Hello to you dear reader!
Disclaimer: I am a French author and I noticed that my story "Une nouvelle vie à Tokyo" is read by americans. I decided to translate my story into English to make it easier for you to understand. However, I don't have the time or the skills to translate my story into English myself. I decided to use a translation software (DeepL) to help me to do it. Thank you for your understanding.
Here is the 4th chapter of the story!
I decided to split this first university day for our heroes in two because I found the chapter too long compared to the ones previously published. I hope you enjoy reading this!
Chapter 4: First Day at University (Part 1)
Beep...Beep...Beep.
"7:00 a.m., let's go," Tanjiro thought to himself as he turned off the ringing of his phone that served as his alarm clock. He took a deep breath and stood up, stretching to his full height of 1m65. He then looked for some music to accompany his preparation for his first day of class: Flame by DISH/ /(1) was perfect to get him in shape.
He hummed the lyrics as he nodded his head in the shower and brushed his teeth, eager to discover his new campus and the content of his classes. He dressed in the outfit he'd prepared the night before, his purple-black hair framing his face while stretched back. It showed the scar on his forehead, the result of a domestic accident with a hot teapot as a child. He didn't forget to put on his earrings from a family heirloom, as well as his watch.
After having aired his studio and made his bed, the young man took his breakfast and brought in a small bento as a snack, two onigiri: one for him and one for Zenitsu, who loved it, which he put in his backpack.
"Key, wallet, cell phone and the lock for the bike that is in my bag, I think it's good", thought Tanjiro.
With these routine checks, he closed his apartment to knock on his friend's door, but just as he was about to knock, the door opened to reveal a Zenitsu who had obviously had a bad night. Dark circles framed his eyes and his complexion was paler than usual.
"But what happened to you last night? Questioned the worried brunette.
- I dreamed of him. Informed him of a tone taken out of beyond the grave the blond.
- But...who did you dream of to put you in such a state?
- But, in your opinion ?! Yakuza! shouted his terrified friend, shaking him like a plum tree.
- Shhh, it's still early, you'll wake everyone up, Tanjiro murmured while putting his hand on the mouth of the blond. Come on, let's go inside your house for a bit if you want to talk about it, we're way ahead of schedule."
After doing some breathing exercises under Tanjiro's watchful eye, the golden-haired young man's heart rate gradually dropped.
"I dreamed that he was chasing me through a supermarket and that the closer he got, the bigger he got. In the end I was like an ant compared to him, and when he passed me, with his foot, he... He...
- Yes, I think I understand, Tanjiro said and put his hand on Zenitsu's back. But what I don't understand is why you are thinking about him now? You haven't mentioned him all weekend.
- But because I was with you this weekend! he said, squeezing his best friend's arm. You're a strong person Tanjiro, someone I can trust with my safety! But now I'm going to be alone...Imagine that he's waiting for me somewhere to kill me, Zenitsu said in a white voice with wide eyes.
- But no, calm down, Tanjiro reassured him. First of all, if he really wanted to hurt you, he could have caught you in the store. Besides, whether I was there or not, if as you say he really wanted to "do you in", he would have done it already. And as you said so well, we are in a city, the most populated megalopolis in the world! You have a slim to none chance of running into him again Zenitsu."
After having continued a little to reassure his friend, the duet left the apartment of the oldest to recover their bikes in the garage envisaged for this purpose. The residence, in order to promote a more ecological circulation of their inhabitants, allowed them to borrow all the year for a derisory sum a bicycle by inhabitant.
It was a beautiful day in early April and the boys took the opportunity to ride in the sunshine. It took them only fifteen minutes to get to their apartments at Kimetsu University.
" Wow it's so beautiful! exclaimed Zenitsu with stars in her eyes while looking at the university.
- I agree, it's beautiful," Tanjiro said with a big smile as he got off his bike. I asked around and since we are both in the literary field, we will have classes in the old buildings. The modern buildings are reserved for students and professors in the exact sciences. Personally I prefer it, and it goes very well with my curriculum ! He said laughing while attaching his bike to the place provided for that purpose.
- I find that it gives a small side Harry Potter, with these stones, all that.
- Maybe we'll even find a chamber of secrets! Tanjiro replied enthusiastically.
- As long as there is no Basilisk in it..." Answered in his beard Zenitsu under the laughter of his friend.
After tying up their bikes, they went to the center of the square to access the map of the Kimetsu school. This square was exclusively reserved for pedestrians and non-motorized transport, much to the delight of the students and the trees planted here, such as maples, cherry trees and even plum trees. It was crowded on this first day of school, but it was manageable, since each department at the university had its own first day of school, and it was a stroke of luck that Tanjiro and Zenitsu's first days of school fell at the same time.
"I got the email from the secretary this morning saying I have to go to lecture Hall 6 for the speech and meeting. Apparently it's in that building on the left," Tanjiro pointed to the map. And what about you?
- I'm in Hall 8, and it's in the building on the right. Said Zenitsu while examining the map.
