"Tachibana-Senpai?"
To say that Kiyotaka was surprised would be an understatement, even though he did not show it on his face. And from the looks of it, Tachibana was not faring much better herself.
It wasn't that Kiyotaka didn't expect to meet the elder Horikita or Tachibana at some point. Since he was outside the ANHS school grounds, there was always a possibility of running into them, but the probability of it happening this early was quite low. It was purely by chance that he met Tachibana right now.
Either way, she looked the same as always. Her purple hair was styled into two buns on either side of her head. There weren't any noticeable changes apart from her casual outfit. Kiyotaka hadn't expected much difference though, considering it had only been a few months since they last met.
Tachibana slowly walked over to the table Kiyotaka and his classmates were seated and stood near him.
"It's good to see you again, Tachibana-senpai. But it's quite a coincidence to meet you this way, huh?" Kiyotaka said.
"Why are you he- no, how are you here?" Tachibana asked, with a look of disbelief on her face.
'Is she thinking that I got expelled or something?'
"Ah, I will explain that to you but how about you take a seat first Senpai. There are others here too you know."
Tachibana looked around and widened her eyes when she noticed the two other females seated at the table. She appeared shocked, likely because she had been so overwhelmed by Kiyotaka's sudden appearance that she hadn't noticed them before.
Kiyotaka stood up and offered her his seat, and while she seemed surprised by his gesture, she accepted it gratefully. He wasn't sure if this was a normal thing to do, but as her kouhai, he felt it was the right thing to do.
Kiyotaka looked around to see if she was accompanied by anyone, but judging from the lack of people near them he concluded that she was probably alone or waiting for someone.
Taking a chair from the nearest table, he placed it between Miura and Tachibana and sat down, while keeping a fair amount of distance between them.
Meanwhile, Miura and Ebina had a look of confusion on their faces due to the situation but appeared curious at the same time.
"So… I guess I should introduce you first." Kiyotaka said and turned towards the other two girls.
"This is Tachibana Akane, my senpai from when I was in Advanced Nurturing High School. She just recently graduated from there this year." Both appeared amazed when he mentioned the last part, presumably because the person sitting in front of them was an alumna of the most prestigious high school in the country.
"And, Senpai, these are my current classmates from Sobu High: Miura Yumiko and Ebina Hina," Kiyotaka said, introducing the girls to Tachibana. The two girls nodded in greeting towards Tachibana, which she returned before she turned back to Kiyotaka.
"You are in a different school? But how?" Tachibana asked with a puzzled look.
"Before you come to a wrong conclusion, I just had to transfer schools due to some matters related to my family."
There was a brief moment of silence before the senior spoke up. "Ah! I see." The purple-haired girl nodded to herself and had a look of understanding on her face.
With that, the table fell silent, and the mood turned awkward. It's not as if he didn't expect it to happen, he wasn't particularly close to Tachibana after all. They were just mutually acquainted to the elder Horikita and knew one another through him.
It also didn't help that Miura and Ebina were strangers to Tachibana.
To temporarily dissipate the uncomfortable atmosphere, he called the waiter and gestured Tachibana to order while assuring that he would cover the bill.
"So..." After the waiter left, he awkwardly attempted to start a conversation again. "How are you doing now, Senpai?"
"Oh... uh, I am currently studying medicine at Chiba University," she replied.
'Medicine, huh. For some reason it suits her.'
"Hey, um, if you graduated from the school you mentioned, why didn't you choose a university like Tokyo University or Kyoto University?" Ebina suddenly spoke up for the first time since Tachibana's arrival. Miura bobbed her head in agreement with the question.
Kiyotaka could understand why they would think that. The University of Chiba was not a bad university; in fact, it was one of the better universities in Japan. Most students in the country would be elated if they were accepted into a university like Chiba. However, this university is overshadowed by larger, more prestigious universities like Tokyo University, Kyoto University, and Osaka University, among others. The status of Chiba University cannot be compared to the status held by those highly ranked universities.
