Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 8 - Chapter 1.1

Looking back, things were already in motion.

By the time I noticed, it was real.

And because I noticed, it was almost gone.

Before that, it had been in a box, its state unknown.

I had to open it to see inside.

Everything that really matters works like that.

Like Schrödinger and his cat.

Chapter 1 - The Rest of That Day

1

Sakuta Azusagawa was dreaming.

He was standing alone on the beach at Shichirigahama, staring out at the sea.

It was all a bit off—he could smell the salt in the air but couldn’t hear the wind or the surf.

The colors weren’t quite right, either. The sea should’ve been a deep blue and the sky a lighter shade, but these colors were far too pale.

And that was how he knew he was dreaming.

He looked left and right and saw no one on the shore. No windsurfer’s sails on the water ahead.

He had it all to himself.

But even as that thought crossed his mind, he heard someone walking on the sand, trailing a red scarf as they slipped past him.

A little girl with a red leather backpack.

She went down to the surf, standing just beyond the wave’s reach.

Beautiful, perfectly straight, shoulder-length black hair. The backpack looked brand-new, with not a scratch or stain on it.

She was probably six or seven years old.

Sakuta didn’t know her.

But he’d caught a glimpse of her face as she walked past, and it had reminded him of someone.

Had he seen her somewhere before?

They hadn’t properly met. Sakuta didn’t know anyone her age.

But he felt like he should.

A gust of wind whipped her hair around, and Sakuta’s jaw dropped.

He had seen her before. They’d never spoken, but he’d placed her now—she was on TV all the time. Everyone knew the famous child actress.

“Mai…?”

The name came unbidden.

She turned around at his call. There was a defensive look in her eyes. They gave him a once-over. This was exactly how the modern eighteen-year-old Mai Sakurajima would have acted.

“Who are you, mister?” she asked, her tone bright and childlike.

To a kid her age, high school students clearly counted as “grown-ups.”

“I guess I’ve got one foot in that door…”

“My mom said I’m not supposed to talk to strangers. Sorry!”

She bobbed her head politely and turned her back on him.

“Where’s your mom?”

It was just the two of them here.

“……”

She’d heard him but wasn’t answering, apparently pretending not to hear.

“You alone?”

“……”

Her mother’s rule had to be observed. She’d been looking west at Enoshima, but when she turned east toward Kamakura and Hayama, he caught a glimpse of a frown.

He looked left and right himself. The beach was still deserted. Only him and the girl in the backpack stood on the sand.

“Are you lost?”

“?!”

Evidently, yes.

“No!” she said, glaring at him. That same grumpy glare modern Mai often gave him.

And that made him break out in a smile.

“Where is this?” she asked, like she took issue with that grin.

“I thought you couldn’t talk to strangers.”

“……Fine, then.”

Even grumpier. She turned her back on him again and started walking toward Enoshima.

“You’re on Shichirigahama,” he called after her.

She stopped.

He waited till she turned back, then added, “But actually, it isn’t even one ri.”

“……”

Her lips didn’t move. She just looked right at him, not saying a word.

“I go to school here. Minegahara High. Name’s Sakuta Azusagawa.”

He pointed up at the school building, belatedly introducing himself.

“Now I’m not a stranger, right?”

She blinked, eyes wide…but surprise soon gave way to a smile.

Her lips moved. He assumed she said something.

But he couldn’t make it out.

“Azusagawa!”

A different voice roused him from the dream…

“Azusagawa! Wake up!”

He raised his head and found his English teacher glaring down at him, more fed up than mad.

“Good morning,” Sakuta said. Seemed like the right thing to say.

But it earned him a dramatic sigh.

“Never mind. Kamisato, you read for him.”

The teacher left Sakuta’s window-side desk and headed back toward the blackboard.

“Huh? Why me?”

Saki Kamisato sat next to him and did not appreciate the fallout.

“Blame Azusagawa,” the teacher said.

