"I'm free until the next lecture. Would you like to come hang out at the university?"

What Rui-san sent me was during lunchtime on a weekday.

It would originally be the time I would be attending high school. But now, it's just during the regular exams. The exams finished in the morning, and I was free in the afternoon.

Besides, I don't have a part-time job today either.

I decided to go along with Rui-san's invitation.

"Understood. I'll head over now."

"I'm happy. I'll be waiting."

After replying to the message, I changed from my uniform into casual clothes and left the apartment.

Rui-san's university is about a ten-minute walk from her apartment. It's almost the same distance as when I used to walk to high school.

I've passed by many times. But it's my first time going inside.

Blending in with the crowd of university students, I walk towards the main gate.

There was a security guard standing in front of the main gate. When passing by, I felt a moment of tension. My spine stiffened, fearing I might be stopped. Imagining what would happen next, I quickened my pace.

But if I walk quickly, I might end up being more suspicious. I should maintain my usual walking speed. I pass right in front of the security guard. I'm not stopping.

From the front to the back. I move forward, increasing the distance. I resist the urge to look back repeatedly, wondering if someone is following.

When I turned the corner, I finally looked back. No one was there. Just some university students. In the end, I was able to get in safely.

The campus I saw for the first time was breathtaking.

Gorgeous buildings line the streets, and how should I put it, they feel bright and open.

There is a café. There is a terrace. There is even a food truck.

It's just like a theme park.

In such a splendid space, the smoking area where we were supposed to meet was dimly lit.

Between the school buildings, in a narrow, secluded spot, there was a smoking area.

No sunlight, dim. A narrow space divided by partitions. It feels as if it's been isolated to avoid being seen by others.

On the dull-colored bench, there were sporadic figures of smokers. Some were students, while others appeared to be staff or construction workers.

There was no conversation. Everyone was silently fiddling with their smartphones while smoking. Their backs were hunched. Their eyes lacked any light. It was a space isolated from the bright street outside.

A smoking area with stagnant air. Rui-san was at the very back of the row of benches.

Amidst the many people who smoke heated cigarettes and e-cigarettes, she sits with a paper cigarette in her mouth, staring blankly into space.

Sitting on a bench with legs crossed, propping her chin on her hand, she stands alone, languidly. Her eyes are so cold that they send shivers down the spine of anyone who sees them.

It exuded an unapproachable atmosphere.

In reality, there was no one who tried to speak to Rui-san. They only peeked from a distance. A strong barrier was set up around her.

I also couldn't bring myself to say anything.

Because it was hard to approach. That's part of it. But it's not just that. I didn't want to ruin the serene atmosphere in front of me by speaking.

"...Ah."

She noticed me first. Breaking into a smile, her expression brightened instantly. Then, she waved her hand lightly towards me.

"Hello. You came?"

"Well, I was bored."

"Have you been there the whole time until I noticed?"

"I mean, it was hard to approach you."

I said.

"Rui-san was giving off a vibe that kept people away."

"Is that so?"

"How should I put it? It feels like an approach, and they'll be cut down."

"Was I really that much of a samurai?"

"Weren't you aware of it?"

With a wry smile, I suddenly remembered Wine bag.

A colleague from my part-time job at the convenience store, who is attending the same university as Rui-san.

That person said he talked to Rui-san, who was in the smoking area. What incredible guts. Or maybe he's so insensitive that he can't see the barrier. I thought it was probably the latter.

"Even though I called Yuito-kun, I wouldn't go around slashing people."

Rui-san said. The coldness in her previously detached eyes had vanished.

"Have you already had lunch?"

"Not yet."

Because I received a message before that.

"Me too. Since we're at it, shall we go eat?"

"Sounds good."

When Rui-san stood up, she discarded the finished cigarette into the ashtray. In the water inside the ashtray, numerous cigarette butts floated like corpses.

"Was it good?"

"What do you mean?"

"There was still quite a bit of cigarette left."

"Since it's not good to keep Yuito-kun waiting any longer."

Rui-san said.

"Besides, I'm getting hungry."

After leaving the dimly lit smoking area, we step out onto the main street.

Rui-san brought me to the campus café.

The café with its stylish English name lived up to its name with its chic interior. Although it had a calm color scheme, it was a bright kind of calmness that didn't sit well with me.

