Gimai Seikatsu Volume 13 Fan

Translation

Translation, PDF: NaCl

Accuracy Checking: yuituri

Proofreading: Kei, existence is pain, rsa16

Illustration typesetting: Indi

Illustration coloring: Iviera

Glucose Translations

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 About the Translators

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 Table of Contents

Credits​ 8

About the Translators​ 10

Prologue - Yuuta Asamura​ 13

December 13th (Monday) - Yuuta Asamura​ 26

December 20th (Monday) - Yuuta Asamura​ 38

December 31st (Friday) ~ January 1st (Saturday) - Yuuta Asamura​ 58

January 15th (Saturday) ~ January 16th (Sunday) - Yuuta Asamura​ 92

February 27th (Sunday) - Yuuta Asamura​ 111

March 1st (Tuesday) Part 1 - Yuuta Asamura​ 115

March 1st (Tuesday) Part 2 - Yuuta Asamura​ 156

March 9th (Wednesday) - Yuuta Asamura​ 210

March 10th (Thursday) - Yuuta Asamura​ 227

Maaya Narasaka’s “Up ’Til Now” and “From Here on Out”​ 233

Tomokazu Maru’s “Up ’Til Now” and “From Here on Out”​ 238

Saki Ayase’s “From Here on Out”​ 242

Author’s Afterword​ 244

E-Book Exclusive Bonus: New Short Story - The Day She Became
Ryo-chin​ 246

Fan Translator’s Note​ 252

 Prologue - Yuuta Asamura

I counted with my eyes one by one.

There were currently only eight of us, including myself. That was
the total number of students currently present in the classroom.

It was completely deserted, yet it wasn’t even lunch time. A quick

glance at the clock hanging at the front of the room made that clear. The
hands pointed to a little past 10:20.

Below the clock was a blackboard that displayed two words: “self
study.”

We’d normally have this period for math class. Instead, however,
each student was quietly focusing on the subjects they wanted to study. I
was currently working through some physics problems, while the girl
sitting diagonally in front of me—

Right at that moment, as if sensing my gaze, she turned around in

one blink. My heart jumped.

Our eyes met.

Her lips moved.

“Do you have a dictionary, Asamura-kun?”

I think?

I fished for my electronic dictionary to show her, and she gave a

small nod in return. Keeping it in my hand, I stood up from my seat and
walked over to the girl—Ayase-san.

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“English?”

She nodded again.

Glucose Translations​ 13
 I caught a glimpse of her open textbook and notebook from the
corner of her vision.

Reading comprehension exercises, I guess?

Either she forgot her own dictionary at home or lent it to someone

in another class. Something along those lines.

Given class was still technically in session, despite there only

being six others besides us, I figured talking any further was a no-go.
Without saying anything else, I returned to my seat.

I mean, it’s not like I’ve got any classmates I regularly chat with
here today anyway.

Even Yoshida, who usually sat in front of me, wasn’t in today.

Class Rep, who’s usually close with Ayase-san, wasn’t here either.
Neither was Ryo-chin, a.k.a Ryouko Satou-san.

Still, something like this was perfectly normal for us third years
during December at Suisei High.

Attendance was no longer mandatory, and students were allowed

to prioritize their entrance exam studies.

That’s why the students who actually showed up, only to sit in
some classroom with the words “self study” scrawled on the board, were
rare. Most students probably figured they’d be better off studying at
some local library. Commuting took time too, and for some, it usually
cost money in train or bus fares.

I would’ve stayed at home too had Ayase-san not chosen to come

to school today.

Ayase-san was different.

She was the one who’d suggested coming to school to study in the
first place, and it was something I couldn’t help but question at the time.

I mean, Ayase-san’s the kinda person who considers commuting a

waste of time. Or at least, the version of her from six months ago
definitely would have.

So her answer surprised me.

Glucose Translations​ 14
 “It feels like such a waste when I think about how I only have a
few chances left to see my friends…” she explained, letting out a small,
self-deprecating smile. “But, then again, the chances of seeing them
even if I come to school aren’t that high in the first place…”

I found myself glancing around the classroom again.

No matter how many times I counted, there were only eight of us.

The classmates Ayase-san was close with—the ones she wanted to

see—were probably Class Rep and Satou-san. Just two people, basically.

Even if we included Maaya Narasaka-san from the next class over,

that still only made three.

Wouldn’t it have just been easier to ask if they were coming, or

coordinate for the same day, at that point?

“Eh? No way,” she answered immediately when I asked her this.

“I mean like, if I ask, ‘What day are you going to school?’ it might make
them feel sorta obligated. I want them to be able to study where it’s
best for them. Even if that means I’ll never get to see them at school,
that’s fine.”

She did want to see them, but she didn’t want to impose that
desire on them. That was just the kinda person Saki Ayase was.

“Besides,” she added, “it’s not just Maaya and the rest I want to
see.”

I stared at Ayase-san’s back as she sat diagonally ahead of me.

Now that December had arrived, with entrance exams literally

looming over us at this point, more and more of our classmates had
stopped coming to school. In just one week, the classroom had become
this empty. And it’s because of that that Ayase-san started to act like
this.

Her back moved slightly as she lifted her gaze from her desk for a
brief moment, casually glancing around the room. Then, as if satisfied,
she let a faint smile curve onto her lips, before returning to focus on her
books.

Glucose Translations​ 15
 She had developed a habit of glancing around the classroom from
time to time—as if she was attempting to engrave this soon-to-disappear
scenery into her memory.

The large air conditioner installed in the classroom let out a soft
thud before rumbling as it began to blow warm air. It probably detected
a drop in temperature and started to heat the room slightly. The fact I
was able to hear something so soft like that spoke volumes about just
how quiet it was.

I could hear the scratch of pencils against notebooks, the soft

rustling of textbook pages turning, and even faint murmurs when
someone struggled with a difficult problem.

Time flowed gently as the quiet presence of my classmates

enveloped the entire room.

Everyone’s working hard—I can feel it.

“It’s quiet, but not empty. It makes studying comfy,” Ayase-san

had explained, giving me another reason why she liked coming to school
during this time of year.

Apparently for her, the slight presence of others was more

comforting than being completely alone.

Of course, noise being a problem was out of the

question—everyone was studying, after all. But this level of quietness,
where she could still sense the people around her while tuning
everything out to focus on studying, was just right.

Maybe, in some way, this was just a reaction to the sudden

increase in people she started to interact with lately.

The first year of high school might have probably felt close to
silence for Ayase-san. No matter what sounds surrounded her in her
environment, they probably never actually reached her ears. It was only
in her third year did her once-quiet days suddenly become lively.

And maybe she enjoyed that. But at the same time, maybe the said
environment really never gave her a chance to settle down and relax.

So this classroom, at this present moment, was perfect for her to

feel at ease.

Glucose Translations​ 16
 The chime rang. But no one moved right away.

Had a teacher been giving a lecture, the class would have instantly
filled with chatter the moment break time began. But here, everyone
was studying to their own schedule. It was natural that breaks happened
at different times for everyone, then.

Still, that was only the case for us third years. The underclassmen
still followed their regular schedules, so the noisiness of the lower floors
started to slowly creep up into our classroom, such as the sound of
someone running down the hallway echoed in the distance. Even during
their short breaks, the underclassmen played around enthusiastically,
and it wasn’t long before their excited shouts could be heard from the
schoolyard.

Back in our classroom, someone let out a deep stretch, setting off
a chain reaction that spready a relaxed atmosphere over the eight
students who were quietly studying.

At that moment, the front door of the classroom slid open with a
clatter.

“Hope I’m not intruding—”

The one who entered was none other than Class Rep.

“Ah! Just like that, just like that. Keep studying, everyone!” she
exclaimed after pushing up her under-rimmed glasses with her finger
while glancing around the room.

Way to ruin the studious atmosphere, Class Rep.

“What’s up?” Ayase-san called out to her.

“Oh! If it ain’t Sakiccho! Today’s one of your school days, huh?

Man, long time no see!”

“Did you forget something?”

It’s pretty rare to see Ayase-san being the one initiating a

conversation with Class Rep.

Glucose Translations​ 17
 There’s a slight bounce to her voice too. It’s a pretty heartwarming
moment, but out of all things she could’ve said, she asked that? Of all
possible reasons, who in their right mind would come back to school
during the middle of exam season just for something like that—

“Bingo! Yep, I forgot my dictionary.”

Seriously…?

Isn’t she aiming for Todai[1], if I’m remembering things right? Is

she just scatterbrained, or on another level entirely?

She made her way to her desk and rummaged noisily through it.

“Ah, there you are! Yep, right where I left it. Ahhh, I knew
it—nothin’ beats the one you’re used to.”

What she pulled out was the Obunsha Classical Japanese

Dictionary, 10th Edition, Expanded Version, known for its striking
red-and-white cover. Despite being a compact, B6 size, it boasted
around 43,500 entries.

Oh, a classical Japanese dictionary. Yeah, it’s definitely

something you’re not gonna use that often compared to other ones. It’s
something you wouldn’t wanna be without, but something you don’t
need every time.

“How was studying without it?” Ayase-san asked.

“I mean, I could still look things up online, but I just feel more
comfortable using something I’m familiar with in the end, y’know?”

“So you came all the way here to get it.”

“Exactly.”

The sight of Class Rep holding a classical dictionary somehow fits

her.

Not many people used physical dictionaries in the classroom

anymore. Even I—someone so obsessed with books that my friends
often get exasperated at my addiction—preferred paper books when it
comes to novels and even non-fiction. But for studying? I still prioritized
functionality and convenience, so I used an electronic dictionary.

Glucose Translations​ 18
 Yet, a few people—like Class Rep, and now that I think about it,
Ayase-san too—still held on to their paper dictionaries.

Despite being in an age where electronic dictionaries were so

widespread and where information was so easily accessible online, some
people still stuck with what felt right in their hands—what felt familiar
to their eyes.

It’s as if those choices reflect their personalities and values.

Those differences—so small yet tellingly distinctive—felt so

interesting and even a little precious to me.

“Mission complete. Welp, sorry for disturbin’. Keep up the good

work, everyone!”

Like a storm, Class Rep had come, and like a storm, she was just
about to leave.

But just as she reached the door, she suddenly slammed on the
brakes and spun around.

“Ah, right! Saki-no-suke!” she exclaimed, prompting Ayase-san,

who had just been about to return to her studies to look up. “I don’t
know when we’ll get to see each other next, so I’ll just say it now—happy
birthday!”

Ayase-san let out a sharp, brief gasp.

“Ah… Yeah.”

“Alrighty then! Let’s both do our best! You guys too!”

And this time, she really did disappear like a passing storm.

Ayase-san, who’d been watching Class Rep’s retreating figure,

murmured something under her breath before letting a small smile play
on her lips.

A girl sitting three seats away—Morishita-san, I think?—then

turned to Ayase-san.

“It’s your birthday, Ayase-san?”

Glucose Translations​ 19
 Her words surprised Ayase-san; not just her question itself, but
the fact that someone she’d barely talked with had suddenly called out
to her. Still, after a brief pause, she answered back.

“It’s still more than ten days away. Class Rep’s just impatient.”

“That’s soon! Congrats!”

“Ah… Yeah. Thanks.”

That was basically the whole back-and-forth; a short

conversation. The two of them weren’t really close in the first place,
after all. Yet, even after Morishita-san directed her attention back to
studying, Ayase-san continued to gaze at her for a little longer.

And then, she returned to her own work.

“It feels like such a waste when I think about how I only have a
few chances left to see my friends…”

So that’s what she also meant, I guess.

When lunchtime arrived, Ayase-san and I pushed our desks

together and laid out our bentos.

Today’s main dish was chicken. I made it last night by marinating

some chicken thighs in soy sauce, honey, and some ginger before grilling
it. After letting them cool down a bit, I had wrapped them up and kept
them in the fridge, and reheated them lightly in the microwave this
morning before packing them. There was also some salad and cherry
tomatoes, and a single pickled plum that sat on white rice. It was a lunch
that featured an infusion of Japanese and Western flavors.

Wait no, it’s just homemade bento; no need to get so worked up

’bout it.

“Mmm. It’s delicious. The sweetness is just right.”

I let out a small sigh of relief at Ayase-san’s comment. Not only

was she not great with spicy stuff, she also disliked things that were too
sweet, making it tricky to get the balance right.

“I really like how you season your food, Asamura-kun.”

“All I did was follow a recipe, though.”

Glucose Translations​ 20
 Of course, I did taste the marinade while prepping it. But given I
wasn’t sensitive at all to both sweet and spicy flavors, I really wasn’t
confident in the final result.

“Don’t worry, it’s really good.”

“Personally think I could’ve added some more color.”

“It’s Japanese food; it can’t be helped.”

“Ah, right. Japanese food always somehow turns out brown.”

I tried my hand at frying chicken not too long ago.

Deep-frying was a pretty high hurdle for some guy in high school
who really never cooked for himself, but above all, I really wanted to just
eat some.

I had tossed the freshly fried karaage into our bento boxes,
sprinkled some soy sauce-seasoned dried bonito flakes over the rice, and
packed it with some store-bought kinpira gobo and kombu rolls[2]. I was
completely convinced I had created the ultimate bento at the time.

But the moment I opened the lid at school, the first thing that
popped into my head was—

Brown.

So, so, brown.

It was only then did I truly realize how beautifully colorful

Ayase-san’s bentos always were.

“Ah, yeah I remember that. It didn’t really bother me, but Class
Rep and Satou-san ended up sliding me some rolled omelet and
kamaboko[3] on the side.”

In other words, those two thought my bento was completely

disappointing.

It’s a misunderstanding though, guys. Ayase-san didn’t make

that bento. The culprit’s right here.

“They told me I must have it tough,” Ayase-san smiled a little, as if

reliving the moment.

Glucose Translations​ 21
 “Huh?”

Although I was still clearly confused as to why Class Rep and

Satou-san said that, Ayase-san smoothly shifted the conversation back
without any further explanation.

“Try using red pickled ginger for red, and leafy greens with a slice
of lemon for green and yellow if you want to easily add color to your
bento. Bell peppers are great and come in lots of colors too.”

“A workman is known by his tools, huh?”

“Food’s more appealing to eat when it looks nice. But I think

today’s bento’s well thought out, too. You even added some cherry
tomatoes for some color—it looks good.”

Even if it was just flattery, hearing those words from her made me
happy. It gave me motivation to keep trying.

We then ate in silence for a while; talking too much would mean
lunchtime would be over before we knew it.

The classroom retained its quietness too.

No, it’s even quieter than just now—some of the already few
students here today had gone to the cafeteria or school store to buy food,
so there were even less people around. Besides me and Ayase-san, the
only other students here were two who’d claimed the scenic
window-side seats.

Given there were so little people around, Ayase-san and I didn’t

have to worry about others making comments about us eating together
like this. Guess this was one of the perks of continuing to come to school
together.

Pausing and resting my chopsticks to glance out the window, I

spotted a leafless ginko tree in the schoolyard, swaying against the
backdrop of the now mostly clear winter sky. Its bare branches bent to
the forces of the wind, which was pretty strong today.

“Oh right. What should we do for our birthdays?” I turned back to

face Ayase-san as I spoke.

Glucose Translations​ 22
 “Hmm… I don’t think we’ll be able to do anything like last year
with exams coming up.”

“Then I guess we better avoid going out.”

Ayase-san nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I don’t really have time for anything like that. I’m cutting
close as is.”

“I’m in the same boat too.”

Ayase-san glanced up at me slightly, her eyes seemingly saying,

“You say that, yet you seem more in control than I am.”

But no, really, I don’t. I swear.

Taking a sip from her carton of milk tea she’d bought from the
vending machine in the break room, she set down her chopsticks after a
brief pause.

“It’s gotten really quiet, huh?” she remarked.

Since she was glancing around, she was probably referring to how
empty the class was.

It was normal for this class to be jam-packed not too long ago—it
was normal for the classrooms and hallways on this floor to be so noisy
and full of life. Yet, ever since the turn of the months, it’d only taken a
short time for the classroom to become what it was now. That sudden
change made it feel as if everything had shifted all at once.

Even though the pace of each passing day really hadn’t changed at
all.

“It’s like it’s all coming to an end. It really feels that way.”

“Yeah. It’s like… only three months ’til graduation, amirite?”

Ayase-san shook her head.

“Not that much.”

“For real?”

Glucose Translations​ 23
 If my memory serves right, Suisei High’s graduation ceremony
was on March 1st…

“It’s two months and three weeks.”

I held back the urge to call her out for being so precise.

But maybe it was Ayase-san’s way of spending each day with the
awareness that her high school life was really steadily ticking away.

“Thanks for the meal,” she said, pressing her hands together in
gratitude before closing her bento box and slipping it into her lunch
pouch. She then sipped up the last of her milk tea, letting out a sigh as
she exhaled. “It’s really going to end, huh…?”

Setting my own chopsticks down, I slid my hand across the desk,

stopping just about three centimeters away from where her own rested
neatly atop her lunch pouch.

She stiffened for a second and looked at me.

“There’s still two months and three weeks left,” I said.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at my words. Then, her

expression softened, the corners of her eyes curving as she smiled and
gently touched her fingertips with mine.

“That’s right…” she murmured as she gazed out the window.

Reflected in her eyes was the pale blue of the winter sky.

Glucose Translations​ 24
[1]: “東大” (Todai): short form for “東京大学” (Tokyodaigaku), the University of Tokyo.

[2]: Shredded burdock root and carrot braised in a sweet and savory sauce, and rolls made
from kelp, usually containing fillings like salmon.

[3]: The iconic Japanese fish cake that’s pink on the outside but white on the inside.

Glucose Translations​ 25
 December 13th (Monday) - Yuuta Asamura

Waking up in the morning has become more and more of a chore

lately.

Yet, it’s not just because the cold has become harsher—it’s also
because I’ve been getting even less sleep as I pushed through the final
stretch of my exam prep.

Yeah, I’m still kinda sleepy, I thought as I stepped into the dining
room warmed by the air conditioner, as the scent of grilled fish wafted
past my nose.

“Good morning, Yuuta,” my old man turned to look at me as he

scooped some rice from the rice cooker.

“Need any help?” I asked after greeting him back.

“It’s alright. Just about done,” he placed a rice bowl in front of my

usual seat as he spoke.

I glanced over at the food spread out on the table today. Looks
like today’s breakfast features some grilled sardines.

“You’ve grilled these pretty nicely.”

“I mean, I’m bound to get the hang of it after doing this for over
half a year now.”

“I’ll start helping out again after my exams are done.”

“That depends on where you get accepted. You might end up

living in a dorm, amirite? Well, just focus on your exams for now—we’ll
cross that bridge when we come to it. By the way, you and Saki-chan are
heading to school today too, right, Yuuta?”

“Yep, that’s the plan. Easier to stay on track there.”

I left out my real reason and gave a safe response instead.

Glucose Translations​ 26
 Ayase-san finally woke up sometime later as we continued talking,
greeting my old man as she took her seat.

“Sorry for having you do breakfast every day.”

“It’s just helping each other out when things get busy. C’mon, eat
up now. But I guess the stuff I make’s not as good as yours, Saki-chan.”

“That’s not true at all,” Ayase-san said before pressing her hands
together. “Itadakimasu.”

My old man sat down too, resuming eating. He’s always leaving
the house earlier than us, now that I think ’bout it.

