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Just past three, Takumi left for his shift at work. Sakuta was still looking for any useful papers.

Before he knew it, it was getting dark out.

He printed out the material he needed and left campus before the sun fully set.

The same short walk to the same old station.

Enough time had passed since the end of fourth period, and there were few students around.

He made it to the station in three minutes.

Through the gates and onto the platform, where he found someone he knew waiting.

Ikumi Akagi was standing right where the doors would stop. No one else was in line. She heard him coming and glanced up, but she immediately looked back at the tracks.

Sakuta winced at that but stood next to her.

“Been a while.”

“There’s loads of room elsewhere,” she said, glaring down the platform.

“Nursing school fourth-years also doing residencies?” he asked, despite this.

It had been at least a year since they’d seen each other. The nursing program was on a different campus from the second year on, so they didn’t really run into each other much.

“Half our time,” she said tersely.

“In nurse uniforms?”

“In uniforms.”

“Nice.”

“Wanna see?” Ikumi asked, shooting him some side-eye.

Unexpected. She was already pulling her phone out of her purse.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Here you go.”

She turned the screen his way.

There was a photo on it.

It certainly showed a college girl in a nurse uniform.

But not Ikumi.

“Why are you showing me Kamisato?”

“Don’t have a pic of myself.”

An extremely normal reason.

He really couldn’t picture Ikumi getting giddy and snapping a selfie the first time she put the uniform on.

“She said she went to the amusement park with her firefighter boyfriend last week.”

Ikumi pointedly showed him a relevant photo from their chat. Saki was wearing the theme park’s trademark cartoon ears on her head, while Yuuma munched on some popcorn.

“I didn’t ask about Kamisato.”

“They’re both classmates of yours from high school.”

“So how have you been doing, Akagi?”

“Meaning?”

She knew what he meant but asked anyway.

“Do you have a boyfriend? Get back with anyone?”

“I’m doing fine.”

That was neither a yes nor a no.

“Well, fine is best.”

“Are you fine, Azusagawa?”

“I’m blissfully happy.”

“That’s the actual best.”

A train pulled in. An express bound for Haneda Airport.

Ikumi boarded ahead of him, and he caught a trace of a smile on her lips.

Sakuta split up with Ikumi at Yokohama, transferring to the Tokaido Line and taking that home to Fujisawa.

It was half past six, and the train was packed with students and suits on their way home. People transferring from the Odakyu to the JR lines, or vice versa.

Sakuta joined the throng heading out of the station’s north gate.

He had no other plans today.

He was just going home.

Past the electronics store, away from the bustle of the station. Down the stairs from the overpass, across the street at the light. By the time he reached the bridge over the Sakai River, it was quiet all around.

Sakuta slowly walked up the gentle sloping road, and a car passed him. It was the white minivan that Mai’s manager drove.

The brake lights came on, and it pulled to a stop twenty yards ahead.

The door opened, and Mai got out of the back seat.

“Welcome home, Mai.”

“Nice to be back.”

They started walking together.

“How goes the Taiga drama shoot?”

“It’s coming along nicely. The whole cast is talented, and the crew are very reliable. Shoots run Monday through Friday, no overtime.”

Mai’s tone was upbeat.

“You’re having fun, then.”

“It’s a meaty role. Shame it forced me to take another year off college, but…”

“I could stick around another year?”

“You go on and graduate. You’re meant to be a teacher.”

“If they hire me.”

“You’ll have to work for it.”

Mai wasn’t letting him off the hook.

“I will,” he said, and she smiled with a satisfied nod.

“Student teaching going well?”

“The students like me. They’re calling me Sakuta-sensei now.”

“So they’re not taking you seriously,” Mai teased.

“I’ve very popular. If only ’cause I’m going out with you.”

“That’s fine.”

She was laughing again.

“But I may have one problem. They’re all after romantic advice…”

“Sounds like a good time.”

“Well, I’m enjoying it.”

He wasn’t yet in a position where he’d call his workload “meaty.” But he felt pretty good about becoming the person he’d wanted to be. He was finding that kind of job satisfaction.

“Oh, Mai, you eat yet?”

“Nope.”

“Then come over. I’ll whip something up.”

“Sure. I’ll help.”

This everyday banter had brought them in sight of their buildings.