I woke up as usual, preparing to head to my school, but today was different. I opened my apartment door, feeling extraordinarily excited and curious. Recently, I took a scholarship exam, and the results were supposed to be out today at Sakura High School. As I walked on the pavement, endless questions filled my mind.
"Will I pass?"
"If I do, will I be in a different country or admired around the world?"
"Or will I finally have a girlfriend?"
As I thought about having a girlfriend, I muttered to myself, "That's literally impossible. No way a girl is going to be interested in an awkward and nerdy guy like me." I felt a bit down after that, but my excitement never faded away.
As I was walking, I reached the Tokyo Railway Station. I hopped on the line that ends at a station near my school. When I arrived in front of my school, I looked up at the building. I felt weirdly nervous, but I tried my best to ignore these thoughts. Once I entered the school, I saw a lot of people forming a crowd near the principal's office. I was shaking and didn't know what to do. Luckily, I found my class teacher. I went up to her and asked, "Yumeka-sensei, what are they doing there?"
She saw me and replied, "Oh, Natsu, you're finally here. I was waiting for you." I sighed in relief and replied, "Sensei, what are they actually doing here?"
"I knew you would ask that," she replied. "They are just parents getting all excited for the marks. Now, why are you standing here? Follow me; I'll guide you to the waiting room," she added. I followed her around the crowd, finally ending up in a hall with dozens of students who were over the moon about the results. I sat down. "Looking at all those people kind of makes me nervous," I muttered to myself.
After waiting and waiting and waiting, the moment arrived. They called out my name: "Akinichi Natsu-san, please make your way into the principal's office." To explain the layout of the school, the principal's office is next to a hall, with the office having two doors: one between the hall and the office, and the other facing the door connecting the hall and the office, where the parents were waiting.
As I stepped into the office, my heart sank out of nervousness, excitement, anxiety, and curiosity. I entered the room and sat on the chair in front of the principal's desk. As I sat on the chair, a strange feeling held me tight, making me a bit uncomfortable. The principal started the conversation to cut through the nervousness in the atmosphere.
"So, you're Akinichi Natsu-san?" the principal said.
"Yes, sir," I replied.
Then he said, "Don't worry; your results stand a big chance." I was confused. Then he asked me, "Do you live with your family?"
"No, sir."
"So, are you willing to go to Kyoto to attend Kyoto University?"
"Yes!" I said in excitement.
"Good. Do you want to discuss this with your parents?" he asked to make sure.
"No, sir, they have already agreed; I asked them in advance."
"Good, Akinichi. Prepare for your departure to Kyoto. Our university will cover all expenses for the trip, and since you're now a scholarship student, you will be able to attend the university free of charge."
"Thank you, sir. I'll try my best to achieve my goals in the future," I replied with gratitude.
"Here's your certificate and paperwork; you may now go," he said.
"Thank you, sir." I stood up, bowed, and headed to the exit, walking out of the office.
As soon as I walked out, the parents looked excited, as if I were their child. I turned to my left, avoiding the crowd. I was so happy that I wasn't watching where I was going, since I was staring at my certificate, of course. Suddenly, I bumped into someone. I looked up, and the sight of her froze me in place, her brown hair shimmering in the sunlight, with blue eyes staring into mine. I felt uneasy. The sound of the crowd faded, replaced by the sound of my pounding heartbeat.
"I'm sorry," I apologized.
"Oh, it's alright; I was being careless as well," she replied.
Once we realized we were both staring into each other's eyes, both of us flinched. Her face was bright red, and both of us stuttered our words.
"I'm really sorry!" I apologized again.
"Are you here for the results?" she asked to break the awkward atmosphere.
"Yes," I responded dryly.
"How did you do?" she asked again.
"I scored pretty well; I am set to go to Kyoto University."
"So am I!"
"What's your name? We can get to know each other," she said.
"I'm Akinichi Natsu. How about you?"
"I'm Shinoyama Runa."
"I wonder how things will turn out in Kyoto," I said.
"I hope we get along as well," she replied softly, turning to her right side, blushing.
I lost my words the moment I saw her.
"See you in Kyoto. Sayonara, Akinichi-san!" She gave a farewell without making eye contact. ("Sayonara, さよなら" means goodbye/farewell in Japanese.) Both of our hearts were beating as fast as the speed of light.
"Yes," I said, with my words trembling. Both of us walked out of the school gate, separating ways to our homes. My heart was beating weirdly when I was talking, as if I was nervous or uneasy. But I don't know why. It was a feeling I had never felt before.
"What's this feeling?"
"Why was my heart going crazy?"
"Do I... like her?"
"No, no, that can't be it," I thought, trying to ignore the questions building up in my head. When I realized where I was going, I was already at the train station. I hopped on the line that stops at the station near my home. As the train moved along the railway, I gazed outside the window. As usual, there was a bay, with the scenery of the wide blue sea. The beauty of the sea never fades away. Birds flew across the blue sky with white clouds hovering above the sea. Sunlight broke through the clouds, creating a gorgeous ray of light. The view is always beautiful, no matter when I look at it.
In several minutes, I reached the station. I hopped out of the train and made my way home. I opened my apartment door, went in, and lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I sighed in relief. After trying for all these years to get accepted, I finally did it today. My dream had come true.
"I really did it, didn't I?" I soliloquized out of disbelief. I stared at the ceiling. The environment was filled with birds chirping and cars going back and forth, a bright orange ray of sunlight breaking through the gaps of my window curtains onto my bed. I felt at ease while lying there. After a few minutes, I caught myself staring into the endless void. I jumped out of my bed, ready to pack my things and prepare for the special day.