The first day of the university started with a dull hum of excitement. I arrived early, standing at the entrance of the grand auditorium, where all the new students were asked to gather. The building was massive, constructed with sleek glass and polished metal that gleamed in the sunlight. Inside, the ceiling stretched high above us, lined with soft blue lights that gave the room an almost underwater feel. Many rows of seats were arranged in a semi-circle around the stage, where the headmaster would soon come and deliver his welcome speech….
The room was packed with students. Most of them were chatting excitedly. The echoes of voices were coming off the metal walls in a cacophony of noise. Some hovered above their seats on anti-gravity boards, defying the university's rules just to show off on their first day. Others fiddled with sleek, holographic tablets, trying to download course schedules or connect to the university's network. The air buzzed with a mixture of excitement and nervous energy, but the novelty of it all was already starting to wear off for me….
I sank into an empty seat near the middle row, hoping to blend in. The cushion adjusted automatically to fit my body, but even that small futuristic detail couldn't distract me from the knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach. This was supposed to be the first step toward my dreams…... A fresh start…. But all I could think about was Rina and the promise I had made to her. The memory of her tears, her kiss, lingered like a shadow I couldn't escape…
As more students came and sat in their seats, the lights dimmed, and silence fell over the room… The headmaster was a stern-looking man with gray hair and a crisp suit. He stepped onto the stage, his footsteps echoing in the silence... Behind him, a massive screen displayed the emblem of the university… a silver star encircled by the words: Japan Space Research Institute: Unlocking the Cosmos, One Discovery at a Time…
The headmaster cleared his throat before giving the speech. His voice boomed through the auditorium and it was amplified by hidden speakers… "Welcome, students, to the Japan Space Research Institute. Today marks the beginning of your journey toward becoming the pioneers of the future—scientists, engineers, explorers—who will expand humanity's reach beyond the stars."
I felt the students around me stirring in their seats, some making conversations with one another, and others had even begun to look bored. The speech was predictable.... It was all about dedication, hard work, and the responsibility of advancing human knowledge. I tried to pay attention, but my mind kept on wandering…
Fifteen minutes into the speech, I slumped in my seat, resting my head in my hand. Across the row, a guy let out an exaggerated yawn. Everyone was very bored. Another student opened a bag of chips; the loud crunch of chips was embarrassingly loud in the silent auditorium...
The headmaster continued on, oblivious to the restless audience… "As future astronauts and researchers, you will face great challenges. But you will also experience triumphs that will shape the future of our civilization…"
I sighed while rubbing my eyes. "God… this is boring as hell!!!!… I wanna go home already…" I muttered under my breath.
A voice whispered from behind me.
"That makes the two of us, dude…"
I turned back to see a tall guy leaning forward with a grin smile on his face. He had blond hair; it was slicked back and he had the kind of easy confidence. He looked like he was in a movie theater rather than a science institute. His bright green eyes sparkled as if he found everything amusing …
"I'm Joseph," he whispered, offering me a fist bump. "I am from the USA. You???"
"Shin," I whispered back, returning the bump. "Japan."
Before I could say anything more, the guy to his right let out an exasperated sigh, pushing his glasses up with his fingers. He had dark, curly hair and a serious expression on his face that made him look a couple of years older than any of us. He had a notebook open on his lap, full of neat script and diagrams…
"Do you two mind keeping it down??..." he hissed quietly. "Some of us are actually trying to listen..."
Joseph rolled his eyes but smirked. "Chill out, dude… It's not like we're gonna miss anything important. Let me guess—you're the 'study-every-page-before-the-first-day' type… right???..."
The guy gave him a withering look. "It's called being prepared… You should also try it sometime..."
"Yeah, yeah," Joseph chuckled. He nudged me with his elbow. "See what I'm dealing with here?? A real bookworm…"
Despite the guy's annoyed expression, I couldn't help but smile. "What's your name??..." I asked him while keeping my voice low.