Wait, we don’t even have to go to school in the first place, so it

wouldn’t even matter if we’re late.

In that case…

“I’ll take care of the dishes,” I told him as he finished eating.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Saying that, he gathered his dishes and carried them to the sink. I
hurriedly followed after him.

Stealing a glance at Ayase-san, I saw she still hadn’t taken off her
earphones, even as she ate breakfast.

She’s probably listening to English comprehension, or

something.

She’d even gone out of her way to buy a pair of wireless ones
because of how annoying the wires got while eating.

I held out my right hand and gestured, as if telling her to just keep
eating.

She stared blankly at me for a brief moment before nodding

slightly.

“Thanks,” she mouthed.

Ayase-san was the type of person who understood that keeping

her earphones in while eating at the dining table was, simply put, bad
manners. Yet, given everyone knew just how precious time was to her,

Glucose Translations​ 27
she started to adopt this new approach after giving a heads-up a few
days ago. Call it an agreed-upon rudeness, I guess.

I stood next to my old man and started helping with the

dishes—or rather, I practically snatched them from him and began
washing them myself.

“Hey, ain’t it about time for you to head out?”

“Ah, yeah.”

“Washing your plate’s not exactly a big deal.”

“Is that so? Guess I’ll take you up on that then,” he uttered before
suddenly letting out a sigh, taking off the apron he’d been wearing while
cooking. “Maybe things would’ve turned out different with that person if
I’d helped out around the house this much back then, too.”

My heart skipped a beat in response to his words, “that person.”

That person—my biological mother. This was probably the first

time I’ve heard him bring her up so directly ever since he remarried.

I cast a quick glance over my shoulder.

He was pretty quiet, and Ayase-san looked to be way too focused

on eating and listening to her English comprehension to have
overheard.

“Saki-chan’s always thanking me all the time, but I can’t help but
think that… The only reason I’m a father worth being grateful over now
is because I don’t want to repeat my past mistakes.”

It was as if he was admitting that, deep down, he was still just a

flawed person himself.

“I mean, you’ve changed for the better, and that’s all that
matters,” I told him.

And it’s true—having Akiko-san take over all the cooking just
because she was the better cook, making him stop entirely, could’ve
possibly led to trouble down the line. So the fact he’s changed from a
desire to avoid past failures was a positive thing.

Change isn’t always bad, after all.

Glucose Translations​ 28
 “I mean look, I might end up living alone for uni, remember? In
that case, this comes in handy for me too. Knowing how to cook’s never
a bad thing.”

At first, I’d basically left almost everything to Ayase-san. Looking

back on it now, the burden I had placed on her would’ve most likely
built up to the point of causing a rift between us if I had let things
continue like that.

“Our family’s changed and we share responsibilities now.

Everyone’s happy, no problems—simple as that,” I explained,
deliberately making sure my tone was lighthearted.

“You’ve started to say some pretty mature things, huh…? You’ve

really grown up, Yuuta,” my old man spoke in a deep, sentimental tone.

Wait a sec, isn’t he supposed to be in a rush?

“C’mon, you really gotta get going. Why bring this up all a
sudden?” I asked, and he gave a small smile immediately in response.

“Because it’s your birthday, Yuuta… I know it’s kinda late in the
conversation to say it now, but happy birthday.”

I froze.

I had remembered about it just last night, but it looked like it

completely slipped my mind the moment morning came around.

December 13th. No doubt ’bout it—today’s my birthday.

For my old man, his memories of me must stretch from all the
way back from when I was born to now. Just the fact that today was my
birthday probably triggered all of them to come flooding back.

“Ah… yeah, thanks,” I responded with that thought in mind.

“Alright, I’ll leave it to you then.”

Grabbing his bag in a bit of a hurry, my old man then tossed an

“I’m off” our way before heading out.

Ayase-san, who had been fiddling with her phone up until now,
finally took out her earphones.

Glucose Translations​ 29
 “Take care,” we both called after him simultaneously.

She then turned to face me.

“Did Stepdad say something before leaving?”

“Ah, yeah. Just, y’know, wishing me a happy birthday since it’s

today,” I told her, leaving out the part where he talked about my
biological mother.

I really don’t feel like bringing that up.

“Oh, that’s right. Happy birthday. We can’t really celebrate much

this year though, huh?”

“I mean it can’t be helped. The sorrows of a student prepping for

exams, amirite?”

Still, Akiko-san did mention about whipping up something

special for dinner today.

I’ll just have to put up with just that this year. The rest of the day
would just be about buckling down as usual.

As Ayase-san put her earphones back in and went back to fiddling

with her phone, I resumed eating breakfast while pulling out a
vocabulary book from my pocket. Neither of us spoke much—we just
quietly ate as we crammed our food down as if it were fuel.

Even though there weren’t any consequences for tardiness this

time of year, neither of us wanted to be late, so we left the house
together at our usual time in the end.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

“It’s really starting to feel like winter,” Ayase-san remarked as a

cold gust of wind brushed against us as we walked.

Glancing at her, I saw her cheeks were tinged a slight red, and her
breath came out in short white puffs.

Glucose Translations​ 30
 I wasn’t using my bike anymore. Instead, we were walking
together—hand in hand.

As we strolled side by side, Ayase-san suddenly spoke up.

“1773.”

“Huh…? Ah, the Boston Tea Party?”

“Correct. You’re taking history, Asamura-kun?”

“Kinda. I’m planning to take civics for the common test, but…
Well, that’s about how much I know.”

The Boston Tea Party was an event considered a turning point

leading to the American Revolution.

Lately, Ayase-san I had taken to quizzing each other over things

we’d memorized for our exams, from stuff like English vocabulary to
random historical dates—that sorta thing. It was a very
exam-student-like thing to do, but Ayase-san’s questions always came
out of nowhere, catching me off guard every time.

We continued walking, exchanging quiz questions as we went.

We didn’t have many opportunities left to walk down this road

together like this. Before we knew it, the ten or so minutes it took to get
to school had become something precious for both of us.

“Oh, right. Happy birthday,” Ayase-san suddenly said, catching

me off guard again.

“Didn’t you already wish me one this morning, though?”

“That was because of the flow of the conversation. I want to make

sure I say it properly. I don’t have a present or a party to throw for you,
but at least I can give you a proper birthday wish.”

“Gotcha. Yeah, thanks. It’ll be your turn next week, then.”

Ayase-san gave a small nod to my comment.

Our birthdays were exactly one week apart.

“Guess I’m your ‘nii-san’ for real this week then,” I teased her
slightly, earning a reaction from Ayase-san as she puffed out her cheeks.

Glucose Translations​ 31
 “There it is! So unfair.”

“I-is it really?”

“We’re in the same grade, aren’t we?”

“Well, yeah, but—”

“And we’re taking our exams at the same time together. It feels
like I’m somehow losing and I don’t like that.”

I don’t think it’s unfair though… It’s just a fact.

But seeing her reaction, I was reminded once again that

Ayase-san really hated losing. While she wasn’t obsessed with winning,
she definitely didn’t like to lose.

“You’re still calling me “Yuuta-niisan’ at home though…”

“That’s different. It’s like a job title.”

“So being your older brother’s a job now?”

“Official titles are used in formal settings, aren’t they?”

So home’s a “formal setting” according to Ayase-san, huh? But

what even is “formal”?

She really does weirdly categorize things sometimes.

Welp, putting that aside—

“How’s studying going?”

“So-so, I guess.”

“So-so” for Ayase-san usually meant things were actually going

well, though. If she were really struggling, she’d definitely be more on
edge. There was a sense of calmness in her answer.

And as for me…

“What about you, Asamura-kun?”

“So-so, I guess.”

Glucose Translations​ 32
 …I felt like I wasn’t making enough progress—I was actually
getting pretty anxious.

“You saying that must mean you’re probably doing really well.”

What…? Are you sure ’bout that?

“You’re always underestimating your own ability. You’re always

feeling like it’s still not enough whenever you’re doing well. How are you
doing on past papers? You’re solving them fine, aren’t you?”

That’s… true.

It’s true I was getting a reasonable amount of questions right

whenever I was just solving past papers, but I still felt like it wasn’t
enough. Just memorizing answers didn’t mean anything.

Unless the exact same questions appeared on the actual test, what
mattered was understanding the material.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing that things are going smoothly if
we’re both really keen on getting into our first-choices.”

“It’s a competition, then,” Ayase-san commented with excitement.

“It’s not like we’re applying to the same uni, so I don’t think there
should be anything like that in the first place,” I chuckled.

“But it’s exactly why there should. It’ll be really motivating for the
both of us if we think of each other as rivals, won’t it?”

“I see. Guess I’ll take you up on that then.”

Competition itself gets stressful for some, so it’s not like it’s this
perfect motivational tool.

But I guess it’s fine if it helps Ayase-san stay motivated.

Just as I was mulling over that thought, Ayase-san suddenly

slumped her shoulders.

“Oh, right… You’re not really the competitive type, are you,
Asamura-kun?”

“That’s not true. I am! Alright, let’s see who gets accepted!”

Glucose Translations​ 33
 “Hey. You’re seriously gonna take this seriously, right?” she asked
after giving me a long, skeptical look.

“Yep, bring it on,” I nodded as seriously as I could.

“Haaah… Well, whatever. It’s because you’re like this that I feel
we can have a harmless rivalry in the first place.”

“It’s an honor to be considered worthy enough to be your rival. I

have no objections competing with you.”

“Mm. Let’s make it a good one.”

“Yeah.”

But really, being seen as a rival by Ayase-san felt weirdly

comfortable.

I think this’ll be fun.

She’s expecting me to do my best in order to pass my entrance

exams, and normally, that kinda expectation usually weighs heavily on
me. I mean, I basically almost crumbled under the pressure of similarly
high expectations back when I was in elementary.

Yet, despite having my own strong desire to be seen as a worthy

competitor to her as well, it didn’t feel suffocating at all.

And maybe that’s because, deep down, I believed that even if, by
some near-impossible chance, I utterly failed my exams, Ayase-san
wouldn’t be disappointed in me.

What I was scared of wasn’t failing itself.

Rather, what I was scared of is disappointing someone else.

My biological mother never failed to have high expectations for

me, and was always disappointed whenever I was unable to meet them.

And it was the same with Ayase-san’s biological father.

Glucose Translations​ 34
 He—Fumiya Itou—had this fabricated image of what an ideal
father, mother, and daughter should be like. And when reality naturally
failed to match his vision, he was hurt. He never realized those
expectations of his were the noose suffocating his family—himself
included.

Expectations can sometimes be a great poison—something both

Ayase-san and I had grown exhausted from after being subjected to it
one-sidedly.

That was exactly why we’d promised to not expect anything from
each other back then. It was how our lives as siblings had started.

Yet, we were now able to find comfort in holding a certain level of

expectations for each other.

So, where did that difference come from?

Well, it pretty much comes down to this.

Think of a threshold—an invisible line—when expectations

become too much; expectations that turn into nothing but demands.

Like the ones my mother had, and the ones Ayase-san’s father
had.

They crossed this line without realizing it, and failed to stop at the
point where demanding any more would only cause harm.

My old man and my biological mom, as well as Akiko-san and

Fumiya Itou, must’ve felt that sense of crisis at the time—that crossing
that line would mean they’d only end up hurting each other.

Yet, instead of taking the steps to adjust, they took their

relationships for granted.

The key is to constantly reassess, to constantly check in with each

other.

Even among the closest of families, respect is important.

Glucose Translations​ 35
 For us, the reason why Ayase-san and I have been able to balance
our mutual expectations—without tripping across the line into
something harmful—is because we’ve learned where the boundaries are.
We’ve come to understand which lines can and can’t be crossed.

And we’ve become aware enough with each other that we now
don’t always need words to gauge that distance.

It was simply familiarity as a result of experience.

Still, taking this familiarity for granted—forgetting to take the

time to constantly adjust to each other and becoming
complacent—would crumble our relationship.

At least that’s how I see it.

This “competition” Ayase-san keeps talking about isn’t about

victory.

She’ll fight to win, sure—but winning isn’t her goal.

The act of competing itself is.

And that’s why I’ll be able to go along with it.

What she expects from me isn’t success—it’s something else

entirely.

“Asamura-kun…”

I caught her quiet murmur and turned to look at her.

“I’m really glad we were born in the same year. It’s because of it
we’re able to take our exams together.”

“…Yeah. Me too.”

Ayase-san was simply driven by the desire to be her very best, and
all she wanted was the assurance that someone close to her side was
running the same path.

Those around us walked with reddened cheeks, some burying

their faces in their scarves, while others chose to pull up the collars of
their coats.

Glucose Translations​ 36
 The fallen leaves lined our path as we crossed the intersection,
drawing closer to Suisei High.

It wasn’t before long before we were met with a steady stream of

students as they poured through the school gates.

It all looked just as it always did.

But the moment we reached the top floor that housed the
third-year classrooms, the number of students visibly thinned.

What was left was just an empty hallway that echoed with nothing
but our footsteps.

And on this wide path, it felt as if only Ayase-san and I were

walking together.

Glucose Translations​ 37
 December 20th (Monday) - Yuuta Asamura

A week had gone by since my birthday.

Of course, I hadn’t forgotten that today was Ayase-san’s own,

despite not relying on my phone’s calendar. Or rather, not only had I not
forgotten, it was impossible for me to.

The trick to it? Well, lemme explain…

There’s a group chat that only Ayase-san, her friend Maaya

Narasaka, and I are in. Last night, right at the stroke of midnight, I’d
received a notification from it.

Opening it up, I saw a message from Narasaka-san.

Maaya: 【Happy Birthday Saki!】

A short message accompanied by a sticker of a cat biting into a

cake.

And the timestamp? Exactly 00:00, which meant she must have
typed it up in advance so she could send it the moment the hour hand
hit twelve.

The crucial detail here is that I also received that message at the
same time. In other words, while congratulating Ayase-san,
Narasaka-san was subtly reminding me, as if saying, “Don’t forget,
m’kay~?”

And since the chat shows read receipts, there was no room for me
to claim that I’d forgotten.

Still, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the sheer amount of

thoughtfulness that girl had. It was as if she could see right through me,
down to my habit of usually forgetting to wish people’s birthdays. She
basically casually took the role of being a human reminder without
making a huge fuss about it.

Glucose Translations​ 38
 So with all that, I was already mentally prepared by the time I
woke up.

After getting dressed into my uniform, I headed to the dining

room where I found Ayase-san already dressed up in hers. She was
sitting in her usual seat, listening to some English comprehension. She
wasn’t eating yet.

To avoid startling her, I deliberately made my presence obvious.

Approaching her, I gave the back of her chair a light tap.

Despite me being in a relationship with her in which you’d call us

lovers, I still didn’t have the guts to casually pat a girl on the shoulder.
Figures this holds true even if she were my actual little sister, too.

I’ve gotta ask someone with an actual younger sis to know for
sure, though.

Ayase-san lifted her head in surprise.

“Happy birthday, Saki,” I said in a somewhat formal tone, taking

her removing her earphones as a cue, before adding a “Good morning.”

I made sure to wish her birthday first given it was more

important.

“Good morning. Mm, thanks. Yuuta-nii—” she started, before

glancing left and right quickly as she lowered her voice, “…Yuuta.”

In all honesty, our parents probably wouldn’t have heard her even
if she’d said it normally.

Yet, just as I was thinking that—

Their bedroom door opened, and Akiko-san stepped out.

My heart skipped a beat.

“Good morning, Yuuta-kun,” she greeted me before heading to the

kitchen.

She opened the refrigerator and quickly began setting out the
pre-made side dishes she had stored in some Tupperware. My old man
also popped out from their bedroom slightly later, mumbling a sleepy
“G’morning” in a drowsy voice.

Glucose Translations​ 39
 Both Ayase-san and I responded to both of their greetings. Still
half-asleep, my old man then let out a yawn before heading to the
bathroom.

Having both of them up at this hour’s kinda unusual…

“It’s rare for you to make breakfast, Mom,” Ayase-san remarked.

She’s right. Considering that Akiko-san usually returns home late

into the night, she should still be exhausted. Yet, not only was she
setting out food on the table, she was also whipping up some miso soup
from scratch.

At Ayase-san’s words, Akiko-san beamed, puffing out her chest

proudly.

“It’s the second phase of my special shift starting today!” she

explained, earning Ayase-san tilting her head in confusion.

I mirrored her gesture as I stood behind her, albeit a moment

later.

Her special shift?

With the look of a magician revealing a well-kept trick, Akiko-san

began to lay it all out. Apparently, the long-term leave she’d applied for
at work had been approved according to her.

“Long-term leave? You’re taking time off work, Mom?” Ayase-san

asked, sounding surprised.

Akiko-san hadn’t continued to bartend after remmarrying out of

financial concerns. Even ignoring having two working adults to support
our family, my old man’s salary was enough for us if we budgeted
carefully.

Sure, a part of her continuing to work was to ensure financial

stability, but more than that, she genuinely loved her job. It was why
Ayase-san was so shocked.

“It’s just until your exams are over for now.”

Glucose Translations​ 40
 Up ’til now, my old man and Akiko-san divided household duties
so that Ayase-san and I wouldn’t have to worry about things like
cooking. When necessary, they relied on pre-made meals as well.

“But I want to give you both as many warm, freshly made meals as
possible,” Akiko-san explained.

It wasn’t as if there was anything wrong with pre-made food, and

I personally didn’t mind either way. Even so, I sorta had an idea of why
she insisted on this.

Akiko-san’s work schedule had been so irregular back when she

was struggling through that period of being freshly divorced, so much so
to the point where she hadn’t been able to make meals for her own
daughter. It was probably a huge regret she must’ve been holding onto
up to this point.

“You sure?”

“It’s fine. I haven’t quit or anything,” she reassured, smiling at

Ayase-san’s concerned expression.

“Then… If you say so.”

“Besides, I’ve been thinking about the future a little bit. Think of
this as a trial run,” Akiko-san said, glancing away for a brief moment.

Ayase-san followed her gaze with slightly narrowed eyes, before

turning back to her mother.

“A trial run…?”

“Maybe I’ll cut back on work and continue living like this.”

“You mean like, keeping things the way they are now?”

“Ah, yes, but not right away. I’ll think about it more properly after
you two finish your entrance exams. There’s no rush to change our
lifestyle even then. But if it comes to that, I probably wouldn’t be able to
work for a while,” Akiko-san spoke with a thoughtful, almost cryptic
manner, resting a finger on her chin.

“Ah… So that’s what you mean,” Ayase-san replied, seemingly

picking up on something.

Glucose Translations​ 41
 “I haven’t decided on anything yet. It’s not just my decision to
make. I want to properly discuss it with the both of you once things
settle down after your exams too.”

Their conversion felt like some sorta coded exchange—I was

completely left out of the loop. They were both understanding
something I simply didn’t.

“Um, what do you—”

“Your food’s getting cold, Yuuta-niisan,” Ayase-san urged me to

sit down with a glance.

Prompted by her gaze, I took my seat.

It was pretty unusual for Ayase-san to be so evasive like this—she

was usually someone who preferred speaking her mind clearly, after all.
I didn’t understand what was going on, but I could at least tell it wasn’t
something easy to talk about. So, I quietly decided to focus on eating my
breakfast.

Spread out on the table was some Japanese mixed rice, pre-made
side dishes, and freshly made miso soup.

My old man returned from the bathroom and joined us, making it
the first time in a while that the four of us ate breakfast together.

