[CH.19] Second departure
Since then, I had been leading a normal life. I went to school, studied with Chika-chan at the library after school, and played with Nao and Fumika.
I had informed Chika-chan about my plans to move to Tokyo when I gave her the souvenir, as there was a possibility I couldn't come to the library suddenly. In return, Chika-chan confided something surprising in me. She told me that she was going to challenge the entrance exam for a prestigious middle school.
"This year, my teacher recommended it, and my parents got interested. It's true that I figured out how to study after starting with you, Suu-chan, and my grades improved a lot. So, we decided to give it a try."
If she passed, she would attend a school in a neighboring prefecture, so I sent her my heartfelt encouragement. It's always better to be able to study, and the choices for the future that the school you attend opens up are significantly broader. Even if she didn't pass, the experience of attempting the entrance exam would definitely not be in vain for her. There was a possibility that the experience of failure could turn into a trauma, but with Chika-chan's optimistic nature, I believed she would turn that experience into something positive.
We exchanged contact information, sending each other words of encouragement and laughing together. We had never exchanged contact information before because we could always meet at the library. That day, we said our goodbyes, and I genuinely wished for a bright future for Chika-chan.
By mid-June, things around me also became quite hectic. The moving date to Tokyo was set for the first Wednesday in August, so my mother and I went to school to explain the situation to the teacher. This year's homeroom teacher, Kanda-sensei, had been the homeroom teacher for the neighboring class when I was in 1st and 2nd grade, so we had more than just a passing acquaintance. Initially, Kanda-sensei greeted us with a smile, but as the conversation progressed, She seemed to be continuously surprised. She excused himself, saying, "Please wait a moment," and left the room.
We waited in the reception room for a while, and when Kanda-sensei returned, she brought along my previous homeroom teacher, Kino-sensei. They both appeared quite excited and took a seat on the opposite sofa.
"Huh, really? I just heard it from Kanda-sensei, but Suu-chan, are you going into the entertainment industry?"
"I don't know if I'll make it into the entertainment industry, but it's true that I've been scouted and will be moving to Tokyo."
When I answered that I was indeed entering the entertainment industry, for some reason, the teachers started to cheer and say things like, "Wow!" and "We need to get your autograph!" Were they always this starstruck?
"But I think it suits you, Suu-chan. You're polite, and you can answer like an adult, so I believe you'll do well in the entertainment industry," one of the teachers said.
"Yeah, Matsuda-san is a talented person," another chimed in.
While the teachers said such things, Kino-sensei suddenly became more serious. She leaned in and asked in a hushed tone, "But are you really sure about this? You know, there are cases where scouts turn out to be fake, and they harm girls."
Upon hearing that question, Kanda-sensei suddenly looked at me as if she had just realized the possibility, but I couldn't blame her. During this time, many such incidents were not widely reported, and real-time information sharing wasn't as prevalent as it is today.
While I appreciated their concern, my mother assured them that this was a trustworthy opportunity that had come from a reliable source. Nevertheless, the teachers still seemed somewhat uneasy. So, I reluctantly mentioned Ms. Oshima's name and explained that I would be under her care, which instantly rekindled the teachers' fan mode.
We managed to calm them down eventually and asked them not to inform our classmates until the day came. There were still some paperwork and formalities that my mother needed to complete, but my part was done. However, I still needed to visit the new school and introduce myself, so there was more to do.
---
In early July, I made my first visit to the new school. My new homeroom teacher was a cool and capable woman. Since Ms. Oshima came along with me, the explanation process went smoothly. Perhaps because people in Tokyo often saw celebrities in the city, no one approached us for autographs or handshakes, even with Ms. Oshima there. If my acting career progressed smoothly and I became a child actor, they assured me they would make various accommodations for me, which put my mind at ease.
Afterward, we went to Ms. Oshima's office to greet her and also extended our greetings to Toyo-san and the driver. Unfortunately, I couldn't meet the dormitory residents since they were either at school or work. However, I had the chance to meet the manager of the production company run by Ms. Oshima.
She was a career woman in her late twenties or early thirties and exuded a professional aura, dressed sharply in a pantsuit. Her name was Ms. Ando. I greeted her, and after a brief exchange, she hurried off to attend to her work. I caught a glimpse of her planner, and it was filled to the brim with appointments, indicating how busy she must be. I hoped that she would take good care of herself, especially considering she would be looking after me from now on.
---
Two days before my departure, the kind lady from the neighboring house, who had taken care of me for a long time, invited us to a farewell party. It was meant to be a dinner gathering for both our families. Since our house was small, the spacious house of the kind lady was offered as the venue.
Unfortunately, my older sister firmly refused to attend, so my mother prepared a separate dinner for her. My mother complained about this to the kind lady, who sighed and said, "It must be tough on Tsukiko as well."
For some reason, a large cake, which we rarely had the chance to eat except on birthdays, was placed prominently in the center of the table. Around it, various side dishes were arranged on plates. Strangely, I was encouraged to blow out the candles placed on top of the cake, and I managed to extinguish all the candles with just two breaths. As a signal, the adults raised their glasses of beer, saying, "Cheers."
