Golden Time: A New Beginning

First Day -_-

Fukurai University Entrance Ceremony

Banri ran half crying.

The Tokyo streets at one o'clock in the morning, despite being "the Tokyo", were pitch dark with no signs of life, not even a lit light by a window. During the day today (or rather, yesterday already), in spite of it only being April, it had been so warm he had been wearing only a T-shirt and drinking iced coffee, muttering to himself "It must be global warming." He was now shivering from the cold and anxiety. The sleeves of his flannel hoodie pulled down to his fingertips, his too-unsteady footsteps making a flapping sound from the sandals on his bare feet, anyhow, if he could just get to the main street everything might be all right... Should be all right. He wanted it to happen. With all his heart he ran.

"A young man turning nineteen this year shouldn't be running through the streets at night teary eyed...", I thought, but I understood Banri's feelings.

If I were in the same situation, I might cry too.

He had come to the capital together with his mother who, for the sake of her son who was starting a life alone, had arranged for furniture, appliances, gas, water, electricity and so on. She'd gotten through various minor formalities here and there, and then this afternoon (already, so fast!) she'd returned home in a bullet train.

And then, finally, he had truly started the first night of his life alone. Only, this night kept him from tomorrow morning's college entrance ceremony. Late at night, as the new day was just starting, unable to sleep with his worries, he did as he supposed any resident of Tokyo would do in order to distract himself: he went from one convenience store to another... but he lost his way in the streets. Worse, it appeared that somewhere, somehow, he had lost the key to his new home. In any case, it wasn't there in his pocket anymore.

Banri's feet suddenly stopped and walked all of three steps back the way he'd come. He saw a map of the residential area standing by the edge of the sidewalk. "Saved", he said to himself as he approached and searched for the apartment building where he now lived, "Motomachi", tracing a route with his finger from "You are here". Anyway, once he had returned to the front of the apartment building, he intended to walk all the way back to the convenience store, searching for his keys.

But... ahh, enough.

If this voice could reach Banri, I would tell him, "Look more carefully at the map. That 'Motomachi' is the 'Motomachi' in the next district!'" No, rather I would say, "You left them in the apartment in the first place, forgetting to lock up! They're in the room!" Unfortunately, I cannot do that.

For the time being, all I can do is pray for him so that if Banri could just get back to the apartment somehow and get to sleep quickly, then perhaps he would survive tomorrow's entrance ceremony without problems. Just how important can one day in your life be, this new college student entrance ceremony? Even I--- though having become a wandering soul, can understand.

I couldn't believe the possibility that the spirits of men, even when they have left their bodies, remain and stay in this world to watch over someone. This side of the world was hidden, so I had only recently found out.

I am, so to speak, a ghost.

My name was once Tada Banri.

Nobody hears this voice anymore, nobody notices my existence.

I just keep watching this new Tada Banri who continues to live, even though I, his spirit, have fallen out of him.

"Young man, at this hour what---, what happened---"

All of a sudden, the living Tada Banri turned his face forward and a light shone straight in his eyes, freezing him like a deer in a car's headlights.

"Ah, wha... I, I got lost..."

"Do you have a license, a passport, anything with you that can prove who you are?"

"Eh, ah, huh..."

He was being subjected to the first police interrogation of his life. This was going to be a long night. Was this situation a crisis? Was it a gift from god? You can never tell where Banri is concerned.

" Excuse me, I'm Tada Banri of the law school! " He exclaimed in a worried face
" And i am late " he said facing down

" Show me your student id. And, why were you late? " That girl said

" I am not used to living in Tokyo, so i got lost " Banri said while searching his pockets. 
" I got into a wrong train, and when i finally reached the station, i couldn't find the exits and was running in circles " Banri said while hurrying in searching his bag.  

Then he finally found his student id and showed it to that girl. 

Then he opened the door off the entrance ceremony while his mouth was full open and filled with worries. 

" That concludes this years entrance ceremony. New students, please head to your department's building for orientation. " The main infront of everyone, on the stage with a speaker said.

" What...? " Banri exclaimed 

Then everybody went out and a crowd gathered. 

This Spring, he moved from his home in Shizuoka to Tokyo. he made his long anticipated collage debut, Tokyo debut, and solitary living debut.. But he started it all by being late to the entrance ceremony.

" I wonder if i can really do this " Banri phuffed and murmured. Then he starred at all parents around him. 

Then he took off a paper and murmured 

" So we head to the collage now? " 

" Its one step away from the subway or a fifteen-minute walk " He turned that paper from one side to another side. He couldn't realize which way to.

" How should we get to the collage? Want to the train " Two girl before him said. 

" Won't the subway be crowded? " " ITs not that far if we take a shortcut, Let's walk. " " You are right. i am in " The two girls said while smiling 

Then Banri began to follow them