Volume 13 Chapter 329 Shirogane Aqua, Goodbye, My Friend – Until We Meet Again
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Haa…”
When I walked into the living room, Shintaro’s mother, Kiyoko-san, let out a long sigh.
What happened? Was she worried about something? I straightened my back and stepped closer.
”What’s wrong? If it’s okay with you, I can listen,” I said.
”Aqua-kun… thank you. But I’m fine,” she answered with a small smile, the kind used to hide pain.
Ouch. She was clearly hurting, yet I could not help at all.
Even if I was a boy, I was still a kid. Maybe, to Kiyoko-san, I still looked too young to trust with trouble.
”Well, I should go now. Shin-chan will come home soon, and I need to get a few things ready,” she said.
Kiyoko-san stood up, said goodbye to my kaa-san and Agewa-san, then left.
Maybe I was being nosy, but if I could help her even a little, I wanted to try.
”Alright! Let’s do this!” I told myself.
I took a breath and walked toward my kaa-san. I had a feeling she knew something.
”Mom, I need to talk to you a bit,” I said.
”A-chan, what’s wrong? Did you… build up some need? Mama can take you to the near toilet and help you release, okay?” she offered with a grin.
It was a very tempting offer, but this time, something else came first.
I shook my head and cleared my throat.
”No, not that. I’m just worried. Kiyoko-san looked sad.”
”Oh, Kiyoko-san, yes. I understand her well as a mom. It’s very hard to be away from your child,” she said.
”…Huh?” I froze.
Away from her child? She meant Shintaro, right?
What, was Shintaro moving in with Awashima-san or something? No… if that was it, Kiyoko-san would look happier.
I watched girls more than food, so I could tell. If being apart made Shintaro happy, she would never show a sad face.
”Oh, sorry, A-chan. Mama has something to do, so I need to go,” she said.
”Ah, okay… be safe, Mom,” I said.
I hugged her and waved as she left for work.
I needed more information.
So I went to the next person who might know—Agewa-san.
”Agewa-san, I heard Shintaro is going somewhere…?” I asked.
”Shintaro-kun? Yes, that’s right. He and Kiyoko-san were talking about his study abroad earlier,” she said.
”Study abroad!?” I shouted, eyes wide.
”Oh, sorry! I thought you knew. I can’t say more, Aqua-kun. I must go to work too!” she said, and hurried after my mom.
Study abroad? Shintaro never said a word!
I rushed out of the Shirogane Kingdom, jumped on my bike, and headed to my sensei’s (teacher’s) house.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
I rang the bell many times until I heard fast steps from inside. The steps stopped at the door. Sugita-sensei peeked out, pushing her messy hair back.
”Haa, I told you many times, Sei— huh? Sh-Shirogane!?” she gasped.
She wore a loose T-shirt like sleepwear, the front a bit open, and my eyes burned the view into memory.
Wait… it was already past noon. Was she sleeping until now?
”Ah,” she said, face turning red as she covered her chest with her arms.
Then she noticed a silly bed hair strand sticking up. She turned even redder.
Sensei, please show that side of you when I’m in full relax mode, not now.
”Ahem! Sh-Shirogane. Why are you here on a day off? Do you have a problem?” she asked.
”Well… not really a problem, but I heard a rumor that Shintaro is going to study abroad,” I said.
Sugita-sensei looked away.
”So you heard the rumor. That means he didn’t tell you himself?” she asked.
”No,” I answered.
I could have lied and said Shintaro told me, but I was too honest.
Being honest was always best. I believed that.
”I’m sorry, but even if you are close to Mayuzumi, I can’t tell you about his personal matters. Please understand. A teacher must protect each student,” she said.
”Sugita-sensei, please marry me with Yui!” I blurted.
Sorry, Shintaro. This was your big moment, yet I still proposed without thinking.
I guess hearing he might leave shook me more than I knew.
Sugita-sensei blinked, then went bright red.
”I’m sorry. I shocked myself too, but you looked so cool that I just proposed,” I said.
”I-I see,” she whispered, but she didn’t look unhappy.
She coughed a few times to hide her face.
