Chapter 5 | I Think | Remake our Life!
Part 1
The famous Geizaka slope of Daigeidai is usually not difficult to climb or descend, but when the heat, cold, rain, snow, and other factors come together, it suddenly becomes a very difficult slope. (Note: University of Arts)
And today it was raining. It was raining so hard that even an umbrella was of little use, and I was walking up the hill to the research lab on an errand.
"Even if an escalator is impossible, at least put a roof on it..."
Fu, I raised my head and stopped talking to myself at the unexpected face.
"Hihi, we meet in the strangest places, Hashiba."
I hadn't seen him since that day when we verbally punched each other.
He was wearing a raincoat, not an umbrella, over his head. His trademark long arms and legs were not showing at all, and this only added to the eeriness.
"I haven't asked Shinoaki anything about your side. Is it going well?"
Kuroda smiled with his mouth wide open. It was a smile as fresh as the blue sky.
"Awesome~... Shino is... really awesome!"
He said it was refreshing to see how she understood what he explained almost perfectly, and how she not only understood it, but came back with even more ideas than what he had aimed for.
"That's a hell of a talent. We're just prepared, the other side will definitely come up with a superior move. I feel like I'm playing a game of chess that I can never win.......Every time I'm playing, I'm freaking out.......That's thrilling…! ”
He must have realized he was talking out of his mind, because he cut off his words there,
"Hihi, as I declared, I'm going to make the best work."
"That's good to hear. It motivates me, too."
"No time to be motivated by what other people are doing. Well, that's all right. It's none of my business."
Quietly look down,
"In the end, you and I couldn't care less about anyone else."
"........."
"Because life is incredibly short. You can only hold one or two things at most."
Kuroda said plainly.
I didn't have anything to answer, but his talk sounded tough.
Especially for me, who has lost many things as a result of being greedy and holding on to everything.
"I said something unnecessary. See you."
Perhaps unwilling to talk about serious matters, Kuroda did not look back and went soundlessly down the rain-slapped slope.
I stood there for a while in the heavy rain.
"I'll hold them, absolutely"
I had already made up my mind a long time ago. All that remained was "do something about it".
Part 2
To tell the truth, we haven't even reached the first stage yet.
Nanako is still in a slump. No songs have come up, and only groans can be heard from the room. For the time being, Saikawa was exploring various ideas for arranging Meku.
But even that is limited. We had to decide on a concept as soon as possible. So Kawasegawa and I were in daily contact and brainstorming about the concept ...... but we were still unable to come to a decision.
"What should we do..."
I kept thinking about it in the club room of the Art Research Club as I sat in front of a fan. The rain that had been falling before noon had stopped by evening, and now the air was constantly humid and hot.
"Hassy-san, if you keep giving a bitter look when you come to the club room, it will make me hot and bothered too. It's so hot."
Kiryu-san complained to me in an annoying way.
"It's fine, right. Sometimes I have worries, too. But it's hot"
"You always seem to be worried. But it's so hot."
...... Is that so? Well, now that he mentions it, yes, there may be a lot of them.
Anyway, when it's this hot, I always think about the heat before I talk about the topic.
"I wanted to put a cooler in the Art Research Club room to beat the heat!"
As usual, he stood up in his chair,
"They said it's unfair that one circle has to spend too much money on electricity, so a cooler is not allowed! I'm going to risk my own body to make a case against the school for heat stroke, so get ready!"
Since the circle building was also a school facility, the school had all the electricity for the building. Indeed, it would be a problem if it was biased toward certain circles.
However, all the members of the club were the same about the desire to have a cooler installed.
"Let's buy ice cream, it's Kiryu-san's treat"
"You~! Leave the illusion that your senpai will always treat you to a drink in the 20th century~!!"
Well, I don't think ice cream will make it better.
"Well, isn't Kakihara-san going to the usual training camp for the dance team?"
Sugimoto-san, who was fanning himself with a large fan, approached the tired dancer who was slumped over on the tatami mats.
"Yeah, the organizer got a girlfriend and went on a trip on his own. Since there was no one to organize the event, it was canceled this year."
