Episode Five: Rio Kakei: Past Story Part 2 ―April 2024 to March 2025―
From the very next day onwards, every single day at lunchtime, Hisako-san would come over to talk to me.
It was always such utterly trivial, pointless chatter that I never knew how to respond.
“I’m just dreadful at getting up in the mornings. I don’t feel I can manage with just my phone alarm, so I set a proper alarm clock. But the bell is so terribly loud that my neighbour complained. Manufacturers really ought to put more thought into their designs, don’t you think?”
“Rather than the alarm being loud, perhaps the complaint came because you take so long to get up that it keeps ringing endlessly?”
“…Is that it⁉ Rio, you’re a genius, aren’t you⁉”
“Look Rio, I bought a new skirt! What do you think?”
“Didn’t you already have one like it?”
“No, I didn’t! …Well, I have one that’s similar, but…”
“Hey Rio, what kind of music do high schoolers listen to these days? Any recommendations?”
“…People who’re taking over from the old guard, maybe?”
“The fifth generation K SOUL SISTERS?”
“Rabbity…”
“My-myon, right?”
“Er… I often go out at night…”
“YOFUKASHI. So Rio, you don’t listen to much music, do you?”
“…Sorry. I mean, I’m not deliberately getting it wrong.”
I probably said nothing but things to disappoint Hisako-san. Yet even to me, who could only ever offer stiff, dull replies, Hisako-san always offered a gentle smile.
Looking back, the only time I managed to have a proper back-and-forth conversation with Hisako-san was probably when we talked about classical literature.
“Murasaki Shikibu completed The Tale of Genji while serving Lady Shōshi, daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga. But it seems only Shōshi and a very limited circle within the court read it.”
“And now it’s adopted in textbooks, becoming literature every child educated in Japan encounters at least once? If Murasaki Shikibu were to time-slip to the present day, she’d be thrilled, wouldn’t she?”
“Hehe, time travel? What an amusing notion! If she actually did time-slip here, she’d probably be utterly thrilled to see us exchanging messages on our smartphones.”
When Hisako-san talked to me about classical literature, her face truly looked delighted.
“Rio, you… do you perhaps like classical studies?”
“It’s just normal.”
“I see. It’s a field that becomes more fascinating the more you study it, so I’d be delighted if you developed an interest. I’m on the fast track here, but are you planning to stay on that path? Or take external entrance exams? Have you decided on any future dreams yet?”
“No. I’m only listening to my parents’ wishes for now, but I haven’t decided anything yet.”
Somehow, I do want to go to a university far enough away that I couldn’t commute from home, but I probably won’t be allowed to.
“I see… As a teacher, I want to support my students in pursuing what they want to do as much as possible. If you ever have any worries, please come and talk to me straight away.”
“Ah… thank you.”
I found myself fixated on the phrase ‘as a teacher’.
The days passed, leaving that vague question unresolved.
◆
I can’t recall when it started. I can’t pinpoint the trigger for ‘this side’.
Before I knew it, I had begun looking forward to my time with Hisako-san… and to treasure it.
Most students probably make at least one close friend as high school progresses, or settle into their class a little. But even by the third term, I remained isolated. Sports Day? Culture Festival? I have no memory of them.
My position within the class hadn’t changed, but if I wasn’t imagining things, my closeness with Hisako-san had grown.
In proportion to that, Japanese class became my favourite. Studying and reading constantly meant my grades shot up.
When Hisako-san handed me the final term’s ranking sheet, she looked unusually pleased.
“Here you are, Rio. You’ve worked hard.”
I sensed it too, having felt the tangible results myself. Returning to my seat to check, I saw my results on the ranking sheet: first place in Language and Culture for the subject-specific rankings, and… first place overall too.
Though I’d consistently ranked within the top ten in the year before, this was my first time taking first place. Shock hit me first.
I looked at Hisako-san, summarising the results. Our eyes met, and she gave me a soft smile, one only I could understand.
A warm feeling filled my chest. More than taking first place, I was delighted that Hisako-san was pleased for me.
As homeroom ended and I prepared to leave, a classmate addressed me – something unusual.
“Kakei-san, are you perhaps a fan of Arakawa Natsuko-san?”
It was Shirogasaki-san who spoke. With her striking, slender eyes suggesting strong will and a refined face, she changed her hairstyle daily. In stark contrast to me, she was fashionable and possessed high feminine appeal.
She belonged to a prominent group in class. Though I’d only interacted with her when necessary, she consistently ranked top in our year academically.
And Arakawa Natsuko-san was the novelist I admired most right now – the one who’d won the Naoki Prize the year before last.
“…That’s true, but how did you know?”
“You were reading ‘Cosmos and Dandelions’ during break, weren’t you? I love that one too, I was dying to talk about it!”
Shirogasaki-san spoke politely with an elegant smile. She was both a skilled conversationalist and listener, making even shy me relax and enjoy chatting. I realised that being popular in class was synonymous with being charming.
“So you like books, Kakei-san. Are you good at Japanese too?”
“No. Liking reading doesn’t seem to translate to good marks in modern Japanese. This time, Language and Culture was fine, but modern Japanese dragged my average down as usual.”
“It was fine? But this term’s final was difficult… Hey, could it be that you were top overall, Kakei-san?”
“Ah, yes.”
Seeing no reason to lie, I answered honestly.
“Wow, congratulations, Kakei-san! That’s amazing!”
She congratulated me with a smile, and I thought she was as kind as her reputation suggested. Since we shared a common interest in reading, I thought I might try talking to her when I discovered interesting books.
But from the very next day, I started getting bullied.