Episode 1 – The Highschool I was planning to attend closed

It was early March, when the cold weather had eased and the snow in the mountains had finally melted.

I, Itsuki Jinpei, came home from helping my grandfather hunt wild boar and found myself at a crossroads in my life at the age of 15.

The reason for this was a single incoming call from my junior high school homeroom teacher. I heard the message left on the answering machine and rushed to school in my clothes.

“Is it true that the high school I was supposed to go to has been closed, Sensei?”

“Oh, Itsuki. You’re here very early, aren’t you?”

A strange woman, who was slightly surprised to see me running out of breath, asked me about it while drinking a cup of coffee. This is my homeroom teacher, Katsuragi Natsumi.

It sounds nice to say that it is a quiet place, but in reality, it’s a country town that hits you at the same time. The number of elderly people is much larger than the number of young people, and the number of students can be counted on two hands.

“I thought you wouldn’t be here until after dark. Perhaps today’s hunt didn’t go so well?”

“I managed to kill one ! Please don’t take my grandpa for a fool—now is not the time to talk about that !”

“It’s good that you have energy. You’re also very good at tsukkomi, which is great.”

“There is nothing good about that ! What will happen to me if my high school is closed?”

Isn’t she too optimistic when her own students are feeling anxious and impatient about their future? It’s a situation that has just happened, but it’s the one thing we can count on, so I need you to be firm.

“There is no good in being impatient. Be calm and composed. It’s like a quiet forest. In times like this, it is important to keep a calm mind.”

“It’s true that impatience is the biggest trap, but isn’t it too late now if we don’t rush like the wind?”

“Hahaha ! What are you saying, Itsuki? It’s already too late. All normal high schools have already finished their entrance examinations long ago.”

“There’s no blood or tears !? Are you still my homeroom teacher !”

My heart is in tatters.

“You’re unusually impatient, Itsuki. Did you miss when I said [normal high school]?”

“……Don’t tell me.

“There are still high schools that are holding entrance exams at this time of the year. They are a bit unusual, though.”

While saying this with a somewhat proud look on her face, Katsuragi sensei took out a pamphlet from her desk drawer.

“My alma mater, [Amanohashidate Academy]. I’m an alumnus and homeroom teacher, and I can guarantee you that you will pass the exam.”

Katsuragi sensei spoke with an unusually serious expression on her face. I took the pamphlet and flipped through the pages. It is said that there is a president who started a business as a junior high school student and achieved sales of several hundred million a year, as well as an outstanding student who will change the history of women’s short-distance sports in Japan. This is an amazing school.

“Amanohashidate Academy holds an entrance examination for students who wish to enroll for one year apart from the regular entrance examination, except for the Bon and New Year holidays. Do you imagine it’s like a correspondence high school where you can transfer in or out at any time?”

“But that’s when you accept transfer students or transfer students, isn’t it 　In my case, the situation is a little different because I’m a new student, right?”

“That’s one of the things that makes this school different. We have a relief program for students who were not able to take the exam for various reasons. The day after tomorrow, that exam will be held.”

“If I pass that exam, does that mean I won’t have to waste my time?”

A single thread of information dropped into my head when I was at the bottom of the pit. How could I choose not to grab it? No, there is no choice. But as if to say that she would not let that happen, Katsuragi sensei’s expression clouded over slightly.

“There are a few problems. In the worst case scenario, if you decide to enroll, you’ll have to move to Tokyo.”

“……Eh?”

A stupid voice leaks out. I never thought I would be forced to make the decision to leave the place where I was born and raised.

“I’ll take care of all the necessary procedures if you’re interested in taking the exam. There’s not much time left before the exam, but you need to talk it over with your family, okay?”

Katsuragi sensei’s suggestion was a ray of hope that brought me up from rock bottom. If I could grab it and pass the exam, I would not have to waste time in high school. But the problem is what happens after that. Going to a high school in the city would of course mean leaving this place–my grandfather’s place.

It would be a bit sad to leave my grandpa, who raised me this far, instead of my parents, who are working abroad.

“I can understand why you are worried. It’s hard to make a decision easily. I don’t know if it’ll push you, but….there is a girl who is a childhood friend of yours who goes to this school.”

“……Hmm? Childhood friend? By any chance, do you mean Kanna?”

There’s only one person I can think of when I think of a childhood friend. I used to hang out with a girl my age who lived in the neighborhood, but she moved away due to her parents’ work. I haven’t seen her for over ten years, but I remember her face well.

“That’s right, that girl. If I remember correctly, her full name is Kanna Hanazono, right?  I’m sure her full name is Hanazono Kanna, right? Are you happy?”

“If you ask me if I’m happy or not, I’m happy, but I don’t know if she remembers me……”

After all, I haven’t had any contact with her since she moved. Since I was still a child, I didn’t have a smartphone or anything like that, so I didn’t know her contact information, and I kept trying to send her letters and giving up on them until now. It’s hard to believe that I remember such a heartless childhood friend, but it’s also true that I want to meet her.

