‘No, it’s not. But I was thinking, about Hawaii—’ Rion started to say.

‘What?’ Ureshino asked. Rion took a deep breath, as if thinking it over, then slowly shook his head.

‘Nothing. Ureshino, if you really do want to go abroad, you’d better study English, or whatever language they speak where you’re going.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘I didn’t really prepare, so it’s been tough.’

‘If you were there, I’d go to the same school as you. Though don’t count on me to play football. But most of the schools abroad start in September, don’t they? That’s sort of the world standard. In that sense Japan’s not in line with the rest.’

Masamune replied, ‘Could be, but so what? The rest of the world might do it one way, but we have to do things the way they’re done in Japan.’

‘Yeah … I see what you mean.’

As Kokoro watched this back and forth among the boys, someone tapped her shoulder from behind.

‘Wow, that’s really something – parents considering your future and stuff. Not like our parents, right, Kokoro?’ Aki said this out of the blue.

Aki seeking her agreement like this made her feel sort of gritty inside.

Mum is surely considering the next step, she thought. She’d spoken with Ms Kitajima, and had asked Kokoro whether she wanted to switch schools. If she hadn’t mentioned a plan yet, it was out of sensitivity towards Kokoro.

But Kokoro didn’t know how things were at Aki’s home, and so was reluctant to share her thoughts.

Aki and Subaru were in ninth grade, the last year of junior high, on the cusp of high school.

Had neither of them taken the entrance exams to high school? Kokoro couldn’t bring herself to ask.

When Kokoro didn’t respond, Aki said with a hint of annoyance, ‘Kokoro?’ and gazed directly at her. When Kokoro still didn’t react, she let out an exaggerated sigh.

‘From next month I’m going to repeat ninth grade.’ This time Aki addressed Subaru.

Kokoro was startled. ‘Repeat a grade?’

‘Yeah. I could graduate, but this strange woman who was a friend of my grandmother’s went to the school and insisted I repeat a year. I don’t really care one way or the other, and I haven’t given any thought to high school.’

‘You’re going to repeat the year at the same school? Not in another school nearby?’

‘You mean, go to the next nearest school, like No. 4 Junior High or something?’ Aki asked. ‘That’s impossible, isn’t it? I’ll be staying put.’

Kokoro was mulling this over – the fact that such possibilities existed – when a voice said, ‘I’m going on to high school.’

It was Subaru.

Aki and Kokoro – and the rest – stared at him, eyes wide.