I received pats on the head and well wishes from Ma-kun's grandparents. His uncle and aunt tried to hand me a thick envelope as a congratulatory gift, but I and my parents managed to decline it somehow. Perhaps the contents were not cash, but considering our future neighborly relations, it wasn't something we could easily accept. If the envelope contained cash, it was probably not less than three million yen.
"Suu-chan, you're like a daughter to us, so please accept it without hesitation," they said.
"It's really heartwarming to hear you say that, but I really can't accept this," I replied.
Seeing the kind lady persistently argue with my mother, I decided to retreat and join Ma-kun instead. I glanced at him and noticed that he didn't look well or rather, his expression seemed troubled. I wondered if something had happened.
"Ma-kun, is something wrong? Do you have a stomachache?"
As I peered into Ma-kun's face and asked, he inexplicably averted his gaze from me and curtly replied, "It's nothing." Wondering why he looked away, I leaned in again to take a closer look, and Ma-kun pushed me away with a strong force, saying, "Cut it out." My light body couldn't resist the momentum, and I ended up sitting lightly on the ground.
Although my buttocks didn't hurt at all, I was more concerned about why Ma-kun, who was usually gentle, seemed so moody. Ma-kun, with a somewhat guilty expression, grabbed my arm, pulled me up, and held my hand as he hurriedly walked to the front door.
"Hey, wait a minute, Ma-kun, slow down."
Ma-kun, currently in sixth grade, and I, one of the smaller third graders, had quite a difference in stride length. I struggled to keep up with him as I put on my shoes. After that, we crossed the yard and reached the gate. Ma-kun's momentum never waned, and it was only when he finally stopped that I found myself panting heavily, nearly out of breath.
"Suu-boy, sorry... Do you want something to drink?"
We seemed to have arrived at a nearby candy store without me noticing, and Ma-kun, after letting go of my hand, asked me that question in front of a vending machine. Still short of breath, I couldn't answer, so Ma-kun inserted a 100-yen coin and pressed a button. He then pressed another button, perhaps for his own drink, and retrieved two cans of juice from the dispenser.
I was handed an orange juice. My throat was dry, so I gratefully accepted it and popped the tab open. I probably would have preferred a carbonated drink, but for some reason, whether it was because I had changed genders in this life or for some other reason, I could hardly tolerate carbonation anymore, despite being a big fan of cola in my previous life.
As I took sips, I soon felt satisfied, being naturally someone with a small appetite. While I was thinking about taking the remaining half home and chilling it in the fridge, Ma-kun suddenly looked at me with determination.
"Suu-boy, are you really going to Tokyo?"
"Huh? Yeah, I am. I'm going to the city hall tomorrow to submit my transfer notice."
To my surprise, Ma-kun asked this abrupt question. I was puzzled, but I responded. Suddenly, Ma-kun forcefully pulled my arm, causing the can of orange juice I was holding to slip from my hand and fall to the ground with a clattering sound. Oh, what a waste.
As the can hit the ground, I inadvertently bumped my forehead lightly against Ma-kun's stomach, or so I thought, but it might have felt like a hug to him.
"Suu-boy, please don't go."
I couldn't help but wonder why he was saying such a thing. Although I didn't understand the reason, it seemed like Ma-kun, my childhood friend whom I knew so well, was feeling this way because he hadn't experienced someone close to him leaving before. Perhaps he felt lonely and anxious about my presence, which had always been there since he was very young.
"Ma-kun, do you have something you want to do in the future?"
"Well, not really. I mean, I think I'll probably work and do farming like my dad, but I don't have anything I really want to do."
"You see, Ma-kun, you haven't found something you want to do yet. I went to Tokyo recently and found something I want to do. That's why choosing not to go isn't an option."
I gazed up at Ma-kun's face, which was quite high up, and stated that firmly. We stared at each other's eyes for a while, but eventually, Ma-kun averted his gaze as if conceding defeat. It wasn't about winning or losing, but I somehow felt a sense of superiority. Then, Ma-kun suddenly hugged me tightly. Stop it, stop it, I might spill my contents.
After finally being released, I glared at Ma-kun resentfully, but somehow, laughter welled up inside me. We both chuckled softly and laughed together. After properly disposing of the empty can in the trash, we walked side by side to Ma-kun's house. A few steps later, Ma-kun called out to me.
"Suu-boy, promise me that when you find something you want to do, you'll talk to me about it, okay?"
"Sure, if there's something I want to talk about. I promise."
Once again, I nodded reluctantly, even though I could have talked about it right now. When we arrived at Ma-kun's house, other than Ma-kun being teased by his uncle and aunt for something, there were no scoldings or anything. My farewell party ended peacefully.
Two days later - I left with my mother, waving goodbye to Nao, Fumika, Ma-kun, and their guardians as we headed to the nearest train station.
Support Tangerine Translation on Ko-fi! 🍊 ko-fi.com/tangerinetranslation 🍊
Comments
Post a Comment