The soothing rift of an acoustic guitar filled his ears as eyes focused out onto the passing rice fields of the rural landscape, slowly transforming into concrete as his train entered the urban centre. He was a student and flatly broke, he couldn't possibly afford a simple apartment within the limits of the city and was forced to commute by train daily. Today was like any other day, his life, routine and never veering from it. His morning started with waking before sunrise, followed by catching the first train into the city.
Twenty year old Yagami Taichi was a student at Tokyo Daigaku, a major in political science and the only outsider student within the program whom did not come from an established political family - a fact that had cause division between himself and his fellow classmates. It was expect of course, Japanese politics always revolved around well-known families, politicians whom were groomed since they were children to lead the country. Taichi was no such thing, only joining the program as he was indecisive in choosing a career path and partially because he had made a promise to his high school teacher, Nishijima Daigo.
His headphones filled with his friend Yamato's latest album. Ishida Yamato never made it big but he had a fanatic following. Taichi being a good friend, had bought every piece of music Yamato released as a sign of support. Taichi turned his attention from the passing cityscape and onto the train itself. It was adorned with advertisements, the most prominent of which was the upcoming new release by Japan's number one idol group - Taichi blushed at the sight.
Taichi's thoughts on the idol girls were thankfully interrupted as his phone vibrated with a new message. He fumbled for his phone as the cityscape became more dense - he was nearing his station.
[ Are you free tonight? ]
It was sent from his girlfriend. He smiled as his thoughts drifted to her.
[ Except for studying for the upcoming exams, I have some free time. ]
He swiped his phones to enter the characters he was looking for. He hadn't seen her for a couple of weeks now, they were both busy - himself with university and his girlfriend with her obligations to her job.
Taichi's phone immediately lights up with an reply - she must be antsy to see him after so long.
[ Good! We're going on a date, meet you after your classes. ]
"Ueno. Ueno Station is our next stop." The JR Train announcement chimed in the background.
He smiled and confirmed to her that he would meet her right after his last class ended - pocketing his phone when his station was announced as the next stop.
The university grounds were nearly empty, it was the start of summer break - only programs that were more intensive such as his own were still running classes during this down time. Taichi took his usual spot at the back of the lecture hall, a place where he could be less conspicuous and not have to deal with some of his classmates whom consider Taichi to be of a lower caste.
Taichi wasn't the first to arrive but certainly not the last. His professor had entered minutes later, a retired politician in his own right, having held a position within the Foreign Minister's office - the same office Taichi was aiming for. Many of the students present had greater aspirations, becoming ministers of a ruling party was the ultimate goal for them.
It wasn't long before the clock struck noon and the familiar ring of the Westminster Chimes echoed through the lecture hall. He closed his notebook with a sigh, having filled five pages worth of notes, knowingly that he would need them to review for his upcoming exam. He spied the other students, jealous of those who did not take the course as seriously as himself - they were the career politicians, bred for government positions, their career paths already long carved into stone and a failing grade only meant they would have to pay an extra donation to the university for the professor to reconsider their grades.
Of course there was always those who made it their cause to make the country better, even when their parents had already decided their fates. A few students had also taken as much notes as himself, they were the ones whom Taichi found approachable for when group projects were required.
"Yo, Yagami!" A voice woke him from his thoughts as he turned to meet the caller.
Ichiro Hatoyama. Slick brown hair, looking rebellious but on closer inspection, sculpted to look as such with his buttoned shirt kept purposely unbuttoned at the collar. Hatoyama was a family regularly involved with the Department of Justice, so it was a wonder to Taichi why Ichiro had always gotten in trouble with the university's discipline committee.
"Hatoyama." Taichi responded in monotone, trying to ignore the boy.
"That's no way to respond to your best friend!" Hatoyama feigned his sadness.
"It's lunch time and I'm getting hungry, get to the point already." Taich responded, still ignoring the boy as he gathered his bag. He spied the boy smiling.
"Boys, stop wasting time arguing, the cafeteria will be closed by the time you two are done." Another voice called out to the two.
Another future career politician, Obuchi Yūko. She was the final member of Taichi's small group of classmates whom we would consider his friends, at least they were the few who didn't stiff their nose at him.
Taich gathered himself as Yūko and Ichiro waited for him to leave through the back entrance of the lecture hall, a commotion was heard down by the professor's podium. Taichi could only guess who were involved, as it was easy to say all of the most privileged students had mark their territory on the best spots of the hall. Even though they did not care for the class, they showed the professor a small amount of respect by gathering at the front of the lecture hall desks.
At the centre of the commotion was a couple, a well known couple to Taichi and his friends - Aso Shinji, the only son of the Deputy Prime Minister and his girlfriend, Abe Nozomi, the youngest daughter of the current Prime Minister.
Taichi could see Shinji rubbing his cheek gingerly, swollen red as Taichi figured the boy must have received divine punishment from the stylish Nozomi. Taichi spied the girl, she was in tears and could see she was stumbling with her words.
His friends choose to ignore it, already out the door as they were discussing current political affairs - not about the latest sports news or video games he would have with his actual friends Yamato or Koushiro. He had to remind himself that his university friends, after-all they were raised this way.
Yet, as he was about to exist the door himself, his eyes briefly met the teary eyes of the stylish princess. Taichi sighed and ignored it, he must have been starving if such a thought had crossed his mind.
"I don't know why you guys like the cafeteria's food so much?" Taichi interjected as Ichiro was happily slurping his noodle bowl and Yūko munching on a plate of fruits as she review her notes with the two boys.
"Reminds me of my Oba-san. When we were kids, we were always sent to the country side to live with her when mom and dad were busy trying to pass new bills." Ichiro replied, thinking nothing of it.
