Chapter 66 Bewildering Spring
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
April arrived, and the cherry blossoms began to scatter.
Manami’s entrance ceremony was on the 2nd. Since it took less than twenty minutes by car, she decided to commute that way. Yuzuki, who entered the same university, decided to commute by train. Apparently, it was a fifteen-minute walk from the nearest station, so Manami had been picking her up there. However, since Yuzuki decided to continue track and field, she walked on the way back.
Since I had freshman guidance even before the entrance ceremony, I started attending university on the 2nd, the same as Manami. The commute took an hour and a half one way—three hours round trip. It was tough, but I had decided on this myself, so it couldn’t be helped.
On the first day of freshman guidance, I stopped by Watanabe-sensei’s office on the way home.
”Hirokazu-kun, I’m glad you came. Has school started already?” Watanabe-sensei asked.
”Thank you for the other day. It’s before the entrance ceremony, but guidance started today. I stopped by because nothing has been settled regarding being Kotoha-chan’s Home Tutor¹.”
”Ah, that’s right. Would starting next week be alright? How about Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 to 10:00 PM?” Watanabe-sensei suggested.
Considering my university timetable, starting at 8:00 PM was unavoidable. But getting home would be 11:30 PM… Since it was a request from Watanabe-sensei, I had no choice.
”That works for me,” I replied.
”5,000 yen per session is fine, right?” Watanabe-sensei said.
I felt that was quite high compared to the market rate, but since it was Watanabe-sensei’s kindness, I agreed to it.
”Ishii-san, could you come here for a moment?”
Watanabe-sensei poked his head out of the reception room and called someone. After a short while, a high-strung-looking woman wearing glasses arrived.
”This is Ishii Ayano-san, who became a lawyer this year. And this is Inamori Hirokazu-kun. He’s aiming to be a lawyer. Ishii-san is an OG² of your university, so you should ask her various things about the school. I have something next, so I’ll leave you to it.”
I was a bit troubled being suddenly left alone with her… but Ishii-san was actually quite friendly. She told me that the first thing people struggle with is registering for lectures. She taught me which classes were good to take besides the mandatory ones and how to earn credits efficiently.
During the freshman guidance, there was a bus hiking trip to deepen our interactions. The destination was the same zoo I had gone to with Manami. We were to compete for rankings in a stamp rally to win prizes. Participation was optional, so I had intended to go to the driving school I’d been attending since the day after graduation. However, Manami told me that making friends was necessary, so I ended up participating.
Inside the bus on the way there, we were split into teams of five or six. I ended up in a team of three boys and three girls. Okamura-kun, Shibayama-kun, and Fujita Mayu-san were students from outside the prefecture. The remaining two, Kato Misaki-san and Miura Anna-san, lived in the same city as the university.
Once we entered the zoo, there was a starting point where we were given a zoo map showing the stamp locations and a stamp sheet. Our entry time was written on the sheet. We had to collect five stamps.
The three from out of state were visiting the zoo for the first time. Kato-san and Miura-san hadn’t been there in over two years. Since I had visited six months ago, I looked at the map and did a quick simulation of a route that would let us see the popular animals while collecting stamps efficiently. However, in times like these, it’s better to let the girls take the lead.
The five of them, excluding me, discussed the route, but they couldn’t seem to decide.
”Why don’t we try going this way for now?” I suggested.
”Inamori-kun, have you been here before?” Fujita-san asked.
”No, but looking at the map, I just thought this way might be better,” I replied.
If I said I’d been here six months ago, they’d probably ask who I came with, so I played it off vaguely.
”Well, you should have said so sooner!” Okamura-kun said.
”You were just rambling and couldn’t decide anything anyway,” Miura-san muttered.
”At this rate, it might be better to just leave it to Inamori-kun,” Fujita-san said.
Kato-san didn’t say anything, perhaps because she was the quiet type.
The two boys, who had been sulking at first, were quick to switch gears and began chatting up the three girls. I was made to walk at the front, staring intently at the map.