"Abdul…" he replied, with a tone that suggested he was already regretting meeting us. "I'm from Qatar... And no, I don't plan on partying with either of you..."
Joseph snickered. "Come on, man... Give us a chance. You might actually have fun."
Abdul shot him a glare but didn't say anything. Joseph just grinned wider, clearly enjoying the interaction. I could already tell that Joseph and Abdul were polar opposites…... Joseph was laid-back and carefree, while Abdul seemed like the type who took everything seriously. But there was something about them, like two puzzle pieces that shouldn't fit but somehow it did...
The headmaster's voice droned on in the background, but now it felt distant like a white noise. I leaned back in my seat, feeling this weird sense of relief. For the first time since arriving, I didn't feel quite so bored and alone…
Finally, when the speech had concluded what seemed like an eternity -Joseph yawned and stretched his arms above his head, groaning noisily. "Thank God!!! I thought I was gonna die in there…"
Abdul rolled his eyes. "It wasn't that bad…"
"You're just saying that because you took notes," Joseph shot back, slinging an arm around my shoulders. "What about you, Shin? Did you survive the boredom??!!..."
"Barely," I admitted with a small laugh.
Joseph grinned. "See? Told you this place needed some excitement. Stick with me, man, and I'll make sure your university life isn't all lectures and textbooks..."
Abdul shook his head, muttering something under his breath in Arabic, but I caught the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips…
As we made our way out of the auditorium together, Joseph kept up a steady stream of chatter, telling me about the parties he was already planning and the professors we should try to avoid. Abdul occasionally chimed in with sarcastic remarks, his dry sense of humor making even Joseph laugh…
By the time we reached the main courtyard, I knew I had found something I didn't expect to find this early… friends... Real friends…
Tall spires and futuristic buildings loomed around us, shimmering with holographic advertisements for various university clubs and research initiatives. Hover drones buzzed overhead, recording the first day of the semester, while automated groundskeepers trimmed the synthetic grass that lined the stone pathways. Everywhere, students chatted in groups, already making connections…
Joseph slung an arm over my shoulder. Abdul followed a few steps behind, his expression neutral but his eyes observant, quietly taking everything in.
"So, Shin…" Joseph began, "Do you have any plans for tonight? Or do you just study all day like this guy?" He jerked a thumb in Abdul's direction, earning a glare from him.
I shook my head with a small laugh. "No plans yet. Honestly, I didn't think I'd meet anyone this soon."
Joseph gave a mocking look and said. "Well, consider yourself blessed, my friend! Because tonight, we're hitting the student bar just off-campus. Trust me, it's the perfect way to kick off our first day. You in???"
I hesitated. "I don't know…"
Abdul scoffed. "We just survived the most boring speech known to man, and your plan to recover is to drown your brain cells in alcohol!!!..."
Joseph smirked. "Dude, you don't even drink. You wouldn't understand."
"I could have fun without drinking, you know," Abdul replied, folding his arms. "And besides, I have a brain to take care of…. Unlike some people…." He said while looking at Joseph.
I snorted, hiding a grin. The way they quarreled was oddly comforting, like old friends…
Joseph turned to me, undeterred. "Come on, Shin!!!... One drink won't kill you. You've been tense since we met… you need to chill out…"
Maybe he was actually right. I had been carrying the weight of Rina, Maki, and everything else on my shoulders for so long that I'd forgotten what it felt like to just… breathe. Maybe a night out was exactly what I needed right now…
I gave a small nod. "Alright. I'm in…"
Joseph clapped me on the back. "That's the spirit! What about you, Abdul? Join us, for the experience??!!..."
Abdul sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Fine. But only because someone needs to keep you idiots out of trouble…"
Joseph grinned. "That's the spirit!!..."
