The walk from Takahashi's apartment to the mall was a relatively quick one. We only had to make a few turns and cross one major street; a mere fifteen minutes had passed, and we had already reached our destination. Honestly, I wish the walk would have taken a little longer. The atmosphere in this neighborhood was pretty nice and laidback; definitely more peaceful than our old one in Taito. The closer you got to downtown, the busier it got. Sometimes I couldn't even get a full night's sleep because of the noise.
"Yeah," I thought to myself, "I like this place."
"This is kinda small, isn't it?" Sana said, sounding a little disappointed. She was right, though. Compared to Nakamise's shopping area, this place was small. The building was two stories tall, with a courtyard area in the middle of the horseshoe shaped building. Each floor looked to have three or four different stores, cafes, or restaurants, each of which had its own bright sign. The one that stood out the most was a large green sign on the front of the complex that read "Summit" with white outlines of mountains in the background.
"I think it's cool," I said as I walked into the courtyard.
"Hey kid," I heard Takahashi say from behind me. "We need to go up there." I turned around to see him pointing at the stairs to the left of the courtyard entrance. I jogged over to the stairs and quickly climbed them, nearly tripping on the last step.
"Slow down, we've got plenty of time," Takahashi warned me. I slowed my pace and peered into the windows of each shop I could see. There was a French style café, a mini-mart, and a bookstore on the left side; towards the rear, there was one department store simply named "The Store," and on the right side of the complex were a game store, liquor store, and a popular fast-food joint.
"We're going in there," Takahashi instructed, pointing to The Store. We made our way in through the sliding glass doors and were promptly greeted by one of the cashiers. Takahashi waved at her, and led us to the far side of the store where the bedding was located.
"Go ahead and pick one out, kid," Takahashi told me, gesturing at all the different futons and mattresses. I grabbed the cheapest one I could find, and picked up a nicer set of sheets to go with it. I could hear Takahashi let out a sigh of relief at what I assumed was my choice to purchase the least expensive futon. Considering everything he was doing for us, I figured saving him a few dollars here and there was the least I could do.
"Should we see about clothes?" Sana asked gleefully.
"Sure, let's go check it out," Takahashi said as Sana grabbed his hand and led him to the girls' clothing. I lagged behind them, keeping my eyes peeled for anything interesting; sadly, nothing piqued my interest. I started flipping through the shirts looking for a few to get. Typically, I would've gotten something with a funny saying like "Who's handsome? This guy!" written across the chest, but today I felt like getting something plain. I picked out four shirts, each a different shade of gray, black, or blue. then moved on to pants. I picked out three pairs, two black, one khaki, and slung them over my shoulder. I also picked out a pack of underwear and socks, then walked in the direction of Sana and Takahashi.
"I think I'm all done here if you're ready to go," I told Takahashi. He looked at all of my selections with a worried expression.
"Don't worry, they were on clearance," I started.
"No, not that. You didn't get a pair of shoes," Takahashi retorted, pointing to my beat-up Nike's.
"Are you sure that's OK? This feels like a lot," I said in a low voice.
"Didn't I already tell you not to worry about the money?" Takahashi reminded me.
"Well, yeah," I responded.
"Go grab a nice pair of shoes," Takahashi said, waving me away. I shuffled over to the footwear section and began my search for something to my liking. I scanned the shelves, but each pair was either too small or a weird color. I walked around to the other side of the aisle, and on my way around I saw a pair of white Nike trainer shoes like the pair I was wearing. I looked at the price tag, where a red clearance sticker attached to it.
"Five-thousand Yen, not bad," I thought to myself, "I wonder if they fit?" I tried them on immediately. They were a little big, but I figured for that price, a little big was just fine. I took off my find, putting my own pair back on, then replaced them in their box. I picked up the box and made my way back to Takahashi and Sana once more.
"Got all you need?" Takahashi asked, looking at my spoils.
"I think so," I answered, "What about you Sana?"
"Yeah, I have everything I want! Look at this cool shirt!" Sana exclaimed, pointing at a black shirt with a collage of famous anime characters plastered across the chest.
"Are you making fun of me?" I inquired.
"Yeah," she replied with a smile.
"Idiot," I said as I walked to the cashier.
"After this, we're going to stop by the bookstore and the café. I'm hungry, and I'd like to see what new manga there are this week," Takahashi said as he handed the cashier cash.