As always, my old man kept repeating how delicious everything

was, earning a happy smile from Akiko-san.

“Nice to have something warm in winter, right? It’s really good,” I

added, sipping my miso soup as I followed my old man’s lead.

“It’s getting cold out, so make sure to take care, okay?”

“Yeah,” I nodded at Akiko-san’s words, Ayase-san doing the same

from beside me.

Before we knew it, the second half of December had already rolled
by.

We only had around a month before the common test—this was

the final stretch.

Glucose Translations​ 42
 ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

We walked around our usual route to school, the only difference

being that Ayase-san and I weren’t holding hands as usual.

This was because she was briskly walking ahead, and I had to take
longer strides to just keep up.

“Um…” I spoke up.

Ayase-san kept walking in silence.

“’Bout what Akiko-san was saying earlier—”

She kept walking, and walking, and walking… Step after step.

Yeah…

I was only looking for her to explain that mysterious conversation

she had with Akiko-san this morning.

“Not telling you.”

“W-why?”

Was it something I wasn’t even allowed to ask about indirectly?

I mean look, you’re walking wayyy too fast here, Ayase-san.

There was no point in rushing so much to the point of being out of

breath and turning red in the face…

She then suddenly stopped in her tracks, and I almost bumped

into her back and had to stumble to a halt.

“I don’t really know either.”

“…Huh?”

She then spun around, her expression troubled as if she were

trying to find the right words.

“I have an idea of what it might be, but I’m still not sure… So I
don’t want to say anything careless.”

Glucose Translations​ 43
 “G-gotcha.”

So even Ayase-san hadn’t fully grasped what Akiko-san was

implying.

“Some futures can only be seen as probabilities, right?”

“Uhhh… I mean, yeah, I guess. Wait, actually, isn’t that how all
futures are?”

Neither of us could say for sure whether we’d be university

students three months from now.

Ayase-san shook her head.

“That’s not what I’m trying to say. I’m talking about how there are
things where, no matter how hard you try, you’re only able to leave it up
to fate.”

That’s starting to sound kinda dramatic.

“She might be trying something that relies on luck—something

that takes months to see results, and maybe nearly a year to reach the
final outcome. Plus, Mom might decide to not go through with it
depending on how our exams go too in the first place. And even then,
she probably still hasn’t figured out what comes next. I just don’t want
to talk about something so uncertain based on my hunch.”

Even through all her roundabout phrasing, I could tell this was
something really difficult for Ayase-san to talk about.

“Did Akiko-san… buy a lottery ticket or something?”

She slumped her shoulders in exasperation.

“How’d you even get to that?”

“I mean, it takes months to see if you’ve won or not, and she’d still
need to go through the whole process of actually claiming the money
even if she did. And then she’d have to figure out what to do with it after
getting it… It kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Okay, I knew that wasn’t actually the answer here, but I just
couldn’t think of anything else.

Glucose Translations​ 44
 “Asamura-kun… You’re normally so considerate and
understanding, but you’re really so unbelievably dense sometimes…”

“Sorry.”

She shook her head.

“It’s nothing weird, so don’t worry about it. On the other hand…”
she started, preparing to say something else before abruptly stopping
herself. “Let’s go. We’ll be late.”

“Uh, hol’ on,” I called out to her as she took the lead again.

I took her hand—

“Ah…”

—And squeezed it slightly. She gently squeezed back

Looks like she didn’t mind holding hands, after all.

What a relief.

“I won’t worry about it if you say so, Ayase-san.”

“Mm. Actually, I really don’t think it’ll be a bad thing. Probably…

Yeah, it’s something good.”

“Gotcha. Right, that’s good enough for me.”

Akiko-san’s words still lingered in the back of my mind, but given

Ayase-san had said it wasn’t something bad, I decided to trust her and
not press further.

The cold wind blew against us as we walked hand in hand like we

always did. The thick clouds parted slightly beyond the buildings, as the
thin morning light poured down like a ladder reaching for the earth.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Glucose Translations​ 45
 Our classroom had fewer people than ever before, and I went
through the entire day without having a single conversion with anyone I
really knew. It was nice in a way, and gave me more time to study.

Still, at the same time, it really made me realize—this was crunch

time.

The chime signaling the end of the school day rang, and
Ayase-san and I left the classroom together after calling out our
goodbyes to the few classmates left still packing up. People had gotten
used to seeing us leave together lately, so we didn’t get any teasing
remarks about how close we were.

The cold wind immediately brushed against our cheeks the

moment we stepped out of the school building. As usual, Ayase-san
hurriedly buried her face slightly into her scarf.

“I think it’s time I get some gloves,” she said as we held hands.
The chill of her palm only served to make the changing season feel all
the more real.

We turned into a side road from the busy main street near the
station, heading home, talking about small everyday things, just like we
always did.

We passed through the entrance, up the elevator, and finally to

our door.

“We’re home,” I called out as we opened it.

It was something I’d gotten into the habit of saying despite no one
being there. Normally, silence would be the only response.

“Welcome home!”

Yet, the sound of slippers padding down the hallway echoed, and
soon, a familiar face peeked out. It was Akiko-san.

Right, she did mention something about working a “special shift”

starting today.

She held a ladle in her right hand. Looks like she was in the
middle of cooking—

Glucose Translations​ 46
 Hol’ up, is it safe for her to leave the kitchen unattended like
that?

Glucose Translations​ 47
Glucose Translations​ 48
 “I’m going all out for dinner, so make sure to look forward to it!
It’s still going to take a little longer, though. But wow, I was surprised to
hear you two—do you two always get home this early?”

“I mean, neither of us have club activities or shifts at work right

now,” Ayase-san explained as she took off her shoes, stepping up into
the hallway before neatly placing them into the shoe cabinet.

I usually just leave mine on the floor and turn them to face the
door, but Ayase-san always never fails to put them away properly when
she’s certain she won’t be heading out again.

“They’ll last longer that way,” she once told me. When I replied
that I’d never really thought about it like that, she laughed and told me
that it was such a boy thing for me to say.

I thought it was more of a personality thing than something due

to gender, so I had asked my friends about it the next day.

“Of course, you should put them properly, y’know?” Maru said,
while Yoshida gave me a, “I just leave them where they are after taking
‘em off.”

And that proved my theory—it was all about personality.

Not that it really matters in the first place.

“I know we just came back, but do you need us to go shopping or

anything…?” I spoke to Akiko-san, who was now back in the kitchen, as I
followed Ayase-san down the hallway.

“It’s alright, I had plenty of time today so I managed to get

everything done. But thanks for asking.”

“No, it was nothing…”

“Did you go and buy something weird again? Did you?” Ayase-san
asked, prompting Akiko-san to pull an exaggerated frown.

She had the tendency to get talked into buying whatever store
clerks recommended, something that often worried Ayase-san. It was
why she made it a habit of asking every time, and it was clear from
Akiko-san’s reaction that she wasn’t really a fan of it.

Glucose Translations​ 49
 “It’s not like I’ve been wasting any money, okay?”

“I know, but…”

Well, this is just a usual back-and-forth between them.

On the other hand, what wasn’t usual was this odd feeling that
has been lingering on from earlier.

Specifically, how warm Akiko-san’s “Welcome home!” felt to

me—something I’ve only just become suddenly aware of. Ayase-san
must’ve felt the same way, as there was this quiet sense of happiness
around her, even as she questioned Akiko-san about her shopping
habits.

We’ll be eating dinner together when my old man gets home, so

Ayase-san and I decided to study ’til then. There really wasn’t much else
for us to do as exam students.

Though, I can’t lie, I’ve been reaching for my increasingly

growing pile of unread books whenever I needed a break here and
there.

Resisting their temptation, I forced myself to keep studying.

It wasn’t long before my old man returned with a familiar “I’m

home,” and we were called to the dinner table.

What waited there for us were steaming bowls of beef stew.

Despite agreeing to not do any birthday celebrations this year,

Akiko-san still wanted to do something. So, she ended up making
Ayase-san’s favorite dish today.

“Now, where should we eat tonight?” Akiko-san asked, and

Ayase-san and I tilted our heads in confusion

The food’s already set up on the table—where else would we?

“You know, I think here’s fine for today,” my old man said.

I followed his gaze.

Glucose Translations​ 50
 The low table in the living room? No, that wasn’t it. We’d removed
it a while ago and replaced it with the newest addition to our winter
arsenal.

A kotatsu.

An electric one, of course.

That much’s obvious, though. It ain’t possible to dig into the floor
of our apartment and install some traditional irori or hibachi[1] or
anything.

There were all sorts of electric kotatsu these days anyway,

including ones that could be raised to regular table height, allowing you
to sit on normal chairs while using them.

The one we have is just some standard electric one though,

placed on a carpet spread over the wood floor.

That said, there was one thing unusual about it—it was
rectangular. A square one probably comes to mind when you think of a
kotatsu, but that would make watching TV as a family of four difficult,
given someone would always have to sit with their back to the screen.
On the other hand, a rectangular kotatsu allowed two people to sit on its
long sides, making it possible for all four of us to watch together.

So that’s why ones like this are sold too, I thought, impressed by
their ingenuity.

Anyway, looks like today’s its grand debut.

It’s true—sitting all snug and warm under a kotatsu while eating
sounds pretty appealing.

But—

“I’m fine with here though,” Ayase-san said, glancing at the dining
table.

—Since Ayase-san had the final say as today’s birthday girl, we

ended up staying at the dining table.

With a chorus of Happy Birthday, dinner began.

Glucose Translations​ 51
 Without hesitation, Ayase-san quickly scooped up a spoonful of
beef stew and took a bite, her face immediately beaming with joy as she
commented on how good it tasted. Seeing her so satisfied like that
brought warm smiles to both Akiko-san and my old man’s faces.

The four of us together, gathering together as family—something

that might seem ordinary to some.

But for us, it was something to cherish.

“You’ve changed for the better, and that’s all that matters.”

I suddenly remembered what I’d said to my old man, and his

comment right after—something about me starting to sound more
mature.

But still, I can’t help but think about what’ll come next.

The flow of the river is ceaseless and its water is never the same.[2]

Even the positive change we were experiencing now wouldn’t last

forever; it’s inevitable that things would shift again. The sight of the four
of us gathered around the table, eating together like this—even this was
fleeting as well. What laid beyond this moment was still shrouded in
mist.

I stole a glance at Akiko-san, recalling her cryptic words from this

morning.

Ayase-san had mentioned about how futures could only be

sometimes seen as chances, but also about how it didn’t mean they were
always necessarily bad.

I still don’t fully understand what she meant, though…

Still, I had a feeling.

A feeling not just about our exam results—something else was

coming, maybe within a few months. New change that wasn’t far off.

As I mulled over these thoughts, Ayase-san happily ate her beef

stew, repeating over and over about how warm and delicious it was.

Glucose Translations​ 52
 ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Once the birthday dinner came to an end, my old man and

Akiko-san immediately moved to our freshly installed kotatsu, bringing
some snacks and freshly brewed black tea over with them.

“So warm… I don’t ever want to leave~,” Akiko-san uttered, her

face melting into an expression of pure bliss as she slipped her feet
under the pre-warmed kotatsu blanket.

She’d basically fused with the kotatsu, becoming one with it, as
her entire body surrendered to its warmth.

“Why don’t you come over here too, Saki?” she beckoned to
Ayase-san, as if she was calling over a cat.

Yet, all Ayase-san did was simply shake her head.

“Feel more comfortable here.”

Rather than joining the both of them at the kotatsu, she stayed at
the dining table as she sipped her tea while flipping through her
reference book, seemingly taking a short break after eating. Following
her lead, I brewed myself a cup of coffee and was about to go through
my flashcards, pausing to glance toward my old man and Akiko-san.

Though the two of them were still lounging in the kotatsu,

completely and utterly relaxed, something felt kinda off…

Are they hesitating to turn on the TV ’cause we’re still here?

The both of them weren’t really doing anything at all at this point.

“Feel free to turn the TV on if you want to watch it.”

“I don’t really have anything I want to watch right now. How

about you, Akiko-san?”

“I don’t really have anything either, I think…” Akiko-san answered

in a drowsy voice.

“Don’t worry about us in that case. We’ll turn it on if we feel like

it.”

Glucose Translations​ 53
 Guess I don’t need to be worried if they’re saying that much.

Besides, we’d be retreating back to our rooms to study once our

break was over anyway.

“More importantly, Yuuta. About New Year’s…”

“Hm?” I looked up from my flashcards again. “Is this about going

back home for the holidays?”

“That’s right. We’re thinking of visiting Akiko-san’s family this

year.”

Akiko-san’s family… Which means the Ayase family’s hometown,

huh?

“Where’s that again?”

“Ishikawa Prefecture.”

“It’s near the ocean,” Akiko-san, briefly returning to human form

from her kotatsu-induced stupor, added. “My mom and dad are the only
ones there right now…”

“They don’t usually have a huge family gathering unlike back in

our hometown. But since we didn’t get to visit last year, we thought we’d
at least go ourselves to greet them for the New Year.”

“Just you two?”

“The two of you have your exams to focus on, right?”

It was at this time when Ayase-san turned to join the

conversation. It was about her family’s hometown, afterall—it was only
natural she’d be interested.

She put down her reference book, turning to face my old man and
Akiko-san.

“Saki knows this already, but there wouldn’t be enough room for
everyone to stay over if we all went there. Our place isn’t that big,”
Akiko-san then commented.

“Ah… yeah. That’s true.”

“I see…”

Glucose Translations​ 54
 “It might’ve not felt like it to you, but your family’s house is
actually pretty big, Yuuta-niisan. We had many people over there all at
once.”

“That’s correct. Anyway, it’s in the countryside, so there’s plenty

of land, at least,” my old man added after nodding to Ayase-san’s
comment.

So, in other words…

“Would you two be okay watching over the house…?” Akiko-san,

now submerged up to her shoulders in the kotatsu, murmured sleepily.

She looked incredibly drowsy….

Maybe the sudden flip in her sleep schedule—going from a

complete night owl to a normal daytime one—was finally catching up to
her.

Or maybe it’s just the irresistible magic of a kotatsu.

“Just the two of us…?” Ayase-san uttered, her voice trailing off,
growing small.

“Mm-hmmmm~”

“It’s only for two days. We’ll leave on the 31st and be back on the
2nd in the morning. Evening at the latest.”

In other words… we’d be alone at home—just the two of us—on

December 31st and January 1st.

It was a relief in some ways—tagging along with them meant I

wouldn’t be able to study, so being able to focus at home was definitely
the better option.

“It’s just two days, Mom, so don’t go overboard with stocking the
fridge, okay?” Ayase-san glanced toward the fridge as she spoke.

“Mm~... Don’t worryyyy… I’ll make sure to get you guys plenty of
soba, mochi, and osechi[3]… You’ll be fineee~…”

“Haah…” Ayase-san sighed at her completely unconvincing

response.

Glucose Translations​ 55
 “You’re okay with this, Yuuta?”

“Ah, yeah. Not like I’ve got anything to do besides studying

anyway.”

Yep. The sad cries of us exam students.

We had nothing to do except study.

Or at least, that should be the case…

“You two take the time to enjoy yourselves. Don’t worry about the
house,” I said, steeling myself.

This was our final stretch before our exams. I needed to stay
focused. I won’t have the time to think about anything else as long as I
buried myself in just studying.

“She’s definitely going to get us way too much. I’ll make sure to
check the fridge properly later…”

With that, she shut her reference book with a soft thud.

“I’m going to my room.”

“Yeah. Well then, guess I’ll do the same.”

In almost perfect unison, we both stood up, cups still in hand, and
headed to our rooms.

So… New Year’s just the two of us, huh?

Glucose Translations​ 56
[1]: Irori (囲炉裏) are traditional Japanese sunken hearts heated with charcoal, while hibachi
(火鉢) are traditional heating braziers.

[2]: The opening line of Kamo no Chōmei’s Hōjōki; a reflection on the nature of change and
the importance of accepting impermanence (the philosophical problem of change).

[3]: Osechi are traditional Japanese New Year foods, known for being stored in their special,
stacked, bento-esque boxes called jubako.

Glucose Translations​ 57
 December 31st (Friday) ~ January 1st (Saturday) -
Yuuta Asamura

Winter break came around just a few days after Ayase-san’s

birthday, and time seemed to accelerate from that point on. Before I
knew it, the year was already coming to an end.

It was finally the day for our parents—my old man and
Akiko-san—to visit the Ayase family home.

As morning arrived, I woke up to the faint sound of movement.

I didn’t really get much studying done last night, I thought

groggily, my mind still sluggish as I worried about the looming presence
of my exams—now just less than a month away.

Rolling over, I glanced at the clock.

9:30…?

Panic jolted me awake. I’d overslept—by a lot.

I let out a deep sigh of regret. My study session last night was
everything but productive. Yet, instead of cutting it short, I stubbornly
insisted on completing my planned workload. It’d led to a late night, and
now… this.

After quickly getting dressed, I headed to the living room, being

immediately met by my old man and Akiko-san in the midst of their
chaotic departure.​

“Oh, morning, Yuuta,” my old man greeted me as he struggled to

force a tightly packed suitcase shut, pressing down on it with all his
might.

The latch looks like it’s ’bout to break…

“Good morning,” I replied. “You haven’t left yet?”

Glucose Translations​ 58
 I assumed they would have set out early, considering how
congested the roads usually get during holiday season.

Mentioning this, my old man explained that the peak travel rush
had been around the 29th, and that the 31st usually wasn’t as bad.

“It’s not like we’ll be making any stops along the way. All that
matters is arriving by evening. Thinking of it as just a drive makes it not
a big deal at all.”

A long-overdue road trip for newlyweds, huh?

Wait, now that I think about it, they didn’t even have a proper
wedding ceremony. They rarely go out together too—probably because
they didn’t want to leave Ayase-san and me alone for too long.

A rare long-distance trip for just the two of them. In other words,
time alone as a married couple.

If anything, it really made it feel like Ayase-san and I had made

the right choice by staying behind.

As I talked with my old man while he finished packing, Akiko-san

sat at the table, fiddling with her makeup as she applied it, having
already finished getting dressed a while ago.

Watching a grown woman carefully put her face together in front

of a tabletop mirror was something unfamiliar to me—a high school boy
with little to no exposure to such things. It made me feel oddly fidgety,
so I quickly averted my gaze.

Ayase-san never did her makeup in front of others, so it really

wasn’t like I was used to seeing something like that.

Now that I think about it, Akiko-san usually does hers in her
bedroom too…

“Hm? What is it, Yuuta-kun?” Akiko-san asked, noticing my gaze.

“Ah, no. Ummm, Aya—Saki’s… already had breakfast, right?”

She nodded to my question in response, her eyebrow pen coming

to a momentary pause. It wasn’t like she was able to nod while applying
makeup, after all.

Glucose Translations​ 59
 “I set aside a portion for you, Yuuta-kun. Would you like it now? I
can warm it up for you,” Akiko-san added, seemingly thinking that just
nodding wasn’t enough of a response.

Pausing her makeup routine, she grabbed the plastic-wrapped

plate placed at my usual seat as she stood up. Heading straight for the
microwave, she then also began to reheat the miso soup left on the
induction stove.

Wait, was she doing her makeup here so she’d know the moment
I woke up?

“Ah, I’ll do it myself,” I told her.

“Don’t be shy. I was just about to finish anyway.”

