Early March in Tokyo.
Keio University's results were posted in front of a red-brick building on campus.
The bulletin board had been moved outdoors for the occasion, braced up on iron poles, its surface crowded edge to edge with examination numbers.
A crowd had already packed in front of the board.
Students in school uniforms, fathers in suits, mothers bundled in coats, and a few young people who had come alone.
They clutched their slips of paper, craning their necks, scanning the list line by line.
By the time Tsushima Kagami's group arrived, it was already past nine in the morning.
Sayuri walked in the middle of the group, one hand jammed in her coat pocket, the other endlessly rubbing the slip inside it — the one with her exam number.
Her heart was pounding so hard she thought the people beside her could hear it.
"Nervous?"
Yukinoshita, walking beside her, turned her head to glance at her.
"A little..."
Sayuri managed a weak smile.
"Aren't you nervous, Yukinoshita? You applied to the Faculty of Commerce — Keio Commerce has such a brutal deviation value."
"I think I did well enough, going by my estimated scores," Yukinoshita said, drawing her gaze back with a smile.
"Besides... I've done everything I could. What's left is just luck."
"You're so calm about it, Yukinoshita..."
Sayuri muttered, then turned to look at Hiratsuka on her other side.
Hiratsuka had worn a dark gray wool coat today.
But the slip of paper clutched in her hand had already been crumpled into a wrinkled ball.
Sayuri noticed her hand was trembling slightly.
"Even you get nervous, Hiratsuka?"
"Tch."
Hiratsuka clicked her tongue, not denying it.
"This kind of waiting is the most maddening thing there is!"
"I know! I know!"
Sayuri nodded rapidly.
"You're so good at this, Hiratsuka — you'll definitely be fine!"
Hiratsuka didn't answer, only took a deep breath and turned her gaze to the bulletin board ahead.
"Let's go. No more stalling."
Kosaka Akane, walking at the front of the group, turned back and waved them forward.
"Better to look sooner and get it over with, so we can head to the next place."
Machida Sonoko walked beside Akane, wearing an off-white knit dress today that made her look noticeably softer.
But the expression on her face was anything but soft.
Her brow was faintly furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line.
There was a trace of unspoken worry in her eyes.
Akane noticed her expression and reached out to pat her shoulder gently.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Sonoko shook her head, hesitated a moment.
Then said it in a low voice after all.
"I'm just a little worried about Sayuri... with her personality, if she doesn't get in..."
Akane sighed after hearing that.
"She's grown up now. She'll have to learn to face things on her own."
Even as she said it, Akane's pace slowed a little.
Before she knew it, she'd drifted back to walk beside Sayuri.
The crowd in front of the bulletin board was thicker than expected.
Kagami was tall enough to see the list even from the back of the crowd, but the others weren't so lucky.
Douraku Utage simply stood on her toes and craned her neck forward, her hair nearly brushing the shoulder of a stranger in front of her.
Even so, she still couldn't see a thing.
Hayase Kinue, ever the clever one, didn't bother pushing forward with everyone else.
Instead she stood on a slightly elevated spot a bit further off, sweeping her eyes across the board line by line.
Meanwhile Tsukuyomi Komoe was standing beside Shimizu Nayotake, chatting about something.
"Found Yukinoshita!"
Sonoko was the first to shout it out.
Her voice carried obvious excitement.
"There, there — Commerce, third row, fourth from the left!"
Sayuri followed the direction of her finger.
Sure enough, there was Yukinoshita's number and name.
The black type was printed neatly on the white paper, standing out sharply in the sunlight.
"It's really there! Yukinoshita, you got in!"
Sayuri was so excited she nearly jumped, spinning around to throw her arms around Yukinoshita.
A faint smile rose on Yukinoshita's face.
The corners of her mouth curved up, though her eyes betrayed a barely contained excitement.
She caught Sayuri as she lunged in and patted her back.
"Mm."
"Just a 'mm'?"
Sayuri pouted, unsatisfied.
"Aren't you even a little excited?"
"I am excited."
"Then give me a bit more emotional feedback."
Akane laughed beside them and reached out to pat Yukinoshita's shoulder too.
"Congratulations, Yukinoshita."
"I'll be your senpai again from now on."
"Thank you, Akane-senpai."
Yukinoshita nodded with a smile.
"Hiratsuka, go find yours too."
Yukinoshita turned her gaze to Hiratsuka.
Hiratsuka took a deep breath and walked up to the bulletin board.
She didn't scan through it name by name like everyone else.
Instead she started from the very last column and worked her way up, one number at a time.
Her finger traced an invisible line through the air.
With every number she passed, her heart beat a little faster.
