November for those in Yasogami High meant the bite of winter and the tension of exams in the air. After school, a few harried students would rush off to the now constantly crowded library. I was just as devoted to studying, but I preferred to join Chie in picking Yukiko's brain at the Junes food court. Now and then, Chie would enforce a break, whether it was to wolf down another plate of steak skewers, or to stretch her cramped limbs through various martial art moves. It was during one of these breaks, that the subject of Yosuke's ill-fated confession had come up.
Sure enough, Yosuke Hanamura, the Amagi-challenged, had attempted the Amagi challenge.
And so, thirteen turned to fourteen.
He was quite gracious of the rejection, joking that he had been expecting it anyway, and that even if she had accepted, he wouldn't know what to do after that. No plans for a first date, no follow-up line, no long term intentions.
I gave him full marks for effort though. He had offered chocolates. And flowers. And a Jack Frost plush toy. It was a valiant, if ham-fisted, attempt at covering all his bases, worthy of applause. Besides, I'd dearly loved to have seen the resulting fireworks from such a Romeo-and-Juliet pairing.
I shared my secret rooting for Yosuke's success to Chie.
She laughed uproariously. "Oh man, I can just imagine!" Continuing with a faux movie-trailer voice, "The scion of the wealthy empire of Junes! In love with the heiress of the traditional Amagi clan! Will the flames of their forbidden love prevail? Or will it be gutted, by the flames of war roaring through the Inaba countryside?" Chie dissolved into a giggling fit while slapping her thighs.
"I liked how he tried holding on to all his gifts. When he tried to shake her hand, he got so confused and panicky because he couldn't find a free hand."
Chie could hardly breathe at this point. "Yeah! And then he had this expression, like he had the most brilliant idea in the world! Then he kneeled down, got on his knees, and kissed the back of her hand!"
"I loved the look of dawning, horrified comprehension on Yosuke's face after that."
"I loved the look of the palm print Yukiko left on his face after that! I thought you could only make that meaty thwack sound in movies!"
"…I swear my hand just moved on its own."
We continued ignoring the furiously blushing Yukiko. We make it a point not to laugh at rejected suitors, but this was a truly one-of-a-kind thing Chie and I couldn't miss. I picked out another chocolate from the box. Mmmm, mint filling. Yosuke certainly didn't hold back.
While the Chie and I vicariously enjoyed the spoils, Yukiko spoke up.
"I don't understand. Why did he have to buy chocolates just for a study session? Did he want to eat them while we studied? Then…what were the flowers for?"
Chie guffawed. "Study session? Yeah…right"
"Yukiko, Yosuke was trying to ask you out. The chocolates were a gift, a sign of his affection. The flowers were supposed to draw a parallel towards his attraction to your beauty and that of the flowers." I explained slowly. It wasn't the same as actual first-hand experience, but maybe I could teach her some social mores and encourage her to get out more.
The confused heiress frowned and pursed her lips. "And the Jack Frost plushie?"
"He thought you would like something cute. It was an offering to please you and to buy favor. A bribe, if you will."
See, that's what two years of cynically learning and applying the intricacies of bribing and gifting does to a young, impressionable mind.
Yukiko slowly nodded. "So when he said "study session"—"
"-He actually meant he wanted to score with you!" Chie interrupted.
"T-That can't be true! Hanamura-san isn't that sort of person."
Given the frequency of its target these days, I'm considering naming this gaze my Sa-DON'T-naka Gaze.
I reassured Yukiko, while Chie retreated, that no, Yosuke wasn't a pervert (any more than the next guy), he wasn't trying to score (yet) and that he was, indeed, an upstanding member of society (despite frequent lapses). It was the least I could do for him.
While we were joking, a senior I recognized, dressed in the Junes staff uniform, approached our table to clear some of the empty trays.
"Thanks, Konishi-senpai." I stacked and handed them to her. I used to wait on tables, back when I could still get a job and I needed something legal to supplement my income. Ever since, I always went out of my way to be nice to service staff.
"You're welcome. Good afternoon, everyone." the wavy-haired girl smiled and replied.