Eating now at this hour meant I’d be having lunch in no time, and
honestly, I had even considered skipping breakfast altogether. But given
she’d already started to reheat everything, I figured I might as well eat.

As I waited for my food to be rewarmed, my old man picked up

his phone and started making a call.

“Hello, this is Asamura. Yes, that’s right, we’re thinking of leaving

now… Um, let’s see…”

It sounded like he was calling the Ayase family to let them know
when they would arrive, at least from the bits and pieces I overheard.

I scooped some rice into my bowl as Akiko-san set out my

reheated breakfast, flicking the kettle on to make some tea. Taking a
quick peek around the kitchen, I checked the stock of prepared food.

Soba for New Year’s and even a pot of prepped dashi broth…

“That broth’s ready to go—you’ll just have to heat it up and add

the soba,” Akiko-san spoke up, noticing my gaze.

“Ah, gotcha. Thank you.”

“I’ve also frozen some Japanese mixed rice, so just microwave it

when you want some. The pot over there has some squid with simmered
taro as well.”

Glucose Translations​ 60
 She went out of her way to make all this? Even though we’ve
already got plenty of osechi, soba, and mochi…

“Hey, Yuuta-kun, do you know if there’s another way to say ‘squid

with simmered taro’?”

“…Huh?”

“It’s a classic my mother used to make all the time, so it’s familiar
to me. But now that I think about it, I actually don’t know what it’s
called in just one word.”

…That’s true, now that she mentions it.

I’ve also noticed how Akiko-san sometimes referred to simmered

dishes as “rolling simmered dishes.”

“How about… squidaro, or something?[1]” she suggested with a

completely serious expression.

“How about… What?”

“Don’t you think it sounds cute?”

“Sure?”

Yeah, it had a cute ring to it, but it also made it easy to forget what
was actually in the dish.

“Anyway, everything turns out delicious as long as you simmer it,”

Akiko-san said.

That’s a pretty blunt way to put it.

“Speaking of simmered dishes, have you heard of jibuni[2]? That

counts too, right?”

“Jibuni, huh? No…”

“It’s a local dish from Kanazawa. It’s really good. It’s usually made
with chicken or duck, so it’s pretty light, and it also has a nice thick
sauce. And it’s got a lot of vegetables, so that makes it healthy too. I’ll
make it for you sometime.”

“Thank you very much. Actually…”

Glucose Translations​ 61
 Before I could finish my sentence, Akiko-san placed a freshly
warmed-up plate in front of me with a light plop. I reflectively put my
hands together. Under the plastic wrap was some bacon and a
sunny-side-up egg.

“Itadakimasu.”

“Here, bon appétit.”

As I started eating, Akiko-san went back to putting the finishing

touches on her makeup. It barely took her five minutes before she
moved on to discussing what gifts she and my old man should bring.

By the time I’d finished and went to wash my plate, the two of
them had already started carrying their luggage out to the front of the
entrance.

It was at that exact moment I heard the clicking of a doorknob

turning, and Ayase-san stepped out of her room.

“They’re ’bout to head out.”

“Mm, that’s why I came out.”

We both helped carry their remaining bags to the entrance. Given

they were only staying two nights and three days, they didn’t have too
much. Even so, both my old man and Akiko-san’s hands were full. I
offered to carry at least some of it down to the parking lot, but my old
man insisted he’d handle it just fine.

I’ll probably be hurting his pride if I keep insisting; I’ll just let it
go.

Now I was kinda worried, but he could always call for help with
his phone if things got tough.

“Still, it feels a little bit lonely that we’ll not be able to spend New
Year’s together,” Akiko-san added after saying her goodbyes.

“Well, we’ll be doing it every year from now on,” I replied as

Ayase-san and I watched them off together.

Akiko-san widened her eyes in surprise for a brief moment, before

breaking into a smile.

Glucose Translations​ 62
 “That’s true,” she nodded.

We watched their backs as they walked towards the elevator. After

closing the door behind us, Ayase-san and I exchanged glances.

It’ll be fine—we’re both fully aware we’re just exam students

from here on out.

“Alrighty, let’s both do our best.”

“Yeah.”

Without exchanging any more words, we each headed straight

back to our rooms.

Time to focus. Focus.

I sat at my desk and narrowed my vision to my reference book

containing past paper questions and notebook.

I’ve gotta make as much possible progress in the morning here—

Or so I thought, with my focus immediately breaking the moment

I did.

My phone had chimed with a notification.

“Ayase-san…?”

She’d sent a text to me.

Saki: 【What time do you want lunch?】

“I just ate, though…”

No, no, I should still reply here.

Yuuta: 【I just ate breakfast, so I was thinking around maybe 2

p.m.】

Saki: 【I’ll do the same then.】

I immediately set an alarm for 2 p.m. and finally focused on

studying.

Focus, Yuuta!

Glucose Translations​ 63
 By the time I next looked up, my alarm had already gone off, and
my stomach dropped immediately with panic.

No way, did I concentrate too much this time?

I opened up my texts, seeing a single modest message from

Ayase-san.

Saki: 【Lunch’s ready.】

Just one text. Did I make her worry?

No, I think I would’ve ended up feeling down whether I had

gotten distracted or ended up focusing too much in the end either way.

Balancing being a student and a boyfriend sure is harder than I

thought…

Lunch was already prepared by the time I got to the dining room,
and I immediately apologized for not being able to help.

After our late lunch, we returned to our rooms once again.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

A faint sound arose within our quiet house, my concentration

immediately breaking apart.

*Thump. Taptaptap… Thud. Patpatpat. Clatter.*

I strangely immediately recognized who was moving around,

something I’ve gotten used to after hearing their footsteps and the
everyday sounds they make with each passing day.

A firm, determined start—only to hesitate, stopping to check on

something, before resuming walking. A frequent habit of theirs.

Yet, I didn’t even need to think about it. The only other person in
the house right now was Ayase-san, after all.

As the sounds reached my ears, shaking my focus, my eyes flicked

to my phone on the desk.

Glucose Translations​ 64
 19:58.

It’s already night.

It was only then did I realize that the clattering from earlier had
been the dishes clinking together.

“Ah. It’s almost dinner time.”

I stuck a bookmark in my reference book before taking a stretch

and leaving my room.

As I opened the door to the dining room, I saw what I’d exactly
expected—Ayase-san preparing dinner alone.

Looks like I made it in time this time.

“Sorry. I’ll help,” I said, stepping into the kitchen.

It looked like she was in the middle of preparing some New Year’s
soba. There was a pot of water heating on the stove, and the stacked
osechi boxes had already been taken out of the fridge and were now
placed on the table too.

Right, we’ll need some plates then. Wait no, I should probably
wipe down the table first.

“I’m fine on my own. You can keep studying. I’ll call you once it’s
ready,” Ayase-san, wearing an apron, turned back to me.

“I already left lunch to you. I can’t just keep studying while you do
all the work,” I started, knowing just saying that wouldn’t convince her.

For someone like Ayase-san…

“Besides, it’s not like I want any mercy in this competition of

ours.”

She gave me a pout in response. Alright, looks like that got her.

Now, just one more push—

“That’s not what I—”

“It’s a competition, right?” I reminded her.

Glucose Translations​ 65
 “Y-yeah. Of course.”

“Then, the conditions have to be fair, dontchu think?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Right, with that said, we’ll do this together. Which one do we

warm up first?”

Despite looking reluctant, Ayase-san finally started to give me

instructions.

“Okay. First, wipe down the table. The rest’s just setting things
out.”

“Roger.”

Grabbing the dish cloth, I reached for the stacked osechi boxes at
the center of the table to move them aside. Woah, these are heavier
than I expected.

Maybe it was because Akiko-san had some extra time to do some

housework with her “special shift,” but she really has packed these to the
brim.

“You think we can finish all this?”

Sure, one advantage of osechi dishes is that they’ll last a long

time, but today’s youth like us still aren’t exactly used to eating them.
Having this much might be a challenge…

“Don’t worry. Just check the bottom one. It’s Mom’s kind of
osechi. You’ll see what I mean.”

Akiko-san’s kinda osechi? What does that even mean?

Tilting my head in confusion, I lifted the osechi boxes and peeked

inside the bottom one.

“…It’s all fried chicken.”

Glucose Translations​ 66
 Featuring whole, uncut lettuce leaves serving as plating, the
osechi box was piled high—no, packed tightly to every corner—with
nothing but fried chicken. Lemon wedges, cut into crescent
shapes—apparently called kushikiri—also housed each corner like flower
petals.

I mean… Yeah, okay, I can eat this—a lot, even. But still…

“The second tier’s more of the same.”

“What do you mean…? Oh, I see.”

The second tier was basically just a giant bento. It was filled with
all the usual store-bought side dishes Akiko-san often packed in our
lunches; stuff like kamaboko, simmered small fish, pickled
plums—hol’up, is this really osechi at this point?—along with some
homemade rolled omelets, all neatly arranged in sections.

Everything here was stuff I regularly ate and enjoyed, so finishing

it wouldn’t be a problem.

They aren’t gonna keep as long as traditional osechi, though…

“Rather than osechi, this is just a giant bento…”

The stacked osechi boxes were starting to look like one massive
dokaben[3] in my eyes.

“Mom isn’t really particular about stuff like this.”

“I mean, I’m not complaining since it looks like there won’t be any
leftovers at this point.”

“Check the top one if you want the traditional stuff.”

Lifting the lid to the top box, I found all the typical osechi
classics—things like shrimp and kuri kinton[4].

Yeah. Just this much seems manageable enough.

“I mean, y’know, the whole point of osechi’s to avoid having to

cook during the busy New Year’s season. Since we’re just eating it while
my old man and Akiko-san are away, it doesn’t really need to last long.
So logically speaking, it’s fair to say this is still practically osechi, right?”

Glucose Translations​ 67
 “Calling it ‘practically osechi’ is kind of funny,” Ayase-san
chuckled softly. “But yeah, this practically screams ‘Mom,” though.”

“Yeah… it does.”

Considering the fact that Akiko-san works at a bar that serves

food—and that she’s great at housework in general—I’ve got no doubt
she could’ve made something more traditional if she wanted to. She just
deliberately didn’t.

This is the exact kinda thing a grandma from the countryside

would make for her grandkids, though that’s not something I’d ever say
out loud.

“Eat up, eat up, there’s plenty more where that came from.” I can
practically hear it now.

“I actually told her that,” Ayase-san suddenly commented. “I said

about how osechi shouldn’t be something like what grandmas would
feed their grandchildren when they’re visiting them in the countryside.
Sure, you’re a high school boy going through puberty, Asamura-kun, but
that doesn’t mean you need quantity over quality, at least to this extent.”

Huh? Did I actually say that out loud?

“It’s fine. I can manage this much.”

“They say ‘eating until you’re 80% full keeps the doctor away,’[5]
right? Our exams are coming up, so don’t push yourself too hard. Got it?
We’ve still got soba and some mochi left, too.”

Oh, right…

Actually, it’s not like we had to finish everything in just two days
in the first place. So why was I talking like we had to?

“The soba’s ready,” Ayase-san announced as she lifted the noodles

from the pot, rinsing them in a colander under cold water.

“Roger.”

Glucose Translations​ 68
 Leaving her to handle that, I took out bowls for the dipping sauce,
grabbed a tube of wasabi, and started chopping at some green onions
from the fridge. I then set out the chopsticks, plates, and everything else
on the table.

By the time I finished, she had wrapped up as well. We then sat

across from each other.

I never expected to spend the last dinner of the year like this—just
the two of us.

We put our hands together.

““Itadakimasu.””

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

It wasn’t long before I noticed something was off about Ayase-san

as we started to eat.

She was trying to hide it from me too. And the fact that she was
hiding it meant she probably wouldn’t answer if I asked her outright.

I had no choice but to keep eating, pretending not to notice, while

quietly observing her.

There had to be something up about her. I felt something was off.

She was a little quieter than usual. Her posture was perfectly and
awkwardly rigid, and she reached for her food with silent precision. Yet,
her gaze would occasionally drift, as if she were preoccupied with
something else.

Maybe it was because I was lost in these thoughts, but I

accidentally knocked my chopsticks off the chopstick rest at that
moment, sending them rolling onto the floor. I hastily reached down to
pick them up—

And that’s when I noticed.

Glucose Translations​ 69
 Ayase-san was subtly rubbing her feet together, as if trying to
warm them up, under the table.

I rinsed the chopsticks in the sink before returning to my seat.

“You cold?”

The heater was running, but I did feel a slight chill in the air.

Maybe I should turn up the temperature.

Or maybe—

“D’you wanna eat over there?” I asked, gesturing with my eyes

toward that specific spot—where the low table had been ’til last week.

In other words, the kotatsu in the living room.

It’d been something Ayase-san had been avoiding for the past
week for some reason. Even when she got tired of studying in her room,
I’d only ever seen her spread her textbooks out on the dining table
instead.

She’d always dismissed it with an “It doesn’t feel right.”

I never knew why.

And even now, she shook her head.

“I’m fine here.”

You sure you aren’t forcing yourself here?

“Your feet are getting cold, aren’t they? The heater’s warm air
does rise pretty fast.”

Newer models these days advertise how they’re able to warm the
floor properly, but the heating and aircon unit in our living room was an
older model—more than ten years old, actually. Even broke last summer
and had to be repaired.

“But…”

“Exams are comin’ up, Saki-chan. Don’t catch a cold, m’kay?”

Glucose Translations​ 70
 “…Are you copying me?” she furrowed her brows, looking a little
miffed. I quickly switched my expression back to a serious one.

“We’re competing under fair conditions, remember? I just don’t

want you to get sick.”

“Ugh…”

“Or d’you want to talk about it? I won’t force you to get in if you
really don’t like the kotatsu, but I’d like to at least know why.”

“It’s not that I hate it… It’s just, I can’t say why. I don’t want to,”
she explained with pursed lips, looking up at me slightly, almost sulking.

No, ain’t telling me better at this point if you’re making that

kinda face?

But then again, I can’t force her if she doesn’t want to.

Still, I couldn’t just ignore it if she was sitting here freezing.

“Anyway, if you don’t hate it then let’s just eat the rest at the
kotatsu. Don’t wanna catch a cold, amirite?”

“…Fine.”

We moved our remaining soba and osechi dishes to the kotatsu in

the living room. I wiped it down again just to be safe, and wrapped up
the leftover osechi we wouldn’t be touching today and put them in the
fridge.

Now then, how should we sit?

“Wanna watch a movie?”

“Yeah… I guess I’d like to relax a bit, at least for the moment the
new year arrives.”

Looks like she’s already finished with what she’d planned to

study for the day.

I felt the same way, so we decided to sit side by side by the long
edge at the kotatsu, making it easy to watch the TV together.

Glucose Translations​ 71
 “Any preferences?” I asked while holding the remote in hand,
scrolling through some of the subscription channels our family was
signed up for. I read out some of the titles—ones that caught my interest
and ones I thought Ayase-san might like.

She followed along with her eyes, murmuring a few, “Hmm”s as

she considered.

“Oh, there’s a midwinter horror special. Huh, The Thing’s on

here. Wait, wasn’t that set in winter? Oh, right, because it takes place in
Antarctica. Gremlins… yep, that one’s definitely set in winter. Yeah,
there are some classic films here.”

“Absolutely no horror,” Ayase-san shook her head vigorously.

“Scared?”

“Not scared.”

It’s rare for Ayase-san to sound so blunt like this.

…Which meant she was scared.

“Got it. No horror.”

“I’m not scared.”

“Of course not. Not scared at all, right? Then how about this one?
It’s ’bout animals.”

It looked to be a dog reincarnation story, at least from the

synopsis.

“Cute.”

“Right then, let’s go with this,” Ayase-san spoke with a relieved

expression. “But Yuuta-niisan, you don’t always have to pick based on
what I want. You should watch what you like too… As long as it’s not
horror.”

“I mean if it were books I’d choose what I like. But honestly, when
it comes to movies, I don’t really mind either way.”

“Really?”

Glucose Translations​ 72
 “I don’t really know much about movies, so I tend to go with what
other people like.”

I’d probably end up stuck with a narrow selection if I insisted on

only watching what I liked.

With that decision made, we sat side by side in the warmth of the
kotatsu, watching the movie while finishing the leftovers of our meal.

The story unfolded just as the synopsis suggested—a

heartwarming tale about a dog being reborn over and over, trying to
reunite with its owner.

It was pretty good to just have on as some background noise.

Glucose Translations​ 73
Glucose Translations​ 74
 “I wonder if this is adapted from a novel.”

“You’ve just watched the movie, but you’d still read the book?”
Ayase-san commented with a surprised look at first, before something
seemingly clicked in her mind. “…Ah, right. You’re that kind of person,
Asamura-kun.”

Hearing her call me Asamura again after so long felt weirdly

nostalgic. Given we’d been in the house together the whole time ever
since winter break started, she’d naturally only been calling me
Yuuta-niisan instead.

“What?”

“It’s just been a while since you’ve called me Asamura-kun.”

“…Yuuta-niisan.”

“I doubt our parents are gonna suddenly turn around and come
back unannounced at this point here.”

“No. It’s more that if I let my guard down here… Mhmm, fuaaah,”
she started to explain, before letting out a small yawn, probably because
she was feeling full.

“We need to clean up… but I can’t move… I feel like I’m going to
melt. It’s too warm,” she said, her eyes darting towards the remains of
dinner on the table, yet the more she spoke, the deeper her arms
burrowed into the kotatsu blanket. “So warm… I can’t… leave…”

Ayase-san had fully become one with the kotatsu.

“Well, this much’s fine just for tonight.”

The both of us had been completely focused on studying over the

past few weeks—only allowing ourselves to leave the house for quick
grocery runs, practically dedicating nearly all of our time to just exam
prep. It was as if we were sprinting through the last ten meters of a
short-distance sprint, holding our breaths the entire way.

But, at least for just this one moment—at least through the turn
of the year—a li’l break won’t hurt.

Glucose Translations​ 75
 “I’ll clean up,” I said, pulling myself out of the kotatsu, picking up
the empty plates and osechi boxes.

“No, I’ll help.”

Tearing herself away from her newfound fusion with the kotatsu,
Ayase-san grabbed the remaining dishes and followed me into the
kitchen.

We stood side by side, washing the dishes together.

I brewed us some tea after we finished, and we returned to the

kotatsu once more.

“I kind of feel like I should’ve studied a bit more.”

“I guess, yeah…”

But the fact that we were even saying that meant neither of us had
any intention of getting up.

“It’s so warm…”

“The kotatsu really is dangerous. You can’t leave once you’re in…”

And maybe that’s why Ayase-san had been so adamant about

avoiding it—she knew just how irresistible its warmth could be.

As I absentmindedly watched the movie’s final scene play out,

Ayase-san suddenly spoke up.

“Ah, you know…”

“Hm?”

“Um… so…”

Could she maybe be confessing about what she mentioned

earlier—the reason she didn’t like the kotatsu?

At least that’s my guess…

“Yeah, I’m listening. What’s up?”

“I, uh… feel kind of… sweaty right now. Do I smell or anything?”

Glucose Translations​ 76
 “Huh? …Not really. No,” I answered, albeit almost immediately
regretting my reflexive response.

Now that I thought about it, this was a quirk that did come with
kotatsu. You’ll only really understand yourself once you dive under it up
to your shoulders and turn the heat to high, but it actually gets pretty
hot. I mean, of course you’d sweat.

