Chapter 49: On the Horizon
Sunday, September 2, 2012, Day Time, Yu's POV
Sitting in my seat, I looked out the window of the train as the familiar scenery of Inaba passed out of my field of view. A part of me wanted to look back, and watch as it as long as I could before it faded into the distance, while another part wanted to look forward, to see what was on the horizon. Of course, I couldn't choose either- such was life when my window faced out the side of the train.
As the train approached Minagi, I saw the farmlands give way to the outskirts of the city, and then the darkness inside the tunnel leading in to the station. Eventually, the train stopped, the announcer called out my stop, and I, along with a crowd of passengers, stepped off onto the platform.
Once I arrived in the station, both my parents were there to pick me up, dressed in the business casual they wore on their days off- essentially, their suits without blazers or neckties. Once they noticed me,they waved me over in a warm but not overly effusive greeting. For all they were absent on business and all the disagreements I had with them, they did care about me, and actually showed it, even if I often came off as secondary to their work.
"Welcome home, Yu," Mom said. "How was Inaba?"
"I enjoyed my visit and seeing my friends again," I said, "even though I know that I probably won't be back for a while, at least not until after exams are done."
"I see," Mom said. "We've moved many times before we had you, and after a while, I stopped looking back at the many homes I left behind. I don't have any particular attachment to my hometown anymore, but I'm glad to hear that you had a good time while you were there."
While I nodded pleasantly at Mom's last remark, I couldn't agree with any of the opinions she'd expressed before that. I always found it hard to accept when people said I'd understand their point of view one day, especially when Adachi-san told us that we'd eventually become as bitter and misanthropic as he was. Perhaps it would be less of a stretch to say that I would one day become like my parents, who passively went wherever life takes them- not unlike how I used to be- and gave most of their lives to their careers, but it was still a disturbing thought.
"How did things go with your friends, Ryotaro, Nanako and the Amagis?" Dad said, as we started walking through the station to find our car.
"Quite well," I said. "My friends were quite understanding when it came to my going wout with Yukiko, and some of them had figured it out already. My uncle and Nanako knew Yukiko well, and readily accepted our relationship. As for the Amagis, they have certain expectations- namely, that I help Yukiko run the inn- but they believe I can live up to them."
My parents politely nodded and murmured in acknowledgment of my asnwer. They trusted me enough to believe me, but i knew it was too early to take it as a seal of approval, and too little to get them to reconsider their stance on Yukiko. As much as I had a vested interest in wanting them to approve of Yukiko, I couldn't fault them for wanting to draw their own conclusions based on what they saw themselves.
"I take it my uncle got back to you about coming up for Christmas?" I said.
"He did," Mom said. "I'm looking forward to seeing Ryotaro again, as well as meeting Nanako-chan and Yukiko-san."
It was a nice statement, even if Mom's words seemed like little more than platitudes when I considered her actions. We'd had many opportunities to see them in the time between when I was an infant and now, none of which Mom had taken. It didn't help that it was easier for my parents to make my uncle and Nanako come up here than it was for them to visit them down in Inaba. Still, after seeing many people take the first steps toward change, I realized that it was "better late than never," and better half a step than none at all.
"There's one more person you might be meeting," I said. "She's Chie Satonaka, Yukiko's long-time best friend, and she'll be accompanying Yukiko here."
"I see," Mom said. "It will be nice to meet Chie-san, but your father and I will spend most of our time talking with Yukiko-san."
The hidden meaning in Mom's words was too obvious to qualify as subtext. Not only would Chie be excluded, but it would likely be a two-on-one discussion between my parents and Yukiko, with me unable to do anything besides wait and imagine the worst. I could see why Yukiko had worried about her parents and how they would have reacted to me, even though she knew and trusted her parents more than I did mine.
"Speaking of which," Dad said, "where will those two be staying?"
"In a hotel," I said. "It's within walking distance of our apartment, so you won't have to worry about them having to go too far."
