Epilogue
This chapter was translated by the wonderful shizuumi, and proofread by kuririn, yuugs, and dei-hime!
It had been a year since I expressed my gratitude and budding feelings to Yamazaki-senpai. Our relationship had deepened little by little. At first, even calling him on the phone strained my nerves. It felt awkward inviting him out to do things. Anyone looking on at us might’ve thought we were taking way too long with things...
But for us, we were going at a perfect pace. We weren't quite lovers, but we were becoming more intimate than regular friends, in our own time...
Then, Valentine's Day came around again.
This year, Valentine’s was the same day that Yamazaki-senpai's university entrance exam results were to be announced. I went to Ryojun Medical School's campus to check them with him.
Chizuru Yukimura: "―senpai. Yamazaki-senpai. It looks like they're setting up a notice with all the successful candidates. Come on, let's hurry!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Umm, I'm pretty sure your candidate number was 373, right?"
(CG get!°˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)
Susumu Yamazaki: "Yes, that’s right."
Chizuru Yukimura: "373, 373..."
Susumu Yamazaki: "......"
I gave him a small, sidelong glance…
And realized as I’d been studying the notice board intently, he’d been watching me all the while. When I caught him, he looked away.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Honestly, you look too! It's your results they're announcing, after all!"
Susumu Yamazaki: "But... can't I just close my eyes and you check for me?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Well, not that I mind, but… What’s wrong? I guess you must be feeling a bit nervous to check them with your own eyes, right?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "No, I just thought that if I was going to hear about getting accepted, I'd like to hear it from you."
I’d just meant to tease him a little, but the smile he gave me in return made my cheeks burn red.
After Yamazaki-senpai laughed lightly, he sealed his mouth shut and waited patiently for the good news.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Come on, come on..." My eyes went back to the notice board, and I started searching for his candidate number again.
Then, shortly after...
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh―!" The numbers I'd been searching for practically jumped out at me. There it is, Yamazaki-senpai! Your number’s there!"
Susumu Yamazaki: "...! 373... There’s no mistaking it."
Chizuru Yukimura: "You did it, Yamazaki-senpai!"
I was so happy about his hard work having paid off, it almost felt like I was the one who'd passed. We almost hugged and clasped each other's hands in joy.
...Maybe if there weren't people watching, we would've hugged.
Chizuru Yukimura: "This is great... I believed in you, but it figures I was a little scared for you anyway." Although I said that, I didn't think that he was going to fail for a second. I'd been watching over Yamazaki-senpai this past year as his closest friend. I knew better than anyone just how hard he'd worked all year.
Susumu Yamazaki: "If I'd failed, I could've taken the entrance exams with you next year. That might've not been so bad, really."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Hey, now, you've already passed. You shouldn't say things like that, even as a joke."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Haha, I suppose so. You're right. Sorry. I wouldn't want to let you down by failing after you joined me for studying so many times… I'm happy I've taken a step ahead by getting accepted. Since it means that I can support you when you take your own entrance exams."
Blue skies, gentle winds.
That day was the same as a year before, with the sunny blue sky spread out as far as the eye could see.
After leaving the campus of Yamazaki-senpai's new university, we took the road back home, our steps light as we studied how the skies seemed to reflect our mood.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Well, I guess we should go back to school first. We have to tell the teachers the good news."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Yeah. I couldn’t have done it without them."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Sannan-sensei, who had you experience all the different sides to studying, and the other teachers, too..." Like Hijikata-sensei, who had backed him up all the way from submitting his application to familiarizing him with the examination procedures. Or Harada-sensei, who contacted alumni of Hakuo Academy who went to medical schools to hear their honest opinions about their experiences. Even Nagakura-sensei went so far as to make Yamazaki-senpai handmade good luck charms to cheer him on.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm sure everyone will be over the moon to hear you made it."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Yeah, I'm looking forward to telling them now. ...Although, when it comes to taking the exam itself, no one helped me as much as you did. Really, thank you so much, Yukimura-kun."
Chizuru Yukimura: "O-Oh, no, all I did was cheer you on, really...!"
Susumu Yamazaki: "That encouragement was more heartening than any other help I received, to me."
Honestly, I thought I'd be practically useless in helping him study, with me being a year below him. The most I'd done, really, was things like sending him sweets or going out to have a look at universities with him...
But Yamazaki-senpai smiled brightly at me anyway.
Susumu Yamazaki: "...You told me before that I could 'stand to be more selfish,' didn't you? When you told me that, I decided to try to find a path I wanted to pursue. If you weren't there in the first place, I probably wouldn't have even felt like taking on the challenge of applying to medical school. So...See? It is all thanks to you."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ooh..." I felt so shy to hear him thanking me for that so sincerely...!
The buildings of Hakuo Academy came into view as we chatted. I found myself feeling relieved that we'd gotten so close to school now, and I said:
Chizuru Yukimura: "I’d better hurry to the staff room, then."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Oh, um... Please wait. That’s fine and all, but before that, would you come with me just for a little bit?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Eh...?"
The wind brushed past our cheeks.
The breeze that blew over the rooftop was a wintry one, but it felt just right to us. The place he had led me was the closest we could get to the sky in Hakuo Academy. We were on the school rooftop, where we could see the whole town.
Susumu Yamazaki: "Sorry, Yukimura-kun, for making you follow me all the way up here."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, don't worry, I can just go home after I let the teachers know, anyhow. But what's all this, suddenly? Did you just want to come to the roof?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "......" Yamazaki-senpai was silent for a moment. He leaned back lightly against the fence. It shivered in the wind, which was brisk but gentle, carrying the smell of spring to us as Senpai began to speak.
Susumu Yamazaki: "Right now, there are only two people in this school who know I've been accepted into university. It’s no more than selfishness on my part, and it's not like it really matters, but......I just wanted to share this happiness with you alone. I want to keep this just between the two of us for a little longer. Just a little."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...All right."
I walked up to him and leaned against the fence beside him. Our shoulders touched: a tangible reminder of how far the distance between us had shrunk over the last year...
He looked up at the sky and whispered faintly:
Susumu Yamazaki: "...I don't even have a month left until I graduate. I'm sure I won't get another chance to see this view with you again."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Don’t say it like the world’s ending. It'll be alright. I mean, even if it isn’t always here, we can still meet to look out over the same view whenever we want." I said that with a sweet smile and reached into my bag... from which I pulled out a small, lace-covered pouch.
Susumu Yamazaki: "Is this...?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Your chocolate this year. Today's a day we should celebrate twice over, after all."
Susumu Yamazaki: "...Thanks. This year...no, from now on, I won't make the same mistake again. Because I already know who has your heart, now. And I know mine belongs with you, too. Thank you, Chizuru."
Seeing him accept my chocolates, I smiled and told him he was welcome.
...Really, so much had happened since I first came to Hakuo Academy. Thinking back, the best thing to ever happen to me was right before my eyes. It brought a smile to my lips.
I looked up to the sky and wondered what lay ahead from here on out, and for us…
The End