But that ain’t the real issue here. I’d once read somewhere that
women were often more conscious of scent than men. Now, I admittedly
hadn’t personally sourced through the latest academic papers, or
actually looked at any reliable data at that, so this was just something
I’ve practically picked up by ear. Still, if that was true, then Ayase-san’s
real problem wasn’t just the warmth—it was sweating because of it.

“Are you sure?”

Yep, she’s clearly worried about it. Yet, here I was answering so
carelessly with just a simple “not really.” I wonder if that made her
anxious…

“Uhhh… yeah, you’re totally fine. I don’t notice anything at all.

Honestly, I’m more worried ’bout myself now you bring it up.”

There’s no doubt that Ayase-san is definitely more attentive to

scent than I am.

She looked at me with slightly widened eyes at my response, as if

it had caught her off guard—as if she hadn’t expected me to say that.

Wait no, that’s actually how I kinda reacted to her too…

“Not really…” she said, then leaning in slightly, closing her eyes,
probably unconsciously and without much thought. Her nose twitched
as she sniffed the air. “…Hmm. Nothing in particular.”

“T-that so?”

“Do you use anything, Asamura-kun?”

“Huh? You mean like cologne?”

“Like, you know, deodorant or antiperspirants, that sorta thing.”

“Wait… deodorant and antiperspirant aren’t the same?”

Glucose Translations​ 77
 “Eh?” Ayase-san let out a puzzled voice, blinking her eyes open
with a puzzled expression. “Yeah, they aren’t. Deodorant’s something for
masking or getting rid of the smell, while antiperspirant is for
preventing sweat itself.”

“Gotcha. But no, I don’t really use either.”

“Eh?” Ayase-san said in surprise, closing her eyes again as she

brought her face in even closer. “So if it’s not something you’re
wearing… maybe your shampoo…?”[6]

Her long lashes came dangerously close to my neck, and I had to

fight the instinct to pull away.

“M-maybe, I guess? Or uh, it could also just be the scent of my

fabric softener…?”

“Ahhh… Yes, that’s possible too…” she muttered, before suddenly

pulling back as if she was snapping out of some trance, opening her eyes
back hastily. “Sorry, that wasn’t fair.”

“Huh?”

“I sorta… checked your scent without thinking.”

“I mean, I don’t really mind.”

Okay, my heart is pounding so loudly right now to the point

where it’s almost unbearable, but that’s just a physiological
reaction—cut me some slack here.

If anything, considering the fact we were sitting side by side in the

kotatsu, practically brushing against each other—and the fact I was
aware of her as my girlfriend at this very moment—I should’ve probably
been way more flustered.

Yet, we’ve spent too long trying to act like family in the end. That
ingrained sense of restraint—the idea that we shouldn’t be looking at
each other in that kinda light—hadn’t completely dissipated yet.

Glucose Translations​ 78
 It wasn’t like I thought us being a couple was a problem. Instead,
deep down, I think what I fear the most is that if we ever broke up—like
my old man and biological mother—everything would be ruined.
Specifically, about how we maybe wouldn’t be able to stay a comfortable
family anymore. Sure, I’ve heard about exes staying as friends, but I
couldn’t picture it happening to us. If there was any form of firsthand
experience that Ayase-san and I had, then it was the bitter taste of a
home that had fallen apart.

That fear lingered.

So even now, sitting this close, touching each other; deep down,
there’s still this feeling—

“But still, I really don’t think it was fair,” Ayase-san commented,

interrupting my thoughts.

I was once reminded about how Ayase-san didn’t like finding

herself at the end of a one-sided gain or loss, whether it be with family,
friends, or a lover.

She especially hated getting something the easy way. If she had to
be in a give-and-take relationship, she preferred to be more on the
giving side. Some might see that attitude as being overly uptight, but for
me, that earnestness was something I only admired her for.

Well, things usually spiral out of control when she goes too far
with that though…

And right now, I had a very bad feeling about where this was
going.

“You really don’t have to worry ’bout it. Like, even if you say that,
I don’t even know how we’re supposed to make this ‘fair.’”

Hearing my response, Ayase-san looked at me and let out a small

“Hmph.”

“Got it. Well then—”

She casually swept back the long strands of hair draped over the
left side of her face.

“Go ahead.”

Glucose Translations​ 79
 No, no, wait. Hold your horses here, Ayase-san.

“You really don’t have to go that far to make it fair.”

“Even though you said you didn’t mind earlier?”

“I-I did.”

“Then it’s fine. Go ahead.”

“Huuuh…?”

It really is no easy chance changing her mind once she makes it

up.

And if I refused now, there was that very real chance she’d
misinterpret me as thinking that she did smell bad.

“Go ahead,” she said, exuding an intense pressure.

“O-okay, okay.”

Timidly leaning in, I brought my face closer to the nape of her

neck, where she had brushed her hair aside. My gaze inadvertently
drifted downward as I did—almost catching a glimpse of her
cleavage—so I quickly shut my eyes.

But with my vision completely now cut off, my other senses felt
oddly sharper.

Oblivious to my inner struggle, the final theme of the movie

played out on the TV at that moment.

Guess I missed the ending.

And as I had expected, she didn’t smell remotely bad at all. If

anything—

A faint, gentle fragrance brushed against my nose.

It was probably from her shampoo, or maybe the lingering scent

of the fabric softener on her clothes. I wasn’t entirely sure, but whatever
it was, it was incredibly calming.

“I don’t really smell anything that you should be bothered

about…” I slowly pulled back as I spoke.

Glucose Translations​ 80
 “I see.”

“Yeah.”

Before I knew it, the movie we had on the TV had begun to roll its
long closing credits.

“We missed the ending.”

“Well, I got the gist that it was more of a happy one.”

“Yeah… Good enough for me, I guess.”

I’ve got a feeling we’d piss the filmmakers off if we’d said that in
front of them though.

Ayase-san then turned back toward the TV before leaning slightly

toward me, her left shoulder bumping gently against my right. Feeling
her light weight against me, I reached for the remote.

“What now? Anything else you wanna watch?” I asked.

“I don’t think I’ll make it if it’s something long… I might fall

asleep.”

I glanced at the clock on the wall. A little past 11 p.m.

Yeah, we’d push past midnight if we picked a two hour movie

right now.

“How ’bout a New Year’s music program?”

“Won’t that be kind of noisy…?”

“Then maybe one with less emcee chatter and more music?” I
suggested that idea, with her nodding immediately in satisfaction.

I flipped through the channels until I found a program centered

around 80s J-pop. It apparently featured some current artists
performing their favorite songs from the 80s—one after another with
barely any commentary in between.

By coincidence, or maybe even deliberately, most of the songs

chosen had mellow, soothing vibes to them. We sat side by side, quietly
taking in the flow of music from the screen.

Glucose Translations​ 81
 Late night, December 31st.

Only a few sounds reached up to our third-floor apartment. Aside

from the music playing on the TV, there was only the faint tick of the
battery-powered clock on the wall that marked each passing minute, the
occasional hum of the aircon as it released warm air to compensate for
the drop in temperature, and Ayase-san’s quiet, steady breathing right
beside me.

The kotatsu’s warmth was just right, and it gradually erased all
the tension from my body. Time itself slowed to a crawl.

Tomorrow will be back to the usual grind—another day buried

in exam prep.

But for tonight, at least just for now, I guess it was fine to do
nothing and just relax.

As I felt the weight of Ayase-san’s head resting against my right

shoulder, my thoughts drifted toward the future.

By the time the latter half of February rolls around, the both of us
would be done with our entrance exams. Our high school graduation
was set for March 1st, and around ten days later, the university common
test results would be announced. By then, everything would be clear.

My looming sense of anxiety began to creep back in.

Will I actually be accepted into my first choice?

What do I do if I fail to even get into any of the unis I applied to?

They were both worries I’d already experienced back when I was
taking my high school entrance exams, yet somehow, they felt way more
overwhelming this time around. It was as if my entire future would be
painted over in black.

Logically speaking, I knew better. I knew that failing my entrance

exams wouldn’t mean the end of the world. It’s common enough to the
point where most people are still able to support themselves financially
while taking a gap year to try again, after all. Others even choose to
directly enter the workforce instead too.

Glucose Translations​ 82
 Still, logic and emotion don’t always align. And time keeps
moving forward.

We can’t reclaim the past, the entropy of an isolated system will

only ever increase, and you can’t fully convert thermal energy back into
any other form. The second law of thermodynamics made sure of that.
By the way, the first law’s about energy conservation, and always shows
up on exams—

Wait no. Let’s not think ’bout that for just a few more hours…

“Oh, the bell,” Ayase-san spoke softly as a distant chime reached

our third floor apartment—likely the New Year’s shrine bell.

The song on the TV concluded at that exact moment, and the

screen abruptly switched to the live feed of the shrine, with the emcee
announcing that the near year was just moments away.

A deep, solemn chime resonated from the broadcast, far clearer

than the distant one we’d just heard. As the camera panned across a
darkened bell tower, we were able to see a dense crowd that surrounded
it, waiting in line to watch the ritual.

The camera then zoomed in on a bald monk dressed in red and

purple Buddhist robes.

“He’s got a really nicely-shaped head,” Ayase-san remarked.

Huh? That’s the first thing that comes to your mind when
watching a monk strike the New Year’s Eve bell?

With a powerful swing, the monk swung the massive wooden

log—which was thicker than a person’s face—crashing into the great bell.

The heavy, reverberating chime rang out once more from the TV
as the both of us sat in silence, watching the scene unfold while listening
to the sound fill the atmosphere.

*Booooooong.*

*Booooooong.*

Glucose Translations​ 83
 The camera switched between angles and captured different parts
of the shrine grounds. It looked to be an old shrine in the countryside,
with paths lined with torches and lanterns. The feed had shown the
shrine’s name and location earlier, but we’d missed it.

It’s probably somewhere up north.

A gentle snowfall dusted the black-tiled rooftops.

The collective breath of the gathered crowd rose into the cold
night air in white puffs.

Just watching made me feel cold, making the warmth of the

kotatsu even more precious than it already was.

The screen then switched back to the studio, and the emcee
leading the program began a countdown, with the singer on stage
raising their voice to match the rising excitement. With the countdown
happening, the screen switched back to the shrine bell tower once again.
The instant the next deep, resounding chime echoed, bold letters
spelling out “Happy New Year” danced across the screen. The cameras
then cut to a scene of people in the crowd receiving amazake[7] almost
immediately after—their cheeks flushed red from the cold as they buried
in their scarves, cradling the warm drink in their hands while blowing
out white puffs of breath as they smiled and sipped.

The weight beside me lifted from my shoulder. When I turned to

my side, I found Ayase-san doing the same, and our gazes met at the
exact moment.

““Happy New Year,”” we both said in unison. “Looking forward to

another year with you,” I added as she offered a soft, warm smile.

“Likewise. Please take care of me this year, too.”

We placed our hands together on the carpet—my right hand

resting over Ayase-san’s left. Then, just like before, she leaned her head
against my right shoulder.

It feels like the distance between us has shrunk even further.

Glucose Translations​ 84
 Snuggling up to each other, with our shoulders pressed together,
we listened once more to the solemn chime of the temple bell playing
from the screen. The stress of exams, which had left my nerves torn-up,
seemed to melt away—just for this moment.

Gazing at the snowy landscape in the distance on the TV, wrapped

in the kotatsu’s warmth, and—more than anything—feeling the
comforting heat of the person beside me, made all the uncertainties of
the future seem less overwhelming.

My eyelids grew heavy.

Ayase-san let out a yawn from beside me, and before I knew it, I
followed suit with a big yawn of my own.

Her weight resting against me sure feels comforting.

At the same time, I could feel that she, too, was supporting mine.

As we nestled close, leaning into each other under the kotatsu, my

consciousness began to drift away.

This is bad.

What would someone think if they saw us like this—huddled

together, half-asleep under the kotatsu? Surely no one in their right
mind would believe we were just unusually close siblings.

But honestly… I don’t care at this point.

A hazy thought that maybe this was all fine surfaced from
somewhere in the back of my mind. Rather than worrying about how we
looked to others, what mattered was treasuring our relationship. I didn’t
want to pretend this moment never happened.

The time I’ve spent with Ayase-san—with Saki—has been

precious.

If change is an inevitable part of life, then I want to cherish this

moment as one that can never be repeated.

And if something is truly precious, then even if it changes, I want

it to change for the better.

From strangers to step-siblings.

Glucose Translations​ 85
 From step-siblings to unusually close ones.

That’s how our relationship has evolved.

It wasn’t long before the weight against me became even heavier

as I heard Saki’s soft, deep and steady breathing.

Ah… She fell asleep.

This has happened before, hasn’t it? I thought as a faint memory

started to resurface from the depths of my mind.

It was the train ride home from our school trip, where we had
been sitting side by side, just like this. She’d fallen asleep before me
back then too. I had stayed awake at the time, trying my best to support
her as she leaned against me.

But this time…

My eyelids slowly drifted shut.

Even if our parents were to come home at this very moment, and
even if they saw us like this and our family dynamic were to change as a
result—I didn’t want to be afraid.

Change doesn’t always mean things would take a turn for the
worse, after all.

As my eyelids finally fully closed, I slipped into the depths of

sleep.

Glucose Translations​ 86
Glucose Translations​ 87
 ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

In my first dream of the new year, I was driving.

Even though I didn’t even have a license yet, here I was behind
the wheel of a minivan.

Yet somehow, I didn’t find it strange at all.

Ah, I’m dreaming, I thought with a hazy sense of awareness as I

calmly steered the large vehicle forward. My viewpoint was high, and I
could make out my slightly older face from the faint reflection on the
windshield.

Even without turning around, I knew exactly who was in the

minivan with me.

Because, well, this is a dream.

Seated in the passenger seat was Saki, also looking just a little
older. In the back sat two children—a boy and a girl. I knew who they
were without a doubt, and yet their faces were blurred, obscured with a
mist-like haze.

Us as parents and our children—a son and daughter. A family of

four.

The view then suddenly opened up as our minivan exited the

mountain road.

“Wooooah!” the kids in the back cheered.

The sea. A vast expanse of blue stretched out to the left.

An old 80s J-Pop song began to play from the minivan’s speakers,
and I couldn’t help but think about how unimaginative I was, especially
since I’d just heard it on the New Year’s music program we were
watching earlier.

The minivan cruised along the coastline as the endless blue sea
followed beside us.

Glucose Translations​ 88
 It wasn’t long before four sets of footprints trailed endlessly
across the sand, as the children rang along the beach, tumbling and
laughing.

Thick cumulonimbus clouds loomed over the horizon in the

distance, and beneath them, several large ships in full sail drifted across
the sea.

As the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon, the wind came to an
abrupt halt.

A moment of absolute stillness—a lull in the sea.

Land absorbs and releases heat more rapidly than the sea, so
during the day, the sun-warmed land creates an updraft that lowers air
pressure and draws in the sea breeze. At night, the land cools quickly
while the sea remains warmer, causing the wind to reverse and flow
from land to sea—the land breeze.

This brief pause during the transition in direction was called the
wind lull.

With the wind now gone, the lingering summer heat made my
skin grow damp with sweat.

“Time to head back soon,” I called out to our children as they

played by the waves.

Night would fall by the time the land breeze picked up—we
needed to leave before then.

Wind lulls are short, after all. Soon, a new gust of wind would
begin to blow.

As I drove us home, I glanced at the children, who’d fallen asleep,

exhausted from playing.

I then turned to Saki and said something.

She looked surprised at first, before smiling and nodding.

Yet, I couldn’t hear what I had said—even though I’d spoken the
words myself.

I woke up.

Glucose Translations​ 89
 Ahhh… It really was just a dream.

Given I had slept with my whole body tucked under the kotatsu, I
had begun to sweat.

Feeling self-conscious, I brought my shoulder close to my nose

and took a sniff; but, of course, I couldn’t tell if I smelled or not.

I turned to look at Saki, still asleep beside me.

Her lips moved slightly as she mumbled something unintelligible.

From the peaceful expression on her face, I could tell it wasn’t because
she was having a nightmare.

Maybe it was a good thing we hadn’t watched a horror movie

after all.

Even so…

I couldn’t help but wonder—what did the dream version of me say

to Saki?

The TV, which was still left on, now showed scenes of New Year’s
celebrations from a foreign country, with the calm voice of the
announcer describing the faces of people welcoming the new year with
excitement.

I wish this peaceful moment could last forever, I thought as I

enjoyed the New Year’s atmosphere.

But I knew it couldn’t.

Would a future like the one in my dream—a future with a family

of four—ever come true?

I’ll have to focus hard on my exams for that.

The lull in the sea had ended.

A new season, with fresh winds, was about to begin.

Glucose Translations​ 90
[1]: Ok, here’s a break down of the above section:

“里芋の煮物” (satoimo no nimono, literally meaning “simmered taro”) is the dish referring to
taro cooked in dashi, saki, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, with the “煮物” (nimono) part referring
to “simmered.” The quirk here is that Akiko usually uses “煮っ転がし” instead (nikkogorashi,
literally meaning “rolling simmer”), which isn’t really a common way of saying t (although
also correct).

The thing is, the dish she’s prepared isn’t just simmered taro; it’s squid with simmered taro,
“イカと里芋の煮っ転がし” (“ika to satoimo no nikkorogashi”), with the “イカ” (ika) meaning
squid. Given “squid with simmered taro” isn’t really a name of a dish, but rather just a
pre-existing dish with something else added, Akiko’s wondering if there’s an actual name for it
(like for example, you don’t call “sukiyaki” “beef stew with vegetables and mushrooms,” you
just call it “sukiyaki”).

So she attempts to combine the words “ika to satoimo no nikkorogashi” into one word,
“ikamokkorogashi,” with the “ika” coming from “ika” (squid), the “mo” coming from “nimono”
(taro), and the “kkorogashi” coming from “nikkorogashi” (rolling simmer).

Hence our localization “squidaro.” Yes I’m proud of it, if you were asking.

[2]: A traditional simmered duck or chicken dish from Kanazawa in Ishikawa Prefecture
(Akiko’s home prefecture).

[3]: “ドカ弁” (dokaben) originates from the combination of the words “どかた” (dokata,
meaning “construction worker”) and “弁当” (bento, meaning lunch box), referring to the large
bento boxes construction workers would usually bring on the job for their lunch breaks.

[4]: “栗きんとん” (kuri kinton) refers to a traditional dish featuring candied chestnuts and
sweet potatoes.

[5]: “腹八分目には医者いらず,” with the specific phrase “腹八分目” (hara hachi bu) referring to
the Japanese practice of only eating until you’re 80% full.

[6]: Yuuta probably has the homozygous recessive genotype of the ABCC11 gene, encoding for
a loss of function mutation resulting in very weakly odored, or even odorless, sweat. It’s a
genotype carried by 80 - 95% of East Asians, most predominantly in Japanese, Koreans, and
Han Chinese (sorry, I reflexively typed this given I’m not only just a biochem major, but
someone who’s had to explain this to people when they ask why I’ve never needed to use
deodorant).

[7]: A traditional low alcoholic drink made from fermented rice.

Glucose Translations​ 91
 January 15th (Saturday) ~ January 16th (Sunday) -
Yuuta Asamura

I went to bed last night with a sense of fulfillment, feeling I had

done everything I possibly could. I had hoped to wake up before my
alarm today, get fully ready, and—

“…That would’ve been nice.” I muttered to myself as I washed my

face, trying to shake off my looming drowsiness.

