The Life You Live

Chapter 1

Hasashi-Miho High, a private academy, contributed to the birth of many great minds. Its strength in the arts and sciences led it to rank at one of the top ten high school academies in Japan, its reputation indomitable in-so-far-as its working relationship with the Kunitachi College of Music, Waseda University, and the Kyoto and Tokyo Universities. Established in the early 1900s, Hasashi-Miho high was respected for its traditions as well as its ability to spearhead the momentum into the future; as classic as it was evolutionary.

It stood out with its bright red torii gate, wall-wrapped property, and a lavish garden square as well as a two-story, wooden building capable of housing one thousand students; topped by a clock. There was a track, a pool, and a Kendo hall, a large theater capable of housing four thousand (where the music room was attached), and there was a science building with more than enough room for fun projects. Not to mention a school vegetable garden and shrine. 

Though Hasashi-Miho high was reputed for music and science, it also covered traditional academics and was not short on extracurricular clubs--the Festival Council and Hasashi-Miho Ensemble (Orchestra + Choir, spearheaded by Bunji and a female teacher) the most notable among the students and the community.

Thus, we find ourselves in April after entrance and placement exams at the launch of the first term. Hasashi-Miho students wore traditional gakuran and sailor fuku uniforms with vested alternatives available; colored deep purple to separate them from other schools.

Because the science, sports, and music buildings were separate from the common classrooms, the day was divided in three ways. For seniors, the first part of the day was spent moving through the largest part of the curriculum in homeroom. Then, they distributed to science, then physical education, and at last, their electives (which for story sensibility, instrumental and choir will be separate as well as elective.) Bunji for instrumental (placed in the rather large music room) and a woman named Orohime for choir (placed in the theater).

Lunch starts at 12:30 (with a 40 minute break) and school ends at 3, allotting ample time for after school club activities.

Bunji whipped up his curly, calf-length, obsidian hair back into a ponytail and let the long ribbons of stray bangs lay as they please. Thereafter, he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves, making it a point to smooth over his collar and tie and to remove his phone from his slim-fitting slacks so he could turn it off and toss it into a drawer at his desk. After picking up the roster and shuffling through a few notes for the last class, he tucked it all neatly into a folder and left it on top of his desk, thinking that he was glad to have it all to himself, day-to-day. He didn’t, at all, envy the other teachers.

When he smiled, it was a bit of a lopsided gesture, dimpled on the left.

Seeing that there were some things to throw down on the board, Bunji plucked up a white piece of chalk and swept down his name (in Kanji, of course) and scribbled down a smiley face because he could. After stepping to the left, he slapped on some basic notes, put the chalk down, and moved back over to his desk to pick up a half empty box where curriculum packets awaited, removed them, put the box away, and looked up just as the bell rang for students to distribute to electives.

Today, it was instrument assignment for all of ten students, so Bunji looked forward to the less chaotic atmosphere.

At the very least, he figured it was because Seniors had a better idea where they were headed, meaning that first and second year classes were much larger; especially full of the curious kids that romanticized music and aspired to popularity in some form—whom dropped out when realizing it was a commitment.

So as his students trickled in, Bunji distributed a packet to each chair while greeting each one with a warm smile and a hooded, indigo gaze. Typical to his personality. Idle smile aside.