6.3
THE FOUR OF US stood outside the convenience store, eating ice cream.
“Whew, having ice cream when it’s slightly chilly outside is a trip,” said Hasebe, bringing a spoonful of vanilla ice cream to her mouth.
Yukimura must not have eaten ice cream much, because he was reading the ingredients. “This is just a smorgasbord of preservatives and food coloring.”
“How do you enjoy anything if you’re that worried about every single detail?” said Hasebe.
“I’m particular about what I eat. I’ve been thinking about how I was in such poor shape when we were on the island. Now, I buy my food from the organic section in the Keyaki Mall supermarket.”
“You sure are serious,” said Hasebe.
Apparently, Yukimura had become a health-conscious person.
“Besides, convenience store food is expensive. If you just make the short trip over to the mall, you can get the same things at a lower price. Why not buy your groceries more efficiently?” asked Yukimura, pointing to the grocery bags that Hasebe carried.
“Yukimuu, you’re not one of those penny-pinching misers, are you?”
“I’m just conscientious about money. Also…what’s with calling me ‘Yukimuu’?”
“You’re Yukimura-kun, so, Yukimuu. When I make friends with someone, I give them a nickname. Miyacchi, Yukimuu, and Ayanon. Hmm…for some reason, Ayanon doesn’t really roll off the tongue,” said Hasebe.
There it was. My first iffy nickname.
“Quit calling me Yukimuu. It’s embarrassing.”
“You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that. I said it’s embarrassing.”
“Come on, it’s not a big deal.”
“It’s just that calling me Y-Yukimuu in front of other people is a little…” Yukimura trailed off.
Hasebe responded with a surprisingly serious look. “You know, I think our friendship is coming along nicely,” she said.
“A friendship where we can use nicknames, you mean?”
“Well, you and Ayanon are like me and Miyacchi. We’re all loners, right?” said Hasebe.
“Hmm. I suppose so.”
“Now that I’ve actually tried becoming a member of this group, I feel more comfortable than I expected. Also, Yukimuu and Ayanon, you don’t have many friends, right? We’re more than halfway through the second semester, so I thought I’d like to be friends with a new group. It’s not like I’m trying to make up for lost time or anything. I just wanted to give you guys nicknames so that we could open up to each other. What do you two think?” asked Hasebe.
Seeing that Yukimura and I were unable to answer, Miyake spoke up. “Yeah. This isn’t too bad. I feel like I’ve gotten used to being in a group. It kinda surprises me. I don’t get along well with Sudou and those guys, and I think Hirata’s kinda in another league. He’s always surrounded by girls.”
“Right? So, what do you two think?” Hasebe repeated.
Both Hasebe and Miyake seemed to want the four of us to be friends. Would Yukimura turn them down?
“I just wanted to oversee your studies. When the test is done, this study group will end. But…I suppose there will be more tests. There’s the third semester yet, and even more tests between now and graduation. So, I don’t mind forming a group for the sake of efficiency,” said Yukimura.
“Okay, that was a little insulting. But…thanks,” said Hasebe.
“Well, y-yeah. We want to keep the school from expelling anyone, after all,” Yukimura replied. “Our class’s reputation cannot go any lower.”
“That just leaves Ayanon. Oh, but Ayanon, since you’re already in a group with Horikita-san, will this be difficult for you? You hang out with Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun, too,” said Hasebe.
“Well, I’m not better or worse than any of our classmates, but I think I’m a little different,” I replied. “There are lots of ways Ike, Horikita, and I aren’t compatible. I suppose it’s good that I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not around you guys. Horikita and I just sit next to each other in class. It’s not like we’re in a clique or anything.”
These were my honest thoughts.
“I see. Well then, it’s decided. From now on, we’ll be known as the Ayanokouji Group. Nice to meet all you group members!”
“Wait. Why’d you name the group after me?”
“Well, you brought us together, more or less. Isn’t that enough?”
Miyake agreed with her. What about Yukimura?
“I don’t object. Besides, it’d be weird if we called ourselves the Yukimura Group,” said Yukimura. He’d accepted it in a flash.
“One more thing. From here on out, let’s ban the use of formal surnames in the Ayanokouji Group,” said Hasebe.
“You can go ahead and ban whatever, but I won’t say M-Miyacchi, or…A-Ayanon, or anything like that. It’s embarrassing,” said Yukimura.
