Ahead, everything will converge into one.

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In essence, Tsukasa Jingūji was not one to seek out lively crowds—not because he particularly cherished solitude or was naturally reclusive, but simply because he disliked being swallowed by the herd mentality.

Thus, when Hiroaki Katagiri brought Tsukasa to the Film Club and introduced him to the other members, Tsukasa played along obediently. After stating his name, he ignored the curious glances from a few girls and retreated behind Katagiri’s back.

Under the pretext of observation, Tsukasa quietly sat in a corner, watching the members present.

Although Katagiri appeared unreliable, he was the president of the Film Club. Despite his laid-back demeanor, his original ambition had been to enter the Literature Department. Later, because of Miki Matsubara joining the Faculty of Education, he switched, yet never gave up writing.

In his sophomore year, he won the Naoki Prize in one fell swoop.

In short, everyone gathered in this room was an impressive individual capable of entering the University of Tokyo—none were fools.

Before long, Alice Arisugawa joined the club. Carrying a heavy backpack, she set it down on a chair with a dull thud.

Tsukasa guessed it probably contained the “Roppō Code” of laws.

When she caught sight of Tsukasa sitting quietly in the corner, a look of surprise crossed her face.

By this time, all Film Club members seemed to have arrived—about a dozen people. Under Katagiri’s guidance, they marched in a grand procession to the school gate to film.

During this, Katagiri shared a bit of trivia with Tsukasa.

A certain scene from the infamous “Silver Dream of the Beast Senpai” was filmed right here; attending this school was like a daily pilgrimage to sacred sites.

Tsukasa, however, did not understand the reference and failed to catch the joke. Katagiri burst into laughter.

This left Tsukasa quite displeased, and he resolved to look it up thoroughly when he got back.

The script being filmed was written by Katagiri himself, with Alice Arisugawa cast as the female lead, apparently a love story.

The male lead was a senior in his third year—not particularly handsome but radiating a gentle aura.

Tsukasa knew nothing about filmmaking; his only tenuous connection was having helped the drama club write scripts during high school.

Today’s scene involved the male and female leads meeting by chance at the school gate. With a hint of curiosity, Tsukasa quietly stood beside Katagiri, watching the pair at the gate.

From a rough glance, it seemed like a typical romance drama. The senior’s acting was natural, while Alice appeared nervous, missing lines several times and apologizing repeatedly.

“Hey, Tsukasa,” Katagiri suddenly spoke.

“What is it?”

“How do you find it?”

“Find what?”

“Alice’s acting.”

“Obviously nervous.”

“So it seems.”

With a sigh, Katagiri called everyone back and held an impromptu meeting. It was rare to see Alice unable to lift her head in front of Katagiri, which was somewhat refreshing.

Though unrelated, Tsukasa could tell these people were passionate. He lingered in the corner, invisible, engrossed in Katagiri’s script.

The story followed an ordinary female university student who, while asleep at night, experienced a premonition of the next day’s events.

Using this ability, she investigated a startling secret her mysterious boyfriend was hiding, even risking her life in her dreams—there was a scene where the heroine was killed.

What seemed to be a simple romance turned out to be a suspenseful drama demanding considerable acting skill from the female lead.

Tsukasa couldn’t help but worry for Alice; so far, her acting did not seem sufficient to carry the script.

...

As evening approached, the Film Club wrapped up filming and held a discussion meeting. Tsukasa excused himself and headed to the library.

Upon leaving, he met Katagiri and Alice at the school gate. The meeting must have been brief, as the three naturally walked together.

“Tsukasa, interested in joining the Film Club? Join now, and you get a date with Alice as a bonus—don’t miss out!”

“Don’t say weird things, Katagiri-senpai. Tsukasa-kun doesn’t take you seriously.”

“I know that,” Tsukasa replied calmly.

“Come on, I’m inviting Tsukasa to join the Film Club. Alice, cooperate a bit. You want him to join too, right?”

“That’s not possible. Tsukasa-kun is already exhausted from studying every day; don’t add more to his burden.”

“Hey, did you hear that, Tsukasa? Alice really cares about you~” Katagiri teased, nudging Tsukasa’s arm.

Tsukasa said nothing, clearly uninterested in engaging.

“Looks like Katagiri-senpai will go hungry tonight,” Alice smiled kindly.

“Sorry, I was joking.”

The trio walked home together. Along the way, Alice stopped to buy ingredients for dinner. Katagiri immediately sent Tsukasa and Alice off together, dashing away himself.

Even if Katagiri hadn’t insisted, Tsukasa intended the same.

Katagiri and Miki Matsubara seemed to misunderstand Tsukasa’s relationship with Alice. Tsukasa was certain he harbored no romantic feelings toward her, which allowed him to remain open and indifferent to their gossip.

He imagined Alice felt the same.

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“Sorry, Tsukasa-kun.”

Walking to the supermarket together, Alice suddenly showed a look of apology.

Tsukasa turned to her, eyes filled with mild curiosity.

“Katagiri-senpai and the others completely misunderstood. There’s nothing between us.”

“It doesn’t matter. Trying to change others’ opinions is foolish. I gave up such arrogance long ago.”

“That sounds quite profound.”

“Just experience.”

Alice looked at his calm profile and chuckled softly. “Tsukasa-kun really isn’t interested in me at all. I used to think you were a playboy in secret—it’s amusing now.”

“It’s not that I’m uninterested. At least I find Alice easy to get along with. I’m grateful you want to be friends.”