Chie was surprised at her presence. "Wow, senpai, don't you have exams to study for? Why're you taking a part-time job now?"
Yikes. I intercepted this.
"There's nothing wrong with that, Chie. I've got a job lined up too, and I can still find time to study. Yukiko helps out in the inn a lot, and she still gets the highest grades in class all the time."
While my brunette friend expressed her disbelief at our habits, Konishi gave me a grateful smile and short nod. Old man Daidara, being the versatile craftsman that he was, sometimes did pottery work on old liquor jars for the Konishi liquor stall, so I was aware that they were starting to lose business. With her younger brother studying in his important final year of middle school, it fell to Saki to help supplement the family income. Of course, that put her in the awkward position of working for her family's perceived enemy, something which was really difficult to explain to strangers.
We might have avoided a Romeo and Juliet scenario, but theatrics were always around the corner.
"I'll just bring these trays back, then. If you'll excuse me." Konishi took the opportunity to bow out and escape.
"See you in school tomorrow, senpai." Yukiko then turned to me. "Saito-kun, I didn't know you'd found a job. Congratulations! What are you working as?"
"I'm sort of a handyman for the local broadcast station. I'm supposed to install and repair TV aerials."
"Isn't that dangerous? Won't there be a lot of climbing around on people's rooftops?"
"Yeah, but that's how I ended up with the job. They were looking for young and fit guys to fill the part-time position because of the physical demands. Thing is, there're not a lot of young guys left in the countryside. And then, since there were far less dangerous jobs around, not a lot of guys wanted it. In the end, the station got desperate, so they had no choice but to hire me."
"But aren't you too young to be doing as risky as that?"
I smiled. "Actually, I'll be eighteen by January next year. So by the time I finish my training and start climbing rooftops, I'll be old enough."
"Wow…" Chie intoned, chewing her last skewer. "You got guts, Saito. Why don't you just work at Daidara's? I mean, other people might not want to hire you, but he's your guardian, right? If you asked, I'm sure he'd let you."
I scowled and leaned back. Sure, it'd be a lot safer than this job, but I had many reasons. I didn't want to keep living off him, sinking deeper into dependence. Besides, in the eleven months since I've lived with him, he hasn't taught me a thing about smithing. Obviously, he wasn't looking for a successor.
While I was musing on what to say, Yukiko unexpectedly caught my hand. Startled, I jerked my head to look at her. She was wearing this serious and earnest expression, staring straight into me as if about to impart some crucial life lesson.
"Saito-kun. Please, be careful. Don't fall off a roof and hurt yourself. You're still young, and have a long life ahead of you. Don't throw it all away in some careless accident."
She loomed in further, eyes widening.
"And remember, Saito-kun. Don't. Startle. Any. Birds."
"Eh?"
"I saw this horror movie once. The heroine was walking along a ledge to escape the killer, and then she came across a nest of birds on the roof. Suddenly, they flew into her face, she lost her footing and then fell forty stories to the street below! Her head split open like a watermelon, and there was blood everywhere! Then the killer just looked out the window and laughed…"
Briefly, I had the terrifying image of a long-haired and vengeful ghost, climbing out of a television screen jerkily. I thanked the heavens that I would never live to see Yukiko emulate Sadako in real life.
"T-thanks Yukiko. I'll…er, be sure to look out for them."
The terrifying, raven-haired, spectral form smiled and quickly sat back down. "I'm glad to hear that. I would be very upset if a friend of mine was injured."
Chie looked strangely at Yukiko, but was otherwise miraculously unfazed by all this. "Don't worry, I know Saito's good on his feet. He'll be all over those rooftops like a ninja. Have you seen his moves Yukiko? Fast! Lemme tell you about the time I asked him to show me a groin kick…"
Our conversation trailed on.
Exams came and went. While Yukiko beat me to get top position in the exams, I was simply happy that my runner-up position shut Mr. Morooka up for a while. Spending three years on the streets lends someone invaluable perspective as to the value of a good education. I had thrown myself into studying far more fervently than the average student, and the effort had paid off. I think he might have seen me giving him a really evil smirk, but I wiped it off my face when he turned around to check again.