Students like Ebina and Miura might be wondering why a person who graduated from ANHS with a 100% university acceptance rate, which could be used to enrol in any university in the country, chose to study at Chiba University instead of the aforementioned prestigious universities.
Of course, they didn't know about the S-System or the class rankings that took place inside the school. The fact that only the students graduating from Class A obtained the known privileges of graduating from ANHS was also unknown to them. However, since Tachibana had graduated from Class A, it didn't matter in the end.
And to say the truth, Kiyotaka was interested in Tachibana's reason himself.
"… I did think of enrolling in Tokyo University for the same course, but circumstances forced me to choose this one." Tachibana started explaining.
"You see, Chiba is my hometown, and my family lives here. I have an elder brother who works in Tokyo and lives there. My parents felt lonely and wanted the company of one of their children in the family house and since my brother couldn't do it, I had to."
'I see, so it was a family problem.' Thought Kiyotaka.
"I could've attended Tokyo University from here, but commuting to Tokyo from here regularly wasn't something I wanted to do. So, I had no better choice than to attend Chiba University... But it's not that I regret it… Though it would've been better if I could attend the same university as Manabu-Kun." The last part of her sentence was whispered so low that the others couldn't hear what she said.
"I see." The brunette replied while nodding with an attentive expression and a serious demeanour, which was in great contrast to the one, she exhibited during her creepy 'BL' antics, according to Kiyotaka.
"Here's you order." The waiter suddenly returned with Tachibana's orders and set the food on the table before walking away.
"So senpai, Where's Horikita-Senpai? Are you in contact with him?" Kiyotaka asked while propping his elbow on the table and resting his cheek on his left palm.
If he were to be honest, he could simply call the former president and inquire it from him himself. Kiyotaka still remembered the phone numbers Manabu had shown him the last time they spoke.
'I wonder how he'll react if I suddenly contact him.'
"Manabu-Kun? He is attending Tokyo University. He is studying law right now."
'Law huh, I did expect something like that from him.'
For some reason, Kiyotaka had a feeling that the older Horikita would want to enter the world of politics when he turned 25, the minimum age to participate in elections for a seat in parliament.
Most people who enter politics have backgrounds in either law or business studies. While it's not a necessity to have a degree in these subjects to become a candidate for elections, it does help establish a strong foundation for a person's future career in politics and give them experience.
But then again, it's not like he knew for sure what Manabu's intentions were in studying law. At the end of the day, it was just a feeling.
And by the way, did she just say 'Manabu-Kun'? The last time he heard, she was addressing Horikita's brother using his last name. Could they have grown closer after graduating?
"So… are you and Horikita-Senpai together now?" He couldn't help but ask bluntly as he was curious about it. It was obvious that Tachibana deeply admired the elder Horikita and was in love with him. But the problem resided with the former President of ANHS, who was too dense to even notice her affections.
"Huh?" Tachibana blinked in surprise as if trying to understand what he just said, before a light blush crept onto her face. "N-no… I haven't mentioned anything of that sort to him yet." She replied sheepishly.
'I thought that she wouldn't want to say that in front of our other companions, but it seems that she didn't mind them hearing.' Thought Kiyotaka.
"Yeah… thought so." He muttered.
Manabu had known Tachibana for more than three years at this point, which according to Kiyotaka was a long time. He didn't know if Manabu still couldn't notice her affections or was just simply ignoring them, but he could tell that she was the person Manabu trusted the most and was closest to during his stay in ANHS.
There was also the problem of Tachibana being too shy to talk to him about her feelings.
"Hey, who is this, Horikita?" Miura suddenly asked with a hint of excitement in her tone while alternating her gaze between Kiyotaka and Tachibana repeatedly. Even her eyes had a glint of excitement.
'… Right, I should have kept in mind that girls always love to pry into other people's romantic lives.'
