Minami no Hanashi : Yume - AdagioOne evening at the Katayama householdAs Azumi seemed lost in her favorite TV show, someone knocked at the door. She looked up, surprised by the unexpected interruption. "Hmm? Who could that be?" she wondered aloud.Azumi got up from the couch, adjusting the blanket around her, and walked to the door. She opened it and saw Jun standing there. "Good evening, Mrs. Katayama!""Well, now this is a surprise!" exclaimed Azumi with a smile. "Come in!" she added enthusiastically."Oh no, no! Don't worry about it! I'm just here to pick up Minami as planned."They stared at each other for a moment. Azumi had no idea what Jun was talking about. He quickly realized that Minami hadn't done her duty: informing her mother. Azumi broke the silence. "I'll go get her."A few moments later-(Minami) Oops.-(Azumi) Oops? That's all you have to say?-(Minami) I admit I forgot to tell you and dad. But in my defense, I did send you a message!"What time?" Azumi asked her suspiciously.-(Minami) About an hour ago.-(Azumi) We're in the same house!-(Minami) I was too comfy in my bed to get up!!!Azumi sighed at the absurdity of her daughter's excuse. "So, what are you planning to do out so late?"This question snapped Jun out of his silence, and he quickly responded: "Minami insisted on going for a ride in the new car I just got!"-(Azumi) Oh?? Why so late, Minami?-(Minami) Well, I love nighttime drives! And since it's the weekend, and Narumi is sleeping over at a friend's, it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy the city at full speed!-(Azumi) Excuse me?-(Minami) Well yeah, Narumi gets scared when Jun drives fast. Azumi fixed Jun with an intense gaze and continued: "That's not what I'm talking about, Minami."Feeling guilty and betrayed by Minami, Jun stayed silent.-(Minami) Oops.Azumi thought for a moment. "Your father is still in his office. I don't want to disturb him."She glanced at Jun and Minami, then said, "Go ahead. And Jun, be careful.""You can count on me, ma'am!" he replied solemnly."Thanks, mom!"As they were about to leave, Azumi stopped them: "I want to see your new car.""Of course! It's parked just over there, I'll go get it!" He jogged off to get the car, with Minami skipping after him. Meanwhile, Azumi stepped out onto the porch.She spoke to herself as she looked toward Shinsuke's office window: "He changed cars and parked a little farther away than usual, that's why we didn't hear him arrive."A few moments later, Jun returned at the wheel of his sparkling sports car. The body gleamed under the nearby streetlights, reflecting a combination of vivid colors that emphasized its sporty look. The car, low and sleek, seemed ready to leap onto the road. Its aerodynamic lines hinted at its power, and the shining rims added a touch of sophistication. The front headlights pierced through the night, giving the car an almost mystical aura.Azumi, arms crossed, observed the machine with a mix of fascination and maternal concern. "It's impressive, Jun! But please, be careful, alright?"Jun flashed a confident smile. "Of course, Mrs. Katayama. We'll be careful, I promise." Minami, standing beside him, couldn't hold back a small excited squeal, eager to enjoy this nighttime adventure.As they left, Shinsuke opened the window and spoke to Azumi from his office. "He should save his money instead of spending it on that."With a smile, Azumi replied, "Eavesdropping on conversations now, are we?" She raised an amused eyebrow as she looked up at her husband."If that's the kind of car Minami likes, maybe we could get her one later. Something better than Jun's." He spoke seriously."Are you out of your mind? Good heavens, Shinsuke. We're talking about Minami, not a professional race car driver. She'll need a safe car for her trips, not a rocket on wheels.""Well. If she likes cars, I'll think about letting her ride in one of the vehicles reserved for very important trips.""Wow! What a privilege for Miss Katayama!" Azumi said, her tone playful.They shared a knowing smile and looked out into the distance together. Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires echoed through the neighborhood. Silence fell. The couple knew it was Jun."Just wait till I get a hold of him," Shinsuke muttered firmly, closing the window.With Jun and Minami-(Minami) Whoa!!! You're amazing!! But... Do you think they can hear us from my house?-(Jun) Umm... Yeah... We're not far enough away.-(Minami) Oops...After a few minutes of driving around the city, they eventually left it behind, exploring other landscapes. Still around Kaizen, of course.