It would definitely feel really weird for Yukimura or me to call Miyake something like “Miyacchi.” I was relieved that Yukimura felt the same.
“Well, let’s at least use first names. My name’s Haruka. You can call me whatever you want. What’s your first name again, Miyacchi?” said Hasebe.
“It’s Akito.”
Hasebe looked expectantly at Yukimura and me.
“Akito, huh? Easy enough. Ayanokouji, your first name’s Kiyotaka, isn’t it?” said Yukimura. We’d been roommates during the cruise, so it seemed as though he had remembered my first name.
“And your first name’s Teruhiko, right, Yukimura?” I replied.
Yukimura’s expression darkened for some reason. “You remembered?” he asked. He looked troubled by that.
“So, Yukimuu’s first name is Teruhiko, huh? Wonder if I should think of another nickname,” said Hasebe.
“Knock it off,” snapped Yukimura. Hasebe shrank back.
“Is something wrong?” I asked. His aggression had come out of nowhere.
“I’m okay with calling you all by your first names. I accept that much. But will you please stop calling me Teruhiko?” he replied.
“So, you’re fine calling us by our first names, but you hate being called by your first name?!” asked Hasebe.
“It’s not that I don’t like any of you. It’s just that I hate my name. I never really had to worry about it before, because no one called me by it,” said Yukimura.
“It’s not especially unconventional. Isn’t it actually pretty common?” asked Miyake.
Miyake also found Yukimura’s reaction strange. Teruhiko was a rather conventional name. I couldn’t imagine someone coming to despise it.
“Is there any particular reason why you hate it?”
“Yes. My mother named me Teruhiko. She’s a contemptible woman who left the family when I was little, so I reject the name she gave me,” said Yukimura. Hasebe and Miyake’s faces stiffened at this depressing explanation, and Yukimura changed the topic. “Sorry. I made you uncomfortable.”
“No, no, I’m sorry. I just blurted out your name without permission, after all,” said Hasebe.
“You don’t need to apologize. You didn’t know. Most people like using their first name, after all. I’d prefer not to ruin the mood, so why don’t you call me Keisei from now on? It’s the name I’ve used since I was a child,” said Yukimura.
“Keisei? So, you have two first names, Yukimuu? This is crazy complicated.”
“Keisei isn’t my real name. It’s the name my father wanted to give me, so I made it my own after my mother left. If that’s too much for you, just call me Yukimura, like you have been,” he replied.
If that was what he wanted, that was what we would do. Besides, it wasn’t weird for someone to have two different names. Ordinary people made a habit of it, as did celebrities.
“Well, I didn’t mean to use a name you didn’t like. Right, Miyacchi?”
“Yeah. Nice to meet you, Keisei.”
The two of them had easily opted to call Yukimura by his preferred name.
“Sorry for being so selfish about that…Kiyotaka, Akito, and Haruka,” replied Yukimura. He made it a point to use our first names.
“No worries. Everyone’s got their own issues,” I said.
Just like I had a past that I didn’t want exposed, Yukimura…no, Keisei…also had a past he wanted to hide.
I tried saying everyone else’s names just like Keisei had done. “Akito, Keisei, and…Haruka, right? I’ll remember those,” I told them. It was even more stressful to call a girl by her first name.
“Anyway, Kiyotaka? We won’t call you ‘Ayanon,’ but what about ‘Kiyopon’?” Haruka seemed stuck on the issue of my name. “Yeah, that one definitely rolls off the tongue better. Yukimuu, do you want to call him that, too?”
Whoa. I’d gotten an even more embarrassing nickname. Just thinking about Hasebe calling me “Kiyopon” in front of people gave me goosebumps.
“I won’t call him that. It’s embarrassing. I already decided to call him Kiyotaka,” said Yukimura.
In the end, we decided to call one another by our given names. It waw a little awkward at first, but before long, it felt completely natural.
Now that everything was going smoothly, I looked behind me to check on the person following us.
Were you okay with just listening in, Sakura?
Every time we’d held a study session, Sakura had tailed us. Today, she watched from a slight distance. She probably couldn’t hear everything we said, maybe enough to just barely get the gist of our conversation. The moment this new group formed was probably her last chance to join.
If she didn’t assert herself, then…
“Well, now that we’ve all learned one another’s names, let’s start over. From here on, the four of us will be known as—”
“U-u-um, excuse me!”
