The high school was already swarming with crowds of eager students. As the bell chimed, each took their places in a seemingly homogeneous group of people. Mizuhashi Fuyuki sat among them, carefully listening as the principal illustrated a bright school future that he hoped each of them would achieve.
"....Now, let's welcome last year's top student to give all of you some advice. Mizuhashi Fuyuki?"
Applause rose from around the auditorium, and Fuyuki stood to take the principal's space.
"Good morning, everyone," she smiled softly at the student body. "I hope that each and every one of you are prepared and excited for the year ahead, no matter if you are a newcomer or a veteran. I'm sure that all of us know how difficult school can become, especially as time goes on, but please persevere!"
She paused for the applause to die down. "Try your hardest and follow your dreams. Before you know it, however, school will be over yet again, and life will progress, so keep your values close to your heart, and remember that it's okay to make mistakes. All of us are here to learn, grow, and accomplish our full potentials, and as long as you stay on the right track, I'm sure that every student here can do so."
Mizuhashi Fuyuki took her seat amongst cheers of admiration and congratulations from her peers, the noise eventually dying out as the ceremony came to a close. The students were divided into their homeroom classes, and each group slowly filed out of the auditorium.
The week before school began, Fuyuki had already received her schedule for the semester, and thus had no need for her homeroom teacher's lengthy explanation about high school majors, clubs, and class structure. She stopped listening and let her mind wander back to the scenic cherry blossoms she had walked through on her way to school, picturesquely dotting the streets with pale pink. In only a month, the petals would make way for greens, the blue skies covered with a blanket of rainclouds.
"How predictable," she thought on her way to math class. "Each year, no major climate changes take place, yet it is still considered productive conversation to talk about the weather."
Like the weather, this first day of school was no different from any other one Mizuhashi Fuyuki had experienced, and no different from the first days of school experienced by students globally. Before she knew it, the last bell had already rung, and students were heading in small groups to meet with their after-school clubs.
As the school doors opened, a mixture of noises and sights greeted Fuyuki, brightly decorated booths scattered across the school field. She was already enrolled in debate club, yet recently, the amount of new members had been decreasing, so she was considering joining another, in case the debate club was dissolved.
"...Flower arranging...music...martial arts...literature..." Fuyuki trailed off. Nothing really stood out to her. It was as if one was to try five kinds of tsukemono at the same time- the more intense the flavors, the less they stood out from one another.
"...Radish...sour plum...cucumber...ginger..." The colors and noises were dizzying at the least.
"...Pepper...cabbage...dango? Dango tsukemono?" Indeed, a plain-looking, cream-colored booth. It was lightly decorated with green and pink frames tastefully displaying the members' work in a neat, simple manner.
"Right, this is the calligraphy club," Fuyuki remarked to herself. "Calligraphy...sounds nice."
She walked over, intending to sign up, before realizing there was nobody at the booth. No teachers, staff, or students. Slightly disappointed, she prepared to walk away before hearing footsteps approach behind her.
"Ah, wait!" A running figure approached quickly from the distance. Fuyuki recognized her and recalled that they were in the same year, but a different homeroom. Stumbling into the stall, the person doubled over and sucked in a couple more breaths before standing up. "Hello, sorry about that! I'm the club president," She paused for another breath. "Did you have any questions?"
"...Are you okay?"
"Not the question I was expecting, but yes, I'm good, and happy to meet you!" The club president laughed and shook Fuyuki's hand. "You're Mizuhashi, right?"
"Yes, and you?"
"Just call me Mame,"
"Oh, Mame-san, this is your calligraphy?" Fuyuki pointed to a large "mame" character framed on the side of the booth.
"Yeah, I've been working on it for a while now. Do you like it?"
"It's nice, very...stylistic. Very unique."
"I'm so glad you think so! Have you done calligraphy in the past? Don't worry, we accept all levels and abilities! Oh, of course, only if you're interested in joining."
"I'd like to, if it's okay with you and the other members."
Mame seemed to bounce off the walls as she retrieved the sign-up sheet from the back of the stall.
"We'd love to have you join! Just meet with us for an hour after school in Yamaguchi-sensei's room, okay?"
"Okay, see you then." Fuyuki finished signing up and returned the sheet to Mame.
"Bye, see you!"
Fuyuki waved back and exited the school, walking off into the sunset. Students ran past her, audibly complaining about juku, while others held hands and whispered secrets into each other's ears. Yet another silent moment, standing out in its simplicity from the intricacy of the day surrounding it.