Not there...
Not there...
Hiratsuka's finger froze in midair. Her whole body went rigid, unmoving.
"What is it, what is it?"
Sonoko, who had been comforting Sayuri, leaned in to see for herself.
Then she smacked Hiratsuka on the back.
"Congratulations, Hiratsuka!"
"Ow!"
Hiratsuka stumbled forward a step from the blow.
But a huge smile bloomed across her face.
It carried a trace of relief, a trace of deep feeling, and a trace of something even she hadn't quite realized — a weight lifting off her shoulders.
"I got in."
She murmured it, her voice a little hoarse.
"I really didn't think I'd actually make it."
She glanced over at Kagami standing nearby.
If she hadn't met him, she probably would have just coasted through the exam.
And gone back to some university in Chiba.
"The way you're talking, it's like you were hoping you didn't get in."
Douraku Utage crossed her arms and shot her a sidelong look.
"Honestly, cheer up a little."
"Why does everyone look so gloomy after getting accepted!"
"I'm happy, I'm happy, Yan-sensei."
Hiratsuka waved her hands, then, as if suddenly realizing this really was something to be happy about, the corners of her mouth abruptly curved upward.
She turned to look at the group gathering around her.
For once wearing an expression that was almost bashful.
"So... thank you, everyone."
"Thank us for what."
Kagami waved it off with a smile.
"This is all your own hard work paying off."
"Exactly, exactly."
Sayuri nodded along vigorously.
"During those days at the study camp, I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and I saw Hiratsuka still under the covers secretly grinding through practice problems until two or three in the morning."
"Working hard in secret without telling me!"
"Okay, okay, that's enough."
Hiratsuka quickly cut her off, the tips of her ears turning faintly red.
Everyone laughed, the sound rising into a small warm cloud against the chill of early spring.
But before the laughter had even faded, Sayuri realized something.
Everyone else had already checked the list. Everyone had already found their name.
Everyone except her — she still hadn't gone to look.
"Um..."
Sayuri's voice suddenly shrank very small.
"I'm going to go find mine..."
She turned and walked toward the bulletin board, her steps much slower than on the way there.
With every step, her heart pounded harder.
By the time she reached the board, she could almost hear her own heartbeat roaring in her ears.
Faculty of Law...
She repeated it silently to herself, eyes fixed on the list.
Starting from the first row, she scanned downward, one line at a time.
First column...
Second...
Third column...
Not there...
Not there...
Still not there!
Sayuri's hands began to shake.
She gripped the slip of paper tighter and started over from the first column, terrified she'd missed something.
But the second pass turned up nothing either.
Her eyes suddenly went red.
The trembling in her hands spread through her entire body, a fine shiver running through her.
"What's wrong?"
Akane's voice came from behind her, tinged with unease.
Sayuri didn't answer.
She turned around and looked at the group gathering behind her.
Her lips trembled several times before finally, with a loud "waah," she burst into tears.
The crying went from soft sobs to full-blown wailing.
Tears fell like beads off a broken string.
Her left hand clutched her exam slip in a death grip.
Her right hand kept wiping at her eyes with her sleeve.
But the tears wouldn't stop, and soon a large patch of her sleeve was soaked through.
"Wh-why..."
Her voice came out broken, thick through her nose.
"I worked so hard, I was so exhausted, and everyone else got in, but I failed! Waaaah..."
Akane and Sonoko were the first to react, closing in from either side.
"Don't cry, don't cry..."
Sonoko pulled Sayuri into her arms.
One hand patting gently at her back.
"I told you not to apply to Law, and you just wouldn't listen."
Akane's tone was equal parts frustration and sympathy.
"Didn't we say from the start to pick a faculty with a lower deviation value?"
"Waaah..."
Sayuri buried her face in Sonoko's shoulder.
"I just — I just thought Akane-senpai and Sonoko-senpai were both in Law, so I wanted to apply to Law too..."
Yukinoshita stood off to the side, saying nothing.
But there was a flicker of guilt in her eyes — if only she'd pushed Sayuri a little harder to reconsider back then.
Hiratsuka had gone quiet too, the joy she'd felt just moments ago at her own acceptance now more than half drained away.
In its place was an indescribable knot of feeling.
"Well, never mind."
Akane sighed, her tone softening.
"You've still got a safety school. At least you'll have somewhere to go."
The moment those words left her mouth, Sayuri's crying suddenly stopped.
As if someone had hit pause.
The girl who had been wailing her heart out a second ago went completely still.
Tears still clung to her face, her eyes red and swollen, but she didn't move a muscle.
Everyone else froze too.
Akane and Sonoko exchanged a glance, both hit by the same wave of dread.
