It's not because of him, but because many people come here with hope and expectation, only to receive disappointment. This is a sea area that bears heavy disappointment, yet it is also cherished by some. Furui has been here for six days now, temporarily renting a house close to the beach, a single room on the ninth floor, very clean and tidy. Furui decided to rent it after seeing it at first sight, and it wasn't too expensive. Just because he didn't want to face it temporarily, he chose to escape for the first time.
Even though he had controlled himself very hard, negative emotions kept accumulating more and more, and they would still be released eventually. He could have won... It was because of himself, due to his own reasons. Originally, the feeling of losing and then being blamed was like this... When did he start gradually revealing his true self? Furui sighed lightly, looking at the blue sky outside the window, and put the book in his hand aside. Let's go out and pick a few ginkgo leaves to make bookmarks~~~ The weather is so good today.
"Hey, Tezuka, I'm sorry for calling you now..." Oishi said, clearly lacking confidence. "What's wrong?" Tezuka asked. "...Furui went to Melbourne as an exchange student... And it seems to be because of us..." Oishi's confidence dropped further. "What happened to you guys? Didn't you already win the match?" Tezuka began massaging his temples. "Actually... Because Furui lost, and then we said something excessive, so he got angry and went to Melbourne... I'm sorry to Furui, sorry to the minister, sorry to Furui's parents, sorry to Coach Ryuuzaki..." After Oishi finished talking, he started rambling again, and Tezuka silently cut off the call.
Damn this time difference... (Note 1)
By this time, it was almost dusk, and the sky seemed drunk, showing a bright red. Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, includes about 4 million people, with greenery covering up to 40% of the city. Melbourne has been rated as one of the most livable cities for humans for many consecutive years. From 1901 to 1927, Melbourne was the capital of Australia. Most new immigrants arriving in Australia head to Melbourne and Sydney. Now, about 100,000 new immigrants arrive in Australia each year, with about one-third settling in Melbourne. Immigrants start their new lives in Melbourne, but at the same time bring their own ethnic traditions and habits. One-third of Melbourne's residents are immigrants born outside of Australia, and over 180 languages are spoken in Melbourne. There are immigrants from 233 countries and regions around the world, and 116 religious beliefs. The main language is English, but it's always difficult to see a few Japanese people.
Furui walked on the beach, holding white sandals in his hand. Around him were scattered permanent residents and tourists from various countries, and different versions of languages echoed softly in his ears. But he couldn't hear a single word of his familiar mother tongue. Along the way, a few bold Mexican girls blinked at him.
He remembered that red cat always telling him how beautiful Melbourne was in books, how beautiful, "...clear skies, clear lake water, golden or snowy beaches, free seabirds, leisurely sailboards..." It's not much different. Only single-celled organisms would keep shouting: "Fujiko, can we go together in the future?"
In comparison, that dull iceberg who sees nothing made him quite disappointed.
Always asking, "Fuji, where is the real you?"
"Never mind, never mind, don't think about it, exchange students are human too, going home, going home~~~~~~~"
But when lying in bed at night, he would still remember the little girl he met in the afternoon...
He had just stepped into the periphery of the beach, walking inward, with soft crushed sand underfoot.
His sleeve was suddenly pulled, and he looked down to see a very clean little girl wearing a light green floral skirt. "Are you German?" he heard the little girl ask. "No, I'm not. I'm Japanese." Smiling lightly, the girl thought for a moment. Opening her mouth, she spoke fluent Japanese: "Sister, are you Japanese too? I'm mixed-blood, my mom is Japanese." The girl happily grabbed his hand. "Is that so?" called sister? This is really... hard to say. "You look just like my sister, both very pretty~~ Ah, Mom is calling me, see you!" The girl laughed, running towards a woman wearing a white long dress nearby, and before running over, she handed him a small shell.
Blue... it doesn't seem dyed, actually, there's such pure blue... Would there be pearls?
Smiling faintly, yet a bit melancholy, he wondered... How are they doing?
Nine hours earlier, it was 1:00 pm in Japan (Note 2).
"Fujiko is mad, obviously, Momo was too extreme, if it weren't for him, Fujiko wouldn't have run away~" Kikumaru shouted, clinging tightly to his owner. "Tezuka said, let us take care of ourselves, he'll be back on time and handle things well." Oishi said.
