“Ugh, how annoying! I’m going to be so late!”
Cherry blossoms fluttered down around me as I ran along the footpath, my forehead sweating.
How did this happen? I thought I left home early enough. I guess it was a mistake not to visit the school at least once beforehand, but I never expected it to be this far from the station.
Today was the first day of the school year. Not only that, but I was starting at a brand-new school. I really didn’t want to be late on such an important day!
My two pigtails, tied with donut-shaped scrunchies, seemed to be hurrying me along as they slapped against my back. My crisp, new uniform was flapping wildly. I couldn’t have looked more disgraceful.
Thankfully, there was no one around to see me, let alone pay any attention to my undignified appearance. Sadly, the lack of anyone else nearby was enough to tell me that I was in a truly dire situation. Looking down, the carpet of blossoms on the footpath was undisturbed, making it especially clear how late I was. Like a pristine blanket of freshly fallen snow, the petals proved that it had been quite some time since anyone else had gone this way.
I was fairly sure it was at least 8:20 a.m., but I didn’t have a watch on, so I couldn’t be certain. The last time I’d looked at a clock was outside the station, and if I remembered correctly, it had been a little before eight o’clock then.
For a brief period, I’d walked along at a leisurely pace. I had been so sure I had time to spare. By now, however, neither the beautiful rows of cherry trees lining the street nor the warm and invigorating spring air held any meaning for me.
My destination, Amanotsuka Academy for Girls, was at the top of a small hill. From the station, it hadn’t looked too far away. Initially, I had taken my sweet time, humming a tune and imagining what kind of school life awaited me. After ten minutes, though, I had begun to feel a cold sweat, and after another five or so, an alarm bell had started going off in my head.
It had said: If you keep walking, you definitely won’t make it on time!
Amanotsuka Academy’s imposing appearance—like a European castle—and its excessively vast grounds had interfered with my sense of distance, making it look closer than it really was.
I had started running to make up for lost time, but that was easier said than done. The path to the school was on a slight upward slope, so despite being fairly confident in my endurance, I found it pretty tough.
Still, I ignored this and ran flat out. Eventually, I reached level ground again. Now I had almost reached my goal—but sadly, a new problem presented itself.
Surrounding the academy was a six-foot-high fence.
It stretched to the left and right as far as the eye could see. I could not discern anything resembling a gate.
Of course.
Though a building towered in front of me, clearly part of the school, I was definitely looking at the back of it, not the front. This meant that the front gate would be on the opposite side, and to reach it, I’d have to follow this endless fence, running at full speed once again.
“Now I have to go all the way around?” I muttered to myself. I was fast approaching my limit already. My thighs were starting to cramp. Getting all the way to the other side would easily take ten minutes or more, and that was if I ran at full speed.
Fighting to keep myself from collapsing, I started looking around, hoping I might see a back entrance somewhere nearby. Thanks to that, I ended up falling anyway.
Unfortunately, I knew that no matter how much I lamented, the situation would not get any better. In fact, the longer I stayed there, the worse it would get.
Time would not stand still for me. I only had one choice.
I ran.
And I ran.
But somehow, the front entrance did not get any closer.
I couldn’t stop myself from groaning, “Why does this have to be so long?! They could have at least put in more than one gate!”
Going in the opposite direction might have been quicker, but it was too late to turn back now.
Anyway, I just have to keep running. There’s nothing else I can do. It’ll be fine! I just know it! It was wishful thinking, but I was determined to hold onto it. It was all I had.
Eventually, my intense efforts bore some fruit, and I caught my first glimpse of the front of the school building. The clock tower entered my field of vision as well—with hands that were almost pointing to half past eight. More precisely, it was 8:27 a.m.
I had to be on the school grounds by 8:30, but it was crystal clear that I would never manage it in just three minutes. I still couldn’t even see the front gate!
Unless I took drastic measures, I would definitely be late for the entrance ceremony. I was supposed to be taking the first step on the road toward my dream, but at this rate, I’d be losing my footing before even getting that far—and it was my own fault.
What if I became “the girl who was late to the entrance ceremony” and was blacklisted for it? That would be it for my dream of going to a good college—ideally based on a recommendation from the school—and then getting a job at a top-notch company.
Even if “blacklisted” might have been a bit of an exaggeration, I still didn’t want to mess up the very first step toward my new life!
Which meant there was only one option left.
I stopped, took a deep breath, and gave myself a moment to recover.
Of course, I wasn’t giving up. I turned to the side and looked at the fence head-on. I’m sure you’ve realized what I had in mind.
I took the bag I was holding, with the academy’s logo on it, and swiftly threw it over the fence and onto the school grounds.
If I try to run there normally, I won’t make it in time. But if I climb over the fence...
Yes, the other side of that fence definitely counted as “on school grounds.” It was right next to a school building, in fact.
No one else appeared to be watching. With a silent prayer, I stretched and mentally prepared myself. If I’m doing this, it’s now or never!
I ran up to the fence at full speed, then jumped and kicked off it about halfway up. I used the momentum to push myself further upward, then grabbed the very top of the fence with both hands. Finally, I put as much force into my hands as I could and threw my body over the fence.
That description might suggest I did it in a stylish, ninja-like fashion, but the reality was that I barely scrambled up and over, desperately clinging to the other side for dear life.
Still, no matter how clumsy it was, what counted was that I had successfully managed it in one try, especially given that I was pretty much out of stamina.
Anyway, now I would be able to sneak into the school.
As I hung from the top of the fence, jumping down didn’t seem like a reasonable prospect, so I climbed down slowly and laboriously. Even so, when I reached the ground, I raised my hands in the air, posing like a gymnastics competitor.
Yes, a perfect landing! Now I just have to get to the entrance ceremony and try to look like nothing’s wrong.
I wiped off the dust clinging to my uniform, picked up my bag, and turned around to go—but just then, my eyes met those of another girl.
For a moment, I was frozen in place.
“Goodness,” said the girl. “A cute little thief has sneaked in.”
My eyes widened as I choked back my urge to scream. Oh no! There was no one around on the outside, so I completely let my guard down! Who would’ve thought there would be someone right there on the other side?! If she was there all along, I wish she’d reacted when I threw my bag over the fence.
“Are you a new student?” the girl asked. “You picked an interesting place to enter from.”
I had the impression that she was an older student. Her hair, which hung straight down to her waist, had a faint trace of purple in it. It gave her a mystical air and wavered in the gentle breeze, sparkling as it reflected the light. Above her left ear was a hair accessory that looked like a fluffy ball with two white feathers sticking out of it. She was perfectly dressed in a spotless white uniform and appeared very dignified indeed. I could tell without even asking that she was a young lady from a high-class background.