-(Jun) Let's take advantage of this drive to chat, too.-(Minami) Yeah, that's true! I was completely absorbed by the nighttime scenery.-(Jun) Haha! I noticed. You never told me, how's school going?-(Minami) Oh man... It hasn't been that long, but it already feels like an eternity since classes started.Minami wore a thoughtful expression as she tried to put the events in order to properly recount them.-(Minami) So... My class has a pretty good vibe so far. Mostly because Sanae, my best friend, is there. A lot of people are a bit quirky, and there aren't too many annoying ones.-(Jun) Ayemi's the exception?-(Minami) Yes, unfortunately. And her gang! They hold a grudge against me, but I never back down.-(Jun) Orh...-(Minami) The gang of delinquents. The... uh... chika-bankaa.-(Jun) Haha! They sound funny.Minami glanced at Jun with a slightly disdainful look. "Not really. One of them is actually pretty scary! Anyway."-(Jun) And what about the boys? Any that caught your eye?-(Minami) Huh? No! You're asking the same question as my mom.-(Jun) I don't know, maybe it's your age?-(Minami) Meh, no. They're all weird anyway. There's this rich kid with a huge ego! Rikiza something. I forgot. In his introduction to the class, he didn't hesitate to put everyone down.-(Jun) Rikiza? That rings a bell... Ahhh, it's indeed a wealthy and important family.-(Minami) Oh yeah? They're that well-known?-(Jun) Yeah, I had to fix one of their cars once, and yeah, they're the arrogant type. I've even heard your dad mention their name before.-(Minami) Really?? Even my dad's dealt with these people?-(Jun) Who knows. Keep going?-(Minami) There's another one who tells jokes, but they're not funny at all. To give you an idea, he laughs hysterically at his own jokes, and digs himself in deeper when no one else follows. Then you've got the otakus, but oh man!! There's one who's completely lost it! Actually... I think they're all crazy. Oh, and to raise the bar a bit, there's Zonomuba! I like him, he's cool.-(Jun) Ahh, the one you were desperate to beat in soccer??-(Minami) That's all you remember from last year!?Seeing Minami's reaction, Jun burst out laughing.-(Minami) There's also a psycho who takes photos... he's a very skilled artist according to my art teacher.Suddenly, Minami paused as if to recall some memories. "The one who intrigued me the most... is a guy who said during his introduction that surprise tests wouldn't work on him. I'd love to know how he plans to pull that off. I've forgotten the names of most of them. But I think his name was... Konibuku? I forgot his last name."-(Jun) Oh, that guy! I ran into him once! I like that guy.-(Minami) Oh really!?... You're weird... it's like you only hang out with high schoolers.This remark pierced Jun's heart. "I'll drive you home."-(Minami) I'm joking!!! Oh my... so sensitive, this gentleman.-(Jun) It was a coincidence.-(Minami) Yeah, yeah. As for the rest, I don't really remember. The girls' side is simple. A group of lovebirds, fantasizing about love stories, a very, very, very shy girl who's secretly in love with an equally shy boy, twin girls who love to annoy me and drive me crazy, the stunning and beautiful Sanae, and a very intelligent girl who tries way too hard, in my opinion. I might have forgotten a few, but that's about it.Minami had finished talking about her class and once again got lost in the nocturnal scenery. After a few minutes, she started talking again as if she had never paused.-(Minami) I signed up for the track team like last year. So far... I haven't attended a single practice since. The captain is going to scold me.-(Jun) Understandable, you don't sign up just to skip!-(Minami) Yeeees, oh my... But other stuff has come up and kept me pretty busy. Hey, let's talk about our argument.-(Jun) Ahem.-(Minami) You suddenly grew up, and it scared me!-(Jun) That wasn't the intention.-(Minami) I thought you wouldn't follow me anymore and that everything would change. That's definitely the impression you gave me!Minami sighed and added, fixing her gaze on Jun, "And that joke about you leaving town, was that necessary?" She crossed her arms, waiting for a response.Embarrassed, Jun kept driving in silence. But his faint smile betrayed his thoughts. Reviving memories Minami had hoped to forget, she exclaimed, "You'll see! I'll get my revenge!"-(Jun) Hahaha! We'll see. By the way, how's Sanae doing? I met her once, she mentioned a cooking club?-(Minami) Oh YES! I HAVE TO TELL YOU!-(Jun) Oh no, is it bad??