"I understand... I was a bit too extreme... I admit..." Momo muttered quietly.
"Tch, Fuji-senpai and Momo-senpai are both madamadadane." Echizen pulled his cap.
"Cut it out, everyone has time to chat, why not try the newly developed juice instead~" A data expert appeared.
Everyone immediately ran obediently in circles.
"Coach, you're here. Do you want to try?" K干 asked, glasses reflecting...
"... No thanks==+"
Coach Ryuuzaki turned around, gazing at the sky.
Fujiko, what do you bear, possess, and aspire to in the future?
-------------------------------------------------- ---TBC------
Note 1: The time difference between Berlin, Germany and Melbourne, Australia is approximately -10 hours.
Note 2: The time difference between Tokyo, Japan and Melbourne, Australia is approximately +1 hour.
THE SECOND
The phone rang.
Furui rubbed his blurry eyes, flipped open the phone cover, it was 7:00 am Melbourne time.
"Hello, Tezuka, right on time." Furui pressed the answer button, watching the blue screen light up. "Furui, what's going on?" Tezuka's voice was somewhat low. "Hm... What's going on?" Furui yawned, deciding to play dumb. "...Furui, about your trip to Melbourne." Tezuka reminded him, obviously frustrated. "Ah, I just wanted to calm down, settle my mood, and I really wanted to come, that's all." Furui said slowly and clearly. "...Rest well, come back when it's time." Tezuka sighed, "Be rational." "Alright, when did Tezuka become a mama-san...?" Furui's dark humor flowed again. "..." Cut off the call.
Reluctantly getting up, then buying a few breads as breakfast, quickly running to school.
Only now realizing how useful running laps really is...
(↑A certain bear stepping into the classroom just in time.)
Smiling at unfamiliar classmates occasionally chatting, being Japanese didn't affect communication at all.
There were about ten exchange students from various places in this class, including himself.
"Hey, Furui-kun, do you want to try fortune-telling?" An exchange student Gypsy girl ANLY approached with a large deck of Tarot cards. Perhaps because Yumiko was also such a fortune-teller, Furui naturally agreed, reaching out and picking a card from the middle. The green card surface reflected a greenish luster under the sunlight, with pale hexagrams interlocked.
"Eh..." ANLY made a sound.
Upright, Tower.
ANLY collected the cards, immediately turning around, preparing to return to her seat.
Seeing her flustered appearance, Furui pursed his lips, had he drawn a bad card again?
ANLY didn't say, she was actually a legitimate heir, able to see the revealed images. "How could it be like this..." She didn't understand why she saw such vivid and cruel scenes.
Unforeseen setbacks will come one after another, soon the life force will stop.
"He must not have anything happen to him." This was the only thought, since she helped reveal the danger, then... Naturally, she should help him avoid this disaster.
Furui Shusuke counted the days, there were only six left...
That girl has been following him recently, catching a glimpse of her standing behind a tree with his peripheral vision. "ANLY, is there... anything wrong?" Furui turned, cleanly walking over, raising his signature smile. "You're about to encounter trouble, be careful... It was calculated yesterday, this is for you." The girl carefully said, handing over a card, then walking away.
Furui looked at the card in his hand, it was the upright Tower he drew yesterday.
This time, believe him...
After all, Yumiko-nee and she share the same aura, believe.
Flipping through the dictionary randomly.
The first thing upon arriving here was actually to buy a dictionary. Originally, he was accustomed to not bringing it, always borrowing from Tezuka, so he forgot this time too.
Hearing the not-so-clear sound of paper friction, he saw a bold phrase.
"Life’s a bitch. Life is truly painful."
Whether life is painful or not, we decide ourselves.
Right now, it seems like I'm suffering the consequences of my own actions.
An agricultural professor was arranged by the school to give them a lesson, the wrinkled-faced old man passionately speaking on stage, roughly explaining those example sentences from the dictionary: "The green sub-saw in plants that absorbs light from the sun to help them grow" and "The structure in plant cells that contains CHLOROPHYLL and in which PHOTOSYNTHESIS takes place."
