couple of big ones? You don’t have to buy
that many.”

“Because this is supposed to be a punishment… damn Haru.”

I couldn’t help but laugh as I imagined her smirking and specifying in

detail.

“It’s a code of ethics for sports club members. The loser has no right
to complain.”

“Hmph. Next time I’ll find her weak spot and finish her off.”

“Are we still talking about basketball?”

Nanase came over to me and lowered the plastic bags on the

ground. Rummaging through one of the bags, she pulled out a bottle
of Pocari and pressed it against my cheek.

“Here, take this.”

“Is this your way to invite me to do an exercise together until we

sweat?”

“No way. This is just my way of showing mercy to my ex-boyfriend

who is standing here with a sad look.”

“Do I look like that?”

“──Yeah, because we are similar.”

I chuckled as I heard those familiar words. “Geez, I wish we had

never broken up.”

“That’s why you should face your feelings properly before you regret
it.”

She seemed to have seen right through me.

“You’re such a nice girl, Yuzuki.”

“Thanks, Saku.”

After saying this, Nanase lifted the two bags on the ground before
disappearing toward the gymnasium.

As I gulped down the precious Pocari in my hand…

──
Knock, knock.

There was a tap on the back of my head.

I didn’t have to turn my head to know that it was Asu-nee.

However, as I turned around, her pouty face wasn’t something that I
had expected.

Asu-nee was obviously upset.

“You ruined it!”

“What?”

“The setting is supposed to be like this;

walking to the shoe lockers, I accidentally see your back. I was
feeling scared, sad, but also somewhat relieved.
Take a look!”

“….Knock, knock.”

“Asu-nee!”

“I really can’t run away from you, can I? But I also want to talk to you
again, let’s go to the usual place…”

“It should go like that!”

“How was I supposed to know?”

After I said that, she looked even more pissed.

“How could you do that? You really dare to flirt with your classmate
even though you were supposed to be waiting for your lovely senpai!
Thanks to that, I missed my chance to appear and only watched
nervously from the sideline!”

“Calm down Asu-nee, your character image is falling apart.”

Cough
, Asu-nee cleared her throat before returning to her usual calm
expression.

“As I thought, I really can’t run away from you, can I? But I also want
to talk to you again, let’s go to the usual place…”

“Isn’t it too late to wear a serious face now?”

Part 11

As soon as we arrived at the usual riverbank, Asu-nee spoke up.

“I’m sorry to have caused you trouble.”

“I asked for it, you don’t have to worry.” Seeing her head still hanging
low, I continued. “I’m the one who should apologise. To be honest, I
was reckless for breaking in like that.”

“That’s one of your good points.”

“No, it’s not good at all. Who am I to give advice for a father who
raised his daughter with love?”

Asu-nee smiled shyly, still looking down. “He’s not a bad person.”

“I know. If he was, I wouldn’t have backed down at that time. You

have a good father.”

“If you say so, then he really is.”

She must have known for a long time. And because she understood
that, she could draw a clear line.
Actually, it would be easier if she could be more honest to herself. A
lot of children would ignore the logic and stubbornly push their
arguments, and some parents would eventually give in and accept
their kids’ decision.

However, Asu-nee was different.

She was thinking about the debt she owed her parents for raising
her, the logic behind her father’s argument, and other practical
issues such as money.

“But…” I said. “You can’t give up on your dream.”

Asu-nee looked at me, but said nothing.

“Your father’s words are true. Most people have to give up at some
point. But I don’t think that you should let someone else decide your
fate.”

“I really don’t want you to say that.”

The words leaked out spontaneously, and I smiled with as much

tenderness as I could muster. “Because I’m the only one who can tell
you that.”

“Sorry… I’m the worst, ain’t I?” She muttered with a downcast gaze.

I shook my head slowly. “It’s okay, you’re just a little tired. You need
to take care of yourself more, don’t worry about me.”

“I thought I could be like you.”

I felt a little guilty.

Asu-nee said she wanted to be like me, but if I were in her position, it
wouldn’t be a problem. After all, both my parents were the type who
easily allowed a high school student to live alone, so whatever I
chose in the future, whether it was to stay in Fukui or go to Tokyo,
they definitely wouldn’t interfere with my decision and would fully
support me.

So in a real sense, I couldn’t really relate to her problem.

I still had half the freedom even when I had abandoned my dream
and gave up halfway. However, those who chase their dreams did
not have such freedom like me.

The world was so unfair.

However, everyone could only move forward in their own way within
this unfairness.

I didn’t say anything, then Asu-nee opened her mouth.

“To be honest, I was happy when you relied on me, telling me that
you admired the way I live which looks free. I have always wanted to
be that kind of person, and I feel as if I have gotten a little closer to
my ideal. Thank you for recognizing me.”

I was about to reply, but she cut me off.

“However, as expected, I’m not good enough. I can’t be your role

model anymore. I don’t want you to get you involved in this matter
after you have managed to recover from a much more difficult
situation. Isn’t that the purpose of Asu-nee’s existence?”

A sad smile appeared on her face as she stood up.

Swoosh
. The twilight wind blew between us.

Not knowing if it was trying to take us back to yesterday that had

passed, or if it was heading for tomorrow.

──Asu-nee spoke as she held her fluttering hair over her left ear.
“So, let’s say goodbye here.”

“Asu-nee…”

“I’ll never forget the time we spent together, everything we talked

about here, the music we listened to together, and the first and last
date we had. I’ll always keep them in my album as a faint memory
where I spent my youth with a wonderful kouhai.”

Her back, which I always have admired, was moving away.

──You’re fucking kidding me.

Her words were playing over and over again in my head.

By the time I opened my clenched fist that was aching from pain, I
was completely lost in thought and didn’t notice that the night had
fallen.

Part 12

The next day, I somehow managed to get through the day despite
feeling like a limp, airless balloon.

I saw Asu-nee once in the library, but she was studying with Okuno-
senpai, which made me feel even more depressed.

Haru and Yuuko asked me “What’s wrong” many times, but it wasn’t
something I could talk to my friends about. In the first place, I was at
a loss as to whether I should do anything or not.

It was a problem that I shouldn’t get involved in unless Asu-nee

asked for my help.
──All I had left was the remnants of a small promise that I wasn’t
even sure if the other person still remembers.

After homeroom, as I was thinking that I wanted to clear my head, I

saw Kenta getting ready to go home, looking very excited.

I leaned over the desk and called him out.

“What are you looking so happy about? Are you going on a date?”

Kenta turned to me with a glowing smile and leapt towards me. “It’s
not a date, but a wedding, King! I’m going to pick up my bride!”

“I don’t understand.”

“Today is the release day of my favourite series, and it comes with a

limited bonus from the Animate store! Don’t you read it too, King?
It’s…”

The title of the book he mentioned was indeed a light novel that I
also had. In order to convince Kenta who was locked in his room, I
had read all the previous volumes so I could use them as a
conversation starter. And for some reason, I was hooked and starting
to look forward to new development in the story.

“Maybe I should go check it out too,” I muttered.

Kenta’s eyes lit up when he heard me.

“Really? Let’s go! There are a lot of interesting works that King
hasn’t read yet, so I’ll tell you everything about them! If you have any
illustrations that you like, I’ll be happy to lend them. You can take it
as my mission to spread greatness. Or if you want, I’ll even give you
a copy as a gift!”

“W-whoa!”

Is this the legendary otaku’s rapid speech that I often hear about?
So apart from buying multiple copies of the same book for reading,
storing, and displaying, they also bought one for their missionary
work, huh? Although the idea of buying a book for displaying was
already beyond my comprehension.

While I was feeling overwhelmed under Kenta’s pressure, Kazuki

approached us with a wry smile.

“What’s this fuss about?”

“Well, I heard Kenta’s going to an Animate store or something, so I

thought I’d tag along.”

“Really? I’ll come with you then, let’s have dinner on the way home.”

“Huh? Don’t you have any club activities today?”

“Yeah, but the club advisor is out for some reason.”

Kenta’s eyes got even brighter as he listened to our conversation.

“Seriously!? Let’s go, let’s go, with Mizushino too! I know you don’t
usually read light novels, so I can lend you a set of my
recommendations that you won’t want to miss! But it’s kinda sad
since you can’t feel the same excitement as I did when I chose great
books by intuition based on the illustrations and synopsis──”

“Yes, yes, we got it.”

Kenta tried to go on, but Kazuki and I dragged him away.

Just like that, the three of us arrived at the Animate store in front of
Fukui station.

I had wandered around this area with Kazuki and Kaito many times
before, but usually we only stopped for a meal, a loft in a department
store, MUJI, a trendy clothes store which was Kazuki’s favourite or a
general bookstore nearby. So this was the first time I had actually
visited such a store.

To be more precise, I was familiar with the blue exterior of the store,
but I was only aware of it as the place with a lot of gacha machines.

I thought that since it was Kenta’s favourite bookstore, it would look

more fierce and flashy, but this place also had shounen manga that
Kazuki and I usually read, so it was more like a bookstore that
specialized in manga, light novels and anime than an otaku’s store.

There were also some high school girls who didn’t look like an otaku
at all in this store.

When I tried to find the light novels Kenta mentioned, I had to go to

about four different bookstores to find it, but this place had
everything I needed.

I almost smacked the culprit in the head and asked why he never
told me about this store in the first place.

Kenta seemed to have gotten what he was looking for in a flash and
dragged me into the light novel section. He started to blabber.

Kazuki, who was sensing the danger, fled to the manga section.

“King, King, what about this novel?

‘I’m an otaku but before I knew it, I’m already part of the popular kids
!’”

“For the time being, I don’t want to read anything about ‘loner trying
to be popular’ type stories.” I commented with disinterest.

“How about the opposite genre? ‘

I’m so popular that my high school life is surrounded by beautiful
girls
.'”
“The title already sounds annoying, who the fuck would read that?”

“The author must think that you’re the least qualified person to say
such things.”

Part 13

On Kenta’s recommendation, I bought two novels and left the store.

“What do you guys want to eat?” I asked as I put the books in my

backpack.

“Hachiban Ramen or Katsudon?” Kazuki suggested.

“Are those the only two places in this town? Let’s eat something
different once in a while.”

For some reason, Kenta was following behind us instead of walking

side by side. “Should we go to Burger King?”

“Ahhh, that’s a good idea. After all, we can only eat that when we
come to the station.”

Kazuki agreed, and I had no objections either, so we walked towards

Happiring, a shopping mall right next to the station.

Soon we arrived at the first floor of the building, which was

characterized by a sphere reminiscent of a famous TV station. I
hadn’t been there yet, but I heard that the sphere was an 8K or
something, like an ultra-high resolution planetarium.

If I took my Asu-nee here, she might feel better. Somehow, that

thought crossed my mind. However, I quickly got rid of the idea since
it would be better to improve my mood first.
We went into the Burger King on the second floor and ordered a set
of bacon cheese burgers for me, a set of double cheese burgers for
Kazuki, and a set of teriyaki burgers for Kenta.

A sofa seat with a glass wall overlooking the station was empty, so
we sat down there and each of us began to eat.

“This is a strange combination.” Kazuki said, putting a single of

french fries into his mouth.

“That’s right.”

The person who responded was not me, but Kenta. Kazuki chuckled
and went on. “I never thought I’d hangout with Kenta after school like
this.”

“For real! If I still had been shut-in otaku, Mizushino would be one of
the people whose name I put on my murder list.”

“Well, I also looked down on Kenta at that time too.”

After Kazuki said that, I jumped into the conversation.

“It’s true, Kenta. This playboy who is faking as a prince here even
told me that you weren’t the type that belongs in a group like ours.
Something like how he didn’t discriminate, but he did differentiate.”

“Really? After we talked, I thought he is as cool as he looks, and I

almost fell in love with him!”

Kazuki responded in a light tone.

“Well, I’m the type who only cares about myself. Then my next
priority is cute girls, and then male friends that I like to hang out with.
Taking the trouble to bring out a shut-in otaku and adding him to the
group is not beneficial for me in any way.”

“I totally understand!”
“What the hell do you understand!?”

I spat at Kenta, who was easily convinced by his statements.

“Then again…” The skull-face went on. “I consider Kenta a friend

now. I don’t dislike people who try to move forward.”

“Aw…. I like you ♡”

“Kenta, do you want to go with me after this?”

“With my pleasure ♡”
“Don’t fall for it, that’s his modus operandi.”

I spoke sarcastically and the three of us laughed.

I suddenly thought of something so I changed the topic. “By the way

Kazuki, do you ever have a rebellious phase?”

“Nope, sounds like a hassle.”

“That answer is so like you.”

“Is that why you’ve been moping around all day?”

Kazuki, perhaps taking my silence as confirmation, laughed before

continuing.

“I’m not saying that people our age are adults, but we can think and
act for ourselves to a certain extent, and we want to do so. However,
there are some parents who give the utmost respect for their children
to decide their own lives, one of those are your parents, Saku.
Usually, most parents are stuck with the impression that their
children are still in elementary school.”

“Elementary school kids and high school kids are like nameko
mushrooms and namako (sea cucumbers), they’re completely
different.”

“Yes, they grow hair, learn to masturbate, and some even have sex.
But to parents, they’re just little brats that need to be taken care of
forever. Unless you fill that gap, it’s impossible to have discussions
between equals.”

Kenta looked a little guilty as he entered the conversation. “I can’t

really argue with that. After all, I’m still a little brat under my parents’
care.”

That’s right
. I then turned to Kenta.

“Well, here’s a guy who looks like the poster child for the rebellion
phase. When you started to lock yourself in your room, your parents
told you to go to school, didn’t they? But you still insisted on not
going, how did you feel at that time?”

Perhaps feeling ashamed, Kenta looked down as he answered.

“At that time, I just simply didn’t want to go to school… Now that I’ve
calmed down, if I should remember the times when I blamed my
parents, it would be the moment when I thought that I was the only
one who could understand my feelings.”

“I see.”

“Even if I can instantly see the right answer after I grow up, I would
still feel troubled, lost, and hurt. In the end, I may end up at the same
destination, but I don’t want to skip the process and be forced to
accept the right answers.”

“Because we’re still at the age where one heartbreak seems like the
end of the world.”

Kenta was getting more and more embarrassed, but I didn’t really
mean to tease him.

To be honest, I was struck by his words.

To those adults, we were the past, but in our hearts, it was the
present and the future.

So that’s what it’s all about.

“I suppose it must be a hindsight,” Kenta continued. “Even if what I

did was wrong, I got to be who I am now because I faced my feelings
head-on, and as a result, I was able to meet King and others. That’s
why I don’t feel any regret. Whatever choice I make, as long as it’s
really my own decision, it will help to shape the ‘me’ in the future…
I’m not very good at explaining.”

“I can’t believe that the guy who got dumped and used to be a shut-
in could come up with such a grand philosophy.”

“You don’t have to say that!”

Kazuki smirked as he listened to our discussion. “Kenta is really

interesting, Saku is right.”

“Told you.” After I said that, my expression turned serious. “It means
I’m more clever and smarter than you guys.”

“Hey, don’t lump me with Kenta.”

“Because you know how to draw a clear line from the beginning. For
example, when you know that you can’t become a professional
player, you won’t pursue it seriously. Or when you know it’s hopeless
to get a shut-in out of their houses, you just leave them alone. Or
when you realize that the girl you’re interested in won’t fall for you,
you just give up like that. It’s because you don’t want to feel hurt or
get confused, and that’s why you are so confident that you can
continue to have a smooth life.”

“Yeah, I’m aware that I don’t have that much passion.” Kazuki gave
me a sad smile. “But I don’t think I’m wrong to live like that. Although
I like watching people being so passionate to others, I don’t want to
forget who I am if I choose that path. I’d rather take the low-risk, low-
return option that’s within my reach than the high-risk, high-return
option that is beyond my capability.”

I thought of Asu-nee’s father.

I couldn’t accept what he said during the parent interview, but after
hearing similar statements from my trusty friends, I could finally
understand what he was thinking.

As Kura-sensei said, that man must have seen many students

swallowed up by high risks while doing his job as a teacher.

Kazuki summed up our discussion.

“But strangely enough, there are people in this world that always
take on high risk and get big rewards as a result. There must be
something
about those people,
something
that I definitely don’t have inside me.”

Unable to think of any words to reply, I looked down at the darkened

lane in front of the station.

The lights lit up those dinosaurs which worked as usual.

Part 14

That night, as I was lying in bed trying to sleep, a message appeared

from my LINE.

(Do you have a plan for tomorrow night?)

(Not really)

(Can I come over then?)

(Sure)

I closed my eyes, not responding to the sticker that arrived.

Part 15

“Hi!”

“Hi. What are you doing here?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Why does that sound ambiguous?”

The next Friday night, Nanase came to my house.

She must have come straight after her club activities were over. I let
her in and the sweet smell of antiperspirant wafted over me as she
passed by.

She put her sports bag in the corner of the room, a mischievous look
appeared on her face.

“I think it’s about time for me to check if there’s any sign of another
woman.”

“There’s not even a trace of you here.”

When I said that, she giggled before holding out a plastic bag. “I’m
thinking of eating dinner together. Here, I brought two portions of
beef bowl with green onion and egg.”

“That’s a very masculine choice. Don’t people usually ask for a

homemade meal when they come over, or at least something fancy
like pasta?”

“Well, someone already cooked a homemade meal before,

besides…” She paused and tilted her head, giving me a smirk. “Don’t
boys usually prefer this type of food?”

“You know it!”

I cut up some leftover carrots, daikon radish, and leeks to make a

proper miso soup as a side dish and put it on the table.

Nanase’s face lit up with joy then clasped her hands together in front
of her chest.

“Thanks for the food~”

“Thanks for the food.”

After drizzling the salad Nanase had bought with the sauce from the
beef bowl, I took a sip of the miso soup. I tried to use a lighter
seasoning than usual based on Yua’s recommendation, and it turned
out to be good.

“It’s so delicious, I feel warm~” Nanase, who was sipping the same
miso soup, commented. “If I live with you, I’m afraid I’ll be less and
less inclined to cook. That’s bad.”

“What’s bad is your plan to live with me.”

While I was putting the egg and the leeks on top of the beef bowl,
Nanase asked me.

“You didn’t answer during career counselling, but have you decided
where you are going after graduation?”

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about that at all.”

After hearing my answer, Nanase seemed a bit surprised, but a look

of understanding immediately appeared on her face.

“When I was still playing baseball, all I could think about was to aim
for Koshien. I thought that if I did well, I might get a call from a
professional. Even if it didn’t work out that way, I would probably go
to a college that has a strong baseball team.”

That day, perhaps Asu-nee was aware of my dream, and that’s why
she didn’t turn the conversation to me.

The idea of bringing an unknown school to Koshien, thus getting

popular and going straight to professional… It was naive, but I
seriously believed that I could make such a manga-like dream come
true.

“I see, so your mind is still stuck on summer break.”

“Sort of.”

Her description was perfectly fitting.

When my life stopped being about baseball, I couldn’t imagine what

my life was going to be.

I had spent the past year trying to cover up this void and make it
invisible, and it seemed like I had finally accomplished that.

However in the end, after removing the outside layer, there was still
a huge void underneath.

In the future, I had to find something to fill it.

Because it was something that I had experienced, I didn’t want to

see Asu-nee become like me.

Nanase didn’t press the question further, so I asked her back. “I

remember you said that you plan to leave Fukui for college.”

She swallowed the beef in her mouth before responding, “That’s

right.”

“Any specific reason?”

“Well, not really. Remember when I asked you not to tell my parents
about the stalker incident?”

“Yeah.”

At the time, I wasn’t thinking too much about it because that’s what
high school students normally did.

“I think I’ve lived up to almost all of my parents’ expectations, and I

have never caused them much worry either. But, you know, that kind
of thing is a little suffocating, isn’t it? At least in college, I want to try
to live on my own and be free. It’s only for that trivial reason.”

“Is it alright to decide only based on that?” Seeing a complicated look

on her face after I said that, I quickly added. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean
to say it was a boring reason or something.”

“I know Chitose, you’re not the kind of person who would say such a
thing. And it seems my guts regarding the reason you have been so
down lately is right.”

After saying that, Nanase cleaned up the table and quickly washed
all the dishes in the sink.

Wiping her hands with a towel, she then turned off the lights in the
room as if she was planning something.

She approached me, relying on the flickering light of her phone.

“Come with me.” She whispered in my ear.

The sweetness of her breath made my whole body shiver.

Then, she walked towards the bedroom with me following her from
behind. As soon as she opened the door, the light in her hand was
illuminating the room. She smiled sweetly to me as she turned on the
crescent moon-shaped light.
She sat down on the bed, patting the spot beside her.

The dim light emphasised her fair thighs. I sat down just like she
invited me to do, and she gently touched my neck.

The girls’ scent grazed the tip of my nose, which was different from
antiperspirant.

Nanase tilted her head slightly and….

─she strangled my neck.

“Now, spit it out.”

“Nanase-san, this is a Yua-chan’s speciality move. And what do you

want me to say!?”

“Tell me what’s bothering you right now.”

“But can I ask something first?”

“What is it?”

“What’s up with this setting?”

“Oh, I just thought that if you’re going to reveal something, it would

be better to do it in a darker atmosphere.”

“Be careful, or I’ll push you down again.”

“Nooo~♡”

Damn it, she successfully made my heart pound.

Part 16
Afterward, I told Nanase about Asu-nee’s situation, and that I wasn’t
sure what I should do to help her.

Nanase nodded and listened intently to every word I said.

Only after I finished talking about Asu-nee’s farewell words to me

days ago, I finally let out a sigh.

“Well, that’s how it is.”

From the moment she saw me standing at the school entrance,

Nanase must have noticed my mood.

And that’s why she came to my house like this. Even though she
didn’t say it, she must be worried about me.

“You know what…” Her voice became softer. “You’re even more
stupid than I thought.”

Huh?

“You pretend to be smart so it’ll be easier for you to take the lead,
but in reality, you’re just an idiot! You tend to over-complicate things
when something is bothering you, then skip over the process and do
something stupid!”

“You’re going to hurt Saku-kun’s heart…”

“If it were me or Mizushino in your shoes, we could handle it better.

But you, Chitose, can’t do it because you’re an idiot!”

Do you get what I’m trying to say?

The beautiful girl in front of me was tilting her head while giving me
that look.

“There is only one thing you can do from the beginning!”

Nanase grabbed me by the chest, as if to provoke me.

“──which is to kick the wall in front of you with all your might and
smash it down!”

Slap!
She hit my cheeks from both sides.
“Aren’t you a man? You’re Chitose Saku, aren’t you?”

I had to restrain myself from the urge to hug the girl in front of me.

“Or else…” She licked her lips. “I’ll push you down and eat you right
now ♡”

“Are you a predator or something?”

“Nanase, do you wanna stay the night?”

“That’s not your line!”

Looking at Nanase with a grin on her face, I felt like I was stupid for
being too upset.

We’re just kids to the eyes of adults anyway, so we might as well just
act like kids and do something reckless.

“Thank you, Nanase.”

“Hm.”

For a while, I just stared at that beautiful face with both of my cheeks
pressed firmly.

Part 17

“Oh no, did I just help a tough enemy?”

A soft sigh, muttered by someone, faded into the starry sky of the
countryside.
Part 18

SMACK, CLONK!

SMACK, CLONK!

The next Saturday at five in the morning.

Bathed in the freshly awakened sun, I was practising my pitching.

Even though it wasn’t that early, I felt nostalgic thinking back to my

morning practice at the baseball club.

SMACK, CLONK!

SMACK, CLONK!

For a while, I had been picking up pieces of pebbles so small they

couldn’t even be called small stones, and kept throwing them at a
single target.

SMACK, CLONK!

SMACK, CLONK!

Fortunately, it was a weekend morning, because if someone had

seen me like this, they would definitely regard me as suspicious.

SMACK, CLONK!

SMACK, CLONK!

After doing this for about twenty minutes, my action finally bore fruit.

The window on the second floor opened. At the sight of the figure
who was rubbing their sleepy eyes, I then took a deep breath.
“A new~ day~ has~ begun~”

I hummed a song that was usually played during radio exercise.

For about ten seconds, Asu-nee, who was confused, just stared
down at me.

“Huh? Kyaa!”

After realizing what was going on, she hurriedly pushed down her
bed-hair, holding up her smooth satin pajamas as if to hide her
breasts before disappearing under the window frame with a swoop.

After another ten seconds or so, she peeked her head out and
looked at me. Her hand was still pressing down her bed hair.

“W-What are you doing here?”

It was a quiet morning with no cars passing by, so I could hear her
clearly without raising our voices.

I almost laughed when I saw her still in a state of panic.

