Love Story in College

Chapter 6

The color of their class T-shirt is yellow.

On the front side, in a large character that fades from dark green to orange is their graduation year, "3-4", drawn with fonts to make them appear as if they are flying towards you. On the back side in light blue was the name of their teacher at home, and then the forty names of the class members were written in lowercase letters, made to look like English newspapers.

Although it looks a bit rough, the design is not bad. If you see it finished, you might call it something that high school students make as a graduation memento.

But to get to this point is a battle.

It was nice to see the enthusiasm, "Let's make an item suitable for the whole class!", but first they argued about whether to make a T-shirt, an ecobag or a rope, or a rope, and when they decide to make a T-shirt, they then argue over the color, design, font. . . After all, they argue about everything all the time. Do they argue intentionally?

Nevertheless, no one spoke, saying "enough, stop it". Everyone realized how much time they had left before they graduated. Their circumstances: the house space was closed and everyone was arguing at once, there would not be a second time in their lives. Maybe it was because they knew they wouldn't have another chance.

From gathering everyone's opinion, to booking with a contractor, it has taken two whole months.

From then on they waited another month, and forty special order shirts arrived at the end of February.

In the classroom, since spring, half of them have decided on their study path.

The rest, some still had to take the entrance exam, some were still waiting for the results of their exams, some decided to try again next year, some were working various part-time jobs, some were taking part-time jobs, and some are hoping to take over their family business .

Whether bright or gloomy, however everyone has their own views. Although their various circumstances varied, on that day the faces of everyone were present in the classroom.

They lovingly passed plastic bags out of cardboard boxes, each with a T-shirt packed inside. Waiting until everyone got theirs, they opened their bags simultaneously with a tearing sound.

Suddenly, shouts of excitement erupted.

They checked the invoice, found out who it was, and made them all faint. It's nice to see such fairness from high school students. Everything is getting more alive soon. One by one people wore them on their uniform shirts, pointing at each other while saying to each other, "It looks good on you!", giving each other a tos, tapped for a photo with a cell phone, and then a phone call, and even, overcome with emotion, place their hands strangely over the shoulders of their classmates.

Amidst such commotion, however, alone, sitting on a chair, frozen in place as if he was dead, there was one more person.

"My name . . . "

It was Tada Banri.

"My name .. is the only one missing …"

Banri moves his fingers to and fro on the back side of the T-shirt unfolded on his desk, verifying the names that line up over and over again. Slowly, carefully, so as not to miss a letter for anything else.

But he could not find his own name. Yet many times he counted them, from the very beginning he came up with thirty-nine student names.

Just his own name, anywhere.

But many times he checked, it did not change. Finally, his field of vision began to tremble.

Without warning, he was erased. It has been decided that he does not exist. Even though he was always there. Even though he was already here with them.

Or, did he just think he was together with everyone?

He tried muttering to himself, "Let's turn everything into a joke," but at that moment, as if they were to be stupid taps, tears flowed from Banri's eyes.

These plans, how dare they? They dare to wipe out Tada? How could it be that only he, among the forty people in this private liberal arts course, without shuffling since his sophomore year, had not realized that he was disliked and exiled?

Saying "I must be gray!" loudly, he blushed in embarrassment due to his memories. Although he was fully flushed now, strangely, his tension had increased, and Banri stubbornly continued his statement. Still alone in the middle of the class was roughly half blue and half yellow, he concluded with a strange heat that he was gray. I feel very gray! I have to mix black and white! Gray must be my only choice! — I must have been rejected. Come to think of it, he even turned yellow. Actually, no one noticed Banri, and their cold expression said, "You're nothing anyway …"

How can they be like this? How low can they go? They broke his heart. If he were to be publicly humiliated like this, treated like a villain, he would rather be crushed a little and disappear from this place at once.

"Eh !? Banri !? What's wrong with you; what's wrong !?"

"Eh !? Banri !? What's wrong with you; what's wrong !?"

The one who noticed Banri was secretly choked by tears and gasping for breath, whose body was bending him and whose face was staring at him, was Linda. "What what what what, what happened? What's wrong?", he pulled his sleeve to shake it.

"May, mai! Mai, fame …!"

— My name does not exist!

Somehow just saying that, Banri turns Linda's hand away and falls flat on her desk.

Doesn't Linda know too? Just before getting ready for the final scene of their high school life, this very cruel game wipes it out.

"Wow, Tada was crying something terrible!", A girl commented from behind, and all the happy chatter in the classroom suddenly stopped, and it became very quiet. Banri thought. Will the public execution begin at this point? Hey, have you noticed? It's intentional. We women, and then the men, actually always think you're annoying. You have no presence at all. That's what his friends and others think there. . . What kind of expression did he need to guard against such words?

"That's right, what the hell is this! The teacher! Banri's name isn't here!"

He raised his teary face.

The truth appeared in Linda's powerful voice, her warm hands leaning against the back of Banri's blazer as if it would comfort her.

Finally Banri, from this vision that he was not shunned, understood that it was only the fault of the manufacturer.