In all honesty, I hadn’t slept much at all.

Today was the first day of the Common Test for University
Admissions.

In other words, the decisive battle.

If I didn’t pass the minimum cutoff score—around 670 points for

The Department of Social Data Science at Ichise University—I wouldn’t
even qualify for the second-stage of the exams; that part was a given.
Assuming you clear that hurdle, then the passing rate for that was
around fifty-fifty, with the borderline for the second-stage of the exams
said to be around 85%—in other words, 765 points out of the possible
900. I was ideally aiming for a 770 or even an 800.

I had done everything I could up ’til now, and I was confident in

that—or at least I had been. Up until yesterday, I was sure of it.

…I have, right?

Damn it. I couldn’t calm down.

Opening the door to the dining room, I saw my family had already
gathered.

That’s early.

“Good morning, Yuuta.”

“Good morning, Yuuta-kun. Would you like some rice?”

Glucose Translations​ 92
 My old man and Akiko-san had already made breakfast and had it
all laid out on the table. I hadn’t been able to help with any chores at all
for the past few days, so I felt a sense of guilt.

“Ah, yes. Thank you very much. Good morning.”

As I took my seat, Ayase-san stopped eating and greeted me with

a “Good morning.”

As I responded with another “Good morning,” of my own, she

quickly urged me with a, “Hurry up and eat, Yuuta-niisan. You don’t
have much time left.”

“Huh? It’s already that—”

I glanced at the clock on the wall.

“…I think I’ll make it.”

Exam halls for the common test were determined based on the
high school students attended and where they live—information used by
the Common Test for University Admissions to assign test locations
accordingly.

Given both Ayase-san and I went to the same high school and
lived in the same apartment, it was highly likely we were assigned to the
same exam hall.

And, in fact, we were.

Our designated location was a university campus within walking

distance of our home.

Had we been placed somewhere in Shibuya, then we would’ve

probably been sent to some prep school in Shinjuku instead, so this was
pretty relieving. We both felt lucky that it was pretty close.

“What if you forget your exam ticket or something?” Ayase-san

asked.

A chill immediately ran down my spine.

“Don’t jinx it! I checked it over and over yesterday.”

Glucose Translations​ 93
 “That so? Oh, what if you get an upset stomach and need
medicine?”

“No way, c’mon. Besides, I already planned on bringing some just

in case.”

“You might forget your stationary.”

“Already checked everything last night and put it all in my bag.”

“You could get caught in traffic.”

“Weren’t we both happy about how our exam hall’s within

walking distance, remember?”

“But—”

“Saki. Hol’ on a sec,” I stopped her and looked at her intently.

Could it be…

“Are you nervous?”

Ayase-san held my gaze for a few seconds at my words for a few

seconds before quickly looking away. Then, she resumed eating her
breakfast.

Yeah… I see how it is.

“It’s fine as long as you’re okay.”

“Look, I’m kinda nervous too to be honest,” I admitted,

prompting Ayase-san’s chopsticks to suddenly stop again.

“You are?”

“That’s… well.”

“Even though you studied so much?”

“That goes for both of us.”

If anything, Ayase-san’s final push felt even more intense than

mine. I could barely even do anything beyond reviewing my summary
notes under the pretense of a final check as the day of the exam drew
closer.

Glucose Translations​ 94
 “I think you’ll be fine, Yuuta-niisan.”

“If only I could be sure of that...” I muttered, poking at my fried

egg with my chopsticks, and before knowing it, letting out a sigh.

“Yuuta-kun,” Akiko-san called out, making me lift my head.

“Listen, both of you.”

Ayase-san also stopped eating and looked up.

“No matter the results you get, I know how hard the both of you
have worked to get there. Taichi-san and I both do. And just that alone
makes us proud of you.”

My old man, sitting beside her, nodded with a warm smile.

In other words, they weren’t going to place unreasonable

expectations on us, nor would they be disappointed if we fell short,
That’s what she was essentially saying.

So I—no, both Ayase-san and I—could stop sitting here curled up

in fear. We could move forward.

“Thank you very much,” I said, feeling truly grateful that

Akiko-san was here as our mother.

At my words of gratitude, Akiko-san responded with a gentle

smile.

Seeing that smile, I felt my shoulders instantly lighten. The weight

I’d been carrying immediately dissipated along with the fear that had
been tormenting me—the fear of failing and disappointing everyone.

“Mm-hmm. As expected of you, Akiko-san. You’re much better at

encouraging people than I am.”

“I only imitated what you always do, Taichi-san.”

“I-is that so?”

“Yes.”

“That makes me embarrassed, ahaha.”

“Ufufu~”

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 Our parents proceeded to chuckle at each other while sharing
warm smiles.

Huh? That was a pretty nice moment just now, but did they just
somehow use it as an excuse to flirt?

“Yuuta-niisan,” Ayase-san called out to me, looking straight at

me.

“Saki…”

Glucose Translations​ 96
Glucose Translations​ 97
 “I won’t lose.”

“Ugh… Y-yeah, right.”

We’ve really made this into a competition, huh?

Still, I wasn’t expecting her to bring it up now of all times…

Well, maybe this was her way of easing the tension.

“That’s why… I’m going to do my best.”

And I could tell that, deep down, she was wishing for me to do my
best, too.

Even so, she wouldn’t say that out loud.

Saki Ayase was the type of person to never force her expectations
onto others. She wouldn’t stop moving forward even if I were to
stumble. Her efforts were for herself, not something she expected from
anyone else.

Though that relentless self-discipline of hers makes me worry

sometimes…

She was always fighting with a heart wound up too tight.

“But yeah, I think I was able to push myself this far because of
you, Saki.”

“...Because of me?”

I nodded.

“The competition made it fun.”

“...For me too!”

That’s why, let’s stop getting all anxious for no reason about
whatever’s to come. I’ve done everything I could.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Glucose Translations​ 98
 We left our house side by side, walking at a steady pace toward
our testing location.

The twenty-minute walk was quiet, fitting for a Saturday morning.

Although there weren’t many people around, I spotted a few students
here and there; most likely fellow exam takers.

“I think we left a li’l early.”

“Better than being late.”

She has a point.

As we approached the university’s gate, my heart rate naturally

picked up.

There, we saw a sign, written in bold ink, that announced the

venue and the fact that exams for the common test were to take place.

Even though we had the same testing location, Ayase-san and I

wouldn’t be in the same exam hall. After entering the building and
checking the guide map, we each headed to our designated classrooms.

I spotted a restroom and decided to use it just in case. After

drying my hands with my handkerchief, I took several deep breaths.

Stay calm.

I walked down the hallway toward my assigned classroom.

And then, the exam began. My entrance exams were finally here
in full swing.

I had placed my smartphone on my desk beforehand, before

turning it off and tucking it into my bag along with the other students at
the proctor’s signal.

With another signal, we flipped open our exam booklets.

Alright, focus…

At least for this moment, I would forget about my worries for the
future with Ayase-san; all that mattered right now was solving these
problems.

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 ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

The chime from the speakers and the examiner’s call to stop made
me snap back to reality.

I checked the name field on my answer sheet to make sure I

hadn’t forgotten to fill it in. Then, taking a deep breath, I gathered my
stationary and stood up.

There were about 80 minutes left until the afternoon exams,

meaning it was time for lunch and a break.

Turning on my phone, I saw a message from Ayase-san.

Saki: 【What are you doing for lunch?】

A short question, followed by her floor and classroom number.

She’s surprisingly close by.

Checking the guide map, I noticed a lounge-like area nearby.

Snapping a photo of the map and sending it to her, I suggested it as a
location before heading to meet her.

“How was it?” she asked the moment she saw me.

“Well, it pretty much felt the same as the mock exams. Probably
about the same as usual, I guess,” I answered.

“That’s great. I feel like I wasn’t able to give it my all. Like, I

could’ve done more,” she confessed, biting her lip in frustration.

“I think that just shows how seriously you approached the exam,
Ayase-san. I had some parts I couldn’t really ‘get’ no matter how hard I
tried too, so I just went with my gut. I’m sure every exam taker had a
few questions like that.”

“I hope so…”

We spent our break eating quietly, washing down our lunches

with drinks from a vending machine. We didn’t talk much about the test
itself; thinking too much about what we got right or wrong would’ve
probably just brought us down.

Glucose Translations​ 100

 Still, being able to see Ayase-san between exams like this was a
relief.

And though this wouldn’t happen for our private university exams
or the second-stage exams for the common test, we’d at least always see
each other when we got home. Compared to other couples who’d drift
apart during exam season and even break up, the fact we lived together
was already a huge advantage.

We’ll get to see each other when we get home.

Maybe that’s why my old man could go to work every day with a
smile.

As I found myself lost amongst these meaningless thoughts, the

time to head back to my exam hall had suddenly already arrived.

“Hey,” Ayase-san spoke up as we walked down the hallway.

“Hm?”

“You looked like you were thinking deeply about something just
now.”

Wait, what was I thinking ’bout…? Oh.

“Uhhh, just thinking ’bout the afternoon exam. Japanese, right?”

A lie.

No way could I say I was thinking of her.

“Japanese… So modern literature…” Ayase-san uttered and cast

her gaze downward the moment I said that.

“Ah—no, no. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Wait, the heck did I mean, then? I thought, scolding myself

internally. It was clear my attempt to cover it up wasn’t helping at all.

Despite her efforts to tackle it, modern literature had always been
a weak spot for Ayase-san, after all.

“Look, I know this might just sound like words of comfort, but
you’ve started reading a ton more than before, amirite? I don’t think you
need to be so pessimistic.”

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 “Well… I guess. But I still sometimes get confused whenever I
read novels. Like, why are characters always saying the opposite of what
they’re really thinking?”

That does happen a lot. Especially in first-person novels when the

protagonist lies; it becomes a real challenge to decipher what’s the truth.

“…Asamura-kun, you’re trying to encourage me, yet you still call

what you’re doing ‘words of comfort’?”

“I mean, you don’t like baseless reassurances, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So I figured I’d just come clean and call it what it is. At least
you’d know I’m trying to encourage you that way.”

Ayase-san fell into thought at my words.

“I see…”

“Ah, this is my classroom,” I told her.

“Ah, right. Well then,” she said, giving me, giving me a small
wave. “You’re good at Japanese, so I’m sure you’ll be fine, Asamura-kun.
Just words of comfort, though.”

I chuckled and waved back.

The afternoon exams consisted of two subjects: Japanese and

English. With that, the first day of our exams would be over.

The Japanese exam wasn’t too difficult for me, with the only
question giving me trouble on interpreting emotional expressions. I
could easily tell what the exam writer expected as the “correct”
interpretation of the author’s intent, but a part of me didn’t really agree
with it.

Would it really be so wrong to take a different perspective?

Still, I didn’t want to lose points over stubbornness. The common

test didn’t award creativity, after all.

Glucose Translations​ 102

 Ayase-san’s face suddenly flashed through my mind for a brief
moment, and I wondered how she answered that question. Maybe she
struggled with it.

English, on the other hand, was a complete disaster for

me—especially with the listening portion.

Compared to Ayase-san, who regularly surrounded herself with

English audio materials, my lack of preparation clearly showed here. To
be honest, there were only some parts I could vaguely understand, so all
I could do was hope my answers somehow lined up correctly.

Still, I managed to fill in my answer sheet and finish the exam.

As I packed my stationary into my bag, getting ready to leave, I

spotted a familiar face through the open classroom door.

Ayase-san was there, giving me a small wave.

I hurriedly gathered my things and stepped out.

“Here to pick me up?”

“My seat was near the hallway, so I left as soon as the exam
ended.”

We left our testing location together.

Blending into the flow of students heading toward the station, we

walked side by side, heading home.

“Did you get that message?”

“Huh?”

She held up her phone and showed me the screen, featuring a cute
puppy sticker accompanied by a message, “Good job today!”

The pedestrian signal had just turned red, so we stopped walking,

allowing me to pull my phone out of my pocket.

Upon turning it on, I saw a notification for a message.

And it wasn’t just one; there were five.

Glucose Translations​ 103

 It was pretty surprising for me, so I opened LINE to check,
wondering who they were from.

The first message I saw featured the same puppy sticker

Ayase-san had just shown me. I’d already suspected I would receive the
same one the moment I saw hers. Sure enough, it was from
Narasaka-san.

It was just a simple sticker—nothing else. But given she was also
taking the common test, she must’ve known exactly when it ended. It
was probably why she sent it right after the exam had finished.

I also had messages from friends at work—Yomiuri-senpai and

Kozono-san.

Yomiuri-senpai, who hadn’t sent a message in our summer camp

group chat for a while now, had sent a simple encouragement.

Shiori: 【Good job. Keep it up tomorrow.】

Now that I think ’bout it, she must’ve taken the same test before.

She probably remembered its schedule and was checking in on us.

Erina: 【Do your best, senpai!】

It looked like Ayase-san was checking the same messages too.

“Kozono-san’s already talking about hanging out again once it’s

all over. Isn’t that sorta too soon?”

“I mean, she’s only a first-year high schooler. She probably

doesn’t have a real sense of what uni entrance exams feel like yet.”

“True.”

There were also messages from my classmates—Shinjou and

Yoshida.

If I remembered correctly, Shinjou was aiming for a national

university, just like Maru. His message was polite and to the point.

Shinjou: 【Good job.】

Yoshida: 【So how was it?】

Glucose Translations​ 104

 Yoshida’s one was way more casual on the other hand.

‘How was it?’, huh…? Now that’s a hard answer.

I was about to ask how it went for him, before remembering that
Yoshida wasn’t taking the common test. He’d already decided to apply
only to private universities.

Guess I’ll just reply with “it was so-so” or something later.

Just as I was thinking that, another notification popped up. It was

from Maru.

I hadn’t expected him to send a message like this, so it caught me

off guard.

…Why did he send the exact same puppy sticker as

Narasaka-san?

It felt as if she had sent it to him, and, not wanting to be rude but
also not wanting to put in that much effort, he just hastily replied with
the same sticker back out of laziness—and then forwarded it to me as an
afterthought.

As the pedestrian signal turned green, I shoved my phone back in

my pocket and crossed the street.

Ayase-san let out a small chuckle at that moment.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Hm? Ah, yeah. It’s just Class Rep and Satou-san messaged me
too.”

“Ohhh.”

“All they sent were stickers, but just looking at them made me
picture their faces.”

“Yep, that kinda thing happens, right?”

People’s personalities shone through in their choice of stickers,

after all.

…Well, except for people like Maru, where it’s obvious he didn’t
really put any thought into it.

Glucose Translations​ 105

 Or maybe that, in itself, was just part of his personality.

As we continued chatting about such trivial matters, our

apartment building finally came into view.

Our way to the exam hall had felt long, given it was our first time
walking that route, but walking and chatting with Ayase-san on the way
back made the 30-minute journal feel like it passed in an instant.

“Mom said she’ll be making something delicious for dinner

tonight.”

“Oh?”

Wonder what it’ll be.

A classic like comforting beef stew, or something new?

Either way, I was looking forward to it.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

January 16th—the morning of the second day of the Common Test

for University Admissions.

Now that I was more familiar with the route, I naturally felt more
at ease.

“I’m glad it didn’t rain on either day,” Akiko-san commented as

she saw us off.

Come to think of it, I remember hearing about some rumor from

back in the Heisei era that the weather would never fail to turn bad
during the common test, bringing things like snowstorms. Though it’s
not something you hear about anymore.

Yesterday was completely clear nationwide, and today was sunny

in Tokyo as well.

Glucose Translations​ 106

 That being said, it wasn’t like the temperature had risen much.
Though clouds act as natural blankets, trapping warmth in the
atmosphere, it also meant the temperature would naturally drop when
the sky clears at night—radiative cooling, or so it’s called.

According to the weather recap, last night’s low was a 0°C.

“It’s cold,” Ayase-san said as she walked beside me.

“Did you bring any heating patches?” I asked.

“Just in case. I have one under my clothes so it wouldn’t stand

out. I normally just endure it when it’s this cold though…”

“You do?”

“Well… yes. I don’t like having to change what I wear just because
it’s hot or cold out. It makes it feel like I’m losing to the weather, or
something like that.”

…What exactly are you fighting against, Ayase-san?

Well, it’s very much like her, I guess.

“Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“I told you, I brought one today. And I have a pocket warmer too,
see?” she explained after nodding to my comment, pulling it out of her
pocket and squeezing in her hand.

“Huh, you have that too?”

“Well, I don’t want my fingers getting stiff.”

“Ah, good point. Damn, I didn’t even think of that.”

I’d figured gloves would be enough; I really don’t want to start my

exam with numb fingers here.

How embarrassing.

Ayase-san had put way more thought into staying warm than I
had in the end.

Glucose Translations​ 107

 As I silently sulked over my lack of preparation, she suddenly
stopped walking. Unzipping her sports bag and reaching inside, she
pulled something out.

“Here. I brought a spare; you can have it.”

“Ah, yeah… Thanks.”

I pulled the pocket warmer from its packaging and dropped it into
my wallet. My hands would now be probably warm enough by the time
we reach the exam halls.

And maybe it’s just a placebo, but if it works, it works.

Taking the same route as we did yesterday, we arrived at the

university campus, with it strangely feeling larger than it had been the
day before.

Maybe that’s ’cause I’ve got enough mental clarity today to

notice the things I’d missed before, though.

I had thought the same thing during my open campus visits back
then, but the sheer scale of a national university was staggering. The
number of buildings they had alone were impressive, let alone how
mind-blowing it was that they were able to secure this much land in
Tokyo—within walking distance of Shibuya Station no less.

I wonder how many Suisei Highs can fit in here.

“Alright, see you at lunch.”

“Yeah. Uh…” I hesitated, searching for the right words to say to

Ayase-san, before taking out the pocket warmer from my pocket and
gripping it. “You really helped me out. Thanks.”

I gave it a little shake as I spoke.

A soft rattle came from inside—from the iron powder and the
various other materials that generated heat.

“What was that meant to be?”

“Oh, uh… just a li’l morale booster? Think of it like shaking some
maracas.”

Glucose Translations​ 108

 *Shaka shaka.*

Ayase-san, who’d been tense just moments ago with the faintest
wrinkle between her brows, now blinked in surprise, before covering her
mouth and letting out a small giggle.

“The heck’s with that? That’s so weird.”

Welp, as long as it helped her relax.

“Alright, c’ya later.”

“Ah, mm. Later,” she spoke, pulling out her own pocket warmer
and giving it a little shake in return.

Yeah, it does look kinda weird…

I mean, I know I was the one who started it, but what was I even
doing?

Oh well, at least it eased the tension.

I made my way to the same exam hall as yesterday.

Given we’d arrived early, there were only about five or six others
present in it. I found the seat marked with my candidate number and sat
down, preparing my stationary.

Then, I spent what remaining time I had aimlessly staring at the

table of contents of my reference book. I felt like I’d be pushing what I
knew out of my brain if I tried memorizing anything new now, sorta like
pushing dough through a pasta machine. So, I stuck to just glancing at
the index.

Today’s subjects were science and math—my strong suits. My

biggest fear wasn’t facing difficult questions, but the possibility of
freezing up under the pressure and failing to perform at my usual level.

