"Hope I`m not too late," Ishigami thought as he parked his motorcycle outside the hospital before rushing into the hospital to find his family already there. "Where is he? What`s going on?" Ishigami asked as he ran up to his mother who had her hands on her face along with Yuto. "He`s in there," said Yuto as they pointed to the operating room. "Oh shit," Ishigami thought as the situation didn`t look good and all they could do was hope it was nothing serious.
20 minutes later
"Doctor, is my husband going to be okay?" Mrs. Ishigami asked as the doctor walked out of the operating room. "Your husband is fine, he passed out due to exhaustion, we`ll need to keep him here for a few days to monitor his condition," the doctor said to Mrs. Ishigami. "That`s good to hear, thank you Doctor," said Mrs. Ishigami as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Not a problem, you should all go home for the time being, we`ll let you know if anything else comes up," said the doctor to which Mrs. Ishigami bowed back to the doctor. "Yu, Yuto, let`s get going," said Mrs. Ishigami as Yuto and Yu got up and followed their mother.
"I`m glad that things were as bad as we thought," said Ishigami as he walked out of the hospital with his family. "I'm worried about your father, his health hasn`t been the best lately," said Mrs. Ishigami. "Let`s just hope that this isn`t too serious," Ishigami thought. "Since I brought my bike here, I`ll take Mom home, you don`t mind getting home on your own right?" Ishigami asked Yuto. "Sure," said Yuto as he called for a cab. "All right get on," said Ishigami as he tossed his Mom a helmet before they drove back home following the events that had just occurred.
The Next Day
"So it was only exhaustion, that`s good to hear," said Miko as the two were getting some fresh air on the roof. "Yeah, it`ll be a few days before we know what`s truly wrong with him," said Ishigami as he leaned on the railing. "It`s not bothering you too much is it?" Miko asked. "Well I`m concerned, but I`m confident it`s nothing too serious" Ishigami replied to which Miko placed her hand on Ishigami`s shoulder.
"If anything is bothering you, you can talk with me about it, you don`t have to handle it alone," said Miko. "Thanks," said Ishigami as he smiled. "We should head back, we still have some work to do," said Miko as she stretched herself out. "Yeah, we should get going," said Ishigami as they walked back into the school. "I`ve got enough to worry about at the moment, I don`t need this much stress," Ishigami thought as he walked back to the Student Council room.
Three Days later
"Dad`s supposed to be discharged from the hospital today," Ishigami thought as he entered the hospital as the doctors had informed them that Mr. Ishigami`s condition had been stabilized. "Hey Dad, how are you holding up?" Ishigami asked as he entered the room. "Oh Yu, you`re here, I`m doing better," said Mr. Ishigami as he got up from his bed. "That`s a relief, you had us worried to death," said Mrs. Ishigami.
"Hello Mr. Ishigami, how are you holding up today?" the doctor asked as he walked into the room. "Hello Doctor, I`m feeling much better, I think I`m ready to go back to work soon," said Mr. Ishigami. "Hold on, you need to take a few days off from work otherwise you might be back here again," said the doctor. "I promise you I`m fine" Mr. Ishigami tried to reassure them.
"Please just listen to the doctor for your sake, your health matters more than your work," said Mrs. Ishigami. "I suppose so, I have been feeling tired these last few days," said Mr. Ishigami. "Alright, you`re clear to go home, remember to rest for a few days," said the doctor as he left the room. "All right, let`s go home then," said Mr. Ishigami as he got up from the bed and gathered his things.
"I`m worried about your health dear," said Mrs. Ishigami as they walked out of the hospital. "I still have a few years left before I should hang it up," said Mr. Ishigami. "Have you decided who will take over the toy factory?" Mrs. Ishigami asked. "Not yet, I decided on that when the time comes," said Mr. Ishigami as they all got into the car waiting for them. "This will be interesting" Ishigami thought as there still wasn`t a clear successor for the family toy factory.
