Interlude 3 Shintaro and Kanade's First Contact
#Youthful RestartShintaro and Kanade’s First Contact
—The first summer as a working adult had arrived.
The past three months had flown by in a blur, packed with hectic days that left me barely enough time to breathe.
Work, house chores… and back to work again—it was an endless cycle.
Compared to being a student, I might have gained more financial freedom, but I felt like I had lost all my freedom with time.
Even so, I could endure it, knowing it was all for my wife.
Just hearing her voice when I got home was enough to recharge me…
So, I’d keep pushing forward.
Today was no exception!
With a deep breath, I exhaled and wiped the sweat off my forehead.
Stepping out from the shade, I started calling out to the people passing by.
I was handing out flyers, trying to recruit students for the new cram school branch I’d been assigned to manage.
“Hello! We’re Plus Green, your personal tutoring service! Please check us out!”
“No, thank you.”
“…”
But no matter how much effort you put in, life doesn’t always go your way. Most people ignored me, leaving my hand outstretched and empty.
Seriously… handing out flyers is soul-crushing work.
The cram school was set to open with the summer courses.
There was just about a month left until opening day.
To cut costs, I had to distribute the flyers all by myself.
We needed new students, but this was the reality I was facing…
In truth, the private tutoring company I worked for was essentially a black company.
That said, there were a couple of redeeming aspects to this job…
For one, I could manage the school how I saw fit.
And the more students I recruited, the higher my salary went.
These were probably the only two upsides.
Still, the lack of days off was unbearable…
“At least invest in some advertising… not even hiring part-timers? Really?”
After about two hours of handing out flyers, I decided to take a break.
It was scorching hot—if I kept this up, I might actually collapse.
Finding a bench tucked into the corner of a pedestrian bridge connecting two stations, I plopped down with a canned coffee in one hand and sighed.
Nothing seemed to be going my way.
Recruiting enough students for a new location wasn’t as simple as I’d hoped.
Lost in thought, I noticed a high school girl standing by a trash can out of the corner of my eye.
She was stunning…
Her long, straight black hair shone, reaching halfway down her back, and her almond-shaped eyes were striking.
Even by modest standards, she was the epitome of beauty.
Her uniform was casually styled, giving off a relaxed and carefree vibe.
Her magnetic appearance naturally drew my gaze.
“Man, students like that have such a youthful energy. She’s got that classic ‘youth’ vibe.”
But… what was she doing?
It was hard not to notice her as she stared intently at the trash can.
While I absentmindedly watched her, she pulled a thick reference book—like a dictionary—from her bag. Then, brushing her hair behind one ear, she wound up like a pitcher and hurled the book into the trash.
“Whoa! What a waste! Those reference books aren’t cheap, you know… If you don’t want it, I’ll take it!”
My voice startled her, and she turned to me with a cold, disinterested gaze, then pointed at the trash can.
“Go ahead. I don’t need it.”
“You don’t need it, huh…”
I retrieved the reference book from the trash and brushed it off.
Thankfully, the trash can was empty, so the book wasn’t dirty.
It was a bit torn from the force of her throw, though.
Still, it was perfectly usable.
“See? It’s still usable. What a waste!”
“I don’t care. If you want it, keep it.”
“No, I mean… I appreciate it, but you’re in high school, right? This is a solid textbook. Don’t you need it? Or are you already guaranteed a university spot?”
“I’m just a second-year.”
“Then you should be studying even harder! If you ever need help, your friendly neighborhood ‘Onii-san’ is here to assist! I’m a tutor, after all!”
Her openly disdainful expression softened into one of mild curiosity.
“What’s with that look…?”
“Um, Onii-san… no, I mean Oji-san, do you really run a cram school?”
“Yeah, I do. But hey, don’t call me Oji-san…”
And she even went out of her way to correct herself!
Sure, I might seem mature, but I’m still young, you know.
People have always told me I don’t look my age because I seem so composed.
But hearing it from a high schooler? That really stung.
“Does it matter? To me, anyone who’s not a student is just Oji-san.”
