After graduating from high school, I became a ronin (a student who failed the university entrance exam and has to prepare for another year).
Not a high school student, not a university student, not a working adult. I never thought I would become an entity with no affiliation anywhere.
When I failed to get into my desired university, I was truly in despair. I was painfully aware it was because of my own inadequacy, not anyone else’s fault. I was surprised by how much I cried.
I managed to pull myself together for the graduation ceremony, but before that, my emotions fluctuated between sinking and floating, sometimes positive and sometimes depressed. While spring bloomed all around, it felt like a wintry wind was blowing only around me. Spring is supposed to be the starting season, but I hadn’t even made it to the starting line. I felt like I had been left behind.
But after the graduation ceremony ended, MAHO-do finally closed down, we returned our witch apprenticeship to the Queen, Onpu-chan went back to America… And gradually, my feelings began to change as well. I would return to the starting line and try again. Yes, the experience of being a ronin student might someday prove useful. I decided to make it a year like that.
MAHO-do transformed from a sweets store back into a magic goods store, just like it was three years ago. The location is the same, it just reverted to how it was before Momo-chan returned from America and became a sweets store. I feel like we can relax a bit.
My entrance exams are still nine months away, but Hazuki-chan and Momo-chan, who are both going to Paris, will enter school in the fall. So, everyone doesn’t move out and leave Misora City all at once. Momo-chan started her apprenticeship, or rather, training and French lessons under Ikoma-san, the patissier at the nearby patisserie “Eugene”.
At “Eugene”, I help out part-time as a babysitter and a clerk. Hazuki-chan also comes by for French lessons. Before we knew it, we were all involved with the Ikoma family. I think both Ikoma-san and his wife Ruri-san are generous, cheerful, and wonderful adults.
The part-time job at MAHO-do is mainly handled by myself and Hana-chan, with Momo-chan and Hazuki-chan joining in occasionally until the summer. And then there are Majorika, the fairy Lala, and Dodo and the others.
Since we no longer serve food and it’s a magic goods store, it’s OK for Dodo and the others to be in cat form inside the store. In fact, they have a sense of ambition to become trendy signboard cats.
In addition to turning into cats, Dodo and the others also transform into me and my friends to fill in for us. But of course the substitutions aren’t perfect. They can probably handle shopkeeping duties, but Majorika and Lala are worried that hanging out with our family and close friends for long periods of time would give them away. My sister Pop, in particular, has a keen nose for magical scents from her days as a witch apprentice. No matter how much magic is used, you can’t become completely identical to someone else.
Ai-chan, who moved into her university dorm before graduating from high school to balance student life and training, rarely comes back to Misora. But we exchange emails almost every day. Sometimes she seems to fall asleep or get tired in the middle of replying, because her emails are long strings of the same character.
When I read Ai-chan’s emails, I’m surprised by her high communication skills. It’s not because she’s from Kansai, it’s because she’s just Ai-chan! More importantly, I’d like to know in detail what happened between her and Arima-kun aka Anrima when they met again!
And just like Ai-chan, Onpu-chan, who moved to New York before graduating from high school, is attending a drama school. Once she gets used to the environment, I guess she’ll start auditioning. Even though she’s busy, she still replies to my emails. I hope she’s not overexerting herself. Since she lives alone and doesn’t know anyone there, I hope chatting by email provides some comfort.
In New York, Hazuki-chan’s boyfriend, Yada Masaru-kun, has been living with the family of jazz pianist Gabriel Baker-san aka GB-san since this spring. Hazuki-chan introduced Onpu-chan to them too, so hopefully they’ll become good friends. GB-san and his family are very nice people. They are a warm and wonderful family.
Getting to know Ikoma-san, GB-san, Tsukasa-san and many other adults made me realize just how blessed we are to be surrounded by such good people. When I grow up, I want to be the kind of adult who helps and shows kindness to others too. But for now, getting into university is still my top priority. I just don’t have room for anything else right now.
Now I’ll talk about my life as a ronin student.
To go over what happened in chronological order since spring: as promised to Mom and Dad, I began working part-time at “Eugene” as a babysitter, at MAHO-do, and studying for entrance exams at Tsukasa-san’s house. In the evening and night, I receive lessons from Hana-chan at MAHO-do.
In addition, on days when Mom, who usually gives piano lessons at home, goes out to teach at another studio, I’m in charge of evening housework.
When I write it all out, it looks like a tight schedule. People might wonder if I’m okay with all this, but I am managing well. That’s because everyone is considerate not to push me too hard.