She clearly did. Sakuta pretended not to notice her glare and did his best to nonchalantly turn to look out the window.

The waters of Shichirigahama lay before him—the same location as in his dream. It was just past three PM. The sun was descending across the sky to the west, and the navy-blue waters sparkled in its light. The sky was clear and blue, and the line of the horizon seemed to glow with an almost mystic light.

These colors had been dulled in his dream, but here they were vibrant.

A sight for sore eyes.

Perfect for absent gazing.

In mid-January, the air was clear, and he could see for miles.

Soaking in the twin blues of the sky and the sea, Sakuta mulled over his dream. He’d been dragged out of it at an awkward moment, and he was curious what would have happened next.

What had young Mai been about to say?

He considered going back to sleep, in the hopes of finding out, but before his head went down, the teacher caught his eye…and he was forced to abandon the idea.

“Well, it was just a dream.”

Propping one cheek up on his hand, he let his eyes drift to the window once more. Saki Kamisato was reading aloud, totally nailing it—but he could hear the irritation building in her voice.

She was pretty much always mad at him, though. He didn’t have it in him to care.

And not long after, the bell rang. End of sixth period.

“Rise! Bow.”

And the classroom crowd dispersed in a flurry of good-byes and see-ya-laters.

Classmates rushing off to clubs or practice. Students on cleaning duty begrudgingly grabbing brooms.

Sakuta had no reason to linger, so he booked it before Saki Kamisato could drag him aside for a scolding. He thought it best to keep his distance when furious women were around.

“Azusagawa.”

A teacher caught him in the hall. It was Class 2-1’s homeroom teacher, a man in his midforties.

“Yeah?”

“You know you still haven’t turned in your survey. At least get it to me Monday.”

“Sure.”

“You are not inspiring hope here.”

He started to rap Sakuta on the head with the attendance file but then thought better of it. Teachers couldn’t exactly dish out corporal punishment these days.

“I’ll try not to forget.”

“Then don’t forget!”

“Okay.”

Sakuta said the right thing and headed for the stairs. He heard the teacher yelling “Please!” behind him, but he ignored it. He had to get out of here before Saki Kamisato caught up with him. She could be a real pain.

His class was on the second floor, so he headed down.

His mind was now on the survey…and his plans for the future.

It wasn’t worth fretting about. He’d already made up his mind to go to college and had narrowed that list down to a pair of prospects.

There were two big problems, though. One was Sakuta’s own academic performance. This, he would have to solve by hitting the books real hard.

The other was financial. He had yet to tell his parents about any of this.

If they’d lived together, he might have had a chance to bring it up or maybe someone would have even asked him first. But then his sister got bullied at school, and fallout from that had eroded their mother’s confidence as a caretaker, leaving her in a frayed state of mind. They now lived separately.

Their father was looking after their mother while covering Sakuta and Kaede’s living expenses. They’d been like that for two years.

Sakuta would rather not be a burden on his father any longer. Public colleges might be cheaper than private ones, but they certainly weren’t free.

He was sure his father was thinking about the problem, too. They needed to sit down and talk, but with one thing and another, they hadn’t found the time. And that was why the survey was sitting in his bag, still blank.

“But the studying is probably the bigger challenge.”

Financing didn’t matter if he couldn’t pass the entrance exams. He’d have to do the work first.

And he could always turn in the survey next week. No matter what problems lay ahead, giving up on college was no longer an option.

She wanted to go there with him.

A request from the cutest girl in the whole wide world.

She wasn’t asking him to cure an incurable disease. All he had to do was join her at college. Most of the obstacles could be taken care of if he simply applied himself. Studying and…extra shifts at work might help with the finances. Student loans were a thing, too.

More than anything, he welcomed a challenge he could solve himself. Getting into college seemed way easier than dealing with shit he couldn’t possibly fix.

As this ran through his mind, he reached the exit, and a beautiful voice called his name.

“Sakuta.”

The aforementioned cutest girl was leaning against the 2-1 shoe lockers, waiting for him. Mai Sakurajima.