"Sounds reasonable," Dad said. "If they're coming on the 23rd and get here in the late afternoon, then it would probably be best to wait until the next day to see them, since we're having Ryotaro and Nanako over that night. Besides, they probably want to get settled in to their hotel room."
I nodded. Dad's plans were practical enough, but it also ended up ensuring that Yukiko and I wouldn't be able to spend Christmas Eve together.
"I think we've talked about that enough for now, dear," Mom said, just as we found our car in the parking garage. "It still isn't for some time now, so while it's good that we have a plan, we shouldn't dwell on that too much."
"I agree, Mom," I said. "I'll let Yukiko know what we've decided thus far."
On the drive home, I talked about Inaba, from the local merchants cooperating with Junes to Adachi-san's trial. My mom was surprised at how much it had changed, both since she had lived there and over the course of the last year. She'd never been invested in the town or traditions, so she didn't judge it either way, and I realized that there was no point in trying to convince her, especially since I was about as much of an outsider as Yosuke, Adachi-san and Eri-san had been. In fact, I rarely had much success telling people what to do- I could only help them sort through their feelings and understand their choices.
Still, while I realized that Mom would always be a practical, busy and modern woman, I hoped I could help her understand who I had become in the year we'd been separated. Perhaps if Mom understood how much I enjoyed Inaba, she would know why I would want to return, and if Mom knew what Yukiko meant to me, she'd understand why I would try so hard to be with her.
Evening
After dinner, I called Yukiko to let her know I had gotten home and that I had notified my parents about her Christmas visit with Chie, my uncle and Nanako. She took the news in stride, even that our Christmas Eve date would have to be more like a Christmas Afternoon.
"So your parents are in agreement with our plans?" Yukiko said, "even Chie coming along?"
"They are," I said, "but while they have a passing interest in meeting Chie, they mainly want to speak with you- privately, of course."
Yukiko sighed.
"Just like my parents," Yukiko said, trying not to sound discouraged. "Well, let's hope for the best."
"I will," I said. "Of course, I'm starting to understand why you were worried about how I'd fare with your parents, now that our roles have swapped."
"True," Yukiko said. "I'd like to say that I've gained some understanding of what it's like to introduce yourself to your future in-laws, but I don't know your parents well enough for that."
I shook my head, knowing that Yukiko's choice of words didn't exactly reflect what was on her mind. The most relevant point wasn't that she didn't know my parents- it was that she was likely hoping there was some good news she didn't yet know about. Maybe such a piece of information existed, but if it did, I wasn't aware of it, either.
"As much as I'd like to say something to boost your confidence, or convince you that your worries are unfounded, I can't," I said, "because you do have reason to worry, both over the odds and over what is at stake. I do believe, however, that you'll do your best- think of parents as just like another difficult customer."
I wondered if it was a bit of a stretch, but I believed that it fit. Yukiko had to show all customers the utmost respect, she couldn't simply ignore them, and if they complained, it might end up reflecting badly on her. Even if my parents still thought our relationship was a bad idea, we would still have to do what we could to convince them otherwise, at least by proving that Yukiko was a good person and girlfriend.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Yu," Yukiko said. "I won't let you down."
On this note, we concluded the conversation for now, and then said goodbye, since we didn't have much else to talk about that we hadn't spoken of while in Inaba. Our bond had endured over time and distance, but there was a certain joy to be found in being able to see each other on a daily basis, seeing each other's faces as well as hearing our voices, and spending days together, rather than having short phone calls. I knew that as difficult as as introducing my girlfriend to my parents might be, if nothing else, I would look forward to the day when I could see Yukiko again.
Monday, September 3, 2012, Early Morning
I got dressed for the first day back at school. I'd changed uniforms many times before, but it didn't take long for me to get accustomed to the idea that I was part of any new school, even if it was only a superficial sense of belonging. In any case, though, it was clear that I would be a student of Minagi from April until March, and that fact had not changed while I was away.