The reason I failed the exam is just as my homeroom teacher, Yamaki-sensei aka Leon, said. Oh, it’s not that if you shake your head, what you’ve learned will spill out, of course. It’s because I was only studying on the surface. After all, I barely passed the high school entrance exam.
With the focus of my close friends and my awareness shifting towards the future, my high school grades certainly went up. But my mock exam rankings didn’t really improve. In other words, my foundations weren’t solid. Looking back now, I really should have studied more diligently in middle school.
Even though I’ve been working part-time at two places since April, both stores are right next to each other, and MAHO-do rarely gets customers until the evening. With no food prep anymore, there’s less cleaning up too compared to when it was a sweets store. When I’m alone in the store, I can’t really study properly for entrance exams, but I’ll read the newspaper, which I didn’t take seriously before.
Despite that, Hana-chan, who goes to university every day, is managing well. I wonder if we were all flustered until we settled into a routine.
I often study at Tsukasa-san’s house on weekday afternoons. Tsukasa-san works from evening to midnight. He comes home after the date changes once he finishes work. But he makes sure to eat breakfast together with his cousin Hamada Itoko-chan, who lives with him. Itoko-chan ended up staying at Tsukasa-san’s house even after she became a university student.
Tsukasa-san is a so-called “onee”, and he is a reliable person like an older brother or sister.
Not just Itoko-chan, but my friends Kudo Mutsumi-chan, Shimakura Kaori-chan and Iida Kanae-chan, who also studied together with him, all say they’re glad to have met Tsukasa-san. Since he and Itoko-chan respect each other’s privacy while living together, their relationship seems more like that of sisters or an aunt and niece.
“Everyone is considerate towards me, you know?”
I said during the break when Tsukasa-san mentioned that he wanted to know about my situation since April. As I mentioned before, it was still a tentative exploration between us. Tsukasa-san nodded and said,
“Hmm, there aren’t many ronin students around lately, especially in recent years. The economy is bad and it’s difficult to find a job, so it must be tough to go to prep school.”
There were a few ronin students among my classmates too. But after graduation, I haven’t seen or contacted any of them. I guess everyone must be studying for the exams in their own way.
“I believe Hazuki-chan and Momoko-chan are staying in Japan for a while, right? Instead of causing them worry, I think you should rely on your friends a bit more, Doremi-chan.”
Considering my personality, Tsukasa-san is worried that I would stick my nose into everything trying to help others, while neglecting myself. So, based on his advice, I rearranged my weekly schedule.
“It’s important to make a proper schedule and live a regular life like when you were going to school. And you absolutely must have rest days.”
He said cramming too much is unsustainable. If I said I enjoyed my part-time jobs, he’d accuse me of using them to escape rather than refresh my mood. Hmm, I wonder if he doesn’t trust me, understands me too well, or maybe both?
“There’s less than a year left until the entrance exams, but it’s going to feel as long as a marathon. You have to make sure you pace yourself.”
Then Tsukasa-san added,
“Go on dates sometimes too. I think it’d be a nice change of pace for you. Oh, what’s his name again, Kotake-kun?”
He winked at me mischievously. Oh geez, my face must be bright red. I haven’t talked that much about Kotake, yet it seems I can’t hide anything from Tsukasa-san.
“Alright, break time’s over. Let’s work hard for another hour.”
Tsukasa-san said and cleared the table.
I opened a new set of exercise books. I heard that a teacher who is a junior of Seki-sensei is a graduate of my desired school, so I asked her for recommendations for reference books and exercise books.
Come to think of it, I didn’t realize that reference books and exercise books were useful until I was in my third year of high school. Until then, they were nothing more than accessories on my desk. Oh dear. I wish I could energize the me from three years ago. I opened a brand new exercise book. I’m determined to use it so much that it’ll be worn out in half a year.
As I got on the train after leaving Tsukasa-san’s house, I felt like a weight had lifted from my shoulders. I hadn’t noticed before, but I must have been tense. Maybe I had a visibly strained look on my face too. No wonder my close friends were considerate towards me in various ways.
Just as Tsukasa-san said, I should rely on my friends when I need to, and set proper boundaries between work and life. I can’t be too laid back of course, since my ronin life has only just begun.
Oh right, now that I’ve made my schedule, I should email Kotake too. I didn’t mention this to Tsukasa-san, but Kotake and I actually promised to meet up once a month.
