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Chapter 22 - About a year and a half ago. (Part 1)

Mid-February.
Spring was still far away, and the cold wind cut into my skin without mercy on a short winter evening.

There I was -- sitting right on the freezing ground outside the station, wearing my school uniform with its ridiculously short skirt and the icy wind blasting me head-on.

Of course, I was freezing my butt off, and yeah, I hated it. But hey, I didn't have much choice.
This was what the client requested...

Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself yet.
I am Matsushita Ayami.

I'm probably just your average high school dropout -- first year, not attending, and pretty much failing at life.
If there's anything remotely special about me, it's that I absolutely despise my last name, Matsushita.

Huh? Why am I in a school uniform if I don't even go to school anymore?

Well, duh. Like I said, the client insisted I wear it.

...You've probably figured out what this client is for by now, haven't you?

Anyway, these days I'm just going through the motions, living life as it comes. But believe it or not, I used to be a top student back in middle school. Seriously, I'm not kidding.

I mean, the high school I'm enrolled in (you know, the one I don't actually attend) is pretty prestigious. It's got a high ranking and attracts applicants from all over, not just the local area.

So how did I end up like this? Well... I guess it all started when my old man passed away from cancer when I was in eighth grade. That was the turning point.
Not that it messed up our finances or anything.

Nope, because my mom didn't even wait a year before finding someone new and remarrying.
And her new husband? An IT startup hotshot or whatever, basically, loaded.

You could call it striking gold, I guess. A secondhand deal, though.

When Mom decided to remarry without so much as a word to me, I had my share of thoughts. Still, I figured, if the woman who raised me could find happiness again, then fine. Honestly, I was genuinely happy for her.

At least, I was... for the first six months. Until that piece of trash showed his true colors.

...But hey, no need to dwell on the gloomy stuff, right?
Anyway, that whole situation? It's why I gradually stopped seeing eye to eye with my parents. So much so that I moved out.
For the past few months, I've been couch-surfing at middle school friends' places. But that well's running dry. Even my closest friends are running out of patience.

And my current classmates? We were never close enough for me to crash at their places in the first place.

Which is why this was my only choice.

There's this app on my phone... Yeah, let's not sugarcoat it -- it's a compensated dating app.
Who asked me to come up with a clever way to say it, anyway?

And today's the big day, my very first sugar daddy meet-up.
Just like the message exchange with the guy, I'm here at the station near my school, wearing my high school uniform. Waiting.

"...Sigh."

The agreed time? 5 PM.
What kind of job does he have? Does he work for some progressive company? Or is he just a washed-up office drone?

"Damn it... why me..."

But it's 5:15 PM. The guy's fifteen minutes late.
Well, late might not be the right word. Judging by the vibes, it feels more like he bailed on me before we even met.

"Why am I like this... I'm so useless when it matters.."

How do I know? It's pretty obvious.

"Hey, can you stop crying? You're being really annoying."
"Wha-!? I-I'm not crying!"

For some reason, this kid has been sitting right next to me, on the ground, muttering to himself and looking all dejected.
I mean, seriously. With him here, of course the guy would have a hard time approaching me.

He was wearing a school uniform, but not the messy kind -- his jacket was neat, and his hair was just cut randomly... I'm guessing he's probably a middle schooler.
But this uniform... I don't recognize it around here... Oh, wait, I get it now.

"Hey, did you take our school's entrance exam?"
"..."

Oh, right. Today was the entrance exam day for our school.
And here I am, waiting for my sugar daddy at the station on a day when tons of hopeful underclassmen are gathering around. Yeah, my life's definitely hit rock bottom.

"Looks like you didn't make it, huh? Tough luck!"
"T-the results aren't out yet!"
"Yeah, but sitting here like this, hugging your knees and staring at the ground? Kind of says it all, doesn't it?"

No matter how much he tries to act tough, it's pretty obvious.
Our school has a super high bar, both in terms of grades and competition.

"By the way, you said earlier... our school? And that uniform of yours..."
"Yep! I breezed through the entrance exam, of course."
"Ugh..."

Yeah, yeah, back when I took it, I was riding high on all my middle school efforts and aced it without breaking a sweat.

...But if I were to try the same test now, after not opening a textbook for half a year, I'd probably fail every single question.

"So, what about you, senpai? What're you even doing here?"
"Hmm... work?"
"Do you get paid to just sit around like this?"
"Well, thanks to someone, I just lost that source of income a minute ago."
"Wow, that sucks."

You've got to be kidding me. This clueless brat is the reason, and he doesn't even realize it.

...Sigh, whatever. Let's drop the whole depressing old man talk.
Alright, time to change the subject.

"So, did you do a self-check on your test?"
"No, not yet."
"And here you are, assuming you failed and crying around like this? You don't even know if you won or lost, you're just assuming you lost."
"I told you, I'm not crying!"

Why the hell am I giving life advice to a middle schooler?
Maybe the model student me from back then still hasn't completely disappeared.

"Well, most people who can't even tell if they've won or lost have already lost by that point. Better luck next time~."
"What the heck, Senpai? Aren't you supposed to cheer me up?"
"Yeah, no. Don't see why I'd bother."
"Come on, don't say that! I might be your junior someday, you know?"
"Not happening, like I said."
"Don't say that!"

...But actually, maybe it's not even about that.

The truth is, I don't have anything to talk about with a serious little guy like him except stuff from a year ago.
Wow. I really have turned into an idiot.

"Ugh, whatever. I'm going home. Sitting around feeling down is just stupid."
"Yeah, go on, go home. Cry your eyes out in your room instead."

See? He's mocking me, too.
Or... maybe that's just me being too bitter.

"You know, Senpai, in the end, you did cheer me up. Thanks... uh?"
"...Yami."
"Yami?"
"Yeah. That's what people call me."

Of course, it's not exactly a flattering nickname.

Doesn't talk to anyone. Doesn't even show up at school.
Keeps her distance from everyone, looks like she's doing shady stuff, and seems broken.

That's why: Yami.
The sickly, darkyami in Japanese girl, Ayami-chan.

"Got it. I'm Yuu."
"Didn't ask, dude."

If I didn't care, why did I introduce myself?
God, I'm such an idiot.

"See ya, Yami-senpai!"
"Shut up."

Seriously, shut up.

Don't call me senpai.
Don't attach any sort of respect to a filthy nickname like that.

............
............

I'm Matsushita Ayami, im my first year of high school......

......and today, I met... no, ran into some weirdo.