-(Minami) No, but there was this jerk! Sanae had to pass a test to become the head of the cooking club. Since there was no successor, it was about to be shut down. So Sanae is called in for a test, and she had prepared with my mom and Narumi—the ultimate combo. But the first trap from the principal! Yes, because it was him who organized the test. He forced Sanae to cook with two other people!-(Jun) Well, that's cool, right? More hands to help.Faced with Jun's naïveté, Minami couldn't help but laugh nervously. "Well, when one of them is cooking for the first time, and the other didn't want to be there at all..."Jun realized the situation Sanae had faced. "Ah, I see..."-(Minami) And well... Sanae is super talented, so even with that, she could have aced it.-(Jun) But?-(Minami) You're getting it. The "but" is that the principal picked this HUGE JERK to be on the jury!-(Jun) A guy just there to bring her down?-(Minami) Yes!! He criticized Sanae so harshly with his nasty remarks that she almost broke down... I'll never forget that moment.-(Jun) Hmm... let's go beat him up.-(Minami) Hehe, I wanted to! But Sanae refused.-(Jun) And did she pass in the end?-(Minami) Yeah. Thankfully. She even became friends with the two others. They're part of the club now.-(Jun) And you? Planning to join in the future?-(Minami) No. It doesn't interest me.Jun mumbled, "You could definitely use a few lessons though."-(Minami) Hm?-(Jun) Nothing.As Jun stopped at a red light, Minami's tone grew more serious.-(Minami) You know, Jun?-(Jun) What?-(Minami) I have a feeling this year's going to be really eventful.-(Jun) What makes you say that?-(Minami) I don't know. Just a feeling.-(Jun) When the year's over, you'll tell me all about it at the arcade. We'll laugh about it!Jun's reassuring words brought a smile to Minami's face, filling her with determination as she nodded in agreement.After an hour of cruising and chatting, they finally returned home. Upon arriving, Shinsuke was already waiting. He stood firm, ready for Jun. He saw Minami walking up, but his gaze remained fixed on where Jun should appear. Minami noticed her father wasn't planning to move until he saw Jun, so she spoke up: "Jun knew you'd be waiting for him, so he dropped me off just around the corner and left."Surprised, Shinsuke crossed his arms: "Really? That surprises me about him. I thought he had changed."Suddenly, Jun arrived at their level. Minami was the first to be surprised. "You told me you were leaving!"-(Jun) Yeah... Uh... I wanted to apologize for the slip-up. I didn't mean to worry you or take Mrs. Katayama's warnings lightly... I just wanted to make Minami happy.-(Shinsuke) I like your maturity, Jun. It's fine, no harm done. You're a pro behind the wheel, a slip-up is under your control.With those words, he greeted him and went back inside. Jun couldn't quite process what he'd just heard.-(Jun) Wow... Your dad really sees me differently. I feel like he... likes me???-(Minami) Huh? Of course, he likes you.-(Jun) No, you don't get it! Just a few weeks ago, he would have grabbed me and–-(Minami) Are you making him out to be a monster now!?-(Jun) Well...Exasperated with Jun, she sighed: "Alright, time to say goodbye."-(Jun) Haha, yeah. Don't forget to call me if you have a real problem.-(Minami) Hehe, all I have are real problems. Oh, this reminds me!Minami dug through her pockets and pulled out her wallet.-(Minami) Here's what I owe you for my back-to-school top-up!Jun was touched by the gesture. Even more so when he saw Minami's nearly empty wallet.-(Jun) Keep it. I'm getting paid. I don't need you to pay me back for anything.-(Minami) Ugh, you're so annoying! Just take it!-(Jun) No. Besides, it's nearly all your money for the month. Save it to go out with your friends.With a resigned expression, Minami put her wallet away.-(Jun) Ah, you can just pay for the arcade when we talk about how crazy this year's been.-(Minami) Ohhh, good idea!-(Jun) Deal then.-(Minami) Whoa, no need, I can't stand cheesy stuff like that. We'll do it, don't worry.-(Jun) Well, I'm off, bye.-(Minami) Bye! Get home safe!Once alone, Minami found herself lost in thought. Her gaze drifted into the void as she pondered everything that might happen over the course of the year. The challenges, the joyful moments, the obstacles to overcome, it all seemed to swirl in her mind. A turbulent year lay ahead, and she wondered how she would face the coming challenges. A mix of determination and apprehension could be seen on her face, but deep down, Minami knew she was ready to face whatever came her way. Finally, she sighed: "Starting with the club captain... I've missed a few sessions already..."A smile appeared on her face: "It'll be fine!"END OF CHAPTER