Prologue: Yuta Asamura

●Prologue

The clock hanging on the wall shows 7:30 AM.

Ayase-san and I have just hurriedly sent my father off, and Aki-ko’s mother has yet to return from work. Finally, we settle down to start our breakfast.

As I pick up the ham in front of me with my chopsticks and place it on my toast, the first topic of conversation with Ayase-san is the good news that our friends have successfully passed their entrance exams. Both of them have managed to gain admission to the notoriously difficult national university, which is truly a cause for celebration.

“That’s amazing,” Ayase-san says, her voice filled with enthusiasm. Indeed, it is. Both of them are top students at Suisei High School, a prestigious school, so it was expected that they would have a high chance of passing. But seeing it happen in reality is both delightful and surprising.

In any case, all four of us will be university students starting in April.

And since they passed the first round of exams, we don’t have to worry about the second round, which means we can resume our part-time jobs. Both Ayase-san and I had informed our manager that we would be starting back in April just to be safe. However, if we ask, they should be able to schedule us right away. There’s a chance they might even ask us to come in this afternoon.

But up until now, this has all been small talk…

“Now, onto the main topic,” I say, and Ayase-san nods while nibbling on her snack. After finishing her chewing, she opens her mouth.

“About the graduation trip?”

“Now that everyone has passed, we really need to get moving on this.”

“I thought so too. I did a little search for ‘graduation trip’ last night.”

“Sorry, I haven’t looked into anything yet.”

Ayase-san shakes her head.

Then she shares the information she found online.

Apparently, for a well-planned graduation trip, you need to make arrangements and book hotels and flights by February, a month in advance. That’s quite early. However, for us, it’s practically impossible. As students of Suisei High School, which is known for its rigorous academics, it’s customary for exam results to come out right up until the last minute, making it nearly impossible to plan a month ahead.

“But if that’s the case, we can’t book flights anymore. They’re fully booked.”

“So that means long-distance trips are out of the question.”

That rules out Okinawa and Hokkaido. Hawaii is obviously out of the question too. I don’t have any regrets about that, as I don’t want to overspend.

And while talking, I realized something. We shouldn’t decide this just between the two of us. Since it’s a trip for all four of us, especially regarding the destination, it doesn’t feel right to make a unilateral decision.

Narasaka-san and Maru probably have places they want to go too.

So, I suggested to Maru that we check with each other—Ayase-san would confirm with Narasaka-san—and then we could bring our findings together.

“That being said, do you have any places in mind?”

“Oarai.”

After lunch, I contacted Maru and asked him to consider our budget and schedule, implying we probably wouldn’t be able to go too far. After some thought, he finally came up with it.

It’s a town on the Pacific coast in Ibaraki Prefecture, known for its famous beach. I was aware of that much. However, I questioned whether a seaside visit in March, when it’s still cold, would be appealing enough to warrant a trip. Why Oarai?

In response to my question, Maru mentioned a certain anime.

“Oh, I see.”

So it’s one of those “pilgrimages to sacred sites.”

In this day and age, even if it’s depicted in an anime, if it portrays daily life, a sense of realism is required. To achieve this, real locations are often used as models, depicting scenes of commuting to and from school. Thus, visiting these depicted places allows fans to immerse themselves in the same feelings as the characters in the fictional world. This is what is referred to as a pilgrimage to sacred sites.

“I’m okay with that, but I doubt Ayase-san and Narasaka-san would be interested.”

“Narasaka seemed to enjoy it, though.”

“Really? That’s surprising.”

“Well, I think I might have heard something like that. But the real issue is with Ayase, right? Isn’t that so?”

“Ayase-san? Hmm, I guess so.”

Even if Narasaka-san is fine with it, it’s certain that Ayase-san hasn’t watched that anime. That makes it hard to say that Oarai in early spring is a place everyone would enjoy.

Now, what should we do? As I ponder this, there’s a knock at the door. I tell Maru to “hold on a moment” and respond with “come in” towards the door. Ayase-san peeked her head through the gap of the door.

“Oh, you’re still at it. I just started over here too. Want to do it together with all four of us?”

Ayase-san said, holding her smartphone, from which Narasaka-san’s voice could be heard.

“Let’s talk with video! I want to see your faces after a long time!”

It seemed Ayase-san was also enthusiastic about Narasaka-san’s suggestion.