CRASH! The trash can next to us rattled. Sakura clambered back to her feet and walked over, tense and nervous.
“Sakura?” The others said her name simultaneously.
“I-I also want to join Ayanokouji-kun’s group!”
Sakura summoned up every last bit of courage she could to force those words out. She was incredibly nervous, her face turning a deep shade of red. She was so flustered that she didn’t notice that her glasses were crooked.
“Do you want to join the group because you’re anxious about the exam? I mean, when you consider your own scores and your partner, it’d be understandable if you were worried, Sakura,” said Keisei, calm and analytical. “Personally, I think you should join Horikita’s group. I’m not sure I can tutor too many people. Besides, your situation’s different. You probably need to work on other subjects.”
Despite being shut down, Sakura courageously tried again. “N-no, it’s not that. I just… I genuinely want to join the group!” she answered.
As the saying went, shame committed on a journey could be left behind. Or, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Just as a moving train couldn’t immediately be brought to a halt, Sakura wouldn’t be dismayed by Keisei’s rejection.
“Come on. It’s fine if Sakura participates. She kinda fits in with the group,” said Akito.
“Is letting me join really all right?” she asked.
“I mean, adding one person’s not a big deal. Besides, it isn’t like you need any qualifications to take part. We’re all loners, so I think it’s appropriate. Am I wrong?”
“Loners, huh? Well, I guess you’re right,” I mused. It was a well-known fact that Sakura was always alone. “Keisei, is it okay with you?”
“I have no objections. But I don’t want our group to grow any larger than this. Sakura is easy to accept, but if someone annoying joins, I’m done,” said Keisei.
“Th-thank you, Miyake-kun… Yukimura-kun…”
Even though it’d come with a warning, Keisei had accepted. The only person left was Haruka. She was usually welcoming, but this time, she didn’t have a smile on her face.
“Sorry, Sakura-san, but you haven’t convinced me yet,” said Haruka, her expression stern as she rained on Sakura’s parade.
“Ah…so I-I, uh, I can’t…?”
“Well, look. I’m really looking forward to being part of this group. Or, rather, I get the feeling I’m going to enjoy it. So…” Haruka hoisted her finger and pointed at Sakura. “If you want to join, you have to follow our one big rule. We call each other by our first names, or by nicknames. So, Sakura-san, uh…” Haruka looked at me. “Wait, what’s her first name again?”
“Airi,” I replied without missing a beat.
“We’ll all call you Airi, and you’ll use all of our first names. Are you okay with that?”
Sakura wasn’t good at dealing with interpersonal relationships. We all knew that, which was why Haruka was testing to see whether she could manage this.
“U-um…”
I tried to help the bewildered Sakura. If Sakura was going to force Sakura to call us by our nicknames, now that would be a tough hurdle. “Keisei, Akito, and Haruka.”
“K-Keisei-kun, Akito-kun, Haruka…san… Whew…” said Sakura, barely whispering the words. I understood how she felt, since she had to suddenly call three people by their given names,
“There’s no need to use honorifics, right?” Akito said.
“Yeah. As long as you use our first names, that’s good enough. Now, all that’s left is using Kiyopon’s nickname.”
Sakura spun around, and her face reddened. A mysterious sound escaped her lips. “Ah-hyuu!”
“You’ve seemed pretty close to Kiyopon for a while now, so calling him that shouldn’t be a stretch, right?” said Haruka. She was merciless.
“Kiyotaka is fine,” I said. Kiyopon was a bridge too far. It was embarrassing even in my head.
“Ki-Kiyo-Kiyo…pyo!”
Everyone focused on Sakura. She hated attention, which made her stammer, which made them pay more attention. It was turning into a vicious cycle.
“I don’t know what kind of effect this group will have on you, but I think it’s good that you’re joining, Sakura. You’ve taken a big step forward. Just one more step can’t hurt,” I told her gently.
“Yeah…K-Kiyotaka-kun. I look forward to studying with you all.” Sakura looked me square in the eye.
“Okay, you passed. I’m in favor of Airi joining us,” said Haruka. With that, Sakura became part of the group. “Come on, Kiyopon, try calling Airi by her first name.”
“Uh…hi, Airi.”
“H-hello!”
Even though we were stiff and nervous, we both managed.
“From now on, we five are the Ayanokouji Group. Looking forward to it!” said Haruka.
Apparently, the group would be named after me whether I liked it or not.
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