A week later
"It`s nice not having to worry about a test anymore," Ishigami thought as he looked outside from a window in the Student Council office. "Hey so have preparations for graduation started yet?" Miko asked. "Oh, yeah I`ve started planning for graduation" Ishigami replied. "It seems that a while ago, we were just freshmen here," said Miko. "I know right, guess time really flies, all that`s left is decision time," said Ishigami. "Wanna grab a drink from the machine?" Miko asked. "That`d be nice" said Ishigami as he got up and walked out the Student Council room with Miko.
April
"Man another day," Ishigami thought as he walked into the Student Council room only to be greeted by Miko who seemed to have a serious expression on her face. "What`s the matter?" Ishigami asked to which Miko got up. "Ishigami, today`s the day of college acceptance results," said Miko as today was the day they would figure out if they got into their colleges of choice. "Oh it`s today," said Ishigami as Miko handed him and Kobachi a laptop.
"Good luck you two," said Kei as the trio opened up a laptop. "Let`s see, the moment of truth, let`s hope all the hard work paid off otherwise I`m gonna be pretty upset," said Ishigami as he and Miko opened up their college portal to await the results. "Let`s see Tokyo University. Alright, we did it," said Miko and Ishigami as they had gotten into their first and second-choice college.
"I even got accepted into Kyushu," said Ishigami as he looked at the rest of his acceptances. "Congratulations you two," said Kei. "Yeah, we still get to stay together Koba-chan," said Miko as she gave Kobachi a hug. "This calls for a celebration, Ishigami`s going to treat us all to dinner tonight," said Moeha to which Ishigami sighed. "I`m just glad this is finally over," said Ishigami as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now that we have our acceptances, we have to go to an open house at the university to see if we want to choose that university," said Miko as she looked at the laptop. "Wait what?" Ishigami asked as he stopped celebrating. "You thought we were done? We still have to pick which college we`re going to attend," said Miko. "Just when I thought things were done," said Ishigami as it seemed that things weren`t over just yet.
Open Houses, the event that allows colleges to showcase to their applicants what makes their school better than the others. Every college does open houses differently. However this is considered the main dealbreaker in whether an applicant attends said college.
Later that evening
"Guess if open houses are that important, I should go to them," Ishigami thought as he pulled out his laptop to learn more about open house for colleges. "So it`s just a tour of the college and a chance to ask any questions about the college," said Ishigami as he looked closer at the open house examples. "There`s an open house happening at Kyushu next Sunday, now the question is how am I going to get there?" said Ishigami as he realized that there was still a matter of getting there.
Sunday, Day of Kyushu University Open House
"Well Kyushu University, we meet again, at least this time, I can take a plane here," Ishigami thought as he walked through the gate of the university along with the other students who were here for a tour of the university. "Welcome to Kyushu University, thank you for showing interest in our university," said a young male college student who walked up to the group.
"Well looks like there`s variety between all of us," Ishigami thought as he looked around him and saw many young students with different personalities. "Since there`s a lot of us here, we`ll split into two groups, one will go with me and the other will go with the other young lady leading the tour," said the student as he explained what was going to be occurring. "Where`s the other person?" a student asked as they noticed there was only one person leading the tour.
"Sorry I`m late," said Chika as she ran up to them. "Yeah, glad to be here, oh hi Ishigami, you didn`t tell me you were coming here today," said Chika as she noticed Ishigami in the group. "You two know each other?" the other student asked. "Yes he`s my..." Chika started to say before Ishigami motioned her that it was best they kept things to themselves. "He`s my underclassman," said Chika. "Guess this won`t be a boring open house, I`m getting some deja vu here," Ishigami thought after being around Chika for the last few years, he knew it wasn`t going to be a quiet event.
"So this here is the main building of Kyushu University, this is where most of your classes will be, the building to the right of the main building is the sports area, that`s where the gym is and where sports teams train," said Chika as she led the group to a big building. "It`s a good thing I was here last time," Ishigami thought as he remembered his last visit here.