"A girlfriend, you said! That man deserves to die."
Kiryu-san was getting lively, but even you have Hiyama-san, don't you.
"It's a pity. The hot springs at the recreation center and the sea at Shirahama are the best right now."
"Right~. Maybe they should take 2~3 people with them."
I see, there is such a thing as a recreation center.
I remember we booked it for a shooting last summer. It was reasonable, and it was fun to feel like we were on vacation.
"Eh, what is that recreation center?"
An unexpected person spoke up.
"Kiryu-san, don't tell me you don't know about it? It's a facility owned by this school corporation in Shirahama, where you can stay at a reasonable price and enjoy hot springs and the ocean."
After talking that far,
"Sho――――ck! I didn't know that!"
Kiryu-san finally stood up on the desk.
"Don't get so worked up, Kiryu-san."
"Yes, you obviously can go to the beach, here in Osaka."
Yes, there is usually an ocean in Osaka, even if it is in a prefecture without mountains. Moreover, there are many sandy beaches where one can go swimming just a short distance away.
I assumed that a student of the arts and crafts naturally knows, but,
"You guys... You know nothing, nothing, about the suffering of photography students!"
Raising his hands to the sky, Kiryu-san began to speak the cries of his soul.
"Listen, you guys, the photography department is going on a photo trip with the department to a place called Kamikochi! We're all going together, men and women, and you get your hopes up, you think it's going to be the start of a story, or a premonition, or something. But! Not even a little! Not at all! It's extremely cold in Kamikochi in winter, and you can walk on ice. You can even catch wakasagi! People are dying from the cold and there's no love or anything else! Everyone's just trying to survive! I'd rather have a disposable body warmer than some guy's human skin! The white album ends with a blank slate!"
We couldn't help but feel sorry for Kiryu-san, whose speech was longer than usual. Indeed, he would have been envious of the heat of Shirahama if he had lived such a youth.
"...to go"
"Eh?"
"I want to go! Shirahama Beach! Hot Springs! Bathing! That's what I've been missing my whole life! Please, everyone, I'll use club funds to pay for the trip, so please build me a golden memory for my meager summer vacation!"
Having said that, the 24-year-old guy was in a prostrate pose on the desk.
"...What are we going to do?"
"Somehow, I am starting to feel sorry for him..."
First, we had to start everything by persuading Hiyama-san, who came to the clubroom later...
Part 3
"Yay! It's Shirahama! I'm going swimming! College life!"
The moment the train arrived at the station, the first to jump out was the oldest of the group, a 24-year-old male.
"Pathetic... I've already finished my college life..."
Behind him, Hiyama-san sighs deeply.
"Well, well, he said he'd never been there."
"It's a dream come true, so I guess it's all good."
The men were relatively sympathetic to Kiryu-san.
"You guys, you don't understand that guy. There's absolutely no way this is going to end well."
Hiyama-san assured us, called us over, and gave us an earful.
"Listen? Do not let him have the camera anyway. Do not let him near the women who are coming with us. If he says something like, "I've got a good idea!" you should do everything in your power to keep his mouth shut. This is your duty. Understand?"
"U-Understand...!"
Indeed, if I neglected what I had just been told, it was going to be an unnecessary event.
"It's been a while since I've been to the beach. How long has it been since you've been here, Minori-chan?"
"I-I haven't been there since I was in the second grade of high school...!"
Shinoaki and Saikawa looked very happy.
I was especially worried about Saikawa, but from the looks of it, she seems to be fine.
"I wonder if it's okay that we came too..."
"They invited us, so we just have to be proud."
Nanako and Kawasegawa were also with us, as they were acquaintances.
"So, are you sure you were right to have me come along, Hashiba?"
"Don't worry, Hikawa, it was decided that everyone here is going to be involved."
In the end, the group consisted of everyone who was involved in the recent Saikawa case, and it was like a thank-you party.
Shirahama is a bit far from the station to the beach.
So we took a local bus to get there, but Kiryu-san was already bursting with excitement from the bus.