“Didn’t I tell you before? The day when I asked you out on a date, I
said that I’d sing a radio exercise song outside your window.”

“But I’ve already said…”

“Unfortunately for you, I’ve learned from past experiences that a

goodbye from girls means that they want me to chase them.”

I held out my hand towards the window.

“Let’s go, Asu-nee. I’m here to take you away.”

For a moment, Asu-nee looked like she was about to cry, and she
lowered her head a little to stifle her emotions. After that, as if she
had made up her mind, she looked straight at me.
“Thirty minutes! No… it might take a bit longer. Just wait for me in
the park there!”

With that, she slammed the window and curtains shut.

Yes! I made a small gut-punch pose with my right hand.

──Because when Asu-nee bid me a farewell days ago, she touched

her left ear – our special code.

Part 19

I bought a can of black coffee from the vending machine and sat
down on a bench in the park where I could see Asu-nee’s house.

Suddenly I burst out laughing, not expecting myself to be so

impulsive.

Even if I wanted to make a scene like a child, this approach was just
too reckless.

Last night, I decided to take Asu-nee to Tokyo and rushed to Fukui

Station. After buying a ticket, I realised that I didn’t have her LINE or
her phone number.

I had taken her home a few times, so I knew where her house and
her room was, but I couldn’t just ring the doorbell and announce “I’m
going to steal your daughter” or something.

All that was left is this classic method.

Even if I decided to do this, if I did it at a time when her parents were

awake, the chances of being caught were high. It’s especially likely
that the neighbours would have notified the police before they even
noticed.

Furthermore, it took three hours to travel from Fukui to Tokyo. If we

wanted to make a day trip and have enough time to spend in Tokyo,
it was best to leave early in the morning.

I pulled open the can of coffee and took a big gulp.

As Nanase said, I might really be a big idiot.

Part 20

Perhaps because I was not used to getting up so early, I was dozing

off on a bench.

“…Hey.”

Someone called me and tapped me on the shoulder.

I managed to open my eyelids, which felt heavy and…

“Good morning.”

A beautiful girl in a pure white dress was smiling softly next to me.

“Asu-nee…”
For a moment, I felt like I was about to remember something, but the
vision was hidden away in an unreachable corner as my mind came
to its senses.

“Good morning, this dress suits you.”

Asu-nee scratched her cheek in embarrassment. “I wonder if it’s not

too flashy, I think I overdid it a little.”

“No, you look great, it’s like something that comes out of a boy’s
dream and appears in reality.”

“Really?”

“It would be perfect if there wasn’t any bed-hair.”

“Huh? You’re lying, I’ve already fixed it.”

“Yeah, it was a lie.”

“Jeez!”

In fact, the classic white dress that made people think, “

Are they in fashion now?
” was as beautiful as a painting, as if the dress was made for her.

After all, it really looked good on her.

While I thought so, I remembered a conversation from sometime

ago.

Asu-nee stood up and turned her body towards me.

The soft hem of her skirt fluttered, like the entrance of the story
about a distant summer day.

“Are you going to take me away?”

With a sweet smile, she gently held out her hand; I held it tightly so
that I wouldn’t lose sight of her.
Chapter 3: Reminiscent of the distant, blue
night sky

Part 1

Our bodies were swaying back and forth as we boarded the

Shirasagi train.

Shirasagi was a limited express train service in Japan which

connected Kanazawa, Fukui, and Nagoya. It was a familiar
transportation to Fukui residents, along with the other train service,
Thunderbird.

In a few years, the Hokuriku Shinkansen railway line would be

opened in Fukui, which currently didn’t have a Shinkansen line.

There were two ways to get from Fukui to Tokyo: one was to take a
limited express train to Kanazawa Station in Ishikawa and transfer to
the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and the other was to take Tokaido
Shinkansen at Maibara Station in Shiga.

Either route would have been fine, but I heard that the Hokuriku
Shinkansen would pass through a lot of tunnels, so I chose the
Tokaido Shinkansen for us to enjoy the scenery.

There was another way to get to Tokyo by plane, but Fukui Airport
was a small airport and was mainly used for private planes, so there
were no scheduled flights. If you wanted to go to Tokyo, you had to
go to Komatsu Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture, so it was more
convenient to take the limited express train and the Shinkansen.
Earlier in the park, Asu-nee panicked because she didn’t have the
money for the Shinkansen, but I told her that I had already bought
the tickets and she could pay me back later.

After all, it was my decision to take her away. Besides, I usually

didn’t have a lot of opportunities to use the money, so I still had a bit
of extra savings from my allowance. Although I could just pay for
Asu-nee’s ticket without needing her to return the money, she would
feel sorry for both of my parents if I did that.

Naturally, we hadn’t had breakfast yet, so we ate at Imajo Soba

inside Fukui Station, where I ordered ume kombu soba and two
onigiri, and Asu-nee ordered tororo soba.

Incidentally, although Imajo Soba was a small, portable shop, it was

so popular among the locals that sometimes people come to the
station just to eat there. Rather than having a refined and elegant
taste, it was a nostalgic taste that whets the appetite when you think
about it.

As the train was leaving Fukui, it passed through Sabae, Takefu, and
other stations in the prefecture.

Asu-nee rested her head on my shoulder, dozing off like a child.

After being woken up so early in the morning, and also because of a

series of unexpected events, it was no wonder she couldn’t resist the
devil’s temptation.

Occasionally, her hair slid over my collarbone as she breathed in her

sleep, which made me feel ticklish. The lavender-like scent from her
hair swayed in the breeze, giving me the same sensation.

I took a glance at her sleeping face. I never expected the usual awe-
inspiring and beautiful Asu-nee to show such a defenseless and
innocent sleeping face.
As she leaned over me, her one-piece dress was a bit disheveled
around her chest, and in addition, her hands were folded above her
knees which was emphasising the feminine curves.

I spotted a tiny mole there and hurriedly turned my eyes away to the
train window.

The verdant paddy fields, the hills surrounding the fields, the vast
blue sky as far as the eye could see, those were the scenery of the
countryside that was presented through the window.

It reminded me of a family trip I took a long time ago.

That was the first time I took a night bus.

At that time, there were a lot of college couples sitting around me,
their faces close together, whispering happily, or snuggled up
together under a big blanket. They all looked so grown-up to me.

At that sight, I was wondering if someday I would go travelling with

someone special just like them.

Even as a child, I already imagined myself in the distant future.

I felt the weight of my left shoulder, and soon another weight was
added to it as I fell into the slumber.

Will I remember this moment fondly someday after it fades away?

The train kept moving while making a rattling sound, carrying the two
dreamers to a distant city.

Part 2
“Asu-nee, wake up!”

“Huh? Did you say

satsukigase
(peanuts cracker)?”

“You’re not Fukui’s famous sweet!”

I pulled Asu-nee’s hands who was still drowsy and stepped out of the
train while carrying our bags.

We almost missed our stop and went all the way to Nagoya.
Although we would have passed through Nagoya either way, I’ve
already bought our Shinkansen tickets to transfer at Maibara.

Asu-nee yawned without a care. “Sorry, sorry, I fell asleep.”

“You
did
drool on my shoulder, by the way.”

“You’re lying!”

“I am.”

“So meanie!”

We went up the stairs and lined up at the crowded transfer gate.

As I passed through the gate first, I heard a

ding-dong
sound from behind and turned to see Asu-nee who was struggling to
pass the gate.

“Wait for me! Don’t leave me here!”

“Calm down, Asu-nee, you have to put all three tickets at once.”
After passing through the ticket gate, we bought drinks from the
vending machine and found our seats in the train, which I had
already booked before.

While putting my backpack and Boston bag on the luggage rack,

Asu-nee said excitedly.

“Which side do you want to sit on?”

Come to think of it, we didn’t have this standard conversation on the

previous train earlier. Somehow, Asu-nee took the window seat and
naturally I was on the aisle side.

I answered without hesitation. “Window side.”

“Rock-paper-scissors!”

“Why you not just give me the seat?”

“I’m going to throw a rock.”

“Oh, I miss that kind of mind games.”

POP!

I threw out the scissors, and Asu-nee threw out the rock.

“Haha, I told you that I’d throw a rock, smartass.”

“Shut up!”

So for the second time, Asu-nee sat by the window and I sat by the
aisle.

“Oh yeah, I forgot. Sorry, but can you get my bag out from the
rack?”
I did what I was told. She then rummaged through her bag and
pulled out a plastic bag from the convenience store.

“Snacks!”

“It kind of ruins the whole tasteful bag vibe.”

“But isn’t this kind of thing exciting?”

“Did you make sure to limit your shopping to five hundred yen?”

“Yup!”

As we chatted like this, I brought up a topic that had been worrying

me.

“Asu-nee, about your parents…”

“I left a note saying,

‘I’m eloping, please don’t come after me.
‘”

“They’re not going to call the police, right…?”

Asu-nee chuckled. “Just kidding! I hate lying, so I wrote,

‘I’m going to Tokyo, I’ll be back tomorrow.
‘”

Actually, I was planning for a day trip, but I didn’t say anything.

“What about the fact that you are with me?”

“I can’t talk about that.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

If her parents had found me when I woke Asu-nee up, I would have
asked their permission in person, but to be honest, it was best to
keep it a secret.

It would have been difficult to reason with her father.

“Perhaps it’s too late for me to say this, but…” I spoke up. “I’m sorry
for being so reckless.”

Asu-nee tilted her head and smiled softly. “You noticed my distress
signal, didn’t you?”

“Kinda.”

“The person who watered the neighbour’s flowers, which would have
withered if left alone, should not be blamed, ever.”

I lowered my eyes and murmured quietly.

“I can only do this much. Even if we go to Tokyo, things won’t

change. But I think it’s time for you to face yourself.”

Asu-nee gently placed her hand on mine.

“Thank you, I’ll try to find the

me
that you taught me by myself.”

I looked out of the train window at the passing landscape, and the
mundane thoughts came to me.

The old house in the mountains must have carried someone’s dream
within it, and we, who were a second away from it, couldn’t make a
judgement on the right value.

Is there a scale in the world where dreams can be weighed?

Who will decide what to put on the other side of the scale to achieve
balance?
Outside the train window, the landscape was constantly moving.

Part 3

We arrived at the Tokyo station after ten o’clock.

During the trip, we were deeply moved by the sight of Mount Fuji and
took our time to snap the pictures leisurely.

However, after passing Shin-Yokohama Station, we were surprised

to see an apartment with a size that wasn’t common in Fukui, and
when we were talking about how
urban
it was, we saw the three of them lined up in a row.

As we passed Shinagawa Station, tall towers that we had never

seen before were shooting up into the sky, and we both stuck our
faces to the windows and looked up at them with a dumbfounded
expression, not bothering to hide the fact that we were country
bumpkin duo.

What surprised us most about the view of Tokyo from the

Shinkansen, which ran on a bit of higher ground, was the density of
the area.

There were almost no gaps between the houses, and the apartments
were so close together that you could see the room next door from
your window.

The place seemed to be nothing more than a well-made miniature

city, with little sense of reality.
After we both got off the Shinkansen, still in a state of shock, Asu-
nee opened her mouth.

“Is there some kind of festival going on?”

“I understand what you mean, but I don’t think that is the case.”

Even though it was the final stop, the number of people coming out
of the Shinkansen was still surprising.

We couldn’t figure out where the exit was, so we somehow followed

the crowd and took the escalator down.

Then, after passing through the ticket gate marked for transfer, we
were met with two times…no, ten times more crowd than in the
platform.

The air felt thin, and the smells were mixed together.

“Are you really going to live here, Asu-nee?”

When I asked that, the timid Asu-nee grabbed my arm and shook
her head repeatedly.

“I think I can understand your father’s worry a little now.”

Then again, I didn’t know what to do from here.

I continued. “It’s too late to back down, though.”

Asu-nee nodded her head.

“Remind me again why we didn’t plan anything when we were on the

Shinkansen.”

Nod.

“Are you still here?”

Nod.
It’s hopeless.

Anyway, we had to decide on our next move first or we wouldn’t be

able to leave this place.

I dragged the crippled Asu-nee to find a quieter place, but if I didn’t

pay attention, I felt like we would bump into people soon.

Besides, everyone was walking abnormally fast.

I seriously wondered why they were in such a hurry, it wasn’t like

they were about to miss the train, anyway. I was mentally exhausted,
feeling like I was running away from an evil organization with the
heroine in my arms.

I walked from one end to the other and was about to give up when I
saw what looked like a bookstore by the escalator. For some reason,
there was a curry sign at the entrance.

It seemed like a joint place between a bookstore and a café.

As soon as we stepped inside, Asu-nee was finally functioning again

and opened her mouth.

“Wow, this place is great. It says that you can even bring in books
you haven’t purchased and read them in the café.”

“Doesn’t it seem scary when you imagine the curry would spill on the
books?”

“That’s right, I won’t dare to do that.”

The spicy smell was tempting, but it was still too early for lunch, so I
ordered a cup of iced coffee and Asu-nee ordered a cup of iced tea.

The shop felt cramped in the eyes of Fukui residents, but we

managed to find an empty seat. After sitting down, we were finally
able to relax.

Asu-nee took a sip of her iced tea and sighed. “I feel so tired
already…”

“We haven’t even left the station yet.”

“And this is still the tip of Tokyo.”

“So…” I spoke up. “We come here on a whim, but what are we going
to do next?”

“Honestly, I’m satisfied to just walk around Tokyo and get a feel of
the city.”

Asu-nee rummaged through her bag and pulled out a red book.

“But I want to go here.”

Written on the cover was the name of a very famous private

university that most high school students were familiar with.

“Is that your first choice in Tokyo?”

She nodded hesitantly.

“I heard that they are good at getting their students to work in the
mass media industry. They are also famous for their literary circles,
and many of my favourite authors are alumni from here too.”

“Okay, I’ll look it up.”

I used my smartphone to search how to get to that university from

here, only to find out there were a lot of stations I had never heard of
before. I opened the train transfer guide app that I downloaded last
night just to be on the safe side, although I wouldn’t have the chance
to use it in Fukui. As I looked up the route from Tokyo Station to our
destination, my head was dizzy from the number of different routes
that came up for each station.

“Do you think we’ll be able to take the subway?”

Nope, nope. Asu-nee shook her head.

“Do you think we can change trains without any problem?”

Nope, nope.

“Then maybe we can take the Yamanote line to go to this

Takadababa
area, since we can go there with just one train. However, it’s a bit of
a walk to the university from there, is that alright with you?”

Nod, nod.

She seemed to agree.

Well, we would be less likely to get lost if we walked by foot while

looking at the map than to change trains, which was something we
were not used to.

“Our returned tickets showed that we can use it within Tokyo, but do
you know how far it goes?”

Nope, nope.
I thought so.

After looking it up, we found out that this ticket could be used to
reach Takadanobaba[14].

After we finished our drinks, we found the platform for the Yamanote
line that was bound for Ueno Station, and boarded the train which
just arrived in front of us.
All the seats were already occupied, or rather, there were so many
people in there to the point that we couldn’t even see the seats.

Despite the fact that so many people boarded the train, people kept
pressing from behind, pushing me and Asu-nee into the middle of
the crowd.

Not only were the seats full, but all the handrails were also occupied.
I managed to grab the bar that was holding the handrails.

Since I couldn’t even get my luggage onto the rack, I put my bag
between my feet so that it wouldn’t get in the way of others, with
Asu-nee following suit.

Too close.

I felt embarrassed and awkward when my chest and back were

touching people I didn’t know. I tried to move away a little, but no one
seemed to care about that.

It would be unthinkable in Fukui to get so close to a stranger in a

public place. Even Lpa wasn’t this crowded during holidays.

In this cramped carriage, young people, middle-aged people and old

people were all thrown together regardless of gender.

This was the place where Asu-nee might live in the future.

I couldn’t help but look over to my side.

In front and behind us, I saw some well-built men who were also
standing.

At that moment, the train suddenly began to move, and Asu-nee,

who was not holding anything, lost her balance.

While clutching the metal bar with my right hand, I automatically

wrapped my left hand around her waist and pulled her tightly toward
me.

As if holding a precious person, as if wishing for them not to go far

away,
hopelessly, desperately.

“Sorry, Asu-nee. It’s a reflex.”

Her beautiful eyes that had a teardrop-like mole were looking up at

me.

“It’s okay, thank you.”

“Umm, do you want me to let go?”

“No… This is fine, I’d be happy if you keep supporting me like this.”

With those words, I tightened my grip that was holding her.

While we were in a panic, the people around us were just standing

like willows, not even grabbing the handrails or even the bar.

We both are outsiders here.

To these people, today was just a normal, uneventful holiday. We

were the ones who had wandered in, feeling excited on our own and
getting overwhelmed.

“Hey, look out there,” Asu-nee spoke up.

The view from outside the window was like entering the world of
science fiction.

In Fukui, people could tell the name of the building just by describing
its features. And when the traffic and people seemed busier than
usual, you would know that there was some kind of festival going on.
I wondered how many people lived in this place, and how many of
those had realized their dreams only for it to be crushed after
chasing them.

“This is really different from Fukui.”

“But everyone’s looking at their phones.” Asu-nee whispered.

“They’re used to this amazing view, but this is really
the
place.”

She then grabbed my shirt tightly.

“I am so excited!”

“Yeah, I get it…”

Deep down, I didn’t want to admit it, but my guts told me that there
must be a lot of things in this city that I would never be able to
experience if I stayed in Fukui.

After gazing out the train window for a while, the train arrived at
Akihabara station.

I couldn’t help but be amazed when I saw some girls in cosplay

walking openly on the station platform.

Although I agreed with Asu-nee about gaining various experiences in

order to become an editor, I still didn’t completely understand what
she meant by that.

I found myself wondering why she couldn’t have that experience in

Fukui.

But now, after I stood here, it really felt like we were in a different
country with maids walking around the station.
As I was thinking about this, someone pinched my stomach from the
side.

“I’m not staring at those maids’ big boobs. S-stop, it hurts!”

Looking at Asu-nee’s upset face, a thought occurred to me…

Whether she managed to convince her parents or not, by the end of

this short trip, she would have made up her mind to live in this city.

People who read novels in order to learn about the world and lives
they didn’t know, and especially those who wanted to be part of the
creation process, were bound to want to explore this place.

If so, this must be the first and last opportunity for us to spend a long
time together like this.

I clenched my right hand, so that my loneliness and sorrow would

not ruin Asu-nee’s day.

Part 4

Compared to Tokyo Station, Takadababa Station wasn’t as complex

as the former, but the crowds were still as large as ever. There
seemed to be many young people in the age group of college
students.

Incidentally, when I looked at the sign, I saw that the pronunciation

was not Takadababa, but Takada-no-baba. Where did that “no” come
from? Were they making fun of country bumpkins?

My first impression upon exiting the station was that this place
looked so chaotic.
There were colourful signs and advertisements everywhere, which
were so blinding that I couldn’t even get them into my head. The
constant flow of people and cars made me feel strangely restless.

Asu-nee seemed to have a similar impression, her eyes were

blinking in amazement.

I started up the map on my phone and entered the destination. I was

relieved to see that the route did not seem too complicated.

“Anyway, it looks like we’re just going straight down this road.”

Nod, nod.

“Isn’t this about time you get used to it?”

As we began our walk, we found that the area was crammed with
everything from convenience stores and chain restaurants that we
had visited in Fukui to stores that we had never seen or heard of
before.

Yoshinoya and Matsuya[15] were practically next door to each other,

with only one store in between. Was this kind of management
possible? I couldn’t believe it!

“Hey, Asu-nee. Is that a Hidakaya ramen shop or a Chinese

restaurant? It looks nice with the red lanterns and stuff.”

“Is that a long-established restaurant? If that’s the case, let’s add it to

the lunch list!”

“But those places are all really small, and there are no parking lots
either. The Matsuya or Yoshinoya in Fukui are much nicer.”

“Yep, Fukui is no match for them.” She replied with Fukui dialect.

“Oh, there’s a Starbucks, a Starbucks! As expected for a big city.”

“Whoa, amazing! I can get takeout on my way to the class!”

“But don’t you think there are too many convenience stores? There’s
already a 7-Eleven here, and there’s another one over there.”

“Why are people in Tokyo still in a hurry even when crossing the
street?”

“I thought the stores would only be in front of the station, but no

matter how far we go, there’s still a lot of them everywhere.”

“That’s not good! It makes me feel like I’d miss something if I don’t
visit all of them!”

“Ah, I think we have to turn around here. Asu-nee, there’s a

fashionable second-hand clothing store! Haven’t we found a great
place? Do you want to stop by?”

“Yes!”

That was the realistic conversation between us two country

bumpkins.

With excited grins on our faces, we entered the store which was just
down a narrow street.

The distinctive aroma of secondhand clothing wafted through the air.

It reminded me of my grandma’s house where we used to go on

summer vacation, so I didn’t mind it.

The store was so cozy that you could easily reach the deepest part
of the store in a few steps, but the décor was more like a vintage
clothing boutique than a simple used clothing store.

The women’s wear, in particular, was rich in retro patterned blouses

and dresses, which I thought would look good on Asu-nee.
I looked at the clothes aimlessly and picked one on a whim.

“What do you think of this one?”

It was a short-sleeved dress with a small ribbon at the neck and a

pattern of cobalt blue polka dots in a summer sea style.

It was not the brightest of women’s fashions, but it had the look of
something girls who went back in time might wear in movies like
‘American Graffiti’ and ‘Back to the Future’.

“It’s so cute!”

“Why don’t you try it on?”

Asu-nee called out to the clerk at the back and went into the fitting
room.

I was about to wait at the front of the room when something occurred
to me. If she was changing her clothes, that meant she had to…

The turquoise blue color I saw during the billiards game came back
to me and I hurriedly left the place.

Was it because I was travelling alone with her? I didn’t think much
about it when I went shopping with Yuuko and Haru.

In a panic, I looked at the men’s clothes on the rack in order to get

rid of the image I was about to unconsciously imagine.

Of course, no information beyond the fact that they were clothes

entered my mind.

I had been looking at the clothes for a while when the fitting room
door opened.

“H-How do I look?” Asu-nee asked in a slightly embarrassed tone.

“Wow, you look like Ingrid Bergman in the Casablanca film!”

“Is that a compliment? Or a roundabout way to say that I look

outdated?”

“It means you could be in a black-and-white film and still look good in
it.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

I felt embarrassed to compliment her twice a day, so I tried to pass it

off as a joke. But honestly, that dress fit her very well.

Asu-nee pouted, obviously looked unhappy. So I added. “Next time,

you should wear it so we can have a more classy date.”

“…Yeah, let’s do that!”

Just seeing her beaming smile was enough to make me happy that
we took a detour.

“How about I pick out your clothes and we give them to each other
as gifts?” She suggested.

“I’m good. These fancy clothes don’t suit me.”

“Leave it to your big sister! I’ll make you look like Humphrey Bogart
in the Casablanca film.”

“What does that mean?”

“A good, old-fashioned womanizer?”

“Hey, what the hell do you mean by that?”

After that, we ended up trying on the clothes several times until Asu-
nee was satisfied.
Part 5

After buying each other’s clothes, we walked down a narrow

alleyway.

Although we were interested in the second-hand bookstore near the

clothes store, we decided to give priority to our main goal since we
had spent a surprising amount of time picking out clothes.

We arrived at a residential street that was so quiet, as if the hustle

and bustle we had just seen before was a lie. There were many old
houses and apartments among the buildings on both sides, which
was a very calming sight for people who came from the countryside
like us.

Asu-nee, who was walking next to me, spoke up. “So, there are
roads like this too in Tokyo.”

“I feel a bit relieved that people actually can enjoy their daily life in
this city.” I made an obvious remark.

“Since this is almost lunchtime, we can smell the curry here. Tokyo,
as depicted in novels and movies, tends to focus on the urban
aspects of the city, but there are also signs of everyday life like this.”

“From a young age, country people are brainwashed to believe that

Tokyo is a cold and a scary place to live.”

Hearing that, Asu-nee chuckled.

As we walked along, we eventually reached the main street.

There was a school-like facility right in front of us, but it didn’t seem
to be our destination.
After walking along the main street while looking at the map, we
finally reached the campus area we were heading to…only to find
out that the entrance gate was closed.

“N-No way.”

“Damn.”

I knew it was a holiday, but I thought that as long as it wasn’t a

women’s college, anyone would be able to enter the campus
regardless if it was weekdays or holidays.

I was ashamed of my own lack of planning, that we had come all the
way to Tokyo and couldn’t even fulfill our main goal.

“I’m sorry, Asu-nee. I should have done my research first.”

“I’m the one who should apologize. But I’m happy to be able to see it
from the outside like this.”