Kotake belongs to a J-League club in Yokohama and is currently on their reserve team. His friend Kimura Takao-kun, who has been with the same club since his youth team days, has already made it to the regular team. On weekdays, he spends his days participating in match-style practice with the regulars, training, and having practice games and away games with other clubs.
He has been summoned to the U-21 national team and will join their intensive training camp, but the competition to become a regular is still intense. Even though he was considered an elite forward in high school,
“Defenders in the professional league are really tough. It’s not easy to have control of the ball. Once they push against me, I fall easily, it’s pathetic.”
He expressed his frustration, adding a note of self-deprecation.
When the season starts and I go watch their matches, I can see what he means. The physical strength and power of the defenders is amazing. I would be sent off with a broken bone right away. They are really tough. Even Kotake, who was good at dribbling, it seems like it will take time to build a body that can withstand that power.
On the other hand, while Kimura-kun isn’t as tall as Kotake, his movements are agile. His position is a midfielder, so the competition for positions in the same U-21 team is more intense than for Kotake. However, he has been a regular player in professional matches and was also a regular in the U-18 team, so he is one step ahead of his rivals.
Ever since his youth team days, Kimura-kun has considered transferring overseas, and apparently his English is pretty good now. Kotake also said he started learning German. I think he might transfer to Germany as early as the Europa League off-season this summer.
While Kotake does get discouraged about his own weaknesses sometimes, he also cheers Kimura-kun on. For now, his goal is to secure a regular position. Our situations are somewhat similar in a way. Though of course, I’m the inferior one compared to Kotake.
“My professional soccer career has only just started, so for now I’m patiently building my body without rushing things. Kimura and I are encouraging each other so we can make the national team for the next Olympics.”
That’s what he told me when we met up last time. As a graduate of Misora High School, he wants to work hard so his underclassmen can be proud of him. Aside from Kotake, there are former members who have joined J-League clubs or university soccer teams. Everyone is a rival.
Only two more years until the Olympics. He believes this year of steady effort will lead to qualifying next year. I hope Kotake, Kimura-kun and everyone else stays injury free and gets selected for the national team!
As an outsider, the best I can do is express my support.
…Oh, I see! I just realized.
My feelings of supporting Kotake are similar to those of my close friends supporting me. I thought they were just worrying about me, but they must be conflicted about how best to interact with me too. They know that constantly telling me “Do your best!” could become a burden.
Starting tomorrow, I’ll try to be more open about myself. I have to be my usual self. Otherwise, this year will be really dreary and I’ll end up dragging everyone’s mood down too. I sent a resolute email to everyone. Yeah, I know, it’s about time!
Around late May after the long holiday week, I had settled into my ronin lifestyle, efficiently balancing studying, part-time job and housework. Perhaps thanks to the intensive coaching from Hana-chan and Tsukasa-san, I feel my ability has also increased.
Wanting to know my objective ability and thinking that it’s necessary to immerse myself in exam studies in the same classroom as my rivals once, I applied for summer courses at a prep school.
I’m paying the tuition with my savings from my part-time job, which I accumulated without any particular purpose, unlike my close friends. A considerable amount had piled up. Especially after becoming a ronin, with less wasteful spending, I’ll still have plenty left over even after paying for prep school. It could also contribute to covering university tuition.
Just then, Hazuki-chan, who was supposed to stay in Japan until the end of summer break, suddenly had to leave for abroad much earlier than Momo-chan.
“Doremi-chan, sorry I can’t be here to support your exam studies…”
Hazuki-chan apologized to me remorsefully with her head bowed.
“No no, I’ll be fine! I have Hana-chan and Tsukasa-san helping me out. Hazuki-chan, you should refresh yourself in New York with Yada-kun and GB-san. You’ll get to see Onpu-chan again too, right?”
I meant that sincerely, not just to act strong. While I could never do anything to help Hazuki-chan, who was always relying on me, I can at least send her off with a smile.
“You’ll be starting your intensive course at the university in Paris this fall, right? It’s good you can relax in New York before that. Plus it’s nice to see Yada-kun again after so long!”
When I said that, Hazuki-chan finally smiled.
The reason she’s leaving Japan more than two months earlier than planned is as Hazuki-chan explained, but even after that, various things continued to unfold. The song Hazuki-chan composed was very impressive, and perhaps because the director of the commercial was Hazuki-chan’s father, the drama-style commercial became very famous. In particular, what song was used in the commercial, and the identification of the performer who wasn’t affiliated with any agency, became a topic on TV entertainment news.