"Sayuri."
Akane's voice turned suddenly serious, as if she were holding something back.
"Please tell me your safety school didn't fall through too."
Sayuri shrank her neck down, not daring to look at her.
"Sayuri!"
Sonoko panicked too, grabbing Sayuri by the shoulders and shaking her.
"Say something!"
"D-don't shake me..."
Sayuri, dizzy from the shaking, spoke through her sobs.
"Um... actually, I never applied to a safety school..."
The air went dead silent.
"Sayuri, have you lost your mind?!"
Akane and Sonoko shouted in unison.
So loud that a few passersby checking the results nearby turned to look.
Kagami froze as well.
He stared at Sayuri, mouth opening and closing, unable to find words for a moment.
"Waaaaah..."
Sayuri started crying again, harder than before.
Snot and tears smeared all over her face.
"It's all Kagami's fault!"
"He kept saying I'd definitely get into University of Tokyo Science Course I!"
"And when I checked my estimated scores, Law seemed doable too, so I figured there was no need for a safety school, and I just... didn't apply..."
Kagami opened his mouth to protest, then realized that yes, he really had said that.
"Sayuri-senpai, what kind of logic is that!"
Hiroi Kikuri stood nearby, looking utterly stunned.
"Kagami-senpai said you could get into University of Tokyo and you actually believed him? He also said I could get into Waseda!"
"You be quiet."
PA-ko tugged on Kikuri's sleeve.
Kagami took a deep breath, walked up to Sayuri, and reached out to gently pat her head.
"This is my fault, Sayuri."
His voice was gentle, carrying a note of apology and a note of helplessness.
"I shouldn't have fed you all that empty encouragement."
"But what's done is done — no need to be this upset."
"Retake the exams next year. I'll personally oversee every school you apply to this time!"
Sayuri lifted her red-rimmed eyes to him, wronged, and reached up to cover his hand where it rested on her head.
She spoke in a small voice.
"Do I really have to retake it..."
"That would put everyone two years ahead of me, and you a whole year ahead too. I'd be the only one left to graduate alone."
"So what, you're going to work part-time jobs and draw manga instead?"
Akane's voice cut in coldly from the side.
Sayuri choked up.
"Sayuri, you saw what we looked like when we were serializing Lost Child."
Akane's tone had turned serious now, all trace of teasing gone.
"Even debuting through Shueisha, even with the series running for half a year and about to get a tankōbon release —"
"It still got axed out of nowhere in the end. All that was left was working ourselves half to death every day. The pay wasn't even enough to hire an assistant."
"If you're thinking of making a living off drawing manga, forget it."
Sonoko chimed in as well.
"So are you just planning to get a part-time job then? Sayuri, can you actually handle that kind of hardship?"
"I... I..."
Sayuri stammered, unable to finish a sentence.
She knew perfectly well she couldn't handle hardship.
The only thing she could pour her focus and passion into was drawing manga.
Everything else...
She couldn't even get up for an eight a.m. class — how was she supposed to show up for a part-time job on time every day?
She turned to Kagami, her eyes pleading for help.
"Didn't Kagami say he'd pull strings for me at his company once he opens one..."
"That's after graduation."
Akane cut her off without mercy.
"So what are you going to do until Kagami graduates? Just be a shut-in?"
Sayuri was completely out of arguments, tears welling up in her eyes again.
At that moment, Kikuri and PA-ko drifted over, one on each side of Sayuri.
"Sayuri-senpai, wouldn't it be nice if we all graduated together at the same time?"
Kikuri said it cheerfully, but the content of it only made Sayuri want to cry more.
"Studying's a lot easier than working a job, anyway."
PA-ko nodded in agreement.
"Besides, senpai already has really solid fundamentals — you'll definitely pass next year without any trouble."
"How can you two say something like that."
Sayuri wiped her tears, glaring resentfully at these two former truant-turned-model-students.
"You two were the ones who hated school the most, of all people."
"Aw, come on, we've reformed since then, haven't we."
Kikuri scratched her head, a little embarrassed.
"It's thanks to studying together with Sayuri-senpai and everyone else that I realized studying is way easier than working."
"Working part-time is exhausting."
PA-ko nodded with deep feeling.
Then launched into a full account of the bizarre customers she'd dealt with while working at the convenience store.
Like the middle-aged man who came in at three in the morning to buy oden and insisted on a specific shape of daikon radish.
Or the old lady who hid expired bento boxes at the very back of the shelf so no one would find them.
Or the time she got chewed out for a full twenty minutes over shorting someone ten yen in change.