"Any questions?" Chika asked. "Yes, I have a question," asked a student. "What is it?" Chika asked. "Are you single by any chance?" the student asked to which Ishigami had to fight the urge to not facepalm himself. "I thought this was a chance to learn more about the college, not an opportunity for you to ask an older girl out," Ishigami thought in disbelief. "Sorry, but I`m taken, any other questions?" Chika asked to which a girl raised her hand. "As a college student yourself, what`s the toughest part of being a college student?" a female student asked.
"That`s a great question, I would say that starting college is like getting a reality check, it`s nothing that you`ve experienced before in your life, high school and college are two different leagues, you`ll have to grow up fast," said Chika which seemed to shift the group`s energy. "I see, I guess college isn`t all sunshine and rainbows," said the student as it appeared that some of the students may have realized that being a college wasn`t exactly going to be sunshine and rainbows. "Enough of that, let`s head over to the cafeteria, you all must be hungry, why don`t we all head over to the cafeteria?" said Chika as it seemed that this suggestion had relieved some of the stressed-out students.
"Hey, aren`t you Yu Ishigami? The Student Council president at Shuchi`in academy" a student asked as the group was taking a lunch break. "Yeah that`s me," said Ishigami as he took a bite of his ramen. "It`s such an honor to meet you, you`re an inspiration to us all," said a male student. "I am?" Ishigami asked as popularity wasn`t exactly something he was used to. "Absolutely, your leadership skills are quite something," said a female student as it seemed that the other students were eager to talk with Ishigami. "Guess I`m well known outside of Tokyo," Ishigami thought as it appeared that Ishigami had quite a following around him.
4:00 pm
"You actually managed to make it to Kyushu University, I`m so proud of you," said Chika as they sat at a bench together following the tour. "Yeah, I had to do a lot of studying to reach this point," said Ishigami as he took a sip of his cola. "Are you planning to attend here?" Chika asked. "I still need to think about it, it`s not as easy as just saying I`m gonna go to this college just because it seems nicer," said Ishigami to which Chika nodded.
"So how`s everything back at Shuchi`in?" Chika asked. "As good as can be expected in other words, about the same, although it`s a bit quieter," said Ishigami. "Aww, do you miss that?" Chika asked as she nudged Ishigami. "It`s kinda nice having the Student Council be a bit quieter," said Ishigami to which Chika pouted. "Hey, why don`t we get some dinner?" said Chika. "I`m cool with that, what do you have in mind?" Ishigami asked. "I want ramen," said Chika to which Ishigami sighed. "I guess even college can`t change you," said Ishigami as they walked out of the university to get dinner.
Later
"It feels nice to have ramen," said Chika as she dug into her bowl upon receiving it. "Yeah I haven`t had this feeling in a while," said Ishigami as he cracked some chopsticks. "What do you think of the college?" Chika asked. "It looks great, the only issue is it`s pretty far from home," said Ishigami as he ate some ramen. "Yeah, I remember that was the toughest part of choosing this university," said Chika as the chef placed another bowl of ramen in front of her. "You seem to be doing fine here compared to a few months ago," said Ishigami.
"I kinda got used to things, the first few months are tough," said Chika. "Yeah, I`m glad that you`re doing better now, you think you`ll be able to hold it together in the long run?" said Ishigami. "Yeah I think so, chef another order of gyoza," said Chika to which Ishigami sighed. "Try not to overdo it, we don`t need you having an upset stomach," said Ishigami.
"Oh, look at the time, I would love to talk longer, but I gotta catch my flight back to Tokyo," said Ishigami as he looked at his phone as it was getting late. "Oh alright, I`ll go to the airport with you," said Chika as they got up and left the restaurant.
"See you soon," said Chika as Ishigami was about to leave for the flight back to Tokyo. "I would have loved to stay, but I still have some Student Council work to do," said Ishigami. "I understand, I`ll see if I can make it to your graduation, see you soon," said Chika as they broke the hug. "Alright, take care then," said Ishigami as he entered the gate to the plane that would take him back to Tokyo. "Back to reality" said Ishigami as he took his seat on the plane.