Just when we were at the end of our ropes…

“Are you guys on a vacation?”

Someone approached us.

We turned around and saw a smiling grandfather with a Shiba

Inu[16]. He looked to be in his seventies, but his back was straight
and his physique was quite tough. His clean-cut, square-cropped
gray hair somehow gave me the image of a fish shop owner.

“Good afternoon,” Asu-nee bowed her head.

“Yes, good afternoon,” replied the Grandpa.

“Can I touch it?”

“Go ahead.”
As soon as she knelt down, the Shiba Inu put its paw on her knees
before licking her cheek with his tongue.

“Wait, ahaha. It tickles!”

Seeing its tail wagging made me want to scream “hold up!”.

After playing with the Shiba Inu for a while, Asu-nee stood up. The
dog, who had lost its playmate, sniffed my knees and immediately
turned its head back to the owner.

You are definitely a male, aren’t you?

“We came to visit the university here, but apparently it’s closed on
holidays,” Asu-nee said regretfully.

“Oh, you can’t enter through this gate. But if you go that way, you
can get into the main campus.”

Is this what they call a Tokyo dialect?

He spoke fast and was a bit rough, but his dialect was somewhat
very dialect-like
which made him look human.

“Really!? We’re from Fukui, so we don’t know about that.”

“Fukui? I’ve never been there. Are you students?”

“Yes, we’re high school students.”

“Are you planning to move to Tokyo after you graduate?”

“I still don’t know about that…”

“Although this area can be a bit noisy, this is a nice place.”

Asu-nee smiled. “I know that very well now.”

We were the only ones who knew what those words meant.

The Shiba Inu couldn’t stay still, whether it was because he wanted
to continue their walk, or because he hoped that his beautiful sister
would pay attention to him. So the Grandpa stroked his hair and
asked the next question.

“Are you siblings?”

“”Huh?””

We both shouted in surprise at the same time.

“Am I wrong? You two look a lot alike.”

As I was trying to figure out how to answer, Grandpa continued.

“Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time here.”

I thought we would chat for a bit longer, but he just waved his hand
and left so quickly.

We couldn’t help but look at each other.

Asu-nee spoke first. “He said we were siblings.”

“Not lovers, huh?”

…….

We burst out laughing.

For some reason, it sounded too funny for us and we couldn’t stop
laughing.

“Do we really look alike in appearance?” Asu-nee tilted her head,

seemed puzzled.

“Not at all.”
After that, I continued.

“What is this? So Tokyo can be warm too.”

“Yeah, it feels warm.”

I sincerely hope that this warmth will continue to wrap Asu-nee like a
blanket in the future too.

Part 6

Later we went to the main campus by referring to the map app.

Grandpa was right, we could enter the campus area if we followed

this path.

Just as we were about to enter through the main entrance, we

immediately saw a building that looked like a church.

Was it one of the facilities on campus, or was it a completely

unrelated building? If it was the former, I had no idea what it was.

Once we stepped inside, I noticed that there were a lot of students

even though it was a holiday. Some of them were sitting on benches
with coffee in one hand, reading books, while others were chatting
happily.

I was expecting a more trendy, artificial atmosphere at University in

Tokyo, but there were trees everywhere and the roads were wide.

The imbalance between the traditional, prestigious building with the

modern glass, concrete building across the street was also
interesting.
Asu-nee also looked around the area with sparkling eyes.

I raised a smile. “The atmosphere was more relaxed than I thought.

It certainly has a literary flavor.”

“I can clearly see myself studying here.” Asu-nee waved and

beckoned me to a nearby bench. “Come on, let’s imagine it
together!”

We sat down side by side and closed our eyes.

“We are both college students. I’m wearing the dress you bought for
me and you’re wearing the shirt I bought for you. Hmm, should we
dye our hair? It’s hard to imagine.”

“I think you already look beautiful just the way you are now, but
should I try to go blonde?”

“What the hell are you trying to do with such a frivolous

appearance?”

“Hey, don’t sound too serious, I’ll get hurt!”

Asu-nee smiled and continued.

“I guess I’ll put you into the Literature department too, so we could sit
side by side like this and discuss which class to take.”

“We also have to decide which circles we want to join.”

“You couldn’t leave my side, so you joined the same circle as me.”

“Isn’t that because you wouldn’t want strangers to bring you to their
homes after you went to the drinking party?”

“I’m not that ignorant!” She slapped me on the knee. “It would be
nice if I could have a part-time job at a publishing company.”
“And what would I do, then? Working as a male host club?”

“Your big sister won’t allow it!”

The breeze blew slowly. The sun shining from the branches and
leaves also swayed slightly along the wind.

“On our day off, I suppose we could go for a stroll around the city
together like we did today, or practice my cooking skill in the small
kitchen which is practically non-existent.”

“Let’s talk about that! Do you know that I can cook and am pretty
good at it?”

“…I think making a potato stew is a standard for beginners.”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me!”

“But…” Asu-nee paused. “Such a future will never come. After all,
we’re just normal senpai and kouhai.”

I responded to her words.

“Even if I had chosen to go to the same university as you, by that

time, you would already be working hard at the Literature
Department and working part-time in a publishing company. You also
would have made new relationships in the circle, and would have
been able to cook potato stew skillfully. And perhaps, you would
already have a boyfriend.”

“The distance between us is too far.”

“Yeah, it’s very far.”

Asu-nee’s little finger touched mine.

“But, we are so close now.”

For us who were still highschool students, a year was too long.

During that period, many things were bound to change, and some of
them would be huge.

Asu-nee hooked our little fingers together as if we were making a

promise.

“But you have to keep running forward, or you won’t be able to catch
up otherwise.”

I didn’t ask what she meant by

‘catching up
.’

She might be referring to a dream that was still vague, the hands of
a clock that never stopped, or the illusion of someone who I have
always admired.

We all keep running like this, chasing a youth that would never
return.

Part 7

Asu-nee said she wanted to visit Jinbocho[17].

I also had heard about this place, which was said to be a place
where publishers and bookstores gathered and was a kind of sacred
place for book lovers.

When I looked up the location on my phone, I realized that we

should have gone there first before coming to the campus. Well, it
was a trip without any semblance of planning to begin with, so I
guess it was inevitable.
It seemed that we could avoid changing trains if we boarded the train
from Kanda Station. But in that case, we would have to take the
exact same train in the opposite direction.

Well, since I wanted to show Asu-nee various aspects of Tokyo, I

would take this difficult challenge by using the advanced travel
methods with underground subways and transfers.

──it didn’t take us long to die.

First of all, since it was supposed to be a station, I looked for

something that resembled huge facilities everywhere but there was
none. Why the heck did they make subway’s entrance too small?

And how could changing trains be so complicated?

How was I supposed to buy a ticket, anyway?

So with the help of the station attendant about five times, we finally
arrived at Jinbocho.

After we chose one of the several exits and went above the ground, I
felt a sense of accomplishment as if I had conquered a big dungeon
in a video game, which made me want to cry.

“Tokyo is really scary, I can’t do this anymore.”

Nod, nod.

“Let’s get something to eat first.”

Nod, nod.

So there we were, at a curry shop that was said to be the most

famous in Jinbocho.

By the way, surprisingly, this place was another thing that killed the
country bumpkin duo.
We obviously arrived at the place displayed on the map app, but we
couldn’t find the entrance at all. After going around in circles, we
finally managed to get there by asking someone who was walking
around.

Great. So apparently, we had to enter the restaurant from the back of

the building to get in. How could we not see such an obvious thing!?

Moreover, although the rush hour for lunch should have passed after
two o’ clock in the afternoon, there was still a queue of about ten
people in front of us.

Finally, we were led to a sofa seat and sat down side by side. While
still being a bit baffled, I ordered a large portion of spicy beef curry
and Asu-nee ordered a medium spicy chicken curry.

After waiting for a while, the waiter brought in two servings of

skinned potatoes with butter.

Feeling confused, Asu-nee and I looked at each other.

“Asu-nee, how do you think we should eat these?”

“Since there’s butter on them, we should just eat them as they are,
right? Just like eating Butter Potato.”

In order not to make a fool of ourselves as country bumpkins, we

both quietly observed our surroundings. Some people were eating it
as it was, while others were mixing it with curry.

“Seems like it doesn’t matter either way.”

Hearing my comment, Asu-nee chuckled. “Well, this is what makes

us country bumpkins, right? We’re just supposed to eat this kind of
food the way we like it.”
“Come to think of it, you didn’t care about people’s stares when you
got muddy in the river. But now you are feeling conscious because
you aren’t sure how to eat potatoes?”

“Ah, you’re not being cute again.”

Asu-nee seemed to be trying to cut the potato with a fork but was
having trouble, so she gave up and picked them up with her hands.
However, she still couldn’t break the potato although her hands were
already shaking. I, who felt frustrated just by watching her, took her
potato and split it in half with a fork. Seeing this, her face suddenly
burst into a happy smile.

Asu-nee held the half part, spreading some butter on it before

speaking.

“But, you know, when we were walking around today, didn’t you
notice something? It’s like no one cares about their surroundings, so
the people around us don’t seem to care about us either.”

“Indeed. There were some people dressed up in strange outfits and

others playing harmonica on the street, but no one seemed to be
paying attention or talking about it.”

I sprinkled salt on the potato and took a bite.

Ah, it’s so hot and delicious.

“Although we live in one of the more prosperous areas in Fukui,

there’s still a kind of countryside feel to it, right?”

“Yeah, like how people will know what their neighbours’ son has
been doing.”

It’s often said that the countryside has a similar aspect to a

surveillance society.
Although it wasn’t as extreme as in the usual village areas, there
were many times I felt that way even when I lived in the most
prosperous town of Fukui prefecture.

For example, when my parents got divorced, the word spread quickly
throughout the neighbourhood. Then after I decided to live on my
own, there were some made-up rumours that were fueled by this sort
of thing, causing me to receive self-righteous sympathy from others.

Asu-nee continued.

“But now, I suddenly think that is one of the good things about
Fukui.”

“Does your opinion change after our meeting with grandpa earlier?”

“That’s right. Sometimes people are saved because someone is

watching them. I guess there are some pros and cons.”

Perhaps, she was projecting this with her own situation where her
parents opposed her.

If no one opposes you, you could move forward with your dream
without hesitation.

But because no one was against you, you might end up making a
mistake that you could never recover from.

While I was thinking about this, our orders arrived.

The rice was sprinkled with cheese, and somehow there were
crunchy plums and pickles on the edge of the plate. Asu-nee’s curry
was served in a curry pot with a stylish handle, while mine was in a
deep plate, probably because I had ordered a large portion.

My eyes met Asu-nee’s and we both chuckled.

Perhaps, she also wanted to ask whether we could put the curry
over the rice.

As if she couldn’t hold back any longer, she poured a big portion of
her curry over the rice.

I did the same as her.

We took a bite and──

“”So yummy!””

We both were smiling.

Basically, it was a basic European-style curry, but behind the

spiciness, there was a mellowness, a deep richness, and a
sweetness that was hard to describe.

The beef was so tender that it could be cut with a spoon, and as
soon as I put it in my mouth, the delicious flavor spread out.

I added the potato to the curry, breaking it into pieces with a spoon
and ate it together with the beef. The spiciness became milder, but
the savory taste became more enhanced.

“I want to live in Tokyo!” Asu-nee exclaimed.

“Yeah, I get what you meant.” I answered.

“Hey, can I have a bite of your beef curry too?”

“Aren’t the only ones that can be shared on a date are the papico ice
cream and popsicle during the summer?”

“However, when it’s absolutely necessary, curry is acceptable too!”

I chuckled. Asu-nee then scooped up a spoonful of her curry and

held it out to me.
“What is that?”

“This is commonly known as “

say aaah ~
“.”

“Why do you sound like you’re talking to the Feudal Lord?”

“Everything can be taken as an experience you know! Youth is short,

after all.”

You’re blushing all over. Even if you’re pretending to be calm, you

don’t sound convincing at all!

I moved my face closer and opened my mouth, and she brought the
spoon to my mouth with a trembling hand.

Since I felt that it would turn into a farce like a couple feeding each
other cake at a wedding, I took that hand and led it myself.

“It’s good. The chicken is crispy.”

“…It feels like something is wrong. Let’s try it again.”

“No, after seeing how red you were, you would just burn yourself if
you tried it again.’

I used a spoon to cut my beef into the right size before scooping it up
with the white rice and sauce.

“See, this is how you do it. Say aaaah~”

After I said that, Asu-nee turned around and opened her lips slightly.

Hey, why do you close your eyes like you’re going to kiss me?

Her small lips look plump, soft, and moist.

“Hey, hurry up~”

I’m sorry for underestimating you, Asu-nee. My hands were shaking

too.

Holding my right hand with my left, I finally managed to bring the

spoon to her mouth.

When the tip of the spoon touched her lips, Asu-nee, whose eyes
were still closed, probed for my hands, then gently took them in both
of hers before taking a big bite.

After munching and tasting, she licked off the sauce that was about
to drip from the corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue.

…Uh, I’m just feeding her curry, right?

“It’s delicious~”

Just as we were having fun like this…

──BAM!

One of the two men sitting across our table slammed his fist down on
the table.

What’s going on?

I looked over and there were several sheets of paper with red letters
scrawled all over them.

A young man, probably in his twenties, spoke up. He was the one
who hit the table earlier.

“How many times have you rejected it? Are you really going to let
this project go? I have already researched past masterpieces and
trends for this proposal!”
A bespectacled man in his thirties, who was sitting on the other side
of the table, responded.

“It is true that there are many similar youth novels out there.”

“Right! For example…”

The young man listed several titles of light novels that sounded
familiar to me. Some of them were even sitting on my bookshelf.

I looked over to my side. Asu-nee was also staring at them with the
same surprised look on her face.

This could be a meeting between a writer and an editor.

After all, this was the most famous curry shop in Jinbocho where
many publishing companies gathered, so it wasn’t impossible that
this place was chosen for such a meeting.

We tried not to stare at them, but only listened intently.

The man with the glasses retorted.

“There are indeed some writers who can continue creating hits by
observing the similarities from past masterpieces and recent trends.
But I don’t think you are skilled enough to do that.”

“…I can’t come up with anything. My debut novel was just a story
about a special occupation that I happened to be doing, which was
an unusual job and somehow became popular. I don’t have the
ability to create something from scratch using my imagination. I can
only write based on my own experiences.”

The writer clutched the paper in front of him.

“I originally thought that if it were a youth novel, I might still be able

to write it, but my life has been really boring so far. Kids these days
would call me gloomy, someone who just spends their time in the
corner of the classroom, looking at those who are popular with envy
and not speaking a word. People like this, they are not fit to become
a writer.”

“──Please don’t decide your own limits just like that without your
editor’s permission.”

The bespectacled man tapped his red pen against the table.

“It wasn’t because you had an experience with your unusual job that
made you win the Rookie Award and got me interested in becoming
your editor. Rather, I believe your talent lies in your ability to capture
the mundane, everyday life with a unique sensibility and replace it
with delicate words. That’s why my answer to this proposal is a big
no.”

“If you say so, then why don’t you just write it yoursel──”

With a snap, the editor tapped his red pen on the table again, as if to
interrupt what he was about to say.

“It’s over if the writer tells their editor to write the story. Sure, I can
come up with some ideas in my head, but if that’s the correct
answer, I’d have already become a writer in the first place.”

“That’s…”

The editor continued in a softer voice.

“How about trying to tell me about the uninteresting youth you’re

talking about? Instead of mentioning someone’s story that you have
read somewhere.”

The young man gritted his teeth, clearly regretting the words he had
just said. He then let out a heavy sign as if he had made up his mind
and began to speak slowly.
“────”

“──”

“────────”

“────”

It was an incredible sight.

The experiences that the writer described was indeed something that
you could find everywhere.

However, the way the editor probed the writer with questions like,
“Why?” “What did you think at that time?” “That’s interesting. What
happened afterwards?” “Others might think so.” was somehow
fascinating, it made me gradually drawn into their conversation.

As I was listening to them, I could feel grief, sorrow, bitterness…

By the time I came back to my senses, a story had been completed.

When the writer finally took a breath, the editor smiled.

“Isn’t this exactly the kind of story you should be writing? At least I’d
like to read it in book form.”

Looking at the bright red letters in front of him, the writer murmured.
“…I don’t have the confidence.”

But suddenly, he looked up and leaned his body forward.

“I wonder if trivial words from someone insignificant like me, who

only had boring stories to tell, can reach people that have been
suffering in the same way. Can I really ease their pain? Can I truly
empathise with their tears? Am I capable enough to lead their lives in
a brighter direction, even a little?”
“If you give everything you’ve got, I’m sure you can do it.”

The editor asserted clearly.

“I can’t create great stories myself, but I can find them and bring
them to readers. Because that’s my job as an editor.”

The writer pulled the crumpled paper in front of him and smoothed
out the folds.

“…I’ll give it a try.”

The editor looked at him with a soft gaze.

“That’s fine, I believe in you, and please believe in your own words,
too.”

The two of them then put away their work items and began to chat
about something so trivial that made me wonder what the exchange
had just been about.

Part 8

“That was amazing!” I commented as we left the restaurant.

“Yup. I didn’t expect that we’d come across this kind of event in
Tokyo. It feels too good to be true.” Asu-ne giggled.

“What did you think about the discussion we saw earlier?”

“Makes me think that I’m really ignorant.”

She stretched her arms and continued.

“I’m embarrassed to say this, but I thought an editor’s job was more
about praising writers, like receiving a manuscript and being done
with it. Of course, that
too
, is one part of the job, but sometimes, you have to fight with the
writer head-on with your passion.”

I also used to think the same way as her.

I thought it was just a job of reminding the writers of deadlines and

checking for typos and omissions when the manuscript arrived.

I nodded and urged her to continue.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? If that editor hadn’t bothered to listen to that
boring youth
that the writer had experienced, or if he only had listened but
concluded it as something boring, such a wonderful story would have
disappeared without anyone ever knowing about it, right?”

Asu-nee continued in a slightly excited tone.

“Both of them were so serious, so earnest, so passionate, so sincere

in their efforts to find the stories that were still buried and bring them
to readers. There are people who are very dedicated to their work
like that.”

She paused for a moment and continued with a sincerely happy and
innocent look on her face.

“──It makes me realize that I’m not the only one who loves the
editor’s job so much!”

All this time, this girl must be feeling so anxious.

Despite living in a countryside city like Fukui, she had a dream of

becoming an editor because she loved books and wanted to share
her feelings through words with people, but there was no one who
could completely understand her passion.

And for the first time in her life, she found a companion, someone
that she could relate to.

Her dream that had always been so hazy, slowly became closer to
reality.

Asu-nee stepped in front of me, turned around, and gave me a big

grin.

“I really,
really
want to become an editor!”

Why?

At that moment, an image suddenly appeared in my head. I saw

Asu-nee in this city, having a heated debate with a stubborn writer.

Her hair was a little longer than it was now, and she wore long pants
that were easy to move around in.

She was more emotional than the editor at the curry restaurant,
expressing her opinion in a somewhat
mushy
manner.

I quietly decided to start preparing my heart for the inevitable

goodbye.

Part 9
After that, we continued to wander around Jinbocho. This place
definitely lived up to their name, which was the city of books.

Even without going to the trouble of looking for a bookstore on my

phone, the density of bookstores was similar to that of the
restaurants we just saw in Takadanobaba. Of course there were
general bookstores, but there were also an unusual number of
secondhand book stores specialising in mystery, music, cars, even
motorcycles.

No matter how small the store, there was always someone eagerly
flipping the pages. I was surprised to see how many bookworms
existed in the world.

I liked reading novels too, even though not as much as Asu-nee. So

we both went to all the stores we were interested in and bought a
few books for each of us.

We were completely engrossed in bookstores, and by the time we

noticed it, it was already four-thirty in the afternoon.

I spoke to Asu-nee, who was walking beside me excitedly.

“Are there any other places you want to see?”

“Hmm, I’d like to visit famous places… like Shinjuku or Shibuya.”

A quick search on my phone revealed that we could get to Shinjuku

Station via the Shinjuku New Line. I didn’t know what the difference
was between Shinjuku and Shinjuku New Line, but since it had the
word “Shinjuku”, the latter must be the line that was connected to
Shinjuku Station, I think.

Using our previous experience, we bought the tickets and boarded

the subway. It only took a few minutes to arrive at our destination. It
was hard to get a sense of the distance between the areas when you
were mainly moving by train in such an inexhaustible network of
lines.

We took the long escalator, passed through the ticket gate and
headed towards the south exit.

After two more rides on the escalator…

“What the hell is this?”

My eyeballs almost popped out of my head from the shock.

WHY THERE’S SO MANY PEOPLE EVERYWHERE?

The Tokyo station was enough of a surprise for me, but this seemed
far exceeded that.

It couldn’t even be called a wave of people anymore, it was

literally
a sea of people!

To be honest, I couldn’t even figure out where to walk – or rather,

where to step first.

It was so chaotic, And yet, for some reason, no one bumped into
each other or fell down. People only focused in the direction they
were going.

Needless to say, Asu-nee was completely limp beside me just like a

newborn deer.

She had told me on the train that she wanted to visit Kinokuniya
bookstore, and after looking it up on my phone, I found out that the
place was located at the east exit. But let alone heading towards
there, I didn’t even know how to get out of here.

Then, pulling on Asu-nee’s hand, I began to walk, hoping that things

would turn out to be alright.
People who were coming from the opposite direction seemed to
automatically avoid us when we both walked.

We should be fine as long as we were careful of people walking

around on their phones and not moving around too much.

We went like this for a while until we found what looked like an exit. I
forced my way through the crowd and finally made it to the outside.

It was a spacious walkway, and although there were many people, it

was not as crowded as inside the station.

Asu-nee looked like she was on the verge of dying when she opened
her mouth.

“I’ve heard that Shinjuku Station has the highest number of

passengers per day in the world.”

“Yeah, I could feel it when you were going limp earlier. What is it with
Tokyo’s people? Do they have special training? Are they ninjas?”

Anyway, after looking up the route to Kinokuniya with my phone, we

then proceeded along the wall.

We went down the stairs and arrived at what looked like a backroad
with relatively few cars passing by.

Even so, the street was still crowded with people. In Fukui, such
numbers could only be seen at the annual festival.

Asu-nee spoke in a low voice.

“The sky looks so narrow.”

I followed her and looked upwards, and saw that we were

surrounded by tall buildings to the right and left with the blue sky
artificially cut off by a straight line.
After walking around in Tokyo, my senses had become numb, but
the sight that lined up on our sides were indeed the tall buildings that
you would hardly see in Fukui.

Once I became aware of this, I felt a strange sense of oppression.

This feeling was especially noticeable after we stepped into

Shinjuku, where the smells of exhaust fumes, restaurants, and other
smells were all mixed together, making the air feel unpleasant.

In Fukui, we were always surrounded by the endless sky, gently

flowing white clouds, the wind carrying the scent of the seasons, and
the soft sound of water, so we were never aware of the abundance
of nature.

This kind of place is what country folks imagine the city to be.

We were already feeling a bit tired, so we went to a Japanese tea

café on the first floor of Kinokuniya bookstore and bought a cold
matcha latte and a hojicha latte.

Even though we only noticed the café by chance, after exchanging

our drinks, both lattes had a nice sweet flavour with a hint of tea,
which was very tasty.

“”As expected of Tokyo!””

Both of us were so excited and felt completely refreshed.

Country bumpkins are very easy to please, huh?

Next, we wandered through the Kinokuniya bookstore and were

struck by its grand scale that had seven floors in total and the large
number of visitors, which were different from the old bookstores in
Jimbocho.

After that, we visited the mystery building that was a joint venture
between UNIQLO and an electronics retailer. We also entered the
ISETAN store, feeling so out of place there and quickly ran away. We
also enjoyed window-shopping at a department store called MARUI.

By the way, although it was pronounced as “MARUI”, the spelling

was written as “OIOI.”[18]

How is that possible? I also have no idea.

Was it named that way to make a fool of the country folks who came
to Tokyo?

While we were wandering around, the sky was getting dark before
we knew it.

I looked at my wristwatch and saw that it was already around seven

o’clock in the evening.

“How about we go to Kabukicho[19] next?”

Asu-nee, who was walking ahead of me, turned her head happily.

“But…” I tried to explain. “If we don’t leave soon, we won’t be able to

catch the last Shinkansen.”

Actually we were supposed to leave earlier.

If we took the last train, we would arrive in Fukui just before the date
changed.

There was barely enough time to call this a day trip.

“I told you, right? I left a note saying I’d be back tomorrow.”

Asu-nee had a mischievous look on her face.