Although she appeared only briefly in the whole commercial, maybe that’s what made a lasting impression. The mysterious vibe with age, gender and nationality unspecified was really effective. Hazuki-chan’s song was amazing, and I was also blown away by her father’s directing skills!
It turned out that keeping Hazuki-chan’s existence a secret had the opposite effect, and the commotion around her intensified again, so she decided to take the plunge and depart earlier than planned. After staying in New York for about two weeks, she will be living alone in Paris for over a month until a room becomes available in the music school dorm.
If it were the old Hazuki-chan, aside from New York where GB-san’s family is, I think she would have been hesitant to live alone in Paris. In fact, it seems like her father and mother tried to stop her.
But we know. Hazuki-chan has changed tremendously these past three years. The Hazuki-chan now is really cool. I need to learn from her example!
And there’s also Ai-chan, who won a track and field competition before Hazuki-chan left. And Momo-chan, who works diligently from early in the morning as an apprentice patissiere at “Eugene”. Everyone is so cool. They are my proud best friends.
Summer arrived, and I attended the summer course at the prep school. If the results of the summer course are not good, Hana-chan and Tsukasa-san will scold me for sure.
At least for these four months, I’ve been working hard. The course is a mix of current high school students and ronin students, but since it’s summer break, I can’t tell them apart. However, everyone considers the summer to be a crucial period, the lecture content is dense, the atmosphere is tense, and it feels just like an actual examination venue.
I’m glad I applied to this famous prep school that is known for being strict. It’s hard to experience this kind of atmosphere when you study on your own.
The exam on the last day of the summer course turned out to be satisfactory for me. Leon and Tsukasa-san gave me advice on my weak areas. They both evaluated that it was good my weaknesses were identified at this stage, and I just need to focus my remaining studies on those points. My ranking was better than they expected too, so both of them seemed relieved.
While I was attending the course, Momo-chan was busy preparing to depart for Paris, Hana-chan went to visit Onpu-chan in New York, and Ai-chan doing her summer training camp and Kotake aiming to be a regular were immersed in intensive workouts under the blazing sun.
When Hana-chan returned from New York, she seemed more interested in hearing about my courses than talking about her sister Yume-chan or Sakura Mirai-san. When I showed her the results of the final exam, she finally looked relieved.
“Five more months until your entrance exams, huh? Leave MAHO-do to Hana and Dodo and the others, so just plan your schedule around studying for the exam, Doremi.”
It feels like Hana-chan has become my guardian or something.
My initial plans changed quite a bit when Hazuki-chan and Momo-chan went abroad one after another.
With Momo-chan gone, my babysitting jobs at “Eugene” decreased a lot. The baby was already five months old, and Ruri-san said she was much less stressed now. But more than anything, Ikoma-san’s doting father obsession was pretty intense. The baby is cute enough to warrant it, but Mom said with a wry smile that all fathers become like this when they have a daughter.
Once summer break ended, Hana-chan started attending university, so my part-time job at “Eugene” became limited to the morning hours. Ruri-san and Ikoma-san told me not to push myself too hard, but waking up early, getting dressed properly, and going to work has allowed me to maintain a regular lifestyle, similar to when I was a student. So I plan to continue for a little while longer, but when the entrance exams really get closer, I’ll ask for days off without hesitation.
Before I realized, the seasons flowed by and the entrance exams were imminent.
At the end of November, I temporarily quit my part-time job at “Eugene” and only helped out at MAHO-do during the busy evening hours. For the rest of the time, I’ll leave things to Hana-chan and Dodo and the others.
With Christmas drawing near, the sales of magic goods at MAHO-do increased. It’s the busy event season from winter to early spring after all.
Onpu-chan got cast through an audition and will be performing on stage. Rehearsals must have already started by now I guess. Even though it’s a small role, she seemed super thrilled. I had really wanted to see her debut on stage, but it coincides with my exam period, so I reluctantly gave up. I told her that if she gets a leading role, I’ll definitely go to watch, but I wonder if it puts pressure on her.
Hana-chan is mainly my private tutor at night, but her university grades are indeed top-notch. For a girl to be at the top, she’d usually get labeled unpleasantly, but Hana-chan somehow avoids that. Being cute is justice after all! And I think her innocent nature plays a role too. Well, she’s still a child in many ways.
Despite the cold season, my close friends are all fired up, huh? I can’t fall behind!