"Blue sky! Hey, Hassy, look! The sky is blue! Isn't it amazing? Don't you think it's a virtue of mine that the sky is clear?"
"I-I think so, I think so"
"Wai! Wai! Let's rent a boat! We'll have to rent floats too! Ah, that's right, I have a good idea ♪"
Immediately, a group of three men from the Art Club, who are all bewildered, begin to restrain Kiryu-san.
"Kiryu-sa~n, look, there's an oyster shack over there!"
"Eh, really ?! Let's go eat there later!"
"What are we going to do when we get there? Borrow a parasol and set it up, and I want Buchou to lead from there."
"I'll take care of it! I've got it all planned out!"
Apparently, he forgot the "good idea", and everyone was relieved and stroked their chest.
"The usually hot, dull, and quiet part of him is"
"It's getting even more annoying, isn't it?"
"He looks like a drug addict."
"Good job guys. But we need to take care of the girls over here as well as those around us..."
Sugimoto-san told me to look at the rear of the bus.
The girls are looking out the window and talking happily. They are all quite cute, including Hiyama-san, even without any patronizing comments.
This is the first time Kiryu-san will see all of them in their swimsuits. He and Hiyama-san are old friends, so there's a chance he might see one, but the second and first year students are ...... in danger.
"We must be vigilant..."
"Right……"
We secretly vowed to protect the girls, including the precious new member.
Part 4
However.
"Hyu~, it's the sea~! I'm the first one ~~ !!"
Immediately after arriving at the beach and changing clothes, the four-year-old research student was rushing into the surf with a floatation ring and underwater glasses in hand.
Since the rush was without any interest in the women's swimsuits, it is safe to say that it was really a straight line.
"Wow, the sea is lukewarm! The sun is so hot! This is what summer is all about! Come on, you guys!"
"Uoh! Bucho seems to be in a good mood! I'll be right there too!"
"Oh, Hikawa-kun, hurry, let's take a long-distance swim, the one who goes to that island first wins!"
Kiryu-san and Hikawa's hot-blooded group, started squealing and giggling on the beach ahead.
In contrast, the three men from the Art Club, completely out of the loop, were stunned.
"That was too surprising a response..."
"I wonder what this is all about, did the summer sea purify senpai."
"I'm sure Kiryu-san craved the sea much more than we thought he would."
I felt somewhat out of sorts and at the same time sorry for doubting him.
"I thought he seemed like a middle schooler, so I warned you about him lunging at girls, but it turns out he's an elementary schooler inside ...... I didn't know that..."
Hiyama-san looks at Kiryu-san, who is splashing around at the water's edge with a distant look in her eyes. Indeed, the way that he was frolicking was best described as that of an elementary school student.
"Well, but it's a relief that way... After all, they are dangerous girls to put in front of middle school student..."
I said this and looked back at the girls who had changed their clothes.
"It's been a year since I've been in the sea ~, it's so blue ~"
Shinoaki has kept her breast size well even after a year.
"That's a great person... There are about 10 times as many as on the local beaches..."
Saikawa's breasts are a bit modest, but her overall style is well balanced.
"Hora, everyone should apply sunscreen properly. Or you'll turn bright red and die later ~ "
Nanako has the largest breasts as well as the most exposure.
"We also need to go borrow a parasol."
Kawasegawa has amazingly white skin and a slender body.
The thought of throwing a live middle school student into this lineup is too frightening.
Hiyama-san nodded repeatedly,
"Well, I thought about it at last year's school festival, but the level of the girls around the Art Club is really high?"
I really think that.
"Then I'll go rent a parasol for now, and we'll leave the luggage here and decide who will swim and who will stay behind."
"Understood ~!"
Part 5
In this way, a vacation that was too ordinary began.
The first half of the event was filled with Kiryu-san's fuss over a cramp in his leg, Kiryu-san stretching his arm in a strange direction while playing beach volleyball and fainting in agony, and Kiryu-san innocently starting to take off his sea pants in front of everyone, saying he had been stung by a jellyfish and getting smacked by Hiyama-san.