The aircon was set to a comfortable level—not too cold, not too
warm, so at least I wouldn’t have to fight off drowsiness.

Gradually, the exam hall filled up, and it wasn’t long before the
proctor entered.

Glucose Translations​ 109

 Just like yesterday, we were instructed to turn off our phones and
store them in our bags. The answer sheets and exam booklets were then
handed out.

The proctor announced the start of the exam.

I flipped open the exam booklet and scanned the whole thing first.

I’ll start with the ones I’m good with, and save the
time-consuming questions for later.

I marked down questions whenever I spotted ones similar to the

problems I worked on before for reference. As I focused, everything else
started to fade away—the presence of the other exam takers, the anxiety
over whether I’d reach Ichise University’s cut off, all of it melted into the
background.

And as it had begun, the second day of exams—the crucial

day—passed surprisingly quickly.

It could be because these were my strong subjects, but I also felt

like I was able to tackle the questions with a clear mind today, without
any unnecessary pressure.

Or maybe it was because I’d seen Ayase-san’s smile before the

exam.

With all our exams finished, Ayase-san and walked home

together, discussing our answers for the tests we had both taken.

It allowed us both to realize a few mistakes we had made here and

there, but overall, we both felt like we’d done decently well.

And just like that, our two days of the common test came to an
end.

Glucose Translations​ 110

 February 27th (Sunday) - Yuuta Asamura

The third term of our third year as high schoolers felt like a flash.

This was especially true on the days between the first and
second-stage exams of the common test, which passed so quickly that,
looking back on them now, I could barely remember if they had even
happened.

But that’s probably because I was too on edge.

Ayase-san also had to give up with going to school except when

absolutely necessary. She even openly admitted how disappointed she
was about not being able to see her classmates anymore. Still, the
modern world was convenient enough where you were able to “meet”
others remotely, even if you can’t be there in person.

Through video calls, of course. Occasionally only, though.

It was maybe only once a week or so, but Ayase-san managed to

have brief conversations with Class Rep, Satou-san, and
Makihara-san—even if just for a few minutes. By the way, when I mean
Makihara-san I meant that Makihara-san: Yoshida’s girlfriend. I had no
idea how they got close enough to keep in touch, but apparently they do.

Now when did that happen?

As for Narasaka-san, it looked like she and Ayase-san had

deliberately kept it to just texting, given talking with her tended to drag
on. Narasaka-san, like Maru, was aiming for Todai, after all.

Speaking of which, I remember her saying she had a ton of

younger brothers.

I wonder if she was really able to study in that kinda environment.

From what I recall, they were all still in elementary. You wouldn’t
exactly call boys that age considerate enough to think they’d need to be
quiet because their big sis was an exam student.

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 “Maaya’s house actually has a strict 8 p.m. bedtime for her
younger brothers.”

“That’s early…”

Were kids in elementary even supposed to sleep that early?

I felt like I was still being made to study at that hour back when I
was one.

“Her parents’ have the philosophy that kids who sleep more grow
up healthier.”

“But Narasaka-san’s more on the smaller side, amirite? I mean,

not as much as Satou-san, but still.”

“She says that’s because she got obsessed with late-night anime
while she was growing up.”

Wait, wouldn’t you have to already be staying up late to discover

late-night anime in the first place?

“‘The real battle starts when my li’l bros go to sleep,’ so she said.”

“That sounds like Narasaka-san, alright. Still, it’s kinda amazing

that she’s been able to get high grades this whole time.”

Such was a conversation we had over dinner one night, yet I had
completely no recollection of exactly when in February it was.

Speaking of which, the start of February was when they had

actually released the average scores for the common test. This year’s was
lower overall compared to last, with math being particularly
difficult—but that was actually kinda a relief for me. Even though I’ve
always considered it as one of my strengths, I hadn’t been able to score
as well as I hoped, and it had made me anxious.

Comparing the results we predicted we got with the averages,

both Ayase-san and I were left reasonably satisfied, so we decided to
stick with our original uni choices and move on to the second-stage
exams.

Glucose Translations​ 112

 For both national and public universities, the second-stage exams
were divided into early and late rounds; with the late one being a second
chance for those who didn’t get accepted in the early round. Despite
that, given there wasn’t much time between when results would be
released for the early round and the start of the late round, it was hard
to study anything new in between.

I was ideally hoping to get accepted during the early round and be
done with it.

Before I knew it, the days of February, with their stubbornly low
temperatures never exceeding 10°C, passed like a whirlwind.

While anxiously waiting for the results for national universities to

be posted, we also took entrance exams for several private universities
as safety nets, and even begrudgingly paid the non-refundable deposits
for schools we might not even be committing to in the end—something
Ayase-san and I discussed how absurd it was. But at the same time, it
made me appreciate my old man even more, who covered the costs
without hesitation, considering them as necessary expenses for our
university education.

And then, in the blink of an eye, the second-stage exams for

national universities arrived.

Both Ichise University and Tsukinomiya Women’s University held

their exams over two days—Friday, February 25th; and Saturday,
February 26th. The exams were held at the respective unis
themselves—I took mine at Ichise University, while Ayase-san naturally
took hers at Tsukinomiya Women’s University. It was my first time
visiting since its open campus.

And now, with my exams behind me, here I was sitting in my

room the next day, blankly staring at nothing in particular, reflecting on
this final spring of my entrance exam journey.

This is it—the end of my exam-taking days.

With the second-stage exams over, there was nothing left to do

but wait for results. Now, I should ideally be studying for the late round
exams, just in case, but reality was that I couldn’t bring myself to do
much beyond flipping through my notes.

Glucose Translations​ 113

 Ayase-san would be getting her results on March 9th, while mine
would come the next day—March 10th.

In a little over ten days from now, we’d know everything.

Until then, our futures were in a limbo—floating, undefined.

Ten days… Something you’d think is short, yet now feels like an
eternity.

My emotions flipped back and forth every hour. One moment I

could be excitedly making plans for what I’d do once I passed; the next,
I was crushed by the sheer anxiety of failing. Waves of unrealistic
dreams and last-minute regrets crashed over me, leaving me unable to
focus on even the books I had been eager to read and get on with.

But before we got to know our results, there was one more major
event waiting for us.

March 1st.

Suisei High’s graduation ceremony.

That’s right—the last day of mine and Ayase-san’s high school life.

Glucose Translations​ 114

 March 1st (Tuesday) Part 1 - Yuuta Asamura

There’s no such thing as a special day.

To Earth, today was nothing more than another fraction of its

365-day orbit, a simple 24-hour rotation on its axis. To it, it hardly
matters which of those 365 segments we happened to be passing
through. Maybe its oval-shaped orbit causes slight variations in the heat
it receives from the sun for it, but the difference is negligible in the
grand scheme of things.

There are no special days.

Taking a broader perspective, something unique happens

somewhere on Earth every single day—no matter how extraordinary an
event might seem to you. Following that logic, every day is special—and
if every day is special, then everyday day is just some other ordinary day.

What makes a day special isn’t the uniqueness of what happens

on that day, but whether the people who experience them perceive them
as special.

And it was a feeling I felt this morning—the moment I woke up

and glanced at the date on my phone.

The day had finally come.

March 1st. Tuesday.

Suisei High’s graduation ceremony.

My graduation ceremony.

Ayase-san’s graduation ceremony.

The day our lives as high schoolers would come to an end.

These past three years had felt long, yet now today had arrived,
they now seemed so unbelievably short.

Glucose Translations​ 115

 An end of an era—an era of the long, continuous years spent in
school as I’d always known it.

But I guess uni is school too, technically.

Still, I’ve always felt that going to uni was fundamentally different
from everything up to high school.

Memories from my open campus visits flashed through my mind.

I recalled how university campus buildings weren’t the familiar, flat,
rectangular three or four story structures resembling upside down
lunchboxes. Instead, they were bigger, uniquely shaped—some looking
like office buildings in the middle of the city, while others resembled
public halls.

And the people present—students in all kinds of clothing, each

individually choosing what to wear instead of adhering to some
mandated uniform. The diversity in what people wore was striking.

Unlike high school, where most students came from the same
region, uni was also a place packed with people from all over the country
too. I was even picking up dialects I had never even heard before during
my visits. It was something that reinforced the reality that students
came from every corner of Japan.

Even so, there’s one memory that stands out to me extra clearly.

From when a student in a lab coat strode past me, probably in the
middle of some research project. He had dark circles under his eyes,
staggering like a ghost while stifling yawns despite it being only in the
middle of the afternoon.

He was probably on an all-nighter now that I think about it.

“Just three more, just three more…” he had muttered under his
breath as he shuffled along. The exhaustion in his voice was so intense,
and just hearing it was enough to give me a glimpse into the grueling
reality of research.

Wonder if he managed to finish with whatever three things he

was talking about.

It’s pretty crazy to think I could soon be among them depending

on my exam results. A completely different life was waiting for me.

Glucose Translations​ 116

 But man, this quiet sense of apprehension sure is killing me.

I knew it all depended on whether I passed in the end—I

understood that.

And yet, I couldn’t help but already become sentimental about the
days that had passed from just sensing the possibility of change, with
those routine mornings of simply “going to school” gradually slipping
into nostalgia.

Even my steps toward the dining room for breakfast felt unsteady,
as if I still hadn’t fully woken up. It was almost like I was still dreaming.

You’re kidding, right? High school’s really ending today? I

thought as I opened my bedroom door.

There, I saw Ayase-san in the hallway, having just stepped out of

her own room.

“Good mor—Ayase-san?”

“Eh?”

She looked dazed, only shifting her eyes toward me after I called
out to her.

“Ah.”

“Ummm… you awake?”

“What… are you talking about?”

C’mon, Ayase-san, you were totally out of it just now—you didn’t

even notice me.

“Good morning, Asa… Yuuta-niisan.”

“Yeah. Morning, Saki. Uh, you still sleepy?”

Ayase-san shook her head.

“It’s just… I realized it’s really our graduation today when I woke
up.”

“Same for you, huh?”

Glucose Translations​ 117

 “You too, Yuuta-niisan?”

“Pretty much. Getting into uni means things will change a lot
compared to high school, so I can’t stop thinking about it… Well, that’s if
I pass, that is.”

Our results still wouldn’t be out for over a week—March 9th for
Ayase-san and the 10th for me. Until then, I’d have to put up with this
uneasy anxiety.

“It’s kinda like Schrödinger’s cat,” I commented.

“Schrö… what?”

“Ah no, don’t worry ’bout it; just a joke. Not really even the right
analogy anyway. We’ll miss breakfast if I explain it now. We can talk
about it later if you’re interested.”

“Haaah. Well, okay…”

“C’mon on, c’mon,” I motioned for Ayase-san to follow me as I

opened the door to the dining room.

Anyway, Schrödinger’s cat was this thought experiment about

wave function collapse in quantum mechanics; an idea that, to an
outside observer, the state of a cat was theoretically unknown—both
alive and dead at the same time until actually measured. The catch,
however, is that the cat is a direct observer itself, so it’d always know
whether it was alive or not in the first place. To it, it wasn’t just hanging
around in some half-dead limbo.

So in reality, my exam results were already decided. Nothing I

could do now could change them.

I knew that. But human emotions aren’t rational.

They’re emotions, after all.

And so here I was adrift in this vague, floating limbo, being

unable to settle on anything.

I took my usual seat at the dining table.

Glucose Translations​ 118

 This would be the last morning where I’d sit with a prepared plate
of breakfast immediately out in front of me. We’d be returning to our
normal routine starting tomorrow—sharing housework among the four
of us. It also meant Akiko-san’s “special shifts” would end today.

“Finally graduating, huh, aren’t you guys?” my old man muttered

sentimentally out of the blue, nearly making me choke on my miso soup.

“It’s way too early to start crying,” Akiko-san quipped in an

exasperated voice.

Right? Like, look, my old man’s even basically already choking

up here. Too soon. Way too soon.

“But, but, just think about it! Both Yuuta and Saki-chan are
graduating today! Just the fact they’ve made it through high school
without incident… that alone moves me to tears. I just, I just…”

Why are you crying before either of us, old man?

Meanwhile, Akiko-san was acting completely normal.

“See? You’re making Yuuta-kun uncomfortable.”

“I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I mean, isn’t this a little much?”

Welp, guess it actually isn’t that surprising for him to get this
emotional

Considering everything my old man’s been through over the years

and all.

Maybe he was hurt way more by the divorce than I had been, I
thought for a brief moment.

I’d never really considered my parents’ relationship that much

before, but looking at it now, my old man had been in rough shape back
then.

“Speaking of which, about the graduation ceremony; Taichi-san

took the day off, so we’ll both be able to attend,” Akiko-san explained as
she gently tried to calm him down.

“Understood.”

Glucose Translations​ 119

 Though it wasn’t mandatory, parents were allowed to attend
graduation ceremonies at Suisei High. It naturally meant that some
wouldn’t show up at all. Maybe my old man felt guilty for missing my
junior high one.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

We left the house a little earlier than usual and headed for school,
walking down our familiar route.

It wasn’t long before we reached a gentle downhill, asphalt paved

slope.

It was narrow, rarely used by cars, making it nice to walk on.

It gets pretty slippery on rainy days though, so you gotta be

careful then.

It warranted an easy downhill ride by bike too, though the way

back was a bit of a struggle.

And today, for the last time, I was walking down that slope in my
school uniform, side by side with Ayase-san.

The sky was clear, the weather was perfect, and the breeze carried
the scent of flowers from somewhere nearby.

“Daphnes, right?” Ayase-san said, seemingly noticing my nose

twitch.

“Oh yeah?”

“I think so. This… is how they smell, isn’t it?” Ayase-san tapped
the tip of her nose with her finger as she spoke.

I mean, it’s not like you can see what’s in the air, but that’s it, I
thought as I nodded.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t that knowledgeable about which flowers

are in which season. Still, this was a familiar scent I noticed every year
around early spring.

Glucose Translations​ 120

 “Daphnes bloom from February to April. That’s why you get that
‘Ah, spring’s here,’ feeling from smelling them. It’s considered as one of
Japan’s three great fragrant flowers. I think there’s some in someone’s
garden along this street.”

“Three great… So there’re two more?”

“The other two are gardenia and sweet olives. Spring’s daphne,
summer’s gardenia, and autumn’s sweet olives… I think,” Ayase-san
explained, nodding slightly while wearing a bit of a smug expression.”

“Ahhh, gotcha. You really know your stuff, Ayase-san.”

It was surprising that she knew this much about flowers—or

maybe not. Given her oddly keen interest in scents, it was a very
Ayase-san-like thing now I thought about it.

So, Japan’s three great fragrant flowers were daphnes, gardenia,

and sweet olives.

I’ve heard all their names before and do remember them.

Bet I’d struggle to read their kanji the moment they show up in a
book, though.”

“So this scent’s from daphne, huh? I’ll try to remember that.”

“Hmm, I don’t think it’s something you absolutely need to

remember or anything.”

“Yeah, but still. Had I not talked ’bout it with you, I probably
would’ve gone my whole life without ever paying attention to it.”

“Your whole life? Isn’t that kind of an exaggeration?”

“Maybe, but it’s not something that ever came up in my previous

friend groups. Not that I had that many friends to begin with.”

“I didn’t have that many either.”

“Yet we’ve both made quite a lot over the past two years, haven’t
we?”

Ayase-san paused, as if thinking about it for a moment.

“Yeah… maybe,” she then nodded.

Glucose Translations​ 121

 And just like that, we got lost in reminiscing about our three years
of high school together.

From things like how other students had misunderstood and

spread nasty rumors about her back then, how I nearly let those rumors
cloud my own judgment of her, and that… late-night proposal, to how
we worked through our pasts together after rejecting them. Or teaching
her modern literature and starting part-time together.

More and more, these memories kept surfacing one after another.

“…Haaah,” Ayase-san let out a soft sigh, as the scent of daphnes

mingled with the wind. “We could’ve had so many conversations like
this if we had started walking to school together sooner.”

“Together sooner, huh?” I uttered. “But… I think that would’ve

been hard for us back then.”

“Ah…”

It has already been more than a year and a half already, looking
back.

Back then, the both of us had thought the same thing—that

step-siblings were, ultimately, just strangers.

We had no innate sense of closeness as dictated by our genes, nor

had we accumulated years of shared experiences as siblings. It was
obvious; there was no need to even think about it.

That’s how we thought of it, and why we made a promise to not

expect anything from each other the moment we first met.

Expectations lead to disappointment, pain, and suffering.

“I want you to be this way,” “You should be this way,” such were
expectations that could lead to misunderstandings and
miscommunication even among blood-related family members. It was
because of that that being honest about what we felt and resolving it
together was the way we wanted to go. If we could do that, then even as
strangers, we could make it work.

So we decided to adjust—to align our expectations.

Glucose Translations​ 122

 Both Ayase-san and I had been happy for our parents’ and their
remarriage, after all. We didn’t want to ruin this newly formed family of
ours.

And at first—as awkward as it was—it felt like things were going

well.

Looking back, if something had gone different somewhere along

the way, maybe we would’ve remained as just close, ordinary
step-siblings, living a pleasant life together.

But that wasn’t what happened.

Little by little, I found myself being drawn to Ayase-san. And little

by little, she was drawn to me.

We gradually moved outside the realm of just being brother and

sister.

“The first time we went out together was… the pool, right?”
Ayase-san murmured.

“Yep, at least if you don’t count the times our parents sent us
grocery shopping together at the supermarket.”

“I… guess?”

Wait, don’t hesitate over that…

“But if we don’t count that, then that time we went shopping for
Maaya’s birthday wouldn’t count either…”

“Ahhh, yeah…”

We had never had a bad relationship. In fact, I think the both of

us felt that we were somewhat like each other from the very beginning.

Maybe that’s ’cause our family situations were similar.

It was why we took care of errands together when our parents

asked, and it was also why we’d help each other out when we were stuck
with studying.

“I was the one mostly getting help with that, though…” Ayase-san
reflected.

Glucose Translations​ 123

 “And I had you teach me how to pick out clothes. Cooking too. So,
let’s just call it even.”

And then, little by little, we started spending more time together.

Halloween, Narasaka-san’s birthday, and even each of our own.

Visiting the shrine in Nagano for New Year’s, and our school trip to
Singapore too.

“Oh right, I think the school trip was when I became friends with
Yoshida and the others.”

“The school trip definitely brought lots of new connections. That’s

when we met Melissa, too.”

And if it weren’t for that, we would’ve never gone to Melissa’s

concert or met Ruka Akihiro-san for that matter.

“‘Briefly brushing sleeves is just fate from a past life,’ huh?”[1]

“‘Tashou,’ huh? Like ‘somewhat’? As in, like, a little bit?”

“‘Tashou’ as in ‘another life.’[2] Like referring to past or future

lives. It’s the idea that even small encounters, like brushing sleeves with
someone when walking by, is caused by some kinda fate from before we
were even born.

“Oh, so that’s what you meant.”

“It’s basically just kinda saying we should cherish even small

connections. Though I don’t think we really have loose sleeves that’d
brush against each other that much anymore, with modern fashion and
all. Guess that means we’re losing on some of those fated encounters,
though.”

That last part’s a joke, of course.

“You sometimes talk entirely in idioms or proverbs, don’t you,

Asamura-kun? Is that a thing with people who like to read?”

“You make it sound like I don’t speak in human language…”

“Shiori-san does it too, sometimes.”