And as he understood, he suddenly felt ashamed that he had shed tears, had overreacted to a small mistake, he said,

"… I, I thought it was intentional .. rush .. I thought I was left for dead …!"

Trying to return his sticky face to normal, he hurriedly rubbed his eyes with both hands. Third year high school student, man. Although he might look like that.

"No, no, no, how could that be? Aah, sheesh, you are so stupid, Banri. Don't cry over something like that, now come here."

"No, no, no, how could that be? Aah, sheesh, you are so stupid, Banri. Don't cry over something like that, now come here."

While talking as if she was irritated with him, Linda rubbed Banri's head with her hands, moving her hair as if she were a house dog. "Wow, Tada was really smiling", a girl could again be heard muttering, and Banri instantly realized that she was grinning.

Linda did not care, and she looked straight into Banri's eyes,

"Once we're apart .. I, for one, will worry you. Really and truly. Are you gonna be okay as soon as I'm not here?"

He spoke in a low voice. His grinning face stiffened, at that moment Banri also understood. He could not give an answer, his still stiff mouth twitched awkwardly. As soon as spring arrives, Linda will leave for Tokyo. Himself, here, from Shizuoka, after a year of not learning enough, can not go. Because, destroy everything, he failed to enter the school he chose. Their farewell time, even now, even this very moment, was undoubtedly getting closer.

And then, a few weeks to exchange everyone's stuff.

By the time the revised class t-shirt, with the name Tada Banri properly inserted, arrived from the vendor, it was the night before the graduation ceremony.

And then today, all the people wearing them, they were having a healthy class party under the supervision of their homeroom teacher, gathered together in a private karaoke room. Tears, tears from graduation safely reached, tonight.

It was completely finished at nine o'clock in the evening.

Banri walks aimlessly, Linda is a little behind him — she pretends to be calm, but actually, in her heart she is hardly there when they walk.

The gentle breeze, a little strong, interrupted what was left of the sunny sky that day and the warm weather.

This area is not like that near the Banri house, rather than the tea plantation there is a normal farm, and then than the farm there are many houses. There are shops with spacious parking lots, and there are some co-op housing units with striking towel blankets with character designs, indecent dry hanging out. There are local bookstores, a takoyaki place with octopus on board, and a candy store, and if they look a bit to the other side, the billboards are large and brightly lit as APiTA clears the night sky. Three bikes two sat past them, even in the darkness they could tell it was a Brazilian family.

Even though they graduated from high school, until three days ago they were still in high school.

While the two of them were walking on a vague and ambiguous night, Banri finally spoke the words he had prepared forever.

" . . . Yes or no?"

After leaving the intersection, Linda slowly turned towards him. No one else crossed. There are no cars at the moment either.

Under the streetlight in the silence of the night, he could not see the expression on his face so well for shadows. In Linda's hand was a paper bag. He had put a long brown wig in there. Banri holds the blonde wig openly in his right hand. Banri as Lady Gaga, Linda as Beyonce. They performed a duet with full character, showing off in front of the entire class.

After leaving the intersection, Linda slowly turned towards him. No one else crossed. There are no cars at the moment either.

Under the streetlight in the silence of the night, he could not see the expression on his face so well for shadows. In Linda's hand was a paper bag. He had put a long brown wig in there. Banri holds the blonde wig openly in his right hand. Banri as Lady Gaga, Linda as Beyonce. They performed a duet with full character, showing off in front of the entire class.

"I want a clear answer. This is the end of the beginning. For that reason, I want a one-word answer."

The duet is pretty good. Banri and Linda are really a good combination. While their classmates were half shocked, they laughed and said that they were the same as before.

"I don't want to be separated from you. If we were apart, it would never be anything .. Because I love you. I want to be with you every day. I want to be with you forever. I'm not "I don't want to date another girl, nor do I want you to date another guy. To be a good friend, or like a brother and sister, maybe, is no longer what I need. If you have the same feeling." ... to love me, to love each other, if you think so to me. I, want to go to Tokyo with you. My parents even told me it was okay to go to a public prep school in Tokyo to get ready. But then, after that .. after that I'll be alone. I just want Linda's answer. "

Huh huh?

No?

Catching the wig from inside with his finger and swinging it, Banri noticed it without moving. A bunch of matted hair glows with a subtle color that looks fake. He bought it from the internet. To ¥ 2900. In the same way pretend not to care, however, in reality — is like a wig. Don't even want to see. It doesn't even look necessary. But don't know if it's OK to search anywhere. Like that, if he stood shivering his miserable form would expose him.

Turning to Banri, Linda raised one finger.

As if he was a cat, Banri's eyes were captured by those fingertips.

"Can you wait a little for me .. Let me sleep on it. Is that okay?"

He nodded .

He picked up his wig from where he fell to the ground. Lightly wiping the tangled artificial wig, think a little about what is best to do,

"understandable. See you tomorrow. I'll wait for your answer."

For now, he put it on his head.

"Because I'll wait …"