Then, after a lunch break, the second half of the day,
"Ahre? Hassy's not coming?"
While the men were going to the rocky area,
"I'll pass. I'll be watching the luggage, so why don't you all go."
I was indeed a bit tired from running around playing beach volleyball.
Shinoaki stretched and shook her breasts firmly, saying "Hmm" and,
"I think I'm going to go. Do you want to go too, Minori-chan?"
"Ah, I'm going!"
The girl who loves Shinoaki seems to follow her as a matter of course.
"If you two are going, I'm going too. What about you, Nanako-chan?"
Hiyama-san asked,
"I-I think I'll stay. I'm worried about the luggage, that."
She says, glancing at me.
(Is there something she wants to talk about... Ah!)
That's where the memories rapidly come back to me.
(Don't tell me that this is where the "talk" will come in...!)
When it's just the two of us, the topics of conversation gradually run out as a matter of course. And then, after a few silent moments of talking about the temperature like "It's hot, isn’t it", then the conversation is suddenly cut short...
(W-What should I do? As expected, I'm not prepared for it now...)
I had felt a sense of crisis on my own, then,
"I'll stay. I need to rest in the shade."
"Eh?"
Kawasegawa also raised her hand to be part of the stay group. Frankly, it was a blessing in disguise. Now I could avoid the topic from going in a strange direction.
"E-Eiko is staying too...?"
"Why do both Hashiba and Nanako look like that..."
Me with a relieved face, Nanako with a slightly resentful face, and Kawasegawa with a puzzled look.
Leaving the strange three of us behind,
"We're off then!"
The cave expedition team, led by an elementary school boy, went out with great enthusiasm.
The midsummer sun was still shining brilliantly. In the strong light that burned our skin, the remaining three of us were sitting under the beach parasol.
The position was that the two girls were sitting with me in between them. Nanako was on my right and Kawasegawa on my left.
"You know, Kyoya..."
"W-What, Nanako"
Nanako suddenly started talking to me, and I was startled from the very beginning.
"I'm sorry I haven't written any songs yet. I've kept you waiting, right?"
Thank goodness. The topic was peaceful, or rather, not causing a stir.
No, saying it is peaceful sounds terrible. It's a very serious topic for Nanako.
"It's all right. It's rather my fault that I haven't come up with the concept properly. So don't worry about it."
I replied and Nanako,
"Thank you... Hehe, I know Kyoya would say that, it was kind of unfair, wasn’t it."
She stuck her tongue out and smiled shyly.
(U-Uwaa, she is so cute...)
I'm sure she's just being herself, but her bare cuteness is driving me crazy.
(As I thought, Nanako is concerned about it too)
It's time for me to make up my mind so as not to make her even more anxious. In many meanings.
But, well, whether it's Nanako or Kawasegawa, I am so happy to have two cute girls by my side. Even though I am always on alert.
(This ...... is surprisingly hard to move, or rather, it's hard to relax)
The largest parasol was out of stock, so we borrowed a medium-sized one. This was just barely enough to accommodate the three of us, and inevitably all three of us ended up huddled together.
"Hey, Hashiba, can't you go a little more that way?"
Kawasegawa, who is reading a paperback book, moves slowly toward me.
"I-I can't. If I move any further to the right, I'll be stuck to Nanako."
After I said it, I thought I had misspoken.
"Y-Yes, that's right Eiko, if Kyoya comes over here any more, we'll get stuck together."
Nanako was flustered to the hilt. I'll have to properly reflect on this naturally carnage-oriented behavior and statement of mine sometime ...... seriously .......
"Hmmm, okay."
Kawasegawa coolly dismissed Nanako's words,
"Then I'll just stick with Hashiba and that'll be the end of it."
She says.
Kawasegawa had brought the right side of her body in close contact with my left side.
"Hey, hey, hey, Kawasegawa-san...?!"
"Eiko, y-you, that's...!"
I unintentionally responded in honorifics, and Nanako was stunned.
"Because it's so small, so it can't be helped. Besides..."