Midway through, we ate the lunches provided at a designated spot. When only two stamps were left, Fujita-san came to my side.
”Sorry for making you act like the leader,” she said.
Just from that, I felt she was a proper, sensible girl. It’s just my personal opinion, but she was the cutest of the three girls. Even if she were placed among Manami, Yuzuki, and Emilia, she wouldn’t have looked out of place.
”Those two are really annoying,” she whispered.
I could hear them relentlessly trying to dig for personal information and doing nothing but boasting. They were exactly the type I was bad at dealing with.
”You’re a man of few words, aren’t you, Inamori-kun?” Fujita-san asked.
”I’m just shy and socially awkward, so I just don’t know what to talk about,” I replied.
”Have you decided which lectures to take? I’m having a hard time. I listened to the sophomore’s explanation, but I both understood and didn’t understand at the same time.”
She had the same impression I did. Since I had already heard Ishii-san’s explanation, I probably felt that even more strongly.
”I’ve mostly decided,” I said.
”Will you tell me later?” she asked.
”Sure, I don’t mind,” I replied.
While we were talking about such things, we reached the goal. We were the very first of the entire group. In the end, we ranked 4th. The prize was five notebooks. I wondered if they were telling us to study hard.
After returning to the university by bus, I went to the family restaurant Fujita-san had mentioned. When I went to the table she beckoned me to, Kato-san and Miura-san were there along with Fujita-san.
”One more person is coming, so wait a bit,” Fujita-san said.
Wait! Does this mean I’m going to be surrounded by four girls right after starting school?
Until the last person arrived, the three of them were badmouthing the two boys from earlier. I had no choice but to listen in silence with a wry smile. Even Kato-san, whom I thought was quiet, had blended in with the other two.
Once Takahashi Yuri-san, whom Fujita-san had met during guidance, arrived, I showed them my timetable. When I gave them the second-hand explanation I got from Ishii-san, they were quite impressed.
Finally, we created a group chat and parted ways.
”Inamori-kun, thanks!”
”Seriously, you’re a lifesaver!”
”Let’s keep in touch!~”
”Inamori-kun, you’re totally amazing!”
Manami told me to make friends, but they’re all girls. I wonder if this is okay?
—
Summary:
Hirokazu begins his university life with a long commute and secures a high-paying tutoring job through Watanabe-sensei. He meets a helpful alumna, Ishii Ayano, who gives him advice on course registration. During a mandatory-yet-optional zoo trip, he leads a group to a high finish by using his prior knowledge of the layout. By the end of the day, he finds himself befriending a group of four girls, much to his own surprise.
—
Character Insight:
Hirokazu shows a blend of social anxiety and competence. While he claims to be ‘socially awkward,’ he manages a group effectively at the zoo and draws people to him through his helpfulness with the timetable. His choice to hide that he previously visited the zoo with Manami suggests a desire to avoid unnecessary drama or questioning about his personal life, showing a protective boundary around his relationship with her.
—
Behind the Scene:
The transition to university often involves a ‘Freshman Guidance’ period in Japan, which includes ‘Bus Hiking’ or similar social events to prevent student isolation. The prize of notebooks is a classic ‘practical’ gift often seen in Japanese academic competitions.
—
T/L:
Notes:
• Watanabe – The protagonist’s guardian. He is a lawyer who is skilled at dealing with difficult people and has a history with Yabuta’s father.
• Kotoha – Junior high school student, middle school 3rd year (short height). Daughter of Watanabe-sensei. Energetic, playful, short hair in a ponytail.
• Inamori Hirokazu – The protagonist. He is an only child, born late to doting parents. Their constant attention and anticipation of his needs made him a classic ‘my-pace’ loner who struggles with self-expression. He sees himself as awkward and eccentric, and his aura apparently keeps people away, though his childhood friend thinks he’s a good guy.
• Emilia – A second-year student, biracial (French father, Japanese mother), with white skin, dark brown semi-long hair, modest chest, and hazel eyes. A talented hurdler known as the Snow Princess. Looks like bisque doll.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply