Kagami, Koko, and I, dressed in kimono, caused Yuka, her grandfather, and her father to wear wry smiles.
Yuka wasn’t wearing shrine maiden attire. It seemed true when she said she had “quit”; she wasn’t working as a shrine maiden this year.
She had already changed into traditional clothing and was waiting for us, but she deliberately waited without praying.
Yuka also smiled wryly at Kagami, who stood between us and Koko, but seemingly had no intention of ruining our New Year family outing, as she quietly prayed with us afterward.
Koko and Kagami were both praying with serious expressions, so I decided to go along with them.
This year’s prayer was much more relaxed than previous years. Now that it wasn’t so… how should I put it, a matter of life and death.
This year’s prayer, yes. Let’s decide on something lighter than last year, something anyone can pray for.
Since I’m a student preparing for exams, I wish to study hard and get into the same university as Yuka and Koko.
I haven’t decided what major to choose yet, but if it’s the same university, I should be able to meet them often.
I hope a few more people are attending that university as well.
…
Um, is that too much? It’s not a matter of life and death, but it does feel like I’m asking for too much.
Well, they say dreams should be big. That way, at least some of them might come true.
“…”
I cracked my eyes open, but everyone else still had theirs closed, busy praying, so I shut them again.
Hmm…
Okay. Since I have time, let’s wish for an additional request.
I wish that Izumi and Kaoru do well on their exams and can go to the universities they want.
After praying for that, I smiled slightly.
Yeah. I think this is enough.
This much should be fine.
*
“We’re students this year too,” Yuka said.
“Yeah. We need to study hard this year.”
Honestly, I’ve been doing okay so far.
During my first year, I had too many distractions to focus, but since entering the second year, I’ve been studying quite hard.
My grades, previously quite far from Koko, have gradually risen to just below hers now. At least with my current skills, getting into the same university as Yuka and Koko shouldn’t be too hard.
I’m a bit worried about how many days I’ve missed school, but there’s nothing I can do about it. At least during my second year, I didn’t skip or leave early even once. I’m planning to do the same in my third year, so I’m not too worried about that.
If it’s our homeroom teacher, Suzuki-san, she surely won’t write any nasty comments in the student record.
Yuka and I lazily sat on a bench, watching Koko and Kagami.
The two of them were walking a bit ahead of us. Since we were walking on a narrow sidewalk, the four of us walking side by side would block the way too much.
Moreover, since it was the New Year, the streets were crowded. They said it’s a very important holiday in Japan. I mean, which country would take the first day of the year lightly? But comparatively, it feels like the weight of the New Year isn’t as heavy in Korea as in some other countries.
“Well, I feel a little strange. Next year, I’ll be a university student. An adult.”
Yuka tilted her head and said.
Well, in my opinion, Yuka seems to have matured into an adult a bit earlier than others.
… No, saying that feels a bit strange; it’s not what I meant. I simply meant she’s a bit mature for her age, having experienced a lot at such a young age.
“I guess it doesn’t feel real.”
“Maybe even after a few years, it still won’t feel real.”
I responded like that.
Even as I grow older, I still feel young. I don’t think there’s a significant difference between last year’s me and this year’s me, yet people often say I’ve changed.
Slowly, the childish innocence of my early years washes away like sand in the tide, and as my world-weary self arises from it, I find it hard to recognize myself.
Then suddenly, there comes a time when I think, “Ah, I didn’t feel this way when I was a kid.”
When I’m lying alone in my room, doing nothing. When I’ve stacked up games and books I couldn’t buy as a child, yet sitting there wasting energy just scrolling through my phone.
When I meet a friend after a long time, and conversations turn to work, debts, or that they’ve bought a car.
But even while I feel the changes, I still feel like a child at heart.
I guess the same goes for Yuka.
“You speak as if you’ve lived that long.”
Yuka laughed, as if it were amusing.
I didn’t feel the need to respond to that.
“Have you ever thought about living alone?”
“If I say I want to be independent, Kagami would probably be shocked.”
If I manage to be independent and then move next door, I’d consider myself lucky. Kagami still needed time with me and Koko. Even though it’s been a year since the three of us have been living together, there are still a few months left until it officially marks one year.
“That’s true. Koko will definitely come along without hesitation.”
“Why? To visit if you live alone?”
“Hmm… Maybe she would if you lived alone.”
Yuka thought for a moment and then said.
“Then how about I live alone?”
“More than that, isn’t the goal to attend university within Tokyo? So there’s no real need to live alone?”
My question seemed to hit the essential part of that thought, as Yuka flinched her shoulders.
Since Yuka’s family is relatively well-off, I don’t think it will be an enormous burden on her. Moreover, knowing Yuka’s personality, once she becomes an adult, she would immediately get a part-time job and earn her own living expenses.
She’d probably do well living alone, but… if it’s possible to commute from home to university in under an hour, wouldn’t it be better to just live at home?
“No, well, I just thought I wanted to try it out…”
Since Yuka has always longed for a normal life, I found it understandable.
I don’t really want to go far. I want to stay somewhere I can frequently meet with my friends.
But living alone also sounds tempting.
I guess that’s understandable.
“As long as nobody dislikes it, it should be fine. Certainly, it wouldn’t be bad to live near school instead of getting mixed up in the crowd every morning.”
“Isn’t that right?”
As I accommodated her feelings, Yuka beamed up with a big smile.
“If I live alone, will you come to visit often?”
“That sounds fun.”
At my answer, Yuka beamed even brighter.
Yeah, once we’re adults, we’ll be able to drink too.
Right now, the places we can go seem somewhat limited, but once I have money and a driver’s license, there’ll be a lot more things to do.
We could all gather and go to an izakaya or buy a pile of skewers somewhere, gulping down drinks.
“… That really sounds fun.”
“Right?”
As I muttered while imagining that, Yuka asked me once more.
To me, I don’t have much of a romantic view of living alone. I spent a long time alone in my previous life, and I’ve done quite a bit of living alone in this world too. For now, I’d prefer living with family.
… I’ve already longed for that. After all, I was someone who spent a long time missing a family I had lost in my past life.
Yet still, sometimes it wouldn’t be bad to step a little outside of everyday life.
Going to school, stopping by a convenience store with Yuka and Koko, buying a few cans of alcohol, and heading back to my apartment with my hands full of snacks like yakitori.
Isn’t that unmistakably a college student’s dream?
“I have to study hard.”
“That’s right. We have to work hard. We decided to go to the same school.”
That day, the day when Yuka had to poke me with her words, we made a promise.
Yuka had not forgotten a single detail of that promise.
I hadn’t forgotten either. There was no way I could.
At that time, I thought it was a promise I couldn’t fulfill, but now that I have the opportunity again…
I have no intention of hastily gathering and sealing away the sincerity I poured out in that final moment.
One by one, slowly.
As the time flows by, I’ll fold and set it adrift like a paper boat.
So that the colorful memories follow slowly along the path we passed by.
The sky was exceptionally clear. There were no signs of rain or snow on the first day of the New Year. Well, it’s true that it doesn’t snow much in Tokyo during winter.
Today was incredibly ordinary for the first day of the New Year, especially considering that it was my second time experiencing it, but well, nobody would say anything about that.
Suddenly, Koko turned to look at us. Following her lead, Kagami also turned our way.
The two of them waved their hands at us. As I looked back, it seemed their pace had slowed slightly during their conversation, widening the distance between us.
Seeing that beckoning gesture, Yuka and I hurried our steps.
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