Fittingly enough, I walked the way back as if it had only been yesterday that I'd walked to the school for the last day of the term before summer. For a town where I'd only lived for two non-consecutive years, I'd become surprisingly accustomed to Minagi. It was no substitute for Inaba, but the opposite was true, so I knew that I'd miss this place when I went on to university.
Morning
As I filed into homeroom along with the other students who were returning from vacation, Sakura was waiting in her usual seat.
"Welcome back, Yu-kun," Sakura said. "How was your summer?"
"It was enjoyable," I said. "It was nice to be back in Inaba and see everyone there again."
"I know," Sakura said. "I suppose you would rather be there, with Yukiko-san and your other friends if you had a choice, but for what it's worth... I'm glad you came back."
I nodded. While my girlfriend and many of my other friends were back in Inaba, my parents and other friends were still here. If I hadn't gone to Inaba, I wouldn't have gained the resolve to decide the course my own life took or branch out into other interests, such as acting, but if I hadn't returned, I wouldn't have been able to reconnect with my old friends or befriend Satomi and Sayuri. My mom might have thought of her childhood home as just another relic of the past, and this city as just another stop on the journey of her life, but I thought of both as pieces of a puzzle, and experiences that made me who I was.
"So am I, Sakura," I said.
Ms. Takizawa came to the front of the class and took attendance. Some of my other teachers in Inaba might have taken the opportunity to tell us about their summer, but Ms. Takizawa's polite but emotionless "Welcome back, class- I hope you all had a good summer," told us as little about her vacation as her conservative and inoffensive business attire told us about her fashion sense.
Ms. Takizawa, like the other third-year homeroom teachers, had the class representative pass out a set of handouts, on which we would indicate our preferences for college visits, as well as a permission slip for our parents to sign. Getting my parents' permission wouldn't be a problem, since they had few qualms about me traveling on my own, much less with a school-sponsored trip, and they were glad to see me take part in something that would further my educational goals for the future.
I circled Kikuoka University and a few other choices, which were mostly also ones that Yukiko was considering. Of course, they were only possibilities at this point, and I could not afford to assume that I had gotten in until the schools themselves told me that they had chosen me among many other people my age out of an even larger pool of applicants.
I furtively glanced at Sakura's paper, and saw that she had chosen Kikuoka, but not as her first choice. Perhaps she would be one of my rivals for admissions- then again, Yukiko could be considered the same- but I didn't hold it against her. Sakura was the type who strove to better herself, not to outdo anyone else, so while the college admissions process involved competition, I wished her the best.
Lunch Time
At lunch, I told my friends a little about my summer, mainly condensing it to my friends in Inaba learning about my relationship. They listened attentively, even if they'd never met any of the people I was talking about, and likely never would set foot in the town where I'd spent what was possibly the most important year of my life. I'd kept in touch with everyone throughout the summer, so they knew most of the details, although Hitomi- who had gotten a few texts from me, but no calls or letters- had to ask a few questions to clarify things.
Once I finished, my friends didn't say much. Without much prior knowledge of what I was talking about, they couldn't make any remarks that were much more meaningful than simple approval or wishing us the best, but I was happy to hear that. Friends didn't necessarily have to share everything, but could simply be there for each other when it mattered, like how my friends from school had texted me messages of support when it seemed as though we'd lost Nanako, even if they didn't know why Nanako's life had been in danger.
"That's enough about me," I said. "What about you guys?"
In truth, I knew the answers already, but hoped to hear a little more, and start a conversation. Communication was key in any friendship, and now that we were starting to feel like a closer-knit group than we'd ever been before, I hoped talking would facilitate that process.
"I mostly spent the summer with Shizune-san and Miyuki-san, as well as my family," Sakura said, "a bit like Golden Week, but over the course of an entire month. Of course, my friends and I also studied with each other, as well as with Kenji-kun, when he was available."
"Sounds nice," I said. "I probably would have done something like that if I'd had to stay here."
"I worked at the job my parents told me about," Kaoru said. "The work's kind of boring, but my boss is a nice guy, so I could probably get used to doing it, at least until moving on to something better."