He stalked off mumbling about cheaters never prospering.
Crowbar. Teeth. Then rinse and repeat. My smirk threatened to return.
Yosuke's confession seemed to have broken the ice between him and our group. Occasionally, he would join in on our conversations, and since Yukiko never mentioned the incident again, we let him off the hook. He contributed to the book-dumb smart-ass factor, complaining about the exams and mouthing the usual male teenage one-liners. He didn't really become fast friends with Chie and Yukiko, but he was still invited to any outings we had.
In terms of getting close to Yukiko, I suppose he held the dubious honor of being the most successful failure so far.
School soon closed for the winter holidays, and I wasted no time concentrating on the job training. I would cycle down to Okina city and follow some of the old hands as they did their rounds. With the oncoming snowfall, they promised me that things would get busy soon. There were still many people who didn't use cable or satellite television in Inaba, so I could look forward to servicing quite a lot of TV aerials.
One thing I had not foreseen was just how cold it could get. I was aware of the snow, of the lower temperatures in the country, but as a city boy I was still unprepared for just how frigid it could get. With only my threadbare army-surplus jacket and fingerless mitts, I could still feel the frost in the air. Any winter breeze that bit into me, reminded me of the sensation of jack knifes piercing my flesh.
Still, it was the only job I've had for eleven months, and I refused to let the cold get to me. Maybe if I saved up enough money from the job, I could get a new jacket. In the meantime, I'd just keep sewing and patching up any holes that appear and survive with it.
At the end of my twelfth month since arrest, some case officer came down to check up on me. Old man Daidara gave a gruff appraisal of my progress, reassuring her that yes, I was coming along well, no I wasn't involved in any criminal activities, no I wasn't displaying anti-social behavior, and so on and so forth. He even got a bit preachy about how he had to raise a storm in front of the Yasogami school governors just to get me enrolled. She just nodded, checked a few boxes, gave me a verbal pat on the head and left without any further word.
As far as everyone else was concerned, Saito Kurosawa was doing just peachy.
Two months later, balanced precariously on a snow slick roof, I begged to differ.
Fumbling with the screwdriver, I tried to control the trembling as I inserted another metal plate to secure the satellite. As predicted, the weight of the snow had toppled the old antenna that used to be here. As per company policy, I asked the old lady from Marukyu Tofu if she wanted to replace it with a satellite. She smiled and gave an affirmative, then, much to my surprise and amusement, started asking me which channels showed idol dramas and music videos.
In the back of my mind, I pictured the dotty old grandmother in her sweats, towel around her forehead, trying to follow the energetic dance moves and mouthing preppy, pop idol lines.
Chuckling to myself, I checked the dish again. I wanted to get this done quickly and get out of the cold, but professional pride made me stay to check anyway. If I demanded standards even back when I was running scams, I was damn well going to stick to those principles now that I was legally employed. Satisfied, I climbed back down the ladder, where Mrs. Marukyu was waiting.
"Are you fine, young man? Those clothes hardly seem thick enough to keep you warm in this weather." She asked in grandmotherly concern.
Smiling and dusting off the snow stuck in my mitts, I replied, "I'm okay, m'am. Kurosawa was built strong and tough, but sadly, easy to fall to the charms of pretty ladies like yourself."
She laughed with all the coquettish manner an elderly woman like herself could summon. We both knew I wasn't serious, but what lady didn't like being flattered anyway. I laid it on thick for her, mostly because she was one of the few customers who kept an eye on me out of concern for my safety, rather than worrying that I might slip through a window and steal something like the criminal that I was.
I got that a lot. Small town, big mouths.
"Here young man, take home some agedashi tofu with you. I've just fried them, so have them while they're hot. And take some home to Daidara, that old dear. There's more than enough for both of you."
I thanked her and packed my toolbox, making the obligatory laments about how our time together was too short, about how I couldn't possibly compete for her affections with the rugged manliness of old man Daidara. She enjoyed it in good fun, and shooed me away, advising me to go home and enjoy the holidays like any young man should.
She was right. The agedashi tofu kept me warm, long after its taste had faded from my mouth.