Chapter 1: A Casual Day and a Small Collision
Morning – Classroom 8-1
Sōta: "Morning, Hiroshi."
Hiroshi: "Morning."
Sōta: "You're already doing math? It's not even eight o'clock."
Hiroshi: "It's physics."
Sōta: "Same thing."
Hiroshi: "They are not the same."
Sōta: "For normal people they are."
Hiroshi: "Then be less normal."
(Yuki enters, slightly out of breath.)
Rin: "You look like you ran here."
Yuki: "I walked fast. My alarm didn't go off."
Rin: "Again?"
Yuki: "Again."
Rin: "You need a new alarm."
Yuki: "I need a new brain."
(Yuki sits across the aisle from Hiroshi. He does not look up.)
Homeroom
Teacher: "Good morning, everyone."
Class: "Good morning, sensei."
Teacher: "Full schedule today. Let's begin."
First Period – Mathematics
Teacher: "Quadratic equations. Solve this on paper: x² – 5x + 6 = 0"
(Students write.)
Teacher: "Asagiri, what are the roots?"
Hiroshi: "x equals 2 and x equals 3."
Teacher: "Show your work."
Hiroshi: "Factoring gives (x – 2)(x – 3) = 0. Therefore x = 2 or x = 3."
Teacher: "Correct. Next problem: 2x² – 4x – 6 = 0. Hoshino?"
Yuki: "First divide by 2: x² – 2x – 3 = 0. Then factor: (x – 3)(x + 1) = 0. So x = 3 or x = –1."
Teacher: "Perfect. One more: x² + 4x + 4 = 0. Anyone?"
Sōta: "Uh... x equals negative 2?"
Teacher: "Show how."
Sōta: "It's (x + 2) squared? So x + 2 = 0, x = –2."
Teacher: "Good, Kisaragi. You're improving."
Sōta: (whispering to Hiroshi) "I copied your answer from last time."
Hiroshi: "I know."
Second Period – Science (Physics)
Teacher: "Newton's second law: F = ma. A car has mass 1000 kg and accelerates at 3 m/s². What force?"
Yuki: "3000 newtons."
Teacher: "Correct. Next: A force of 50 N pushes a 10 kg box. Acceleration?"
Hiroshi: "5 m/s²."
Teacher: "Good. Now a two-part problem. A ball is thrown upward at 20 m/s. Gravity is 10 m/s². How high does it go?"
Sōta: "Uh..."
Hiroshi: "Using v² = u² + 2as. At the top, v = 0. So 0 = 400 – 2×10×s. 20s = 400, s = 20 meters."
Teacher: "Correct. Second part: How long until it returns to the hand?"
Yuki: "Total time = 2u/g = 2×20/10 = 4 seconds."
Teacher: "Excellent, Hoshino."
Rin: (whispering to Yuki) "Show-off."
Yuki: (whispering) "I just like physics."
Third Period – English
Teacher: "Read this sentence from the story: 'The old house stood alone on the hill, its windows like empty eyes.' What literary device is this?"
Mei: "Personification?"
Teacher: "Yes. Next: 'The wind whispered secrets through the trees.' Asagiri?"
Hiroshi: "Also personification. Wind cannot whisper."
Teacher: "Correct. Now translate this to Japanese: 'She ran as fast as a cheetah.'"
Yuki: "彼女はチーターのように速く走った."
Teacher: "Good. Kisaragi, translate: 'The stars are diamonds in the sky.'"
Sōta: "Uh... 空の星はダイヤモンドです?"
Teacher: "Passable. Asagiri, give a more natural translation."
Hiroshi: "星は空に輝くダイヤモンドのようだ."
Teacher: "Much better."
Fourth Period – History
Teacher: "Edo period question. What year did the Tokugawa shogunate begin?"
Sōta: "1603."
Teacher: "Correct. Who was the founder?"
Sōta: "Tokugawa Ieyasu."