Glossy black hair, strong eyes, unblemished complexion. At five foot five, she was taller than many girls, and her slim build made her all the more striking. Even standing against these battered old shoe lockers, she made everything around her look like a shot from a movie.

And that meant she always attracted attention. Perhaps this…presence was a by-product of experience—she’d been famous since she was very young. She’d taken a long hiatus but was back to work now, filming TV shows, movies, and commercials and modeling for fashion magazines. Her schedule was so busy she barely had time to go on dates with him.

Sakuta joined Mai and pulled off his slippers.

“Were you waiting for me?” he asked.

“Someone said they wanted to go home together ‘every day.’”

He took his shoes out, replacing them with the slippers.

“Did I say that?”

“You did.”

“I’m pretty sure what I said was ‘Mai, you’re graduating soon, so if you don’t have work, we should make time for after-school dates.’”

He stressed that last word with a glance her way. She showed no sign of acknowledging it, swinging his shoe locker shut for him.

“Come on,” she said, walking off before he even had his shoes on.

He hustled to catch up and was by her side before she reached the door. They headed toward the gate, the sun in their eyes.

Sakuta yawned.

“What, is walking with me boring you?”

Mai gave him a look. She had a smile on her lips, but not in her eyes. How dare he make her wait and then yawn in her face.

“I had a strange dream and still haven’t fully woken up.”

“Classes just ended, so sleep should not be part of the equation.”

She rolled her eyes at him.

“Well, I always did hate English.”

“You really should pay attention. Or do you not want to go to college with me?”

“Wait. I thought it was you who wanted to go to college with me.”

“Yes, because I’m the one who loves you.”

She didn’t even turn to look at him.

But his heart had skipped a beat, and he’d swung toward her—so he lost this round. And when she did turn toward him, there was a challenge in her eyes. This was clearly a test to see if he’d just let that stand.

“I do want to go to college with you, Mai.”

If Mai had a request, he was going to do his best to fulfill it. Especially if it was something he wanted himself. They’d promised to be happy together, and he felt like this was how to make that come true.

Outside the gate, the railroad crossing lay ahead. The warning bells were ringing, the railings coming down.

“Which way?” Mai asked.

She didn’t specify. But he knew what she was asking. Anyone commuting to this school would only be wondering one thing here—which way was the train going?

“Fujisawa bound,” he said.

To the right of the crossing was Shichirigahama Station. But there was no train waiting at the platform. To the left, a train came slowly rolling in from Kamakura, leaving Sakuta, Mai, and several other students stuck at the crossing.

The bells stopped, and the railings went up.

Several students took off, running pell-mell toward the station. They might manage to catch the train.

“Shall we?” Mai asked. If they missed this train, it was a twenty-minute wait for the next one. “Are you in a rush to get home?”

There was a hint of mischief in her eyes.

“When I’m with you, Mai, I always wish this barrier would stay down forever.”

“That would get old fast.”

They started moving, the last of the crowd to step into the crossing. Normal walking speed—missing this train just meant their after-school date would be twenty minutes longer. No point rushing.

Ahead of them lay a gentle downward slope. At the end of it, the Shichirigahama beach. When Sakuta took a deep breath, he could smell the salt on the breeze.

Even with the sea stretching out before them, they turned right after the crossing. On the other side of a little bridge, they spied the green sign above the station entrance.

Up a short staircase, they ran their train passes through the gates. The Fujisawa-bound train had just left, and only a dozen students remained. Most of them likely waiting for a Kamakura-bound train.

This station only had one set of tracks that led to a single platform. Trains came down those tracks from right and left, stopping at this platform. Their destinations alternated between Fujisawa and Kamakura. A single-line station with a touch of class.

There were no major thoroughfares or bustling shopping areas nearby, so it had a particular stillness to it, and time seemed to flow here at a more relaxed pace.

It only really got busy before and after school.