"Sounds good," I said, trying to hide my excitement. I hadn't been to a bookstore in a few months and was itching to see any new releases.
"I'm hungry too," Sana whined as we walked out of the store, "Do they have sandwiches?"
"The last time I was here, they did. The menu changes though," Takahashi replied.
"They better have sandwiches," Sana mumbled as we stopped in front of the bookstore.
"Should we go in here first?" Takahashi asked, already walking into the bookstore. I looked up at the light blue sign above the door, which read "Wonderland Books and More," and followed Takahashi in.
"What was the point of asking?" Sana complained as she followed behind me. After following Takahashi, we ended up in the manga section of the shop. It wasn't particularly large, occupying only two corner walls and an aisle, but most of what I could see looked to be relatively new.
"I've got what I want, so I'm gonna go look at the collectibles," Takahashi said, clutching three volumes of a manga, though I couldn't tell which one. Sana followed him in the direction of the collectibles.
"Finding everything alright?" Asked a voice behind me. I turned around to see a pretty girl wearing an apron with the store name embroidered on the top. Her hair was slightly longer than shoulder-length, and was a very dark shade of black. Her soft features had completely captivated me.
"I said 'finding everything alright?'" The girl asked again.
"O-oh, yeah, thanks," I said, totally flustered; I could feel my face turn red, so I looked back at the shelves.
The girl giggled and said, "OK! Let me know if you need anything!" and walked back towards the checkout area.
"Thanks," I mumbled, my face still hot from embarrassment. I continued to browse for a few minutes, but nothing really piqued my interest.
"Touma, you ready to go?" Takahashi yelled at me from the entrance. The man truly had no social awareness.
"Yeah, I'm coming. And keep your voice down, we're in a bookstore," I scolded.
"Thanks for coming in!" The girl said from behind the counter. I waved at her and hurriedly left the shop.
"Who was that?" Takahashi asked with a wide grin, "She's cute."
"I don't think you're allowed to say that about someone my age," I said, my face beginning to cool down. We went one door over to the café, and I noticed that apart from the red letters above the shop reading "Café," I didn't see any signs indicating the name.
"What's this place called?" I asked Takahashi.
"Café. Can't you read?" He replied in a way that made me feel stupid. We sat down at the counter in front of the window, occupying three of the four barstools, our bags spilling off of the fourth. Takahashi and Sana went to order drinks and food, but I stayed seated on my barstool. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but we had been on our feet for a couple hours, so it felt good to sit down. As I looked out the window, I noticed that the little shopping center was surprisingly busy, though most of the people were just going to the fast-food chain. I checked my phone for the time.
"Geez, it's already past five?" I said to myself.
"Did you say something?" Sana asked as the pair walked back with food and drink in tow.
"Just talking to myself," I explained. "What did we get?"
"I got you a cherry soda and a ham and cheese croissant," Takahashi said, setting the items in front of me. The condensation from the soda can immediately began to pool on the counter. I took the croissant out of its bag and ate it in four large bites, then downed the soda in mere seconds.
"Didn't know you were that hungry," Takahashi said, amazed by how quickly I had eaten. "If I knew I woulda got you more food."
"I think this was enough food, thanks though," I said as I wiped soda and crumbs from my mouth. "Which manga did you get?"
"None of your…"
"High School GxG," Sana blurted out.
I stared at Takahashi in silence.
"You caught me," Takahashi said, his mouth forming a tight-lipped smile as he glared at Sana, who was happily finishing off her sandwich. "Is there anything else you guys need?"
"Toiletries," I said. "I think I saw a FamilyMart on the way here though, so we can just get that stuff there."
"Sounds good," Takahashi responded as he stood up. "Let's get going then."
As we walked back towards the apartment, I noticed once again how calm the atmosphere in this neighborhood was. A gentle breeze blew between the buildings stirring up the scent of wet asphalt, and the street was flooded with the evening sun. Some of the buildings housed various shops and restaurants, and other buildings housed apartments similar to Takahashi's.
After walking for roughly ten minutes, we approached the FamilyMart I had seen on the way to the shopping complex.
"Let's make it quick," Takahashi said as he eyed his bag. "Here's some money, you just run in and get your stuff."
"I only need a couple things," I said as I walked in the store after taking the money from Takahashi's outstretched hand.
"Welcome," An older man greeted from behind the counter. "How can I help you?"
"Do you know where toothpaste is?" I asked.
"Right over there," he replied, a bony finger pointing at the far-right corner of the shop.