She glanced at Nanako,
"I only got it because someone else was too stubborn to take a chance on getting together, though."
U-UWAA, UWAA――――. Kawasegawa, are you saying that? Was I naive to think that I was saved by Kawasegawa staying behind?!
In response to Kawasegawa, who hit a 160-kilometer inside straight as hard as she could,
"U-Uuh, Uaaaah~!"
Nanako had no choice but to scream and hold her head in her hands,
"……I've decided"
Suddenly she turned to me with a straight face and said,
"Kyoya"
"Y-Yes..."
"I'll stick with you, too. Okay?"
She says.
Completely ignoring my permission phase,
"Wa, Waaah!"
She grabbed my right arm tightly and held me as tight as she could.
It's not like Kawasegawa, where the body is close together and then sticks to each other. If I were to inspect the level of closeness on a scale of 1 to 10, it definitely feels like it would hit 10 over.
"Na-Nanako, Nanakoo?"
"...Don't call my name. I'll be embarrassed when I get back to normal."
Well, she is turning bright red and breathing hard all the time, and I'm really embarrassed too...
"Good for you, everyone is happy and properly under the shade."
Kawasegawa, who also remains physically close to me as usual, says cool things.
"...Kawasegawa-san, what do you think about this situation?"
Even though I complain in a whisper,
"If anything, you brought this on yourself, so do something by yourself."
"Suuch~!"
Outside of production, she really doesn't have a millimeter of kindness about anything else!
"Kyoya..."
"W-W-What is it, Nanako-san?"
"When I do this kind of thing, do you not like it...?"
Wa, wa, mou, Stop for a second, mou!
I abandoned my attempt to answer Nanako's question and decided to stay in this uncomfortable situation. I mean, if there is such a thing as a proactive solution to this situation, I would like to learn it even if I have to get down on my knees, Sensei....
(This whole thing is nothing positive if I come back 10 years from now...)
Part 6
After a while, it was time for everyone to return. So Kawasegawa's very practical words, "If we don't get away from each other soon, we will have a lot of trouble," caused Nanako to release her hold on me and separate our bodies.
But for a while, she was in a daze when anyone spoke to her, and I was too embarrassed to speak to her because every time I looked at her I remembered the feel of her arms and bre*asts.
Anyway, the sea bathing was over, and everyone decided to go out for dinner.
We went to a restaurant where seafood was grilled on the beach and eaten as is, as we had done last year. Again, Kiryu-san was too excited to eat, so everyone ate more quietly.
"You, that gag died out years ago, so don't even try it!"
Hiyama-san is again smacking Kiryu-san's head. It seemed that he was frolicking with scallop shells on both nipples.
"Kyoya-kun, the back of the turban shell has stopped coming out."
And in front of me, one girl struggling with shellfish.
"Give it to me. I'll try to get it."
Using disposable chopsticks and a toothpick, I used them to dislodge the fruit that had gotten deep inside.
"Here, is this okay?"
"Thank you ~ Kyoya-kun is really skillful"
Shinoaki happily eats turban shells.
"Hih, t-this shellfish suddenly opened, h-hey, Eiko, what should I do with this?"
"You're not a child. It can't be helped..."
"Ka, Kawasegawa-san, the fish over here is blowing smoke, too!"
"Mou, I'm not everyone's mother."
Having said that, Kawasegawa took care of Nanako and Saikawa.
I was looking at them enjoying themselves, and I was deeply nostalgic about the time not so long ago.
(It's only been a year...)
I remember coming to this restaurant last year. Of course, Tsurayuki was on the film crew at that time.
At first, Tsurayuki was engaged in a heated discussion with Kawasegawa about this and that, but then, perhaps bored with that, he came closer to me.
"She is so stubborn! She never bends at all!"
Kawasegawa's stubbornness seemed to have gotten the better of him, and as expected, Tsurayuki seemed to have given up.
"It can't be helped, Kawasegawa also is a girl who has her own policy."
"That's right. I've never seen anyone as stubborn as I am."