We aren't going to study crops in the future, nor change plant genes, so why are we learning all this about chloroplasts and chlorophyll... Furui silently criticized while taking notes. If Eiji were here, he would definitely get a headache, then throw the notebook and shout: 'This damn old man!'
Suddenly missing them, everyone from the tennis club.
How many people know the cross symbolizing life in ancient Egypt, 'Ankh'?
Seems like, this chick isn't like me anymore.
Furui rehung his smile, continuing to listen to the lecture.
THE THIRD
Finally, it's time to go back.
Furui was holding a temporary drawing of the airport layout, looking for the luggage check-in area. "Furui-kun, phew... phew... wait... Don't take this flight... Please believe me..." A pink figure chased over, blocking Furui's hand. "ANLY? Why are you here?" Furui opened his eyes, "You... alright, I'll take the next flight." Furui surrendered.
22 minutes later.
"TF1028 flight about to take off, please do not check passengers boarding immediately, 3 minutes after stop boarding." The mechanical female voice coldly repeated in English.
Furui stood in the airport waiting hall, watching the plane break through the clouds outside the window. Vaguely, he could still see the serene, happy, excited, angry faces of the people on board.
Then, it exploded in mid-air, like dazzling fireworks, fleeting.
"Oh, god!" "Please call police quickly!" The panicked crowd in the hall, yet two people stood calmly in place, unaffected. ANLY sighed, finally dodged a bullet...
"But... If forcibly changing someone's fate, the consequences, will be unpredictable, heading in a different direction than before." ALY's grandmother, also the witch (fortune-teller) of their clan, said this.
ANLY tightened her sleeves, I'll help you as much as I can, within my capabilities...
Furui turned his head, the huge central screen's flight schedule changed to bright red letters.
"Death passenger list."
"...the mangled bodies, who can recognize me?" Furui softly recited.
Still returned.
Notified everyone that he did not board that death flight, completely fabricated reasons: "Ah, I just overslept, forgot there was a flight today, had to change to the next one..."
They were almost overjoyed to tears, I wonder what they would cry like if I really boarded that flight...
Thinking about this, Furui pictured everyone crying hysterically in his mind, feeling somewhat chilly.
"Aah, I'm fine, no need to worry everyone... Eh, I'll tell Tezuka myself, it's nothing... Eiji, QQ six diamonds, you can't just hang onto me and go home like this... Oishi, take Eiji home, it's not early anymore... Yeah, coach, I'm really fine, no need to worry... It's alright, Ryo, you don't need to be so tense... It's not early anymore, everyone disperse, I'm fine~" Finally, after coaxing everyone away, Furui sighed and walked home.
Naturally, the family was notified of his death first, then received the call saying he wasn't dead, so their reactions could be guessed. Furui took a deep breath, raised his hand to knock on the door.
The door opened, and a figure rushed over quickly.
"Shusuke~ here, give me your luggage." Yumiko Furui said, and naturally did so. "Stupid older brother." Yuta also awkwardly called out, it was unclear who happened to be near and received the notification, then froze for a while, worried to death but unwilling to say it, resulting in almost crying...
Furui complained internally, of course, only his sister could tell him these things.
Sitting in the room, without turning on the lights, just opening the window wide, watching the dim streetlights slantingly illuminate himself.
Suddenly remembering, he should call that ice mountain to report safety, and listen to the ice mountain's tone change (can't see the facial expression)...
"Ne, Tezuka." Furui said, "I didn't die." Still didn't say much. "Ah, understood." Tezuka replied, "I had a premonition you wouldn't have anything happen to you." Tezuka answered calmly, inner turmoil. Moreover, the excuse you told me through Oishi was terrible... It's impossible.
"Tezuka, a girl very similar to Yumiko-nee saved me, she didn't let me board that flight, held me firmly, that's why I'm alive, isn't it amazing?" Furui said, normal voice.
"Ah." ← That ice mountain reverted to its usual state of answering with single syllables.
"Well, it's late, goodnight... Also, come back soon~" Furui said, hanging up the phone.
Come back soon...
"..." Tezuka felt a bit frustrated listening to the 'beep... beep... beep...' sound after the call was hung up, for the first time... First time being hung up on...
Helpless, he didn't even have time to reply with a 'I will,' before he hung up...
Really can't deal with you.
Tezuka didn't see, that night, his lips curled up, a standard smile.