- Okay, well we'll meet back here at 11:30? Tanjiro asked. We'll go find the self-service restaurant to eat and maybe we'll have some time to discover the campus before the afternoon classes start.
- Okay... I'm still a little depressed not to be on vacation anymore, being here in Kimetsu we really understand it. But I tell myself that there will be maybe pretty girls in my promotion, I hope with all my strength, prayed the blond while joining his hands. And for you, I hope there will be great guys! You know, you deserve an incredible person at your side Tanjiro, he said while throwing a smile to his friend.
- Thank you Zenitsu," Tanjiro said, blushing slightly. Maybe... who knows? But I'm not as great as you think, I'm just... Me?" laughed the youngest. Well, we'd better get going or we'll be late when we were early! See you later Zenitsu, have a good day!
- Take care of yourself, and I'll take care of myself eh! 11:30 here!" Reminded the older man.
After following the plan as it was indicated, Tanjiro arrived safely at lecture Hall 6 where some students were already seated. He sat down in a free seat, not too far in front nor too far behind, next to a boy with a stern look. A scar crossed his face, half of his head was shaved and on the other side half-long black hair waved, ending in vibrant yellow tips. Tanjiro tried to start a discussion with him, but it was an abject failure, he was facing a wall.
"Maybe he's stressed," thought the young brunette.
He left his neighbor in peace and then counted the approximate number of students in the room before their teacher arrived. There were about a hundred of them, a far cry from his high school senior class where there were barely twenty.
Noise from the stage alerted him. Their professor, a middle-aged man with greying hair and a friendly look was standing in front of them, large bundles of papers on his desk. He first welcomed them to Kimetsu University and congratulated them for having chosen this degree here, but also that their different professors would be able to train them for the jobs they would like to do at the end of their studies. Then came a more formal speech from a person from the administration, who insisted on the fact that although they had more freedom than in high school, students were subject to rules that should not be broken or else their record would be tarnished, notably the compulsory attendance at exams and tutorials. The sympathetic teacher took his place and passed the sheets through the rows on which were written the different teaching units and parts of the program, with the coefficients and the types of exams: oral, terminal, continuous control etc. Tanjiro took notes on what seemed useful to him to retain from the teacher's speech, for example the fact that he could not allow himself to privilege one module in view of another one because he had to validate all of them to have his semester and a fortiori his year, that is to say to have a minimum of 10 in each of them (2).
However, as he looked at the content of his programs and what was to be learned, there was a catch. When he was in high school, one of his teachers had been ill during his junior year and another teacher had personal problems during his senior year. Given the area where he lived with their small number of high school students, having a history teacher was not a priority. The result was that today, despite his love for the subject to the point that he had chosen it for his higher education, he was lacking in comparison to his classmates. He also had to make a choice soon among the list of compulsory optional courses that he wished to study.
"Lots to think about," Tanjiro mused.
But he was motivated, and if there was one quality that could not be taken away from him it was that he was a fighter.
The rest of the time passed, like some of his professors who succeeded to present each in turn their EU and their work. "They are all extremely competent people, it is a chance to be here" thought the brown with the crimson reflections.
The meeting had ended at the previously indicated time. He took his things and put them in his backpack and joined the movement of the students leaving the lecture hall. He managed to reach the meeting place where Zenitsu was already.
"Tanjiro, I'm here!" Hela Zenitsu, delighted to see her friend again.
After meeting again, Tanjiro and Zenitsu wanted to talk about their reunion, about the presence or not of pretty girls in Zenitsu's class, but the world started to come out of the classrooms and to accumulate on the square, which was not the most convenient for a discussion.
- If you want, we can go directly to the dining hall? Zenitsu suggested. We'll be more quiet to talk I think.
- Yes you're right, especially since I'm getting hungry on my end. Do you remember where he is by any chance? Tanjiro asked.
- Yes I got there a little before you, so I had time to look at the plan again! I'm the man for the job, come on, follow me!" Said the blond man pointing with his thumb to his person with a big smile.
With that answer, the friends headed for the dining hall. They bypassed several people and made their way through the emerging crowd to reach the main artery of the university to get to the dining hall. Tanjiro was about to go around another person when his eyes were first caught by long golden hair with red ends, and then and especially by those eyes. Those eyes that looked at him, those eyes containing flames.
"But this is the person who was at the bookstore of the perpetrators" thought Tanjiro.
When he started to open his mouth to speak to her, a person passed in front of him, jostling him, cutting off his field of vision. Moreover, Zenitsu, worried about not having him near him, took his arm and made him run like the wind to the dining hall.
"Here? That's the boy I saw this weekend at the bookstore. Is he a student here? thought the golden-haired young man out loud.
- Hmm ? You were saying, Rengoku? Questioned his interlocutor.
- Hmm? Oh, I was thinking out loud! Let's go Tomioka."
(1) If you watched the Naruto Shippuden anime this song must tell you something, it's the ending 29, under side in my opinion, long live DISH/ / !
(2) I preferred to keep the French grading system, as I kept the same school system I didn't see myself just changing one element in the middle, just to keep some concordance in my words.