"It's surprisingly empty."

I said. I thought it would be more crowded, but there were only a few people here and there.

"It's already past lunchtime, you know. It's lecture time now. Lunchtime is intense. I definitely don't want to get close to it."

It seems like it's going to be quite crowded.

"The orders are over there."

"Is it okay to ask now? I'm an outsider, though."

"As long as you don't come forward, there's no problem. Sometimes the old man from the neighborhood comes over for tea."

"That's very generous."

"It's also called oversized."

I ordered a loco moco bowl, and Rui-san ordered French toast. After placing the received dishes on the tray, we moved to a table at the back.

"Did Yuito-kun go with the loco moco bowl?"

"I had never eaten it before. It's not something they have in the high school cafeteria."

I said.

"Besides, there's something nice about the sound of loco moco."

After hearing that, Rui-san chuckled softly.

"Did I say something weird?"

"No. I just thought it was cute."

Upon saying that, Rui-san cuts the French toast with a knife and fork. The fluffy toast is generously drizzled with honey and syrup. There's also whipped cream.

It looks unhealthy just by looking at it. Just watching it gives me heartburn. It's a food that seems to condense the ephemeral pleasure of this very moment.

I take a bite of the loco moco bowl. On top of the white rice, there is a hamburger patty and a fried egg, all drizzled with demi-glace sauce.

The taste was just as it looked. Neither better nor worse than I imagined. Decent flavor. But considering the reasonable price, it was worth it.

"How did the exam go?"

Rui-san asks.

"There's still tomorrow left, but for now, it's going okay."

"Then, does it seem like there won't be any failing grades?"

"As long as I haven't forgotten to write my name."

"That's a good thing. Then, what is Yuito-kun's favorite subject?"

"I like Japanese."

I replied.

"I'm not good at math and science."

"You're a typical humanities person, aren't you?"

"How was Rui-san?"

"I was also good at Japanese. And English too."

Rui-san says.

"On the other hand, I struggled with Japanese history and biology."

"Are you not good at memorizing subjects?"

"No. I was relatively good at it."

"Then, why?"

"Those two subjects often had their exams in the first period."

"Oh, does that mean you can't wake up early?"

"Thanks to that, I've ended up getting a few failing grades."

"When you woke up and saw the time, didn't you feel anxious?"

"If it had been close, I might have panicked. But it was already too late. I took a shower and then went to school slowly."

"That's a big deal."

If it were me, I would probably feel anxious. I would hesitate, wondering what to do. In the end, the conclusion that there's nothing I can do wouldn't change.

I probably can't give up as gracefully as Rui-san.

"When does the next lecture start?"

"It's 3:40."

"Well then, we have about an hour left."

"Shall we chat until then?"

After finishing lunch, we spent the time lazily chatting.

A trivial conversation that could be blown away with a puff. It's neither meaningful nor productive. It's no different from the kind of talk we have on an apartment balcony or in a café.

Only the place is different from usual.

In the bright, sunlit café, lively students have gathered. I feel like I don't quite fit into that scene.

I can't calm down, and I must look out of place to others, too.

But Rui-san is different.

Even in a dingy smoking area, she fits in, and she blends well in a fancy café too. In either place, she doesn't compromise herself.

"Rui-san, do you have time?"

After talking for a while, I told Rui-san. The clock hanging on the wall behind her shoulder showed around 3:30.

"You should get going soon, or you won't make it."

"Oh, is it already that time?"

Rui-san turns on the power on her smartphone and checks the time. I thought for sure she would get up, but she didn't.

When she turned off the power, she flipped the smartphone over.

"No, the lecture..."

"I'm going to skip today."

"Huh?"

"Because talking with Yuito-kun is more enjoyable than attending lectures."

Rui-san said with a smile, resting her chin on her palms.

"If we're going to spend the same amount of time, it should definitely be an enjoyable option. Right?"

"But, are you okay? Like, with your credits and all?"

"Somehow, it will work out. I'm sure."

Rui-san said nonchalantly. She was fully demonstrating her characteristic decisiveness.

"So, could you stay with me a little longer?"

"...That, that's fine."

I was actually planning to go home and study for tomorrow's exam.

But it's fine now.

As Rui-san said.

If we're going to spend the same amount of time anyway, it should definitely be enjoyable.

Chapter 18: Coming to the University