Itobayashi Akane
“She knew it was her true self because it was hidden somewhere only she could find it. And since she was the only one looking, she had a clear view of her own ugliness.”
GIRL’S MARCH, PAPERBACK EDITION, PAGE 119, LINES 18–19
TO AKANE, the reunion with Julia was nothing short of a total bust. She had thought the story would progress if she mentioned Ai, but instead Julia just looked like she was desperately trying to hide her shock.
Would it take a few more tries? Akane searched for any other planned pre-shows, but as far as she could tell, nothing else was scheduled save for one final headliner concert of the year. When she saw the date, however, she let out a disappointed sigh. The story couldn’t wait that long.
Girl’s March never specified dates or times in its narration, but by connecting the dots, one could make a rough estimate. As luck would have it, in Akane’s interpretation, the final day of the story took place on the very same day as the last Impatiens concert. By that point, it would be too late.
Was it possible Ai’s friend wasn’t Julia or Fujino, but someone else entirely? Akane had sent Julia a thank-you message over Twitter just in case, but evidently she wasn’t the type of musician who engaged directly with her fans. The only option left now was sheer trial and error.
That said, there was a part of her that was okay with not achieving dramatic results immediately. After all, this was still the “rising action” stage of the story.
Even in Girl’s March, there were peaceful sections where nothing really happened; the protagonist went to school, did her homework, spent time with her family, and went to bed. Through repeat interactions with Ai and her other friends, she established deep personal connections. Sure, this could seem boring to some, but it was incredibly meaningful to the story overall. For The Girl, they were the final moments in which no one understood her.
Akane followed that storyline accordingly, and other than the reunion with Julia, the days passed uneventfully.
Two days prior, she had gone with Ai to a flower shop downtown. In the book, there was a quiet scene in which their characters admired flowers together, and since Ai had mentioned that a friend’s birthday was coming up, the timing was perfect. They went around to multiple stores, and in the end he decided to buy his friend a preserved flower arrangement in a clear glass dome. While he was at it, he also bought a single gerbera and gave it to Akane.
After expressing the utmost joy and bashfulness, she went home and immediately looked up how to take proper care of a cut flower. The protagonist of Girl’s March was never shown having a flower, but she did receive a gift. According to the internet, a well-kept gerbera could last as long as three weeks, so she put the flower into a vase full of fresh water and placed it as a decoration in the corner of her room.
As for yesterday, she had gone to see Julia as previously mentioned, and now today she was back in town.
After school, she and her friend Miyu paid a visit to a building that served as a landmark for the district. The basement floor was chock full of dessert shops, so whenever they got a craving for something special, they came here. Akane bought brightly colored gelato while Miyu opted for an overstuffed crepe, and together they sat on one of several benches positioned around a pillar. Then they took pictures of their respective treats and shared a few bites.
“So where were you yesterday, Bayashi?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Well, you weren’t actually sick, right?”
At Miyu’s sudden remark, Akane donned her trademark wide-eyed surprise. With a slight motion, the gelato on her spoon fell to the floor. “Oh god, did someone see me?!”
“Wait, are you serious? I was just kidding!”
“You were?! Ugh, I totally fell for it… I’m so dumb.” She slumped her shoulders, then quickly recovered and took another bite of gelato so the other girl wouldn’t feel bad. “Well, I don’t mind you knowing, Miyu.”
“Heh heh heh!”
“How do you always have a sixth sense for these things?”
“I swear, I was just joking!”
“Luckily I’m an only child, and my parents both work on the weekdays, so I can get away with anything.”
“I’m so jealous! So what were you doing? Shin-kun?”
“Believe it or not, he’s actually kind of a prude about that stuff.”
“What? Even though he’s in a band?”
“He’s a straight-edge rocker.”
“Okay, then what were you doing?”
“Having my first time.” With a suggestive smirk, she offered a disclaimer to protect her friendship with Miyu. “I haven’t talked about it with the others since I don’t think they’d care, but…”
Meanwhile, she retrieved her wallet from her bookbag on the floor and handed Miyu the Polaroid that was still tucked inside.
“Isn’t this that one pop star?”
“Wait, do you listen to Impatiens?”
“I don’t, but I recognize the costume. I think someone in class was talking about them recently.”
“Yeah! Shin seems to like them, so I started listening to them too, and when I bought their CD I got a ticket for a photo with a member, so I decided to go.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that! That’s how they get you to buy multiple CDs!”
“Yeah, the guy in front of me bought three of the same one.”
“Ugh, what a scam.”
Akane envied the ease with which Miyu tossed out her blunt, honest opinion. If it was her, she could never say anything that could inadvertently insult the sales tactics of a band a friend liked. That being said, Miyu herself was generally good at reading the room, so this was probably a sign of her trust and friendship. The thought filled Akane to the brim with warm fuzzies. Then she bit her tongue when it occurred to her that she, too, was essentially a scam artist.
“You look nervous in this pic, huh?”
“Yeah, I’m just your everyday loser who gets butterflies talking to a TV star.”
“I never would’ve guessed. Normally you’re quick to open up for teachers, older students, even total strangers…”
“Phrasing!”
Miyu had a great sense of humor, and she’d laugh at the smallest jokes, even if they were dirty or morbid. Akane wondered if this was what it meant to share a wavelength with someone. Then she realized some part of her was trying to mirror Miyu’s tastes, and it made her want to die.
It wasn’t just because of the wavelength thing, but over the past month or so, ever since the day they took purikura pics together, Akane had started talking to Miyu one-on-one a lot more often. They’d first met at the start of high school; every class had cliques, and it just so happened that the two of them ended up in the same one. What began as casual conversation had now evolved to sneaking away from the other girls to hang out in private. Miyu seemed to relish the tiny thrill of keeping a secret from the group.
“In your case, you only ever go for older guys, huh, Miyu?”
“Yeah, and it’s great because they’re more willing to foot the bill.”
“Ooh, yeah, that’s important.”
Akane, on the other hand, sensed a different significance in this growing bond with Miyu. In Girl’s March, none of the protagonist’s many friends were able to see the real her. As the story progressed and The Girl took steps toward revealing her true self, the gulf between her and her friends only got wider—all except for one friend, who stayed loyal to her.
“Guess you’d better hope Shin-kun’s band goes platinum!”
“Now that’s a gamble I’m not willing to take.”
This friend didn’t drastically change the course of the story, but she was critical to its overarching themes, and Akane was starting to think Miyu fit the bill. And since it meant her friendship with Miyu had an objective separate from simply being liked, Akane was able to enjoy their time together more naturally, if only slightly.
After they savored their sweet treats, they took the subway home together ahead of rush hour. Miyu was squishing the Anmanman hanging from Akane’s bookbag when her stop came up. With a wave goodbye, she deboarded the train.
All in all, it was the perfect day for a little rising action.