Chapter 1.3

…余华的《活着》(To Live by Yu Hua); something I stumbled upon.

I’ve always found this place interesting, the way it… holds onto memories far older than mine. All these different stories—preserved… with no one to read them.

Students only really go here when we have exams.

…It’s nice though, always quiet.

The buzz of the air conditioning remained stagnant.

Barely noticeable… yet it feels so loud.

My eyes continue to trace one line to another.

My fingers continue to flip the pages…

And my mind does nothing.

Nothing just seems to—

I closed the book.

Leaning against the chair as I stared at the ceiling.

Hm… I really should eat lunch.

But it’s not like it’ll change a thing.

I closed my eyes, crossing my arms as I sat still.

Before looking around the empty aisles…

Not really knowing what to do.

…Maybe I should just walk around.

I held the book in my hand before standing up, pushing the chair back before strolling towards the aisles.

…Chinese literature.

I spot the empty space, setting the book back in place.

「感谢您一直以来都把它放回原处。」(“Thank you for always putting it back where it belongs.”) The librarian spoke softly as he approached me.

「啊——是的……」(“Ah—yes……”) I slightly bowed before leaving.

…No matter how much I tell him—he still thinks I’m Chinese.

But it doesn’t really matter.

Stepping out of the library… The air feels different.

But most evidently, the silence crashed into something harsher.

It’s… raining all of a sudden.

It was so sunny earlier…?

I stood by the glass pane, staring at the darkened sky.

It’s raining but… not so heavily.

That’s nice.

I get to use my umbrella.

…Walking around, the hallways were empty.

Even though it’s lunch.

“...Aihara-san?” I hear an older voice call me.

…Shirakawa-sensei.

“...Yes?” I mutter.

“I thought you were absent, what were you doing?”

Absent…?

“...I went to the bathroom,” I scratched my cheek, seeing her concerned expression.

“I just took everybody’s attendance, I’ll fix yours later,” she says—fiddling with her phone.

“T-Thank you…”

Did class already start…?

Is that why there’s no one here?

“Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything. The faculty is very busy… dealing with—wait.”

I stood still, watching her hectic actions.

“Could you come with me? We could use your help in the office.”

“Me?”

“Yes, it’s just papers.”

“Won’t I miss the next class?”

“...Yamada-sensei? He’s not here.”

Wow…

What a perfect time to sleep then.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to—”

“No—it’s fine,” I muttered, watching her face light up. “You did clear my attendance…”

I just hope it’s not too much work…

Walking through the hallway… with her in front.

It feels strange, like I’m doing something special.

For the school to be this busy… I wonder what’s happening?

Entering the faculty room, everyone was working on their desks.

A few student council officers were also present…

“Mizuki!” A familiar voice called from the other end.

“Yes?” I hurried over.

“Can you look for the clearance record in this locker? The ones from… nineteen ninety-eight to two thousand one.”

“Ah… sure.”

I turned to the locker, opening the shelves at the bottom.

And… so many folders.

“Do you need me to look for anything else?”

No, just the clearance record there.”

“...I see.”

Looking through the dusty folders… were documents I didn’t really understand.

Amano-sensei showed me the clearance record for two thousand two.

I just have to look for similar looking ones.

…It’s a lot.

Constantly having to lean down and look through several pages.

Though I suppose it’s just for today…

By the third folder—I found the record for nineteen ninety-nine…

So I need… three more.

Wait—

“Amano-sensei… this—right…?” I ask, showing her the paper.

“Oh, yes—yes. Just put it on my desk.”

I walk over to her desk… completely full of other documents.

So I put it in front of her desktop and returned to the locker.

“Aihara-san,” I heard another professor call me.

“Yes?”

“Do you know how to use Word?”

I looked at the screen in front of him.

Which I believe was… for typing a document?

But I never really ever tried using one.

“I—”

“Takeda-sensei, let a student council handle that—I have stuff for Mizuki to do,” Amano-sensei yelled from the other side.

I lightly bowed my head before returning to the locker.

For a while I scoured through irrelevant documents.

They weren’t really rushing me so I took my time.

Standing still and looking outside to see it’s still raining.

Looking at the time… it’s two o’clock.

Seeing how busy they were—I continued searching.

Eventually I got a hold of the record for two thousand and nineteen ninety-eight.

Returning to her desk, I placed it on top of the nineteen ninety-nine record.

A light cough came out of me… so much dust.

I sat down and dropped the folder on my lap, flipping through the pages until I found… no it’s nineteen ninety-five.

Holding the paper carefully, I passed through the busy room to get to her.

“Amano-sensei… is this needed?”

She turned to me, looking at the paper.

“Isn’t this what you were looking for earlier?” She asked someone sitting at a corner, who looked at the paper and continued working. “Thanks Mizuki,” she said.

I return to the locker.

