April 12 (Tuesday) Yuta Asamura

● April

12

Tuesday – Asamura Yuta

Just as the third period lecture ended, a group of upperclassmen appeared in the lecture hall.

A tall man raised his voice.

“Attention, juniors of the Social Data Science Department! We have an announcement about the welcome party for new students. If you’re interested, please take a flyer!”

As he spoke, he began distributing flyers at the door.

A welcome party for new students? Oh, really… As I watched, it seemed that about one in every few students leaving the lecture hall showed interest and took a flyer. The number was surprisingly small, but then again, it made sense when I thought about it. After all, the number of students in the Social Data Science Department itself is limited, and unlike high school, university operates on a credit system. This means that not all students taking this course are first-year students in the Data Science Department.

“If you received a flyer this morning, you don’t need to take another one! The content is the same!”

One of the upperclassmen, a senior woman who had been handing out flyers, shouted to the students still remaining in the lecture hall. With a clear voice and a lively tone, she was likely one of the organizers of the welcome party.

I see, they’re targeting the end of lectures where new students would be present.

“The location, time, and participation fee are all written on the flyer. If you think you can make it, please register in the LINE group chat and let us know you’re interested! It’s not some shady solicitation, okay? Thanks!”

As she spoke, the seniors waved the flyers around.

Most of the students who had already remained in the classroom had left, and the seniors were getting ready to leave as well. Before I could think about what to do, my feet had already moved forward.

“Can I take one?”

“Of course! Here you go. It’s a casual gathering, so please come!”

It was the same senior woman with the clear voice.

“I’ll think about it.”

As I replied, the senior woman in front of me and the other seniors beside her smiled with interest.

“That’s a model answer to a solicitation!”

“Not saying ‘I’ll do my best’ is quite considerate!”

…Are you complimenting me?

“Think about it a lot. That’s what being a student is all about. But we would be happy if you could join us!”

A large, bear-like senior said with a smile. I thought he resembled a bit of a bear.

As I walked down the hallway, I glanced at the flyer. It seemed the location was an izakaya near the station (of course, it stated that students under 20 are prohibited from drinking). Perhaps because it was located away from the city center, the event wouldn’t last too long, and I could likely return before it got too late. The participation fee was also reasonably priced.

Though I said I would think about it, I had already felt a certain inclination to go since I received the flyer.

University operates on a credit system, not a class system. This means that if you don’t actively engage with others, it can be difficult to make even a single friend.

I stepped out of the lecture building into the courtyard. The fourth-period lecture was in the adjacent building. As I walked along the stone pavement, I noticed that the bright colors of the cherry blossoms were no longer present. After the rain had scattered them, the scenery had completely transformed into a lush green. I had thought it felt warm since I woke up in the morning, but I didn’t expect today’s high temperature to exceed 25°C.

Walking in the sunlight like this made me sweat a little.

The seasons turn swiftly. At this rate, Golden Week will soon arrive. Once that happens, the atmosphere on campus will likely become almost fixed.

What I realized during my graduation trip was that I rely too much on chance encounters.

On the day of the entrance ceremony at Suisei High School.

What if Maru had missed the book I was reading?

What if the atmosphere hadn’t been right for him to approach me?

What if our preferred genres hadn’t been similar?

Thanks to a series of strange coincidences, I was able to become friends with Maru, but it was a fragile and rare chain of events.

I lowered my gaze to the flyer I had received.

Isn’t it also important to actively seek out “connections” like this? I thought about that during the trip. I folded the flyer and put it in my pocket. I felt a little excited.

After the fifth-period lecture, I contacted Ayase-san.

I needed to let her know I was canceling dinner.

【I’m going to the welcome party, so I think I’ll be late returning.】

As soon as I sent that, I received a reply. She mentioned that she was also planning to attend the welcome party tonight. Coincidences really do pile up. That means my dad will be having dinner alone tonight… I wonder if he prepared anything?

I took out my smartphone again and communicated with Ayase-san.

I see, Aki’s mother had bought canned mackerel in miso sauce… I sent a message to my dad about being late and included a note about the prepared dinner. That took away my worries.

When I arrived at the izakaya marked on the map, there were already a few men and women gathered near the entrance, presumably students from the same university.

About 12 or 3 of them, I guess. It might seem like a small number from the term “welcome party for new students,” but considering that the Social Data Science Department is a newly established department with a capacity of around 60 students, it could be considered quite a crowd.

Huh? A newly established department? …Now that I think about it, what were those seniors who seemed like organizers?

“Oh, welcome! You made it!”

Looking up at the voice, it was the same senior woman who had been handing out flyers earlier.

“Ah, yes. Um…”

I couldn’t ask, “What’s your true identity?”

What should I do?

“What’s wrong? Do you have any questions? You… um.”

“Ah, Asamura.”

The moment I introduced myself, the senior’s eyes widened with interest.

“Oh, you’re the one!”

“Huh?”

What’s going on?

“What’s wrong?”

The bear-like senior approached.

