A Hard-Boiled (Self-Proclaimed) Guy Like Me Doesn’t Suit a Romcom-Style Youth

Chapter 2: A Beautiful Country

Passing through the school gate labeled “Prefectural Toto High School,” rows of cherry trees with fresh green leaves welcomed me.

The cherry blossoms had scattered long ago, but the avenue of trees, green and overflowing with youthful vitality, wasn’t bad either.

“Beautiful.”

The word slipped out unintentionally.

Japan, which I had returned to after so long.

My hometown, where I was born and raised.

This spring, I returned from the Republic of Cicymel in South America to Toto City.

The greenery of the trees, the colorful flowers in the flowerbeds. Captivated by the landscape painted in vivid colors, I walked toward the school building.

A calm spring afternoon. Classes were already over, and I passed students heading home or working hard at their club activities.

Hair fluttering in the spring breeze. Skirts flipping up, revealing glimpses of white thighs. A faint, sweet lingering scent tickling my nostrils.

“Beautiful.”

The Japanese high school that the world admires! Charmed by the radiance of youth, I muttered it one more time.

“Hey, you? What are you doing?”

I was suddenly called out to.

Looking over, a man wearing a front-zip blue jersey with a whistle around his neck—the very image of a P.E. teacher—was eyeing me with suspicion.

Behind the man, about ten female students in gym clothes were watching me from a distance.

Just for the record, I am a student at this school. However, since today is my first time coming to school, I don’t know anyone, and I’m in plain clothes.

A faded shirt and jeans, with a ten-gallon hat on my head. On top of that, I’m wearing a poncho, familiar as traditional Andean dress. A canvas bag bulging to the brim hangs from my shoulder. In the space of a Japanese school, no matter how modestly you look at it, I am a suspicious person.

One of the female students points her smartphone at me.

Crap!

In an information society, the act of pointing a smartphone is sometimes more effective than pointing a gun.

I hurriedly took off my ten-gallon hat and bowed deeply toward the male teacher.

“I am Asou Ayataka, enrolled this spring. I apologize for being late.”

Here, let me explain a bit about my complex circumstances.

My father, Asou Hoshikichi, is a professor of folklore at a famous university in Tokyo.

I don’t have a mother. Disgusted with my father, who flew around the world and never came home, she disappeared, leaving me behind before I was old enough to understand.

For that reason, in my early childhood, I lived with my grandmother, just the two of us, at my father’s family home here in Toto City. However, when I was in the second grade of elementary school, my grandmother’s health declined, so I left Toto City to be looked after by my mother’s parents in Tokyo.

Despite what happened with my mother, my grandparents were kind, and my uncle—my mother’s older brother—and his family lived nearby. My uncle treated me with as much affection as his own child.

But…

That felt heavy to me.

Two years after I came to Tokyo, the grandparents who were taking care of me passed away in an accident.

After the funeral, with all the relatives gathered, a discussion was held about who would take me in.

While everyone assumed it would be decided that I go to my uncle’s family, my uncle offered to officially adopt me rather than just fostering me. It seems he had been thinking about it for a while, unable to watch my father, who was always abroad and neglecting me.

My father was the leader of an international joint team studying the Inca civilization and was in a position where he couldn’t easily return to Japan. He couldn’t attend my grandparents’ funeral, and his participation in the discussion was via monitor.

Perhaps my father panicked, as he proposed that I come live overseas with him.

That said, the Republic of Cicymel where my father was staying is a developing country in South America. Specifically, a settlement of an ethnic minority surrounded by the Andes Mountains. Considering the safety and sanitary conditions, it was an environment that, even with flattery, couldn’t be called easy for a Japanese person—let alone a ten-year-old child—to live in.

Neither my father nor my uncle intended to force me, so the decision was left to me.

Although my uncle and other relatives thoroughly bad-mouthed the idea, I respected my father, and the chance to live overseas during childhood is rare. Studying is possible online in this day and age, and it would surely become a great status symbol in the future.

If I became my uncle’s adopted son, I could live a stable life in Japan. My uncle ran a law firm and was wealthy, and since my father said he would pay child support, I could probably go all the way to university without any financial worries.