She probably understood the topic they were discussing through their conversation.
'Well, at least she is in a better mood now.'
When Kiyotaka previously brought up the topic of the relationship between Miura and Hayama a while back, he didn't foresee that it would cause Miura to become depressed, which unfortunately did happen for some reason.
However, now it seemed like she was feeling better than she did a few moments ago, for which Kiyotaka was grateful. He didn't want to hurt a girl for no reason.
Once again, he was reminded of how strange the emotion of love can be.
"Like Tachibana-Senpai, he was a Senpai of mine. He was also the student council president of ANHS and Tachibana-Senpai was his secretary." Kiyotaka spoke.
"So… if he was the student council president that means he is like super smart right." Miura said.
Now, that was a fact Kiyotaka couldn't deny. Not only was Manabu extremely intelligent, but he was also physically more capable than most. He had good deductive reasoning, excellent leadership qualities, and was an exceptional person overall.
If Kiyotaka hadn't known him personally and someone told him that Manabu belonged to one of the older generations from the white room, he would have most likely believed them.
"Of course, Manabu-Kun is very intelligent, he is also known as the best student council president ANHS has ever had. He is also extremely handsome and really kind." Tachibana started proudly but slowly turned sheepish at the end of her praise, realizing what is coming out of her mouth.
'I understand that you like him, but aren't you saying too much, Senpai.'
"Heh~" Miura let out a mischievous noise while leaning forward towards the table and eyeing Tachibana, trying to tease her. Ebina, on the other hand, gave a smirk of amusement and seemed like she was enjoying the spectacle in front of her.
"W-what?" Tachibana stammered while trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.
As Kiyotaka watched Miura teasing Tachibana and succeeding in flustering her, he couldn't help but find it entertaining. It was amusing to see a high school student like Miura able to get a reaction out of a university student like Tachibana.
Kiyotaka was also amazed by how easily Miura and Ebina were becoming familiar with Tachibana, even though they were strangers a few minutes back. They even reached the point where they started to playfully tease her about her crush, whom they have never even seen a photo of, let alone met in person.
... Well, it was more Miura than Ebina.
"Nothing." Miura said while shaking her head from side to side, but it wasn't helping to convince the one at the receiving end of her teasing in the slightest though, since she still had that playful smile. "Anyway, Senpai can you tell us what Ayanokoji was like before coming here."
'Oi! Oi! Why the sudden change in topic?'
The sun was slowly beginning its descent, but the blue sky still stretched on, indicating that there was still some time left before the sun would completely set and bring an end to another day. The afternoon heat had diminished considerably, though it served as a reminder to Kiyotaka that the hot season would soon be upon them, even if it wasn't as intense as during the summer.
Kiyotaka had just parted ways with the females he had been with inside the café and was now walking home with shopping bags in hand. Tachibana had apparently come to the café to study and review her notes, so she was left alone inside. Meanwhile, Miura and Ebina had somewhere they wanted to visit before it got dark, so they headed in another direction.
At least Kiyotaka got to exchange phone numbers with the girls, which would have made him happy if not for the fact that he already had more than a dozen contacts of girls saved in his phone.
'I seriously need to branch out and get acquainted with some male students. I don't want to come across as some generic playboy' He thought to himself '… Hmm, maybe I will exchange contact information with Hikigaya tomorrow. He is the closest thing to a male friend that I have.'
As he walked to his apartment, Kiyotaka took in the sight, smell and the sound of the streets, feeling a sense of contentment. If someone told him a year ago, that he would be in this position, he would probably laugh at them… if he could that is.
He was sure of the fact that someday he would return to the white room. He may have been hailed as the 'Masterpiece' by those instructors of the white room and that man. But even so, he couldn't go against a person who had an immense amount of influence over the government and other powerful people. He knew it would have been a losing battle if he did try to fight back. He just braced himself for his inevitable return and accepted the fact that he couldn't do anything at the time.
