Chapter 11:
March 16: Career Plan
One Month to Figure out my Future
It was already Tuesday morning and Miyo and I were eating the leftovers of the birthday cake. The letter I left the night before was still there but when I grabbed it, I noticed that someone had drawn a little heart at the bottom. It was probably my mother who did that.
“Big brother, where are you going for the field trip this year?”
I totally forgot about it! During the last week of school I would be going with my class for a field trip.
“Where… Oh yes, now I remember, Kyoto. Why you ask?”
“I need to look up a couple of cool and romantic places you can take Rihoko to.”
Can I ever get a break, please?
“Sure, remember to give me the list so that I can stay away from all those places.”
“You don’t need to act all tough, I know you have a soft spot for her.”
“Keep dreaming girl. Where is your class going instead?”
“Nara, we are going to be looking at the cherry blossom.”
“Cool, the last week of March is actually the perfect time to watch the cherry blossom in Nara.”
“It would have been the perfect place for you and Rihoko...”
“What a shame…”
I was done having breakfast so I left the kitchen to avoid further nonsense from Miyo.
Once at school I immediately looked for Hayato, I wanted to apologize for that afternoon when I caught him hanging around with Rihoko. It was pretty early, there were still many people missing including Rihoko, but I know Hayato well and he always likes to be one of the firsts to get to class. That’s why we find it difficult to walk to school together; I like to take it easy.
He noticed me walking in: “Look who is here, did you have a great birthday yesterday?”
“I surely did… Listen I’m sorry, I know that day you were out with Rihoko buying me a gift and I just acted so childish for no reason.”
“It’s all good you don’t have to apologize. Actually, that day you really scared me, I thought you might be able to figure out everything and consequently ruining your surprise. Fortunately your love for Rihoko blinded you.”
I looked at him with the face of someone who is ready to commit a homicide.
“The love of a friend… what were you thinking Satoshi?”
“Whatever…”
We spent another couple minutes talking and then Hayato came out with something interesting: “You know, lately I have been doing some thinking. I realize that I can’t really play anymore, but what if I taught how to play? You know, like a PE teacher… I could write it in the career plan. What do you think?”
“It certainly suits you, good thinking.”
“Fortunately we have lots of time to fill the career plan, otherwise I could have ended up without knowing what to write.”
I think my career plan is still sitting on the bottom of my bag. I should probably get a new paper. It would be too embarrassing to give back something that resembles more a roll of toilet paper rather than a career plan.
“About that, I have to do one thing, be right back.”
I left the classroom and my destination was Miss. Kamuro’s office one again.
“Oh Kamizaki, you are here early today. Is everything ok?”
“Yes, I was wondering if you could give me another copy of the paper for the career plan.”
“Sure I can make you another copy, what happened to the one I gave you two weeks ago?”
“Let’s just say that, it’s not in the best conditions.”
She rolled her eyes and let me in.
“You know, it’s not really nice to treat you teacher’s assignment like that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Did you already start writing something?”
“Yes, I am already done. I will just copy what I wrote before.”
“Can you get it for me, I would like to read it. In the meantime I’ll make you a photocopy.”
I didn’t really like the idea of her reading it but, at the end of the day, she would have read it anyways. But the fact that she would have read it in front of me, made me a bit nervous.
After digging in my bag for a little while, I was able to extract the paper.
“Wow, that is in really bad shape. Here is the new fresh copy.”
We exchanged our papers and she started reading it, but I don’t think she even read a word because she immediately started complaining: “Is this all you wrote? It’s like two lines! Do you think you managed to write all your future in just two lines?”
“I think it’s pretty self explanatory…”
Her expression showed she wasn’t really convinced. She quickly read through what I wrote.
“Just as I was starting to think that you were changing a bit, you bring me this… this abomination.”
Well, that was harsh…
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“It lacks character! What university you want to enroll? Which are the things you want to learn? Which big company you want to work for? All these things should be included to show your ambitions. Right now it’s all boring and soulless.”
“But I don’t know all this stuff yet.”
“That’s why you had one month to figure it out. I’m sure there will still be things you won’t know yet, but it’s good to start thinking about it. I don’t want you to write something to satisfy me, I want you to write what you want from your future, even if it’s sound unrealistic.”
Unrealistic she says, well I would like to be a billionaire…
“You don’t seem convinced, do you?”
“It’s just… I don’t see the point in fantasizing.”
“Thinking outside the box helps you looking at things in a different light. Here you mention you want to work for a company, right? What about starting your own company? I know there might be difficulties, but I’m sure you would put your heart and soul to make it happen.”
“I can imagine what you are thinking; you just want your typical employee job. Sure you would get a decent salary but nothing more. You won’t probably ever enjoy your time spent working.”
“Do I have any other options?”
Funny for me to say those words. Rihoko used them against me a couple of days before, now I can see how pointless of an argument it is.
“You have many opportunities but it’s up to you to find them. You can’t just accept what life throws at you. Fight back!”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure I’m here for that.”