Browse through more folders.

Until I finally found the record for two thousand one.

Having collected what they asked of me, I picked up an empty folder and stuffed the four documents in it—setting it in front of her idle desktop.

“Is there anything else you need?” I asked.

“Hm… maybe ask Shirakawa-sensei?”

I looked around, but she wasn’t really here.

As for Takeda-sensei… someone’s already working on the computer.

Hm…

The student council appeared busy as well.

“Hm? Aihara-san, you’re also here?”

“Ah—yes…” I muttered, a bit unsure of how to react—considering how I talked to her this morning. “May I ask why everyone’s busy?”

“It’s the upcoming accreditation next week,” she answered directly.

“Do you need help with anything?”

“No, not really… the officers are working on important paperwork—can’t really pass that to a student can I?”

“Pres—could you come here for a second?”

“I’ll get back to you later,” she tells me before tending to her duties.

With nothing to do, I walked around until Shirakawa-sensei returned with piles of documents at hand.

“I found what Amano-sensei needed… is there anything else?”

“Oh, thank you Aihara-san… I’m carrying papers from the storage room, may I ask for your help?”

“Yes… no worries.”

We left the busy faculty room, and the rain outside became more audible.

Strangely enough… I suddenly feel free.

Like the air I’m breathing is so much fresher.

I follow Shirakawa-sensei down to the end of the hallway, into the even dustier storage room.

“Just these ones I separated, I’ll show you where to put them,” she explained with evident fatigue in her voice.

She crouched down and lifted a pile of folders.

I crouched down and—

My fingers carefully held the stack—but it’s so heavy…

“Uhm…” I scratch my head, and she lets out a small giggle.

“No need to force yourself,” she smiles.

“I’m sorry…”

I let out a sigh.

I’m too skinny for this…

Agh… that’s so embarrassing.

I watched as she walked slowly towards the faculty room… passing by my classroom.

…Wait—

I looked inside, seeing Hayashi just—he’s not doing anything.

Maybe he can help…?

…I entered the classroom, sliding the door open and all eyes landed on me—before realizing it was just me.

Hayashi looked at me with surprise.

Walking towards him, his attention was already on me.

“...Are you busy?”

“No, Yamada-sensei didn’t come.”

“He isn’t here apparently—but most importantly, I kind of need your help…”

“With what?”

“Carrying stuff.”

“For…?”

“I’m helping Shirakawa-sensei but…” I scratched my cheek and looked away. “They’re a bit too heavy.”

“Yeah, I can help.”

“Come—come.”

I quickly left the classroom, seeing Shirakawa-sensei on her way back.

“Shirakawa-sensei, I called Hayashi.”

“Oh—Hayashi-kun,” she looked up at him in surprise. “You two were actually friends?”

I kept my mouth shut, we’ve been talking but…

Hayashi just… nodded his head.

…Is that—

…

We followed her to the storage room and upon stepping in, Hayashi stepped aside and I heard him cough… It's dusty after all.

Shirakawa-sensei carried another pile while Hayashi, easily picked up one himself.

These people… how are they even—

“Aihara-san,” he called, putting the pile back to the floor. “It’d be nice if you took a few folders—that way it won’t be disorganized… and it’ll be lighter for me.”

I guess I can do that…

I nod and he gives me five folders from the top.

Then he crouches down to carry the rest.

…It’s nice he’s here to help, but—

For some reason…

I shake my head.

We make our way to the faculty room, and Shirakawa-sensei guides us where to put the documents. For a few trips, we passed through the hallway until we finished everything.

“Thanks, you two,” Shirakawa-sensei finally let us go.

Standing in the hallway, I stretched my arms out.

I didn’t even carry that much but I… it still hurts.

I look at Hayashi who lightly stretches his arms.

Is he not complaining…?

“Your arms don’t hurt?”

“They do.”

…

Hah—

I look outside.

It’s still raining.

“...I’ll drop by the bathroom—you should go back to class.”

He nods and just begins walking back, slowly.

“Thanks, Hayashi.”

“Anytime.”

…

Eventually, he disappeared into the classroom.

I turn around, walking the other way.

Watching the rainfall outside as I made my way to the bathroom.

I go inside, stare at myself in the mirror.

I don’t like this…

…I wash my hands—and face.

Letting out a deep breath before patting my face dry.

Returning back to the hallway… I see the stairs to the second floor.

…It’s not like the teachers will be returning soon.

I make my way to the second floor.

Just… quietly walking by the window.

Then stopping to just—stare outside.

The clouds covering the sky…

The rain just blurs everything in sight.

I—

…Since when did I get so comfortable?

Raindrops land on the glass pane, racing as they slide down.

To think I’d suddenly—

…I should know already.

I’m—

Too comfortable.

I press my forehead against the cold glass, before pushing myself off.

I continue walking.