Good thing I said it to a smart, adult woman like her. If I had said it to the wrong person, things could have gone very bad.
”Shirogane… I still can’t speak about Mayuzumi. But you answered honestly even when you could lie. That is very good,” she said.
”Really!? Then please praise me!!”
Sugita-sensei said being honest was best.
If Shintaro was really going to study abroad, then I wanted to do something for him.
I came to Sugita-sensei to charge up my energy for that.
”I guess I have no choice,” she said with a small smile.
She reached out and gently patted my head.
”There, good boy. Shirogane, stay honest and true like this,” she said.
”Yes! Thank you very much!” I replied.
My mind felt clear again.
Shintaro was almost surely leaving.
There was only one thing I could do.
I thanked Sugita-sensei again and turned to leave.
”Oh, and it’s good to turn yourself in, but don’t trouble the police too much! Kohina Yukari-san even sent me a message about you!” she called.
”Yes! I understand!!” I said.
I walked to the bike area on the first floor of her building and sent a message to Ako-san.
—
*Shirogane Aqua*
I heard Shintaro might study abroad.
Did you know, Ako-san?
*Atori Ako*
Yes, I knew.
Sorry, I’m a bit busy with the planning. You know there is less than one week before he leaves, right?
So, sorry. Talk later.
—
Less than one week left!?
What? Not from winter break or spring break? It was that soon!?
I quickly sent an emergency call message to the whole class.
”I should invite Awashima-san and Tenga-senpai too…” I muttered.
Back at the Shirogane Kingdom, I borrowed a large room so everyone could talk.
After a short time, the full group I called gathered.
”Aqua. Everyone is here, but why are we hiding this from Shintaro?” someone asked.
Everyone nodded at Toa’s question.
I looked at all of them and spoke with a serious face.
”It seems Shintaro is going to study abroad.”
”What!?” everyone shouted together.
They froze with shock.
I waited a moment and spoke again.
”And he leaves in less than a week.”
”What!?” came the second loud scream.
Well, of course. I reacted the same way.
”Hey, Aqua. Is this another plan by ‘Berry-Berry’?” Toa asked.
Everyone nodded again.
I had wondered that too.
But I already checked with the producer. It wasn’t the staff of ‘Berry-Berry’.
The producer knew every idea in the show, and we had a promise to never lie when I asked seriously. Without that trust, the show would not work.
Because we trusted the producer, both Ako-san and I left all show matters to them.
”Sadly, it’s not that. I confirmed it myself with the producer. I hope you can trust me on this,” I said.
The room fell silent.
Everyone looked sad.
Only Toa let out a small breath and looked at me calmly.
”So, Aqua, why did you call us? You must have a reason, right?” he asked.
”Yes.”
I turned to the whiteboard and wrote big letters.
When I thought about what I could do for Shintaro before he went far away… one idea came clearly.
”We’ll do it. Let’s sing ‘Shikiori (Season by Season)’ together again!!”
I truly felt this was the only answer.
Everyone lifted their heads.
”Yes, let’s do it! I was so happy when everyone sang for Kokona too!” Kokona said.
Lisa and Uruha nodded.
”Yes, of course~desuwa. I’m sure Mayuzumi-san will be happy~desuwa,” one girl added.
”Yeah! Let’s do it like last time!” another said.
Voices rose one after another.
…Thank you, everyone.
We worked fast to finish “Season by Season” while keeping it secret from Shintaro.
A few days later…
”Shintaro, I need to talk. Can you give me some time?” I asked.
”Ah, yes. I also wanted to talk to you, Aqua,” he said.
I led him to the gym.
When he stepped inside, his eyes went wide.
On stage, our classmates stood ready. The gym was full of students and teachers. We even invited Kiyoko-san, Tenga-senpai, and Awashima-san.
”Shintaro… I heard. You’re going to study abroad,” I said.
”Y-yeah…” he answered.
I stepped away from him, walked to the stage, and took the mic.
”Shintaro… if things get hard over there, remember this song. Season by Season, let’s go!”
Music began.
It was the same orchestra version we sang for Kokona.