Depending on the season, if he accidentally overslept and arrived late, he’d often find himself the lone person disembarking here.

A train came in from Fujisawa, brakes screeching as it ground to a halt. Sakuta and Mai were waiting for a train bound the other direction.

Once passengers were loaded in, the green-and-cream retro-styled cars rolled slowly on out.

Sakuta and Mai included, there were maybe six or seven people left behind.

The wind carried in the clatter of the crossing bells, and then without warning, Mai reached out and took his hand. Well, finger—she was just lightly holding on to his pinkie. Her manager had warned them to be conscious of who was looking. This was probably a nod to that, a gesture in the direction of restraint.

And when he turned toward her, Mai didn’t meet his eye. She just stared ahead at the tracks, saying nothing.

So he said nothing, either. Just admired her profile.

His heart satiated just by having her here with him.

Just feeling her warmth next to his…

…made him happy.

Nothing special. Just a normal afternoon. Headed home with Mai. A quiet time, watching the train roll out and waiting for the next one to arrive.

Not talking about anything in particular.

But Sakuta knew that these nothing moments were more precious than anything. That’s why he couldn’t take his eyes off Mai, watching her bask in the breeze. He could watch her forever, without ever getting bored. Each moment was a priceless treasure.

“What? You’re staring.”

Catching his gaze, she held her hair back against the wind, looking his way at last. She sounded tickled pink.

“Just making sure you’re still here.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She spoke like she didn’t get it, but her eyes said otherwise. “I know you went through a lot,” she added. Slowly, like she was feeling it out. There was tenderness in her eyes.

“A bit too much, really.”

Too much to ever put in words. He’d cried and cried, screamed his lungs out, grieved till his heart tore apart, and run until his legs could move no more. And smiled every bit as much.

It was precisely because he’d been through so much that he could fully appreciate moments like these. Just waiting for a train was now a source of joy—because they were here together. And because they shared that feeling.

“……”

“……”

They gazed into each other’s eyes, neither looking away. Sakuta could feel his love for her welling up inside. The impulse taking hold.

“Um, Mai.”

“Nooope,” she said, like she was training a puppy. She tore her eyes away, seeming slightly embarrassed.

“I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“But you were about to suggest a kiss.”

She glanced his way, making sure.

“But I really wanna.”

Mai glanced around. There were more people on the platform now.

“You’ll have to control yourself,” she said. “I am.”

She was keeping her voice low, so no one could hear.

Her hand had been wrapped around his pinkie this whole time, but she adjusted her grip, adding his ring finger. She squeezed it tight.

“Aww,” he said in protest. That was hardly enough. But his desperate plea was brushed aside.

“Train’s coming,” she said.

Once they were aboard, the train carried them out of Shichirigahama Station along the coast. To the left of the car, outside the windows, they had a view of the ocean and Enoshima beyond.

There were plenty of tourists on board, glued to the view. Including some international visitors, who were snapping pictures like crazy. A common sight here.

Sakuta put Mai by the doorframe and held on to the strap above, watching the view go by. Well, watching Mai watch the view.

They stopped at Kamakura High School and Koshigoe, and then the train reached Enoshima Station. Loads of people got off, and half as many got back on. The waves of visitors headed out to Enoshima and coming back.

As the train pulled out again, Mai asked, “So what was this dream?”

“Mm?”

“The weird dream you had instead of English class.”

“You were in it. Wearing a kid’s backpack.”

This was true, but it completely wiped the smile from her face.

“……”

It was replaced with a look of purest disgust. That was pleasant in its own right, but he concluded that he’d provoked an undeserved misapprehension, and he hastened to clarify.

“To be clear, I was not picturing the current you wearing that.”

“Then what?” Her gaze was not getting warmer.

“You were maybe six years old.”

“Hmph.” She seemed taken aback. “That is weird.”

“That’s what I said.”

“I thought you liked older women.”

That wasn’t what he’d meant, but if she’d latched on to that, he wasn’t gonna argue the point.