When I shared this update during break time, Tsukasa-san finally took his eyes off the sweets on the plate to gaze intently at me.
“But you’ve been working so hard too, Doremi-chan. Your ability has really improved since summer break. It seems there’s nothing more for me to teach you now.”
I exclaimed at Tsukasa-san’s unexpected statement,
“Ehhhh! You just made me more anxious, Tsukasa-san…”
I was flustered, thinking I was hallucinating or having an auditory illusion because his smile seemed somehow kinder than usual.
“Oops, sorry about that. While reaching the top national or public universities may be a bit challenging, you should have no issues getting into your desired school, Doremi-chan. But there are still two months left, so no slacking off or letting your guard down! From now on, pay close attention to the finer details of your exam topics and maintain your health as we push through to the end!”
“Oh geez~~.”
I wasn’t sure if I should doubt myself or Tsukasa-san more. I went home with my head spinning. That day, Tsukasa-san’s goddess-like smile stuck in my mind.
From the next day, Tsukasa-san was back to his usual self, but the content of our studies changed a little. For example, he would focus on the English vocabulary words that I was likely to get wrong, or the current events that were written in the newspaper, and so on. I think he was trying to relax me because the exam was coming up.
On my last day of studying at Tsukasa-san’s house, he said,
“Have more confidence, Doremi-chan. You’ve worked plenty hard. Now it’s just a matter of demonstrating that ability. I don’t lie, you know?”
As he stated so with a pat on my back. Well, it felt more like a thump than a pat, but he continued,
“I know you properly studied through Christmas and New Year’s too. You got ‘the best fortune’ on your shrine fortune slip too, right? It’s about time you believe in yourself!”
Tsukasa-san’s eyes were kind. Itoko-chan, who had accompanied me on my last day of studying, added,
“With how hard you’ve tried, Doremi-chan, even getting into Karen Girls’ Academy should be a guaranteed success now! Watching your hard work motivated me too. The first entrance exam is next week, right? Relax and show what you can do!”
“Thank you, Itoko-chan!”
“Our other study buddies, Kanae-chan, Kaori-chan, Mutsumi-chan, all wish you the best too. We’re eagerly awaiting your good news!”
As Itoko-chan stretched her hand out to me, I grasped it firmly. Tsukasa-san placed his hand over ours too,
“Let me know how it turns out too, okay?”
He winked.
“I will!”
I left Tsukasa-san’s house with their warm gazes at my back.
One week remained until my first university entrance exam.
“Doremi! Have more confidence! It’s definitely going to be a success!”
Lately, Hana-chan only worries about my physical condition and not forgetting things. Indeed, even in the mock exams, my performance is spot on. Remembering what happened last year, my countermeasures are solid as well, but still…
“I even got seals of approval from Tsukasa-san and Itoko-chan… Is it okay for me to be confident?”
In response to my words, Majorika stated resolutely,
“Overconfidence is no good, Doremi. But, if you’re overly anxious, you won’t be able to bring out your full potential.”
Then Lala added,
“That’s right. You studied very diligently, Doremi. You impressed me. It’s been a long year, but spring will be here before you know it.”
She smiled brightly. Dodo and the others were waving their handmade flags in cheer too.
“Anyway, Doremi, take care of your health and avoid overeating and drinking. And…”
“I know, I know. Stay calm like usual and relax. Right, Hana-chan?”
I could really understand everyone’s feelings of worry, support, and concern.
One failure is okay, you can make a comeback. You have to make failure the foundation for success, as Momo-chan’s mentor Ikoma-san said. I’ve been thinking about those words a lot lately. Every time I think about them, I feel more and more convinced. I won’t repeat past mistakes anymore.
I shook hands with Hana-chan, Majorika and the others. It felt like everyone’s feelings were seeping into me through my right hand. The entrance exam dates for two different schools are lined up consecutively next week and the week after. I got encouraged by Yamaki-sensei aka Leon too, and Seki-sensei has been worried about me as well.
Hazuki-chan and Momo-chan in Paris, Ai-chan from Tokorozawa, and Onpu-chan from New York all sent me emails. Starting late January, others like Tamaki Reika, Niwa Hinako-san, Shidou Yuuna-chan… and even all the FLAT4 members sent me emails of encouragement!
Unlike the lively cheering they used to do, this time it’s quiet encouragement with few words. I was so happy that I almost burst into tears, but I’ll save those joyful tears for when I pass the exams.
Alright, no need to worry. I won’t fail this time. During the actual exam, I’ll calmly settle my heart and recall everyone’s words to me.