Actually, my father had prepared a third option, and for a time I intended to choose that, but…

Various things happened, and I decided to live in the Republic of Cicymel with my father.

Five years since then.

With my father’s recommendation to “Go have a proper youth in a Japanese high school and university,” I returned to Japan. And so, today. Two weeks late for the entrance ceremony, I made my first appearance at school.

“Good grief. I was just about to call the police, you know?”

“I apologize for causing a disturbance. I haven’t received my uniform yet.”

“Ah, if it’s your uniform, your homeroom teacher is keeping it in the staff room. I’ll guide you, so wait a moment.”

Normally, uniforms and gym clothes are supposed to be picked up at the school before the entrance ceremony. But since I was overseas and couldn’t come to get them, they had been left in custody.

“I’m sorry.”

“Save your apologies for your homeroom teacher. Everyone, Sensei is taking him to the staff room, so go ahead and start practicing.”

The male teacher instructed the female students who were watching the situation to start independent practice. Judging by the rackets in their hands, he seems to be the advisor for the tennis club.

“Sensei, who is that person?”

Is she the club president? A tall female student asked the male teacher.

“This is Asou. A returnee new student. So you don’t need to be alarmed.”

“Aaah! The phantom attendance number 1!”

A voice rose from another female student. She had a sun-tanned face typical of an athlete and semi-long hair. Her healthy legs extending from her gym shorts were dazzling. Her shoes and jersey were still new, so she was probably a freshman like me.

“Come to think of it, Ikoma, you’re in the same class, right?”

“Yes! The seat in front of me has been empty the whole time, so I was always called on first. It was troubling!”

Laughter leaked from among the club members.

Attendance numbers are in alphabetical order, so starting with ‘A’, it wouldn’t be strange if I was number 1. It hasn’t been long since the entrance ceremony, so the seating order is likely by attendance number too.

I greeted the classmate who seemed to sit behind me, at attendance number 2.

“I’m Asou Ayataka. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Ikoma Makoto. Nice to meet you, Asou-kun.”

“Good for you, Ikoma. Now you won’t be called on first anymore.”

“Yes!”

Ikoma-san showed a wide, beaming grin.

“A new student? Isn’t he pretty cool?”

“Too bad. He’s younger—”

“What country is that outfit from?”

“Is Ikoma in the same class? Having a handsome returnee in the seat in front is nice—”

“No, that fashion sense is a no-go—”

“””That’s for sure.”””

I can hear you, you know?

Apparently, Japanese JKs don’t understand the goodness of Andes fashion.

Feeling curious gazes on my back, I was escorted… no, guided to the staff room by the male teacher.

Since I didn’t have indoor shoes, I changed into slippers at the staff entrance. The staff room was right in front.

“Kuki-sensei! Asou is here!”

When the male teacher opened the staff room door and raised his voice, a buzzing sound came from inside.

“Everyone was worried. I’m Yonezawa, in charge of English. See you in class.”

“Yes. Thank you very much.”

I thought he was a P.E. teacher, but he’s actually an English teacher. Yonezawa-sensei tapped my shoulder, urging me to enter, and returned to the students waiting outside.

Entering the staff room, a teacher who looked like an uncle in his 50s and a young lady teacher in her 20s welcomed me.

The older teacher smiled good-naturedly as soon as he saw my face.

“Well now, I’m glad you arrived in Japan safely! I am the Vice Principal, Oosato. This is Kuki-sensei from Class 1-5, who will be your homeroom teacher. Welcome to Toto High School. Congratulations on your enrollment.”

“Thank you very much. I am Asou Ayataka. I look forward to your guidance.”

I bowed deeply.

“Now, now, Asou-kun. You don’t need to bow that deeply, you know?”

“I apologize. I haven’t been in Japan since the fourth grade of elementary school.”

I have a memory from when I had just started elementary school; the moment I said “Goodbye, Sensei” and bowed, the lid of my randoseru wasn’t closed, and I scattered all the contents. I still can’t forget the face of that kid who secretly undid my backpack latch as a prank back then.