Kikuri wasn't about to be outdone, launching into her own horror story from working at an izakaya, where a coworker's order mix-up ended with a customer hurling a plate of sashimi at her coworker's face.
Sayuri listened, jaw hanging open.
"Working part-time is terrifying..."
She murmured, real fear in her voice.
"I don't want to work part-time anymore..."
"So you'll retake the exams, then."
Sonoko spread her hands and gave her a look that said, "See?"
Sayuri lifted her head, looking at Akane, then Sonoko, then Kagami.
Finally her gaze swept over everyone's faces.
Every single one of them wore the same "we all saw this coming" expression — equal parts exasperated and amused.
"Okay, okay."
Hayase Kinue walked over and reached out to wipe the tears from Sayuri's face.
Her tone was gentle, the way one soothes a child.
"It's just one failed exam. It's not the end of the world."
"You've got solid fundamentals, Sayuri. Prepare for one more year and you'll definitely get in next time."
"Kinue's right."
Douraku Utage, uncharacteristically without any snark, simply patted Sayuri's shoulder.
"Stop crying. Keep it up and you'll ruin your makeup."
"I'm not wearing any makeup..."
Sayuri said through her sniffling.
"Then that makes it even uglier, doesn't it."
Utage said it completely deadpan.
"Waaaaaaah..."
"Utage, shut up!"
Kinue hurriedly clapped a hand over Utage's mouth.
Everyone crowded around, chattering encouragement at Sayuri for a good ten minutes before her mood finally settled.
Her eyes were still red, her nose still pink, making her look like a wronged little rabbit.
But at least she'd stopped crying, her words came out without stumbling, and she could even manage a faint, forced smile.
"Come on, let's go to University of Tokyo."
"Nayotake applied to the Faculty of Medicine, right?"
Sonoko walked over and asked.
Nayotake nodded.
"Let's go, everyone — let's hurry and check."
Akane said, already dialing for the driver.
"Nayotake-senpai will definitely be fine."
Sayuri said, sniffling, her voice still thick from crying.
"With her grades, if the University of Tokyo Medical School doesn't take her, who would they take?"
"It's not that simple."
Nayotake, walking at the outer edge of the group, looked over at the pitiful Sayuri.
She wasn't sure whether she should smile or keep a straight face at a moment like this.
In the end she just kept her usual unreadable expression and said,
"I still need to go see for myself to feel at ease."
Her tone was calm, but Kagami noticed that her hand, tucked in her coat pocket, had tightened just slightly.
No matter how accomplished someone was, no one could truly stay perfectly composed when facing a defining moment in their own life.
The results-posting site at the University of Tokyo was even more crowded than Keio's had been.
It was Japan's most prestigious university, after all — the crowd checking results wasn't just made up of examinees and their parents.
There were also media reporters lingering nearby with cameras on their shoulders.
Every so often, they'd stop a student who looked like they'd passed for an interview.
"So many people..."
Sonoko stood on her toes trying to see ahead, but all she could make out was a solid wall of heads.
"Kagami, you're tall — take Nayotake and push through."
"Got it."
Kagami nodded and turned to look at Nayotake.
"Let's go."
Nayotake answered with a small sound and pulled the slip with her exam number from her pocket.
She fell in behind Kagami.
The crowd was even denser than expected.
Kagami muttered "excuse me, coming through" over and over as he shouldered his way forward.
Nayotake stayed close behind him, head down, avoiding the gazes of the people around them.
They finally managed to push their way to the bulletin board.
Kagami planted his feet and glanced back at Nayotake.
Nayotake took a deep breath and lifted her head.
Her eyes landed on the very top row of the list.
Science Course III.
This was the track that led to the University of Tokyo's School of Medicine — the highest deviation value, the fiercest competition of all.
Anyone who made it in here was, without exception, among the top 0.01% of students nationwide.
Nayotake's gaze started from the top of the list and moved down, line by line.
First column...
Second column...
Third column...
In the middle of the fourth column, she found her own number and name.
"Nayotake, right here."
Kagami's voice came from beside her, unmistakably delighted.
He pointed at the spot on the list, turning his head toward her.
Nayotake said nothing, only staring at the name for several seconds.
Then, slowly and gently, she nodded.
"Mm."
Just that one syllable, but there was something flickering in her eyes.
It was the relief of long, patient effort finally being rewarded.
"Let's go, out there, to tell everyone."
Kagami said, smiling.
"Everyone must be dying of suspense by now."
When the two of them fought their way back out of the crowd, a ring of people had already gathered outside.
Tsukuyomi Komoe was the first to rush up, already brimming with anticipation.
"How did it go, how did it go?"
Kagami smiled and looked toward Nayotake.