“I think it’s up to you to do your best in that area. Come on, Itsuki, keep up the good work☆”

“…..It’s messed up.”

Entering high school. A reunion with a childhood friend. I think about what I would say if I told my grandfather about this.

“I’ve met Grandpa Itsuki a few times, so I think I know at least a little bit about his personality. So I’m sure he would say something like—“

‘Don’t worry about me, go breathe the city air.’

“—-As expected of Sensei. You know my grandpa very well.”

What Katsuragi sensei said was told to me by my grandpa, who I lived with on a regular basis, to the point that I could hear it like an octopus in my ears.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel uneasy about leaving him alone. But when I told him that, he said, [Don’t treat me like an old man ! I’m still working !] It’s good that you have so much energy, but you should take care of yourself, because you are going to be 80 soon.

“Thank you, Sensei. I’ll take the test at that school. I’m sure Grandpa will laugh and forgive me. The question is, where will I live?”

I was worried about money, but first and foremost, I needed to secure a place to live. I can’t spend my senior year of high school in a park.

“You won’t have a problem with that. I have an apartment available that I bought with a one-time cash payment, so you can live there. It’s within walking distance of the school and it’s a newer building, which is a luxury for a student living alone.”

“……Sensei, who in the world are you?”

“Fufufu. Women are supposed to be beautiful by dressing up their secrets.”

Katsuragi sensei says the lines of any blonde Hollywood actress with a smug look on her face. This is frustrating.

I sighed and tossed the pamphlet on the desk. I wonder if she has some kind of disease that kills her if she doesn’t joke around after every serious talk. My gratitude is ruined by this.

“But, Sensei, thank you for giving me a chance. I’ll do my best.”

“Don’t worry. If you put in your usual effort, you should be able to pass with ease. You are by far the most talented person I’ve ever met.”

“I’m flattered, Sensei.”

“I’m not flattering you, but…well, it’s okay.I’ll give you some past questions, so you can look over them. I’ll drive you to the school on the day of the exam. I’ll call you later with the details.”

“Thank you for everything. I’m going home now. I have to explain to my grandfather about the situation.”

I also need to inform my parents who are overseas. Considering the time difference, I should probably call them tomorrow morning. I turned on my heel and left the staff room.

＊＊＊＊＊

I, Katsuragi Natsumi–watched the back of my too-good-to-be-true student as he left the staff room–letting out a sigh while cowering my shoulders.

“Haa……Itsuki is impatient after all. I’m not finished with my story yet, and he’s leaving.”

It was this morning that I received a report that the high school that Itsuki was supposed to go to had been closed. The sudden situation was a surprise not only to me, the homeroom teacher, but also to all the teachers in the staff room at the time.

“But it was convenient for me,……even though Itsuki might get angry with me for saying so.”

The school’s brochure for Amanohashidate Academy, which Itsuki had left on the desk, was in his hand.

“It seems like he was looking at the pamphlet, but he missed the important part. Well, he must have been upset, so it’s understandable.”

It seemed like he was flipping through it, but the words written on the first page were the most important thing he had failed to convey to him.

“[Gather round, geniuses.] I don’t want to speak ill of my alma mater, but how could you write that without shame?

I wish they wouldn’t include such inflammatory phrases in the school’s brochure. It would cause an explosion of empathy-shame.

However, there is no lie in these words. Amanohashidate Academy is one of the most prestigious schools in Japan, with an escalating system of elementary, junior high, high school, and university. Among its graduates are many politicians, world-famous researchers, and athletes.

Therefore, only a very limited number of students are even allowed to take the entrance exam, which is why I would not normally recommend this school, even if it is to save a student from the danger of being a high school washout who was unlucky enough to fall into the same situation as a student who was not able to attend high school.

“Well, if it’s Itsuki, there won’t be any problem. I’m talking about that guy. In the worst case, he might get the highest score and get special admission.”

Although born and raised in the countryside, Itsuki Jinpei is not ordinary. The only person who thinks he is ordinary is himself. In the first place, I had intended for him to take the entrance exam for Amanohashidate Academy from the beginning, and when I consulted him about his career path, I had given him a pamphlet about other schools. Well, he didn’t even pay attention to it.

“Fufufu. I think there would be a panic if a student from outside took the exam for relief measures and became a scholarship student.”

Would the teachers be excited or bewildered by this first accomplishment in more than a decade? It’s a shame that I can’t directly see what the reaction will be.

Now, I’d better get ready to go. First, I’m going to call my shitty mentor—“

A few days later.

As I had predicted, Itsuki Jinpei passed with flying colors, scoring the highest ever in the school’s examinations, which attracted the most talented students from all over Japan. It’s a bit much to get a score that will go down in the history of the school, you idiot.

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