Chapter 17 After Finding Out

After Finding Out

July came, and the university went on summer vacation.

At the university, things were the same as always; I went to class alone without trying to get involved with anyone.

My studies went well. Although I struggled with the first semester exams, I managed to finish them.

I’m still working part-time at the liquor store I started during Golden Week.

It’s still hard work with a lot of physical labor, but now I’m not only loading and unloading but also taking orders when I deliver (taking orders and selling).

I also started jogging and weight training in the evenings when I was not working part-time.

When I started working part-time, I realized how little stamina I had, and I felt a sense of crisis about continuing to work part-time.

Thanks to this, I was able to carry two empty beer crates (40 bottles) stacked on top of each other.

At first, I was wobbly with just one, so I think I gained a lot of muscle strength.

I’ve also decided to get my driver’s license this summer.

The manager told me, “I’ll give you an allowance if you get your license and can make deliveries by yourself,” so after some deliberation, I decided to give it a try.

Then it was the first half of summer vacation.

Mom told me, “I found out where Taichi-kun is going to college.”

“What? Really?!”

“Yes, I’m sure. It looks like Taichi-kun got into the XX University of Education in XX prefecture.”

“XX University of Education….”

At least I’ve heard the name.

It’s a national university, so it’s pretty well known.

But it’s quite far from here.

“But how did Mom know?”

“From neighborhood rumors and the school newsletter that was distributed at the beginning of the new semester.”

Mom said that and opened this year’s school newsletter called “XX High School News,” which she got from a neighbor.

I had also received this newsletter at school until last year, so the title and cover were familiar to me.

I looked for the article I wanted and found it on the last page.

In the column introducing last year’s academic results, it said [3 students who went to national universities (1 student got in on his first try)], and below that were the names of three national universities, and among them was XX University of Education.

It’s true that the individual names are hidden, and no one would know that the one who got in on the first try was Taichi without knowing the details.

However, it seems certain that Taichi went to one of the three, but it’s hard to say for sure that Taichi went to XX University of Education just based on this school newsletter.

However, according to my mother, she heard from a neighbor who had no connection to our high school that “Taichi-kun from Sakamoto-san’s family in the XX block got into the XX University of Education on his first try.”

It’s just a rumor, so its credibility is questionable, but since there’s no contradiction between the two pieces of information, it seems likely that Taichi really went to a university of education in the XX prefecture.

“Oh, so he went to a university of education. Taichi wanted to be a teacher. I had no idea.”

“Right. Taichi-kun did well. Chika-chan has to work hard too, right?”

“Yes. I know. Thanks for telling me, Mom.”

I was glad to get reliable information about Taichi’s whereabouts, but I didn’t think about going to see him.

Just knowing was enough.

I’m not a person that Taichi needs anymore.

I can’t cause him any more trouble.

But when I learned about Taichi’s dream for the future, he wrote in his letter, “I will work hard for my dream in my new university life.” I felt a strong desire to support him.

Not directly, but indirectly is okay.

After thinking about it a lot, I wondered if I could send him some food.

Sending food seemed like the best way to support Taichi, who can’t cook very well.

So I bought a lot of non-perishable food, such as retort, instant, and canned food, packed it in a cardboard box, and decided to send it to Taichi’s parents’ house.

However, since Taichi’s family already disliked me, I tied the cardboard box to the back of my bicycle, carried it, and left it at the entrance of Taichi’s parents’ house with a signed note saying, [Sorry for the inconvenience. Please send it to Taichi].

To be honest, even after I left the box at the front door, I was worried, wondering if it would be a nuisance and an unnecessary burden, but I told myself that if he got angry, I’d apologize properly and take it away, so I left it there.

It was completely for my own satisfaction, but I wanted to support Taichi, who wanted to become a teacher.

I thought long and hard about what I could do right now, and this was the only thing I could think of.

Taichi might not like it or even reject it.

But even if it was futile, I felt that supporting Taichi would give me a sense of purpose.

It was the first time I’d felt like this since Taichi dumped me.

Maybe I’d never felt like this before, even when we were dating.