Transfer

Yuta sat at his desk, reading a calculus book. The sound of his classmates’ voices swarmed around him, breaking his concentration. Everyone seemed to be taking it easy since it was Friday, but Yuta knew better than to slack off.

“Seriously? He did not!”

“He totally did!”

“There’s a movie that I want to see…”

“Oh, The Blue Flower in The Springtime?”

“I hope I did well on the test…”

The conversations seemed to blur together until the voices grew silent at the sound of the classroom door opening. Mr. Sawajima walked in, clipboard in hand. He closed the door behind him and turned to face the class.

“Everyone take a seat, please. I know you just took exams, and you’re all probably exhausted. Except you, Yuta.”

Most of the class laughed at Mr. Sawajima’s comment toward him. Yuta shook his head and turned the page of his calculus book.

“...Today there will be a new student joining us. She just moved here from Osaka, so please be nice to her.” Mr. Sawajima turned toward the door. “You can come in now.”

The door opened again, and a cute brunette walked shyly into the room, her eyes on the floor. She grabbed the chalk and wrote “Shiori Ozaki” on the board. She faced the class and bowed.

“I’m Shi…Shiori Ozaki,” she mumbled. Shiori glanced at the teacher, who looked at the seating chart posted on his clipboard.

“Okay, Ozaki. You can take the seat next to Hamasaki,” he pointed to an empty desk next to a girl who was sleeping with her head on her desk.

Shiori hesitantly made her way to her new seat, staring at the floor while she walked. As soon as she sat down, she pulled a book out of her bag and opened it in front of her, blocking the class’s view of her face.

“Now that that’s settled, let’s hand out the scores. Yamada…” Mr. Sawajima called out the name of each student to hand them the scores on their exam.

When Yuta was called, he accepted the tests from the teacher and looked at his scores. All perfect, just as expected. Yuta had perfect scores on every test since middle school, due to his dedication to studying several hours each day. His daily life consisted of going to school, helping with his family’s restaurant, his tutoring job, and studying. He would always decline invitations from his peers, saying he needs to study for the next exams.

…

“Finally, lunch!” Yuta sat down at a table in the library, putting his lunchbox down. Inside rested onigiri, vegetables, and teriyaki chicken. Out of his backpack, he grabbed his chemistry book and set it next to his lunch. Before he could start eating, he spotted Shiori leaning against a bookshelf, with a book in her hand. There was no food around her, causing Yuta to wonder if she didn’t have any food in the first place.

Sighing, he pushed himself up and brought over his food. He stood in front of her and set it on the floor next to her. Shiori looked up from her book, staring at Yuta with large, confused eyes.

“I noticed you didn’t have anything to eat, so you can have my lunch. No need to thank me, just make sure you don’t starve in the future.” Yuta turned to leave when he heard a quiet “thank you”. He walked toward the table where his chemistry book still lay open.

Yuta’s stomach growled when he sat. He hung his head low. “I was looking forward to that food… Guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have something to eat when I get home.” He tried to shrug off his hunger and study, but the hunger was distracting him a small bit.

Before he knew it, the bell rang. The more time passed, the less Yuta could focus. The rest of school went by in a flash, and he hurried out of the building.

A guy from class spotted him and waved. “Yuta, guess what I-”

“Not now, Hitomura. I need to get something to eat!” He rushed out of the school, leaving Hitomura standing there, bewildered. Yuta’s house was only a few blocks away from the school, so it didn’t take long for him to reach it.

His home was a two-story building. The bottom floor was a small restaurant, and the upstairs was where the bedrooms were located. Yuta rushed inside and was immediately greeted by a regular customer.

“Hey, Yuta? How was school today?”

“Fine. Though I… really need something… to eat,” he responded. His older sister stood at the counter. She nodded at the request and went into the kitchen to prepare something.

Yuta sat down next to the man that greeted him. “There was a girl that transferred in today.”

“Oh, are you thinking of going out with her?” He elbowed Yuta, a smug look on his face.

Yuta pushed his arm away. “You know I don’t have time for things like that. I have too much to do already.”

The smug turned into a solemn expression. “Yuta, you know you study too much. Even the brightest students spend less than half of the time you spend studying. You’re young, you should enjoy your youth.”

Yuta shook his head. “I have to make sure my grades don’t slip. It’s too important to me.”

“Here you are. Omelet rice,” his sister announced, approaching the table. She placed the dish in front of Yuta, who thanked her for her assistance. He scarfed down the omelet, thankful for the delicious food.

…

The next day rolled around, and the ringing of his phone woke Yuta up. He blindly reached for his phone and grabbed it.

“Hello? Yes, that’s me... Oh really…? Okay, I’ll be over there in half an hour. What’s the address?” Yuta put on a button-up shirt and slacks while on the phone. He made his way downstairs, where his father was running the restaurant.

“Hello, son. What are you in the mood for today?” He leaned over the counter, waiting for Yuta’s response.

“Omelet rice please.”

“Got it. Omelet rice, coming right up.” His father headed into the kitchen, leaving Yuta alone. The shop was supposed to open at ten, which was in half an hour. The savory smell of eggs made his stomach rumble. His father returned several minutes later, holding the freshly made dish.

Yuta quickly ate the omelet and thanked his father for the food. “Oh, by the way dad, I’m meeting a new client today.”

“Good for you! I know you’ll help this kid a lot.”

“Thanks. I’m off to their house right now, actually. I’ll be back!” Yuta exited the house, plugging the address he was given into his phone. “Let’s see… That’s not many turns. Just a couple lefts and a right.”

He started on his journey and ended up at his destination a few minutes before he said he would arrive. He knocked on the door, and a woman answered.

“Are you Ichikawa-sensei?”

Yuta nodded. “Are you the one I talked with on the phone?”

“Yes, that’s me. Come in. She’s in her room. Follow me.” She turned and walked down the hall, Yuta following close behind.

He looked around, noticing boxes in every room. “Pardon me for asking, but did you just move in?”

“Yes, we still have a lot to unpack, but we’re making progress.” She stopped at a door on the left side of the hallway. The door had a sign that read “Reading, keep out.” She knocked on the door. “Shiori, your tutor is here.”

‘Shiori?’ Yuta thought. ‘That means…’

The door opened, revealing the cute brunette that he gave his lunch to. Shiori caught Yuta’s eye, and quickly averted her eyes by looking at the bamboo floor.

Yuta was too shocked to react. He stood there, staring at the girl in front of him.

“Shiori, this is your new tutor. Meet Ichikawa-sensei.”