A week had passed since Aizawa Himeko's funeral. Although Ryūta was not surprised by the girl's death, he needed a few days to process it before going back to school. He didn't speak to anyone, neither in person nor on the phone, nor did he feel like doing so. He only left the house for official matters, usually dealing with paperwork, and rarely ate. Even when he did, it was instant noodles or some kind of frozen meal. However, he knew this couldn't go on forever, and sooner or later he would have to return to a normal routine. That's why he decided to spend the remainder of the weekend usefully and return to school starting the following Monday.
As he entered the classroom, a deathly silence fell. Although his soul had mostly calmed by then, the many pitying glances directed his way reminded him of Himeko once more. Even so, he did his best to focus during the lessons, hoping to catch up as quickly as possible and fight his way back among the top students, where he had been before everything fell apart. It was a warm September day, but the autumn wind had already begun to blow the cherry blossoms from the trees.
"As you all know, anyone who wants to go to university or find a job in Tachiaoi will need a higher level of knowledge than average," began the elderly, balding teacher, who appeared to be in his sixties. His words immediately quieted the students. "And in Japan, there are only two places where you can acquire such knowledge. Here, at Honshitsu Preparatory High School, which, strictly speaking, isn't even in Japan, and at Yūsei Academy. But we all know what the problem is with that school. While they also provide high-quality education like we do, money plays a huge role there. Anyone willing to pay can easily get admitted, and might even be able to buy their way through the exams. Why is this a problem? Partly because it's unfair to the other students, and partly because although a job can be bought with money, keeping it and earning the respect of your superiors requires knowledge and hard work."
"Teacher, you say this at the start of every class..." one of the boys interjected.
"Oh, right. Ahem... I thought it wouldn't hurt to remind you now and then who the good guys are," the teacher replied, somewhat flustered, prompting the whole class to laugh. Everyone except Ryūta, who was lost deep in thought.
Tachiaoi, the City of Science... A privately owned island city with a population of about four million, located roughly two hundred kilometers off the coast of Kanagawa Prefecture. Though it heavily depends on Japan, it is not officially part of the country. The reason is that the city was founded by wealthy noble families using their own fortunes, on what was then an uninhabited island, nearly three hundred years ago. One might ask why anyone would found such a large city in the middle of nowhere. Well, because the island wasn't always uninhabited. According to one of the legends, a Spanish sailor discovered the island in 1719 after fleeing his homeland due to war, but others say it was a Japanese fisherman who was washed ashore after his boat capsized in a sudden storm. Personally, I find the former more likely. In any case, what's certain is that they found a hidden library deep underground on the island, thanks to which the city is decades ahead in many scientific fields, especially in the field of medicine, compared to the rest of the world. They are still discovering new medicinal plants that only grow on the island. They can create implantable human organs and induce controlled mutations. Parents can choose the gender of their unborn children, whether they resemble the mother or father more, and even decide their hair and eye color. Some even say someone has already succeeded in granting people supernatural abilities, though I think that's just a myth. And anyway, what does it matter if they still can't save a single sick girl...
These were the thoughts running through Ryūta's mind when a paper ball landing on his desk snapped him back to reality. After unfolding the crumpled note, he began to read:
'Ryūta! Since you skipped school for a whole week, cleaning's yours today!'
His eyes briefly narrowed, but in the end he let it go. He had to admit the reason was valid. He didn't even try to find out who had sent the note. He didn't care. When the last class ended, everyone packed up and left the room. Ryūta did the same, except instead of heading toward the stairs like the others, he walked to the opposite end of the corridor where the cleaning supplies were stored. He opened the door and immediately switched on the light, as there were no windows to let in any daylight. Once again lost in thought, he didn't notice that someone else had entered the room in the meantime. After gathering everything he needed, he started heading back to the classroom. As he walked down the hallway, he was surprised to find another boy already there at the door with a broom in his hand. The boy had short blue-black hair, blue-brown eyes, and black-rimmed glasses. He was about the same height as Ryūta.
"Hey there!" the boy greeted him with a friendly smile, which Ryūta found unexpectedly comforting.
"Hey... Why are you still here? Everyone else already went home," Ryūta asked his classmate, a bit puzzled.
"I thought I'd lend you a hand," the other replied, still smiling just as warmly.
"But why? Cleaning's mine today," Ryūta said, clearly confused.
"Yeah, I know. But I've got time, and this way you'll finish faster. Besides, there's something I wanted to talk to you about," he added, his expression growing more serious, mirrored by Ryūta's.
"What is it?" Ryūta asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Work first!" the boy grinned again, then began lifting chairs onto desks to make cleaning easier.
It took them about ten minutes to finish. First, they put up all the chairs together, then one of them swept while the other mopped the already-cleaned areas. After returning everything to the supply room, the boy with the glasses turned to him:
"How about grabbing some tea? There's a place one street over that has really good cakes, too."
"The truth is, I was just about to..." Ryūta began, but couldn't finish, his classmate placed a hand on his shoulder and cut in:
"Don't argue! Remember? I said I wanted to talk to you," he repeated with a smile. When he saw Ryūta give in, they headed out of the school together. The streets were crowded with people heading home from work or school. Eventually, the two boys found themselves standing in front of a narrow alleyway.
"If we go through here, it's a bit shorter," the boy said, motioning for Ryūta to go first.
Once they crossed through, they were back on a busy street, where a small teahouse stood at the edge.
"Didn't even know there was a place like this here," Ryūta said in surprise.
"Well, after you then!" the other boy replied, gesturing him inside.
The moment they tasted the sweets there, it felt as if all their worries had melted away. They talked about all kinds of things, the school, the city, and even personal matters. Some things they shared without even knowing why. They simply understood each other. After they'd both finished their tea and were getting ready to leave, the boy with glasses spoke:
"I heard what happened to Himeko."
Ryūta looked up. He didn't understand why he would bring that up now.
"I lost my brother, too. Never got the chance to say goodbye. Or... maybe I had. But I chose to fight with him instead," he said, lowering his gaze.
"I'm sorry. But why are you telling me this now?" Ryūta asked, confused.
"Because I know how it feels. All I'm saying is, let's try to get along and face things together, okay?" the boy said with a smile. Then he stood up and held out his hand to Ryūta, who stared at him uncertainly for a moment, but finally accepted it.
"Alright," he replied, shaking the boy's hand.
Takeda Shinji. Sixteen years old, my classmate, a member of the student council, and our class rep. The reason for the latter is clear. He's approachable, easy to talk to, and always helps those facing difficulties without hesitation. In fact, he was the one who tried to invite me out for dango about a week and a half ago, but I turned him down. I'm glad I didn't do the same this time. When we had tea and cake together, I realized he was different from the others. I felt like I could share anything with him, and that he might be the one to help me move forward. If I'm right, this could be the start of a great friendship.