"Thanks," I said as I walked to the area he had specified. Once I had reached my destination, I scanned each shelf for what we needed, picked out two toothbrushes, a tube of toothpaste, and a stick of deodorant, then walked back to the counter to check out.
"Find everything alright?" The old man asked with a smile.
"I think so," I responded as I handed him Takahashi's money.
"Have a good night," he said, giving me my change. I walked out of the store and met Takahashi and Sana in front.
"All good?" Takahashi asked, his face practically buried in one of his new manga.
"Yeah, let's get back," I answered as I began walking again.
The sun had nearly finished setting in the five minutes it took for us to get back to the apartment, and the streetlights started to turn on. Sana and I followed Takahashi up the rusty stairs and to his door at the end of the balcony.
"Well that was fun," Sana said through a yawn, "but I'm tired now."
"Are you kidding?" I asked as we walked through the door. "It's barely six-thirty."
"Unlike you, I wasn't asleep for four hours during the day," She replied as she took off her shoes. "I'm gonna get ready for bed. Can I have a toothbrush and that thing of toothpaste?"
I nodded and handed her the bag, then went to sit on the couch in the living room. I looked at the entertainment stand, which housed an FS4 console and three shelves of movies and T.V. shows.
"You want to play on the Funstation?" Takahashi asked, pointing at the console.
"Depends on which games you have," I said, trying to find a comfortable spot on the couch.
"I have Uber Slash Bros, Battlezone, and a bunch of single player games," He said, counting each one on his fingers.
"Maybe a game of USB?" I asked.
"Sure, but I won't go easy on you," He said as he grabbed the two remotes and turned on the console.
An hour and a half later, Takahashi set his controller back on the console and hit the power button, turning the console off.
"I went easy on you," He mumbled dejectedly.
"You could have taken at least one round," I said smugly.
"You won't win next time," He exclaimed as he walked to his room. "I'm going to bed now. Turn off the lights when you're done."
I decided to just go to bed, so I turned off the light and walked into our room. Sana was laying down, but she wasn't asleep.
"He gets loud when he loses," She mumbled angrily.
"I'll keep that in mind," I said as I grabbed my toothbrush from the plastic bag in the corner of the room, "Thanks for setting up my futon."
"Yeah," She replied as she closed her eyes. "Don't be loud, please."
I walked to the end of the hall and into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and walked back into the room, where Sana had fallen asleep.
"That's just impressive," I thought as I got under the covers of my futon. "It'll probably take me an hour to fall asleep."
When my body was finally relaxed, my brain took over and started thinking about everything that had happened to us. For the most part, I was able to accept our situation, though part of me was still in shock. Our lives were moving so fast, but time seemed to pass by so slowly. The two things that sat in my mind the most were the fact that I had to take an entrance exam to one of the best schools in Tokyo and that I didn't know what to do as far as a funeral was concerned. As thoughts like these flew in and out of my head, I slowly fell asleep.
"Touma, wake up," it was my mom. I opened my eyes to see her standing next to my bed.
"Wake up," she repeated.
"Wait…" I started.
"Get up!" she yelled at me.
"Touma, get up," This time, the voice was different.
"Get up," The voice said, reverberating through my skull. My body began to shake.
"Get up kid, you gotta study," Takahashi said. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up.
"What a weird dream," I mumbled groggily.
"Huh?" Takahashi asked.
"Nothing," I answered while I rubbed my eyes. "How do I know what to study?"
"The school emailed me a shortlist of topics that could pop up on the exam. Nothing super specific though, so just study all of it," Takahashi said as he handed me a printed copy of the list. I put the list down on the floor and stood up from my futon.
"Is the shower being used?" I asked.
"Nope, you can go for it. There are a couple towels under the sink."
"Thanks," I responded as I walked out of the room and into the bathroom. I took a white towel out from under the sink and set it on top of the toilet lid, then turned on the shower. I showered quickly and dried off even faster, then went back into our room with my towel wrapped around my waste.
"You'd better change in the bathroom," Sana said, glaring at me.
"I know, I'm just getting my clothes." I picked up a set of clothes from my new collection and set off to the bathroom once more. I put my clothes on quickly, then brushed my teeth.
"What do we have for breakfast?" I asked Takahashi, who was sitting on the couch, his nose buried in his manga.
"I got more croissants," He said, pointing at a paper bag on the counter.
