There Is No Spring

Springtime was in full bloom in Hokkaido. After a perilous winter, all of the stress brought by the cold rain paid off as a beautiful landscape of cherry blossom trees shed their pink petals on a bright and sunny morning. Graduation was approaching, rapidly. For the second-year students of Shishigami High School, it was a stressful time. They would soon be third-years, bringing with them more responsibilities and challenges. Saying goodbye to their upperclassmen was painful enough already, but the extra stress of college entrance exams loomed over them with a sinister aura. For the handsome faced Kuromoto Nishi, he couldn't wait to be a third-year, already having planned to make a career out of his manga. Unlike most people, searching for a college major, Nishi much preferred the tedious task of drawing at a desk all day.

Tan-Tan was caught up in her own turmoil, silently worrying about her beloved senior club members becoming third year students and leaving her behind as they moved on to greater goals. She had just over one year left to make the most of her time with her friends, and it frightened her. As the tiny girl walked to school, she found herself squeezing Nishi's hand uncomfortably hard.

"Everything okay, Tan-Tan?"
Nishi squeezed her hand back, sensing something was bothering her.

"I'm alright, Nishi-senpai. I just... can't believe you're going to be a third-year student."
Tan-Tan did her best to mask her pain behind a forced smile; her cheeks quivering from muscle strain.

Having been Tan-Tan's boyfriend for a little longer than half a year, Nishi could easily see through her guise. He gently smiled down at her.
"Are you worried about losing us? Don't be, we're all friends for life."

Tan-Tan whimpered at the thought of the manga club members leaving her all alone; even though she still had Meguro Makoto.

"Stop whining. I told you I would marry you once you're out of school, didn't I? Then, let's finish this manuscript and make sure we become manga gods!"
Nishi ruffled her hair, lovingly.

"Marriage... just like a shoujo manga finale!"
Her pout immediately disappeared as she wriggled around like a toddler in a candy store.

"I swear, all it takes is some mushy romance talk and you're swooning like a schoolgirl."
Nishi let out a hearty chuckle at his girlfriend's excitement.

Her small frame shook with laughter.
"What about Sakai-senpai and Minami-chan? What are they going to do after this year?"

"Aki and Minami? Well, Aki really wants to be a manga editor. I told him if he ever becomes my editor in the future I would simply ignore him. I'll never take orders from a boy so obsessed with stereotypical shonen tropes. As for Minami... I think she mentioned wanting to be a kindergarten teacher?"
Nishi placed his fingers under his chin, looking to the sky as he tried to recall Minami's exact words.

Tan-Tan beamed with excitement, her body practically vibrating with adrenaline as she imagined Minami working with children all day.
"That's such a good goal for Minami-chan! She's so athletic and patient with little kids!"

"Yeah, it's a pretty solid career for her. She's always playing sports with her little brothers."
Nishi giggled softly.

"Will I see you at the club room after school, Nishi-senpai?"
Tan-Tan stood cutely at the door to her classroom, gazing up at the handsome boy with her soft, blue eyes.

"Maybe not today, I have to help Sou-chan with his graduation speech. He's really stressing out."
Nishi rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes focusing on the ground.

"That's okay. I'll add the final touches to the manuscript. Let's give these third-year students an amazing manga to remember us by. Say hi to Souichi-nii for me."
Tan-Tan held her fist to Nishi's torso.

"Right, let's show them that the future of Shishigami High School is bright and full of youthful creativity."
He bumped his own fist against hers, the two of them parting ways to focus on their goals for the day.

Nishi stepped into the student council club room after school, finding an empty seat next to his older brother, Souichi. He could see the bags under Souichi's eyes, and the look of tiredness in his hollow cheekbones.
"Big bro, you look like a zombie. Have you even been eating?"

Souichi's smile appeared accidentally eerie.
"I'm fine Nishi. Though, I could use a Big Wac."

Nishi grimaced at the dead smile on his brother's face. He helped Souichi to his feet, gently guiding him out of the school gates.
"WcDonald's, it is. You look like you're about to pass out from exhaustion."

The two siblings walked amidst the crowded streets of Hokkaido, passing by a few fellow students; some of whom were concerned about Souichi's well-being.

"Go find a table, Souichi. I'll order you a Big Wac set with a cola."
Nishi watched as his brother staggered to a nearby chair, his body immediately slumping forward.

"Welcome to WcDonald's! Would you like to try our new Azurbön meal? Each meal set comes with a limited acrylic stand of an Azurbön character!"
The overly energetic cashier girl's eyes shone brightly as she explained their latest promotion to Nishi.

"Azurbön? Y-yes please! I'll take two Azurbön meal sets!"
Nishi frantically pulled out his wallet, eager to obtain a limited edition promotional item for the next time he sees Tan-Tan.

"Certainly! Two Azurbön meals, coming right up!"
She giggled softly at Nishi's own energy; clearly enjoying his excitement.

Nishi returned to the table where Souichi sat, staring vacantly at the surface before him. He handed Souichi a cola, taking one for himself. Nishi rummaged through his school bag, pulling out a rough draft paper containing Souichi's graduation speech.
"Okay, last we left off, you wanted to add a segment about the students future; something about going on to do great things?"

"Precisely, but I'm not sure how to word it without sounding cheesy."
Souichi rested his chin in his palm, his eyes closed in frustration.

"What you have so far is pretty good. Maybe, you can ditch the whole part talking about your own future, and focus on hyping up the students dreams instead?"
Nishi treaded carefully with his words, trying his best not to sound too aggressive or judgmental.

"How would I do that? Do I just start listing off popular career paths and encouraging them to apply themselves?"
Souichi hit the nail on the head; yet, he wasn't satisfied with such a stereotypical speech.

Nishi nodded his head, mimicking his brother's laid back posture.
"That's a good start. We can add your own flair as we go, but the students love that kind of cheesy crap. We might as well throw it in."

Nishi and Souichi were interrupted by a waitress, placing their food trays on the table. Souichi took one look at the items appearing before him and narrowed his eyes.
"Nishi... I said I wanted a Big Wac, not chicken nuggets."

Nishi waved his remark off like it was unimportant, returning to open his limited edition acrylic stand.
"Damn, I got Princess Nana. Sou-chan, open yours."

"My Big Wac..."
Souichi hesitantly tossed Nishi his Azurbön meal toy.

"Whoa! This one's Kip Lionel!"
Nishi admired the small toy, his eyes scanning around the handsome character.

"That's Tanaka-san's favorite character, right?"
Souichi dunked a chicken nugget in the special chili sauce that came with the meal, eyeballing it skeptically. He took a bite, and his mouth was on fire.

"Yeah, Kip is Tan-Tan's manga crush. Do you mind if we swap, Sou-chan?"
Nishi took a bite of his own nugget, immediately reaching for his cola to wash down the spice.

Souichi looked like he was on the verge of crying as he held his hand over his mouth.
"Just keep both, Nishi..."

"Right... Thanks Sou-chan. Now, let's make this the best graduation speech of all time!"