“Didn’t your parents contact you?”

After I said that, she pulled out her smartphone to confirm.

“Nope~” She replied without a care in the world. Apparently, her
phone was turned off.

“What are you──”

“Because it’s rare for me to come to Tokyo. I don’t know if I’ll have
another opportunity like this again, that’s why I have to experience
as much as I can. Besides…”

She lowered her head and continued in a sad tone,

“This could be my first and last trip with you.”

“Don’t say things like that with such an expression, it’s hard for me to
say no.”

“I still want to stay in the dream, because it’s impossible for me to go

on a school excursion and field trip with you.”

A dream, huh?

I didn’t think I would be able to convince her to go home today.

“I see. Well, I’m the one who suggested that we should go. In that
case, I’ll have to stay with you until the end.”

“Obviously!” She then took my hand in hers.

I hoped this happy face could last as long as possible.

At least just for the duration of this trip, I wanted her to forget the
conflict with her father.

With this thought in mind, I squeezed her hand back…

RIIIIIIING.

My phone rang.
I checked the screen and saw Kura-sensei’s name displayed there.

RIIIIIIING, RIIIIIIING.

I had a bad feeling.

That old man had never called me on a holiday before.

Even on weekdays, he would only call when it was very necessary.

RIIIIIIING, RIIIIIIING, RIIIIIIING.

There was only one reason why he would call me at this time.

I looked at Asu-nee’s face.

She looked like a frightened child, or to be more precise, a child that

was caught doing a prank.

That explained it.

RIIIIIIING, RIIIIIIING, RIIIIIIING, RIIIIIIING.

The sound never stopped.

I took a deep breath and answered the phone, strengthening my

resolve.

“Hello.”

“──Chitose, you’re dead.”

I knew it!

“Can I ask, ‘What do you mean’ first?”

“You think that will work on me? …Hey Nishi, we’re finally connected
to them.”
Two things became clear.

The first one was how the fact that I was with Asu-nee today had
already busted.

And second, Kura-sensei was on our side.

This was the first phone call we received today. Knowing Kura-
sensei and his sloppy attitude, he probably managed to put off
calling us until now.

And he successfully conveyed those things to me in one sentence.

“Hello, this is Asuka’s father. Could you put my daughter on the

phone?”

The person on the other end of the line changed.

I looked at Asu-nee again.

Seeing her frantically shaking her head with eyes that looked as if
they were about to start crying, I felt a knot in my stomach.

──If you can’t live beautifully, it’s the same as dying.

Isn’t that right? The good, old-fashioned womanizer of me?

“Huh? I’m afraid that I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I
spoke in a lighthearted tone.

“…It’s useless to hide it. Asuka wouldn’t be bold enough to do

something like this on her own. And if anyone could get her to do this
stuff, it would be you, right? Even though I’m just an ordinary
teacher, I know that much.”

“Ah, even if you said that, I’m at a loss. Right now, I’m on a date with
a cute girl in Tokyo so I don’t want to spend too much time on the
phone.”
“And I’m asking you to put your date on the phone.”

“So, you think that the cute girl I mentioned is your daughter?
Although you look so uptight, could it be that you’re actually a doting
father, Nishino-san?” I spoke as if I was trying to provoke him.

If he lost his composure, that would be my win.

At the word “Nishino-san”, Asu-nee wrapped her arms around mine

anxiously.

I responded with an awkward wink.

“You’re an interesting guy, aren’t you? You remind me of the young

Kura.”

“Come on, I’m not that flaky.”

“Hey, I can hear you, Chitose. The phone is on speaker.”

Oh, sorry.

“So, are you going to continue pretending that you don’t know
anything?”

Apparently he wasn’t the type who got offended easily.

“I’m not pretending, what you said is pure speculation. I told you that
Asuka-san isn’t here, even if you keep insisting, it won’t change
anything. But…”

I checked the time of the Shinkansen on my phone.

“I’m gonna take the Shirasagi train which arrives at 12 o’clock

tomorrow. You can wait in front of the ticket gate to confirm the truth.
If I’m really with Asuka-san, you can do anything you wish to me.”
“Not a bad plan, but you’re too naive. If Asuka really wasn’t with you
when tomorrow comes, I would file a missing person case to the
police.”

Damn.

Of course, it was only natural that things would turn out that way.

“From here on, let’s assume that I’m with Asuka-san right now. Tokyo
is a big city, it would be difficult to find us in just one night. After we
return, I’m sure she will explain to the police that she left of her own
volition.”

“In the case of minors, even if they ran away from home of their own
volition, those who assist them can be charged with a crime.”

He really hit the nail on the head.

I racked my brain as hard as I could.

“Asuka-san went to Tokyo on her own volition, and I was in Tokyo on

a private trip where we both met by chance. It’s a very unlikely
scenario, but you can’t rule out that possibility, can you?”

“We can always check the surveillance cameras at Fukui station to

see if they had caught you two together or not.”

“We
happened
to meet in front of the station, and our seats
happened
to be next to each other. That kind of shoujo-manga plot can happen
in real-life too.”

“So tell me who bought the ticket and when?”

I almost reached the dead end.

But as long as I could buy some time until tomorrow, that was fine
with me.

“I also bought a ticket for the girl that was supposed to come with me
to Tokyo. However, a minor misunderstanding led to a quarrel right
before the trip, and I ended up with an extra ticket. I called all my
acquaintances and sold it to Asuka-san, who
happened
to want it. The surveillance cameras don’t record our conversations,
do they?”

“Aren’t you on a date with a girl who isn’t Asuka?”

“I told you to assume that I’m really with Asuka-san. It’s all just a
hypothetical scenario, I’m talking nonsense!”

“I see.”

Asu-nee’s father sighed.

“Your way of thinking has no logic at all, but as long as Asuka is with
you, I guess there’s no point involving the police.”

In the first place, I didn’t think he had really intended to file a report
to the police.

That’s why I took a gamble.

If I didn’t give in, there was nothing they could do.

At the very least, as long as the father could confirm that she was
with me and that she’s not involved in danger, he wouldn’t want to
make this case any bigger than it was.

“The Shirasagi train will arrive tomorrow at noon, right?” he asked.

“Yes.”
“I think I need to have a long chat with you.”

“Would you spare me if I give you Tokyo Banana as a gift?”

“I hate bananas.”

With that, the phone hung up.

“…phew.”

I let out a huff and exhaled heavily.

Rather than saying I succeeded in refuting him, it was more like he

let me off the hook.

Asu-nee was still holding my arm, looking up at me with a face that

was desperately trying not to cry.

I think she had a rough idea of what the conversation was about.

“I’m sorry,”

I opened my mouth.

“──!!”

She lowered her head timidly, the force in her slender fingers that
were squeezing my arms became stronger.

“Looks like it’ll be difficult for me to marry you, Asu-nee.”

“…Huh?”

“Because your father seems to hate me so much.”

“Then…”

“But now we can have fun until tomorrow morning!”

A big smile bloomed across her face after I said that.

“Remember to turn on the power of your phones, otherwise we won’t

be able to meet up if we get separated.”

With a laugh, Asu-nee scratched her cheek before taking my hand

again.

I looked up at the night sky, which was still too narrow to see many
stars, but the bright moon was still watching over us.

Shinjuku Street, which had felt so chaotic before, was lit up with
colorful neon lights, as if we had actually stepped into a dream.

For the first time, I felt that Tokyo was so beautiful.

Part 10

We sat in the plaza in front of the famous Alta building and searched
for a business hotel in the area using a browser app.

Considering our budget, we thought it would be difficult to find a

place that would be less than 10,000 yen per person, but we found a
surprisingly large number of places that fit the bill.

However, when we started to call for reservations, all the clean and
cheap places were fully booked. Even if there was a room available,
it was too shabby for a girl to stay. There was also the case where I
searched for cheap hotels around Shinjuku station but it turned out
to be in a different location. In short, we couldn’t find any hotel that fit
the criteria.

If it were just me alone, I wouldn’t mind staying at the capsule hotel,

but I couldn’t let Asu-nee go through that.
To be honest, it’s not like I was completely blind regarding where we
could sleep. It’s just… if possible, I wanted to avoid choosing
between those places or sleeping on the street.

Even if we wanted to move from Shinjuku Station to find a cheap and

clean business hotel, we didn’t know Tokyo well enough to move
from one area to another.

And both of us were pretty tired too. We were really beaten.

I tried searching for hotels on the map app.

It turned out that there were quite a few hotels listed in Kabukicho, it
was the place that Asu-nee wanted to go to just before.

“Should we walk around Kabukicho for now and ask directly at the
hotels we see?”

“Yeah, maybe it’ll be quicker that way. After all, people might cancel
their reservations.”

We nodded to each other and started moving.

After walking along the street next to the Alta building for a while and
crossing a traffic light, we came to a large Don Quijote[20]. It
seemed that the Kabukicho area was just ahead from here. Thinking
that the Don Quijote in Fukui was far superior in terms of scale,
somehow I felt very proud.

“Amazing, it’s like the city is alive!” said Asu-nee.

“Yeah, we can almost hear its heartbeat.”

Those words also entered my heart like a swoosh.

The street where the Kinokuniya bookstore was located was already
amazing enough, but from the time we entered the street next to the
Alta building until this point, the neon lights became even more
glittering and dazzling, and the restaurants, pharmacy, and pubs all
blended together as if they were one giant creature.

In Fukui, this area would be placed in the same category as Kura-

sensei’s beloved Katamachi, but the amount of people, the number
of stores, and the vividness of colors were vastly different.

“I think I’ve just realized what the words

entertainment district
really mean.”

When I said that, Asu-nee showed a wry smile.

“To be honest, I’m scared.”

“Me too, senpai.”

After all, we were surrounded by blonde-haired men in suits and

sexy older women in revealing clothes that showed half of their
breasts.

No matter how you looked at it, they were people in the

entertainment business.

Asu-nee continued. “But there are some high school students too
who are walking normally.”

That’s right.

Although it was a completely adult world, we saw some girls in

school uniforms walking around without a care in the world.

“Anyway, let’s move on and take a look.”

Asu-nee nodded her head in agreement, but then, perhaps still

feeling a bit scared, she held the hem of my shirt.
When I stepped inside, I was a little relieved to find karaoke bars and
chain restaurants that were familiar to me in Fukui. However, there
were obviously adult-oriented stores mixed in with them, so it was a
bit difficult to take a closer look.

“Here boy, do you want to visit our

free information service
[21]~?”

“Idiot! They’re minors!”

Even though I didn’t know much about the city, from the exterior of
the store, it wasn’t the kind of place that would tell us about famous
sightseeing spots or delicious restaurants. Not to mention the
suspicious neon lights flashing there.

Asu-nee probably noticed it too. With her face flushed red, she
pinched me on the side.

“Hey, that wasn’t my fault, okay?”

I looked up and saw a huge building towering to the sky in front of

me.

Earlier when I looked at it from a distance, I saw that there was a

Godzilla on top of the building, so I guessed it must be a movie
theater.

It was weird how the mere presence of such a facility could make the
place seem more wholesome and relaxing.

For no particular reason, I turned my head to the right side and

asked Asu-nee.

“Do you have the courage to eat at a restaurant around here?”

“Um, not really. Haven’t you seen that there are signs everywhere
warning people to be careful?”

“True. But again, we already went all the way here so it’s weird if we
just settle for fast food that can be found everywhere in Fukui.”

Asu-nee let out a short sigh.

“I already experienced everything that I wanted to see in Kabukicho.

And to be honest, I’m a bit tired. We haven’t even found a place to
stay yet.”

“Should we go to the convenience store and eat at the hotel? It’s a

boring way to end a trip, though.”

“That’s fine, it’s what high school students usually do.”

Just a bit ahead, I saw a building with a Family Mart inside. On the
wall of the building was a neon sign that read “I ♡ Kabukicho”.

“I’m going to get something, do you want to come too?”

“Can I leave it to you? I’d like to stay here and enjoy the atmosphere
a little longer.”

“Understood. What kind of onigiri do you like?”

“Plums Onigiri!”

Asu-nee sat down on a bench near the road trees while I went in to
do some shopping.

Part 11
After buying some onigiri and side dishes, I left the convenience
store but could not find Asu-nee at the bench she was sitting on
earlier.

I looked around and saw a blond man in a suit grabbing her hand a
short distance away.

Before I could think, I started running towards them.

“Hey, hey, it’s gonna be okay. I can assure you that you’ll be very
popular even without working hard.”

“No, please just let me go!”

──BUMP!

I slammed my shoulder into the guy’s back.

I only had intended to startle him, but in the heat of the moment, I
must have used more force than I thought, and he stumbled and fell
to his knees.

“Asu-nee!”

I grabbed her hand and we started to run.

“Screw you, brat!”

I turned around to see the man already got up and now he was
chasing after us. Perhaps because of the suddenness of the
situation, it made him pause for a moment so there was quite a
distance between us, more than I had expected.

Of course, I had no idea where we were going, so we just randomly

ran without any destination.

“Hey, this way!”

Asu-nee pointed to the modern building ahead and we rushed into
the entrance together.

…He must have barely seen us go in.

We both gasped for air, and after calming down a little, Asu-nee
spoke first.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t handle it alone. I probably should have just
said no or ignored him from the beginning. I thought he was asking
for directions at first.”

To be honest, it couldn’t be helped.

After all, it wasn’t unusual for people in Fukui to be approached by

strangers.

“What does he want you to do?”

“That… he asked me if I was interested to work at girls bars,

cabarets… and…. the sex industry. And if I don’t want to do that, I
can do it privately, like in a hotel.”

“Alright! Now Saku-kun is going to throw that guy from Tojinbo Cliffs,
please wait for me here ♡”

“Calm down, this is Tokyo!”

It was a bit reckless of me to leave Asu-nee alone just earlier.

I knew beforehand that Kabukicho was such a place, but after only
spending one day of sightseeing in Tokyo, I let my guard down.

People who were used to such places might have just brushed them
off, but it was obvious that Asu-nee was not used to it.

By the way, Tojinbo Cliffs was one of the few tourist attractions in
Fukui, where people could enjoy a spectacular view of the
precipitous cliffs along the sea. But it was also known as a suicide
spot and the place where criminals were hunted down in Tuesday
suspense drama.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I could’ve just pretended to be your boyfriend and

the problem would be solved normally but… I pulled this stunt
instead.”

Asu-nee chuckled. “This is my rare chance to see you like that. I

didn’t expect you to get so worked up over me too.”

She must be referring to Nanase’s incident.

“Of course, Asu-nee is someone precious to me.”

“It’s scary, but isn’t it like a scene that was taken from novels? You
know, when two people are running away from the bad guys and
such!”

“Compared to that, I’ve been holding your hand since this morning
with a similar feeling. If this were a novel, the story would lose its
tension if Asu-nee didn’t get caught again.”

“Can you not turn everything into jokes and be cool for once?” She
pouted.

“But that’s part of my character. It’s hard for me to live If I don’t crack
a silly joke once in a while. But let’s forget about that now…”

I looked around the hall we were in. “Asu-nee, this place is

undoubtedly a love──hmmphh.”

My mouth was completely covered with both hands.

“Don’t say it. You can’t say this place’s name,

ever
, or else we won’t be able to stay.”
Asu-nee’s cheeks flushed and she looked away from me before
continuing.

“That guy might still be hanging around, and we are originally looking
for a place to stay anyway. No matter how you look at it, staying here
is the right thing to do.”

After she let go of her hands, I tried to argue. “But…”

“I’ve asked you to bring me to Tokyo for my selfish reason, but I’m
too naive and caused you trouble, that’s why I can’t put you in
danger anymore. Besides, we don’t even know what kind of people
are behind him. Don’t worry, I trust you.”

Indeed, the man before looked like a thug, a host, or some such.

But that was the kind of city we were in.

That man might be bringing his friends later, and if they were
something like Yakuza, there was nothing I could do.

If something were to happen, I wouldn’t want to put this girl in

danger, not to mention that I would be ashamed to face her father
and Kura-sensei.

Cursing my own thoughtlessness, I made up my mind.

“I won’t hurt you, Asu-nee.”

“…I-Is that so?”

Covering her face with her right hand, she lowered her head in
embarrassment, taking a deep breath and letting it out multiple
times.

Finally, she looked me in the eye and spoke sincerely.

“──Okay. If it’s with you, I don’t mind if you do something bad.”

“You know what, I have a very twisted personality. Hearing you say
that just makes me want to hold myself back.”

I replied immediately so that she wouldn’t notice my agitation. She

then showed me the type of smile that an adult usually used.

“See? That’s why I said it would be okay if it’s with you.”

If you were really aiming to become an editor, could you please

clarify what you meant when you said “okay”?

Seeing her being so carefree as a senpai, I couldn’t help but feel

relieved.

Part 12

Basically, people under the age of 18 weren’t allowed to enter this

kind of place. However in this case, I would like to ask for your
understanding since it was an emergency evacuation. Wouldn’t it be
too sad if a tourist from Fukui was tied up and shoved into Tokyo
Bay?

I made an excuse in my mind to someone whose name I didn’t even

know, and tried to act as normal as possible when I checked in to
avoid suspicion.

Having said that, the check-in process was done via a machine to
select a room, and we paid the bill through the screen at the front
desk. So we were neither seen nor talked to by any employee.

By the way, I was just casually observing the couple in front of me

and imitating them.
Most of the rooms were occupied, but luckily the cheaper ones were
still available, so that was the only option given the budget.

There was free shampoo and body soaps near the front desk, so I let
Asu-nee choose the one she liked.

After many twists and turns, we finally arrived at the room which was
dominated by white colour, with a large double bed, a sofa, a low
table, and a TV. It was a normal and stylish room.

My eyes couldn’t help but glance around.

The dimly lit room was decorated with blue neon lights along the
walls, which occasionally turned a strange shade of purple or pink.
But I was genuinely relieved that at least the atmosphere wasn’t
overtly erotic.

I felt like I’d been experiencing a lot of sudden developments like this
lately.

Our bodies could finally relax as we put our luggage on the sofa.

“”So tired!””

We both dove into the bed together.

While lying on our stomachs, we stretched both of our arms and

looked at each other before giggling.

Her hair was disheveled and hanging down on her cheeks, and tear-
like mole peeked out between them. I couldn’t help but get excited
by the angle that wasn’t normally seen. However, I kept my
rationality intact so I wouldn’t lose to these feelings.

Unaware of my thoughts, Asu-nee spoke in a strangely high-spirited

tone.
“Wow, I still can’t believe it! We’re in Tokyo right now and we’re going
to spend the night together!”

I smiled bitterly. “I really didn’t see that last one coming.”

“It feels like I’m truly free~ We’ve been floating around like clouds all
day!”

Asu-nee was flapping her arms and legs like a child on the bed.

She looked so adorable that I swallowed the teasing which I was

about to say about how thunder would strike me when we got home
tomorrow.

As if she thought of something, she suddenly stopped moving and

then looked at me timidly.

“Hey… do you want to eat first? Or shower? Or…”

“That joke was so old! Anyway, I’m hungry so let’s eat!”

Damn, Asu-nee’s words made me remember Yuuko. And for some

reason, a sense of guilt came over me.

Part 13

Afterwards, we ate some food we bought at a convenience store.

We were tired after walking around all day, so we filled the bathtub
with hot water beforehand.

The bathroom was quite spacious and magnificent, and even the
bathtub seemed to glow in rainbow colors.
Knowing this, Asu-nee, who was getting more and more excited,
spoke casually without thinking too deeply.

“Hey, do you want──”

I cut her off.

“──take a bath together? Wash my back? Make a jellyfish with a

towel?”

“…D-do you want to press the switch for hot water together?”

“I’m not sure about that being the original question, but I’ll let it slide
this time.”

And so, while we were eating, the bath was ready.

To be honest, I felt uncomfortable in many ways deciding who should

take the bath first and who should take it later, but in the end, I used
the classic “Lady First” to let Asu-nee go there first. I’d still be
embarrassed either way so it made a little difference for me.

After fumbling with her bag to get ready, Asu-nee disappeared into
the bathroom.

Not long after that, the sound of water from the shower reached my
ears.

Fortunately, the bathroom was separated by a wall. If it had been a

transparent bathroom where you could see everything inside from
here, it would be a checkmate for me.

The only reason I was able to keep my composure when Nanase

came over was because it was my own home. But now, after I had
experienced too many unusual things today, I felt like I’d lose my
control if I let my guard down.
The day I spent with Asu-nee which was short, but also very long,
was more than enough to make me aware that she was a member of
opposite sex, an object of sexual object that came from my desire.

Hss, pop, click.

Trying to keep the loud, fuzzy sound out of my mind, I shook my

head vigorously.

Just as I was sitting on the sofa while looking at my phone for

distraction, I received an email notification.

Huh, that was strange. If the email was from one of my friends, they
would’ve reached me through LINE instead.

“Remember to wear a condom.”

“I’m going to kill him!”

Of course, who else would send this kind of message except for
Kura-sensei.

Thanks a lot for bringing me back to reality! Good job, sensei, you
can die now!

I was relieved to see that there were no messages from Yuuko and
others, but at the same time, I loathed myself for feeling that way.

As I was killing time like this, the sound of the water was soon
replaced by the silly sound of the hairdryer.

Not long after that, the sound of the hair dryer stopped and the door
opened with a click, and Asu-nee, who was wearing a pure white
bathrobe, came out.

──Wait, a bathrobe!?

“Aaaaah, it’s so refreshing~ Thanks for letting me take a bath first.”

She must have been worried about me, so she was in a rush when
blowing-dry her hair. The slightly damp hair was clinging to her neck,
and she was wiping it leisurely with a towel.
The bathrobe was tied tightly at the waist, of course, but the bust
part was open enough to clearly show her flabby collarbone and
small mole, as if it was originally designed that way.

The robe reached just above the knee, and every time Asu-nee took
a step forward, a glistening thigh peeked out through the soft robe.

Her white, lacquer-like skin was tinged with a pink cherry colour.

“It’s your turn.”

Just as I couldn’t look directly at her, she sat down next to me and
stared at me with a puzzled look on her face.

The sweet scent of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, which was

different from the usual, wafted over me.

“Wait Asu-nee! Don’t move around too much or I’ll see it!”

“Eh? Although it feels a bit embarrassing, I’ve tied the string tightly.”

Though I couldn’t deny that, a bathrobe was basically a towel, and it

was looser in certain areas than a yukata from a Japanese-style inn.

While I was on guard, I didn’t know what she’d look like when she
woke up in the morning if she went to bed wearing something like
that.

I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen to the little Saku-
kun if he saw that sight in the morning.

Asu-nee continued.

“I didn’t think I’d be sleeping in the same room as you, so I thought

I’d just wear the hotel robe.”

No, I get it!

Even so, I couldn’t ask a girl to put on the clothes she’d been
wearing all day, and no matter what I thought, the dress she bought
at a second-hand store was not something she could wear to bed.

“If I’d known this would happen, I’d have brought a cute pajama.”

“That’s it!”

I ran to the closet in a flash.

I couldn’t say the same for a normal hotel, but a nice, well-equipped
room like this should have…
Here, I found it
!

“Please, Asu-nee, change into this.”

What I found was regular pajamas with buttons on the front.

“Huh, there’s something like that?”

It was in the bottom drawer, but it was hard to notice because the
bathrobe was on the top.

“Look, there’s navy and cherry pink, we can be matching.”

“…Isn’t that a bit embarrassing?”

“Well…yeah.”

Part 14

In the end, I managed to convince Asu-nee to change into pajamas

as I went to take a bath.
The bathtub was really glowing with iridescence, which made me
feel embarrassed and also awkward.

The floor and chairs were wet, and the air was filled with the scent of
the same shampoo and conditioner that I smelled earlier from Asu-
nee.

It was difficult not to imagine how she washed and soaked herself
here a while ago, but I tried to push my thoughts to the back of my
mind as much as possible. I stood there and roughly washed my
head and body.

…I should wash a little more thoroughly just in case.

I got into the bathtub and leaned my head against the edge of the
tub, thinking back on what had happened this whole day.

It seemed like a lot of time had passed since Nanase scolded me

and pushed me forward, but it had only been one day.

I wondered if this was really the right thing to do.

Doing this perhaps would only have provoked Asu-nee’s father

more, which would have caused their relationship to become even
more strained.

Back then, it was obvious what I should do during Kenta and

Nanase’s incidents.

Because there was a clear target they wanted to get back to, an
enemy we had to deal with, and in the process, they managed to
stand up by themselves.

But this time was different.

Asu-nee’s father was by no means an enemy to be defeated, and

she had already been determined to face her problem alone.
In fact, I just forcibly brought her to Tokyo.