But then~~~!
“Oh no───! I’m an idiot──! How could I──!”
It was the day before the entrance exam for my first choice women’s university. Feeling just the right amount of nervous tension, I had an early dinner with my family and went to bed nice and early. I slept soundly. I woke up feeling refreshed, enjoyed a tasty breakfast, and Dad, Mom and Pop saw me off with smiles on their faces.
As the train rocked along, I recalled what happened on the day of last year’s entrance exam.
That morning, I got an email from Leon that shook me up.
Absolutely do not bump your head. Try not to shake your head too much either. The knowledge you've crammed into your head might spill out.
Despite his warning, I ended up bumping my head and shaking it vigorously, causing me to fail the exam.
Looking back now, it was because I hadn’t studied enough.
But this year is different. Just bumping my head won’t make my knowledge spill out. I studied hard enough for that. Well, it’s still better not to bump my head, though.
And then, as the train arrived at the station, I walked out of the ticket gate.
“How nostalgic.”
I remember fixing a fallen bicycle here last year. I wonder how that lady and her baby from that time are doing this year. Oh, there seems to be a crowd.
“…? The bicycles are gone?”
I looked at the bicycle parking area. It was completely empty.
“Did they move it?”
As I was thinking about that, I tried to slip by, but the people standing there started talking at once,
“Hey, where did the bicycles go?”
“Mine was there when I parked it earlier.”
They were talking in a commotion, saying things like that. I couldn’t help but ask someone nearby. Though it was different from when I asked the lady last year, they told me that when they came back, all the bicycles were gone.
“Maybe they were relocated? Let’s search nearby. I’ll ask the station attendant.”
When I said that, everyone dispersed to check other bicycle parking areas around the station. I looked at the clock. There was still more than an hour left.
The people in the bicycle parking area wandered off with puzzled looks on their faces, so it didn’t seem like the location of the bicycle parking area had changed during the past year. I quickly returned to the station.
I returned with the station attendant, and the bicycles were back to their original places. Not just five or ten, but dozens of them lined up. It was the same as the scene I saw last year.
I felt like I had been messed with by a fox spirit. The station attendant looked at me with a complicated expression, so I quickly bowed my head. Thanks to the other people defending me, I managed to avoid getting scolded. With people still murmuring around, I quietly distanced myself from the station entrance. It was still so strange.
“Ah, this crosswalk!”
The university was across the crosswalk. Paying attention to my surroundings,
“Not many people are out today. I shouldn’t bump into anyone.”
I crossed the crosswalk at the green light and went through the university gate.
There was still plenty of time. After greeting the guide, when I finally entered the school building,
“Let me double check what I’ve got…”
I opened my bag. Because cell phones are not allowed in the exam room.
“Should be fine… writing utensils, reference book just in case, cell phone, lunch box, water bottle, exam slip…”
I looked at the exam slip again.
“Oh no───!”
That’s how the opening line came about. The exam slip was for the university I was scheduled to take next week! All hope was lost. I held my head and slumped down, or rather, I felt my strength draining away. Just then, I noticed that the light on my cell phone was on, and I opened it to see that it was a message from Mom.
Seki-sensei will deliver your exam slip by motorcycle, so wait in front of the school gate.
“Mom~~!”
I hugged my cell phone. Upon reading it, the message wasn’t just that:
I was somewhat worried and when I peeked into your room, I found your exam slip. Because things have been going smoothly lately, you must have let your guard down. Right after I found the exam slip, I received a call from Seki-sensei, who was also worried. When your father said he would deliver it by car, Seki-sensei insisted that a motorcycle would be the fastest way. She said she would deliver it before heading to Misora Elementary School.
It was good you went to the university early. Pull yourself together and do your best on that exam!
Thank you, Mom, Seki-sensei! I returned to the school gate. At that moment, Seki-sensei’s motorcycle arrived.
“Harukaze, it’s a typical mistake for you, but this time, it’s not something to laugh about.”
Taking off her helmet, she took the exam slip out of her pocket and handed it to me. I must have been trembling at the stern face of Seki-sensei. Then Seki-sensei suddenly smiled and said,
“Being that relaxed shows how well your preparation had been going. And you still had time to double check what you needed. Now, just focus on tackling the questions. Do your best, Harukaze!”
“Thank you so much! I will do my best!”
When I replied, Seki-sensei patted my shoulder with a smile, put on her helmet again, and started her motorcycle engine. I bowed my head until I could no longer see Seki-sensei’s motorcycle speeding away.
