Episode Six: “I’m Home” and “Welcome Back” — November 2032 —
The second-years were due back from their school trip after six o’clock this evening. Sitting alone in the empty second-choice classroom, marking a short test, I sighed.
It being Friday, I’d prepared for our weekly study session and waited, but with Uehara-san unable to come, it meant no students would attend.
The study session was scheduled to run until half past five. I was thinking of staying in the classroom until then when the playground suddenly grew noisy.
‘Teacher, are you still at school? The bus arrived early, so I thought I’d pop by.’
It was a message from Uehara-san. It seemed the second-years had returned to school ahead of schedule.
I checked the situation outside through the window. Realising I was searching for Uehara-san among the crowd of students, I turned away from the window as if fleeing.
‘I’m in the second choice classroom. I’ll wait.’
I replied quietly, then pretended nothing was amiss and returned to marking.
My heart fluttered just a little, surely because the message arrived just as I was feeling lonely and empty about the study session where no one was coming.
After a while, a single set of footsteps drew nearer.
“I’m back, Sensei! Did you miss me?”
The moment Uehara-san stepped into the classroom, the air seemed to shift strangely – likely due to her vibrant presence.
“Welcome back. It was only three days since I last saw you.”
“You just don’t get it, Sensei. Time spent apart from someone you love, even a single day, even an hour, is lonely.”
She, who only recently claimed to know nothing of love, now spoke of it with an air of superiority.
It didn’t bother me, but her direct appeal left me unsure how to respond.
Though I never voiced it, I understood the loneliness of being apart from someone you care for.
In my case, there were times I couldn’t see them for months, so I knew it all too well.
“Here, this is a souvenir for you, Sensei.”
“Ah… thank you so much for going to the trouble. May I see what’s inside?”
“Sure. I picked it entirely based on my own taste, but no complaints accepted.”
Uehara-san flashed her white teeth as she said this. What on earth had she bought me? I took a square box out of the bag. It was bear curry.
“I’ve never tried that before… I’m delighted. I’ll savour it properly.”
When buying souvenirs, you always have to think about the person you’re giving them to. That’s why, having no friends, I’d hardly ever received souvenirs myself.
The reason my heart feels so warm right now isn’t just because I got bear curry, but because I was so pleased Uehara-san had thought of me when choosing a souvenir.
“If I’d had more money, I would’ve bought loads of crab and sea urchin! It was amazing! The seafood was so delicious, I was shocked! Even the conveyor belt sushi there is totally different from ours! It was so shocking, our group only went to restaurants during free time!”
Seeing Uehara-san chattering more than usual, I couldn’t help but smile. Her excited, childlike manner was adorable.
“Uehara-san, did you enjoy the school trip?”
“Yeah! It was brilliant! It was my first time in Hokkaido, but the food was delicious, the atmosphere was great, it’s a really lovely place! Maybe the season was just perfect!”
Listening to Uehara-san talk about Hokkaido’s charms as if a fire had been lit in her again, I began tidying up today’s study session, which nobody had attended. I shut down the laptop and packed the stationery into my bag.
“Ryōka seems to have taken a liking to Hokkaido too, you know. She’s saying she might go to university there.”
I stopped what I was doing without meaning to.
“Is that so? I thought Sasaki-san’s original plans were…”
“She was fine with any private arts university in Tokyo, really. Until a week ago, that is.”
“I see…”
If she ends up going to university in Hokkaido, will her parents give their permission? Can this school provide sufficient information about universities there?
I’m neither Sasaki-san’s form tutor nor her careers advisor, but as a teacher, my concerns come first.
“If she’s just saying it on a high from the school trip, that’s fine. But Ryoka has this single-minded streak once she decides on something. I really think she might go through with it.”
“What do you think about Sasaki-san going to university in Hokkaido, Uehara-san?”
“Of course I’d be lonely. But telling her that won’t change her mind. If she were getting mixed up with some bad guy, I’d stop her with everything I’ve got. But when it comes to her future path, I don’t intend to interfere either.”
Uehara-san has many friends, but it seems Sasaki-san is the only one she truly confides in as a close friend. How terribly lonely it must be for such an important friend to move so far away that they can’t meet easily.
“Incidentally, have you already decided on your own path, Uehara-san?”
Looking at the destinations of graduates over the last few years, the overwhelming majority go on to university, junior college, or vocational school.
So I’d vaguely assumed Uehara-san would be going on to further education too.
The supplementary lessons after the first term exams, which had been the catalyst for us becoming close, were an irregular occurrence for her. She’d never scored below average, and her overall ranking had never been poor either.
“I’m planning to get a job for now. Haven’t decided on the type of work at all, though.”
That’s why I was surprised to hear Uehara-san mention employment.