Indeed, since graduation, we haven’t seen each other’s faces.

Maru agreed, so we briefly ended the call and switched to a group video call. However, when Ayase-san and I both used the app in the same room, it didn’t go well.

After all, we were less than a meter apart, and both our phones picked up my voice. The same was true for Ayase-san’s phone.

“I can hear double voices.”

“I can’t understand what you’re saying!”

The feedback was terrible.

In this case, I thought it would work if Ayase-san and I each retreated to our own rooms. I thought so, but why should two people living under the same roof have to separate into different rooms just to talk over smartphones?

After various trials and errors, Ayase-san and I decided to use only my smartphone. We sat side by side on the bed, ensuring both of us were visible on the camera. The screen would show “Me and Ayase-san,” “Maru,” and “Narasaka-san.”

After greeting everyone and saying it’s been a while, we got to the main topic.

“So, I think it would be nice to go somewhere everyone can enjoy.”

For example, amusement parks, art museums, museums, aquariums, or zoos—there are plenty of such places around the Kanto area.

As soon as I mentioned this, Narasaka-san’s eyes lit up, and she suggested a huge amusement facility in Chiba. It has “Tokyo” in its name for some reason. In a video call, you can see the lively expressions. The sparkle in her eyes was different. It felt like she was about to put on mouse ears and start dancing.

In contrast, Maru’s eyes dimmed, losing their light.

“That place just tires you out.”

“That’s not true! I mean, you want to play until you’re exhausted, right?”

“What are you talking about…”

“What’s the baseball team captain saying?”

“Former captain. I’ve already retired.”

“Not young anymore, huh?”

“And besides, living in Tokyo and only going as far as neighboring Chiba lacks the spirit of travel. If it’s a graduation trip, I want to feel more like I’m traveling. Not that I’m asking for overseas.”

“Eh? But Oarai is also in Ibaraki. It’s close. See, if Ibaraki is acceptable, then Chiba is too. If Chiba is too close, then Ibaraki is too.”

“Ugh…”

Maru was unusually silenced, his mouth forming a pout. This video conference started to hear the opinions of the two, but… hmm. Now, I’m in a bind. Has anything become clearer from our discussion so far?

“Narasaka-san, does it have to be that theme park in Chiba?”

Narasaka-san looked at me with a puzzled expression upon hearing my question.

“Why?”

“Well, there are various theme parks out there, right? Right, Ayase-san?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess so. Um… Universal Studios, Huis Ten Bosch, Puroland, and Shimma Spain Village… There seem to be quite a few.”

She listed off the names of facilities she must have searched for.

“Exactly. Would those be okay too?”

“Of course.”

She said it with an expression that seemed to say, “Isn’t that obvious?” but for me, who hadn’t delved deep enough into our friendship to know her “obvious,” it felt like a heavy burden.

“It’s not about where to play, but who to play with that’s more important. If it’s just the four of us, Ueno Zoo would be fine too.”

Narasaka-san said cheerfully, while Maru sulked at the edge of the screen, saying that if that’s the case, then Oarai would be fine too.

That’s true.

“What are you talking about, Tomo-kun? We’re discussing the graduation trip, right?”

“That’s what I want to say! Why should we go to an amusement facility that’s just 34 minutes from Shibuya Station? Oarai takes two hours. That’s a whopping 3.5 times longer!”

“Either way, it’s still a distance we can do in a day.”

That’s true. Besides, how does Maru know the travel time so well?

While watching the back-and-forth between the two, I noticed Ayase-san had been silent, deep in thought, so I decided to ask for her opinion.

“Ayase-san, where would you like to go?”

“…Well, I’d like to visit places with castles, ruins, shrines, or historical buildings. And if possible, somewhere with delicious food or a culture that’s interesting and different, as that might lead to new discoveries and be more enjoyable.”

I see. That’s a very Ayase-san-like opinion, given her love for history.

I also think it would be nice to visit a place with a different living culture. Living with Ayase-san, I’ve been surprised by just how different customs can be. Even while living in the same Shibuya cultural sphere, it’s like this.

A place where the culture of living seems different. I want to experience a place where I can feel the differences in values from the people living there, even if it’s just for two or three nights.

We’ve gathered everyone’s opinions.

From our discussions, it seems that Maru wants to go on a pilgrimage to anime sacred sites.