But now, it's as if God had given him a gift. With that man dead, he was free from his grasp. He could finally live a normal life, free from the constant pressure of the White Room or even the pressure he felt in ANHS. For now, he would just try to focus on his goal of living as a normal teenager and try to lead a fulfilling and peaceful life.
As he turned a corner, he found himself face-to-face with a modern-looking store, which turned out to be a bookstore. It would have been like any other bookstore except for the fact that it was connected to a café from the inside. Although the bookstore and the café had different signs and separate doors, they shared the same design. This all led Kiyotaka to the conclusion that it was a bookstore café.
He suddenly remembered that he was about to finish reading the few books in his collection. He could have borrowed from the Sobu High School library, but it didn't have as many books as the library at ANHS. The shelves of Sobu High School library primarily consisted of academic books, which he wasn't interested in.
'Might as well get some when I can.'
With that in mind, he pushed open the door and entered the bookstore. The smell of new books and paper filled his nostrils as soon as he stepped in. Greeting him was the sight of shelves lined with rows and rows of books. The store also had a cosy and inviting atmosphere inside.
Kiyotaka exchanged a small nod with the woman behind the cashier, a middle-aged lady who appeared to be in her late thirties. Without further ado, he made his way to the section of the store that housed the mystery genre and started searching for some novels that Hiyori recommended a few times. He was lucky to find someone that had the same tastes as him, whose recommendations he always valued.
'I wonder if I can find someone like Hiyori here.' He thought to himself.
The little angelic girl from class C was someone Kiyotaka genuinely liked to spend time with. Not just because they could share knowledge and opinions about the novels they read, but also because she had a calming presence that could soothe anyone in her vicinity. But, now that Kiyotaka transferred schools now, he couldn't help but miss her company.
'Well, there's nothing I can do about it now, what happened has happened' He thought while shrugging to himself.
After about 10 minutes of browsing the shelves of the bookstore, he picked up some books that caught his interest and made his way to the cashier. When he reached the area however, he noticed that the woman who had been there earlier was nowhere to be seen. He scanned the area and saw a few customers browsing the shelves, but no employees were in his vicinity.
'Now that I think about it, I didn't see any employee inside since I stepped into the bookstore, except the woman that was working behind the cashier'.
It seemed odd to Kiyotaka that he hadn't seen any employees inside, besides the woman at the counter.
'Maybe the café is a bit busier than usual?'
He decided to wait a bit longer, hoping someone would show up. But that didn't seem to be necessary since he heard footsteps hurriedly approaching his way. Finally, an employee had arrived. Kiyotaka turned around to see the woman from earlier with an apologetic smile on her face.
"I am sorry for making you wait." She said.
"It's fine." Kiyotaka decided to wave off her concern since he hadn't wait too long, and it didn't bother him much.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
Kiyotaka nodded. "Yes, I would like to purchase these books." He said while handing her the stack of books in his hand.
"Again, I apologize for the wait, it's just that we are in a small problem." The woman said while ringing up the books and bagging them.
"Is it related to the number of employees? I didn't notice any inside the bookstore, except you since my arrival." When he said that, Kiyotaka observed the woman's expression and noticed a surprised expression with a slight hint of discomfort on her face.
"Yes, we are currently understaffed," the woman explained. "The thing is, the bookstore was just extended into a café a few days ago, so we don't have many employees at the moment."
Kiyotaka nodded, understanding the situation. "I see. Well, I hope you get some soon. It must be tough handling the café and the bookstore with limited employees."
The woman smiled gratefully. "Thank you for understanding. We're doing our best."
Kiyotaka nodded and went silent, contemplating 'Now that I think about it, I did see a poster outside the store that said they were looking for part timers.'
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, prompting Kiyotaka to turn towards the woman who had finished bagging the books.
"Excuse me, but are you guys looking for part-timers?" Kiyotaka asked in his monotone voice.
