Chapter 117 - Only God Knows
(1)
When February arrives, I, who am not taking the national or public university exams, become incredibly bored.
At first, I think, "Yes! I'm free!!" but once there's nothing to do, it's just boredom.
Even though I'm free, I still have to go to school occasionally, and since there are year-end exams, I have to study.
Well, I do enough to at least be able to graduate.
Whenever I find spare time, I attend driving school.
An upperclassman told me, "Get it done early."
Today, I skipped school.
While I'm playing a smartphone game at home, a message comes from Ai.
"Just because you passed a private university doesn't mean you can slack off!"
Ai has been nagging me a lot lately.
Well, she's probably saying it out of kindness, saying it out of affection, so I don't mind it.
I reply to the message.
"I'm doing it properly. Don't worry."
And then, I resume the game.
"Eita! If you don't properly do the past questions for the written test, you'll fail and be embarrassed!"
Mom is even noisier.
"Shut up, old hag! I told you I'm doing it properly!"
Everyone is so noisy.
Just let me be free!
Since I've gradually grown tired of the game, I study for the written test a bit.
Though, that just means solving past questions and grading them myself.
...This is a breeze!
How boring.
Maybe it would have been better to go to school.
Maybe it would have been better to talk with everyone?
But everyone is desperate with their exam studies.
I feel like I'm the only one left behind.
If that's the case, maybe I should have studied.
At night, a call comes from Ai.
"Eita, are you behaving yourself?"
"I'm behaving (bored) properly?"
"Anyway, make sure you come to school tomorrow!"
"Why?"
"Have you not even looked at the calendar? You've gone soft from the break, haven't you!"
I look at the calendar.
Ah, tomorrow is February 14th...
"Got it, I'll go tomorrow."
"You know what happens if you don't come, right?"
Her voice is scary...
"I said I'll go!"
"Then, see you tomorrow."
The next day, I overslept.
"Why didn't you wake me up, you damn old hag?"
"Because you're always sleeping."
I rushed toward driving school.
"Eita, I told you to come today, didn't I!?"
"That's why I came, right!?"
"I didn't tell you to come late."
"You didn't tell me to come on time, either."
It's a weak excuse.
"Honestly... here."
Saying that, Ai gives me chocolate.
Is this what they call a tsundere?
"Thanks."
"Try to come to school as much as possible from now on! At least let me make some memories for the end of high school."
So that's Ai's true feeling.
"I get it."
But this is a school classroom.
Is it okay to create this kind of lovey-dovey atmosphere?
...It wasn't a class to worry about that.
After all, there are as many as four couples in one class.
The others are probably making out somewhere too, right?
Everyone is communicating using their smartphones.
When school ends, I hurriedly leap out of the classroom.
"Eita! Where are you going!?"
"Driving school! I don't have time, sorry."
"...Come tomorrow too!"
Ai's voice is bright.
"Got it!"
Saying that, I hurried toward the school.
By the time the moon illuminates the night.
An incoming call from Ai.
"How's driving school? Is it progressing smoothly?"
"Perfect! Progressing without any mistakes."
"Don't get so absorbed in that that you end up repeating a grade."
"I know."
"...Have you decided on a car to buy once you get your license?"
"I'm thinking of buying a domestic rotary engine sports car."
"...Is that the influence of manga? Can you actually drive?"
"I'll be fine! Once I buy it, I'll let you sit in the passenger seat."
"It's a promise."
"Yeah."
"Then, see you tomorrow."
Finally, Ai's smiling face floated into my mind.
(2)
"Uugh..."
"Airi... you too."
"What happened to you two?"
On the way back from driving school, the three of us stopped at a fast food restaurant to talk.
After the results of the center exam self-grading were good, I started attending driving school.
It was because I was advised to get my license while still in high school.
The written test was fine, but the practical part was also completely unrelated.
At first, I didn't understand the feel of the clutch, but I learned it quickly.
Half-clutch? I was told not to use it recklessly?
Parking? Parallel parking? It's a piece of cake once you get the sense of the car's width, right?
However, it was a pain that I had to verbally confirm every single check.
You can tell just by looking, can't you?
Well, they're the established rules, so I follow them.
In that way, I was clearing the timed sessions smoothly.
Airi is going for AT only, and Kanna is apparently getting MT.
Both of them seem to be doing well, but did something happen?
"Toya-kun~"
Airi clings to me.
Well, I don't panic at this point.
Rubbing Airi's shoulder, I ask her.
"What's wrong?"
"You see..."
Their instructor is apparently named Mikizawa.
"Please call me Mickey."
Mickey again...
As for what happened with that Mickey...
"His gaze is lewd, he's always looking at my thighs. He's not looking at the driving at all. I managed to get through the timed sessions, but it's scary. I wonder if this is really okay?"
"If it were just that, it would be fine, but when I operate the shift lever, he overlaps his hand on top of mine and says things like 'more gently, like you're touching a man's crotch.' It's beyond disgusting, it's scary."
As I thought, it's sexual harassment.
Now Mickey = sexual harassment.
"Come to think of it, Toya-kun's instructor was a woman, right? Nothing strange happened to you, did it!?"
The sparks flew toward me.
Well, there was a time when she overlapped her hand when I touched the shift lever and said "softly and gently," I guess?
I didn't think anything of it, but since I don't know what Airi would say if I mentioned it now, I kept it hidden.
"What are those eyes hiding?"