Midnight
"I`m home," said Ishigami as he entered his house. "Welcome back Yu, did you have fun there?" Mrs. Ishigami. "It`s a nice college, ran into Chika as she was the one giving us the tour around the college," said Ishigami. "Oh did you catch up with her?" Mrs. Ishigami asked. "Yeah a bit, it was nice to see her again," said Ishigami. "That`s good to hear, are you planning to go to Kyushu then?" Mrs. Ishigami asked.
"That hasn`t been decided just yet, I`ll be in my room if you need me," said Ishigami as he entered his room putting his bag on his bed. "Kyushu is done, now onto Tokyo University," said Ishigami as he looked at his calendar which had a day circled which was the day of the other open house.
Day of Tokyo University Open House
"There you are," said Miko as Ishigami walked up to her as they joined their friends for an open house event. "Sorry, the trains were running a bit late and traffic is a nightmare today so I left my bike at home," said Ishigami. "We should get going, don`t want to be late for the session," said Miko as they started walking to the college.
"You okay? You look like you have bags under your eyes" said Ishigami as he noticed that Miko seemed a bit tired. "I was too excited about today`s tour that I couldn`t sleep last night," said Miko as she yawned. "There you are," said Rei as she and Kobachi saw Miko and Ishigami walk up to them.
"You two took your sweet time," said Kobachi as she looked up from her phone. "Yeah well Ishigami took a while to get here," said Miko. "Hey, it`s not my fault you like to get here way too early," said Ishigami. "Maybe you should try coming earlier, better to be 10 minutes earlier than be even a second late," said Miko. "Hey, hey, let`s not bicker here, we are at a college," said Rei to which the two of them stopped.
Tokyo University
"Welcome to Tokyo University, thank you for your interest," said a male student who walked up to the group. "Me and Rei are with the other group," said Kobachi as they went split into different groups. "Okay, we`ll all meet back up at the entrance when the tour is done," said Miko as they went their separate ways for now. "Looks like the tour is starting," Ishigami thought as he followed the group as they walked around campus.
"Here is the cafeteria, we have a wide assortment of meals," said the student as he led them through the massive cafeteria with lots of food options. "Well, I guess one person who`s gonna be here every day," Ishigami thought as he eyed Miko. "We`re approaching the library, this is a haven for any bookworm," said the student as he led them through a massive library. "This is such a nice place, I feel like I`m in heaven," said Miko as she was in awe of the lavious library. "There`s a lot at this university, this might go on my list of considerations," Ishigami thought as he looked around the campus and its facilities.
"Here are some of our various clubs here," said the leader as he showed the group several of the clubs that were operating at the moment. "Is that the video game club?" Ishigami asked as he saw a room with some students playing Smash Bros on a TV. "Sure is," said the student. "I might have to join that club if I choose this college" Ishigami thought.
"You thinking about joining any clubs?" Ishigami asked Miko as they walked with their group. "Don`t know yet, I`m serious about taking the law path so I might not join any clubs" said Miko. "You know, you don`t have to be as stiff in college, there`s more freedom, you should probably join a club, it`ll help you make some new friends there," said Ishigami. "Maybe I`ll think about it," said Miko.
4:00 pm
"That concludes the end of our tour," said the student as everyone dispersed as the tour was over. "That was interesting, guess Tokyo University has more than what I expected," said Ishigami as he and Miko reunited with Rei and Kobachi. "Yeah I think I`ll fit into this university quite nicely, I think I`ve seen enough to convince me to choose this college," said Kobachi. "I agree, someone as sociable as me will fit here just fine, so Tokyo University is my choice," said Rei.
"I think I`ve made my choice," said Miko as they walked out the gates of Tokyo University. "Already? You`re not going to consider your other options?" said Ishigami. "Of course, Tokyo University was always going to be my first choice anyways, what about you?" said Miko. "Not too sure yet," said Ishigami. "You better decide soon, the deadline is almost approaching," said Miko. "Yeah I know, this isn`t some decision that I can rush," said Ishigami. "Both universities have their pros and cons, question is which university am I going to end up going to?" Ishigami thought as decision time approached.