"Taichi if you're implying we're here out of pity."
Taichi quickly caught himself but stopping Yūko from going further, "Sorry, I meant nothing of the sort. Just you guys are different from everyone else in our class."
"Unlike the simpleton beside me," Taichi could see Yūko's insult had flown over Ichiro's head, "Some of us are in this course for the betterment of our country, unlike the Abe and Aso's of the world, we're not all driven by money and fame."
Taichi nodded, not wanting to further the awkward conversation he should never have started.
"Now, Taichi, tell us why you're here." Yuko's hands cupped her head as her large irises fixated on Taichi.
He nervously smiled at the memories, "It's a promises I've made with my high school teacher," Taichi explained with his arm crossed, "I promised him I would create a better future."
"You know, that's a really stupid reason." Ichiro replied with a mouth full.
Yūko frowned at Ichiro and swiftly elbowed the boy mid chew, Taichi could only awkwardly laugh. Again the Westminster Chimes warned the trio that afternoon classes were to start.
As they took their seats, Taichi could see the class was smaller than usual. The chic consisting of Japan's top political families were missing - Taichi could only guess this was fallout from the earlier incident.
As class droned on, his mind half paying attention to the professor and half wondering what his girlfriend was planning tonight. Both Taichi and his girlfriend had busy schedules and it was becoming rarer and rarer for them to have date nights during the week, usually having to refrain their time together on those weekends, only when she was not away with work.
Taichi closed his notebook, now filled with an extra four pages of notes. The other students were already packed and bidding each other good-bye as they skipped out of the lecture hall.
Again Ichiro and Yūko waited for him, as they usually do. Their habit of getting a quick bite at a fast-food chain near the train station before departing for the night would have to be on hold - he had promised to meet his girlfriend at the front-gates of the university.
Their lecture hall was at the back of the university grounds, having to make their way across open parks and sports fields. It was nearing summer, the warm winds of spring were giving way to hotter, muggier air. Taichi was no longer a high-school student, he was no longer tied to school uniforms - yet he was part of more elite group of students, who's unofficial dress code meant he was cuffed to wearing a simple white shirt and black dress pants, no different than in high-school.
Taichi had rolled up his sleeves once they were out of the lecture hall, to better deal with the heat. Ichiro was more daring, his shirt unbuttoned revealing his bright yellow t-shirt underneath - Taichi could only gawk at his friend, for someone from a proud family often involved in the justice system, Ichiro sure did dress more like those his family would prosecute against.
Yūko was dress more professionally, and would be forgiven if anyone had mistaken her for a veteran office lady. They cross the open fields of the campus with quiet conversation, tuning out the noise of sports clubs holding their practice.
A vibrating noise of metal followed by swoosh of wind reached Taichi's ears as his arm reacted from muscle memory before his brain could react. He found himself with a baseball in his bare outstretch hand, inches from his face. His friends stared at him with wide eyes, yet he thought nothing of it.
"Oi!" A voice called out to them, "Oi, are you alright?"
Yūko was speechless, so too was Ichiro. Taichi looked at them with indifference and turned to the voice calling out to them, it was a student dressed in the university baseball uniform.
Taichi softly tossed the baseball at the boy, recognizing him, "Not the first time you've hit a baseball my way Jiga."
Jiga Hiro, unofficially his rival from high-school - a rivalry not born out of dislike for each other, only they were both aces from competing sports popular at his high-school. The boy was tall and muscular, his body overshadowed Taichi's, as himself had become lanky from the lack of participation in any organized sports.
"How did you just do that?" Ichiro asked with shock.
Both Taichi and Jiga looked at him with eyebrows raised, "What do you mean?" Jiga asked.
"What do I mean?! What do you mean!" Ichiro became flustered, "How did you just catch that baseball like it was nothing?"
Taichi gave Ichiro a blank stare, as telling the boy if he had witness something that happened regularly.
"I think what Ichiro means is, how did you just catch that baseball which was aimed directly at your face?" Yūko asked trying to not over react like Ichiro had.
"Don't you guys know?" Jiga asked the two clueless friends, only to be met with blank stares, "Taichi was formally the best soccer player in Japan! If only that homeroom teacher's advice didn't get to his head, he would have become pro by now," hinting at Taichi's innate athleticism.
"Jiga!" Taichi's voice crocked. The baseball player's hands rose in surrender and his face turned with an awkward laugh. Taichi knew he was a good soccer player, but his old high-school classmate was talking up his accomplishments.
Jiga quickly retreated back to his team, when Taichi continued his path towards the meeting spot with his girlfriend. His friends followed in-tow, still shocked at the sight of what Taichi just did. Going unnoticed was a second party who witness Taichi's accomplishment, a crying face who had been walking behind the trio moments before.
"Sorry, I can't go on with you guys tonight." Taichi turned towards his friends, "Sort of promised a friend I would meet up with them."
His friends nodded in understanding and bid Taichi good-bye.
Taichi waved them good-bye as well but was shortly interrupted by a singsong voice, "Taichiii!"
He blindly turned to be met with a kiss. Ichiro and Yūko gawked at the scene before them. A beautiful girl, hidden under a hoodie and sunglasses had tackled their friend Taichi, now shared a long hungry kiss with him.
"Oi Taichi…" Ichiro started, to find the girl turning towards himself and Yūko.
The girl turned to them. Even under a hoodie, they could tell the girl was a beauty. Her curled chestnut hair framed her soft face, her pink lips smiled at the pair.
"Thank you for taking care of Taichi." She bowed, "I'm his girlfriend."
She rose up and removed her sunglasses, revealing the face of Japan's number one idol, Tachikawa Mimi.