Class 2A sang with tears in their eyes, guided by Tenga-senpai.
As lead singer, I put all my shaking feelings into the words.
Kiyoko-san and Awashima-san’s eyes shone.
When 2A and Tenga-senpai finished the song, loud cheers and claps filled the gym.
”Shintaro…”
I picked up a bouquet.
My mom, a flower pro, had trained me all week. It was a one-of-a-kind bouquet made only for Shintaro.
”Stay well over there, okay?”
”Aqua…” Shintaro whispered.
I planned to smile and send him off without tears. But they still spilled from my eyes.
Come on, get it together at the end, I told myself.
A man should only cry when family dies or he loses his wallet, right?
This wasn’t our final goodbye. In one year, Shintaro would come back.
Even so, the thought of him not being by my side hurt.
Toa, on my left, wiped his tears with one hand and grabbed my shirt with his shaking other.
On my right, Tenga-senpai didn’t even rub his eyes. He stood still and cried like a waterfall.
”Um… everyone, thank you…” Shintaro said.
Don’t worry about it, best friend. This is what friends do.
At least let us do this much.
”I’m very happy. But… I’m also very surprised,” he said.
I nodded while crying.
We worked so hard to prepare all this without him knowing.
He hid his study abroad from me too, so this surprise should be fair.
”Well… I don’t know much, but I didn’t know people send someone off like this for a one-week short study trip,” he added.
Ha… one week— wait. What did he just say?
One week? Was that a new kind of spell?
I cupped my hand to my ear like a politician who got fired for too many hot spring trips.
”Shintaro. What did you just say? Before the ‘big send-off’ part,” I asked.
”The one-week short study abroad?” he repeated.
Something was wrong. Maybe I suddenly went deaf.
My tears stopped at once, and my face went blank.
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Toa beside me or anyone behind us.
”No no no! That’s not right at all!” I shouted.
”Aqua, why are you speaking in Kansai style like Inko-san now?” someone asked.
Hey, this wasn’t my fault!
Look at Kiyoko-san’s face, Mom’s reaction, Sugita-sensei’s expression— none of that looked like a one-week thing!
Kiyoko-san gave me a sorry look.
”I’m so sorry. I’m a grown woman, yet I felt so sad about being away from Shin-chan for one week. I’m a bad mother, aren’t I?” she said.
”No, that’s normal, Mayuzumi-san,” a teacher said. “Being apart from your underage son for a week in a far country is something any parent would worry about. That is why our school worked closely with the Kokucho Councilman and Prime Minister Habu, and also with Atori Ako, to keep Mayuzumi-kun safe. Please rest easy.”
Oh… right. This world was different from the one I came from.
I thought I had gotten used to it, but I was wrong.
A boy studying abroad, even for one week, was a very big deal here.
My classmates spoke to Kiyoko-san.
”We don’t have kids, but we understand how you feel!”
”Mayuzumi-kun, be careful. The outside world is really dangerous.”
”Yes. In Japan you have… um… kind older sisters watching from the shadows, but overseas you don’t get that.”
”Right. You studied abroad in middle school, but it’s still risky, so stay alert.”
I turned my head away so far it hurt, ignoring Toa tugging at my sleeve.
Tenga-senpai… still crying? It’s only one week!
”You scared us, Aqua! You said he might study abroad for a year! But if you think about it, if it was that long, Shintaro would tell us. He’s serious and would not leave his BERYL fans without a word. Sorry, I got shaken when you said ‘study abroad’,” someone said.
True…
You’re right. Shintaro would never leave for a long time without saying goodbye to BERYL fans.
Why didn’t I notice such a simple thing?
I must have been so shocked that I couldn’t think.
My strength left and I fell to my knees.
”Best friend, thank you. I was really happy,” Shintaro said.
”I’m glad you feel that way,” I answered.
He pulled me back up.
I misunderstood everything, but Shintaro was happy, and the trip was short, so… it was fine.
* * *
And that was the huge misunderstanding.
Even Toa and the others who didn’t know the details panicked so much that no one noticed it was only a week. And the people who did know were called there without knowing about the plan, so they couldn’t stop it.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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