I smiled and nodded approvingly. When Kaoru had last called me, he'd complained that the job would eat up a good portion of his time in the last summer vacation he had. Somehow, he'd reached an epiphany since then, and was more willing to view the job favorably, so I was glad he was more positive about it.
"That said," Kaoru said, "I did have some free time even after the job and summer homework so I went running and shot some hoops. Just because I'm giving up on the team doesn't mean I have to stop playing basketball entirely, right?"
"Right," we said together.
"I spent much of the summer indoors," Hitomi said, "doing chores, meeting with my fiance, and hearing my parents tell me how few possibilities there were for someone like me. I feel a bit more prepared to marry my intended, but no more willing to do so."
A somber silence descended on our group. Perhaps Hitomi had always been at least somewhat unhappy about her arrangement, but she'd never been this blunt about her feelings. Her family seemed like the kind that didn't value her opinions, so she was probably used to keeping them to herself. I hoped that she'd become comfortable around us to trust us with her secrets, but also that she would have someone in whom she could confide even if our lives took us down separate paths.
"What about you, Nishizawa-kun?" Hitomi said, clearly sensing the mood and trying to change the subject. "How did you spend your summer?"
"Studying," Kenji said laconically. "Of course, I suppose the same goes for Yu and Sakura, right?"
Sakura and I nodded, even though the question was more intended for me.
"I am," I said. "My friends are doing their best to get into good schools, even if their school isn't as well-regarded as ours."
"Your school's reputation isn't everything," Sakura said. "You also have to be a good student and hard-working to prove yourself."
"Yeah," I said. "Yukiko's pretty smart and hard-working, so I think she'd do fairly well here. Chie isn't all that smart- albeit more so than she thinks- but she's hard-working and determined. Yosuke's a so-so student, but he's smarter and more talented than his grades imply. Of course, the latter two aren't confident in their chances."
"I see," Kenji said. "I wish them the best of luck, although I can't offer them false hope."
I paused, considering what Kenji had said. Surely he, someone who got perfect scores on his last math exam, would understand a concept as elementary as that the more people there were who wanted something that was in short supply, the smaller a percentage of the group would get it?
"Surprised, Yu?" Kenji said, evidently seeing my thoughts written all over my face.
"Well, yeah," I said. "I suppose I thought you'd think of them as rivals, or perhaps too far beneath you to qualify for anything more than your pity."
"Their situation gives me perspective on mine," Kenji said. "I've been taught to never rest on my laurels and always keep on striving for more. If I feel insecure about where I stand, I have to remember that there are people who try twice as hard for half the results, so I shouldn't complain about it."
"You said it," Kaoru said. "My confidence in my athletic skills has taken a hit lately, but I've always known there were people who had trouble with gym class, like this one guy who was kind of chubby and always came in last on the runs. A part of me felt bad for them, but another part respected them for trying so hard at something they weren't good at."
"I know the feeling, Kaoru-kun," Sakura said "I used to be a girl like that."
"Well, you aren't anymore," Kenji said. "With hard work, exercise and cutting back on some of the foods you like, you lost weight. You've made sacrifices, but you've gotten something in return, and I hope you're happy with it."
"I am," Sakura said with a smile, but it faded when she realized Kenji was still getting to his point.
"Of course..." Kenji said, "I've also thought about what I've sacrificed- participating in clubs, social life, girls, and all sorts of other things. Perhaps the guys who aren't as focused on their studies may eventually have to pay the price when they apply for college or jobs, but they're having fun now, and many years down the line, they'll be able to reminisce about the times they had. I have to wonder- can I really say that my studies have paid off at this point?"
I didn't know what to say to that, and neither did the others. We were like explorers preparing to set out on a sea voyage to an uncharted land, so if none of us had set out yet, we couldn't tell Kenji whether he'd reach his destination or even whether his destination would be one worth reaching.
"There's no point in asking that, though," Kenji said. "With exams in a couple months, it's too late to try to set a new path for myself."
