Chapter 169: Chapter 168 - The Beginning of the Answer
The next morning seemed different.
It hadn’t rained in the night.
The school didn’t look any different.
Just like always.
Cherry blossoms were rustling under the spring wind.
Students rushed through the front gates of the school.
Teachers were reminding teenage sleepyheads to put in shirts properly.
Nothing had happened.
Except for Kuro...
---
He stopped in front of the school gates and then walked into the school grounds.
His phone was lying silently in his pocket.
He had received acceptance mail.
Not once but five times he had read that mail.
Not because he didn’t trust that.
Because he still couldn’t believe it.
Every time he read the first sentence...
He had smiled.
Every time.
---
"Good morning."
Kuro turned around.
Mina was approaching with her usual calm smile.
"Morning."
She looked at him thoughtfully.
"You slept?"
"A little."
"I couldn’t."
She chuckled.
"I couldn’t stop thinking about yesterday."
"So did I."
For some moment, they just smiled at each other.
No need to say anything about the university.
Happiness was visible on both faces.
---
Entering the classroom together, Akari loudly pointed at Kuro.
"There he is!"
In a matter of moments, several classmates turned to Kuro.
Clapping.
And another clapping.
In seconds...
Whole classroom erupted into applause.
Kuro was standing still.
"W-What?"
A classmate grinned widely.
"Congratulations!"
"We heard!"
"So you’re going to study psychology?"
Other voice asked,
"Don’t forget us when you become famous!"
Kuro scratched back of his head, feeling embarrassed.
"I won’t."
Akari crossed her arms.
"I see?"
"I told everyone."
Rika sighed.
"Of course you did."
"What?"
"They deserved to know."
"They deserved to know."
"They did."
"They didn’t need a ten minute speech."
"It was an inspiring speech."
"It was too loud."
---
Classroom door opened.
Minami entered the classroom with attendance sheets.
Room fell silent.
She looked around once.
And then saw Kuro.
There was no speech.
No ceremony of any kind.
She simply smiled.
Little...
Almost unnoticeable smile.
"Congratulations."
Only one word.
But still...
It was much more than any speech.
Kuro bowed respectfully.
"Thank you, Sensei."
She nodded once.
And then took attendance sheets as if nothing happened.
Maybe...
That was the exact reason why this was so important.
---
Classes went smoothly.
For the first time in a month, Kuro was concentrating on the lessons.
The uncertainty that was haunting him every day was gone.
His future wasn’t defined yet.
There would be hard classes.
Exams at the university.
Practical studies.
Mistakes.
Failures.
Development.
But the first step was made.
That was enough.
---
Lunch break came.
They sat down under their old tree as always.
This time, nobody was talking about applications.
Nobody was mentioning interviews.
Nobody asked about the results.
Instead...
They were talking about the future.
Yui talked about the first months in the position of medical trainee.
"I will definitely make mistakes every day."
Aoi agreed.
"This is statistically certain."
"Thank you for your reassurance."
"You are welcome."
Akari laughed.
"I swear only Aoi can encourage somebody by giving statistical data."
"I do my best."
"You really do."
---
Rika opened her sketchbook.
"I’ve already started to think about my next manga."
"What’s it about?"
Mina asked.
Rika grinned slyly.
"Some hopelessly chaotic group of friends."
Akari raised objections immediately.
"Excuse me."
"I am slightly chaotic."
"And this is objectively false."
Said Aoi.
Even Kuro was laughing.
Conversations smoothly moved from one topic to another.
Dreams.
Future apartments.
University clubs.
Bad cooking.
Who would sleep late during some lecture?
"Akari."
Everybody answered at once.
She looked insulted.
"...Traitors."
---
As laughter disappeared, Kuro looked at everybody quietly.
These people had changed his life.
Not by making some big gestures.
But by doing ordinary things.
Having lunch together.
Arguing.
Night classes.
Failing.
Encouraging.
Making memories that seem unimportant until one day you realize...
That they are unforgettable.
Kuro realized something at this moment.
His acceptance to the university wasn’t the start of his story.
It was the result of all the people that he met.
And now...
It was time to carry all of it...
The afternoon passed smoothly and calmly.
The last class ended.
The bell rang one last time.
The students started putting their things away, happily talking about club activities, preparing for university and their graduation ceremony.
Kuro remained sitting for a moment longer.
His desk.
His chair.
The classroom where he spent most of his high school years.