Nayotake nodded slightly.
"I got in."
"AAAAAAH!"
Komoe screamed and threw her arms around Nayotake.
"Nayotake, you're incredible! The hardest track there is, the flagship medical program!"
"Congratulations, Nayotake."
"Now I know someone at the University of Tokyo!"
Yukinoshita stepped forward, a genuine smile on her face.
"I'm putting my health entirely in your hands from now on, Nayotake."
Hiratsuka smiled too, reaching out to pat Nayotake's shoulder.
"Nayotake-senpai is amazing!"
Kikuri and PA-ko joined in the cheering as well, crowding in from either side.
Even a few passersby checking the results nearby heard the words "University of Tokyo Medical School" and spontaneously started clapping.
In Japan, getting into the University of Tokyo's School of Medicine practically came with a label reading "genius."
Nayotake only gave a faint smile and nodded, saying little.
That was simply how she was — never showy, never boastful.
All her emotions stayed folded away behind that calm pair of eyes.
But Kagami noticed her hand was trembling faintly.
"All right, all right, stop crowding around Nayotake."
Kagami cut in at just the right moment.
"Let's head to Tokyo Metropolitan University next. Seika's still waiting."
"Seika will definitely be fine."
Kikuri said with total confidence.
"With her joint exam and deviation value, Tokyo Metropolitan University is a sure thing for her."
"I keep telling you, you could've aimed a little higher with those scores."
Hiratsuka shook her head with a smile.
"Even skipping private universities, there are plenty of better national universities out there."
"Ahaha..."
Seika Ijichi, walking at the back of the group, scratched her head bashfully at all this talk.
"I think getting into Tokyo Metropolitan University is plenty good enough."
"Besides, when Kikuri and PA-ko apply here later, it won't be nearly as tough for them as it was for you two."
Tokyo Metropolitan University was the only public university within Tokyo.
Unlike national universities, which were established by the national government, public universities were established by local governments.
Even though it was only a public university, it was the sole one in all of Tokyo.
Its deviation value, while below Tokyo's national universities, was comparable to regional former imperial universities like Kyushu University and Nagoya University.
More importantly, its tuition was even lower than that of national universities.
Tokyo residents even got additional fee reductions, making it an exceptionally good value for the money.
"Well, we haven't even seen the list yet — it's not decided either way."
Mrs. Ijichi, holding Nijika's hand, had come along today as well.
She wore a pale pink coat, a gentle smile on her face.
She looked even more at ease than Seika did.
At her mother's words, the smile on Seika's face went stiff.
That's right — they hadn't seen the list yet.
What if she hadn't gotten in?
Her heart lurched back up into her throat.
"Big sister will definitely pass!"
Little Nijika, holding Mrs. Ijichi's hand, raised her tiny fist to cheer Seika on.
Her babyish voice made a few passersby nearby laugh despite themselves.
Seika had almost wanted to laugh too, but her eyes caught sight of Sayuri off to the side, being supported by Akane and Sonoko.
Sayuri had apparently started crying again at some point, and the sight killed any urge Seika had to smile.
"Let's head to Tokyo Metropolitan University next, then."
Kagami said, glancing around at everyone.
Everyone nodded and was about to turn to leave.
"Kagami!"
Kagami turned around.
Nayotake, who had somehow pushed her way back into the crowd, was waving at him.
"What is it?"
"Wait."
Everyone's steps came to a halt.
"What's wrong, Nayotake?"
"Come here for a second."
Kagami glanced at the others, then pushed his way back in.
Reaching Nayotake's side, he asked again.
"What is it?"
Nayotake didn't answer, only pointed a finger.
She pointed at the very end of the list on the board.
"Look."
"Isn't that Sayuri?"
Kagami blinked, then followed the direction of her finger.
At the very bottom of the list, second from the last line, a name was printed plain as day.
[Sawamura Sayuri]
Kagami's breath caught, and he turned to stare at Nayotake in disbelief.
Nayotake looked back at him and nodded.
Kagami spun around and shouted toward Sayuri, who was still outside the crowd.
"Sayuri, did you also apply to University of Tokyo?"
Sayuri, who had just been propped up by Akane and Sonoko, froze.
Tears still on her face, she stared at Kagami blankly.
"Yeah."
She sniffled and said it as if it were obvious.
"Didn't you say I should apply somewhere slightly above my level — that if I got lucky I might just scrape in, and if I didn't, no harm done, it'd just be good practice?"
"And you always said I could get into Science Course I at University of Tokyo, so I just went with University of Tokyo."
Everyone listening nearby fell silent.
The silence frightened Sayuri.
She shrank her neck, her voice growing smaller.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
"So you applied for Science Course I?"