Later that evening, we headed to the student bar, just tucked off the main campus plaza. It was a cozy place, with warm neon lights glowing along the walls and music thumping faintly in the background. The booths were filled with students laughing, loudly talking, and toasting this new start of life…
Joseph ordered beers for us, but Abdul waved the bartender off, saying, "I'll take water. Thanks." Joseph rolled his eyes but didn't argue…
As we sat down at a table near the corner, Joseph raised his glass. "To new beginnings!!!..." he declared, clinking his beer glass against mine…
I hesitated for a second, then tapped my glass against his. "To new beginnings."
Abdul sipped his water, giving us both an exasperated look. "You two are going to regret this when midterms hit..."
Joseph chuckled. "Midterms are future Joseph's problem. Present Joseph??... He's living his best life..."
We laughed, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity… the weight on my chest eased for a bit. For an instant, I nearly forgot the sorrow, the loss, the promises hanging over me. I let myself get lost in the easy banter between my new friends. I was truly grateful to them for their company….
The night stretched on, filled with stories and jokes. We left the bar later than we had intended, but it was worth it….
When I finally reached my house, the streets were completely dark and silent, except for the soft luminescence that flowed from streetlights. Then I took the key out of my pocket and inserted it into the lock of the door, trying to do it as quietly as possible….
As I went inside, I was surprised to see Maki sitting on the living room couch with a blanket draped over her shoulders. The soft hum of the holographic TV filled the air, though she didn't seem to be watching. Her eyes flicked toward me the moment I stepped through the door.
"You're late again…" she said, her voice low but heavy with unspoken tension.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, sorry. I met some new friends, and we... went out for a bit."
She didn't say anything to me. Her gaze was fixed on me. It was like she was trying to judge me if I was telling the truth or not…
"Was it Rina again?" she asked quietly. Though there was no anger in her voice this time but, it kind of felt like she was sad from the inside…
"No," I answered, shaking my head. "It wasn't Rina. I met two guys—Joseph and Abdul. They're in the same program as me."
Maki nodded slowly. "That's good, then…" she whispered. "You need friends..."
I crossed the room and sat down beside her on the couch. "I also wanted to come back earlier…" I said, trying to bridge the gap growing between us. "I just... lost track of time."
Maki pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, her expression unreadable. "It's not about the time, Shin. It's..." She trailed off, biting her lip.
"It's what?" I pressed gently…
She let out a long breath. "I don't know. It just feels like..." she stopped before she said again, "You… you are slowly growing distant…"
The words hung in the air between us. My heart ached knowing the fact that no matter how much I tried to reassure her, some part of her would always feel that fear…
I said softly, placing a hand on her head.
"I'm not going anywhere, Maki…" trying to reassure her…
She leaned into me slightly. While resting her head on my shoulder she whispered, "I want to believe that…". "But you're not the same. Ever since... Rina came into your life..."
I didn't know what to say… She was right. I had changed. Rina's presence, her love, her pain—it had all left a mark on me, one I couldn't erase.
Maki shifted slightly; her voice barely audible when she spoke again. "Do you think... we'll ever be the way we used to be??"
I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close. "What are you saying?!... Why do you think we wouldn't ever be the way we used to be!!!... We are still a family…."
She gave a small nod. I could feel her warm breath on my neck. We sat there in silence for a long time…
The days that followed were a blur of lectures, assignments and late-night conversations with Joseph and Abdul… The three of us soon became best friends and best trio…
Joseph was the joker of our group. He always found a way to joke around in every possible situation… on the other hand, Abdul was the voice of reason. He kept us grounded when we needed it. And me?... I was somewhere in between. I was truly grateful for their friendship….
Every evening, I returned to the house and I chatted with Maki about the new experience of my new university life. With every passing day, the unspoken tension between us grew. We tried to pretend things were normal… But deep down both of us knew the truth… something between us had shifted and neither of us knew how to fix it…
But life went on, as it always does. I threw myself into my studies. I was determined to succeed at JSRI….
While studying late at night I looked up at glowing stars of the sky and thought to myself…. perhaps… perhaps the universe is testing me…guiding me towards something….
The real journey, I knew, was only just beginning.
TO BE CONTINUED