Would the situation change for the better if I did this?

──What right do you have to join this discussion?

To be honest, this time I didn’t have any concrete solution, nor did I
know what I could do for Asu-nee.

I just gurgled and sank my whole head into the hot water, but then I
remembered someone had bathed in there too earlier and jumped
out at once.

Part 15

When I stepped out of the shower after blow-drying my hair, I found

Asu-nee sitting on the sofa, her face illuminated by the faint light of
her phone in the dimmed room.

Was there any contact from her parents? Or did she feel uneasy
because she hadn’t heard anything from them since then?

As soon as she noticed me, she hurriedly put her phone back into
her bag. She looked at me and smiled.

“I’m still a bit shy, it’s like we were living together.”

Remembering the conversation we had at the campus during the

day, I responded.

“I’m the first person to wear matching pajamas with you. Even if the
distance between us grows wider in the future, that fact won’t ever
change.”
Asu-nee was taken aback and then replied with a mixture of joy and
sadness.

“Then I’ll never forget this moment.”

After the break in conversation, an indescribable silence fell over us.

After having dinner and taking a bath, naturally, the next thing to do
was to go to bed. However, it was still only ten ‘o’ clock in the
evening. Even though I was tired, it was a little early to end the night
for high school students’ standard.

I tried to find some topics to continue the conversation, but not even
a stupid joke came to mind.

I unconsciously looked at the bed, and when I hurriedly turned

around, my gaze met with Asu-nee’s, who had also done the same
thing as me just now.

We stared at each other and smiled, as if trying to pass by

something vague.

Then she looked around with a somewhat restless expression before

standing up as if she had made up her mind.

“Since we’re already here, let’s explore the room.” She spoke in an
innocent tone, with no hint of implication.

“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea…”

Ignoring my advice, she immediately opened the nearest drawer.

“Kyaaa!”

“See? This is
that
kind of hotel.”
I stood up beside her and found a drawer full of condoms and
lubricants, and even a thoughtful, individually wrapped pink dildo and
vibrator with a “sterilized” label on it.

I hit the drawer with the side of my fist and pushed it back.

Asu-nee had a sour look on her face. “You’re pretty calm about it.”

“If my action looked that way, then praise the angel inside Saku-
kun’s heart.”

“…It seems you’re already used to this.”

“Have you forgotten how I was desperately watching the couple in

front of me when you were useless during the check-in?”

“You must think I’m really ignorant, right?”

“Of course I do, you’ve been acting that way since this morning!”

When I said that, Asu-nee gently put her hand on the drawer.

“…But, I’m a third-year in high school, you know. I understand very

well how to use things that are in the drawer, and what kind of place
we are staying in now.”

Her mature, yet a fragile smile pierced my heart.

“So, hypothetically, suppose we really do it here… I’m not so naive

that I’ll start crying because I’m scared. That’s… what I think.”

She hesitantly looked up at me, as if testing my expression.

However, like I said before, I

did
have a twisted personality, so I responded with a false, gentle smile
to avoid revealing my inner thoughts.
She continued.

“But when I’m with you, or at least during this trip, I want to spend
our time naively like children, just like those days.”

I stared at Asu-nee, who looked somewhat anxious after she

stopped talking.

──you should just let me handle this.

I strongly thought so.

I grabbed her hands in frustration before forcefully pushing her to the

bed.

I put both of my hands on the sides and brought my face closer…

“Eh? W-What?”

Feeling bewildered, she squeezed her eyes shut.

And then…

“Take this!”

I picked up the pillow and smashed it on her beautiful face.

“Gyuuhh!!!”

She let out a silly cry.

“W-Why?!”

Asu-nee, whose face was pressed against the pillow, asked in a

muffled voice.

I responded coldly.
“As you wish, let’s do something that high schoolers do, shall we?
How about a pillow fight during the trip?”

“H-huh? What on earth is happening?”

“Hey-A-su-nee.”

bam, bam, bam, bam.

I matched the timing between each syllable with a pillow smash.

“How many times do you think I argue with my inner angel so I won’t
let myself imagine it? Why do you have to bring that topic up? Are
you a devil?”

“T-that’s because…aw, it hurts! That’s because you’re a boy so I

thought I’d try to get your head clear first.”

“If that’s the case you should hold a meeting between the angel side
and the devil side. Are you underestimating the hormones of a high
school boy? If I wasn’t careful, you almost made me jump three
levels and go straight to adulthood!”

“…about that…”

“Don’t-lose-your-cool, you stupid!”

Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!

“If you want to be an editor, you should think about the beginning
and the end. Follow the proper steps! Control your emotions! If I
slept with you here, it’d just cause a flame. You’re going to live in
Tokyo, aren’t you? You want to live in this city, right?”

Through the pillow, I could feel her nodding her head repeatedly.

“Pull yourself together. Don’t get carried away by the situation or

your surroundings. Keep being Asu-nee and stick to your own will.
Look at others, look at your dreams and stay true to yourself!”

Nod, nod, nod.

“And if there is a future for both of us beyond that, where we can

respect and admire each other, where we want to become one,
then… wouldn’t it be fine if we just go with the flow? I’m an old-
fashioned guy after all.”

“Well… can I say a word first?”

Asu-nee said quietly.

──SMACK!

She hit me hard on the side of my face with a pillow she had found.

“You’re really saying shits. I have the proper steps in my mind, I also
can handle my emotions just fine! I look at the others properly
regardless of the situation or surroundings! Stop saying whatever
you want, you pretentious guy!”

“That’s not
a word
!”

From that point on, it already became a pillow fight just like on a
school trip.

“Very well, you good-for-nothing princess! I’m going to teach you

about the harshness of the world!”

“Huh? What is that? Come on, you can’t even bring yourself to eat
the food that was offered to you! You’re just a coward who chickened
out at the last minute!”

It’s like we were going back to the time when I met Asu-nee and the
other kids…
“What the heck are you talking about? I’m going to
bleeeeep
you and
bleeeep
you again!”

“Can’t you just say the words without censoring? Big sis will listen
and pass it as a gibberish from a cute little boy.”

“I wish you were that brave when we walked around Tokyo earlier!”

The sounds of laughter and yells echoed through the room.

We jumped on the bed and the sofa, smashing pillows against each
other.

Someday we will──no, we have to grow up.

Until then, I hoped that we could do our best to become upright

children.

If we couldn’t be proper children, it would be impossible to grow into

proper adults.

For example, like how we spent the time innocently and being
childish on this night.

Part 16

We both were exhausted and leaned against the headboard of the

bed side by side.

I thought about sleeping on the couch just like I did when Nanase
stayed over, but Asu-nee said it would be boring.
Anyway, no matter what I thought, there was no way we were going
to be a man and a woman tonight.

“I’ve already taken a bath but I’m sweating again. Do I stink?”

Asu-nee put her face close to my chest and sniffed it.

“Yup, you stink.”

“Do you want me to smell your chest too?”

The time was eleven o’clock in the evening.

Although the room was equipped with a digital clock, the second
hand in my head was counting down the remaining time.

“Let’s talk about something.” suggested Asu-nee. “This is a once-in-

a-lifetime trip that will probably never happen again. Let’s talk about
something that will bring it to a fitting end. A story that will be
remembered for years to come, even if we can’t remember the scent
of matching shampoo that is now wafting from us.”

──We would never be able to take a trip like this again.

The reason had nothing to do with the person we were with or the
destination.

One day, at the age of seventeen, I ran away with the girl I always
admired as if we were eloping, wandering aimlessly through an
unfamiliar city.

We were like characters in a novel.

It went without saying which one of us was the main character.

“That’s why…” Asu-nee continued, “Let me hear your story.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any interesting stories to tell for a night
like this,”

“It doesn’t have to be interesting, I don’t care if it’s not dramatic or

romantic. Tell me how you became the person you are today.”

I looked into her face, as if trying to decipher the true meaning of her
words.

Her gaze was unmistakably earnest, gentle and warm, also vapid
and ethereal. The eyes that seemed like they wanted to cry.

So I understood what she was asking me to do.

“If I tell you my story, will I be able to light at least one candle in your
future?”

“I need it, for the end of this trip, and for tonight. Let me understand
you.”

This was a story I’d never told anyone.

Not to Hiiragi Yuuko, Uchida Yua, Aomi Haru, Nanase Yuzuki, Asano
Kaito or Mizushino Kazuki. The only exception was Yamazaki Kenta
whom I told a small part of.

That was because…

“I’m sure it won’t live up to your expectations. My past is so ordinary,

you probably already heard it many times from other people. It can’t
even be called a story.”‘

Asu-nee gently took my hand in hers.

“Even if your past is really ordinary and something that can happen
to anyone, I’ll edit it into a story and make it the only story of its kind
in the world.”
──Ah, if that was the case, I felt relieved.

Because I could be a little child in front of this girl.

On this once-in-a-lifetime night, I’d share a story that would probably

only be told once in a lifetime.

Just like how you delivered your words to me on that day, I’d do the
same too even though I wouldn’t be able to word it beautifully.

So, this is a common, uninteresting and meaningless story of

Chitose Saku.

Part 17

“──I’ve always been the type to stand out, even since I was little. I
wonder how long it has been going on, but a lot of girls liked me in
kindergarten, and I never once lost when it comes to running.”

“Mmm.”

“That hadn’t changed after I entered elementary school. Girls still

liked me, and I was unbeatable in PE class, in sports day, and
marathons. I was always at the top of the class because I listened to
the lessons that the teacher gave us.”

“Mmm.”

From this point, it was something I’ve already told Kenta in a vague
way when I tried to persuade him.

Asu-nee continued with simple responses, but each one was filled
with a different emotion. It seemed that she was only intending to
listen to me without unnecessary interruptions.
“I think it was around the fourth grade when I began to notice that I
might be a little bit special. I started to see my surroundings to a
certain extent, and I realized that people couldn’t do everything as
well as I could.”

“Mmm.”

“But I didn’t look down on other kids. It didn’t matter if they were fast
or slow, my friends were precious to me. And since I was often in a
leadership position, I wanted to make sure that everyone got along.”

“Mmm.”

“I know it’s strange to hear me say this, but compared to now, I was
a rather good person back then. I would never ignore someone who
was being excluded from a group, and if there was someone in
trouble, I would lend my hand to them.”

“Mmm.”

“I still remember that there was a girl in my class who was a bit of an
outcast. During break time, she would silently draw pictures while
making a wall with her body and arms. Everyone talked behind her
back about how dark and creepy she was. When we had to pair up a
boy and a girl for a certain event, she just sat there and hung her
head down, so I asked her if she’d like to join me.”

“Mmm.”

“It’s not like I had an ulterior motive to make myself look cool, I just
didn’t like to see someone being excluded. I certainly didn’t want to
be a part of it, let alone turn a blind eye to that.”

“Mmm.”

“Then after I actually talked to her, I found her to be a normal, or

should I say, an interesting girl. She showed me her drawings of my
favourite manga characters, and they were really good. Seeing how
excited I was, she gave it to me as a present the next day. That
made me so happy.”

“Mmm.”

“Well, she later confessed her feelings for me, and when I turned her
down, she cursed me a lot. She said that I shouldn’t have been kind
to her if I only pitied her.”

“Mmm.”

“And after that, people started to make fun of the situation. They kept
saying things like Chitose made a girl cry or something.”

“Mmm.”

“But I didn’t do it out of pity. I genuinely thought she was interesting,

and it was fun talking about manga. I felt like I had become friends
with her. Maybe if it had been a more ordinary or less popular boy
who reached out to her, she wouldn’t have such a
misunderstanding.”

“Mmm.”

“On the contrary, people often came to me for help. Basically, if they
asked me to do things, I would never turn them down. At first, they
were so happy and felt really grateful.”

“Mmm.”

“But gradually, somehow it became the norm. They developed a

mindset that they could leave their problems to me since I could
solve them in a flash.
It’s a pain to do them alone, so why bother? Just give it to Chitose!
”
“Mmm.”

“But if I turned down their requests or the results didn’t meet their
expectations, they would go beyond mere disappointment and
complain,
why? Why don’t you at least help me with that?
or
you should do the job properly! You really just do whatever you like,
don’t you!?
“

“Mmm.”

“Those things happened more frequently. If I deviated even slightly

from
the ‘Perfect and Benevolent

Chitose-kun
‘ image, they would attack me beyond the normal level.”

“Mmm.”

“I think it was around the time when I started playing baseball. I was
learning faster than my friends who joined at the same time, and my
skill gradually caught up with the senpais.”

“Mmm.”

“But when you reach a certain age, it is no longer possible to be the

best at everything, whether it’s athletics or academics, by relying
solely on your natural talent. My height wasn’t so tall, but people
around me got bigger and bigger.”

“Mmm.”

“I was scared, because I started from a point where I always

succeeded in everything I did, using a talent I was born with. So
when I imagined that someone would eventually catch up to me from
behind and pass me, people would feel disappointed and therefore
would abandon me… After all, the one who was popular was the
‘Perfect and Benevolent

Chitose-kun
‘.”

“Mmm.”

“In fact, in the lower grades, there were kids around me who could
do just as well as me in academics and sports. But before I knew it,
they were already stuck in the middle of the pack, and became
average.”

“Mmm.”

“That’s why I worked so hard. Even as an elementary school

student, I studied harder than anyone else before exams and ran
along the riverbed every day when there was a marathon coming up.
And when it came to baseball, there was no one among the senpais
who had their hands as tattered as mine.”

“Mmm.”

“By the time I was in the fifth grade, everyone saw me as someone
who could do everything, and no one thought that I was working hard
behind the scenes. Of course, I never said so myself. Because what
everyone wanted was the
‘Perfect Chitose-kun who can do anything without trying
‘, just like before.”

“Mmm.”

“However, it didn’t take long before people began to get more excited
when they saw me fail rather than succeed. For example, if I scored
a hundred on the exam, they would look at me with disapproving
eyes. But if I scored ninety, everyone would clap their hands and
seemed happy,
‘Oi, Chitose, you didn’t get 100, huh? You must be not that smart,
aren’t you?
‘”

“Mmm.”

“Soon, not only were they waiting for me to fail, but they were all
trying
to make me fail. During PE class, no one passed me the ball when
we played soccer. My homework somehow disappeared from my
desk, and my gym clothes were sprayed with a prank perfume that
smelled terrible.”

“Mmm.”

“Then everyone just laughed.

Why didn’t you shoot at all? Didn’t sensei say not to forget our
homework? Whooaa, you really smelled like poop!
Those are the words they said to me as they were having fun.”

“Mmm.”

“But no one thought it was bullying, and of course I didn’t think that
way myself. Looking back now, that perception has not changed.
Even after school, I was still hanging out with the kids who did those
things to me.”

“Mmm.”

“I think they were probably just trying to strike a little balance.”

“Mmm.”

“In other words, since I was born with a gift that they didn’t have,
because I stood out from others, it gave them an excuse to treat me
that way. They said that those who were blessed with talent should
be given a slight disadvantage. The privileged at least deserved to
be treated like that.”

“Mmm.”

“However, I was still a kid back then. Of course, their actions made
me feel hurt and sad. Why should I be treated that way by kids who
never worked hard when all I ever did was just try my best at
everything they’ve given to me?

“Mmm.”

“So, an idea suddenly came up in a fragile boy’s mind.

If I tried to fit in with everyone else, I wouldn’t be harassed.
I remember missing shots on purpose in soccer, leaving many
questions blank on exams, and coldly refusing my friends when they
asked me for help.”

“Mmm.”

“But it just made them happier. Apparently, once people had labelled
me as “talented” or “gifted”, I couldn’t take it down unless I changed
the entire surrounding. All efforts I made were negated by the label,
and my failures were exaggerated by others. The kid that I
intentionally lost to during PE class, went around telling everyone
that Chitose was not a big deal.”

“Mmm.”

“As a child, I didn’t know what to do. If I succeed, I’ll be disliked, and
if I fail, I’ll be ridiculed by others. Even if I tried to be average, they
would only think of me as someone who used to be at the top but
now had fallen.”

“Mmm.”
“And that’s when my teacher, who had always looked after me, told
me something.”

“Mmm.”

Those were also the words that I passed to Kenta.

“
‘A boy like you, blessed with all these gifts, ought to be standing in
front of the class and serving as an example to the others. You may
wonder why you’re the only one who has to put in this much effort,
but the other kids—well, they’re wondering why you’re the only one
who has all these gifts.

…So you have to fly even higher. You have to run even faster. Until
you become a real hero, the kind who inspires the others to follow
along behind you…’”

Behind that was the truth I didn’t tell him.

“But I interpreted those words as something completely different

from the kindness of that gentle teacher.”

“Mmm.”

“In short, it was because I was half-baked that people thought they
could drag me down. All I need to do is to be perfect and make them
think it’s useless to compare themselves to me.”

“Mmm.”

“──that’s why I vowed to be the perfect hero, not to save everyone,

but to keep myself out of anyone’s reach.”

“Mmm.”

“From there, it was simple. I just have to figure out my flaws on a

daily basis and crack them one by one.”
“Mmm.”

“Let’s say I helped a boy who was being bullied in middle high
school, and he followed me around every day afterward and
eventually started waiting in front of my house on holidays. Although
I just didn’t want to turn a blind eye to the bullying, it would be
impossible for me to become instant best friends with him the next
day onwards. So when I told him to stop doing that, he started
spreading all kinds of bad stuff about me which wasn’t true.”

“Mmm.”

“Then, to prevent that from happening, I should tell him my intention

from the start. That I didn’t help him out of kindness and only did it
for myself, and it didn’t mean that I would hang out with him
afterwards. If I did that, he wouldn’t expect anything from me and
there wouldn’t be any disappointment.”

“Mmm.”

“If a problem I discussed with someone I believed to be a friend

would be the main topic on the next day and it would be used to look
for my weakness, then from the start, I should’ve just closed my
heart. Draw a line between me and everyone, not let them step in
and vice versa.”

“Mmm.”

“If I rejected a girl who liked me and therefore was called a man-slut
shithead by a boy who liked the girl, then I should just be a frivolous
and untrustworthy guy from the start. Make them realize that I wasn’t
worth it.”

“Mmm.”

“If being humble only caused people to call me narcissistic behind

my back, then I might as well be a badass asshole who didn’t want
to be approached from the start.”

“Mmm.”

“Even so, being too perfect could be tiresome, so I’d tell stupid jokes
from time to time to relieve some stress.”

“Mmm.”

Let’s say that I turned down a girl who used to be a dear friend of
mine with a painful feeling, but the next day, people would say that I
was just playing with her heart and dumped her after I got bored.

Let’s say that

there was a group of upperclassmen who came after me for being

too cocky, but I couldn’t fight back because it would cause trouble for
the baseball team.

Let’s say that there was a boy who thought I had slept with his
girlfriend and barged into the classroom, ranting about his delusion
in front of my classmates before throwing my phone out the window.

Let’s say there was a rumor that my good grades were because I
was a kept man for a young, beautiful teacher.

Let’s say that the news about my parents’ divorce was written in
large letters on the blackboard in the class.

Let’s say that there were people who ignored me based on senpai’s
order just because I was chosen as a regular player in my first-year.

And then in high school──

“Of course, I can talk about each experience in detail, but there is
nothing traumatic about any of them. I became the person I am
today by dodging every little stone that people threw at me.”
See, it was a common, uninteresting and meaningless story, after all.

Part 18

“…That’s the end of my story.”

Asu-nee, who had been giving me responses the whole time,

remained silent, therefore I was unable to confirm her expression.

“See? It was a very common and boring past, right? There’s no big
story or anything.”

Seeing that she still didn’t reply, I continued.

“On that day, I wanted to reach out to the moon. I wanted to be like
the marble that sank into the bottle of ramune, to become an
existence that everyone longed for, with no one able to change its
shape.”

The blue neon lights which were hanging down the walls illuminated
my pathetic self.

“But maybe I got it wrong from the start. The marble in the ramune
bottle is not the moon in the night sky. Surrounding themselves with
hard walls, it’s as if they feel frightened. They are just looking at the
moon shining in the distance, who is brightly illuminating the
darkness, from the bottom of the bottle. They can’t go anywhere.”

Therefore, I was the marble, not the moon.

That’s how it was.

I once told Kenta this; I had confidence and faith in my way of life
and in my beliefs.
I wanted to live beautifully as if I were a marble sinking under a
ramune bottle.

Those words weren’t a lie.

I liked the way I was living now, and I thought it was very
me
.

But sometimes, on a night like this, I asked myself questions.

──On that day, what exactly did I reach out to? And where am I
now?

Asu-nee let out a short sigh.

“I finally understand. How someone who used to be bright, innocent,

passionate, straightforward, and kind, like a hero out of a shounen
manga, could end up like this.”

Feeling unsure what she meant by that, I turned my head to the side.

Asu-nee was smiling softly at me, and for some reason, she looked
happy.

“It’s not that you didn’t have a story to tell, but there are just too
many.”

Her hand, which was cooler than mine, gently ruffled my hair.

“Generally speaking, it only takes one of the experiences you

described to turn it into a story.
I was having such a hard time, it hurt, it was painful, and it’s too sad.
Because then you could use them to justify your weak side.”

Her voice was very soft.

“When you couldn’t do your best, when you gave up on something,
when life wasn’t going the way you wanted it to, you can take that
story out of your life and it would make things easier. Because you
have experienced such a thing, there is nothing you can do about it.
The kids who have gotten hurt by the world eventually will feel bitter
and start to hurt people who are working hard to prevent the world
from hurting them. To borrow your words, it’s about striking a
balance.”

But—Asu-nee continued.

“You do not allow yourself to turn these experiences into stories. You
feel that these pains are insignificant, uninteresting, meaningless,
and hurdles that you can overcome with your own effort.”

There was a
thud
sound coming from my left chest.

“You haven’t met any heroes who can help you as you helped
others, so you have to defend your way of life and your ideals one by
one like this. At the same time, it also means to live beautifully.”

“You’re exaggerating it.”

“…That’s because you don’t want to exaggerate it.”

Under her gentle gaze, I bit my lips which were about to start
trembling.

“I…”

──Before I noticed, the words came out on their own.

“When I was a little, I wanted to be like the heroes in shounen

manga, someone who faced everything head-on, who worked hard,
who cherished his friends, and who unconditionally extended a hand
to anyone they saw in trouble… “

But, but, but,

“But no one needs me like that!”

I clutched Asu-nee’s hand, wanting to be able to rely on it.

Aahh, what the hell am I doing?

I shouldn’t have said such a thing.

I was so fed up with my own weakness that I let it slip out

unintentionally.

After all, I am not the moon.

Right now, I’m supposed to be shining a light on this girl’s path.

The neatly trimmed fingertips poked my forehead lightly.

“──Aren’t you the only one who thinks of yourself that way?”

I didn’t understand what she was talking about.

“It’s true that your personality is a bit twisted and troublesome, but
you unconditionally extended a hand to Yamazaki-kun and Nanase-
san, and you confronted those problems head-on and worked hard
to solve them. That’s because you cherish your friends.”

“That’s not true…”

“And you want to keep it that way, don’t you? You’ve learned from
past experiences to not let them be swallowed up by expectations,
which is the flip side of disappointment. So you won’t hurt others with
your kindness.”
“──!”

“That’s why you pretend to be a bad guy and choose self-sacrificing

solutions. Because even if you want to help someone, you can’t
reach out to them head-on or else you might give them expectations
and disappointment. Even if it only ends up hurting yourself, you
think it’s fine because you’re used to it.”

“────”

I bit my lips again to not let myself be surrounded by this girl’s

tenderness.

“No, I’m not that noble. Yuuko, Yua, Nanase, Haru, Kaito, Kazuki,
Kenta, and Asu-nee, everyone always says that I’m special. But the
real Chitose Saku is just a kid who is trying to give up many things,
but can’t do it, so he keeps struggling in an ugly, flabby way.”

“This kind of person…” Asu-nee smiled warmly. “──is what we call

a hero.”

She stared at me, who was speechless, before continuing.

“Not anyone can continue to struggle like you do, and not anyone
can reach out for something that is so far away, thinking that they will
never reach it. So when those kinds of people see someone who
was able to obtain it, they would convince themselves that they were
normal, and the other person was not. Because they couldn’t accept
the fact that they didn’t work hard enough to reach it.”

Asu-nee gently touched my check.

“What Saku wishes for perhaps is to become a full moon, but the half
moon, crescent moon, and the marble floating in a ramune bottle are
also precious treasures to someone.”
I squeezed back the hand that was holding me and closed my eyes.
Because if I didn’t do that, I felt something inside me would fall
apart.

“Hey, can you feel them?”

Asu-nee said in a whisper, sliding her own fingers, one at a time,

across the curves of my palm as if tracing them.