Kagami's voice carried a note of disbelief.
"Oh, no, not that."
Sayuri shook her head.
"I applied for the Faculty of Letters, under Humanities Course III... what's wrong?"
Kagami took a deep breath, looking at Sayuri's innocent face.
He gritted his teeth.
"You are a genuine piece of work, goddammit!"
Kagami turned and pushed his way out of the crowd checking the results.
He came to stand in front of Sayuri.
"...?"
Sayuri stood there looking utterly lost, not sure what she'd done wrong.
"Do you have your exam number slip on you?"
Kagami's voice came from within the crowd.
"Oh, oh, let me check."
Sayuri fumbled around in her coat pocket, pulling out a crumpled, wrinkled slip of paper.
"Here, take it."
Kagami took it, gave her a wordless look, then pushed his way back to the bulletin board.
By now, everyone had gathered around Sayuri.
"Sayuri, you applied to University of Tokyo too and never told us?"
Yukinoshita asked, frowning.
"Well, it just felt like there was no way I'd get in, so there was no point mentioning it to everyone..."
Sayuri looked around at everyone pitifully.
"Did I do something wrong again?"
Akane, exasperated, smacked her on the forehead.
"You idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"
"Ow!"
Sayuri clutched her forehead, crying out indignantly.
"Hit me again and I really will become an idiot!"
Kagami pushed his way back to the bulletin board, where Nayotake still stood, eyes fixed on the list.
"Take a look."
Nayotake stepped aside to give Kagami a clear view of the name.
Kagami pulled Sayuri's slip from his pocket and checked the number against the list, over and over.
Only after confirming it three times did he let out a long breath.
"You ran into Sayuri on exam day?"
He turned his head to look at Nayotake.
"Mm."
Nayotake nodded.
"We even had lunch together."
"How come you never mentioned it."
"I didn't know Sayuri had applied to University of Tokyo without telling any of you, either..."
There was, unusually, a note of helplessness in Nayotake's voice.
Kagami fell silent for a moment, thinking back on the exam days.
He'd originally planned to go with them to the exams himself.
But since everyone else had their parents accompanying them, and because someone happened to be discussing the adaptation rights for his novel around that time, he'd gone off to deal with that instead.
Who could have guessed that in just those few days, Sayuri would slip through the net entirely.
"Who uses a reach school for practice like this."
Kagami muttered to himself, staring at Sayuri's name on the list.
A reach school used for practice usually held its exam before the target school.
But national university exams generally happened later than private university exams.
Which meant Sayuri had taken her target school (Keio Law) first, and her reach school (University of Tokyo Letters) second.
In effect, she'd treated Keio as the practice run and University of Tokyo as the real deal.
Then again, from another angle, it wasn't entirely unreasonable that Sayuri had managed to pull off this reverse upset.
Keio's Faculty of Law was every bit as tough as University of Tokyo's Faculty of Law.
The Faculty of Letters under Humanities Course III that Sayuri had applied to was considered one of the easier tracks at University of Tokyo, but it was still harder than Keio.
But if she'd had a lucky breakout performance, and happened to click with the right professor at the interview...
Then failing at Keio while getting into University of Tokyo really wasn't such a low-probability outcome after all.
Thinking it through, Kagami couldn't help a wry smile.
If Nayotake hadn't known Sayuri had also applied to University of Tokyo and taken the trouble to check the list for her specifically...
Sayuri would have had to wait at least a week for the acceptance letter to arrive at her house before finding out.
By then she'd probably have already endured a double dose of scolding from her parents and endless sarcastic remarks from relatives and neighbors.
"All right, let's go back out."
Kagami patted Nayotake on the shoulder.
"Mm."
When the two of them pushed their way back out of the crowd, every eye immediately turned toward them.
"How did it go?"
Akane and Sonoko asked in unison.
Kagami kept a straight face, looking at Sayuri, who stood in the middle of the group with an expression torn between hope and hurt.
His expression made everyone's hearts leap into their throats.
Sayuri, especially, was so nervous she'd balled up the hem of her coat in her fists, her lips trembling faintly.
Kagami walked up to Sayuri, raised his hand...
And flicked her forehead.
It wasn't hard, but Sayuri still flinched and squeezed her eyes shut on reflex.
"Congratulations, Sayuri."
The corner of Kagami's mouth finally curved upward.
"You got in."
"R-really?"
Sayuri's eyes flew open, her voice shaking.
"Really."
"Yes! Yay!"
Sayuri, who had been a sobbing mess just moments ago, transformed instantly.
She jumped up, both arms thrown high, a huge smile blooming across her face.
