Volume 1 - CH 12

We took the train and then the bus in a little over an hour.

The bus was heading for the top of a small mountain. At the top of this mountain are the twin towers.

The towers, coming into view one by one, are truly super-luxurious. They must be the tallest buildings in the city.

It’s a tall building, and it’s expensive.

We settled in the very back of the bus, with only a few other passengers in the front.

Apparently, not many passengers take the bus to the tower at this time of the day.

“Hey, Himekawa. Do you have any future goals or objectives?”

I thought about the future and asked Himekawa about it.

Himekawa is a good student and well educated, but considering the current situation, I wondered if she had changed her mind a little, so I asked her.

“No, not at the moment…”

It was a surprising answer.

“Then why did you choose the school you’re in now?”

“My father told me to go here…”

“Ah, I see…”

“But I can play the piano, do flower arrangement, and dress kimonos!”

“Is Himekawa going to be a pianist, flower arrangement teacher, or even a kimono dressing class in the future?”

“Eh? Not particularly…”

“How come you can play the piano and stuff?”

Himekawa’s eyes are looking straight ahead, and her hands on her knees are clenched into fists.

Then she answers me, shaking her fist a little.

“My father told me I should learn it…”

Apparently, Himekawa’s father decided on both her lessons and school.

I don’t know if it was for Himekawa’s own good or not.

I have no way of knowing.

“Did Himekawa herself want to learn? Did you want to go to the school you’re going to now?”

“I don’t know. My father was rarely home, so I just did what he told me to do”

“I see. You’ll have to decide for yourself from now on. We’re still high school freshmen. But soon it will be time to decide the future. You’d better decide now what you want to do and what you think the future holds, okay?”

She raises her eyes and turns to me and asks me in a rather strong tone.

“Then, have you made up your mind, Tendo-kun? Do you know what you’re going to do in the future?”

“Me? I’ve made up my mind. That’s why I chose this school now, and I’ve told my parents about it. I’m not just going to school in a daze or working part-time, you know?”

Himekawa looked away from me as if my answer was a surprise.

I decided on my current career path about two years ago, after my maternal grandmother passed away.

I’ve told my family about my career path, but I’ve never told anyone at the school.

There are many people who are different from me, and I don’t see any point in talking about it, because I feel that it might cause more trouble.

“If you don’t mind, could you let me know?　I’d like to use it as a reference.”

What should I do now? Should I tell her, should I not tell her, or should I lie and cover it up?

We’re going to be spending a lot of time together from now on, and I feel like it’s useless to hide it.

If it was Himekawa, she would never tell anyone in her class.

If she did, it would only prove that Himekawa was just that kind of person and that I was not a good judge of people.

“Just for reference. I want to take over that boarding house. My grandmother used to run that boarding house, but she passed away a few years ago. I loved her, but she stayed in that boarding house until the end. My parents wanted to destroy it and sell the land, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to keep that house filled with memories of my grandma. That’s all…”

“I see. Is that what you want to do in the future, Tendo-kun?”

“Oh, I want to take over that boarding house and watch the house they left. A lot of people who were staying at the house came to say that they had been taken care of at Grandma’s funeral. They were all people I didn’t know, but I was really happy. That’s why I won’t let them destroy that boarding house yet”

I couldn’t help but look at Himekawa and force myself to explain. I was a little embarrassed at myself for doing so.

My face is probably getting red.

“She was a nice grandmother, wasn’t she? I wish I could have met her once.”

Instead of the upturned gaze of a moment ago, it was replaced by a gaze full of kindness.

Himekawa said she didn’t have any relatives, but she must have had a grandmother or grandfather in the past.

I’m sure Himekawa has such memories too.

While having this slightly embarrassing conversation, the bus stopped in front of the twin towers.

As we both got off the bus, we saw a tall apartment building in front of us that made our eyes blur.

We are the same people, but we live in such different worlds. How much money does someone who lives here have?

Himekawa started walking first, and I followed her.

The automatic door opens, and to my right is a machine with a button to push.

Himekawa operates the device, and the automatic door that leads to the back opens. The floor is covered with a red carpet.

Even though we were in an apartment building, we could see trees and a fountain in front of us. Is this an amusement park?

I was taken aback, but now I was walking around with my eyes dizzying from side to side and my head dizzying from side to side.

“It’s dangerous to look around like that, isn’t it?

I thought to myself, We’re both in danger.

I shouted in my mind.

We got on the elevator and went up quickly.

The top floor was the thirtieth floor. Himekawa pushed the button for the 29th floor. It was almost the top floor.

It must be expensive, both in terms of the distance from the ground and the purchase cost.

It’s definitely not something I can afford. The company president’s daughter must live in an amazing place.

The elevator stops, and we step out into the hallway, which is also carpeted.

The hallway was decorated with beautiful cut plants and flowers that were perfect for this time of the year. There’s no comparison to the bonsai I have at home.

Would Himekawa be able to live a satisfying life in a Showa-era boarding house from such an expensive apartment?

I can’t help but feel very uneasy.