Chapter 24 – College Life in Deep Mourning

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University Arc

Most of my high school life got eaten up by textbooks and Shorinji Kempo. Every damn day, it was training, sparring, and shoving formulas into my brain like I was prepping for a fight that never ended.

In the end, I walked away with two things: lean muscle and an acceptance letter from the prestigious TH University.

Why not aim for TK University—the so-called top of the food chain in Japan?

Simple. TH was close enough to commute from home. Sure, TK had that glitzy, full-of-dreams reputation. Maybe if I'd gone there, I'd have joined a band, started a wild new trend, or lived the so-called “college life.” But honestly, screw that. TH still had clout. And I wasn't about to dump rent payments on my mom or deal with the drama of dorm life. Life already felt like a nonstop struggle to stay afloat.

Looking back, I think I made the right choice.

This morning was the entrance ceremony. A fresh start. Clean slate…

…until my phone buzzed.

Back in high school, my social circle was microscopic. So when a message popped up, there was only one person it could be.

“Today's your entrance ceremony, right? Congrats.”

As expected, it was from Sakuma Temari.

Despite everything, Temari and I spent an absurd amount of time studying together.

Honestly, she was probably the person I saw the most outside of class. No sparks, no awkward tension—just endless study marathons and a weird, low-key alliance.

So of course, when a war buddy like Temari messaged me, I couldn't just leave her on read.

“Thanks. By the way, have you decided on a prep school yet?”

…No response.

Getting left on read by her was not what I expected.

But here's the thing. Temari's grades went up because she studied with me—hell, let's be real, I was basically her tutor. I won't say that out loud, though. But maybe she got cocky, because she made the insane decision to take the same entrance exam for TH University.

The result was that our lives completely diverged.

For Temari, settling for a backup university wasn't even an option. So she chose to take a gap year and try again. Gotta admit, that's some manly resolve.

If she ever needed help, I wouldn't mind helping out. After all, my own entrance exam hell was over. Ha! That's the leisure of the victor.

Even so, part of me couldn't help but wish she'd made it. Having her around might've made this whole new chapter feel a little less daunting. Physically, I'd toughened up, sure. But mentally, I was still that quiet loner. No familiar faces in my department meant freedom… and isolation.

Still, I tried to be positive. Better to focus on new encounters than drown in what-ifs.

…Wait a sec. Wasn't today also Mahiro's entrance ceremony at T Women's University?

That girl shocked the hell out of everyone senior year. Her grades skyrocketed out of nowhere. Even Chihiro-san commented, “It's like she became a whole new person.” No clue what flipped her switch.

Not that I'd know. We'd cut ties. I wasn't her boyfriend anymore. Whatever childhood bond we had? Long dead. If we bumped into each other—brushed shoulders, locked eyes—she'd probably treat me like some creepy stranger. At best? A cringe-worthy ghost from the past.

Still, since we were strangers now, I could say this without baggage—I genuinely hoped she found happiness in college. She put in the effort. She deserved that much.

……..

That said, I couldn't help but wonder: could the Yoshikawa family even afford it?

T Women's University was no budget school. It was private. Pricey. Maybe it wasn't my business, but I kept thinking about Chihiro-san, her mom.

Was she breaking her back trying to pay for Mahiro's tuition?

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Yeah, I'm back. Like I said, I never dropped this. I just got busy… and yeah, maybe forgot too. But it's fine—updates are back on track, daily this time(Maybe👀)