Bankara Girl ④ - Midsummer Reunion

Time passed since then, and after graduating from high school, I joined the local city office. I studied hard, managed to pass the local civil service exam, and successfully cleared the interview as well.
Many of my high school classmates found jobs in the Kanto region or went on to universities far away after graduation, so those of us who stayed in our hometown were in the minority. It was probably because there weren't any good job opportunities in the tiny town where I lived, but I loved this tiny town. Besides, I was a coward and afraid of living in other cities.
Sometimes, I get LINE messages from friends who found jobs at companies in Tokyo. They tell me things like, 'I went to a group date with friends I made at work,' or 'I went to a mixer for people in different industries.' When I see photos of my friends making peace signs in front of stylish shops, I always feel a mix of longing and jealousy toward the city. But then I immediately imagine myself working in the city and get scared. There are so many companies, so many jobs, so many people, and so many experiences... I feel like I'm going to be crushed by the infinite possibilities.
That's why I decided that for an ordinary person like me, living in this tiny town was just right.

After joining the city office in April, there was so much to learn that every day passed by in a rush.
On an afternoon in July, while my eyes were straining from inputting data into the computer, I suddenly heard a loud voice at the counter.
"Hi there. I'm here to file my 'pink' tax return~"
Startled, I looked up and saw Azami-san standing at the counter, wearing a straw hat and a white dress, smiling and making a peace sign.
I was so surprised I couldn't speak.


My first love, Azami Aino. Two and a half years ago, Azami-san and I were dating. It was only for the three months from when I confessed on Christmas until she graduated... A sweet, dreamlike memory. Those days were my youth itself. There wasn't a day I didn't think about those fun times. For someone like me, who had few friends and was shy and cowardly, Azami-san was my light.
Ever since then, whenever I had a hard time, I would remember how Azami-san, dressed in her 'bankara' style, cheered me on in the park filled with dancing cherry blossoms after graduation, and it would give me strength. I still keep the second button I received that day carefully tucked away in my drawer.
Three days after her graduation, she set off on a journey around Japan by motorcycle.
She said it was a matter of pride for a hardcore 'bankara' girl, so she refused to carry a smartphone. That's why I couldn't contact her. I only got letters from her twice.
Had she gone so far away that I would never see her again...? I would sometimes cry, feeling lonely thinking about that.
And yet... to show up so suddenly!
Azami-san was a little tanned, and she had cut her long, beautiful hair into a short bob. She looked just like a cute boy. I wonder if she's wearing sunscreen properly.
While I was too surprised to say anything, another senior staff member helped her.
"Oh, sorry. I actually have some business with Misaki Ichijo-san. Sorry, Misaki-chan, for bothering you while you're working. I heard you were working here, so I thought I'd come by to see you."
"...Azami-san. If it's okay, I can leave work early, so would you like to go somewhere and talk?"
"No, no, that's fine, I don't want to be a bother. I'll just wander around here until you're done. What time do you finish work?"
"Um, my shift ends at 5:15."
"I see. Then let's grab a bite at White Boy near that intersection around 6:00. We have a lot to catch up on. Sorry for interrupting."
"O-oh, okay."
While I was dazed, she gave a salute and said,
"See you later, Misaki-chan,"
and turned on her heel and hurried outside.
From then until the end of the day, I was absent-minded and couldn't get any work done at all. I don't remember how I finished the rest of my tasks. It's a wonder I didn't get scolded.
White Boy is a hamburger restaurant less than a five-minute drive away, just after turning left on the street where the city office is located.
After work, I finished cleaning up and hurriedly drove to White Boy. My heart was pounding, and I felt a strange sensation, as if my body were floating in the air.