“No way! I’m only 22! I’m definitely not an Oji-san! I’m a fresh, energetic new grad!”
“Okay, okay. Good luck with that, Mr. New Grad.”
High school girls are masters of dodging conversations… I’d been completely brushed off.
Watching her wave me away with a dismissive hand, I let out a sigh.
“Ah, there you are, the tutor! Could I see one of your flyers? My friend is interested.”
“Of course! I’ll get one right away!”
“My friend’s over there, so could you hurry?”
“Understood! Just a moment!”
A housewife called out to me, and I rushed to prepare a flyer.
I spotted a group of her friends nearby and felt a flicker of excitement—potential new students!
“Alright, high school girl! I’m heading back to work!”
“Yeah, yeah. Go ahead…”
Turning my back to her, I began to walk away.
But her indifferent expression lingered in my mind, and before I knew it, I glanced back.
“You might be dealing with a lot now, but keep studying hard and enjoy your youth. It’s all for your future.”
“Youth, huh… I don’t really care about that.”
“Youth is amazing! Struggles, joys—everything is part of it! Even if it feels embarrassing now, it’ll become a cherished memory one day. It’s better to have something than nothing at all.”
“You think so…?”
“I know so.”
I grinned at her, but she rolled her eyes and looked away, clearly annoyed.
“If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here. And, of course, if you decide to join my cram school, you’re always welcome.”
“Haha, what’s that supposed to mean? If you say that, I might actually rely on you.”
“Go for it! You’re still a student—this is the time to lean on others. Once you’re an adult, it’s much harder to do that.”
“You’ve got a point… but life’s not that simple. There are things you can’t do, and things you won’t be acknowledged for…”
“Yeah, the world can be unfair.”
As they say, ‘easier said than done.’ Taking action is often the hardest part.
But—
“Nothing starts if you don’t speak up, and nothing changes if you don’t act. Even if it doesn’t work out, you can always rethink it later. As a high schooler, you actually have a lot of freedom to act.”
“Haha… is that right?”
“Absolutely! Your parents are there to support you. It might sound harsh, but they don’t know everything—they’re just people like us, not perfect. That’s why it’s so important to express how you feel.”
“…I never said anything about my parents, though.”
“Oh… right. Sorry, I just assumed.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“My bad. But, you know, this applies to any kind of problem.”
“It applies to everything?”
“It’s simple: ‘If you don’t do anything, nothing happens,’ and ‘If you don’t act, you won’t get results.’ It’s an extreme way of putting it, but it’s true.”
“…”
“Most of the time, people who complain don’t even try. So, you should—”
Her expression darkened as she lowered her eyes, then she glared at me.
“Even if I try… it won’t matter. I won’t be acknowledged, and it’s pointless. I already know that…”
Her voice was laced with bitterness, and though she glared, her eyes glistened with unshed tears.
…High schoolers have their own unique struggles.
Worries about the future, wanting to say or do something but being too afraid of rejection to act.
She was probably caught in that same cycle.
“Alright! I’ve got it! In that case, this Onii-san will go talk to your parents with you!”
“Wha…”
“If you’ve tried everything and it still doesn’t work out… then I’ll step in and say what needs to be said!”
“But… why would you do that?”
“Because I’m on the side of students with dreams and worries! Hahaha!”
I laughed loudly, trying to lift her spirits.
If I could help her even a little, that would be enough.
I ignored the strange looks from people around us.
Maybe sensing my sincerity, she let out a wry smile, her annoyance giving way to quiet amusement.
“Watching someone as carefree as you… it makes everything seem ridiculous.”
“That’s harsh!”
“You’re kind of like a teacher, you know.”
“I told you, I’m a tutor!”
For the first time, she chuckled softly at my retort.
When she smiles, she’s really cute… Wait, crap!?
I’ve got to deliver that flyer!
“You’d better hurry. Those housewives are waiting.”
“Yeah… Alright then, good luck!”
“Mm… Bye-bye, Oji-san. …Thanks.”
She called me Oji-san right to the end!
Swallowing my urge to protest, I walked away.
That was my first meeting with Kanade.
The beginning of a long relationship.