“But this dream…” She lowered her voice, looking up at him. Intentionally. “It wasn’t Adolescence Syndrome, was it?”

She sounded a little worried.

This was a mysterious phenomenon whispered about in corners of the Internet, a collective term for stories about the eyebrow-raising supernatural—spanning everything from reading minds to dreaming about the future.

“……”

And that grim look in her eyes was because they knew only too well those stories were not just idle online gossip.

Mai’s own case of Adolescence Syndrome was actually what had brought them together in the first place.

“I think we’re safe.”

“Sakuta, sometimes it feels like Adolescence Syndrome is in love with you.”

“And I’m grateful! It brought you to me.”

“……”

She seemed unconvinced.

“I’m only dreaming of you ’cause you won’t let me do anything. That must be why I’m seeing such strange things in my sleep.”

He was definitely angling for attention.

And he soon got a poke on the cheek for it.

“Nice try,” she said, digging her nail in.

“No matter what happens, Mai, I’ve got you. So I’ll be okay.”

“Always have something to say, don’t you?”

She looked awfully pleased to be tormenting him again.

Fifteen minutes after leaving Shichirigahama, the train reached the end of the line—Fujisawa Station.

Outside the gates, Sakuta and Mai found themselves surrounded by department stores. This was a major city hub; the Enoden was not the only train line running through here. It also hosted the JR and Odakyu Enoshima Lines.

At this hour, the area was filled with local shoppers and students, all on their way home. They took the bridge over the bus terminal to the opposite side of the station. They both lived a ten-minute walk to the north.

“Need any groceries?” Mai asked as they passed the electronics store.

“Much as I’d love a supermarket date, I just bought some yesterday.”

“Another day, then.”

On their way, they crossed a bridge over the Sakai River. The farther they went from the station, the quieter things got. They were deep into a residential area now.

As they reached the park near their homes, Mai asked, “How’s Kaede finding school?”

“She’s all fired up and heading there every morning.”

Sakuta’s sister had been out of school for a long time, but toward the end of last year and over winter vacation, she’d done a lot of practice being outside. Her ultimate goal was to attend school in the new year, for third term. And at the moment, everything was going smoothly.

But she was still quite scared of her classmates’ stares, so she was coming in a little late and spending the day studying in the nurse’s office. She also staggered the time she left, returning home alone. She still had a ways to go, which was exactly why she was all fired up.

Considering she’d spent a year and a half unable to leave the house at all, her achievements over the last month were incredibly impressive.

“I hope school gets easier for her.”

“It will in time.”

As they spoke, they reached their buildings. Mai lived in the one across from Sakuta, so their commutes matched perfectly.

“Oh, isn’t that Kaede?”

Speak of the devil. Mai was looking down the road away from the station at a girl plodding their way. Mai was right—it was his sister.

She had a coat on over her junior high uniform. Her head was down, staring at the ground below her feet.

But then she looked up—perhaps feeling their eyes on her. She jumped, then recognized Sakuta and Mai and managed an awkward smile. Probably just normal awkwardness at running into friends outside.

She sped up a bit, coming over to them.

“Hi there, Kaede,” Mai said.

“H-hi, Mai.”

“You’re wearing the coat!”

“Oh, yes! I love it.”

She grinned bashfully. The coat was one Mai had passed on to her. Kaede was tall for her age, if not as tall as Mai; the coat had proved to be a good fit.

“You just got back?” she asked, turning to Sakuta, her tone abruptly turning sullen.

“As you can see.”

“Hmm.”

Her eyes glanced down at his hand. Mai was still holding on to him. Realizing this, she let go.

“Right, Sakuta, um…,” Kaede began, but then trailed off.

“What?”

“Do you have plans for the next two days?”

That was evasive. He wasn’t sure what she was asking.

“I plan to enjoy the heck out of the weekend,” he said, equally nonspecific.

“So nothing,” Kaede said, puffing up her cheeks.

He reached out and flattened them for her.