Narasaka-san seems to find value in amusement facilities where we can all have fun together. And Ayase-san is interested in historical places, as well as places with different living cultures.

While incorporating all the opinions that have come up so far, is there a nice travel destination that would be a moderate distance away?

“How about Kansai? Maru, are there any anime sacred sites in Kansai that would satisfy you?”

At my question, Maru briefly closed his eyes, as if recalling something.

“Hmm… There’s one place.”

“Somewhere around Kansai University and Senri Mountain.”

Where is that?

“Isn’t that Osaka? I think ‘Kandai’ refers to Kansai University.”

“Ah. That’s the setting for a work I would call a soul piece.”

A work that can be called a soul piece is impressive. And it seems Narasaka-san is knowledgeable about geography too.

“If it’s Osaka, there’s Universal Studios.”

Ayase-san said, and immediately Narasaka-san’s eyes sparkled again.

“Sounds good!”

“Wait, wait. It might be fine for us, but Asamura, what about you? If you don’t voice your opinion soon, we’ll end up dragging you around theme parks and the travel itinerary will be over.”

“I don’t really have a particular place I want to go. But if it’s Osaka, the cultural sphere is different, so it seems like it would be a fresh experience.”

“That’s not good, Asamura-kun.”

“Both Maiya and Maru are clearly stating their wishes, and if I go to Osaka, I’ll be satisfied because it’s filled with historical buildings. But that means we’re not going to the place you want to go.”

“Even so…”

Ayase-san looked at me with a slightly worried expression. But honestly, I can’t think of a place I really want to go.

“Isn’t there anything? It could be a museum, zoo, aquarium, or anything. There should be plenty of those around Osaka too. Asamura-kun, you were really into it when we went to the local museum, right? I think you enjoy seeing those kinds of things.”

“Really…?”

I hadn’t been very aware of it myself, but according to Ayase-san, I had been more enthusiastic about the exhibits than she was. So that was the case.

“Hmm. Among those, I guess… an aquarium?”

“Oh? Asamura likes aquariums?”

“My dad used to keep tropical fish when I was a kid.”

“Your dad had that hobby?”

I nodded.

It was a story from when I was very young, around the time I was just starting to become aware of things. I remember enjoying watching the tropical fish my dad kept. After about two years, when they reached the end of their lifespan, I must have cried so much that it never led to a discussion about getting new fish. That aquarium must now be quietly resting in the back of our storage.

Fish swimming leisurely in the water, the gently swaying aquatic plants, and the bubbles rising to the surface. A plastic car submerged in the water spins around, pushed by the rising bubbles. The sunlight filtering through the glass of the aquarium sparkles in a rainbow of colors on the table. Just watching those things was never boring for me.

“Well, it doesn’t have to be an aquarium. There was a time when my dad took me around to various places, and I have fond memories of enjoying it. Museums or zoos would be fine too.”

I had a phase where I was so focused on studying for entrance exams to meet my mother’s expectations that I developed a dislike for studying after failing. During that time, my worried dad took me around to stimulate my curiosity.

“There’s a place called ‘Kaiyukan’ right near Universal Studios.”

Narasaka-san, who seemed to have been fiddling with her smartphone, turned her gaze towards us and said.

“It has a giant tank that recreates the Pacific Ocean! It says there are big fish too.”

“Oh, isn’t there a whale shark there?”

“Asamura-kun, you’re knowledgeable!”

Narasaka-san praised me, but unfortunately, I had just happened to see it on the news. I wasn’t that knowledgeable, but it seemed everyone thought I liked fish.

“Hmm. That settles it then. How about a trip to Kansai that includes Kaiyukan?”

Maru said, and Ayase-san and the others agreed.

“Got it. Just wait a moment.”

For about ten minutes, I left Maru and Narasaka-san in Ayase-san’s care and faded out from the camera.

Using a page from the notebook on my desk, I quickly jotted down a rough plan with a marker.

After saying “Thanks for waiting,” I returned to the camera.

I flipped the notebook over to show everyone.

The summarized memo looked like this.

“How about this schedule?”

We’ll book a hotel near Shin-Osaka Station for sightseeing in Osaka. This way, it meets everyone’s wishes.

“Day one will be a day to experience history and different cultures. Day two will be a theme park day. Day three will be a pilgrimage to sacred sites and a visit to the aquarium. I think this way, we can satisfy everyone’s wishes and ensure that everyone has fun.”