Entering the school building, I sent a message to Mom that I had received the exam slip safely, then turned off my cell phone.
Despite committing a major blunder, I was able to take the exam with more composure than I expected. On my way home, I stopped by MAHO-do.
“Doremi~~, I’m so sorry~~!”
I was hugged by Hana-chan and wondered what was going on as I looked at Majorika. She had a sour face.
With an unusually serious expression, Hana-chan said,
“I’m glad your exam slip got delivered~~! How was the exam? Did you do great?”
Huh? I thought Mom only told Seki-sensei about it. Could it be Pop?
My face turned bright red from embarrassment. I really wish she had kept it a secret. So uncool. Hmm? But why is she apologizing?
“Hana, tell her the truth.”
With a stern voice, Majorika urged Hana-chan to speak up. Hana-chan hesitated before explaining.
The bicycles that disappeared in front of the station happened because I had wasted time there last year. Hana-chan had apparently made them vanish with magic. In the end, it put me in a bind, so she panicked and returned them. After that, she also used magic at the crosswalk to keep people from walking near me. She had been secretly tailing me!
“Hana-chan…”
Seeing my angry face, she said,
“Hana noticed right away that you took the wrong exam slip and wanted to use magic to deliver it. But then, the Queen scolded me…”
The Queen of the witch world quickly sensed that Hana-chan had used magic and had been observing. Although she overlooked the bicycle and crosswalk incidents, when Hana-chan tried to magically snatch the exam slip from Mom’s hand to deliver it, she was sternly reprimanded.
Mom wouldn’t let go of the exam slip, and Dad immediately started the car. He knew how to get there. Seki-sensei arrived quickly on her motorcycle, so the result was it reached even faster.
While Hana-chan drooped her head dejectedly,
“In a situation like this, if you’d taken the exam slip by force, you’d have to tamper with everyone’s memories too. That wouldn’t make anyone happy. That’s what the Queen said.”
Lala explained.
“We support Doremi and the others, but we haven’t used magic to help in years. That is the code of witches living among humans.”
As Majorika lectured Hana-chan, she nodded repeatedly.
“Hana realized she was wrong finally. I’m sorry, Doremi.”
I patted Hana-chan’s head.
“Thank you, Hana-chan. And sorry for worrying you.”
Hana-chan had been worrying about me to the point of using magic involuntarily. Perhaps she also felt apologetic for coming to the human world and causing us trouble. Given that I’m always so clumsy, she probably developed feelings similar to those of an older sister or a mother.
“Going around in circles without accomplishing anything, Hana-chan, you’re just like me.”
I was unknowingly shedding tears. Feelings of happiness, amusement, and gratitude. A feeling of relief that Hana-chan is growing up but is still childish. A feeling of happiness that the difficult year is finally over. All kinds of emotions overflowed.
I’m so helpless that Hana-chan worries about me this much. I need to reflect on that. I don’t blame Hana-chan one bit. She’s the one helping us grow. Just like when we were in elementary school, she hasn’t changed one bit even now.
I went to see the acceptance announcement alone. Unlike last year, I confidently walked to the front of the university bulletin board and searched for my number.
“There… it is!”
I checked the exam slip I was clutching to confirm the number again. No doubt about it.
“I did it──!!!”
I shouted at the top of my lungs. I called Mom to tell her, then messaged my close friends, Kotake, Tsukasa-san, and Seki-sensei one after another to let them know.
I’m so happy, so happy, so happy!
I looked around the campus. Despite the lingering cold, the scent of spring was approaching. The real spring is coming, my spring.
Dad and Mom were waiting for me to come home.
“Good for you, Doremi.”
“You’ve worked really hard this past year. I’ve gained a new respect for you, Doremi.”
They both had smiles on their faces, but spoke in very soft tones. I’d caused them so much worry all year, but Dad added,
“The Doremi after entering high school has matured tremendously. I had complete faith in your passing. I could watch you with confidence.”
As Mom chuckled and said,
“When I heard you forgot the exam slip, I panicked more than anyone else.”
“That really caught me by surprise. I need to thank Seki-sensei too.”
Trying to hide his embarrassment, Dad drank his coffee energetically.
Noticing my restlessness, Mom said,
“Doremi, you want to go to MAHO-do, right?”
“Huh, is that okay?”
“You’ve been helped by everyone at MAHO-do, right? Why don’t you go see them?”