Furui felt a bit tired, but indeed, today's experiences were too much, his heart felt overloaded, he didn't even want to move.
Just wanted to tease that ice mountain earlier, but ended up not saying anything, regrettable...
Still managed to sit up from the bed, entering the bathroom. Since childhood, he was accustomed to hiding all his emotions, no matter how bitter or tired, he could endure it without shouting like Eiji and making others notice. But every time, there would be someone acutely aware of his true emotions, then ordering him not to do this or that. Every time, he was punished the least by that person, who was very tolerant of him...
Tolerant...?
Is it tolerance? Seems like there's something deeper...
Can't remember that word.
Furui casually pulled off the towel, wiping his head wildly, but still couldn't think of it.
Forget it, starting tomorrow, he needs to attend school normally, better rest first.
Closing the curtains, moved the cactus to a more comfortable spot.
Goodnight, little cactus.
That word isn't tolerance, it's indulgence.
Perhaps, from the beginning, something has been growing quietly in his heart...
But neither of them noticed.
THE FOURTH
The Seigaku Tennis Club members are still the same as usual.
Furui thought this, while Oishi suffered from stomach pain.
Kaidoh and Momo continued their usual arguments escalating to physical fights (?), QQ six diamonds, the little one muttering "mada mada dane" on the side, Inui watching the commotion, recording notes at a superhuman speed, lenses continuously reflecting eerie smiles, Kawamura laughing foolishly on the side.
"This is interesting~" Furui added, reveling in chaos, Oishi helplessly said, "Furui, aren't you going to stop them?"
"Ah... Actually, I want to watch the commotion a bit longer~ Acting Department Leader~" Furui smiled lightly, adding emphasis to the last four words, clearly a sign of mischief...
As Oishi was extremely helpless, the savior arrived.
"All regulars, gather!" Coach Ryuuzaki's voice rang out appropriately.
To Oishi's ears, that was celestial music; to other regulars' ears, that was the devil's voice.
Everyone immediately stood straight.
Turns out, it was just practice...
A breeze blew by.
Except Furui, Kawamura, and Oishi, everyone froze...
Furui walked alone because there were some promotional plans and bulletin boards in class today, so he stayed a bit longer. Everyone left, leaving him to walk home alone.
"Still the same as usual~ Nothing has changed..." Furui looked up, watching the sun setting ahead, saying. Like back then, when the freshmen (Ryoma...) hearing Aoi's sarcastic, selfish remarks challenged him to a tennis match, everyone was indifferent. Tezuka was absent, and not many cared.
Wouldn't anyone remember or notice if I disappeared?
This thin sense of human relations.
"Ya~ I'm home." Furui took out the key, opening the door, "I'm back."
"Welcome back, Shusuke." Yumiko Furui's voice was cheerful, like the sound of Christmas bells colliding.
Ah, Christmas is coming.
Suddenly felt a bit cold.
"Yuta didn't come back today." Furui sighed, concern and disappointment in his eyes. "It's okay, Shusuke, that child is just too busy lately." Not because of you... Yumiko Furui said, but the last part couldn't be said.
These kids, one by one, have issues but say nothing, brothers who originally got along well end up awkwardly ruining their relationship...
"Shusuke, it's not your fault~" Yumiko said, patting Shusuke Furui's shoulder, "Let's eat~"
"Good, I want to eat Yumiko-nee's raspberry pie~" Shusuke Furui recovered his smile, saying.
Fortunately, I still have a home, still have a warm feeling.
Remembering once saying "If you think I pose a threat to you, then please remove me from the regulars."
Now feels like hurting that big ice mountain, even though he showed no expression at the time.
Masa, when did you start being overly sentimental, Shusuke Furui? Give me back the original you...
Hey, Tezuka, what's Christmas like in Germany...?
Really want to know.
Seems like... I kind of like you...
THE FIFTH
Christmas finally arrived.
The streets were filled with green Christmas trees, red and white decorations, and countless 'Santa Clauses' preparing for business openings.
Furui rarely woke up early, ate, then went out.
"Today is Christmas... How fast." We have half a year until graduation.
Graduation... means separation.
"Furui Furui meow~" A big cat pounced over, "Eiji?! Why so early?"