Everyone began to voice their opinions, looking at the notes I had written, discussing this and that. They were checking each location on their smartphones.

Ayase nodded thoughtfully, but her voice turned worried as she said, “Isn’t this schedule too packed with just Asamura-kun and Maru-kun’s wishes?”

Narasaka, on the other side of the screen, also nodded in agreement.

“You don’t have to prioritize us so much, you know?”

“No, that’s not my intention at all.”

This wasn’t a time allocation made with any particular person in mind; it was simply the optimal solution based on the time required to visit the desired locations.

“Well, that’s true. We don’t need that much time for the pilgrimage. I don’t plan on being a nuisance at the sacred sites. I believe that’s something one should avoid as an anime fan. I just want to walk quietly and leisurely, soaking in the nostalgia as I visit places filled with memories.”

“Those memories don’t actually exist in reality, though.”

“What are you saying? Even a simulated experience counts as an experience. Diverse experiences color life beautifully.”

“You sound wise, but Tomo-kun, sometimes you say the same things as my younger brothers.”

“Alright, alright. Anyway, we’re not pushing ourselves too hard, and if we take the last Shinkansen home at night, we’ll have plenty of time, so it’s all good.”

To begin with, I didn’t want to suggest any places where someone might get bored.

“To Ayase-san, the area around Kansai Daimae Station might not be a sacred site, but just walking through an ordinary town in Kansai can be a cultural experience.”

“Walking through an ordinary town sounds nice too. It doesn’t have to be a place of historical significance.”

“Maru isn’t completely uninterested in Universal Studios, right?”

“Well, yeah. They’ve been increasingly collaborating with manga and anime, so I’ve always wanted to check it out at least once.”

“I want to see the whale shark too!”

That’s the thing. Each person’s desired location isn’t necessarily a place that someone else wouldn’t want to go. Everyone is sharing their wishes with the premise that they will enjoy their respective places.

“So, I think this distribution works well.”

When I said that, Ayase-san, Narasaka-san, and Maru seemed to agree.

“Asamura-kun, you’re really good at summarizing. You put this together so quickly in about ten minutes—impressive!”

Ayase-san said, looking at the schedule outline I had written in marker.

“When I’m praised for something like this, it makes me a bit uncomfortable.”

“That’s not true! Nice summary!”

“Ah… yeah, thanks.”

I said my words of gratitude sincerely, but honestly, I felt a bit shy.

“Alright, let’s use this as a basis and the two of us can work out the details.”

“Sounds good.”

“Yeah. I feel like the progress has become so much easier. Thank you, Asamura-kun.”

“No, no. It’s nothing.”

“Honestly, if it were just me, I wouldn’t have been able to do this so quickly… What?”

Ayase-san was looking at Narasaka-san’s face on the other side of the screen. My gaze followed suit.

Narasaka-san smiled with a grin that resembled a cat’s smile, reminiscent of some senior from the reading club.

“Wow… seeing you like this through the screen is quite a treat for the eyes.”

“Huh?”

“You two seem to get along well. That’s what I mean~.”

“Indeed. I should save that exchange and make a clip to post. It might go viral.”

“Let’s title it ‘Married Couple Comedy’~.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

Ayase-san, unusually flustered and angry, responded to the two of them.

“The graduation trip meeting is over for now!”

She declared this unilaterally and cut off the call, breathing heavily.

“Haah, haah. Seriously, Maya!”

“Calm down. They’re just teasing you.”

“I-I know, but…”

“More importantly, since you shouted, listen—”

I put a hand to my ear, striking a pose to listen. Voices could be heard coming from the living room.

It was Aki’s voice, asking if both of them were around. I glanced at the clock and saw it was already past 2 PM.

“It seems like they’ve woken up.”

Well, there was no need to panic since I hadn’t done anything wrong (I’ve already informed my parents about the four of us going on a graduation trip), but Ayase-san hurriedly left the room and went to the living room.

Left alone in the room, I looked over the schedule outline once more.

Now then… considering everyone’s schedules, there are probably only about ten days left until the trip.

First, we need to decide on the dates and make hotel reservations. We have to solidify the foundation before filling in the finer details.

Although I generally prefer to stay home and read books rather than travel, I found myself unexpectedly excited as I began to take action, discovering a sense of anticipation bubbling within me.