Teacher: "Good. Now, what was the policy called that isolated Japan from most foreign countries?"
Yuki: "Sakoku. It means 'closed country.'"
Teacher: "Correct. For how long did it last?"
Hiroshi: "Approximately 220 years, from 1633 to 1853."
Teacher: "Excellent. One more: Which country was allowed to trade during Sakoku?"
Yuki: "The Netherlands. Only at Dejima island in Nagasaki."
Teacher: "Perfect."
Lunch Break
Sōta: "Cafeteria or library?"
Hiroshi: "Library."
Sōta: "Always library."
Hiroshi: "It's quiet."
Sōta: "You're going to miss out on life."
Hiroshi: "Life is noisy."
(They walk to the library.)
(Yuki and Rin eat on the rooftop.)
Rin: "So. Hiroshi."
Yuki: "What about him?"
Rin: "You keep looking at him in class."
Yuki: "I look at everyone."
Rin: "You don't look at me like that."
Yuki: "Like what?"
Rin: "Never mind. You're hopeless."
Yuki: "I'm just curious."
Rin: "About what?"
Yuki: "How someone can be that smart and that quiet."
Rin: "He's weird."
Yuki: "Interesting weird."
Rin: "You're blushing."
Yuki: "It's the sun."
Rin: "It's cloudy."
Yuki: "Eat your lunch."
Fifth Period – Computer Science
Teacher: "Basic programming. Write a program that prints numbers 1 to 10. Asagiri, show us."
Hiroshi: "for i in range(1, 11): print(i)"
Teacher: "Correct. Hoshino, write a program that prints only even numbers from 2 to 20."
Yuki: "for i in range(2, 21, 2): print(i)"
Teacher: "Good. Kisaragi, write a program that prints the sum of 1 to 100."
Sōta: "total = 0 for i in range(1, 101): total = total + i print(total)"
Teacher: "It works, but you need proper indentation. Asagiri, correct it."
Hiroshi: "total = 0\nfor i in range(1, 101):\n total += i\nprint(total)"
Teacher: "Perfect. Nakamura, what does the range(5) produce?"
Nakamura: "0, 1, 2, 3, 4?"
Teacher: "Correct."
Sixth Period – Physical Education
Teacher: "Today: 100-meter sprint. I'll record your times."
Sōta: "Bet I can beat you, Hiroshi."
Hiroshi: "Probably. I don't run."
Sōta: "Why not?"
Hiroshi: "It's inefficient."
Teacher: "Line up."
(They run. Sōta finishes in 14.2 seconds. Yuki in 15.1 seconds. Hiroshi in 22.5 seconds.)
Sōta: "You walked half of it!"
Hiroshi: "I finished."
Yuki: "At least you tried."
Hiroshi: "Did I?"
Yuki: "You showed up. That's trying."
Hiroshi: "That's the bare minimum."
Yuki: "For you, maybe."
Seventh Period – Art
Teacher: "Draw a cube using one-point perspective. Use a ruler."
(Hiroshi draws precise lines, perfect vanishing point.)
Teacher: "Asagiri, that's technically flawless."
Hiroshi: "Perspective is geometry."
(Yuki draws a slightly wobbly cube but shades it nicely.)
Teacher: "Hoshino, good shading. The shadow adds depth."
Yuki: "Thank you, sensei."
Rin: "Mine looks like a squashed box."
Yuki: "Call it abstract."
Rin: "I'll call it a disaster."
Sōta: "I drew a rectangle."
Hiroshi: "A cube has three dimensions. You drew two."
Sōta: "It's minimalist."
Hiroshi: "It's wrong."
Sōta: "You're cold."
Hiroshi: "I'm accurate."
Eighth Period – Social Studies
Teacher: "Types of governments. What is a direct democracy?"
Yuki: "Citizens vote on every issue directly, not through representatives."
Teacher: "Correct. What is a representative democracy?"
