Oh, it's April already, season of change and new beginnings.
I'm just like any other person, I feel anxious about meeting new people, having to make new connections and establish new relationships seems like a drag…Oh well…in the end it's exactly the same every time, people are just people in the end, apart from some slight differences, in the end it's always going to be the same thing over and over again… So, why am I anxious? Thinking about it almost makes me laugh, it's that type of question that doesn't matter how much times you ask yourself, you still won't get an answer. Do I still believe in the end?
This day feels like any other day in Spring season, not to hot or cold, just the perfect balance of warmth, the cherry blossom petals are running with the breeze, giving that strange sense of nostalgia. And the sky…well…Why is the sky so blue after all?
The day is 1st of April, I'm walking to the station, backpack on the left shoulder as always, smartphone on the right hand, scrolling down the social media seeing all the posts and comments about the entrance ceremonies that will happen today. In fact, I'm on my way to Yokohama University right now, I enrolled in the Medic course at this University, well it wasn't my first choice to be frank, I wanted to enrol at Tokyo University, going to the big city, maybe get a part time job, getting to know all the places, it's what was in my head, but such as life.
I live by myself in a little apartment near the Wadamachi station in Yokohama, I live in the 2nd floor and at the same floor it has other two neighbouring apartments, one to the left of mine, which is occupied by an old lady that I'm yet to meet and the other one at the right is vacant at the time being. My apartment is actually pretty minimalistic, it only has two rooms, the bigger one includes the living room, that is also my bedroom, so it has a bed on it and a little sofa, just enough for two people, it also has a TV, my gaming console, a little closet just at the right side of the TV, a stand where I have some books and at the left side of the room, I have a little kitchen compartment. The bed is sticked to the wall at the end of the room just below a window, from where I can see the city and the train line. The other room is way smaller and serves as the bathroom, just by the right when you enter the apartment. Well, enough of descriptions, let's get back to where we were…
Reaching the station, I notice that there are a lot of people, who appear to be college students, in groups. I approach a bench and sit down, waiting for the train, while hearing various conversations between the groups, until one of them catches my attention.
"So…here we are again Hayami-chan, who would've thought that we were going to be in the same course after all! You had excellent grades but I never knew that you wanted to become a doctor." – said a brown haired guy, that wasn't as tall as me, probably around 175cm.
He had green eyes and used glasses, just like me. He was slim and just at looking at him I knew that it was one of those guys that can make friends with anybody. But I didn't knew to who he was talking, because there were people blocking the view, so I continued to listen.
"You are right Makoto-kun. I only decided this at the deadline of the college application, I was never certain of what I wanted to be, but I always liked helping people in general, so I guess that I might enjoy it!" – claimed a sweet voice, like I never heard before.
At that instant one of the groups moved and I could see the girl that the guy was talking too. It was a slender girl, with sky like blue eyes, blonde almost golden hair. Almost instantly gave me a vibe of a charming and calm girl.
The two of them continued to talk with some other people that were also there until the train arrived. As the train arrived, almost everyone that was in the station quickly entered, as I was one of the last in the line to enter. I was just about to reach the door when I heard from inside the train:
"Hayami-chan! Your bag! You left it outside!" – said one of the guys to the blonde girl that I saw at the station.
After that, I saw her trying to reach for the door but there was multiple people blocking her way because the train was really full that morning. The "beep" for the door closing was already sounding, so I just ran to the bag that was at a bench near the one I was seated, grabbed it and tried to give it to her and enter the train. Well, I succeeded, the first part not the second. I delivered the bag to her just as the doors were closing, maybe if I were slower my arm would've been stuck and dragged along the train like a side cart.
The last thing I noticed, before the doors closed and I missed the train, was the same sweet voice that I'd heard just a few moments ago:
"Thank you!"
And there I was, alone in the station, with an opening ceremony within 1 hour and the next train coming in 20 minutes, being the travel duration between where I was and the nearest station to my college almost 30 minutes, I just thought:
"For fuck sake, I've gotta run…"
After one train ride and lots of running, after what seemed to be like 10 minutes, but in fact was pass 1 hour, I arrived at my college, just to begin searching for the right lecture hall, where the opening ceremony was being held.
After asking one of the professors that were in the hall, I reached the door to the lecture hall. When I opened the door, everyone was already seated and one of the professors was speaking. He stopped his speech, just as everyone was turning to see who was the idiot that arrived late at the first day of college, and I was greeted by the following phrase:
"Every year, there is always this special person that conquers the feat of arriving late to the college opening ceremony." – said this funny looking teacher, a man in his 40's but with a big brown moustache in his face, and he was bald too.
"Sorry for the interruption and for being late Sensei…" - I muttered in a very low tone of voice.
He smiled back at me and asked me to sit wherever I wanted, so I just sat in the first available place that I saw. As I sat down, I hear:
"Sorry for making you be late for the opening ceremony, thank you for retrieving my bag!"- claimed that sweet voice again.
I was able to sit right beside that same girl. Is the god of humiliation targeting me today?
"No worries." – I replied.
"It's nice to meet you! I'm Haru Hayami, I hope we can get along as fellow college students!" – she said, with a smile.
Before I even get to respond, I heard another voice:
"Wow! You are that guy that was in the station! How fate works in incredible ways!"
It was the same guy that was with Hayami-san at the station.
"I'm Junpei Makoto! Nice to meet you! Let's have a crazy time at the college, party like never before!" – he said with his eyes almost tearing up from enthusiasm.
I still cannot believe how he remembers a guy like me, that was seated alone by the bench, well I have self confidence, I must say that, but I feel like I am just normal to the point I don't attract any attention. I can say that I am a little bit tall, 185cm is tall in Japan after all, black hair, glasses, dark brown eyes, almost black, neither slim or fat, just average. Not the best sense of fashion, but not an idiot at dressing up too, not the type to be always smiling too, I'm just good with my everyday poker face. Rounding all up, I'm the definition of "who were you again?", which has its good and bad sides.
But for real, this guy really is the type that can start a conversation and befriend anyone.
As both of them were staring to me, I finally gave my answer back:
"I'm Ishigami Nokaji, nice to meet you too."
"Ishi-kun, do you have anything to doo after this?" – Makoto-kun said, and by the way, "Ishi-kun"?? What the hell?
"No…I have nothing after this, why?"
"Come with us then!" – Makoto-kun replied with a smile that made me fear for my life.
I glanced at Hayami and she was smiling too, so I thought that maybe it would be nice if I got to know this guys better. So I accepted the invitation.
I was so wrong.