“Hahaha! Indeed, elementary school students are like that. There must be differences from overseas, but you’ll get used to it. Well then, Kuki-sensei. I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Yes.”

Kuki-sensei replied, looking a little nervous.

Her suit was brand new, giving off the vibe of a teacher who had just started. Plus, she had petite and cute features, so if she took off her makeup and wore a uniform, I bet no one would notice her mixed in with the students.

“Once again, I am Kuki Yurina, and I will be your homeroom teacher. Nice to meet you, Asou-kun.”

“Nice to meet you.”

This time, I kept it to a light bow.

“So, can you attend school starting tomorrow?”

“Yes. That is my intention.”

“If I recall, your father is still overseas, right?”

“Yes. The situation over there is bad, so he won’t be able to return for a while.”

“I see… Hmmm. What should we do?”

Kuki-sensei made a troubled face.

“Does your grandmother drive?”

“No, she’s been in a wheelchair for a long time, and right now she’s in a nursing facility.”

“Then, Asou-kun, you’ll be living alone from now on?”

“Yes. For the time being.”

“I see. Actually, there are quite a few things I want you to take home. Everything here is Asou-kun’s uniform and textbooks.”

“Ah…”

Saying that, Kuki-sensei pointed to a mountain of paper bags and cardboard boxes placed around her desk.

“I’m sorry! I’ll take them home immediately!”

“That’s fine. But can you carry them home alone? Besides this, I also have to hand over workbooks for assignments and documents I need your guardian to look at; will you be okay?”

“Y-Yeah. Somehow.”

That said, this amount might be bad.

Paper bags containing the uniform, and two cardboard boxes containing textbooks and reference materials. They were packed tight and looked quite heavy.

Just how many high school textbooks are there…

Since it was close to the station, I had walked straight to the school first, but I regretted acting so hastily.

After returning to the country, I spent a few days in Tokyo dealing with jet lag and preparing for my stepsister’s entry into the dormitory, so I had only just arrived in Toto City a short while ago.

My grandmother’s house, where I’ll be living, is about a 20-minute drive from here.

It’s been vacant for about a year, and I haven’t even confirmed if there’s a place to sleep. It seems electricity and water are usable, but there definitely won’t be any food. Plus, there are no notebooks or writing utensils, and I have to buy a bus pass for commuting.

Looking at the clock, it was already approaching evening. If I walked around now, the sun would set.

“It might be difficult to attend starting tomorrow.”

“There are attendance days to consider; can’t something be done?”

“I’ll try consulting my guardian once.”

Just in case, upon returning here, I asked a friend of my father to act as my proxy guardian. He’s someone I’ve known since long ago, so if I explain the situation, he’ll probably lend a hand. If not, I’ll take a taxi.

“Um, is there a public phone nearby? I don’t have a mobile phone right now.”

Due to various circumstances upon returning to the country, I don’t have a smartphone right now. I tried to buy a new one in Japan, but since a minor needs a parental consent form to sign a contract, I couldn’t buy one.

“There was one at the bus stop in front of the school gate. I can make the call for you, but the one listed as your guardian is Miyazu Mirai-san’s father, right? If it’s Mirai-san, isn’t she still at school? Why don’t you ask her?”

Hearing that name from Sensei, my heart fluttered. Because that was the name of a special girl to me.

“Mirai-cha… No, Miyazu-san is at this school?”

“Y-Yes. She’s in the same class, you know? You didn’t know?”

“No. We haven’t met in years.”

Miyazu Mirai. My childhood friend, and the name of the girl I once liked. The last time we met was summer vacation of fourth grade. I haven’t even contacted her since then.

“I understand. Where is Miyazu-san right now?”

“She should be in the Tea Ceremony Club room on the 4th floor of the South Building.”

Saying that, Kuki-sensei pointed to the edge of the school building visible from the window.

“Thank you very much. I’ll go there.”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

Sensei called me to a stop and pushed a paper bag onto me. Inside were a dark navy blazer and checkered slacks.

“That poncho and hat are wonderful, but since you have the chance, why not try wearing the uniform? Or rather, put it on.”

“Yes.”

True, it would be troublesome if I was treated as a suspicious person again. I accepted the paper bag.