“Asamura-kun, right? You’re the one who toyed with Kudo-san along with Professor Mori.”

I was told something outrageous.

“Oh, so you successfully got into our school. Congratulations. The professor spoke about you with such joy. He said he successfully recruited another promising young person to Social Data Science. Ah, of course, your name was kept confidential. Unfortunately, my bad friend who was enjoying coffee at the time was nearby.”

“Is there a saying that ‘walls have ears and shoji have eyes’?”

“Exactly! Forgive me. And welcome to the newly established department. It’s a shame we can’t welcome a promising newcomer as a junior, but as someone studying the same sociology, I look forward to working with you.”

“…Could it be that you’re from Professor Mori’s class?”

The bear senior nodded.

That made sense to me. Since it’s a newly established department, there shouldn’t be any seniors. However, Professor Mori had mentioned that he transferred from the previous department to the newly established one. This means there should be students he was in charge of in the original department.

I surmised that he was likely a student from Professor Mori’s seminar. Perhaps even a graduate student.

Though I had no obligation to him, he had taken the time to look out for the new students who were clueless. It was clear that Professor Mori was still well-regarded.

When the reserved time arrived, we settled into a corner of the izakaya. There were 25 of us in total. A large group. The back of the restaurant, separated by partitions, was completely filled with the members of the welcome party for new students.

It was my first time entering an izakaya, and I was filled with curiosity about everything.

It all began with the first words from the senior who organized the gathering.

“First, let’s have a nama beer!”

To be honest, I was moved by that line. So this is the famous “let’s have a nama” I had heard about. What surprised me was that a new student raised their hand in response. Huh? When I looked at the face, it was a person with a beard around their mouth, looking like a wandering samurai… A new student?

“I just want to confirm, but you’re obviously over 20, right?”

“This year, I’m 23!”

He said with a grin. So he’s a five-year repeat student, confessing before anyone could ask.

“Okay. Then you’ll have beer. The other new students can choose whatever they like from the menu since it’s all-you-can-drink, but for the first round, let’s all have the same thing. We can order oolong tea by the pitcher, which is convenient. Is that alright?”

There didn’t seem to be any objections, so the seniors who volunteered to organize the event and the 23-year-old new student would have beer, while everyone else would have oolong tea.

When the beer and oolong tea arrived, we toasted and the welcome party for new students began.

However, there was no self-introduction or anything like that, and when the food arrived, everyone was busy eating.

Isn’t this just a regular drinking party…?

“Well, well, it’s edible. Yeah, not bad. Just okay, though.”

Huh? I thought. I recognized that unique accent that sounded somewhat like Kansai dialect, but not quite.

I turned left, drawn by the voice. At the same moment, the other person turned to look at me, and our eyes met.

“Oh.”

“Ah.”

He had blonde hair with black highlights. He was tall and well-built, clearly someone who looked like they played sports. I think we sat next to each other on the first day…

While I was trying to recall, he started talking first.

“We meet again. Um, you’re…”

“Ah, I’m—”

“Wait a minute! Just hold on. Um, your name was…”

Well, I hadn’t introduced myself, so I didn’t think he would know.

“Ah! Takashimaya!”

“Isn’t that the name of a department store in Nihonbashi?”

“Huh? Takashimaya Main Store is in Namba, not Nihonbashi.”

“Eh?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, um, not ‘Nihonbashi,’ but ‘Nipponbashi.’ And by the way, the main store is in Osaka? Also, my name is Asamura. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, I see. I didn’t expect you to respond so seriously to a joke. But, um, can I call you Asamura?”

“Yes. Asamura Yuta.”

“Yuta, huh? I’m Nakamura Hiroshi. You can call me by my last name or first name, whichever you prefer. Nakamura is written with ‘naka’ and ‘mura.’ You understand, right? You should understand that much! And ‘Hiroshi’ means to spread widely! Apparently, my parents wanted me to be a child who would have a good influence on those around me. But before I knew it, I became a child who spreads laughter.”

He rattled off all that in one breath.

I was a bit surprised by his lung capacity. He must have played some sport, I thought, as I listened without a chance to interject.

A voice came from the other side.

“If you’re surprised, you’ll miss your chance to talk, so it’s better to interrupt Hiro and start talking yourself.”

Huh? I turned my head to the right.

A boy with long black hair casually tied with a string brought his face closer to the oolong tea he had poured and sipped it slowly. His profile was worryingly pale. He glanced at me with a sleepy gaze, as if asking, “What?” but at the same time, it seemed to say, “Don’t talk to me unless you have something to say.”

“Yuma always looks grumpy, so don’t mind him. He’s just sleep-deprived.”

Sleep-deprived… Is that so?

“I’m not saying I haven’t slept. I’m just not wasting energy like Hiro does. …What?”

Um…

“Oh, no, I was just thinking that you two seem to have gotten along well.”

““Huh!?””

There was no need to shout in perfect unison…

I mean, I thought they were about to fight the other day, and now they’re calling each other by name.