"Oh! Yes, of course. Do you have someone in mind?" the woman asked brightly.
Kiyotaka shook his head. "No, but I might be interested," he replied.
The woman's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, really? That's great!" she exclaimed. "We could definitely use the extra help. But do you have any experience working in a cafe or bookstore?"
Kiyotaka shook his head. "Unfortunately, no, but I can assure you that I am a fast learner and am fairly knowledgeable about books."
This wasn't a lie. Kiyotaka's ability to adapt to unknown situations and different environments had always been exceptional, and he was confident that it would be the same now.
The woman smiled reassuringly. "That's great to hear. We are also willing to provide training for our new employees, so don't worry about that. What's your availability like?"
Kiyotaka stopped and thought for a while before replying. "I'm available most weekdays after 5 pm, and all day on weekends."
The woman nodded. "That sounds perfect. We'll probably have our busiest times on weekends anyway. Can I take your name and contact information, so I can give it to our manager?"
Kiyotaka nodded. The woman grabbed a notepad and pen and wrote down Kiyotaka's name and phone number. " There will be an interview with the manager, but don't worry, it will be brief. I'll make sure the manager contacts you soon. However, please keep in mind that it may take a few days because the manager is currently out of the city."
Kiyotaka nodded. "Thank you," he said.
The woman smiled warmly. "No, thank you for expressing interest in working with us. We'll be in touch soon."
With that, Kiyotaka gathered his books and left the bookstore, heaving a sigh of satisfaction.
He had always been an introvert, preferring solitude over the company of others. It wasn't that Kiyotaka lacked the ability to engage with people; he could do it just fine, but only when he deemed it important or when he needed to gather information. What he struggled with was casual small talk, the kind most people his age engaged in.
When the sudden idea of working at the bookstore café occurred to him, he realized it could push him out of his comfort zone and aid him in developing his social skills.
Despite consuming some of his free time, he didn't mind the idea of working there. In addition to refining his social skills, it could also grant him access to the books he desired without having to pay for them. Since the café was located within a short walking distance from his home, commuting wouldn't be an issue either. It was a golden opportunity to broaden his horizons, both socially and literally.
Today had been an eventful day for Kiyotaka. First, he had decided to go shopping and coincidentally met Miura and Ebina, two of his classmates who helped him with the shopping. He was grateful for their assistance, even though they asked for a treat from a café in return.
Next, another coincidence happened, and he encountered Tachibana, whom he was not expecting to meet right now. What's more, she was even staying in Chiba. He hoped that Manabu would be present as well, but unfortunately, that was not the case.
And lastly, he decided to apply for a part-time job at a bookstore café. It was more of a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the benefits enticed him. He wasn't completely sure if he would get the job, but since the café needed employees, he was reasonably confident that the result would be positive.
Those who knew him may think that it was uncharacteristic of him to apply for a job, given that he would always try to evade work that required effort. Heck, even he himself believed that. But, as mentioned before, it was an opportunity he couldn't miss due to the benefits it offered. Besides, he had always wondered what it was like working in such an environment.
With these thoughts in mind, Kiyotaka returned to his apartment and ended another chapter of his day.
Author's notes:
Hello, it's been a while.
I apologize to the Manabu fans out there. But it just felt too early to introduce him at this point in the story.
I don't know if it's noticeable, but I tried to elevate the quality of my writing, which is why it took some time. Still not the level I wanted but will do for now.
Another thing is I still do not have a clearly defined plot. I brainstorm ideas whenever I sit down to write, and that's another reason why it takes me some time to upload.
For now, I will try to follow the plot of the light novel and decide later if I want to deviate from the canon.
I would appreciate any constructive criticism or feedback. Please feel free to point out any errors and offer suggestions for improvement. But please don't roast me badly. Your boy has a poor heart.
And, do tell me if you like this style of writing, or if you want me to revert back to 1st person.
Thanks for reading the chapter.
Adieu~.