Unusually, I saw Tsurayuki laughing about Kawasegawa.
"... I met so many people when I came to this university. I was happy."
"Why?"
"I'm surprised there are so many people out there who think as stupid as I do."
Poking at the ikayaki with his chopsticks, Tsurayuki chuckled.
"In high school, I was in high-level school, so I was surrounded by really serious people. Not one of them wanted to study art."
"You're right. Our high school was the same way."
"Right? And when I came here, I found that everyone was full of idiots. That makes you happy, doesn't it? It's like finding a village that speaks the same language as you. There's no greater joy"
He picks up the squid with chopsticks and throws it into his mouth somewhat roughly.
"I'm going to be, I'm going to be a screenwriter, also be a novelist. I'm going to write and think stories all the time, and I'm going to do it."
Saying this, Tsurayuki raised a glass of oolong tea,
"――From now on, with the best bunch of idiots"
The look on Tsurayuki's face at that moment really seemed to say that it was an eternity. In fact, it was supposed to go on for the next three years.
But Tsurayuki is already...
"... kun? Kyoya-kun?"
I came back to myself. I looked over and saw Shinoaki staring at me with concern.
"Are you thinking about something again?"
"No, I just got a little sleepy. Maybe I had too much fun during the day."
I've been making Shinoaki worry about me all these days.
I felt like I had been exposed, but I faked it and put it behind me for the time being.
Part 7
After dinner, we returned to the lodge. The resort had a small garden-like space, so we decided to have fireworks there.
"I'll pass. I'm tired from walking around during the day."
Kawasegawa, who had been to the aquarium and other places without going swimming, decided to watch the fireworks from her room. I was tired too, so I decided to stay in the room as well.
"All right, let's go parachute fireworks!! Everybody take it!!"
Kiryu-san seemed to have no end of energy, making some kind of noise every time he lit a fireworks display. Where does that energy come from?
"... He was such a quiet, serious guy when he was doing the editing work."
Kawasegawa, too, looked at him with a look of wonderment.
"He's won awards for photography in his department, so one never knows."
"Right, I can't speak about others. I'm sure there's always some part of you and me that's out of place."
I guess that's just the way it is. I used to think of myself as an ordinary, featureless guy, but I have come to realize over the past two years or so that that is not the case.
The hustle and bustle of the outside and the silence of the room staring at it.
I felt a bit isolated, and I was a bit nervous in this space that was just the two of us.
"――Kawasegawa"
She turned to me.
Surprisingly, Kawasegawa had a calm face. If it were at this moment, it would be just as gentle as Shinoaki's, as if she were enveloping the other party.
"What?"
Her voice was also very soft.
And I had heard this voice, 10 years later, at the airport where I parted with her, saying the words.
I will use that promise now.
"I have something to talk about."
Lightly, I thought Kawasegawa smiled. Perhaps it was just my imagination. But I am sure that I saw such an expression on her face, as if she would accept anything... or so I thought.
"I knew you would."
Kawasegawa breathes out.
"Did you understand?"
"Somehow. I just thought that since you went to the trouble of staying in a room alone with such a boring woman, maybe that's what this is all about."
I thought it was very Kawasegawa-like that she did not expand on the subject of colorful love there.
The wind coming through the window was lukewarm. The sky was clear and the beautiful moon was shining.
"It will be long, sorry."
"That's how it works. So, what is it?"
I took a deep breath and began to speak.
"I'm honestly very distressed. I'm so worried that I might break ...... if I don't talk to someone about it."
The other day, when I was hugged by Shinoaki who was worried, I was desperate to restrain myself.
"I thought and thought and thought, and I decided to make my own way only with the results of my hard work. But even when I pushed myself that way, I still felt lost."
I think it was necessary for me to meet someone like Kuroda.
He probably had his doubts, too. However, he probably forced himself to overcome his self-consciousness and achievements, and built himself up to get to that point.
The way I felt about him was like looking in a mirror. It is a simple example of how ego can move people.
So for a long time, when I faced him, I felt an unknowable weight on me at the same time. I can say anything with my mouth. I could say something like, "I can carry someone's life on my shoulders," or "I can understand them". But can I really do that?