I shook my head. I wasn't Kenji's guidance counselor, who was probably telling him to stay the course and keep his grades up, but I felt the need to disabuse him of the basic misconception that he, like so may others, had fooled himself into believing.
"I don't think so," I said. "I know a lot of people who believed that they were stuck on the path that they were on, but when faced with a choice, were able to start over again."
Kenji paused. He probably realized that I didn't necessarily mean students like him who were studying for college- in fact, I didn't know anyone like that- but seemed to realize that didn't necessarily render my point invalid. Of course, he wasn't instantly convinced, either- I didn't expect him to be after having invested so much time and effort into this undertaking, just the same way that many people relentlessly walked down their respective paths.
"Interesting," Kenji said. "Of course, I probably won't know what choices I'll have until my exam results get back- nor will anyone else- but I'll keep that in mind."
"Yeah, I agree with Yu," Kaoru said, "but I'd like to add that there are some things you can do and some things you can't. I couldn't see a guy like you who's always working toward some goal just giving up and settling for a dead-end job, but maybe trying hard and getting into as good of a school as you can is your thing."
Hitomi looked a little sad, and it wasn't hard to tell why. The fact that she had no choice but to obey her parents was depressing enough, but the idea that she couldn't become someone other than the person they wanted her to be was even worse. That wasn't what Kaoru meant, but I couldn't fault her for taking that away from it.
We changed the subject after that. Of course, I noticed that while Kenji's goal and his plan for getting there were the same, he seemed slightly more at ease about it than he was at the beginning of lunch. It was a small change, but I knew better than to underestimate the importance of one's mindset, so I hoped his newfound perspective would serve him well when he had to make a decision.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012, After School
The next day, I turned in the permission slip in homeroom, having gotten my parents to sign it. Most of the rest of the class seemed to follow suit, but there were a few people who hadn't turned their slips in, and I couldn't tell whether they were slow in getting them signed, or never intended to do so at all.
After school, drama club met for the first time since break. In order to see how ready we were, the club did a rehearsal of the play together, with commoners and nobles, Montagues and Capulets, and male characters and female characters all wearing the school's summer uniform. A few of us flubbed our lines or didn't do them as well as we'd hoped- some more often than others- but the rehearsal kept going.
At the conclusion of the rehearsal, Sayuri called us together, and said that while there were a few problems, most of us were ready, but she hoped all of us would keep up the hard work until it was time for us to perform at the end of October. If anyone couldn't, Sayuri offered to speak with them in private.
Once practice was over, Ms. Takizawa had to meet with the principal, so she told us to go on ahead. I walked home with Satomi and Sayuri, taking the first opportunity to talk with them since the end of summer vacation.
"So how was your time in Inaba, Yu-san?" Sayuri said.
"It was fun," I said. "I was glad to see all my friends again for an entire summer, even if I don't know when the next time will be."
"That's good," Sayuri said, "although it does make me feel a bit grateful that I'm a second-year, so I'll have a year before I have to deal with entrance exams."
"Same here," Satomi said. "Of course, we also have to think about what sort of career we can make out of our interest in theater."
I nodded. Since the fact that Satomi and Sayuri would rather dwell on the present for the moment almost went without saying, I changed the subject.
"What did you girls do for the summer?" I said.
"We spent most of the time here, hanging out together and doing other things," Sayuri said. "We watched a few movies together, though, went to the summer festival, and both our families, along with Aunt Chihiro, went to Umineko Beach together near the end of the summer."
"Oh, that sounds like fun," I said. "I went to Shichiri Beach while I was in Inaba. We had to learn how to ride scooters to get there, but that beach is probably closer to Inaba than Umineko is to here."
"Yeah, Umineko Beach was almost two hours by car," Satomi said.
"Anything else?" Sayuri said. "My dad's family is from a small town, but he found places like that too boring. What about you?"
I shook my head. I could understand that some people would be bored out in the countryside, but in my experience, as long as you had things to do to keep you busy, and people with whom you could spend your time, it was actually quite fun. Like most things in life, you got out of Inaba what you put into it.