Soon...
Someone else would be occupying this place.
Someone else would be making new friends.
Someone else would be starting their own story.
And this idea made him smile.
---
"Kuro."
He lifted his head.
Minami was standing right next to the door of the classroom.
"Won’t you walk with me?"
"Certainly."
The corridor was surprisingly deserted.
Most of the students were already at their homes.
The orange rays of the setting sun fell on the glossy floor creating peaceful feeling of emptiness.
Neither of them seemed to be in a hurry.
There was no need in being in a rush.
---
They stopped at the balcony over-looking the school grounds.
The baseball practice was over and almost deserted.
Soccer players finished their training and now were sitting and relaxing.
The cherry blossom petals floated around lazily.
Minami leaned on the railing.
"When I met you first..."
"I really wasn’t sure what sort of person you would grow into."
Kuro smiled.
"I wasn’t sure about myself either."
"You’ve been observing."
"Listening."
"But you hardly ever let anyone to get close to you enough to see what was hiding behind your mask."
He nodded.
"Yes, I remember."
"I waited for you to find something to belong to you."
She raised her head up.
"It took some time."
"But you found it."
---
Kuro put his hands in his pockets.
"I used to think that discovering my future would clarify everything to me."
"And?"
"It didn’t."
He smiled.
"Quite the opposite."
"In fact..."
"Now I’m asking even more questions than before."
Minami smiled.
"That’s good."
He looked at her in surprise.
"Good?"
"The day when you stop asking questions..."
"...is the day when you stop growing."
She turned towards Kuro.
"A psychologist who thinks that he already knows everything..."
"...won’t ever be able to understand the other people."
Kuro slowly nodded.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"I’m sure that you will."
---
They stood silent for a moment.
The wind brought the sound of students’ laughter from somewhere near the main gates.
It reminded Kuro of something.
"...Sensei."
"Hm?"
"Do you think that I will make a good psychologist?"
Minami hesitated before answering.
Instead, she smiled.
"I think that..."
"...you will become such a psychologist who will never forget how it feels to doubt himself."
He tilted his head.
"Is it a good thing?"
"It’s one of the best things."
She looked at him.
"Because you will never look down on those people who are having problems."
"You will remember how it feels to be uncertain."
"You will remember how it feels to be afraid."
"And because of this..."
"You will never stop being patient towards people."
---
Kuro looked across the campus.
For the first time in his life...
He was looking at the school not as a student who was worried about his future but as a person who was going to leave.
Not to escape from his problems.
But to continue.
---
His phone started vibrating.
Group chat.
Akari: Where are you? We’re waiting for you at the gate!
Rika: She bought ice cream to celebrate and now asks if anyone would like ice cream.
Mina: It’s melting.
Yui: Hurry.
Aoi: It became urgent situation.
Kuro laughed.
Minami raised her eyebrows.
"Your friends?"
"Yeah."
"They’re waiting."
She smiled knowingly.
"They always are."
---
Kuro bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
Minami did the same.
"You’ve thanked me enough times."
"No, I don’t think I can ever say ’thank you’ enough."
She shook her head.
"Then thank me in another way."
"How?"
"Lead the life that you’ve chosen."
"Listen."
"Learn."
"And one day..."
"When someone walks in your office carrying a weight which he cannot hold anymore..."
"Be for them what you were for me."
Kuro felt his chest clenching.
"I will."
This time...
There was no hesitation.
No doubt.
Only quiet conviction.
---
He started walking to the main gate.
The evening sky was full of different shades of orange, pink and purple.
Waiting there...
Exactly as it was promised...
Were Akari, Aoi, Mina, Rika and Yui.
Akari waved both of her arms dramatically.
"There he is!"
"You made us wait forever!"
"I was talking with Minami."
"We forgive you."
"Barely."
Rika gave him an ice cream cone.
"You owe me."
"For what?"
"For my emotions."
Yui laughed.
"You’re saying this since yesterday."
"And I’ll keep saying it."
They started to walk back home.
Their paths would soon separate.
Different universities.
Different jobs.
Different lives.
And yet somehow...
Kuro was sure that this was not an end.
It was only the start of another life.
He looked at the evening sky.
Just a little while ago...
He wasn’t sure what he wanted to be.
Now he had his answer.
Not the complete one.
Not the ideal one.
Just a first step.
And sometimes...
That was all a person needs to keep moving on.
