March 27th (Sunday) – Asamura Yuuta
I rose from the living room sofa, my gaze drifting from the university timetable on the glass table to the window.
It was a lazy afternoon at the end of March. A thin white haze veiled the blue sky, where one or two fluffy, hot dog bun-shaped clouds drifted by. The entire scene was the very picture of spring—so peaceful and relaxing that if I stared any longer, a yawn was sure to escape me.
The forecast said it would reach sixteen degrees Celsius today. O-kotatsu-sama had already been put away a few days ago.
It was the season of awakening. Birds sang, butterflies fluttered, and even the animals that had been hibernating underground were now emerging. It felt as if every single thing in creation was savoring this time of year.
…And yet, here I was, one person who couldn’t quite get into the spirit of spring.
“I guess the night shift is my only option, huh…”
A sigh escaped me. It was a shame, but it couldn’t be helped. I reached for my smartphone on the glass table and dialed a familiar number.
“──Yes, that’s right. I’ll basically be on the night shift. As for my schedule… I’ll let you know on my next shift.”
After hanging up, I stretched. Maybe I’ll get something to drink. Just as the thought crossed my mind, the door opened and Ayase-san entered the living room.
“Are you feeling a bit tired?” she asked, her words flowing in English.
Ah, here we go, I thought, switching my brain over to English mode.
“I’m fine. I’m not tired,” I replied, my standard response. This was all part of our preparation for university. We continued our English conversation for a little while longer.
“I was just on the phone with my part-time job. A shift starting in the evening is probably too much to ask with my class schedule… What about you, Ayase-san?”
“A seventy-minute commute each way is pretty far, isn’t it? I’ve already contacted them, but…”
She trailed off, pausing for a moment before switching back to Japanese.
“But, I’m not sure if I’ll keep working there.”
I wondered if she had found something else she wanted to pursue.
“Will you wait until I’m ready to tell you?”
“Of course,” I replied. Something she wants to do, huh? It felt like Ayase-san always found her goals before I did.
“Ah, it’s almost time for snacks. I’ll get something ready.”
“Then I’ll get the tea,” I said, following after her.
Outside the window, the carefree white clouds were hurried along by the spring breeze, swept away into the distance.