"The upcoming work, the critical missing piece――. I have one idea about what it is."
The greatest element in bringing Nanako's songs to life and giving color to Saikawa's drawings.
"But I'm not sure I'm confident enough to push through on what it is. If I push through... I would also be intervening in people's lives in a big way. Frankly, I was afraid of that."
I looked at Kawasegawa. She was staring at me.
"So, I would like to hear Kawasegawa's opinion. What do you think is missing in this work? And what do you think ...... about how to deal with it?"
I first gave my opinion.
The elements I want in this work. And what must be done to obtain them. And, of course, the risks that will occur.
It was something I had been thinking about all along. It was something I had been preparing for someday, never forgetting. But I didn't know if I should do it now or not.
"That's all. What... do you think?"
After I said it out, there was a long silence.
Kawasegawa eventually looked away. And all the same, she continued to watch the fireworks spectacle for a long time without uttering a single word.
"……Looks like fun"
"You're right. But... Kawasegawa doesn't really have the vibe of getting mixed up in there."
When I told her, she smiled wryly.
"No, actually, I don't."
"Eh……?"
"I also want to be with them, to be excited, to have fun, to play with them. There are many things that I think would be fun to watch from the side."
Her gaze looked down. From her well-defined lips, fuuh, the breath spills out.
"...But even those good times will end someday. It will be gone. Nothing is eternal, and nothing can be. Once I started thinking about that, I became more and more afraid to join the fun circle."
Kawasegawa then looked at me again.
"But I have recently come to realize that this is no good. I've recently come to think that it's not better not to mix in because it will disappear, but rather to mix in as much as possible because it will disappear. That's not right and that is no good."
Recently, Kawasegawa had gradually increased her participation when invited to play.
I never knew ...... that there was such a change of heart in that.
"It's the future, and we can't just dwell on the past. Think about what to do now, and when you decide, move on. If that doesn't work, we can think about it again."
Downstairs was noisy again. Nanako seemed to have set off a rat firework, and she was making a lot of noise and running away. The sound of everyone laughing was very pleasant.
Kawasegawa, too, smiled happily as she watched the scene.
"... I'll tell you what I think."
With a bursting sound, an even louder firework shot up to the second floor and beyond. The light scattered in all directions, alternately illuminating the white skin of Kawasegawa.
(Thank you)
I inwardly thanked her.
To her who is in front of me now, and to her who I parted with in the future.
Part 8
"Ah, mou, I told you we can't go to the safari park because we don't have any time left! Leave me alone, you said? If we could, we would! But we'd feel bad for the society if I left you alone! Hey, are you listening to me?!"
At Shirahama Station, Hiyama-san was giving a serious scolding to a 24 year old male who was complaining that he didn't want to go home.
"This is an elementary school student in earnest."
Kakihara-san is truly astonished, and I nod my head in agreement.
"Hiyama-san, I'm a little sorry to hear that..."
The other men are all tired and sitting in the waiting room. Hikawa seems to have reached his limit, and he is snoring and falling asleep.
The women, on the other hand, enjoyed selecting souvenirs.
"This kumquat bun looks delicious."
It was the first time I learned that Saikawa had a sweet tooth.
"Great~, let's go buy some and eat them together as tea cakes?"
"Yes~! I will ~!"
Saikawa salutes in front of Nanako like a junior officer to a superior officer.
Apparently, this overnight trip had helped her get to know Nanako even better.
"Kyoya-kun, Kyoya-kun"
"Ah, Shinoaki, I already bought you a souve... nir?"
Shinoaki shakes her head as if to say it isn't what she wants to ask,
"Did you solve what was bothering you?"
…… Ah, really.
I really can't lie about anything in front of this girl.
"Yeah, it's not... solved, though."
"Is that so?"
I looked a little further away at the girl who was actually a very fun-loving girl with a twinkle in her eye, trying to decide whether to buy a dolphin key chain or not.
"But I think I can work toward a solution."
"Hmm...?"