“My forehead, cheeks, lips, shoulders, upper arms, stomach…

Although it’s a bit embarrassing… thighs, calves, knees and toes
too.”

She gently guided my hand to touch the part she mentioned.

The vivid warmth, softness, and smoothness of her body flowed into
my fingertips, either directly or through the thin fabric, causing me to
go crazy.

“I’m right here.” She squeezed my hand again.

The expression on her face was so gentle that it made me feel bad
for having even the slightest hint of dirty thoughts in my head.

“──Your light does shine on someone, let me prove it.”

That smile in the blue night was like the moon that I had been
wanting to reach for all along.

Part 19

Afterwards, we laid in bed and talked about various topics.

Things like our favourite novels, manga, movies, and music. Also the
urban legends we believed in as children, our secret base, our
favorite toys, what we had done in the past and what we plan to do
in the future.

It was as if we stopped talking, we would wake up from our dreams.

Eventually, Asu-nee’s words ceased, and a breath sound escaped

her lips.

The night that would never come again was ending.

I looked at Asu-nee.

Like a child who was tired after playing around all day, the corners of
her mouth raised slightly.

Ten years from now, when I remember this night fondly, I wonder
what kind of adult I──no, what kind of adults we would be?

When the time came, who would be next to us?

I thought about such a thing and closed my eyes.

On the other side of the slumber, a girl and a boy were running
around on the paths of the summer fields.

Part 20

The next day, we woke up at seven o’clock, packed our bags, and
left the hotel.

The city was quiet and peaceful, as if the noise from yesterday’s
night had been an illusion.
The streets weren’t packed by people, and the crows were idly
pecking at garbage bags around the area.

At Matsuya, a woman who appeared to be in an entertainment

business was gorging herself with a beef donburi, and on the side of
the road, sometimes there would be drunken men who were just
lying down comfortably.

We bought coffee, sandwiches, and a simple souvenir at Tokyo

Station before boarding the Shinkansen.

We didn’t open our mouths much on the three-hour ride home, just
watching the scenery outside pass by as we shared a pair of
earphones.

‘Bye Bye Thank You’

was playing over and over again in our ears.

Perhaps our trip ended last night.

Asu-nee’s face looked as if something heavy had been lifted from

her, and I probably looked similar to her.

Did this short getaway bring anything to this person?

Walking down the streets where she might live in the future, having a
few unusual experiences, and talking about things she normally
wouldn’t do.

It might not mount anything, or it might be something irreplaceable

for her.

But my role was over.

After this, Asu-nee would surely turn it into a story of its kind in the
world.
The skyscrapers of Tokyo quickly faded away, and by the time the
Shinkansen approached Maibara, the familiar scenery of the
countryside had spread out through the window.

When we eventually got off the Shirasagi train in Fukui, the first thing
that struck me was that the air was
sooooo good
! It was really fresh and clear, with the scent of grass and trees.

Just before we descended the stairs leading to the ticket gate, Asu-
nee asked, “Can we hold hands?”

Considering who was waiting in front of the station, I shouldn’t have

done that, but without saying a word, I extended my right hand.

And so, step by step, the two of us walked down the stairs together.

Part 21

──Slap!

After we walked out of the Fukui Station ticket gate, which was much
smaller than the one in Tokyo, the first thing that greeted us was a
slap towards Asu-nee.

“If you want to hit someone, shouldn’t you hit me first? I’m the one
who brought Asuka-san out.”

Hearing my words, Asu-nee’s father replied with an indifferent

expression.

“I have no reason to hit you. It was Asuka who made the decision
and took action.”
A little further back, I saw the figure of Kura-sensei.

When I took a step forward and was about to retort…

“It’s fine.” Asu-nee stopped me.

Then, after giving me a cool smile, she turned to her father and
bowed her head deeply and sincerely.

“Father, I’m sorry to have worried you.”

“Even if you want to do something, it has to be reasonable.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Asu-nee looked over at Kura-sensei, who was walking slowly with a

rattle sound from his setta sandals.

“I’m sorry for worrying you too, Kura-sensei.”

“There’s only one thing I was worried about.”

He glanced at me and gave me a meaningful smirk.

Hey uncle, don’t ever talk about that stuff here!

“I have a favor to ask of you both.” Asu-nee spoke, “Can we have

another career discussion after school the day after tomorrow?”

It seemed that she had made up her mind.

Asu-nee’s father sighed heavily and looked at Kura-sensei who

replied, “It doesn’t matter, I’m free after school anyway.”

“Thank you, Sensei. How about you, Father?”

“…Considering the time, you should start to study for the entrance
exam at this point. Consider this your last chance.”
“Yes, I know,” said Asu-nee, smiling very casually before turning at
me. “And then after school tomorrow, you’ll have to go on another
date with me.”

“”Huh?””

My voice overlapped with Asu-nee’s father’s. He gave me a fierce

stare.

“So that’s it for today then~”

Asu-nee quickly started to walk away.

The father, who had been stunned, followed reluctantly from behind.

I called out to his back.

“Nishino-san, this is for you.”

I handed him the paper bag with the Tokyo Banana inside.

“Didn’t I tell you I hated this?”

“That’s why I bought it.”

I smiled slightly, and he accepted the paper bag with a dumbfounded

expression. Then as if just remembered something, he took out his
wallet and pulled out three 10,000 yen bills.

“Here’s the money for Asuka’s tickets. Thank you for taking care of
my daughter.”

Then he left, and this time he didn’t look back.

Kura-sensei tapped me on the shoulder.

“You guys are ruining my day off. Buy me yakiniku to make up for it.”
“Can you give me some slack and let me treat you to Hachiban
Ramen instead?”

With this, our brief getaway was truly over.

Part 22

After sleeping like a log, Monday arrived and the school ended in a
flash.

There was still some time left before my appointment with Asu-nee,
so I was having a little chat with the members of Team Chitose
before everyone went to their club activities.

It was probably because my nerves had been so tense over the

weekend, but I felt truly at home after going back to my daily routine.

At that moment…

“Hey, you over there! Let’s go on a date!”

The peace-breaker had arrived.

“Aren’t we supposed to meet outside?”

By the time I got to that point, it was too late.

“Hmm?”

“Heh.”

“Hoo?”

“Ha!”
And that’s the end of the performance from the quartet Yuuko-chan,
Yua-chan, Nanase-san and Haru-chan.

This date was not a whim of that girl, but a firm promise with me – I
was the one who brought this up myself.

With a smile on her face, Asu-nee approached our circle happily.

Seeing her expression, it seemed that she didn’t have a fight with
her father after she came home yesterday, which made me a bit
relieved.

“I mean, if you think about it, it’s unnatural for us to meet up outside
when we’re in the same school. Besides, doesn’t it feel more
romantic if I picked you up from your classroom?”

“Asu-nee, does the back of your head or your back hurt? It seems
like there’s a lot of intense emotions that are stabbing us right now.”

“The target of those intense feelings should be you, right?”

“No wonder I felt a tingle here and there.”

After I said that, Kaito suddenly lunged at me.

“Sakuuuu, why is everything

always
about you? Nishino-senpai, Nishino-senpai, how about going on a
date with me instead?”

“Hmm~ maybe not.”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Asu-nee showed a cute gesture by poking her cheek with her finger.

Kenta was patting Kaito on the back to comfort him.

Seeing the situation, Kazuki opened his mouth.

“It looks like our princesses can’t be underestimated either.”

He gave the quartet a meaningful smile.

“Uuugh.” The first person to react was Yuuko. “Nishino-senpai, let

me introduce myself first. I’m Saku’s first wife, and Uchi here is his
mistress. Nice to meet you.”

“Yuuko-chan, please don’t get me involved like I was just an extra.”

Yua smiled bitterly for being called that.

After hearing Yuuko’s words, Asu-nee made a thoughtful gesture

and spoke.

“Hmm… does it make me his fiancée from childhood days?”

“Why did you say that?”

I couldn’t help but ask. This girl always said things that didn’t make
any sense.

Nanase raised her hands in the air, as if saying

good grief.

“Alright, we can lend him to you, but you owe us one. Do you agree,
senpai?”

Asu-nee smiled mischievously.

“Aren’t you the one who owes me something because I made it

possible for him to face Nanase-san’s problem in his own way?”

She probably wasn’t referring to her advice to me regarding Nanase,

but the fact that I had recovered so much after quitting baseball
thanks to the former.
It was rare for Asu-nee to bring this up, but on the other hand, I
guess she thought it was fine to tell that now.

“…so, can we call it even?”

“Fine, I’ll give you some change.”

Nanase’s mouth twitched in frustration, but she’s still trying to show a

smile.

Finally, Haru said, “But, why would someone as beautiful and cool as
Nishino-senpai choose this flirtatious guy of all people?”

“For that answer…” Asu-nee, who was walking towards the door,
turned around. “I think you’ve already known that in your heart.
Right, Aomi-san?”

Before feeling suffocated by the atmosphere, I fled from the class.

Part 23

Asu-nee and I then boarded the Echizen railway from Fukui Station.

The local train line was well-known in the area, however, for the
students who didn’t commute to school from a distance, they would
have the rare opportunity to use it.

The places where high school students usually hang out basically
could be reached by bicycle. If they need to go further, let’s say
when they had a practice game, they would most likely take a bus
owned by the club or their parents’ car.

I tried to ask Asu-nee why we boarded the train, but she always
evaded my question.
Well, I’ll find out after we arrive, anyway.

Just when I thought so, the train which had been rattling for about
twenty minutes, finally stopped.

“Here it is~”

Without thinking deeply about it, I got off the train and stepped onto
the lonely platform…

──huh?

My brain stopped working for a moment.

Because this was a nostalgic place which was filled with various
memories.

Is it a coincidence? Is there such a thing?

Unconsciously, I looked at Asu-nee, who was looking around the

station with a somewhat nostalgic look and narrowed eyes.

“Hey, is it okay if I stop being your senpai and your big sister just for
now?”

She asked me.

When I couldn’t answer, she folded her arms, tilted her head slightly
and stared at me.

Then, as if she couldn’t hold back any longer, she smiled innocently
like a little child.

“──Long time no see, Saku-nii~”

“…you…are…”

The blurry vision of a boy and a girl gradually became closer.

Chapter 4: Nishino Asuka (The Wind That
Blows Tomorrow)

Part 1

This place was the town where I, Nishino Asuka, was born and lived
until the sixth grade of elementary school.

Although it was still considered Fukui City, it was located at the very
edge of the border.

Just a short walk away was the neighbouring city, Sakai. And
although this place wasn’t a rural area within Fukui Prefecture, it was
still surrounded by rice fields.

There was hardly any decent entertainment.

On holidays, my greatest pleasure was to buy new books at the

bookstore in the Ami shopping center, which was much smaller than
Lpa, or at Miyawaki Bookstore, a small bookstore nearby.

Born in such a town to parents who were both strict teachers, I was a
very shy and boring girl. Although I did reasonably well in
schoolwork, I wasn’t very good at sports, and I wasn’t the type to
inspire everyone and be the center of the class.

However, I wasn’t so gloomy that I couldn’t talk to anyone, and I had

a few friends just like any other person. In short, I think the word
“ordinary” was a perfect description of me at that time.
There were no children my age in the neighbourhood, and I was
forbidden to play too far away, so I would go home as soon as
school was over and immerse myself in the world of books.

It seemed that my classmates all gathered at someone’s house after

school every day to play, so perhaps I was a bit of an outcast in that
sense.

──However, I thought that as long as I had these stories, it was

enough.

The characters in the stories were all surprisingly straightforward,

passionate, kind, and dazzling. They could run freely around the
world with their own wills as a guide.

I wish I could be like them.

Even so, while I was very envious of them, I could still distinguish
reality from fiction.

Because in reality, you had a mother and father who would tell you
what you could do and what not, so you couldn’t do everything you
wanted.

Let’s say that you wanted to go to a festival, or had a sleepover at a

friend’s house, or went on an adventure alone in a strange place,
you couldn’t do any of those without receiving their permission first.

I had been told for a long time that I would become a respectable
adult if I followed my parents’ advice to the letter, and even now, I
never thought that they were wrong in any way.

However, that summer in my fourth grade of elementary school, I

met a boy.

The boy who was obviously younger than me, but was surprisingly
straightforward, passionate, kind, and dazzling.
“──Long time no see, Saku-nii~”

“…You…are…”

I said it,
I could finally say it!

The words that I had been holding back ever since I met him again
last September.

I looked at the face of the person standing in front of me.

He was always trying to look cool, but now, his eyes were wide open,
a silly expression appeared on his face. It seemed he was really
surprised.

Could that one word have reminded him of me?

Having come all the way here, if it turned out that I didn’t even exist
in a corner of his memory, it would be a bit – no, it would be too
devastating.

“Saku-nii, what’s wrong?”

I stared at his confused face, trying to fish out any responses with a
playful tone.

He was probably trying to connect the pieces of puzzles from his

memory desperately, or perhaps he was sorting out the situation at
the moment since he still didn’t reply with his casual remark.

That’s right.

To him, I was Asu-nee, and there was no way I would call him Saku-
nii, even if it was by mistake.

But if I’m being honest here, wasn’t I the one who called him Saku-nii
first?
“Uh, wait.” He pressed his forehead. “Is it possible that you and I met
when we were children?”

“Yes.”

“Did your hair reach your back at that time?”

“Yes.”

“But weren’t you more…how should I put this… timid?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t we play a lot during the summer vacation?”

“Yes. That’s right!”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?”

I couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing.

My appearance and personality were indeed very different from then,

and come to think of it, I had never even told him my name to begin
with.

Back then, Saku-nii had always called me “Kimi” (you).

“Do you remember? Although at the present time you are

Kimi
and I am
Asu-nee
, at that time, I was
Kimi
and you were
Saku-nii
.”

“How is that possible?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Fairy tales can happen in real life too, and they are
so close to us.”

Hearing my reply, kimi scratched his head─no, should I refer to him

as Saku-nii instead? But it felt wrong so let’s just refer to him as
Saku-kun for now.

I pulled the confused Saku-kun by the hand and left the small
station.

As I inhaled the air with all my might, I felt the nostalgic atmosphere
of the paddy field permeated every corner of my cells. From
somewhere in the air, I could smell the burning fields. Although city
dwellers would find the smell unpleasant, for me, it was a relaxing
aroma that reminded me of my childhood.

“Back then, I always thought you were younger,” said Saku-kun who
was walking next to me.

“I only found out that I was older than you during our second summer
vacation, when I asked you about your birthday. However, I thought it
was too late to change the way we called each other so I didn’t
correct it.”

Generally speaking, girls were more mature when they were around
elementary school age, and I thought that was true to some extent,
but my impression of him when we first met was that he was a
dependable older brother.

And since I was quite naive and shy, it was not surprising that such a
misunderstanding occurred.

“This feels nostalgic. I haven’t been here after graduating from

elementary school since I was too busy playing baseball.”

Saku-kun started looking around.

“There is a small shrine on the other side of the road. Do you
remember going there with me, Asu-nee?”

Of course I do.

That’s my precious memory.

“So you brought me here to surprise me?”

“That was one of the reasons. The other was to confirm our
beginning.”

“Our beginning?’

“May you listen to my story this time?’

As I saw Saku-kun nodding his head, I began to speak slowly.

Part 2

──It was during the summer vacation in my fourth grade of

elementary school.

I heard that there was a boy who would visit the grandma who lived
alone in my neighbourhood.

The nice grandma, who occasionally gave me sweets, asked me

beforehand,
“When that boy comes over, please be friends with him.”

I felt compelled to go to grandma’s house as promised, but frankly,

my heart was racing.
I had never been alone with a boy before, and I didn’t know what
kind of person he would be.

The grandson of a nice grandma might not be as nice as she was,

and since he seemed to live much closer to the city than here, he
might think I was a country bumpkin and look down on me.

So I wore my favorite dress─the most adult-like dress I had─and put

on a straw hat before heading out to grandma’s house.

They would be armor or a shield to guard my heart.

And there, I met a boy who looked as beautiful as a girl.

Even so, his skin was tanned, and the arms under the shirt were
quite strong, completely different from mine.

When he opened his mouth and smiled, the white teeth that he
showed me were very impressive

“Are you from here?” The boy looked at me.

“…U-Um, yeah, I live around here.”

His fearless appearance made me nervous.

There were many energetic and cheerful boys at my school, but they
were all a bit rough around the edges, and I was not very good at
dealing with them.

“Then, could you show me around?”

However, this person seemed to be somewhat soft in his way of

speaking and attitude.

“Yes, but there’s nothing here, only rice fields.”

“There’s no such thing as nothing. Let’s go!” The boy held my hand
tightly. “My name is Chitose Saku, by the way.”

“Saku-nii…”

His body temperature, which was much warmer than mine, made me
feel safe that I couldn’t help but to call his name.

As we started walking hand in hand, I felt a little embarrassed.

When it came to this area, apart from the old houses, irrigation
canals, small shrines and parks, there were really only rice fields.

He must be disappointed.

I thought so and looked at the person beside me timidly.

“Whoaaaaa, this place looks so much fun! I bet you can catch lots of
water striders, tadpoles, and crawfish here! And since there are no
cars passing by, it feels like you can go anywhere!”

His face glowed with joy.

We spent two days together after that, and he’s a genius at finding
the fun in everything.

He caught crayfish and cicadas, tried to lure beetles by painting

honey on the big tree at the shrine, and made huge jumps on the
swings at the park.

Basically, all I could do was clap my hands and cheer him on, but the
town, which I thought was empty before meeting him, now looked
like a glowing jewelry box.

I was so attached to him that I followed him around from morning to

night, calling his name, “Saku-nii, Saku-nii!” everywhere.

On the third day, Saku-nii was going back.

I was sad and lonely, and I had been feeling down since the
morning.

“After Saku-nii returns home, it’s going to be the same old days
again.”

“The same old days?”

“Yeah, the same old days. Just going to school, coming back, and
hanging around here.”

Perhaps sensing something from my words, he pondered for a while

before asking me.

“Hey, what’s the furthest place you’ve ever gone by foot?”

“Because I’ve been told not to go too far…the furthest is the place
where I took Saku-nii.”

“Then let’s go on an adventure! To places you’ve never seen before!”

“But if I do that, my father would be angry…”

After I said that, he held my restless hand.

“Nevermind what your father thinks. What about

you
? Do you want to go?’

“…I do.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Saku-nii took the leftover onigiri and water bottle that Grandma had
given us for lunch and stuffed them into his backpack, then he pulled
my hand and set off.
It should be his first time walking on this road, but he didn’t look
scared at all.

At first, I was a little nervous because it felt like we were doing

something bad, but that feeling soon vanished after I saw his smiling
face.

Passing through familiar neighbourhoods, we walked straight along

the river for a long, long time.

It really was an empty country road. When I looked around, all I

could see was the green of rice fields and riverbanks, with a few hills
and houses in the distance.

But to me, all of these felt new and exciting.

Saku-nii was a genius who could find the fun in anything and found
various wonders even in ordinary scenery.

“Hey, what do you think that little building is?”

“Isn’t that where the river is managed?”

“That’s boring. Look, can you see that thick hose-like thing? That’s
Kappa’s house.”

“Kappa[22]?”

“In fact, kappa has been around here for a long time, but in this day
and age, it would be bad if they were discovered, right? So, they
usually live in that place that the bigwigs in Fukui have prepared for
them, and when they need to enter the river, they go through that
house to avoid being seen.”

“What kind of story is that? It’s weird!”

The two of us chatted several times about such topics and laughed
together.
After the river, we continued on a straight path through the rice field.

We stopped many times to look at the irrigation canal on the side of

the road. Next, we suddenly became excited and started running.
We just kept going without a clear destination.

Then when I came back to my senses, the area was completely

covered in the evening sky.

“It’s about time we go back.” Saku-nii looked over at me. “

The place that you’ve never seen before
… It’s not the same old days anymore, right?”

I nodded repeatedly.

“Isn’t this so easy?”

The smiling boy with his back to the sunset stared at me like
freedom itself.

For me, who had always followed my parents’ advice and lived
quietly in my small world, this trip was like my first big adventure.

But for Saku-nii, it was a place where he could just fly away.

Afterwards, we turned back along the road we had come from.

The verdant summer rice fields, the straight avenues, the power
lines extending from the pylons, and the surface of the river, all of
them were dyed by a bright red colour.

In the distance, the cicadas chirped noisily, and the frogs started a
chorus as if to drown them out.

The onigiri we ate together while walking home had pickled plums
inside, which I didn’t like, but for some reason, its salty taste was
surprisingly delicious today.
We also stopped for a moment to drink our barley tea.

Soon it was dark, and the sky was filled with a round moon and
twinkling stars that looked like Konpeitō sugar.

It was the first time I had been outside at this hour, but as long as I
had my left hand connected to Saku-nii’s, strangely enough, I wasn’t
afraid at all.

Even though my father scolded us a lot when we arrived home, I

wasn’t sad at all.

My tears couldn’t stop when the car that brought Saku-nii was going
away and disappeared from my sight.

If only next summer would come soon – I thought that many, many
times.

Part 3

──My summer vacation in my fifth grade finally arrived.

I was waiting for Saku-nii, wearing a pure, white dress that I had
asked my parents to buy with enthusiasm.

Apparently, he had started playing baseball, so he had grown taller

and his features were more boyish compared to last year.

But his inner self hadn’t changed much, and we still wandered
around together to play in various places.

While we were walking along the bank of a small irrigation canal

which wasn’t steep, I quickly approached Saku-nii’s back, who was
walking a little ahead to scare him.
──But as a result, I stepped on the muddy oil and the next thing
happened in a flash.

I lost my balance and fell into the river with a loud splash.

Fortunately, I didn’t bump into anything or bruise myself, but the pure
white dress I’d bought to show Saku-nii was ruined. Feeling so sad
and embarrassed, my eyes got hot all of a sudden.

No, I can’t cry in front of Saku-nii!

It was summer vacation, we were supposed to enjoy this rare time of

happiness.

Even though I clenched my teeth and strained my eyebrows, tears

kept falling from the corner of my eyes like a broken faucet.

No, no, no.

I didn’t want Saku-nii to see my messy face.

Stop, stop, stop!

──At that moment,

With a crash sound that was louder than mine, Saku-nii jumped into
the river.

“Why are you having fun by yourself? Let me play too!”

He smiled happily and began splashing water on me.

The slightly fishy water splashed my face, washing away my tears.

That was when I noticed.

My tears…. stopped?
A funny feeling came over me, completely forgetting that I had been
crying just a few seconds before. I then chased after him.

“You’re so mean, this is my favorite dress!”

“Then don’t come in that dress. Next year, remember to pack shorts,
a T-shirt and flip-flops.”

“Uuuhh, I can’t believe it! Stupid Saku-nii!”

The two of us played together in the mud, and without realizing it, I
stopped caring about the dress as we were laughing at each other.

Part 4

──My summer vacation in my sixth grade arrived.

Saku-nii, who was busy with baseball practice, could only stay for
one night.

However, there was a summer festival at a small shrine nearby this

evening.

If the two of us could go together, it would be a memorable

experience.

I had talked to my mother and father about my plan the day before,
but they both told me that it was wrong for children to go to such a
place alone.

Even though I told them that other kids at school were going with
their friends, they insisted that each house rule was different.
They said that I could go with my father, but that wasn’t the problem,
I wanted to go with Saku-nii.

Wearing shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops, I told Saku-nii about it while

we were eating a watermelon.

“Well, the teachers at school said something similar, and your mom
and dad are both teachers too.”

“Saku-nii doesn’t want to go with me?”

“Of course I do! Why don’t I pick you up in the evening? I’ll explain to
them that we’re not going to do anything dangerous.”

“That’s not going to work. I’ll try to discuss it again with them…”

Seeing my dejected look, it seemed Saku-nii was thinking about

something. Then he spoke again, as if a good idea had occurred to
him.

“Let’s do it this way! You go home and try to convince your dad
again. I’ll go pick you up in the evening and he gives you permission
then, the problem is solved!”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Then we have to make a promise! If you give up, I’ll go straight

home. But if you still feel like going with me, just touch your left ear
secretly as a signal.”

“And then what?”

“──I’ll come and take you away.”

Ba-dump
, my heart skipped a beat.
Even though I went back to discuss it again, my father’s answer
remained the same.

When Saku-nii came to pick me up, father’s wording, though it

sounded gentle, made it clear that he couldn’t let us go to the festival
alone.

So I…

“I’m sorry, Saku-nii.”

I said so while tucking my hair behind my left ear.

“Oh, I see. I have to go back early tomorrow morning, so I’ll see you
next year.”