Hiroshi: "Citizens elect officials who make decisions on their behalf."
Teacher: "Good. What is a disadvantage of direct democracy?"
Hiroshi: "Impractical for large populations. Too many votes."
Teacher: "Correct. What is a constitutional monarchy?"
Sōta: "A king or queen, but their power is limited by a constitution?"
Teacher: "Yes. Example?"
Yuki: "Japan, actually. The Emperor is symbolic."
Teacher: "Very good. Last question: What is the difference between a dictatorship and an absolute monarchy?"
Hiroshi: "Dictators usually seize power by force. Absolute monarchs inherit it."
Teacher: "Excellent. That's all. Homework: Read pages 90–95. Dismissed."
After School – The Collision
(The final bell rings. Students pack up.)
Sōta: "You walking home?"
Hiroshi: "Yes."
Sōta: "Want company?"
Hiroshi: "You live the opposite way."
Sōta: "I can walk partway."
Hiroshi: "Inefficient."
Sōta: "See you tomorrow."
Hiroshi: "Tomorrow."
(Sōta leaves. Hiroshi packs slowly. Yuki shoves books into her bag.)
Rin: "What's the hurry?"
Yuki: "I forgot my library book at home. It's due today."
Rin: "Late fee is tiny."
Yuki: "It's the principle."
Rin: "You're weird."
Yuki: "Bye!"
(Yuki runs out. She sprints down the stairs and out the school gate.)
(Hiroshi walks calmly toward the gate. Yuki, not looking, runs straight into him.)
Yuki: "Ah! Sorry!"
Hiroshi: "Watch where you're going."
Yuki: "I know. I'm really sorry. I'm in a hurry."
Hiroshi: "I noticed."
Yuki: "You're Hiroshi, right? From my class."
Hiroshi: "Yes."
Yuki: "I'm Yuki. We're in the same class."
Hiroshi: "I know."
Yuki: "Right. You know everything."
Hiroshi: "Not everything. Just most things."
Yuki: "That's arrogant."
Hiroshi: "That's accurate."
(Yuki laughs.)
Yuki: "Sorry again. I have to go."
Hiroshi: "Where?"
Yuki: "Home. I forgot a book."
Hiroshi: "You live far?"
Yuki: "Not really. About twenty minutes by bus."
Hiroshi: "Bus stop is at the corner."
Yuki: "Yeah. Next bus in ten minutes."
(They walk toward the bus stop together.)
Yuki: "So... you're really smart."
Hiroshi: "I study."
Yuki: "Everyone studies. You're different."
Hiroshi: "I pay attention."
Yuki: "Do you like school?"
Hiroshi: "I like learning."
Yuki: "Same. But I don't like tests."
Hiroshi: "Tests measure knowledge."
Yuki: "They measure how much I forgot."
Hiroshi: "Then remember more."
Yuki: "Wow. So simple."
Hiroshi: "Sarcasm?"
Yuki: "A little."
(They reach the bus stop.)
Yuki: "This is me."
Hiroshi: "I live across the street."
Yuki: "Wait. You live there?"
(She points to an apartment building opposite.)
Hiroshi: "Yes."
Yuki: "I live in that building."
(She points to the building directly across the road.)
Hiroshi: "Oh."
Yuki: "We're neighbors!"
Hiroshi: "We live opposite each other."
Yuki: "That's the same thing."
Hiroshi: "Technically, neighbors share a wall."
Yuki: "You're impossible."
Hiroshi: "I've been told."
(Yuki laughs.)
Yuki: "Well, neighbor-across-the-road, see you tomorrow."
Hiroshi: "Tomorrow."
(The bus arrives. Yuki boards and waves from the window. Hiroshi nods.)
(He crosses the street and enters his building. In the elevator, he realizes he walked her to the bus stop for no efficient reason.)
(He decides not to analyze it.)
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End of Chapter 1