Shinoaki tilted her head a little but smiled.
"――Soon, the limited express Kuroshio bound for Shin-Osaka will arrive on Line 1."
An announcement is made and we enter the premises.
While everyone else was reminiscing about their fun-filled trip, I was alone with my resolve.
(... I don't regret it. Let's do what I believed)
Along with what Kawasegawa said to me yesterday.
Part 9
The Department of Visual Concept Planning office keeps its laboratory open on weekdays for students who shoot and edit during the summer vacation as well. However, as for the teachers, they were not included in this, and most of them were only one or two people on a rotating basis.
There are exceptions, however, and occasionally a teacher with a penchant for the unusual takes up residence in the laboratory and works with students from morning to night. For the students, this is a very gratifying experience.
"Thank you for the kumquat buns. I have an assistant who likes them, so I'll have some with tea later."
"I'm glad, I was wondering if sensei didn't really like sweets or anything."
"I basically don't like or hate it. If anything, it's like or indifference."
That's a talk that's worse than hate.
"So what is the consultation?"
Sipping the lukewarm coffee she had made herself, Kano-sensei, who is a representative of a teacher who likes things a lot, asked me in her usual chatty manner.
"It's a bit of a hassle talk."
"Ho~o, since you say it's a bit of a hassle, it must be a big hassle."
…… So that's how sensei perceived me?
"Then I will talk."
I began to talk about the consultation in order from the beginning.
Sensei already looked annoyed from the beginning. However, I also knew that this sensei was more interested in the "interesting" aspect of the talk than in the "bothersome" aspect of the talk. So, most of the time, her response was, "It's troublesome, but I'll listen."
But only today, the feeling of "this is really a hassle" seemed to show through. I suppose that's understandable. If I were a teacher and a student asked me for advice like this, I would probably think it was a hassle. That's what it was about.
"... I am thinking of doing something like that. Can you tell me how to do it?"
After all was said and done, I wondered what sensei was up to.
Sensei put her finger to her forehead, thought long and hard, and then,
"The privacy of students is becoming more and more strictly controlled every year. We can't just tell them what they want to know just because someone tells us to."
She stands up and walks over to me.
"You know that much, don't you?"
"...Yes. But I want to check no matter what."
Sensei sighed and headed for the window.
"What I said when you entered college ... do you remember it?"
"Yes, it was intense ... that was."
The number of students who enter the Department of Visual Concept Planning each year is roughly 130. From that number, only a few are able to enter the profession they want to pursue, and the majority of them choose a career they do not want.
"Everyone doesn't do it because they want to. By necessity, they have to, and they go the wrong way."
I heard a slight, sniffling sound.
"What do you think the rest of us have to say to them? How can we ask them if they are enjoying their lives? Instead of being so cruel, it would be better to just not touch them and leave them alone."
After saying that much, sensei turned around.
"...It was my thought. Ever since I entered this school 5 years ago."
Slowly, the teacher approached me. Then she looked me straight in the face.
"It's the first time. The first one to say such a reckless thing. I don't think I've ever heard anyone declare that they would violate such a taboo and then ask me to divulge information to the faculty and staff."
"……I'm sorry"
I apologized honestly. It was because I was sure that I was saying such an unreasonable thing.
"Kuku, you're amazing. As a production manager, or even as a person who makes things, it's really rare to find someone with such a strong ego."
Sensei laughed for a while. Bending her body, she laughed in a way that resembled a bitter smile.
But it also seemed to be amused. I may have a one-sided subjective viewpoint.
"Absolutely, don't tell anyone. Including the person in question."
"Yes, I promise firmly."
Sensei had a very gentle expression.
She looked like a mother in front of a mischievous child, like a senior who said, "Gosh, I can't help it," in front of her junior and even more than usual, she looked as if she had a difference in experience.
Sensei spoke quietly. The words themselves were short.
At that moment, a strong light shined from the outside of the window.
The weather had been unstable since early morning, and clouds were covering the entire area. Gradually, the clouds thinned, and the sun's rays shone through the gap.
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