Saku-nii waved his hands in the air and walked away, looking
extremely disappointed.

Wait, what about the promise?

Didn’t you notice? I gave you the signal by touching my left ear.

You said you would take me away, but you lied!

Filled with anger, sorrow, and loneliness, I locked myself upstairs

and pressed my face against the pillow.

The tears that I couldn’t hold back came out, staining the pillow and
slowly spreading.

We only had a day to be together this year!

If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have said I wanted
to go, even if we had to go with my father!

I felt the strength leave my hands.

If it was impossible, you should have never made a promise in the
first place.

Then, I started dozing off without realizing it, and was woken up by a
strange sound.

──knock, knock, knock, knock.

I got up, still half-asleep, looked around the room and was startled.

I saw Saku-nii waving at me from outside the window.

“E-eh? Isn’t this the second floor?”

Feeling confused, I opened the window. Saku-nii held up his index

finger and said “shhh”, before smiling.

“Why are you asleep? Aren’t we going to the festival?”

I poked my head down a little, and there was something like a ladder
standing there.

“I stole the ladder from grandma’s house.” Saku-nii chuckled.

I didn’t know if I was happy or relieved, but tears are falling down
again.

“What’s that? You’re such a crybaby. You had the same look when
you fell into the river last year.”

He wiped my cheek with his finger somewhat roughly.

“Ah… my shoes.”

The stairs at my house creak when people move around, so if I went

to get them, my father might notice.

“Hehe, I’ve got them too.”

Saku-nii pulled out a pair of flip-flops he had shoved into his pocket.
Houses around here didn’t lock their front doors, so it was not
impossible for him to take them if he wanted to. But I felt happy that
despite the risk, he still did that for me.

He was really like the prince in the story.

I was a little scared to go down the ladder, but he said, “Don’t worry,
I’ll go down first and support you.”

I believed Saku-nii’s words.

Just to be safe, I wrote in my math notebook, “

Sorry, I’m going to the festival with Saku-nii. I won’t be home too late
” and put it on my desk.

As I slowly, slowly descended the ladder and made my way down to

the ground, I heard a comment.

“It’s good you wore shorts this year, otherwise I would’ve seen your
panties.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst!”

We then headed for the shrine on the other side of the station, which
was less than five minutes away if we ran.

Halfway through the festival, I realized that I hadn’t brought any

money, but apparently, grandma had given Saku-nii a thousand yen
for pocket money and told us to eat something delicious together.

The festival was really small and there weren’t that many food stalls.

However, the thrill of doing something bad without father knowing,

and the thrill of going alone without adult surveillance for the first
time, those things kept me excited from the start to finish.

We wandered around the shrine, skipping from one place to another.

──But what really made me thrilled was Saku-nii, who had taken me
away as he promised.

The two of us shared a portion of yakisoba and ○○-yaki[23] together,

and finished it with ramune.

Saku-nii suddenly muttered.

“I feel sorry for the marble that is sinking into the Ramune bottle, it
looks lonely.”

I replied with a puzzled look on my face.

“Isn’t it interesting? For me, it looks like the marble is floating in the
air. It’s as bright as the moon and loved by everyone, just like Saku-
nii.”

“The moon… I see.”

That was all he said, and he gently stroked my head.

I glanced at his profile and saw that he was staring at the real moon
that was floating in the night sky.

He looked more serious than usual, and somewhat sadder too.

His mature expression caused my heart to flutter, but it also made

me feel sad, lonely, and pain in my chest, so instead of begging him
not to go far away, I said these,

“If you ever feel lonely and alone, I’ll be your bride, then.”

“Only if you stop being a crybaby.”

Looking at his soft smile, I suddenly thought that I wanted to be just

like him.
Not only because he was handsome, athletic and smart, but I also
loved the core inside him, which was strong and kind. That’s why he
could always look straight ahead no matter what.

That part of him was burning hot, and even though he could be in
trouble, he showed me landscapes that I hadn’t seen before, and he
also stopped me from crying by getting himself in the mud. He gave
me precious memories like those, and how he always decided
what’s important according to his heart, it was so dazzling.

Can I become like that? I also want to be like him.

Like a hero in a story, like the moon in the night sky, I wanted to be
able to stand tall alongside this person.

Part 5

“──That’s the story of my first love in a distant summer that ended in

just seven days.”

I walked down the memory lane of us walking together in those days

and told him a story that I had been hiding in my heart.

I was a little embarrassed because it sounded like a rather common

girl’s misunderstanding when I put it into words like this.

…No, not many boys would go such a length climbing the second
floor only to take a girl away, right?

After that, I remembered my father came looking for us and

squeezed both of us hard.

Saku-kun, walking next to me, looked embarrassed at first, but from

the middle of the story, he narrowed his eyes and listened to me as if
he were looking somewhere far away.

Since he didn’t respond, I felt awkward and opened my mouth again.

“The reason I didn’t see you again every other year was because we
moved. Of course, I didn’t have your contact information, and I didn’t
have the courage to ask grandma either.”

My moving away also ruined my plan to show him my hair cut at the
end of the summer, thinking that he would like this cheerful look
better.

He chuckled as if he remembered it.

“I heard from grandma that you found someone you liked, a boy that
was very cool, athletic, and smart.”

“That person was you. I was embarrassed to let grandma know who
I was talking about, so I kinda blurred some parts.”

“What? So Asu-nee and I used to have feelings for each other?”

“That’s a lie!” I unconsciously raised my voice. “Because back then, I

was just a scared little girl who followed behind you all the time.”

“Sure, it was probably like that. I guess that’s why I didn’t recognize
you at all when we met in high school. But…”

Saku-kun scratched his cheek.

“Back then, didn’t you keep saying that you envied me for being so
free? Those words supported me a lot. You see, the timing coincided
with the time when I was going through a lot. I like to think that
somewhere out there, there was a girl who could see me for
who I am
, not for
what I am
on the outside.”

I was also surprised when I heard his story that night in Tokyo.

The boy who seemed like a symbol of freedom at that time,

apparently had so many things going on behind his back.

At the same time, I still thought he was amazing, and it all made a lot
of sense.

Because it was the

you
that I met in high school.

“Asu-nee…” He asked. “When did you find out?”

That was given.

“Last September, when we met at the riverbank.”

Saku-kun’s eyes widened, and then he sighed. “Were you

disappointed in me?”

I could now understand what those words meant.

“I’m going to talk in order, but unfortunately, it’s not like I’ve always
had feelings for you. I had no idea that you would be my kouhai in
high school.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“The only thing that remained strong in my heart was the desire to
live my life like the boy. If we meet again someday, somewhere by
chance, I just want to be the girl who can stand beside Saku-nii.”

I cleared my throat.
“When I got out of the river and saw you, I immediately recognized
you as Saku-nii. You were much more handsome than I
remembered, but there was no way I could’ve mistaken. I was really
nervous whether I should tell you or wait for you to recognize me
too.”

Saku-kun laughed awkwardly,

“And yet you turned out to be a much more complicated person than
I remembered. Did
you
really ask me why I jumped into the river? Well, I just followed what
you did for me that day.”

That was one of our childhood memories. The mud-stained dress

and the bright smile.

“So I thought that maybe you were trapped for some reason like I
was back then. If that’s the case, I have to show you the real Chitose
Saku.”

I could set aside my feelings for a moment.

For the sake of the boy who gave me the way of life I aspire to have,
I decided to remain as his wonderful senpai.

To become your ‘Asu-nee’.

And one day, when Saku-nii came back..

“──The real Asu-nee whom you admired so much, was the Saku-nii
whom I admired so much!”

I wanted to tell him that.

“But you know what…”

I continued.
“As time passed by, I realized little by little that you are still Saku-nii
after all. Someone who is surprisingly straightforward, passionate,
kind and dazzling, running around this world freely according to his
own will. You are still the same hero I had met back then.”

It was because I firmly believed this that I decided to tell him

everything.

Saku-kun looked at me with a somewhat gentle gaze.

“Thank you, Asu-nee.”

No.
I shook my head.

There was one more thing I needed to tell him.

“So, the me you see is really an illusion. A normal girl who wants to
be like you, who wants to live freely and strongly by her own will, but
still can’t even resist her parents. You’re just chasing your old self
through me.”

For a long time, I had been carrying a feeling akin to guilt.

The me you’re looking at is a fake.

The real, cool person is you.

Sure enough, when I was faced with the crossroads of choosing my

career path, my flaws were exposed.

No matter how much I tried to imitate Saku-nii, my will was easily

shaken just because my parents disagreed with me.

And in the end, he helped me again.

──That’s why I wanted to come here so I could confirm our

beginning.
What did I yearn for that day?

What kind of adult did I want to be?

So that I could stand next to you with my head held high.

To make sure that the illusion you saw in me wouldn’t end up as an

illusion.

Saku-kun let out a heavy sigh.

“Asu-nee.” He spoke softly.

Was he disappointed? Disillusioned? Or was he wondering what on

earth I was talking about?

However, no matter how the response was, that would be fine for
now.

I could walk again from here.

I would catch up with his back that seemed so far away.

Just like you, who I saw through Asu-nee’s lenses, even when things
get tough, even when I felt like giving up, even when I was about to
lose, I would grit my teeth and take one step at a time.

Saku-kun remained silent, as if choosing his words carefully, and

then opened his mouth.

“You’re surprisingly a romantic type, aren’t you? What, are you a

maiden or something? The kind who looks at everything through
rose colored glasses?”

……….Eh?

“Oh shit, so that’s what you meant when you said that you were
more free than anyone else but still being strained. Look, this isn’t
shoujo manga, you can’t become like that just because you admire a
little golden boy who only played with you for seven days during the
summer vacation. That’s impossible.”

He scratched his head in annoyance and sighed deliberately.

“Maybe it was the trigger, but that’s all. The reason why you become
the way you are now is because you walked straight towards your
ideal and faced them on.”

“But… I just want to be like you.”

“Isn’t everyone like that in the beginning? You want to be like the
heroes in novels and manga, you want to be like the superstars who
appear on TV, you want to be involved in the process of creating
books. But how many people can really achieve them even if they
hold on to these ideals?”

Saku-kun put his hand on my shoulders.

“That night in Tokyo, you told me that I didn’t allow my experiences

to be turned into a story.”

His grip on my shoulder became stronger.

“Then you don’t have to attach your present to a story either. Asu-
nee will be Asu-nee, no matter if you meet me or not.”

His eyes were warm and filled with kindness.

“You can make children smile even if you’re covered in mud, you
aren’t affected by the eyes of others, you have your own opinions,
your values and words, you always give me right advice in a
roundabout way, you saved me in the past and affirmed me in the
present, you act like you don’t care but actually quite girly, you are
rather clumsy, you have an erotic teardrop mole on your face, an
even more erotic mole on your chest, and lately I’ve been looking at
it with a slightly sexual eye. There are many other things, but──”

He grinned, just like the Saku-nii I knew back then.

“The way you are now, like the wind that blows toward tomorrow,
attracts me again and makes me admire you. It’s that simple, right?”

Ba-dump
, my heart skipped a beat.

You are really something else.

The way you always pulled me to an unfamiliar place all of sudden.

I clutched the hem of my skirt and looked straight at the person in

front of me.

Then I took a deep breath, let it out and finally smiled in Nishino
Asuka’s way.

“What’s that? It turns out that Saku-nii is more fascinated by me than

I thought~”

“Don’t you know?” He smiled as he sensed my attempt. “──I’ve

been in love with you since a long time ago.”

I giggled and scratched my cheek.

“I’m going to have another discussion tomorrow, I will confront my

future as the person I am now.”

This was the end of my little first love that I had always cherished in
my heart.

This was also the end of the past that I longed for and chased.

“Hey, Asu-nee.”
“Hmm?”

“Next time, let’s go visit Grandma together.”

“That’ll be great.”

Now, from here on, this is a true story of Nishino Asuka.

Part 6

Then the next day after school.

Right after homeroom, Saku-kun came to my classroom.

“Here, a good luck charm.”

After saying that, he slipped something into my bag’s pocket.

I looked into the pocket to confirm.

“Why a smartphone?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“How do I put this – that’s the only thing I’d keep close to me.”

Seeing him scratching his head in embarrassment, I felt my heart

lighten up.

“Thank you, that’s encouraging.”

“Good luck. Your dad is a tough man.”

“I know that better than anyone.”

When I entered the empty classroom that Kura-sensei had arranged

for the meeting, I found two desks and two chairs facing each other.
My father, who had arrived first, was sitting next to Kura-sensei.

He probably understood that the meeting’s purpose wasn’t to have a

career consultation with a teacher, but more like a discussion
between parents and children.

I felt bad for dragging Kura-sensei into my trouble, but I wanted to

face my father in a place where a third party was present, as a high
school senior who was properly thinking about her future.

“Well, then…” Kura-sensei opened his mouth in his usual aloof

manner. “I’m going straight to the point. What do you want to do,
Nishino?”

I closed my eyes once and then looked at my father, tightening my

abdomen.

“I’m going to Tokyo to become a novel editor.”

I mentioned the name of the university that Saku-kun and I had

visited recently.

It was a thought that I had expressed many times before, but never
once received any acknowledgement.

Kura-sensei flipped through the materials in his hand.

“For now, if it’s just simply about grades, I don’t see a problem.”

At these words, my father shook his head slowly.

“I’ll repeat it again. First of all, there is no way I would let a girl live in
a dangerous place like Tokyo. Not to mention that you are still too
naive and don’t know the dangers out there.”

And whose fault is it that I had been raised this way? But it’s
pointless to ask that.
It was true that I was just a naive girl and ignorant about the world,
and it was precisely because my father took such good care of me
that I had been able to live my life without any difficulty.

“Father says Tokyo is dangerous, but you’ve never lived there, have
you? It’s not right to make such a judgement based on rumours.”

“The reason why we always say Tokyo is dangerous is because so

many people have been exposed to such danger. In recent years,
the number of violent crimes such as murder, robbery, arson, and
rape in Fukui Prefecture can be counted with just two hands per a
year. I don’t even need to compare them with those in Tokyo, where
some crimes exceed three digits.”

He suddenly hit me where it hurts

I remembered the incident in Kabukicho.

What would have happened to me if Saku-kun hadn’t been there at

that time?

But…

“That logic isn’t fair.” I refuted. “It’s true that there are more dangers
in Tokyo than in Fukui. I know firsthand from just one night. But there
are many things you can do to protect yourself, such as staying
away from dangerous places and not getting involved with
suspicious people. My father and mother raised me to be such a
person, right?”

Ever since I was a little girl, my father was always right.

Because I understood that, I kept doing what I was told and could
not disobey him.

That’s why I was confident that even if I went to Tokyo by myself, I

wouldn’t stray from my path and that I could live a righteous life.
But at the same time, I believed that this wasn’t the only right
answer, but one of the many.

For example, like a dress covered in mud, it could also become a

precious memory.

“There are some malicious intents in the world that you cannot
defend yourself against.”

“That’s the same in Fukui. Even though the number of cases can be
counted with only two hands, no one can guarantee that I won’t be
among them. If we look at the demographics, it seems that more
people commit major crimes in Tokyo because there are so few
people in Fukui that can be targeted.”

My father changed the subject.

“What would you do if I won’t help you financially if you go to Tokyo?

The tuition fees of a private university plus the living expenses for a
single person is not exactly cheap for us either.”

“Of course, I would be happy to have your support, but the school I
am applying to is well known for its scholarship program, some of
them don’t require repayment. And with my grades, I think it is
unlikely that I won’t be able to apply for even one of them.”

I glanced at Kura-sensei, hoping for some backup.

“That’s right. You are always in the top ten in almost every exam
you’ve taken since the first grade, and you are in the top five after
entering the third grade. Including your general attitude in the school,
we can send you off with full marks.”

I turned to my father again.

“I also looked into part-time jobs in Tokyo. For example, if I work at a

call center in the center of the city, I can earn about 150,000 yen a
month by working three days a week in between my studies. I think I
can make it work if I combine it with my scholarship.”

I wasn’t Saku-kun.

I couldn’t change people’s hearts with inexplicable energy like he

did, so I did what I could to prepare myself.

Hmm
, my father put his hand on his chin.

“That’s reasonable for now, but the problem lies in this next point.
Putting aside your goal of becoming an editor, what is the necessity
of moving to Tokyo?”

“There are two practical reasons. Looking at past data, the university
I choose has a big influence on the mass media industry. The fact
that the places I want to work with have a lot of alumni from the
university is an advantage in itself, and there are many circles
related to literature. Besides, if I want to become a novel editor, I will
have to find a job in Tokyo anyway. So I think it would be better to
get used to the environment early on.”

I paused for a moment and then continued.

“Another reason is more abstract. There are some things I can’t see
by just staying here. For example, the scary part of Tokyo, the
warmth that lies in its shadow, the air that makes me frown, the smell
of the back alleys that remind me of Fukui. I want to see more things
I’ve never seen before, and to touch things I’ve never touched
before.”

My father sighed.

“I understand, it seems you have thought about it a lot. So let’s

return to the fundamental question. Why editor? If you want a job
where you can deliver words to people, you could be a Japanese
Literature teacher or a librarian, right?”

It was a question that the old me couldn’t answer before.

But it’s fine now, I wasn’t confused anymore.

Although I received Saku-kun’s help, I had definitely found a reason.

“I think both are wonderful jobs. But I realized that I want to help
deliver stories that haven’t been told yet, words that haven’t been put
into words properly.”

“That’s a bit vague for me to understand.”

“The books I’ve come across, the words in them, are the result from
those who are desperate to create things that only they can create.
Then maybe there are stories and words in this world that only I can
find, that will be buried if I don’t find them.”

I remembered a scene I saw in Tokyo.

For example, just as I thought Saku-kun’s past, which he had

ridiculed for being boring and trivial, was precious to me. And just as
I thought my present self, which I had given up as a mere illusion,
was affirmed by Saku-kun.

For example, just as there were stories in this world which hadn’t
been turned into stories.

However, my father gave me a cold reply.

“Your reason is really generic. If you gather a hundred people who

want to be editors or writers, ninety-five of them will probably tell you
a similar, like-a-dream story. And the ones you have to compete with
are the remaining five who have genuine determination, whose lives
were saved by an encounter with a certain novel, or whose lives
were changed forever by an encounter with an editor.”

My father touched the bridge of his glasses to straighten it.

“Haven’t I told you how difficult it is to get a job at a major publishing

house, get assigned to the novel department you want, and then
produce a book that becomes a hit?”

“…Yes.”

“Anyone can dream. I have had countless students who wanted to

be singers, actors, novelists, and so on. But most of them went to
college and became ordinary, working people. I think living like that
is fine.”

He squinted his eyes and tapped his fingertips on the desk.

“The unfortunate part is when they were halfway serious. Only a

handful of people who are blessed with natural talent and good
fortune can really make their dreams come true. They believe they
have it in them, think it’s cool to pursue their dreams, turn away from
reality, hang on forever, and at the end of the day, when they realize
they were not the chosen one, they will look at their surroundings.”

Father stared at the dimly lit window.

The heavy rain that had been falling since this morning has created
several puddles on the ground that look like pits.

“The ordinary students whom they used to mock in their minds as

inferior are now getting ordinary jobs, getting promotions, getting
married, and raising ordinary, warm families. And then, they will feel
as if they’re the only one left behind in the world. That’s why…”

Once again, the desk was being thumped.

“I don’t think Asuka, who has always lived obediently by listening to
her parents since she was a child, can be one of those special
people. You need to face reality for once!”

“──!”

To me, that sentence was too convincing.

The reason for that was because until yesterday, I had a similar
opinion of myself.

I was just an ordinary girl that could be found everywhere, who

longed for a special boy and felt like she had grown up by imitating
him like that.

“Even so!”

I raised my voice.

My father looked at me with great interest.

The boy I admired so much told me that he was attracted to, saved
by, and admired the
me
I was today.

He, too, had encountered many experiences that almost made him
fail, and even though he was still talking about his insignificance and
ugliness, he kept struggling to reach for his ideal.

“If I don’t struggle, I can’t move forward. I don’t want to give up on

myself just because I think
this is all I can do.
If there is a limit somewhere, I won’t believe it until I see it with my
own eyes. I will not be convinced unless I try to break it down with
my own hands, again and again and again!”
I gripped my skirt tightly.

“Because, this is the story of Nishino Asuka!”

“──Then, do you want to cut ties with your family?”

“…Huh?”

What did father just say?

“Didn’t you hear me? Since you have said that, I will fulfill my
responsibilities as a parent and give you financial support. In
exchange, are you prepared not to come home again?”

“W-what…?”

“It’s not that strange, is it? I have certainly shown you how you can
find normal happiness, and I have also told you that there is
unhappiness awaiting you on the path you are taking. If you still
choose the latter, I don’t want to see my daughter’s life eventually
fail.”

He spoke calmly and indifferently as usual.

I couldn’t help but look at Kura-sensei for help, but he just put his
hand on his cheek, he seemed displeased.

Following my dream, or abandoning my family.

There was no way I could decide that.

No, that was wrong.

Of course, naturally, I had to choose my family. Both of my parents

raised me with great care, and even though we had different
opinions, it didn’t mean that I hated them.

What a sly move.

However, the fact that my calm father would use such a method to
try to stop me, meant that what I did was so reckless from an adult’s
point of view.

My fingers were gradually losing its strength, it was the feeling when
I was about to give up on something.

Like when I realized that I couldn’t go to the festival on that distant

summer day.

──Are you sure about that?

I squeezed my skirt again.

Think, Nishino Asuka!

Was there a different way, such as using a ladder and climbing in

through the window? If I gave up now, nothing would change.

“Decide quickly, time is precious,” said my father.

If I let this day pass, he definitely wouldn’t give me another chance

like this. I needed more time, I had a feeling that something was
about to happen if I waited longer.

“Iwanami-sensei. Since there seems to be no objection, please keep

her original career choice.”

Wait! Just a little more.

I shut my eyes tightly.

I didn’t want this to be over yet!

At that moment…

“──PLEASE WAIT!!!”
The classroom door was pulled open with a thunderous banging
sound.

Ah, I didn’t want to rely on you.

After all, you would come here.

I’m sorry for making you worry.

“…Saku-nii.”

Part 7

Seeing him with a phone in one hand and his shoulders rising and
falling with his breathing, I realized what was going on.

He probably borrowed a phone from someone and kept it on the line

with the phone he had stuffed in my bag, so he could listen to our
conversation.

I think it was a bit foul, in more ways than one.

But this kind of recklessness was also very typical of Saku-nii.

My father let out a sigh and Kura-sensei glared at him.

“Chitose, you’ve got to stop getting carried away! Didn’t I tell you?
What right do you have to join this discussion!?”

“Heh.”

His words were met with a dismissive smile.

“My right? Of course I have the right to be here. After all, I’m a
kouhai who admires that person!”

Upon hearing that answer, Kura-sensei lifted the corner of his mouth
slightly.

“I see, then I guess it can’t be helped.”

My father responded with a tired voice.

“What’s wrong with your student… Forget it, sit down, Chitose-kun.
You wouldn’t listen to me even if I told you to get out anyway.”

“Thank you.”

He then sat down beside me.

To be frank, I didn’t think this was an issue that Saku-kun could do

anything about.

My father didn’t change his mind even after being persuaded by his
daughter, so it was more unlikely for him to listen to an outsider.

But it was
him
that we were talking about. Did he find an idea to resolve this
situation?

Saku-kun put his hands on the desk, took a deep breath, and said,

“Please! Please let Asuka-san──no, let Asu-nee go to Tokyo!”

He pressed his forehead to the desk and bowed his head sincerely.

Both my father and I, who had been bracing ourselves for what he
was going to say, were momentarily taken aback.
Kura-sensei was the only one who was desperately trying to hold
back his laughter.

“I won’t bore you with the details, but I was listening in on your
conversation until a moment ago. I apologize for that. That last
statement was a bit sly on your part, but basically, I don’t think what
Nishino-san is saying is wrong.”

“Then, why did you suddenly jump in?”

“Didn’t I say this before? It’s just a request without any logic, caused
by my selfishness.”

I pondered about the word “selfishness” over and over again, as if

something was about to click in my head.

Saku-kun continued.

“I know I don’t have any right or is qualified to say this, but I want
Asu-nee to be able to chase her dream!”

He kept his forehead pressed to the desk.

“Is there have to be a big reason for people to dream? Can’t they
have dreams just because they like something? Are they not allowed
to dream if they don’t have a reason to believe it will come true?”

It was a child’s logic no matter how you spun it.

He just ignored what my father said and poured out his feelings.

The way he desperately bowed his head and pleaded, and the words
that came out of his mouth, were unlike Saku-kun at all.

