Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 FOR THE FIRST TIME. On a train you don’t normally take, even the way the car sways back and forth feels surprising and new. Out of all his middle school classmates, only Akira Kagiura had decided to stay at a dormitory in high school, despite going to school in his prefecture. Why? Well, getting to and from school would have taken two hours each way, and since Kagiura absolutely had to be at basketball practice early each morning, he didn’t really have much of a choice. Students were allowed to be in the dorms starting on the second of April—shortly before the entrance ceremony—and Kagiura had applied to move in immediately, on the very first day. He got along well with his family and was happy at home, but he was eager to get a look at his new surroundings as soon as he could. His bulkier possessions were being delivered to the dorm, so the only luggage he carried was a single shoulder bag. He was traveling light. Kagiura hadn’t been on this train alone since he’d come to take the school’s entrance exam. His parents had been with him when they’d gone to do the registration paperwork, and he’d been too busy talking to them to appreciate what was around him. On that late afternoon as the train rumbled along, there were several empty seats, but Kagiura stood by the door, watching the ever-changing scenery speed by. He relaxed as he realized there was more greenery in the city than he’d expected. He felt excitement building, though not quite the same kind of excitement he felt when his team was going off on a training retreat together or to some distant locale for an away game. A gaggle of high school students wearing tracksuits emblazoned with their schools’ names boarded the train, maybe on their way back from practice. Kagiura sneaked surreptitious glances at them. Wonder if any of them are from my school, he thought. But while he was still reading the letters on their shirts, the train arrived at his destination. Kagiura’s dorm was about a fifteen-minute walk from school, far enough that the closest station to the dorm wasn’t the closest station to school. There were two types of rooms: two-person and four-person. Kagiura would be staying in the former, with just one roommate. When he met the dorm leader, Hanzawa, Kagiura immediately got the impression that he was the sort of guy who never stopped smiling. Even as they exchanged polite greetings, Hanzawa seemed to be grinning nonstop. His small talk as he gave Kagiura a tour of the facilities, including the cafeteria and the baths, was often peppered with laughter. “Oh, right,” Hanzawa said. “Here in the dorms, we don’t get too formal, so you can just call me Hanzawa.” “Hanzawa. All right.” “Then again, most people call me Dorm Leader anyway!” “Huh?” Hanzawa gave an enigmatic chuckle, and while Kagiura was still trying to decide the best way to address him, he continued: “Like I said, unless we’re talking to our friends, it’s pretty much respectful but not formal here, up to and including with the administrative staff. It’s not what you would call a hard-and-fast rule, but that’s how adults treat one another out in the working world, so it’s good practice. Gets you into the habit.” “Huh… So you don’t worry about who’s an upperclassman and who’s an underclassman at all?” “Not among dormmates, for the most part.” “Wow…” “You’ll get all the details at orientation. Oh yeah, your roommate is named Taiga Hirano. He’s a second-year, like me. You probably saw in the pamphlet, but first-years and second-years are always paired up. I guess you could call it a buddy system. If you’re confused about anything, start by asking your buddy.” “Right. And this Hirano…” Kagiura was just about to ask what kind of person his new roommate was, but he didn’t get the chance. The staff member at the dorm’s reception desk called, “Hanzawa? Telephone!” “I’m coming!” Hanzawa said. Then he turned to Kagiura. “Sorry, Kagiura, but do you think you can make it to your room on your own? The doors are all numbered, so I don’t think you should have any trouble.” He was practically turning to walk away even as he spoke. Kagiura nodded quickly. “Sure, no problem. Thank you very much!” The dorm leader was already hurrying away. He’s a busy guy, huh? Kagiura thought with something like admiration. He turned and headed up the stairs. His room number was on the paperwork he’d been given, so he didn’t expect to have a problem finding it. I wonder what this second-year, Hirano, is like. I hope he’s nice. Kagiura suddenly felt a pang of something like homesickness. Until the week before, he’d been wearing a middle school uniform, and here he was about to meet a perfect stranger who was going to be his roommate. He wondered if Hirano was in any clubs or played on any teams. If he was on the basketball team, Kagiura had a mountain of questions for him. And even if he didn’t play for the team, maybe he had friends who did. If nothing else, the fact that he lived in the dorms meant he was away from home, too. Where was he from? With all these thoughts running through his head, the time flew by, and before he knew it, Kagiura had found his room. He knocked gently, and the door promptly opened. “Oh…” Before Kagiura could say hello, he found himself up close and personal with the glare of the person who had opened the door. “Hngh?” He found himself wincing under a gaze both sharp and