“What did you write on your career plan back when you went to school as a student?”
“Well, now I risk getting a bit emotional. It might sound silly, but back when I was in high school, we had an amazing homeroom teacher. She was always there for us students, she became an extension of our families, and we admired her. I wanted to make other people feel exactly how I felt every time she would come to help me. That’s basically what I wrote.”
“I think you reached your goal.”
“Don’t try to be a sweet talker. You still have roughly two weeks to fill that paper, this time do it properly. I promise, it will the first one I will read.”
“I’ll try…”
I got up and started walking to the door. And before opening the door, Miss. Kamuro shouted friendly: “I hope so!”
I got back to my classroom and Rihoko had arrived. When she noticed me, she quickly approached me: “Was the game ok? If you don’t like it I can return it and choose something different.”
“No need to worry it’s perfect. Thanks again.”
In the meantime I could clearly see in the background Hayato having a good laugh.
“Ok…”
“Oh right I got to ask you something, do you know a good library?”
“Yes! Why, you want to buy a book?”
Usually people go to libraries to buy books… Ok, ok, I’m being annoying.
“Exactly, it’s one of those you recommended me, the title is “The club murderer” if I recall it correctly”.
Rihoko immediately got super excited: “REALLY?? I’m so happy! I actually have my copy back in the club room, come after school and I will lend it to you.”
That was nice.
“Fine by me, are you sure it’s not a problem?”
“No problem at all.”
She was going back to her desk but I stopped her: “Wait, I will probably read it during the summer break, how can I give it back to you?”
“Well, you already know how to get to my home, don’t you?”
“You have a point, thanks then.”
She smiled at me and sat at her desk. I did the same and asked Hayato: “What was so funny before?”
“She was super anxious when we were shopping for your gift. Her main concern was that you wouldn’t like it. That scene before, it reminded me about that day, it was fun.”
“Confidence is certainly not her strong point.”
“Sounds like you know her pretty well…”
“I sure do.”
I think Hayato wasn’t expecting that reply, but it was the truth. In that class I knew Rihoko better than anyone else.
After another excruciating day of school was over, I went back to the club room to get the book.
On my way I heard someone saying: “Hey doggy, wait for me.”
No… not again…
Unfortunately I turned around and there she was, Miss. student’s council president.
“I already told you not to call me like that, anyways don’t you have anything better to do, like studying?”
“I have duties you know?”
“And is one of your duties to annoy me and Rihoko?”
“I’m sorry am I annoying? I didn’t know that…”
I couldn’t stand her anymore so I kept on going.
“You know my father knows a lot of people…”
Good for him.
“…people who know other people…”
Almost mind blowing I would say.
“…and it just happens that one of these people might help Rihoko’s father recover from his drinking addiction.”
I stopped. Did I just hear what I think I heard?
“How… how do yu…”
“I’m just like my father, I know people who know people.”
“But this is insane!”
“Since you didn’t want to collaborate, I had to bring out the big guns.”
“This is blackmailing, and what makes you think I can’t find someone else?”
“You need proves of him being really addicted and being a threat for the daughter, I don’t need that.”
This really sounds like mafia.
“No, I don’t need your people.”
“Why are so obsessed with that club! What are you gaining from it?”
“I’m gaining something that you’ll never experience being surrounded only by fake friends that you drag around like puppets. But I can ask you the same question! Why are you so obsessed with our club? Do you think helping that by getting rid of it the teachers would give you their support for the next year’s elections? Regardless of that, nobody would ever stand a chance against your connections.”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh really? I get told this thing quite often, maybe I’m really dumb or maybe it’s because I hit delicate spots.”
“It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this.”
Her voice was starting to tremble.
“I’m so unpredictable?”
“Cut it out, you don’t know what it means to live in my family, you don’t know anything.”
“Maybe, but I know one thing for sure. I don’t care about knowing. See you around Miss. President.”
Wow, that was quite an exchange, I think I came out on top. I love this feeling, the feeling of winning an argument.
Rihoko was already in the club room when I got there.
“Sorry you had to wait.”
“No worries, here, this is the book you were looking for.”
On the cover there was a school desk with a knife stuck in it as if it was a cutting board. The title “The club murderer” was written in red on top.
“Thank you very much, I’ll take good care of it. Are you going home or you have some work to do?”
“I think I’ll head home.”
“Great, may I accompany you at home?”
“But it’s the opposite direction from yours.”
“I’m not in a rush, but if you don’t want it’s ok.”
“No, I want to. Thank you.”
I do this just because she lent me her book.
When we were walking in the street, Rihoko asked me: “Sorry to bring this out, but did you speak with Miss. Kamuro?”
“Yes.”
“I see. And what did she tell you?”
“Nothing special.”
“I think I know you well enough to tell when you are hiding something.”
“For real it’s nothing; furthermore it’s not my business to know everything about you.”
She didn’t reply and for the rest of the time we didn’t speak much. Strangely enough, this time, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.
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