I suddenly remembered the conversation we had a long time ago.

“Don’t you think it’s awkward for stray cats to try winning a
neighbouring grandma’s heart for food? They might as well become
a pet at this point.”

“No, stray cats do that to remain stray cats.”

See, I knew you’d understand soon enough.

“We’re still on the way to becoming adults. I know that as we grow

up, we will have to give up and compromise with many things. Most
people believe that the first step is to unload the baggage of our
dreams. It’s the heaviest thing we have to carry, and if we let go of it,
it will be easier, we won’t get hurt, we won’t have to fight…”

Except for Saku-kun, no one spoke a word.

“But the end of our dreams must be decided by ourselves!

Otherwise, when we see people living passionately, running
desperately, gritting their teeth and working hard, we will feel as if we
are the only one left behind in the world──like me.”

He finally lifted his face.

“We still want to explore our future. For adults, it may be the past,
but for us, it is the present and the future. We want to believe that as
long as we pursue it seriously, one day we will be able to touch the
bright moon.”

His words, thoughts and warmth flowed into me.

Ah, his back is still so far away.

Thank you, Saku-nii.

I know exactly what I should do now.

My father spoke in his same cold tone,

“Are you done with your speech? Let me ask you the same thing as
before. Chitose-kun, would you take responsibility if Asuka’s dream
didn’t come true? Would you take care of her?”

Saku-kun gritted his teeth.

“Fine! If you can’t trust your own daughter that much, then I─”

“──Don’t be ridiculous!”

I slammed the desk and interrupted his words.

“I won’t accept such a marriage proposal even if I die! If you’re really

gonna propose… wait ten years and then do it properly, okay?”

I smiled at him meaningfully, and he looked so silly and blank that I

wondered where all his momentum had gone.

That look was so cute that I wanted to tease him, but it wasn’t time
for that. I stared at my father with all the willpower and passion I
could muster.

“I’ve decided. I’m going to be an editor!”

Actually, that was all I needed.

“I understand what Father was saying, but it doesn’t matter. Because

I like it, I’ll make it my goal, and because I want to be an editor, I’ll
keep trying! I will run straight and passionately just looking at my
dream. If there’s a wall in front of me, I’ll kick it down and destroy it
from the front!”

That’s right, just like a certain someone.

Because I had decided to live like that.

──The most important thing was to decide with your own heart.

“Even if it’s childish, there’s a fact that no one can deny. Although
there are various factors such as talent, luck and hard work, there’s
one thing they have in common. Those who have achieved their
dreams have pursued them to the very end!”

For example, the small longing of a little girl that had been in my
heart for a long time had shaped me into the person I was today.

To calm myself, I took a deep breath and exhaled again.

“There is nothing difficult at all. If you think that you can achieve your
dream, that should be your ticket. Just as there are people who have
lost their dreams, there are also people who have made their dreams
come true.”

“Asuka…”

My father murmured in surprise.

“That’s right, I’m Asuka. It’s the precious name my father and mother
gave me. In order to live up to this name, I want to be the wind that
blows into tomorrow, just like my name.”

I put on my brightest smile to show my gratitude for all he had done

in the past and for things in the future.

“So if you still insist, then…”

I turned away from my father.

“──I won’t talk to Father for the rest of my life either!”

……

After a moment of silence…

“Pfft hahahaha!”

The first one to burst out laughing was, unexpectedly, my father.

Soon, Saku-kun and Kura-sensei were laughing as well, making me
feel a little embarrassed.

“Are you a child, Asu-nee?”

“No, no, that was a good one. You’ve been beaten to the punch,
Nishi!”

My father opened his mouth, still holding back his laughter.

“Pfft, I never thought it would be so hard to hear my daughter say

that to me.”

“Wait, why is everyone being so mean!”

When the laughter finally subsides, my father let out a heavy sigh.

“I lost, Asuka.”

The tone of his voice is full of deep tenderness.

“l purposely kept putting on a strict attitude because I thought that if

you gave up, that would be the end of it.”

He took off his glasses and rubbed his brow.

“As a teacher, I have seen many students talk about their dreams,
with more than ninety-five percent failing and less than five percent
actually succeeding. Among the former there are many whom I have
irresponsibly pushed. As a result, many of them met a sad end just
like I mentioned earlier.”

“Father…”

“Unfortunately, this world, this country, is not generous to those who

pursue their dreams. The more you talk big, the stronger the social
pressure becomes. Although you try to be nice, trying to say all the
right words, making your logic sound believable on the surface, more
people will call you out on how you can’t do it.”

He wiped the lenses with a handkerchief he had taken out and put
his glasses back on.

“The worst thing is that those things are not necessarily wrong. It is
definitely true that not everyone can make their dreams come true,
even if their words are based on jealousy that they could not live like
that.”

My father stared out the window, his expression clouded.

“And so there were students who were heartbroken. Some of these

young men and women, who were full of confidence and potential
when they graduated, have somehow become adults who live their
lives with their shoulders hunched and in a sneaking way.”

“Is that why you play the role of society, Father?”

When I said that, he shook his head, as if he was embarrassed

about something.

“I can’t help but get too carried away when I asked you to cut your
ties with our family. It’s probably because I overlapped you with the
students I’ve seen in the past. And, well…. the moment I realized
that my daughter has been influenced and changed by a man other
than her father, that’s when it really hits home.”

He continued shyly.

“I’m a boring adult, if I do say so myself. I was too headstrong, too

logical, and too determined to choose anything but a solid future. But
the truth is, I wanted to be a rock musician back then.”

Pfft—two voices were trying to hold back their laughter.

I couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing.

No wonder we had so many vinyl records, CDs, and dusty guitars at

home.

My father poked Kura-sensei on the side of the head, then

continued, looking embarrassed.

“But the words

‘See the reality’
made me give up and accept my fate. When I was raising you,
Asuka, I could only teach you what I thought was right as a parent.
Because I am happy now, I thought by doing this, at least you would
be able to find the same happiness.”

This was the first time I had ever heard such a story.

I had always thought that he had absolute confidence in his own

teachings.

“That’s why I was worried. I wondered if Asuka, who had grown up

listening to me so earnestly, would be able to face society and her
dreams on her own.”

Father looked me straight in the eye.

“As Chitose-kun said, the reason for pursuing a dream is because

you love it. Students who successfully made their dreams come true
had one thing in common, it is a heart that would not break no matter
what they encounter. A will of steel that believes in their own
possibilities no matter what others say, and the passion that will
never let go of something they loved at first. As long as you have
those, it is even possible for a student who ranked at the bottom of
the school year to become an excellent teacher… Right, Kura?”

Kura-sensei snorted, as if to hide his embarrassment.

“I wasn’t at the bottom, there were two more students behind me.”

Father handed me the career path form that was placed in front of
Kura-sensei, smiling gently.

“You’ve grown up so well before I knew it. Asuka, live your life the
way you want to.”

Holding back the tears that were about to come out of my eyes…

“──Yes!”

I spoke while bowing my head, with the emotion of these past

eighteen years that was flowing into me.

“Also, Chitose-kun.”

“…Yes!”

“You haven’t changed at all since then.”

Saku-kun looked stunned.

“You remember me?”

“No father would forget a boy who has kidnapped his precious
daughter twice. Your trip to Tokyo makes it third. There will be no
next time.”

“Uh… ahaha.”

“Your petty sophistry in the meeting and on the phone was sixty
points at best, but your straightforward talk earlier was quite
heartwarming. You were also right not to call me ‘father’ once. I
would give you a score of ninety overall.”

He said this a little jokingly, and then added, “Thank you.”

He bowed his head.

“Thank you for believing in and supporting my daughter.”

Saku-kun took those words with a serious face, and then his
expression changed.

Ah, that’s the face he made when he was about to say a silly remark.

“I didn’t do anything. The Asuka-san you’re looking at now is the

Asuka-san who grew up righteously by your side. I… only taught her
a few bad stuff.”

“Oh? Tell me more about it.”

Because my father suddenly responded with a serious tone, Saku-

kun whistled deliberately and averted his eyes.

My father sighed helplessly, and then showed a bitter smile.

“The way you like to joke around without showing your true feelings
really reminds me of this man when he was young, right, Kura? How
can an unruly student raise an unruly student?”

“Isn’t that what being a teacher is all about?”

“Hmph. It seems you don’t have much work to do, so why don’t you
have a drink with me today?”

“Nishi when you get drunk, you go on and on about your daughter.
It’s annoying.”

“I can’t help it. I’m proud of her.”

“Good grief.”

They both pulled out their chairs and stood up. As they left the
classroom, my father suddenly turned around.
“Chitose-kun, you should come visit us sometime when you feel like
it.”

The one who was named raised the corners of his mouth.

“I don’t want to. You are too scary, Father.”

“And that earns you minus one hundred points!”

The door snapped shut, leaving me and him alone in the classroom.

Part 8

Now that it was settled that I would go to Tokyo, my whole body felt
relaxed.

Was this the kind of moment when one’s future was decided? How
should I put it? It was like I had lost my energy, but also like a
different emotion.

Saku-kun stood up next to me. He smiled softly and held out his
hand. “Congratulations, Asu-nee.”

I grasped it and stood up unsteadily, feeling like my feet weren’t on

the ground for some reason.

Was it fear, anxiety, or was I literally dreaming?

“Please make your dream come true in Tokyo.”

For some reason, those words sounded like a goodbye.

Ah, I get it.

──This feeling was just plain, simple loneliness.

At that moment, the days I had spent in this town, the time I had
spent with the boy in front of me, came rushing in like a muddy
stream and swallowed me whole.

If you had decided on a path to take, that meant you had also
decided on what you had to give up.

It was the inevitable fork in the road of life.

I could no longer live a life filled with modest happiness in this

relaxed, warm, and friendly town, talking to my mother and father.

I could no longer visit Kura-sensei after I became a university

student, or secretly wait for Saku-kun, who would be a third-year
student at the usual riverside, or ask him out on a date on a whim.

──And I could no longer be his bride.

I felt a pain in my chest.

It was something I had decided to do. I didn’t have any regrets, I

couldn’t do that.

I would pursue my dream and live my life in an unfamiliar city with

my head held high.

But, but, but!

Thank you, father and mother, for bringing me up to this point. Thank
you for giving me everything I need to live on my feet in a city I was
unfamiliar with.

Thank you, Kura-sensei, for sticking with a troublesome student like

me to the end. Thank you for seeing through my inconvenience.

Thank you Saku-nii, thank you for teaching me freedom, thank you
for taking me away, thank you for believing in me, thank you for
supporting me, thank you for saving me, thank you for keeping up
that cool back until the end, thank you────.

When I came back to my senses, I already hugged him tightly as if

trying to hold on to something.

Probably because of the suddenness, he could not catch me.

We fell to the floor together.

I sat on Saku-kun, who had become a cushion, with my arms to

support my body and looked at his face.

“Asu-nee, what’s wrong?”

He smiled gently.

I could no longer hold back my overflowing tears, which fell to the

boy’s cheeks like raindrops in June.

My face must look like a mess right now.

“You haven’t changed, you’re still a crybaby.”

Saku-kun’s finger gently touched my cheek. Those nostalgic

gestures and words were the same as in the distant summer days
that I had cherished for a long time.

The field paths where we walked home hand in hand, the white
dress covered in mud, the festival where we stared at the marbles in
Ramune together, the nights in Tokyo where we slept side by side,
even this very moment──

You were watching over me all along, shining a light on the way
forward, pushing me in the back and saying everything would be
fine; So big, beautiful, bright, and kind.

To me, you are, you are…

“──You are… my… bright moon!!!”

I said so with tears pouring down like rain.

“That’s not true. When I was sunk in a bottle with an unopenable lid,
it was your moonlight who shone so beautifully on me.”

No, that’s wrong.

I couldn’t hold my body anymore and buried my face into the firm
chest in front of me.

In fact, I really wanted to thank him in a better way, to convey all the
feelings in my heart to him, but all I could say was just some ordinary
words.

“I will do my best, I will make my dream come true in Tokyo and I will
prove to you that your light has indeed shone through me.”

He gently stroked my head.

“Yeah, do your best, Asu-nee. Hang in there and don’t lose to

anyone.”

“Ugh, ugh, uuuaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!”

Forgetting where I was, forgetting that I could be laughed at later on,
I just kept crying.

Once I started to run, I would never cry sad tears again, I would
never get lost, I would never lean on anyone but him.

──I would leave my tears here for the rest of my life.

Part 9

Then I, Chitose Saku, walked out of the school with Asu-nee who
had finally calmed down.

Before I knew it, the depressing rain had stopped and the dark
clouds were moving away.

The unpopular riverside path was difficult to walk on due to puddles

of water in some places, but the air was clear and fresh.

As if to reflect its own name, the strawberry moon that was faintly red
in June, floated high in the night sky that hadn’t completely dark yet.

The eyes and noses of the person walking next to me were also
bright red.

“Asu-nee looks like that moon.”

“Don’t ruin the exchange we just had.”

“Life is all about stupid jokes and puns, anyway.”

We both chuckled.
I understood why Asu-nee cried. Because, to be honest, I almost
cried too. It was probably the first time I felt so sad and painful to be
separated from someone.

Even when I was separated from my friends after I graduated in

elementary school and middle high school, I could see them
whenever I wanted to.

When I separated from my family and started living alone, the

meaning of separation was different because we were still family.

──Ah, I see.

This feeling was the same as when I went home from my grandma’s
house during summer vacation.

The sadness that I wouldn’t see my first love again until next year.

Wondering if I would really be able to see her again next year, and
even if I did, I would still wonder if we could play together again like
we did that summer.

Wondering if she would still be the same girl I knew as I felt a pain
that stirred in my chest.

For us back then, being accessible only by car or train was such a
distant place, similar to Tokyo and Fukui for high school students.

Asu-nee had already started running.

She would certainly never look back or stop again after today.

From now on, she would continue to move forward, and there would
be more and more sides of her that I didn’t know about.

In a distant city, under a distant sky, embraced by a distant night.

I still had no idea what I was chasing or where I was headed.

“Nine months left, huh?”

I muttered, and Asu-nee poked me on the shoulder with her finger

“Hey, do you still remember your promise?”

“Yeah, no more eloping. I’ve been warned that there won’t be next
time.”

She laughed softly like a silver bell.

“You said,
‘If you decide to go to Tokyo, before you do so, see more of the
sights you can only see here, have conversations that you can only
speak here, and shed the tears you can only shed here. So that
even if you go far away, your heart can always come back here!’
.”

“I feel embarrassed hearing you recite it so solemnly, please stop

doing that.”

Asu-nee took a few steps forward and turned around.

“I already have something I really want to do before I graduate.”

She smiled and pointed at me.

“──Next time, no, this time, I will become the only light that makes
you want to unintentionally reach out and chase after even if it is far
away. I’ll do everything I can to fulfill the role Nishino Asuka that
admires you, and the Nishino Asuka that you admire!”

There were several full moons floating in puddles, on the surface of

the river, and of course in the distant sky.

It might be up to us to decide which one was an illusion, which one

was fake, and which one was real.
Like how a marble sunk in the bottom of a ramune bottle could
become someone’s moon.

The wind blew toward tomorrow, carrying the two of us into the
unseen future.

When the next cherry blossoms bloom, what kind of expression

would we use to say goodbye?

Epilogue: The Moon This Day

On my way home, I looked up at the moon.

When I was a little girl, I used to think that I wanted to be like him.

You once said that I was like an illusion, but for me, you were the
illusion of the distant summer.

An illusion that I could touch, that I could grasp, but was completely
out of my reach.

A mere seven days of longing, seven days of dreams, seven days of

love.

Looking back on it now, it was probably just a few ordinary summer

days that came to a girl who was confined to a small world and
immersed only in stories.

Still, that day, those few summers, did change my life.

You were indeed the moon in the distant sky, the one and only night
light in this world.
But that would all end today.

If I just chased your back, no matter how long it took, I would only be
a crybaby in her pure white dress.

──Goodbye, Saku-nii on that day. Hello, a nice kouhai walking next

to me.

The moon that I reached out to one day was not just smiling with a
cool face.

He clenched his teeth, stared straight ahead, accepted someone

else’s light, expectations, prayers, but still trying to be himself.

I used to think that there was only one moon.

I also thought it was something that was determined from the

moment we were born.

However, now I knew that was not true.

This identity was not unique, not absolute or universal.

We must all be someone’s moon.

So if you ever get lost again like you did that day, please call me by
name.

Just shout “
Asu-nee
“.

I would turn your story, no matter how painful and sad it was, into a
happy ending. I’d wipe out all the darkness of your strength by
myself, just as you illuminate my path.

Feeling nostalgic, I put more strength into my left hand, which was
warmer than usual.
──Hey, could I be your moon?
Afterwords

Due to the limit of the number of pages in the second volume, the
afterword was posted on the web (you can read it on the official blog
of GAGAGA Bunko or in the “note” section of the author’s Twitter
@hiromu_yume profile), there should be many readers who haven’t
seen it since the first volume.

Hi, it’s been a long time, I’m Hiromu ~ Although due to many factors
you have waited for half a year, I brought two big news!

The first is the decision to comicalize Chiramune (*shorter name for

this work)! The serialization has already started at Manga UP! To tell
the truth, I had received several offers from the time the first volume
was released, but I was cautious about the decision because I
wanted the atmosphere of raemz-san’s illustrations to be expressed
in the manga as well. However, when I saw the character designs of
Bobuka-sensei, who was in charge of this project, I immediately
thought, “This is the one!” He captured the atmosphere of the
characters so well that I immediately decided to go with him. He
loves the original story above all, so please read the manga with
great anticipation!

Second, of course, is the release of the drama CD! Unfortunately,

Hiromu was unable to put it out as a special edition (sorry), but it is
available for purchase at the official Gagaga online store! I listened
to sample voices from all the voice actors belonging to 81 Produce,
who are well-known for their work on the GAGAGA Channel, and
asked those we were convinced were the perfect fit for the image of
the Chiramune Girls. The following voice actors have performed the
scripts written from the next page: Asumi Kana as Hiiragi Yuuko,
Ueda Rena as Uchida Yua, Akasaki Chinatsu as Aomi Haru, Amami
Yurina as Nanase Yuzuki, and Okuno Kaya as Nishino Asuka.
The excellent result is really far beyond my expectations, please be
sure to listen to it!

That’s why this time, the afterword is mainly about the

announcement, so let’s move to the thank you section!

I would like to thank raemz-san for his illustrations. The first volume
was great, but hasn’t she improved with each new volume? No
kidding! Is she a god? Recently, I often get ideas for my manuscripts
from raemz-san’s illustrations. Thank you again for drawing the best
Asu-nee!

And my editor in charge, Iwaasa-san said in the first draft, “Well, it’s
all roughly the same as what was tweeted” (quoted as the original),
with only one praise line in 140 characters. This time, the red-text
MVP who doesn’t know people’s heart is “Hmmmmmmm? What did
you show me?” (all words including the mmmm are quoted from the
original). I would like to pay my respects to Hirasaka Yomi-sensei’s
“A Sister’s All You Need,” which has reached its successful
conclusion. I present these words in honor of the author; the editor-
in-charge Iwaasa co*k breaks it off.

I would also like to express my utmost gratitude to all the people who
have been involved with Chiramune, such as advertisers and
reviewers, and above all, to the readers who have followed us
through to volume 3. See you again in volume 4!

Words From the Translator

Alright. Now this was easier for us all. Hi everyone, Kakarotto, aka
G-String, from the Plebian Translation team speaking. How do you
all do? As we mark Chitose is in the Ramune Bottle (Chiramune)
Volume 3 to a close, I hope you enjoyed reading it on behalf of the
team. I gotta say, Nanase was amazing last volume, but Asuka and
Chitose really shined here. I really enjoyed reading their interactions,
just like I enjoyed reading Chitose and Nanase’s. I’m sure a lot of us
can relate to Asuka here too so I’m hoping for a good future for her!

Anyway, before we get to the shoutouts, allow me to apologise. The

translation was actually ready for quite some time (about nearly a
month). But me, being the final editor and the one releasing each
chapter for you all, was quite busy and so there was a bit of a delay
in getting these chapters out since I didn’t have too much time. But
luckily, we managed to get this out for you still within good time (way
before Yen Press’s Volume 2 release, LOL).

Now for the shoutouts. Thanks to Dexter, our MTL translator for
translating the volume from chinese into a rough english taster
version and for once again leading the project, even while under
great pressure. Couldn’t have done it without ya bud. Thank you to
KayL and Alisa for translating some of the harder parts and providing
a complete TLC for the volume. I couldn’t have released this volume
for everyone without you guys! Oh, and thank you to our newest
helper, Kael, for assisting Dexter with the MTL taster translation for
Chapter 4 and easing the burden on him. Couldn’t have done it
without you too! Also, many thanks to our Beta Readers and, of
course, to you guys for reading our translation.

Finally, we would like to announce that we have at least one Side

Story that we will be translating. We shall be releasing the translation
for it soon and we will be translating Volume 4 as well. No release
date for the latter at the moment, but stay tuned to our website to be
the first to find out when it will be released. Please support author
Hiromu-sensei and illustrator Raemz-sensei by buying the official
Yen Press English release or even buying the Japanese raw! Take
care everyone and we shall see you again soon!

– The Plebian Team

Translation notes

1. Setta - Setta (雪駄) is authentic Japanese traditional sandals for

men
2. Jealous and shit - Jealous is shitto (嫉妬) in Japanese. Do we
need to explain the joke anymore?
3. MARCH (University Acronym) - This refers to the five major
private universities in Tokyo: Meiji University, Aoyama Gakuin
University, Rikkyo University, Chuo University, and Hosei
University.
4. Ajisai/hydrangeas - Ajisai (Raw: 紫陽花) = hydrangeas is a
flower. FYI, in Japan, Ajisai also signifies the ending of a rainy
season and the coming of the summer season. In japanese
legend, Ajisai also associates with heartfelt emotion, gratitude
for understanding, and apology)
5. Asuka addessing Saku - Saku referred to the way Asuka
addressed him using 彼 (kare=he)

6. 2DK – 2DK = two separate rooms, in addition to the

dining/kitchen area. 1LDK = one room apartment with a living,
dining and kitchen area.
7. Casablanca – Reference to the 1942 American romantic drama
film directed by Michael Curtiz of the same name.
8. Guild by Bumb of Chicken - Reference to the song「ギルド」by
BUMP OF CHICKEN. Listen here.
9. The Kings ears are Donkey Ears – Reference to the story of the
same name, taught in elementary schools to tell kids that
keeping secrets might be too difficult and it’s okay to tell others
even if you are afraid. Read a version here.
10. Yakitori – Yakitori is grilled chicken skewers.
11. Shachō-san - 社長さん = Shachō-san. This means Director-san.

12. Koshien – Koshien is the National High School Baseball

Championship
13. Shochu – Shochu is a Japanese traditional hard liquor made
from grains and vegetables
14. Takadanobaba – Takadanobaba is a neigbourhood in
Shinjuku,Tokyo.
15. Yoshinoya and Matsuya - Yoshinoya and Matsuya are two
restaurant-chains that serve beef bowls.
16. Shiba Inu - Shiba Inu is a breed of dogs in Japan. Remember
the world of Elon Musk’s DogeCoin and the SO AMAZING
WORLD OF CRYPTOCURRENCY? Picture that dog. It’s the
exact breed used as the face of DogeCoin.
17. Jinbocho - Jinbocho, also known as Kanda-Jinbōchō (神田神保
町), is an area in the district of Chiyoda in Tokyo known for its
collections of used bookstores and publishing homes.
18. Marui and “OIOI” - Here, Marui department store’s logo is shown
as “OIOI”, which is meant to resemble the Japanese symbol
“○I○I” (○ meaning “circle” or “zero” while I meaning just the
number 1) , but pronounced as “MARUI”. Fun fact, the store’s
website uses the logo as it’s address but it’s not “OIOI” but
actually “0101”. For more information, click here.

19. Kabukicho -
20. Kabukicho
(歌舞伎町) is an entertainment district, and more known as the
“red light district”, located in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Home to a lot of
host and hostess bars, etc.
20. Don Quijote - Don Quijote (株式会社ドン・キホーテ) also
known as Don Don Donki, (or Donki (ドンキ)) is a discount
store chain with branches in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Hawaii, Malaysia, Bangkok, Taiwan, and Macau.

21. Brothel Information Service - This is a service where you can

know which brothel is suitable for you.

22. Kappa - Kappa is a mythological monster said to inhabit ponds

and rivers in Japan.

23. Maru - Just a reminder that when written in kanji, ○ is written as

丸 or 円 and pronounced ‘maru’. It is usually used for
censorship.