I arrived at the restaurant at 5:40, and when I looked around the shop, I saw Azami-san sitting at a window seat, drinking water and gazing at the darkening scenery outside.
"...Azami-san."
"Yo, Misaki-chan. Thanks for your hard work today."
That cheerful vibe, her slightly raspy, husky voice trained in the bankara cheering squad—everything was so nostalgic.
My heart was flooded with joy, nostalgia, and just a little bit of anger, and I couldn't process all the different emotions, so I felt like I was going to cry.
"...Azami-san, you really came to see me."
"Yeah, I came to see you, Misaki-chan. You know, I really did go all the way around Japan. It was fun... wait, are you crying?"
"..."
I sat down across from her and cried. An old love song was playing softly.
Azami-san waited patiently with a gentle look in her eyes until I stopped crying.
"...Geez, why didn't you ever contact me! Leaving your girlfriend alone for two and a half years."
"Are you still mad? Sorry about that, for leaving you alone. I was pretty lonely too, you know. I kept thinking about how I wanted to see you, Misaki-chan. But there's something about that loneliness that's good, or maybe it's the pride of a bankara girl... like, 'a woman should speak through her back in silence' or something."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Geez, what is that strange pride? You've already graduated from the cheering squad... and that's so Showa-era."
"Yeah, maybe not Showa, but Meiji. While I was traveling, I wanted to be the kind of woman who, if Misaki-chan found someone she liked, would cry in her heart but cheer you on with a smile."
"Haa," I let out an involuntary sigh.
Being left alone for two and a half years because of that... but I fell in love with Azami-san, so I guess I have no choice.
"That sounds cool, but it also sounds really tough."
I feel like Azami-san is someone who chooses to walk a path of hardship.
"Well, yeah. You know, I was the first female cheering squad leader since the club was founded. I joined the cheering squad because I admired the bankara spirit. I decided that if I was going to do it, I would become the number one bankara girl in Japan. So I set off on my journey still carrying that bankara soul."
"So that's what it was. That's amazing."
"But I'm not a delinquent, so I don't get into fights. Though I do train my body so I'm ready to fight whenever."
"Hehehe. That's reassuring."
The bankara cheering squad at our high school is a mysterious group that walks around wearing tattered uniforms, worn-out school caps, and wooden clogs. They inherited a hardcore spirit that has continued since the Meiji era, and everyone was proud, quiet, and dedicated to their studies. They gave off a mysterious aura that made people avoid them and clear a path when they passed in the hallway. They didn't engage in idle chatter with other friends during class. I had never seen them laugh. They didn't have smartphones, perhaps because they were considered 'soft,' and I had never seen them dating anyone, as if it were forbidden. When I was there, there were four female members, and they were all cool. Among them, Azami-san shone the brightest and was popular with both men and women. She even kept the scary male members in check.
"Did I do a good job as the cheering squad leader?"
"Yes. You were the best cheering squad leader. Everyone said they were glad you became the leader."
"Seriously? That makes me happy."
"The guys are scary, after all. And there were quite a few girls in class who liked you, Azami-san."
"I'm popular~"
"Um, I've always wanted to ask, but there were other girls who confessed to you besides me, right?"
"Oh, yeah, there were a few."
"Why did you turn them down? Because dating was forbidden?"
"Well, it was a hardcore club, but it wasn't forbidden. It just didn't feel right, I guess."
"I see... what kind of person is your type, Azami-san?"
"It's decided, isn't it? Ken Takakura."
"Huh. Maybe I should aim to be like Ken Takakura too."
"No, no, you don't have to aim for that. Misaki-chan is fine just the way she is."
"Haha, I'm just joking."
But I was a little serious. I thought maybe I could try to be a bit cooler and quieter. And maybe do some muscle training. If I did that, I felt like I could get closer to Azami-san's world.
"But you didn't turn down my confession."
"Yeah, I felt like I could get along with you, Misaki-chan. Besides, at that time, I was struggling with a lot of things and was feeling down. I kept telling myself I had to be strong. So when you confessed to me, it really saved me."
"Surprising! But I'm so happy. ...Wait, so you were feeling down too, Azami-san?"
"Of course I get down too. I carry a huge darkness inside me, you know. Like a black hole."
"Eh~. Even now?"
"I'm okay now. I got to see you again, Misaki-chan."
I see. I had always admired Azami-san, who was as bright as the sun, but she had her own worries and darkness just like anyone else. Maybe Azami-san had been fighting something all by herself all this time.


Then the conversation shifted to Azami-san's journey around Japan.
"By the way, did you get my letters?"
"Yes."
I received two letters from Azami-san. The first one said she shouted 'Misaki~!' on the beach in Fukui. The other one was about how she sketched the sea in Saga Prefecture and became friends with an old guy traveling by bicycle.
"You know, I once fell into the sea and all my belongings were washed away. So the paper with your address on it went somewhere too. The sea was just so beautiful."
I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What kind of situation is that?"
"I was on the breakwater. When I looked down, the sea was sparkling, and there were lots of rare tropical-looking fish swimming around. Just as I was about to sketch them, a huge wave suddenly came and swept me right into the sea. I thought I was going to die."
"That's dangerous. Honestly."
"Well, that's how I spent my wandering journey around Japan by motorcycle. But for the last six months, I didn't have any money. I worked as a live-in farmhand in Hokkaido. At the foot of Mount Yotei. Man, that was tough. But it was fun."
"Is that so? That's amazing," though it's incoherent.
"I had a dangerous experience there too. When I was climbing Mount Yotei, I ran into a huge brown bear. It was this big!"
She spread her arms wide.
"Whoa~! That's crazy."
"Even I was shaking."
"So, what did you do?"
"Well, I heard that running away wouldn't work, so I braced myself. I remembered my bankara days and performed a dance while singing the cheering song."
"Eh~ no way~. Wouldn't that have the opposite effect?"
"Maybe. But the brown bear went away."
"Thank goodness~"
"Well, that's how I almost died twice."
"Haa, I'm just glad you're alive."
"All things considered, going around Hokkaido was the most fun. Actually, I went around it about three times, not just once."
Come to think of it, I was always impressed by Azami-san's drive. She always used to pull me along.
"That's amazing~. Someone like me has only ever stayed in my hometown. I only go to the next town for shopping once in a while... Are you living at your parents' house now?"
"Yeah, I sketched scenery in various places while traveling around Japan, so I'm putting them together now. I think I'll make them into watercolors."
"Oh, I see," Azami-san is an artist.
"I want to sketch the sea around here too. When is your next day off, Misaki-chan?"
"It's on the weekends, according to the calendar."
"Then why don't we go to the sea this Saturday?"
"Yes. I'd love to."
"Alright, it's settled. ...Wait, haven't we been talking the whole time without ordering anything?"
"Oh, you're right."
I looked at the clock and more than an hour had passed.
"Hehe."Azami-san stuck out her tongue mischievously. She looked very cute. I tried sticking out my tongue too. We laughed together for a while.

What kind of events await us this summer?
Our story has only just begun.