Tears and snot still clung to her face, but she didn't care one bit.
"You had all of us worried sick and now you have the nerve to laugh!"
Akane chased after her, eyes reddening.
"You idiot!"
"Aw, come on — you hit me when I failed, and now you hit me when I pass too!"
Sayuri shrieked and ran off, but the smile on her face refused to fade.
Sonoko joined the chase, and the two of them ran Sayuri down from either side, swatting at her.
But somewhere in the middle of all the chasing, the three of them ended up laughing together.
Everyone standing off to the side, watching the scene, finally couldn't help laughing too.
At last, the group arrived at Tokyo Metropolitan University.
The results-posting site here wasn't as crowded as University of Tokyo's or Keio's had been, but there were still plenty of people checking their results.
After all, it was the only public university in Tokyo, and with such excellent value for money, the number of applicants had always been considerable.
The bulletin board stood off to one side of the main gate.
By the time the group arrived, it was nearly noon.
"Big sister, look!"
Little Nijika ran up to Seika and grabbed her hand, pointing at the list.
Seika stood in front of the board, her legs feeling like they were filled with lead, unable to take a single step.
"I... I can't look..."
Her voice trembled, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"Big sister, you're such a coward."
"I'll help you find it."
Kagami stepped forward with a smile and took the slip with Seika's exam number from Nijika's hand.
"Little Nijika, climb up on my shoulders."
"Okay!"
Nijika happily spread her arms and let Kagami lift her up onto his shoulders.
Perched atop Kagami, Nijika looked down at her sister and sighed like a tiny grown-up.
"Coward~ Coward~"
"You don't know anything!"
Seika glared at her little sister, though there wasn't much conviction behind it.
"All right, all right."
Mrs. Ijichi gently patted her daughter's shoulder.
"Should Mom go look for you?"
"No!"
Seika grabbed her mother's hand.
"I'll look myself!"
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and took her first step.
Then a second step.
Then a third.
Then...
"Big sister! I see it!"
Nijika suddenly shouted, her small finger pointing at a spot near the top of the board.
"Kagami, go that way!"
Kagami, holding onto Nijika's legs, walked steadily toward where she was pointing.
Nijika leaned in close to the board, her little face nearly pressed against the paper, then let out a cheer.
"Found it! Ijichi Seika! Passed!"
"Really?!"
Seika's eyes flew open, and she covered the last few steps to the board in a rush.
One glance was all it took to find her own number and name.
In that instant, it felt like all the strength drained out of her.
Her legs went weak, and she nearly sank to the ground.
"Big sister!"
Nijika slid nimbly down from Kagami's shoulders and threw herself into Seika's arms.
Seika hugged her sister tight, her eyes suddenly welling up.
"It's really... it's really good..."
Her voice caught in her throat.
"It's really, really good..."
Mrs. Ijichi watched quietly from the side, her own eyes growing damp.
She stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around both her daughters.
"Congratulations, Seika."
Watching the scene, Kagami felt a warmth well up inside him.
At that moment, Sayuri came bounding over and threw her arms around Seika.
"Seika! Congratulations! Now we'll be university classmates... wait, no!"
"I'm at University of Tokyo, you're at Tokyo Metropolitan... but never mind! We're both in Tokyo anyway!"
Seika, a little bewildered by Sayuri's enthusiasm, quickly broke into a smile.
"Congratulations to you too, Sayuri."
She patted Sayuri on the back.
At that point, Komoe, Douraku Utage, and Hayase Kinue came walking over with smiles as well.
"All right, save the sentimental stuff for when we get home."
"Right now, it's time for the celebration dinner."
They held the celebration at a family restaurant.
A thin film of mist had formed on the windows, sealing out the March chill.
A dozen-plus people occupied a long table made by pushing three tables together.
Mrs. Ijichi sat right in the middle, with Nijika beside her, and Seika beyond that.
Kagami and Nayotake sat across from them, with Akane and Sonoko on either side of the two of them.
The remaining seats were packed full with Sayuri, Yukinoshita, Hiratsuka, Hayase Kinue, Douraku Utage, Kikuri, and PA-ko.
The table was soon covered in food.
Pizza, pasta, steak, fried chicken, fries, salad, and several large glasses of drinks.
Little Nijika happily speared a slice of pizza with her fork, getting ketchup all over her mouth, while Mrs. Ijichi laughingly wiped her face clean.
"All right, cheers!"
Douraku Utage was the first to raise her glass, her voice loud enough to make a few customers at nearby tables turn and look.
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their glasses, clinking them together with a bright, ringing sound.
"Congratulations, everyone!"
Sonoko said with a smile.