Airi's intuition has become sharp.
Since it couldn't be helped, I spoke plainly.
"So that's why Toya-kun is in a good mood, huh?"
Airi's mood seems to be bad.
"Airi, don't let it get to you, Toya probably doesn't think anything of it anyway..."
Kanna came to my aid.
"Uugh..."
"If it bothers you that much, maybe take the lessons in a tracksuit..."
"I don't have time to go home and change every single time!"
"Well, just have Toya comfort you. I don't really mind it."
No way.
I thought Kanna was the type to care more about those things.
I couldn't say that even if my mouth were torn open.
"Well, I have a part-time job now."
Saying that, she stands up from her seat.
"Take proper care of Airi."
Saying that, she left the store and went around to the back.
Airi and I were left behind.
Airi's mood is somewhat bad.
What should I do?
"Airi, shall we head home soon?"
"Is Toya-kun really okay with this? Even if it's just nominally, his girlfriend is being sexually harassed."
"Don't say 'nominally,' you're my genuine girlfriend, right?"
"U-uugh..."
"You can be spoiled once we get home, so anyway, let's go back?"
Saying that, I soothed her and we headed home while I gauged Airi's mood.
(3)
I got my learner's permit, finished the on-road training and other requirements, and passed the graduation test without issue. I took the written test and successfully obtained my license.
I really got it in about three weeks.
Kanna had apparently placed an order with a used car dealer in advance. She bought a domestic rally car.
Fuel efficiency? Kanna has a part-time job. She apparently usually gets around by bicycle, and it seems she became obsessed with driving while doing the training.
I pray she isn't influenced by a certain manga.
Airi had decided too. Apparently, a domestic hybrid light 4-wheeler. The delivery date has already been decided.
I had decided too, but I hadn't ordered yet. I thought I'd do it after the university acceptance was decided, but since I heard it's better to do the procedures early, I went to the dealer with Airi and my parents.
They're all so good. I was tempted by many. But since I had decided from the start, I went with that one. Then I did the procedures.
It seems it will be delivered around the time the acceptance announcements are made.
"It's fine as a celebration for passing, right?" I was asked to confirm.
Are they putting pressure on me again?
Airi casually tells me, "It's no problem, you know?"
And then, the end of February.
Whether we cry or laugh, this is the end.
The second-round exams for the local university began.
I'll be fine if I stay calm.
I heard the ratio for the second-round exam is 20 percent.
I just have to do it normally.
Telling myself that, I solve the problems.
And then it ended.
I feel like I did what I had to do.
I get a short "Good job~" from Airi.
"Thanks," I say in a word.
Kanna also seems to have exhausted all her strength.
"Shall the Watanabe group have a celebration party?"
Saying that, we had a modest celebration.
Poke
"A fast food restaurant is fine!"
A modest celebration was carried out at a fast food restaurant.
"Now it's just a matter of only fate knowing,"
Watanabe-kun says.
"Everyone worked hard, so I'm sure it'll be okay,"
Ishihara-kun says modestly.
"It's just as Isshy says. We did what we had to do. Now let's wait for the results!"
I was in no position to care, as I was eating a hamburger.
"Well, I'll overlook it just for today."
Airi's permission was granted. An additional order...
When I stand up from my seat, Airi grabs my arm and won't let go.
"I only said I'd overlook it!"
Give me a break.
"Normally, one would lose their appetite,"
Eguchi-san lets a word slip.
I've been enduring it until now.
There's no point in fussing over it here.
Let's just enjoy it as much as we can!
The celebration ended, and on the way home.
"Everything's finally finished."
Yeah, now we just wait for the results.
"I'm looking forward to university life."
That's true—wait, is she already acting as if we've passed?
"I look forward to working with you both."
"I look forward to working with you too, Airi, and Toya."
"Isn't it too early for you two to be happy?"
I don't even know if I can graduate.
"Don't say such unlucky things, Toya!"
"Toya-kun always becomes negative at times like this..."
Aren't you two just too positive?
(4)
Graduation ceremony.
After the ceremony ended, Mizuta-sensei concluded the greetings by saying, "Well, stay healthy."
There were students who asked, "Sensei, please take a photo for a souvenir!"
The high school life that felt long yet short has ended.
From now on, everyone will probably move toward their respective paths.
It was a three-year period where various things happened.
The Watanabe group was passing around graduation albums for signatures.
Each adding a message.
Speaking of signatures, for some reason, there were many girls asking me for one.
Thank you, stay healthy.
I replied with harmless messages attached.
There were students who sought a handshake.
The Watanabe group also exchanged contact information with each other.
We also made a message group.
Airi was sobbing.
Kanna was crying, caught up in it.
This is probably Kanna's true form.
"Well, I'll contact you later regarding the date for the celebration party."
"She said they're doing a class celebration party too."
Watanabe-kun and Eguchi-san speak alternately.
"I'll handle the coordination for that as well."
Apparently, Watanabe-kun is also acting as the organizer for the class celebration party.
Watanabe-kun really is a capable person.
And so, we left the school behind.
A few days later.
Kanna, Airi, and Makoto come to my room.
I start up the PC.
Then, opening the browser, I look at the local university's site.
And I enter the examinee numbers one by one.
Kanna and Airi had passed.
Kanna cries with joy.
"You worked hard."
Makoto gently hugs Kanna.
"Next is Toya-kun's turn, right?"
Told by Airi, I enter my own number.
And then...