When I said that, the sleepy-eyed boy called Yuma fell silent for a moment before saying, “Hiro just named me on his own, like earlier.”

Earlier, he had said something like “to spread widely.” But if that’s the case, it seems like Nakamura-kun or Hiro-kun would be fine, but didn’t he call him Hiro as a nickname? And Nakamura-kun was also referred to as Yuma without any honorifics.

“We have a lot of overlapping credits with Hiro.”

“That means we’re kindred spirits.”

“Well, that’s also a connection.”

When I interjected, the two of them, who had quite different impressions, looked at me with similar expressions. Huh?

“Eh? Did I say something weird?”

“Not really.”

“Yuta has a surprisingly honest personality.”

Is that so? I thought I was more of a sarcastic person, so being told that surprised me.

“I think people tend to see you as an introvert.”

“An introvert is someone like Yuma over there.”

“I won’t deny that.”

“Is that so? Compared to me, who hasn’t had a proper conversation with any of my classmates for a week, you’ve already made friends… um.”

“Kikuchi Yuma.”

“Thank you. I’m Asamura Yuta. But I think Kikuchi-kun is much better at making friends and is more sociable.”

When I said that, Kikuchi-kun, who had been looking my way, abruptly turned his gaze away and focused back on his oolong tea. He tilted it slightly and sipped it as if he were drinking alcohol.

“That’s not true.”

He muttered quietly.

Nakamura-kun chimed in.

“Well, from my perspective, it doesn’t seem that different. Our names are similar too. We’re the YuuYuu duo!”

Even if you say we’re like a comedy duo…

“From Hiro’s perspective, everyone is an introvert. With you as a comparison, everyone sinks into the shadow world. Stay away; the sunlight hurts.”

“I see, so that’s why you were sitting at a distance where it wouldn’t hurt.”

I said that casually, but at that moment, Kikuchi-kun turned to me with a look of fear on his face.

I dropped my gaze back to my oolong tea.

“Is Asamura always looking at others like that?”

“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘like that’… but probably?”

“Huh? You’re an odd one. I was wondering why you always sit one seat away. I thought maybe some people just aren’t good at getting close, but does it hurt? I’m sorry if that’s the case.”

“I don’t think it’s bad. If I thought that, I wouldn’t sit close.”

I wondered if I had said something unnecessary, but since neither of them contradicted me, I felt relieved.

“Well, whatever. Whether it’s just a coincidence or not, the fact that we ended up sitting close together means there’s some kind of connection. Yuma and Yuta, I’m counting on you—oh wait, I guess it’s more like ‘I’m counting on you’ here.”

“Don’t force yourself to speak standard Japanese. It feels weird.”

“What did you say?!”

“Easy now, easy now.”

Why is it that these two, who seem to get along so well, turn into a bickering match when I’m caught in the middle?

“Likewise, nice to meet you.”

I replied.

I thought my premonition was right. It was the “foreboding of turbulence” I had mentioned to Ayase-san.

But at the same time, I felt a vague sense that something new was finally beginning.

“By the way, I heard Nakakura-kun’s family is from Osaka, but where is Kikuchi-kun’s home? Just so you know, I was born and raised in Tokyo, in Shibuya.”

“Sendai,” Kikuchi-kun said. Sendai was the capital of Miyagi Prefecture, right? So here we are, a gathering of people from Osaka, Tokyo, and Miyagi. It struck me again how universities bring together people from all over the country.

“Yuta, Shibuya, huh? That’s where the dog is, right?”

“Hachiko, yes, that’s the one.”

“Isn’t it a bit far to commute?”

Well, it does take over two hours round trip, so I guess it is far. I’ve only been commuting for about a week, and while I appreciate the benefit of being able to read books, I find myself wishing for a bit more free time.

“Well, I’m managing. I can read books, at least.”

When I replied that way, Kikuchi-kun asked what kind of books I was reading, and the conversation expanded from there…

By the time the social gathering ended, I had somehow become friendly enough to talk with the two of them.

As I returned home and reflected on the long commute, I opened the front door while saying “I’m home,” and was surprised to see Ayase-san just putting away her shoes, looking up at me with wide eyes.

“I’m surprised. We were almost together the whole time.”

“Welcome back. Um… Saki.”

My dad was probably already asleep, but just to be sure. I had to remind myself not to slip and call her Ayase-san. I suddenly thought that since I come home like this, I might never stop calling her Ayase-san. Once I step outside, the opportunities to meet her while worrying about my parents’ eyes would decrease. In that case, I could easily start calling her by her first name, “Saki.”

“Oh, I’m home. Yuta, big brother.”

Ayase-san seemed more accustomed to calling me by my name than I was. So, she added “big brother” as if she were hastily tacking it on.

“Are you feeling tired?”

Now that I think about it, Ayase-san was at the welcome party too. Even though she shouldn’t have drunk any alcohol, she seemed unusually worn out.

“No, I’ll be fine once I sleep. Yeah.”

Saying that, Ayase-san quickly retreated to her room.

…I wonder if something happened?