"Is that all you eat?" I asked as I took one from the bag.
"No, they were just cheap," He answered. Of course that's why he got them.
"I want to go to a library to study. Is there one close to here, or do I have to take a bus?" I asked as I walked back into my room to pick up the list of topics.
"No, but the school said you could use theirs if you wanted," He explained, still looking at his manga.
"OK, I'll go there. Can I borrow some money for lunch?" I asked while putting on my new shoes.
"Sure," He said as he went to his room. He emerged a moment later with two 1000 Yen slips. "Is that enough?"
"I sure hope so," I said, looking at the money. "Thanks. I'll be back in a few hours."
As I walked out the door, I took out my phone and looked up the school's address. It was located only eight minutes away; closer than I thought. I made my way to the school, walking through the streets and alleys that made up the quickest route. As I walked, I noticed a lot of restaurants as I got closer to the school. One named "Oji Ramen" oozed a smell so rich that I began salivating.
"I know what I'm having for lunch," I said as I walked by its small storefront. A couple minutes later I arrived at the schools open gates, where a security guard stood watch. I went to enter the gate, but was stopped by the guard.
"How can I help you, young man?"
"I was told I could use the library to study," I explained to the guard.
"Nobody except students and staff are allowed in, son—" he began, but was cut off.
"He's allowed to come in Mr. Nakamura," said a lady from just beyond the gate. The guard waved me through apologetically.
"Thanks," I said to the lady. She was quite a bit shorter than me, standing only as high as my collarbone. Maybe just under 160 centimeters?
"No problem. You're Touma, I presume?" She asked.
"Yeah, I am,"
"Mr. Takahashi told me about your situation. I'm so sorry that you're going through this, especially at your age," She apologized. "My name is Ms. Yamada, I'm a teacher here. If you pass the test, you'll be put in my homeroom!"
"That's cool," I replied, ignoring the first part of her statement. "Where can I find the library?"
"It's that building over there," She said, pointing at a building the size of a gymnasium. "Nobody ever goes in there though, unless it's exam time."
"Thanks a lot," I said as I turned to walk toward the building.
"Touma?" Ms. Yamada said, pointing at my shoes.
"Oh, right," I said, realizing that I didn't have slippers. "I don't have a pair with me."
"I'll get you a pair, just wait here," She said as she jogged to the main building. A moment later, she returned with a pair of white and red slippers.
"Thanks," I said once more. I felt like I was repeating myself a lot.
"Study hard," She said as she walked back inside. I turned around and headed towards the library. Once inside, I walked around, looking for books and articles related to the list Takahashi had given me. I picked out a few that sounded right and set them on a table. I scanned the list one more time, and saw that the only subject I was missing a book for was Japanese history, so I walked to the librarian's counter.
"Do you know where I could find a book to help me study this?" I asked, pointing at the bottom of the list.
The librarian pointed at the second floor and said, "There should be some up there. The stairs are to the left."
"Thanks,"
I walked up the stairs and headed straight for what looked like the history section, when I heard a loud "thud" as a stack of books fell to the ground.
"Damn it," A girl's voice groaned from behind the shelf to my right. I peeked my head around the corner.
"You ok?" I asked the girl as she picked up the last of the fallen books.
"Yep!" She said as she looked up at me. "Wait, weren't you…"
It was the same girl from the bookstore; I quickly ducked back behind the shelf.
"Weren't you at Wonderland yesterday?" She asked as she swung around the corner.
"Y-yeah," I said, still embarrassed by how I'd reacted to her the day before.
"I didn't know you went to school here," she started. "I'm Yua Inoue. And you are?"
"Touma Tanaka," I responded, gathering my composure. "Actually I'm here to study for an entrance exam."
"I didn't think we got transfers," Yua said, looking confused.
"Apparently they made an exception," I explained.
"You must be pretty special then. I've never heard of the school allowing a transfer," she said, "Good luck, in any case. I have to get back to class. See ya!"
"Not one other transfer?" I thought to myself. "Ever?"
I continued to the history section and looked for a book with unfamiliar material, but every book was full of the same stuff my mom had taught me. I walked back down to where I had set my pile of books, picked one up, and put it back down a moment later. I did the same thing for the other books I had selected, but I didn't notice any unfamiliar material. I collected the books and walked back to the librarian's counter.
"Are there any higher-level textbooks?" I asked quietly.
The librarian looked at the books, which I had placed on her counter.