suspicious. Is this guy some kind of delinquent? The blond dye job, the cold look in his eyes… And are his ears pierced? “Uh, I g-guess we’re going to be roommates,” Kagiura started. “I’m—” “Oh, so you’re Kagiura. Sorry, I overslept. Isn’t the dorm leader with you?” Now that he mentioned it, Kagiura realized that the other young man’s voice had that huskiness of someone just shaking off sleep. “He got called away by a staff member. He told me to look for my room…” “Huh. Well, sorry again. C’mon in. You can leave your other slippers there. Swap ’em for room slippers.” Hirano bent down, still sort of mumbling to himself, and slid his own slippers into a corner so that Kagiura could easily change his. The way he did it was so thoughtful and polite—nothing like Kagiura’s rough-and-tumble first impression of him. I guess he’s not so scary after all, Kagiura thought. Heck, he’s downright kind… He felt warmth spread through his chest, touching the part of him that was, admittedly, lonely. “Thank you very much, Hirano. Hey, I… I look forward to living with you this year.” “Yeah, you too, Kagiura.” Kagiura unpacked his things—which had arrived at the dorm just before he had—but as he hadn’t received his textbooks yet, his desk remained barren. His uniform, which hung in a spot set aside for their clothes, was a little on the large side in the expectation that he’d grow into it. He touched the sheets, which were worn from being washed so many times. The texture was wonderful and promised to be very pleasant when he climbed into bed for the night. He looked around, knowing this was where he would be living for the foreseeable future. While his house might not have been close enough for him to get to practice every morning, he was from this prefecture. He could go home on the weekends if he wanted to. But even so… “You all right, Kagiura?” “Huh? Why do you ask?” “Aw, nothing. Just thought you might be tired or something.” “Nah… I mean, no. I’m fine.” Hirano grunted in acknowledgment and went quiet again. Kagiura got to his feet and peeked over into Hirano’s space to find him at his desk, absorbed in work. His golden hair might give him a tough-guy look, but he seemed to be quite a serious student. There was already no trace of sleepiness left on his face. Maybe he’s in the advanced classes. He’d heard that most of the students who lived in this dorm were on the academic fast track. Kagiura had taken Hirano for something of a punk at first glance, but seeing him hard at work, he realized his roommate might actually be very dedicated to his studies. It made his handsome features stand out all the more and somehow made him seem less approachable. He didn’t want to disturb his new roommate with questions about where to find food, so instead he sat down at his own desk and opened the pamphlet on dorm life. Thoughts of filling his stomach wouldn’t leave him alone. He needed food to make up for all the calories he burned when he worked out, but his monthly allowance only went so far, and students living in the dorm weren’t allowed to have part-time jobs. They were supposed to focus on their studies or their club activities. Wonder if I can get seconds at mealtimes, Kagiura thought, and after a few minutes of such pondering, he was soon dozing off. The hand patting his shoulder was gentle, tapping him in a pleasant, comforting rhythm. A voice called his name in a way that seemed calculated to lull him deeper into sleep, and when he confirmed it wasn’t a teacher, Kagiura felt a sense of relief. He was a growing boy, and his body demanded rest; he would catch a few winks any time there was the slightest chance. Sleeping in class was a regular occurrence for him, to the point that his middle school teachers had been at their wits’ end. “Hey, come on. I’m gonna leave you here.” It was only when the tapping moved to his face that it was no longer comforting. He shook his head. Not there! I’ll wake up! It was annoying, but it certainly did render him conscious. He was right. It wasn’t a teacher… “Kagiura, wake up already!” Almost before the words had registered, Kagiura was sitting bolt upright, provoking a “Whoa!” from right next to his ear. Who should have woken Kagiura from his deskbound slumber but his roommate, one year ahead of him in school, Hirano. His golden hair seemed to glitter in Kagiura’s bleary eyes. It was lovely. Kagiura nearly found himself whispering the question: Did you make it that color because it looks so good on you? Sadly, his tongue was heavy with sleep and wouldn’t form the words. Kagiura blinked furiously. Hirano appeared to take it in stride. He was wearing a parka over a T-shirt. “It’s almost time for lunch,” he said. “You coming?” “I sure am!” The first meal he had at the dorm cafeteria was heavenly. He could happily eat this stuff every single day. Having lunch together, seated across from each other at the cafeteria table, created an opportunity for the two roommates to get to know each other a little better. Kagiura explained that he had entered the school on an athletic recommendation and that he was left-handed. Hirano listened attentively the entire time. Evidently, he wasn’t the type to smile and nod to keep a conversation going, but you didn’t have to be in order to be welcoming. In the middle of the conversation, though, Kagiura’s hand stopped suddenly and wouldn’t move. Yes, the food was delicious, but there was a problem…