"Apart from the trip to the beach and the summer festival, I spent most of my time relaxing with my friends, and my girlfriend," I said, "doing the same kinds of things you two did. It was nice to have a month full of free time, even if I spent a good portion of it rehearsing my lines, doing summer homework and studying for exams."
Neither of the girls reacted to hearing that I was dating another girl. I couldn't remember whether I'd mentioned Yukiko to them before, but perhaps they had no reason to be surprised, since, like with Sayoko-san and Hisano-san, I'd only met them after I'd started dating Yukiko.
"Same here," Satomi said. "Well, I didn't have the exams to study for, but I did keep up with practice and homework. After all, part of being in the drama club, like with any serious club, is balancing school and extracurriculars."
Sayuri smiled. For someone who was passionate about acting, Sayuri wasn't enthusiastic about many things related to the drama club these days, so it was good to see her enjoying herself.
"I'm glad you kept up with practice, Satomi, Yu-san," Sayuri said. "I appreciate having people I can count on in this club."
As Sayuri's smile faded, an awkward silence followed. Sayuri knew all too well the importance of phrasing things- last year, Ms. Takizawa had to lecture her about respecting teachers when Sayuri answered a question with "yes" rather than "yes, ma'am." As such, it was clear that Sayuri knew that emphasizing that she trusted a certain member of the club was vastly more appropriate than saying she distrusted others, even it didn't make the latter untrue.
As I came to that realization, I also noticed that Satomi's expression had turned from gratitude to concern. A moment later, Satomi stopped in her tracks and looked Sayuri in the eye.
"Is something wrong, Sayuri?" Satomi said. "You don't seem entirely happy."
Sayuri sighed and looked around. As she did, I followed suit, scanning for people wearing our school's uniform, and only saw a few girls from Sayuri's middle school. After we finished looking, Sayuri turned to us with a serious look on her face.
"Can you both promise me that what I'm about to say stays between the three of us?" Sayuri said.
"I do," Satomi and I said together.
Sayuri smiled faintly, but then sighed, and looked around to once again make sure no one else from our school was in earshot, before turning back to us.
"Not everyone kept up with their practice this summer," Sayuri said. "I won't name names, but if you paid close attention when everyone recited their parts, you could see that some people aren't nearly ready for the recitals... and may not be in two months."
Looking back on the recitals, I noticed that some people were having a bit of trouble with their parts. The first was Keita Akaboshi, a second-year whose role as Balthasar was his first part for the club, and who seemed genuinely enthusiastic about it. The second was Ako Miyamoto, in the role of Benvolio, a natural talent even as the opposite gender who said studying lines was much easier than studying for tests. The third was Daichi Nogami, who was simply grateful to be able to play a role for the first time as Lord Capulet. The last was Momo Nakasuga, who had beaten out Satomi for the role of Juliet.
As soon as the last name came into my mind, along with the realization that its significance would not be lost on Satomi, the name came to Satomi's lips.
"Like Nakasuga-senpai?" Satomi said.
Sayuri paled, almost so much that her face matched her shirt. It was clear that Satomi's remark was more on the mark than she would like, since Nakasuga-san was the person I was most sure about, but Sayuri didn't dare admit it.
"I...I said I wouldn't name names," Sayuri said. "Besides, it hardly matters who they are, since none of them are people we know particularly well. I do know, though, that they're usually diligent and seemed to well last year, so I'm sure they're trying their hardest."
Sayuri was hardly the only one who didn't know many people around here, so I suspected that her status as president wasn't the only factor. For most people besides the two girls I was friends with, I only knew their names, their year in school and the parts they had in the play, along with maybe one or two bits of trivia. It certainly wasn't enough knowledge to justify trusting them to pull through on something so important, so I couldn't fault Sayuri for being uncertain about those people's readiness... or taking preemptive measures to fix the problem.
"What are you going to do?" I said. "You did say that we'd all need to keep up or tell you if we couldn't, so it sounds like you considered this possibility."