"Sweetie, those are the higher-level textbooks," she said as she placed them on a cart.
"Seriously? That's like first-year materials," I said, starting to panic at the fact that I wasn't going to be able to study anything.
"First year in college, maybe," she said with a laugh. "If you know all of that, even our entrance exam should be pretty easy for you."
"Are you sure?" I asked, still confused by what she had said.
"Yes I am. In fact, if you don't pass knowing all of that," she said, pointing at the books, "I'd say you were just unlucky."
"Well, is there anything you need help with? I need to be here until lunchtime," I explained; I only wanted to be out long enough to warrant me getting lunch from that ramen place, as I was starting to get sick of croissants and tea.
"I suppose you could restock these books for me," she said, pointing at three carts full of books.
"I thought students didn't really come here often?" I asked, surprised by the number of books.
"That girl you were talking to is responsible for pretty much all of these. A few teachers borrow books, but she's read almost every book in this place," she explained. "By the way, I'm Mrs. Ikeda."
"I'm Touma.," I introduced myself. "She seriously reads that much?"
"She's in here every day before class, at lunch, and after school," Mrs. Ikeda explained. "I'd tell her to start a club, but here you need at least three members to do that."
"That's too bad," I said as I pushed one of the carts towards the shelves.
An hour and a half later, I put the last book back in its place and pushed the empty cart back behind the desk.
"Thanks for letting me kill some time," I said to Mrs. Ikeda as I left the library. "If I get accepted I'll come in and say hi."
"Good luck!" She replied.
I put my sneakers back on and walked to the gate, where the security guard still stood.
"Could you give these back to Ms. Yamada? She let me borrow them for today," I asked him.
"Sure thing. You get your stuff done?"
"Sort of,"
"Well, I've got work to do, so have a good day," he said as he walked to the opposite side of the gate. I respected the attempt at brushing me away, though it wasn't very well executed.
As I got closer to the ramen shop, the scent of broth and vegetables grew stronger and stronger. I turned around the corner and stopped in front of the small building. It was obviously fairly old; the exterior walls had vines growing up the side, and the wooden sign was weathered to the point that the shop's name was practically illegible. I walked in through the wooden door and was greeted by a far vaster range of aromas than I was able to smell from outside.
"Welcome to Oji!" A plump man in a brown apron greeted from behind the counter. "What can I get for you?"
"Whatever your favorite ramen is, I'd like to try it," I said as I sat down on one of the worn barstools.
"Sure thing,"
I watched as he cut up various vegetables and poured broth over the noodles, then arranged the vegetables on the noodles. He handed me the bowl and a set of chopsticks.
"There's no meat?" I asked. Aside from ramen packets, every ramen dish I'd ever eaten had some kind of meat or egg in it.
"Trust me," he said with a grin.
"Thanks for the food," I said as I took a clump of noodles and vegetables from the bowl. The instant the noodles hit my tongue, I could taste each individual ingredient. I slurped down all the noodles and broth within seconds.
"That good huh?" He said, still grinning. "To tell you the truth, we're actually out of meat today."
I heard what he said, but I didn't care; I handed him the bowl and asked, "Can I get another?"
He quickly prepared another bowl and handed it back to me. The bowl was empty just as fast as the first time.
"How much do I owe you?" I asked, wondering if I even had enough cash to pay him.
"600 yen," he responded. "The second bowl is complimentary."
"Are you sure?" I asked, feeling slightly guilty.
"Of course," he answered, still wearing a wide smile. "Just make sure you pop by every once in a while. Maybe bring some friends next time?"
"You bet," I said as I handed him one of the 1000-yen bills. "Don't worry about the change."
"Thanks! Have a good day!"
I left the restaurant and walked back to the apartment. As soon as I opened the door to the apartment, Takahashi asked me for his change.
"I think it might be good if I got a job," I said as I handed Takahashi the second 1000-yen note.
"Maybe," he said. "How did studying go?"
"Great, actually," I told him what had happened while I was at the school.
"You mean to tell me that you don't have to study, and you'll get in?" He asked, visibly impressed at my newfound intelligence.
"Pretty much," I said. "Where's Sana, by the way?"
"Probably at the park," Takahashi said.
"You let her go out alone?!" I yelled.
"Well, yeah,"
"SHE IS ELEVEN!" I yelled, running out the door without my shoes.
"She's probably fine!" I heard Takahashi yell from behind me.
d me.