“Yeah! Say hi to Pop for me! See ya!”
“I’ll make a feast waiting for you, so don’t be too late.”
“Got it!”
Leaving the house, I gradually picked up speed until I realized I was running.
Arriving at MAHO-do, I forcefully pushed open the entrance.
“Everyone…!!”
Itoko-chan, Kanae-chan, Kaori-chan, Mutsumi-chan, Tamaki… so many people that MAHO-do couldn’t accommodate them all. All my friends from Misora City were there waiting.
“Doremi-chan, congratulations on getting accepted!”
Congratulations came from all sides, and I was welcomed with smiles, making me feel like crying.
Hana-chan said to me,
“Doremi, it’s okay to cry tears of joy.”
“Yeah, yeah, thank you everyone…”
I finally couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. I had said I would come here, but I never expected so many friends to gather.
“Harukaze-san, you haven’t checked your phone yet, have you?”
When Tamaki said that, I opened my phone. Missed incoming calls and messages were in the double digits. There were some from Hazuki-chan, Ai-chan, Onpu-chan and Momo-chan too. After messaging everyone, I’d completely forgotten to even open my phone again.
“I can finally say congratulations. Even though we’ll be at different universities, don’t forget I’m your senior. I’ll give you advice on Kotake-kun too as your senior.”
Her condescending way of speaking hadn’t changed, but Tamaki’s smile was softer than I’d ever seen from her.
Everyone soon started talking about Kotake and Tamaki’s boyfriend, then the conversation shifted to Tsukasa-san, who had trained me, and turned into a grand girls’ gathering. When I thought about how everyone was looking forward to my acceptance, I felt really touched.
“Doremi.”
When my acceptance celebration started to resemble a school reunion, Hana-chan grabbed my hand and pulled me to the back.
“Huh? What is it, Hana-chan?”
Hana-chan handed me a paper bag.
“I just brought it back a little while ago. It’s messages from everyone. Read them slowly later, okay?”
There were four envelopes inside. Could they be…?
“I actually wanted to use magic to gather everyone here. But Aiko said everyone would probably come to MAHO-do anyway.”
I said to the disappointed Hana-chan,
“This is already more than enough. Thank you, Hana-chan.”
I smiled at her as I put the paper bag into my bag.
That’s right. Ai-chan doesn’t have a private room, and Hazuki-chan, Momo-chan are in Paris, Onpu-chan’s in New York. If they were to gather together on a regular day, and with the time difference between their locations, Tamaki and the others would find it suspicious. I was going to take my time and message them tonight, but I couldn’t believe I got these ahead of time. There’s no better surprise than this!
I returned to MAHO-do once again, joined the circle of everyone and expressed my gratitude to each person.
Since Mom made a feast waiting at home, we dispersed before 9pm. After bidding Hana-chan farewell, we left MAHO-do. It felt nostalgic walking home in a group like after school. Especially friends who had drifted apart during middle and high school, due to the infrequent opportunities to gather, some of them even thanked me. Hmm, I wonder what it means to be thanked for being a ronin.
Waving at the fork in the road, I arrived home.
After finishing the family dinner and taking a bath, I returned to my room. First, I replied to the emails and then opened the paper bag Hana-chan gave me.
“They wrote handwritten messages.”
Getting “letters” from everyone for the first time since the Christmas cards really warmed my heart. They didn’t have much time to write lengthy messages, but they all brought me to tears. Hazuki-chan’s was gentle and warm. Ai-chan’s was energetic and uplifting. Momo-chan attached a sweets illustration. Onpu-chan happily wrote that my acceptance marked the simultaneous start of her first stage performance and my new beginning.
While rereading each message, I emailed my replies. I’ll buy a letter set tomorrow too. It’s been a while, so I’ll try my hand at handwritten letters. Just like everyone said, I’ll probably mess up a bunch, so three sets should be enough, huh.
It’s okay to make such mistakes over and over again. Yup. I must have the face of the happiest girl in the world right now. Getting accepted is just the first real step, but I have family and friends who are so happy for me. There are new adults I’ve met. I’m indeed the luckiest girl in the world. I’ll never forget this day for the rest of my life. I want to send thanks to the whole world!
Doremi Chan congratulations
WELL DONE! THE BIGGEST SMART GIRL! GOOD LUCK AND HAPPINESS IN YOUR FUTURE, VERY HAPPIEST BEAUTY IN THE WORLD!
CONGRATULATIONS DOREMI! Finally you did it and your way continues!
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