“Oh, I’m happy to hear that from you, Tsukasa-kun.”

“Well, with Katagiri-senpai and Matsubara-senpai around, having a normal friend is precious,” Tsukasa added.

Alice burst out laughing. “Absolutely right!”

“But I think Tsukasa-kun could make more friends. People just don’t understand you and think you’re too cold and unapproachable.”

“I’m not cold. I’m just not good at socializing and tend to avoid people deliberately.”

“That’s not true. I find Tsukasa-kun very approachable.”

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

“*Pfft*... hahaha!”

“What’s so funny?”

“Who thanks someone seriously for that? Normally, people don’t talk like that.”

“My mom says polite boys are more popular with girls.”

“*Pfft* Tsukasa-kun sometimes says things that leave people puzzled. You probably don’t care about popularity but create a humorous image?”

“Not entirely.”

“Well... I know you like someone.”

“What? That’s a first—I’ve never heard that before.”

“Really? No one?”

“Rather than yes or no, I’m curious why you think so.”

“In high school, everyone said you were dating senior Hoshino Mori. Are you still in touch with her?”

...

Noticing a change in Tsukasa’s expression, Alice quickly waved her hands. “Sorry, I’m not trying to pry…”

“It’s fine.”

Hearing that familiar name from someone else after so long, Tsukasa felt a brief daze.

Since Hoshino Mori graduated, Tsukasa had no reason to interact with her.

He had reached out several times and received replies, proof they still shared the same sky.

But each time, she hurriedly claimed to be busy after a few words, and over time, Tsukasa grew afraid to bother her.

The last time he contacted her was at the start of the semester. Upon learning Tsukasa entered the University of Tokyo, she congratulated him once, then stopped replying.

Alice walked quietly beside him, watching his profile closely. His lowered eyelids and dark, still eyes showed no light.

Though he said nothing, it was clear that person held a significant place in his heart.

Even if it wasn’t love, the feelings surely occupied a corner of his soul.

For such a man to remember someone so deeply was remarkable, sparking Alice’s curiosity about the former student council president.

What kind of woman could cause Tsukasa to show such an expression?

That night, Alice was in charge of cooking. The four of them gathered in Miki Matsubara’s room. As expected, Katagiri again invited Tsukasa, unwilling to give up on recruiting him into the Film Club.

Tsukasa naturally declined.

After dinner, he returned to his room to study and called Sakura Sakurako before bed.

To many, Tsukasa’s university life was dull—study and painting filled his days. Even when going out, it was only to class or the library.

Ultimately, Katagiri gave up persuading Tsukasa, focusing fully on the film. Alice came home exhausted every day, so Tsukasa often cooked dinner during this period.

Amid this uneventful routine, Tsukasa welcomed his first summer vacation at university.

...

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...

“Tsukasa, how long are you staying this time?”

“Hmm... I’m going back tomorrow.”

“Eh—so soon?”

“Though no classes, the library is open every day. I’ll come back when Sakurako returns.”

“What? You care more about Sakurako than your mom?”

“Well, does Mom cook for me every day?”

“You should just return to school today.”

“...”

Back at his parents’ home after a long time, Tsukasa finally relaxed, lying on the living room sofa playing with the cat.

Looking at the sky turning yellow, he checked the time and decided to step out.

“Mom, I’m going out for a bit.”

“Will you be back for dinner? If not, I’ll save your portion.”

“How much trouble do you think I am?”

“Just kidding. I prepared a big meal for you tonight.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Outside, Tsukasa walked alone through Jiyūgaoka, gazing at the familiar streets. Suddenly, the scenery seemed narrower, even though the roads were just as wide and trains passed by just as fast.

He must have grown taller, matured.

Through the maze of alleys, he arrived at a familiar shop. Peering through the glass, it seemed empty. Looking closer, he caught a glimpse of a half-hidden head beneath the cash register.

Pushing open the door, the familiar chime sounded.

He tiptoed to the counter; inside, the person seemed absorbed in a manga, unaware of his arrival.

Months apart had not changed her stature. Even as a third-year student, her chest remained flat as in her first year—no curves.

Her hair had grown long and flowing, with a cute bunny hairpin holding back bangs, giving her the look of a quiet librarian.

Tsukasa grabbed a random book from a nearby shelf and placed it on the counter, lowering his voice to say, “Could you ring this up, please?”

“That’ll be 870 yen.”

She efficiently scanned the book but waited a long time before seeing no money. Finally, she looked up at the customer who was slow to pay.

Then—

“Oh, little one, long time no see.”

Tsukasa smiled at his former junior. Her expression shifted from calm to dazed, her almond-shaped pupils dilated and trembled rapidly before settling again.

“870 yen,” she repeated.

“Eh?” Tsukasa was taken aback.

Her reaction was not what he had expected.

“870 yen! Do you even have money?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

She looked up silently; her eyes gradually reddened despite herself.

Just as Tsukasa opened his mouth to speak, Yō Hitsunomiya suddenly turned away, hiding her expression.

She shouted, “Who comes back without a word? I wasn’t prepared for this!”

“Get out and come back in properly!”

“Oh~ your standard Japanese has improved a lot,” Tsukasa remarked.

“You’re so annoying, get out! Senpai’s so irritating!”

“Ah, back to normal.”

The girl turned back, seemingly composing herself. Sniffling, she looked at the familiar young man. She intended to complain more but found herself changing her words.

“...Welcome back.”

Tsukasa smiled lightly and patted her head.

“Yeah, I’m back.”

(End of chapter)