Sayuri nodded. Maybe she didn't like what she'd had to do, but she at least had the foresight to consider what would happen if things didn't go as she planned. Her decision would be fairly harsh for a few people, but it would be in the best interests of the club as a whole.
"I'll give them until the end of the week to get back to the swing of things," Sayuri said. "If they don't shape up by Saturday, I'll give them another week before I give their parts to other people. Of course, if they decide to withdraw or end up doing something that would result in their immediate expulsion from the club or loss of their role, it'll make my decision simpler."
The conversation ended on this grim note. Sayuri hadn't said "better" or even "easier," but simpler. She'd come to accept that she'd have to make many difficult decisions as president, but she hadn't grown to like it. Of course, like it or not, she would have to see the play through to a successful run, or else the club's future might be in jeopardy.
We eventually parted ways, with Sayuri telling us to keep up the hard work until the play. I couldn't tell if she wanted to get the play over with or wanted more time to prepare, but it was clear that she'd long since stopped being happy with her role. The only questions that remained were whether she would persist, and for how long.
Evening
In my room, before beginning another study session for exams, I took a look at my calendar which had hung on the wall near the door since I'd purchased it in April. It was a 12-month calendar for 2012 to 2013, that, like the one I had in Inaba, began in April and ended in March, making it ideal for students. On Saturday, September 8, I put down "Sayuri's Warning," and a week after that, I put down "Sayuri's Deadline." While I was fairly confident in myself and how well I'd prepared, I wasn't arrogant enough to assume that Sayuri couldn't possibly add me to her list.
I then turned the pages and looked at the events that I had written on this page, and the next six. In two weeks, I would have to visit several colleges. In the middle of October, there were midterms, and the school festival was at the end of the month. In the last week of November, there would be the final exams. On December 23, Yukiko would be coming, but on Christmas Eve, I'd have to introduce her to my parents. January had the exams, and in February, we would receive the results.
I couldn't help but sigh. There were many challenges looming ahead in the future, as well as more immediate concerns that, for better or worse, prevented me from dwelling too much on them. It was a bit like how, while I was living in Inaba, I could barely even think about how I'd be leaving in March until the case was solved in December, since I was constantly dealing with tests, school events, saving people from the TV world, and hunting down the culprits responsible for the incidents. In hindsight, the year seemed quite hectic and overwhelming, perhaps even more so than it had been at the time.
I took a deep breath and turned the calendar back to September, crossing out today's date, as I had with yesterday and the day before. The easiest way to handle the next few months would be one day at a time, and for now, I needed to focus on my schoolwork, studying for exams and practicing my part. I couldn't afford to forget about the events that were on the horizon, but I couldn't afford to worry about them yet, so I chose to prepare as best as I could, and deal with them when the time came.
Author's Notes
Thank you for the favorites and follows.
This chapter came out fairly quickly, but I find that releasing chapters as I finish them helps give me a certain momentum, thereby freeing me up to work on ones later down the line. Of course, how quickly I can finish them depends on how much time I have, and once Persona 5 comes out, I'll have less time (both from playing through it, and potentially writing P5 fanfics).
As I may have said before, Yu understands that his parents have decent points, and their somewhat more realistic (or cynical, depending on how you see it) worldview has strong roots in their personal experiences, but his time in Inaba has changed him, and he doesn't welcome attempts to force their values on him (whether real or imagined).
By now, Yu, with his newfound drive to determine his own path in life, has reconnected with his old friends and bonded with his new ones in the drama club enough to wholeheartedly say that he likes Minagi, even if he considers the Investigation Team his closest friends, and most wants to be reuinted with Yukiko.
The calendar in your room in the game is a good source for upcoming events, and interestingly enough, the Vernal Equinox(March 20, the day you say your goodbyes to your Social Links and go into the final dungeon) is conspicuously noted, as the last selectable day. As for the months, I've heard of various ones that aren't January to December (whether a longer duration or different start and end points), so I suspect that Yu found one that covers the time period in which this fic takes place.
Next up, we're heading back to Inaba for two chapters, the first of which looks at Kanji and Naoto.