"Yukinoshita and Hiratsuka got into Keio, Nayotake got into University of Tokyo's Medical School, Seika got into Tokyo Metropolitan University, and..."
She glanced at Sayuri, pausing deliberately.
"And me!"
Sayuri shot her hand up hastily.
"I got into University of Tokyo too!"
"You've got some nerve saying that, you idiot."
Akane reached over and poked her forehead.
"If Nayotake hadn't specifically checked the list for you, you'd still have no idea you'd gotten in."
"Heheh..."
Sayuri laughed sheepishly and turned to look at Nayotake sitting beside her.
"Thank you, Nayotake."
Nayotake nodded slightly, the corner of her mouth curving.
"You're welcome."
"By the way."
Hiratsuka took a sip of her drink and looked at Sayuri.
"Are you really going to go to University of Tokyo's Faculty of Letters? Not retaking a year to try for Keio Law again?"
"Weren't you the one who wanted to be at the same school, even the same faculty, as Akane-senpai and Sonoko-senpai?"
Akane and Sonoko both turned to look at Sayuri again with amused smiles.
"No, no, I'm not retaking it."
Sayuri shook her head quickly.
"University of Tokyo's fine — the Faculty of Letters is great too. I've always liked reading books anyway."
"Sayuri-senpai, the way you're talking makes it sound like University of Tokyo is some terrible school."
Kikuri said sourly from beside her.
"No, no, that's not it."
"I just didn't expect I'd turn out to be this amazing, that I could actually get into University of Tokyo!"
"Heheh~"
"Didn't you hate reading more than anything?"
Sonoko chimed in.
"I bet you'll be stuck halfway through and give up."
"It's fine."
Sayuri said cheerfully.
"I just can't understand Kagami's books, that's all."
"Everything else is fine."
"And even if I really don't understand something, isn't Kagami right there to help?"
"You'll help me, right, Kagami?"
She turned to look at Kagami beside her as she said it.
Kagami answered with a smile.
"I can help you with your studies, but I'm not going to take attendance for you."
"How could you!"
"I was just about to ask you to do exactly that!"
"Isn't university all about skipping class to your heart's content?"
Everyone laughed at Sayuri's complaining.
"That attitude of yours really is something."
Yukinoshita said, holding her drink, a note of helpless amusement in her voice.
Kagami looked at Sayuri and shook his head with a smile.
He thought back to when he'd first met her, a complete novice who didn't even know what a deviation value was.
And now here she was, having gotten into the University of Tokyo.
Even if it was through a bizarre twist of fate, and even if it was the Faculty of Letters — University of Tokyo was still University of Tokyo.
Those words alone represented a height that was, in itself, almost impossible to reach.
"Sayuri."
Kagami spoke up suddenly.
"Hm?"
Sayuri was in the middle of shoving fries into her mouth, cheeks puffed out as she looked at him.
"Congratulations."
"Kagami..."
She set down her fries.
"Why are you getting all sentimental all of a sudden..."
"It's nothing."
Kagami smiled and raised his glass.
"I just wanted to thank you."
"Thank me for what?"
"For teaching me that a person really can change their fate through sheer luck."
"That was clearly my own skill!"
"Are you complimenting me or insulting me right now!"
Sayuri, indignant, grabbed a fry and threw it at him.
Kagami caught it in the air and popped it into his mouth with a smile.
"Complimenting you, of course."
Everyone at the table burst out laughing.
"Come on, come on, let's take a photo together!"
Sonoko suddenly pulled out a camera and held it up high.
"Wait, is my hair okay?"
Sayuri hurriedly smoothed down her hair.
"What's there to fix about your twintails."
Akane teased her, but secretly combed her own bangs with her fingers too.
"All right, all right, everyone squeeze in close."
Sonoko handed the camera to a waiter, then ran over to join the group and struck a pose.
The waiter dutifully framed everyone in the shot.
"Three, two, one..."
"Cheese!"
There was a click, and the moment froze in place.
In the photo, some people were grinning brightly, some smiling more subtly, some flashing peace signs, and some just standing there quietly.
But every single pair of eyes in that picture shone with the happiness of the moment, and with hope for everything still to come.
____
📢 WANT MORE CHAPTERS? HELP THE STORY GROW!
💬 Reviews: Leave your review! Every 5 REVIEWS unlocks 1 bonus chapter.
💎 Power Stones: Reach 100 POWER STONES and another bonus chapter drops!
🚀 P@treon: Want to read ahead? Support on P@treon (Walnut-chan) to access over 60 stories and 40 chapters ahead!
🔥 New history: COTE: My High School Life Became Jujutsu Kaisen — posted on The_Mikudayo