“Got a shift tomorrow.”

“Sunday?”

“I’ll be busy having a date with Mai, cuddling with Mai, and hopefully making out with Mai.”

“Hngg.”

Kaede made a grumpy noise.

“That sucks,” she muttered, head down.

“Don’t worry, Kaede. I have other plans.”

“Aww. Work?” Sakuta’s turn to be grumpy.

“Basically.” Mai smiled, looking him right in the eye.

That rang false to him. If she had work, she was usually more specific. It felt like she was hiding something.

He was curious, but she didn’t give him time to pry. Before he could ask, a white minivan pulled up, stopping next to them.

It was the same kind that Mai’s manager drove. The driver was a woman in her midtwenties wearing a suit. Definitely Mai’s manager—Ryouko Hanawa.

She got out, looking half mad, half at a loss. “You walked home together again?” she asked.

“We’re a couple,” Mai said. “It would be weird if we didn’t.”

“If someone snaps a picture and it turns into a whole thing…” Ryouko was sticking to her guns on this.

“That only happens when people try to hide it. Lies and denials fan the flames. I openly admitted I have a boyfriend, so there won’t be any major uproar now.”

Mai turned away like she was done listening. Ryouko was a few years older, and that seemed to bring out Mai’s childish side.

“Listen, Mai…I know you’ve heard it before, but…”

But before she could launch into full lecture mode—

“Fine. I’ll be careful,” Mai said. Her show of obedience felt hollow.

“Argh, you say that, but don’t mean it.” Ryouko wailed. She definitely wasn’t the one in control.

“I’ve gotta go,” Mai said, turning back to Sakuta. “You’d better actually listen to Kaede, okay? Kaede, see you later.”

Ryouko bobbed her head, then closed the door. The engine had been left running, so they soon pulled away.

“So what about this weekend?” Sakuta said as he watched the van pull around the corner.

Kaede’s eyes were locked on the license plate. She seemed rather cross.

“Nothing,” she said, sulking again.

“Kaede.”

“What?” Still grumpy.

“You got something against Mai?”

“O-of course not! She’s nice and pretty and cool! I’d love to be like her!”

“Then I have some invaluable advice.”

“What?”

“When we get home, look in the mirror.”

“Don’t need to. I already know I’ll never be like her.”

Kaede glared at him, her cheeks all puffed up. This was the opposite of intimidating.

“Then why are you so grumpy?”

“It’s your fault.”

She was only getting worse. Teenage sisters were hard work.

“Huh?” he said, at a total loss.

“You’re totally obsessed with her.”

“Well, yeah. Anyone with a girlfriend that cute would be.”

“Oh, I get it. I just hate it.”

She didn’t even want to look at him. It was an obvious appeal for attention.

“Something happen at school?”

Kaede still hadn’t said what was up.

“I had a talk with a teacher.”

She must be talking about Miwako Tomobe, her school’s counselor.

“And?”

“About future plans.”

She shifted uncomfortably, looking up at him through her lashes.

“Ahhh, future plans, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Whose?”

“Mine, obviously.”

“I thought so.”

It wasn’t like it he hadn’t thought about it. Kaede was in her third year of junior high. And it was the third term. Not much time left before graduation. But she’d only been back at school for ten days. Any plans beyond that just didn’t feel real to him.

But hearing it from her forced him to admit that it was way past time.

“The teacher said we should get in touch with Dad.”

Kaede gave him a searching look. He knew what he had to do.

“Okay, I’ll ask him.”

“Mm. Thanks.”

She looked a lot less tense now.

“Do you actually have any idea what you want to do yet?” he asked, checking their mailbox and opening the auto-lock door.

“Not really,” she said, trailing after him. “It’s all so sudden.”

But when he met her eye, she quickly turned away.

Sakuta felt pretty sure she did have a high school in mind.

But wasn’t ready to tell him.

“Fair,” he said, acting like he hadn’t noticed.

He pressed the button for the elevator.