A few days later
"You`re having trouble deciding which university you want to go to?" Mr. Ishigami asked as he saw Ishigami sitting at the table with the application in front of him still unsure which college he would choose to attend. "I`m not sure what to do, I want to go to Kyushu, but it`s way too far, if I go to Tokyo University, my relationship with Chika might get more strained down the road due to us taking different paths," said Ishigami as he placed his hands on his head.
"Do what makes you happy. I didn`t attend college at all, it`s a tough decision, but whatever decision you make, we`ll be happy that you`ve worked so hard up to this point" said Mr. Ishigami as he gave Ishigami a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks Dad," said Ishigami as Mr. Ishigami left him alone so that he could reach a decision.
"What do I pick? Do I want to go to Kyushu with the sole purpose of being with Chika or focus on the bigger picture and stay close to family by attending Tokyo University? I`m kinda worried about my dad`s health, something could happen while I`m away and I won`t be there for my family" Ishigami thought as making the decision wasn`t getting any easier.
"As much as I want to be reunited with Chika, it seems that long distance is working out okay, maybe we can wait a bit longer, I can`t go to college with the sole reason of wanting to be with my girlfriend," Ishigami thought as it seemed that at the end of the day, family comes before any romantic relationship. "Alright, guess I don`t have much of a choice," said Ishigami as he wrote down the college he would be attending in the fall. "All right, now that things have been taken care of, time to play video games all night," said Ishigami as he got up and went back to his room.
I guess some things never change huh?
The Next Day
"So you decided which university you want to go to?" Miko asked as today was the day that the seniors had to declare which college they were going to attend in the fall. "Yeah, it wasn`t an easy choice, but I think it`s for the best," said Ishigami. "What college are you going to?" Miko asked. "I decided to go to Tokyo University" Ishigami replied. "Really? I was certain that you would be going to Kyushu so that you could be with Chika," said Miko as she was surprised by Ishigami`s decision. "Yeah, that was the plan initially, but I decided that it would be best to stay near my family if anything were to happen to them," said Ishigami.
"Well guess we won`t be apart for a while longer," Miko thought as now things were going to play out differently due to Ishigami`s decision. "I can understand that, did you tell Fujiwara yet?" said Miko. "Not yet, I`ll tell her later tonight," said Ishigami. "I think she`ll understand the circumstances," said Miko as she gave Ishigami a pat on the shoulder.
She`s lying, in reality, Miko is thrilled that Ishigami decided to go to the same university as her. If Ishigami wasn`t next to her, Miko would be beaming with joy
Later in the evening
"Hello, oh hey Ishigami," said Chika as she picked up a call. "Hey, it`s good to hear from you, listen, there`s something I need to tell you," said Ishigami. "What is it?" Chika asked. "I`ve decided that I`m going to stay put and go to Tokyo University, for the sake of my family," said Ishigami to which Chika paused for a moment. "I see, are you comfortable with this decision?" Chika asked. "Yes, I hope you can understand my reasoning," said Ishigami. "I see, if that`s the decision you`ve made, I`ll support it one hundred percent," said Chika. "Thanks for understanding," said Ishigami.
"So I took a look at my schedule, I`ll be able to attend your graduation," said Chika. "Really? That`s awesome, that means we`ll be seeing each other soon" said Ishigami. "Just make sure you can graduate," said Chika to which Ishigami chuckled. "Of course I will, I`m the Student Council president, I got to," Ishigami replied. "I gotta go, talk to you soon," said Chika as she still had some studying to do. "See you around," said Ishigami as he ended the call and put his phone down on the table.
"Let`s just hope that I made the right decision, sorry Chika, looks like things are going to have to wait for a while," Ishigami thought as he hoped that things would work out following his big decision.
Results of Battle: Ishigami loses due to uncertainty about his future.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I`m back everyone. Haven`t updated the story due to being busy with work. I`ll try to update as much as I can, given my schedule. Only two more chapters left before this story comes to its close.
Do you think Ishigami made the right choice to stay back with his family rather than following his choice to be with Chika?
As always, feel free to leave a review on what you thought of the chapter. Peace.