This Might be the Beginning

“Either you’re about to receive the harshest rejection of your life from me or you recently read a really corny light novel.”

“All light novels are kinda corny!”

“So what’s your point with this? Are we gonna get inspiration from the sea?”

“...Sorta.”

Sorta…

Yeah, sorta.

I’m not lying, not at all actually. You’re going to get inspiration from the sea, I’ll be getting mine and Fujioka’s from something adjacent.

Usually it feels like Akimoto and I always end up in another conversation if our current one dies. She’ll make a comment, I’ll do something she thinks is “weird” and then make a comment. One of us point’s something out or has light novel news to discuss.

This ride was different, I can’t explain why. Our conversations throughout the day were flowing like always, but on this train ride, it’s dead.

Akimoto looked almost entranced by the darkened eastern horizon.

We rode on the Nippou-Main line which followed Kagoshima’s coast. For most of it you’d normally have an incredible view of Sakurajima Volcano, however the section we were on though snaked through Kagoshima. Small businesses, old tilted telephones poles next to street lights rolled past the window.

Soon the city opened up to the sea, except my impromptu idea led us out at night. All that was visible was the edge where calm waves met the rocky-shore.

The train slowed until it jerked to a complete stop at a small station near Iso beach. Kagoshima is a very industrial city compared to the touristy ones, making Iso beach really one of the only nearby places you could even call a “sandy shore”.

In reality it was just a small strip of sand lined with a few businesses and a high-rise hotel.

Akimoto and I departed from the train and stood illuminated by streetlights in an 8-Eleven parking lot.

Maybe she was thinking about the idea of the volcano across the bay and picturing it too?

I should ask her…

As I opened my mouth to speak I caught a glimpse of Akimoto's glistening iris. It felt as if she wasn’t paying attention to the scenery but staring right through it.

She’s gone seriously quiet…

“Akimoto-san, let’s go out to that pier.”

Ahead of us sticking out from the far-side of the beach was a short pier. I know cars are able to drive out on it and there’s nowhere to tie up a boat. I’ve never been able to figure out what it’s used for… But whenever I came here with my mom and Sayuri we’d walk out there and stare at Sakurajima Volcano.

Akimoto gave me a suspicious sideways glance.

“Are you about to confess to me or something? Cause I’m warning you, I’ll slap you.”

“No! Of course I’m not. Just, come on.”

In the short few minutes it took us to cross the train-tracks and the beach the haze began clearing, letting moonlight through.

I walked shoulder-to-shoulder with her, but right as we stepped onto the pier I silently dropped back.

I took a few quick steps over to a wooden post and propped up my cellphone.

“I’m sorry Akimoto, I need to use you for this. I know I promised not to but we have so much to gain,” I said to myself.

I finished setting it up and began recording.

“Hey Kiyotaka-kun,” She called from the end. “What’re you doing over there?”

“J-just tying my shoe! One sec!”

I gripped the straps of my backpack and jogged over to her.

Akimoto held her hands behind her and looked at me with an expression that asked, “what now?”

“Akimoto-san.”

“Hm?”

“A-about your piece for the writing club’s publication…”

“Hold on, hold on. You brought me all the way out here to discuss writing? And not confess? Are you kidding me?”

Her mouth was left open at the end of her sentence.

“...Why would I do that?”

“Nevermind… What about my piece? Did you read it?”

“Yes… That’s exactly what this is about.”

I took my backpack off and unzipped it—I pulled out a manuscript of her writing.

“Akimoto-san,” I continued. “I— I’ll just say it directly. You know you can’t publish this, right?”

“W-wha? Haha— What’re you talking about?”

“Cut it out. I’m not so dense that I don’t know what this is really about.”

“...”

“Were you seriously going to?”

“No…”

“Why would you write this? You kept saying you were over Katsuki, so why?”

“...”

“And if you published this aren’t you aware of what it’d do to your and his reputation?”

Akimoto whispered something under her breath.

“What?” I asked, somewhat timidly.

“I don’t care.” She repeated a bit louder.

“Huh?”

“I don’t care!”

I stared at her and blinked a few times.

“I don’t care if the whole school thinks I’m a shitty person or he’s some freak! He deserves it, no!? He cheated on me and didn’t even care to pretend to say sorry!”

“That doesn’t give you the right to ruin his life though…”

“I think it gives me all the right! He’s the one— he’s the one that ruined mine!”

At this point her eyes were starting to get wet around the corners.

“...What?”

“How can you be so stupid even after reading what I wrote? I was… I was… I—”

Akimoto slapped my chest and I staggered back a step.

“I’m so in love with him. I was and still am. He meant so much to me and he just— just— just— just ahhhh!”

“For real…?

“Yes for real! You’ve never been in a relationship Kiyotaka! You have no clue what it’s like trying to get over someone! You’re just a nerdy weirdo, you couldn’t understand this…”

“...”

I don’t know what kind of expression I was making after she said that but it clearly made her realize she’d said something she didn’t mean to.

“Kiyotaka-kun… I— I didn’t mean that.”

We both fell silent.

It took what felt like ages for me to muster any sort of sentence. You’d think given the long silence I’d think of what to say, but I still had no clue as I spoke.