ikigai • cellphone novel [on hold]

xxviii. crowd

It's another
normal day in school

Or so he thought

"Good morning,
Uemura-kun!" she
greets him, this time
dropping the '-san'
suffix

replacing it with
'-kun'

She dropped the formality

perhaps she's comfortable
with him now

and perhaps he is too

She walks alongside him,
this time, her friends
following

His "circle" has grown

[ two new
people ]

They seem to
tolerate his presence

And he doesn't
mind theirs

This is the mutual
understanding that
he wants

They're a big crowd now

at least, it's a big crowd
for him

One person was already
enough, but two more
seemed overwhelming

but perhaps it's not

Maybe it's thanks to
Ami, that he's
a bit more comfortable

but still, this is all new.

Nishiyama Tooru,
the quiet girl of the bunch

Mizushima Mitsuko,
the loudest of the bunch

Hiraoka Ami,
perhaps the bridge of this crowd

Uemura Hansuke,
perhaps the outcast
or maybe I belong

Only time will tell