40
“You went to high school locally, Tsujimura-san?”
Some time had passed since then, and after we had introduced ourselves, Akanishi-san and I were walking side by side, chatting.
“Yeah. I think most people here did the same. I don’t think many people go to school outside the prefecture here.”
We were in the hallway of Shuei High School.
The entrance ceremony is over, and now everyone is moving to their respective classrooms.
The path from the gymnasium to the classroom was quite crowded, even though we had staggered our departure time to avoid the congestion.
“Is that so?”
“Is Tokyo really that different in that regard?”
This has been the case ever since I arrived at high school.
As expected, what awaited us upon our arrival was a crowd of people huddled in front of the bulletin board where the class lists were posted.
Approaching the bulletin board to check, I was somewhat put off by the number of people there, but I was fortunate to find my name quickly.
From Noble mtl dot com
I also found Akane’s name there, and coincidentally, we were in the same class.
…As for the fact that I was in a completely different class from Mio, I definitely consider myself lucky.
“What do you think? I didn’t have many friends…Still, I think there were quite a few people who decided to go to schools in Kanagawa.”
“Huh…Crossing prefectural borders to attend school, huh? That’s amazing.”
It’s not something you hear much about here.
Even for sports recommendations, most of them are within the prefecture, and I don’t remember hearing about anyone crossing prefectural borders even in junior high school.
“Is that not the case over there?”
“hahahaha…Our prefecture is unnecessarily large. It takes a long time to commute, and there aren’t many trains, so it’s difficult unless you live in the southern part of the prefecture.”
It’s a sad fact of life in the countryside, but Akane seems to be listening to this story with interest.
Just like when we first met, maybe she’s just a good listener.
Even though we had barely met, I found myself able to talk to her without feeling nervous, and even relaxed.
“I see. Indeed, even the Shinkansen takes quite a while, and it must be expensive.”
“That’s right. Isn’t it hard for you too, Akane? Moving all the way here from Tokyo, even if it’s because of your parents’ jobs…”
I’m surprised at myself for asking such a personal question.
I didn’t want to get involved with people, so why am I asking her this?
“No, I’m fine as long as I have books…Even when I was living there, I didn’t go out much except for cram school and school.”
Akane answered me nonchalantly, oblivious to my confusion.
“You like books? Come to think of it, you were carrying a lot of books that time too.”
“…Ah, well, that’s…”
Akane’s face turns red.
I find her cute, but at the same time, I can’t help but see a familiar shadow in her.
(…………I see)
Akane resembles Mio.
The quiet Mio from before she appeared on that program and changed.
“I’m not teasing you. I like books too. If you have any recommendations, would you mind sharing them with me sometime?”
“Eh…”
That’s probably why I’m able to talk to her so naturally.
Just like back then.
“Is that okay?”
“Y, yes! Of course, that’s fine! That is!”
The way she panics and gets flustered also reminds me of Mio.
(But, it doesn’t feel like this is the first time I’ve seen Akane.)
Suddenly, I wonder if I’ve seen her somewhere before.
But I can’t quite remember.
I never actually met her when she lived in Tokyo.
“I’ll bring it tomorrow! … Oh.”
As I mulled this over, the footsteps of Akane-san, who had been walking beside me, suddenly stopped dead.
I glanced at her and saw that we seemed to have reached our destination.
A sign reading “Class 1-A” hung above our heads.
“Here’s the classroom.”
“Yes…”
Akane-san’s voice sounded different than before, somewhat tense.
“I’m nervous. I’m not used to this kind of thing.”
A new school.
A new classroom.
What on earth awaits me beyond these doors?
I don’t want to think about the future, and all I can imagine when I do is negative stuff.
I hate change, and up until yesterday, I had been feeling really down about today’s arrival.
“I’ll go in first.”
But now, I’m the one reaching for the doorknob.
I’m not sure why.
Maybe it’s because I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of her again after she saw me crying that time. Or maybe it’s just petty pride.
(Seriously, what’s wrong with me…)
I’m so pathetic, it makes me want to cry.
That’s what I was thinking as I stepped into the classroom, but
“Hey, Tsujimura-kun! I finally found someone I know!”
I was greeted by a loud, booming voice that echoed through the classroom.