“Ah—”

Glucose Translations​ 124

 “Shiori-san,” aka Yomiuri-senpai, our senior at work—Shiori
Yomiuri. I’ve noticed that, at some point, Ayase-san had started calling
her by her name every now and then.

“I mean, she is a total bookworm; lost beyond salvation at that.”

“There you go again.”

“Huh?”

“‘Lost beyond salvation’? ‘Bookworm’?”

…I didn’t even realize.

“Uhhh, what were we talking ’bout again?” I asked sheepishly.

“Ah, you’re changing the subject. Well, it’s fine, though. It’s not
like I mind. We were talking about how we went out together quite a
lot.”

Oh, right.

“We haven’t really in our third year, though. Entrance exams and
all.”

“Yeah… Just the summer camp and the fireworks festival, right?”

Even then, both would go down as just summer memories from

our third year.

And the summer camp wasn’t just the two of us either. We went
with our coworkers—Yomiuri-senpai and our junior, Erina Kozono-san.
So when we realized we didn’t really have any summer memories with
just the two of us at the time, we decided to go to the fireworks festival.

Things got serious by the time autumn rolled around though, so

neither of us had much of the mood to go all out and have fun.

Looking back, the only other time we did something together was
probably when we went around the cultural festival. We’d stopped
worrying about how people at school saw us by then.

Or rather, the idea of secretly dating in silence just sounded too

impractical for Ayase-san—who preferred to be upfront about things. As
for me, I just didn’t care much about what others thought.

Glucose Translations​ 125

 Neither of us are good at hiding things anyway.

It was why we chose to tell our close friends about our true
relationship before the festival, too.

“Still, no one was really surprised. Why was that?”

“No idea.”

Even though Ayase-san and I ended up in the same class, we

didn’t really talk much alone in the classroom. That’s why, Yoshida’s
nonchalant “Ah, yeah. Welp, gotcha. Good luck,”[3] felt almost too
indifferent when I had told him about our relationship.

After the cultural festival, the only major thing we did was our
little study camp in Atami. It also was then did Ayase-san reach a
resolution regarding her relationship with her biological father.

After that, our lives had become entirely consumed by exam prep.

And now, all that’s left is to wait for the results.

“You know, it’s been kind of like this since we’ve met,” Ayase-san
suddenly commented.

“Hm?”

She glanced at me, as if gauging whether it was okay to ask what

was on her mind. I stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

“I don’t think we’ve ever talked about our lives before we met with
each other,” she brought up as we were about halfway down the gently
sloping path.

“You mean, like, our childhoods?”

“I’d like to hear about that too, but that’s not it; I meant our first
year as high schoolers. We don’t know anything about each other from
that time even though we went to the same school, do we?”

In other words, the time between entering Suisei High and

meeting her.

That said, I don’t really have strong memories from back then…

Glucose Translations​ 126

 Spring of my first year of high school? Well, I was completely
adrift.

I never had any good memories regarding exams, so when I found

out I’d been accepted to Suisei High, I felt more relief rather than joy.

As a result, I had spent the spring break before the school year
idly at home, doing nothing—not even reading, something I was
supposed to enjoy.

Then came the start of school and the entrance ceremony.

And even when we were assigned our seats in class afterward, I

still hadn’t noticed something crucial. The ceremony had ended quickly,
and we were dismissed right away, after all.

It wasn’t until the next day that I finally realized—

Wait, I don’t know a single soul in my class…

Unlike junior high, where classes were grouped based on their

home districts, students had the power of choice in high school.

And in the first place, only three students—including me—had

come from my junior high to Suisei in the first place.

And those other two? I didn’t know them. And they weren’t even
in my class to begin with. In other words, I was completely alone in a
classroom full of strangers.

“I see. But… you seriously didn’t notice that until then?”

“I knew it logically, to be precise. But knowing something and

actually feeling it are two different things.”

Huh, there really isn’t anyone I know here, I thought as I looked

around and took in the unfamiliar faces at the time.

And then? You may ask.

“What did you do?”

“Well, there wasn’t much I could do ’bout it, so…”

“No way, you didn’t seriously start reading, did you?”

Glucose Translations​ 127

 “That’s exactly what I did.”

I hadn’t read much at all during spring break, given I’d spent the
entirety of it in a daze, after all.

Looking back, it was a complete waste of time. Nearly a whole

month had passed since finishing the high school entrance exam and
actually starting high school.

Just think about how many books I could’ve read at that time…

With that in mind at the time, I decided to fish out a volume from
my favorite light novel series and read it until the teacher arrived.

And that’s when something unexpected happened.

“That’s the new volume, right? You’ve already got your hands on
it?” a guy sitting next to me spoke up.

The volume I had pulled from my bag was a brand-new release

that wasn’t supposed to even hit the shelves until the next day. But given
I’d been frequenting bookstores for a while at this point, I knew that
some releases would sometimes arrive early if their official release dates
fell on a Sunday or a public holiday.

“Really? That actually happens?”

“Yep. You see, bookstores don’t get new shipments on Sundays.

So if a release date of a new volume just so happens to land on a
Sunday…”

“Ohhh, I see. They bump it up,” Ayase-san finished my sentence

for me. Given she had now been working at our bookstore for around a
year and a half now, she now knew her stuff pretty well. “Plus, you
could’ve also gotten a new release on your way to school if you find a
bookstore that happens to open before it starts, right?”

“That’s exactly it. And actually, there is a bookstore in Shibuya

that opens at 7 a.m. too. So you’d have plenty of time to stop by before
heading to school—Huh? Am I saying something weird here?”

As I started explaining like I was some great detective, Ayase-san

gave me a slightly bewildered look.

Glucose Translations​ 128

 “You’d… go that far for a book?”

“I mean, I really wanted to read it. It was an ongoing series with

over sixty volumes at the time.”

“Sixt—”

“But I didn’t even get to read it before class started in the end.”

And it’s all because of what the guy next to me had said…

“I personally only follow the anime, but have you actually read
all the books?”

​ “Well, yeah, I guess…”

“Ohhhh~. That’s good to know. I’ve had some questions about the
series for a while now, and I’ve been trying to find someone to discuss
them with… Ah, my bad; got ahead of myself.”

“Ah, no. I don’t mind.”

“There was no one in my junior high who shared my interests.

Guess I got a little excited. I’m—”

Tomokazu Maru.

That was how he introduced himself, and that was how I met him.

We had, by chance, ended up sitting next to each other, and had

completely hit it off by the time lunch came around.

And it was during said lunch break where I heard his plans to join
the baseball club, completely taking me by surprise at the time.

I had assumed he was the indoor type, like me, given what we’d
been talking about and all. But he turned out to be not just the
outdoorsy type—he was a full-on baseball kid.

Still, even though Maru and I both fought on different

fronts—with me being more into novels and him leaning more into
anime—we shared similar tastes, which made it easy in hitting it off
together.

Glucose Translations​ 129

 Though, that still didn’t change the fact I was more of a so-called
“omnivorous” reading addict, someone with a diverse palate who’d read
just about anything as long as it was printed—be it pure literature or the
food label on a bag of chips. So, it wasn’t like I could talk about every
book I read with Maru.

It just so happened that he knew a lot of the same light novels and
manga that I liked, so before we knew it, we’d become the kinda friends
who’d share a review sesh right after finishing a story, whether it be a
novel or anime.

“That’s pretty impressive. I’ve never been good at stuff like

discussing what I’ve read.”

“No, no, no. You’re probably misunderstanding something here,

Ayase-san.”

“Eh?”

“High school boys talking about manga ain’t nearly as intellectual

as you’re imagining.”

“…Then what do you guys talk about?”

“Well for example, Maru loves tournament-style stories. So he’d

bring stuff up and ask questions like, ‘who’d win in a fight between a
time traveler, alien, and psychic?’” I said casually, earning a look from
Ayase-san as she tilted her head to the side—to around like, 27 degrees,
actually.

“What… is that even supposed to mean?”

“And then we’d debate it seriously, citing in-story evidence and

all.”

Ayase-san held her head in her hands.

“I’ve seen kids do that sort of thing, but they were in elementary.
Maybe junior high, at best…”

“Hate to break it to you, Ayase-san, but the only real difference

between boys in junior high and high school is whether or not they’d
have those dumb debates in front of girls.”

Glucose Translations​ 130

 “I think I might’ve totally misunderstood you, Asamura-kun…”

There’s that proverb, isn’t there? That the only difference between
a grown man and a boy was the price of his toys.

Oh well, guess I’ll keep that one to myself for now.

So, that’s how Maru and I met.

Glucose Translations​ 131

Glucose Translations​ 132
 Anyway, back to our convo.

“Actually, when did you start working at that bookstore,

Asamura-kun?”

Prompted by Ayase-san’s question, I rifled through my memories.

We were already nearing the station—we’d probably walked about

halfway to school at this moment. The scent of daphne that had lingered
from earlier had vanished before I noticed, and a glass building nearby
gleamed brilliantly in the distance.

Spring’s sunlight had quietly wrapped all of Shibuya in its glow.

Has it really been three years since then…?

“I think I started working there pretty early on. Right before

Golden Week, not long after we entered high school.”

While most of the other first-years were getting into their clubs in
April, I didn’t really have much to do in particular.

And since Maru, the only friend I’d grown remotely close with, got
more and more absorbed into his baseball practice, we no longer had
the time after school to mess around like we had in the beginning.

So, it wasn’t before long I ended up spending my after-school

hours wandering around Shibuya like some member of the going-home
club, hopping from bookstore to bookstore before only heading home.

I basically had found myself with too much time on my hands.

“I guess I vaguely felt like I had to do something,” I reasoned.

Though there was probably some unconscious influence from

Maru there.

Now, Suisei High’s baseball club wasn’t strong enough to be called

a powerhouse, but it wasn’t like some weak team that gave up from the
start either. For Maru—who’d just joined—practice was apparently
much more grueling beyond what I—someone with no interest in sports
at all—could even imagine.

Glucose Translations​ 133

 Every morning, while I was getting ready for the first period after
arriving at school, I’d never fail to see Maru stumble into the classroom,
his body swaying with exhaustion from all his morning practice.

Still panting, he’d plop his large frame down onto the chair in
front of mine—which he was moved to after a seating change—and I’d
greet that broad back of his with a “Morning.”

Yet, Maru would never answer until he finally caught his breath.

“It’s only once he’s settled down he’d finally reply with a
‘G’morning,’ of his own. Still, even from just looking at him, you could
tell how exhausted he looked. Like, man, I couldn’t help but think that
he was really going through it every morning.”

But even so, that just showed how impressive Maru was. I had
never once heard him complain about how hard his practice was. Sure,
he might’ve had let out an “Oh man” or two here and there, but not once
did he say he wanted to quit or that he hated it.

He had dedicated almost all his free time to baseball. It was

probably why he’d already locked down a solid spot on the team by the
time we were in our second year, after all.

So it’s not like I can exactly say I wasn’t influenced after watching
someone like that up close.

And though I didn’t think there was anything wrong with

spending my days just reading the books I loved, even if just a little, I
started to wonder if that alone was enough.

That said, it’s not like I went so far as to join a club or anything.

But maybe that’s just how contrary I am as a person.

Still, it became the push I needed to take a good look at how I was
living my life.

As I found myself reflecting more and more on the same daily

routine repeated from morning ’til night, I began to feel that maybe I
shouldn’t be taking this life I repeated every day without purpose
completely for granted.

Especially as I observed my old man.

Glucose Translations​ 134

 Considering my university tuition fees after high school, as well as
the cost of rent or boarding if I were to go to a uni I couldn’t commute to
from home, as well as rainy day funds for any unexpected accidents or
illnesses, it became clear that my old man was pushing himself pretty
hard—maybe even beyond his limits. It was something I hadn’t realized
back in elementary.

He would leave for work early in the morning and come back late
at night, day after day.

“So you got a part-time?”

“Yep. I’d already given up on cooking for myself from the

beginning, but I decided that at the very least, I shouldn’t be asking my
old man to pay for all the books I read. Though, I guess the money I
made didn’t help our household expenses in any meaningful way—it was
just a drop in the bucket.”

“Mom used to stop me when I tried helping out with things

besides cooking, too. She’d say stuff like, ‘Thank you, Saki. Just the fact
you feel that way makes me happy,’ or something like that.”

“My old man used to say something pretty similar.”

So I guess I wasn’t just being influenced by Maru, after all.

“So that’s why you started working at the bookstore.”

I nodded.

And once I’d started working, even just a little, and received
paychecks, even if they were small, I gradually began to feel a sense of
purpose. I started becoming aware of what it meant to work and to earn
money.

“But there’s something else I’ve realized, and it’s thanks to you
and your mom coming to live with us, Ayase-san.”

“Thanks to us?”

“Yeah… uh, okay. So, after I started working, I could afford to buy
my own books, right? And of course, the amount of money a student can
make is still probably nothing to actual working adults.”

Glucose Translations​ 135

 “Yeah, true. I can understand that now too.”

“But even so, I was earning enough to meet my own needs as a

student. And so—”

I began spending all the money I earned on books for myself.

It was completely for my own benefit—reading gave me

something valuable.

And yeah, it was just plain fun, too.

But then I started wondering—what about my old man?

That thought hit me.

My old man was pouring a huge chunk of his hard-earned salary

into the mortgage for our apartment. Sure, that meant he was building
up some kinda asset—a home—but the thing is, that home in question
felt way too big for the both of us.

Every day, I’d watch him come home, all worn out and exhausted.
I couldn’t help but think: man, he works so hard, and yet the money he
makes just gets swallowed up by this blank space in our home—a space
that used to be filled when my biological mom was still around.

I could still remember how it felt—returning home from the

bright outdoors of April, full of the scent of fresh, young green leaves,
turning the key to the front door and opening it.

Yet, despite there being plenty of sunlight outside, the only thing
that waited for me beyond the slight metallic creak of the door opening
was a dark hallway with no lights on.

Dimness, with a faintly cold atmosphere.

“I’m home,” I’d quietly mutter, despite already knowing there

wouldn’t be any response.

The words I had used to announce my return had grown smaller

day by day, and by that point, they were barely even whispered inside
my mouth.

“That’s surprising. So that’s what it was like for you.”

Glucose Translations​ 136

 “Surprising?”

“Mm. But I was the same, now that I think about it… I still
remember it—about getting back from school and you saying ‘welcome
back.’ I couldn’t respond at all at that moment.”

“Ah, yeah.”

I remember it too.

It was as if she’d reacted like someone hearing those words for the
first time in their life.

“‘I’m home’ and ‘welcome back.’ They’re nice words, aren’t they?”

“‘I’m off’ and ‘see you later,’ too.”

Saying something, and having someone say something back.

The first step to communication.

“That’s why getting home to a place where there’s no reply kinda

gets you down.”

All I’d do back then was take off my shoes at the entrance.

Without even putting on indoor slippers or turning on the lights,

I’d walk down the hallway with soft pattering steps.

I wouldn’t even bother peeking into the dining or living room.

I already knew no one would be there.

Instead, I’d head straight to my room, toss my bag aside, and flop
down onto the bed. Then, after zoning out for a while, I’d finally sit up,
and pull a paper bag from the bookstore out of my bag.

I’d take out the new release I bought on the way home, and start
by slowly gazing at the cover.

Opening the pages.

Beginning to trace the words.

Diving into the world of the book—only then would I finally be

able to forget how hollow the house felt.

Glucose Translations​ 137

 And for me, that was enough.

I genuinely thought it was fun.

But what about my old man?

Having thought about all that empty space he was emptying his
salary into, I felt truly glad in that moment—the day I had become a
second-year; the day Ayase-san and Akiko-san started living in our
apartment.

At the very least, I could believe that my old man’s hard work
could finally be put to good use—for his own sake. Because whenever he
talked about his new partner, Akiko-san, he always looked so genuinely
happy.

My old man usually wore a relaxed, gentle smile with everyone,

but even as his own son, I’d never seen him smile from the heart like
that.

So at least now, all his efforts wouldn’t just dissolve pointlessly

into the empty space of our house anymore.

I could believe that.

“My old man was a complete wreck when you and Akiko-san first
came over that morning. He was doing his best to not mess things
up—probably even trying way too hard to not get on your guys’ bad side.
I mean, you probably saw that for yourself when he greeted you,” I
explained.

He’d tried to play it cool—but totally failed.

Ayase-san lips curved into a slight, soft smile, seemingly

remembering that moment as I explained.

“It’s okay. I think Mom could tell he was doing his best.”

“Well, then that’s fine, I guess.”

“We were worried too, you know? About whether the two of you
would accept us. So it was the same.”

“The same, huh? That’s right. We were so caught up in our own

anxiety, but I guess you and your mom were just as anxious.”

Glucose Translations​ 138

 “That’s right, that’s right.”

“Well, anyway, we’re really grateful that you two became part of
our family—both my old man and I. I mean it.”

“Mm. Same here.”

Same here, huh?

If that’s the case, then—

“We didn’t just end up as family after everything that had

happened—we’ve also ended up like this. But y’know, looking back on
everything that led us here, I honestly think it was kinda fun.”

If I could look back on all the twists and turns and call them fun,
then maybe all the changes that came from the days with my step sister
over the past year and a half weren’t such bad things after all.

It was something I truly thought to myself time and time again.

“Finding the fun in everything, huh…?” Ayase-san commented.

“There were definitely parts that weren’t, though—like our

entrance exams.”

“Not ‘were.’ It’s still not over,” Ayase-san let out a sigh far too
heavy for a spring morning at my words.

True…

“…Let’s not talk ’bout that right now,” I smiled wryly.

Hol’ on, I’ve been talking about myself this whole time here.

“I know I kinda went off tangent partway through, but well—that’s

what my first year of high school was like.”

“Yeah. Thanks for telling me.”

“So… what about you, Ayase-san?”

Ayase-san’s days as a first-year—ones I hadn’t known. I wanted to

hear about them if she was willing to share.

Glucose Translations​ 139

 “Hmm… I guess it was sort of the same for me. I didn’t really have
any hobbies to talk about with others like you did, Asamura-kun, so I’d
just head straight home after school.”

Ayase-san then went on to explain that back then, all she’d do was
go home to their old tiny, six tatami matted one-room flat. And even
once she got home, Akiko-san, who worked the night shift at a bar in
Shibuya, wouldn’t have been there.

And unlike my old man, she wouldn’t be back even after

midnight, so they probably hardly saw each other at all.

That’s something that seems too sensitive to ask about more,

though.

“So, when did you become close with Narasaka-san?” I asked

instead.

“Maaya?” Ayase-san said, her eyes briefly taking on a faraway

look.

Maybe she’s remembering the day they met.

Come to think of it, given they were in the same class, they
probably first met at the opening ceremony, just like Maru and I had.

Or so I thought…

“It’s not like Maaya and I were close from the start, like you and
Maru-kun,” Ayase-san explained.

“That so?”

“Kinda? I’d love to tell you more about it, but time’s up,
unfortunately.”

Huh? I was totally thrown off.

“Time’s up?”

“Look—we’re already at school.”

Sure enough, the school gate was now in sight. But still, how could
I not be curious after stopping right before the most important part after
she’d said that much?

Glucose Translations​ 140

 “That’s so unfair…” I couldn’t help but say it aloud.

“But it isn’t, at least if we’re talking about past stories. I’ve already
told you about that person the other day,” she reasoned, and I couldn’t
help but find myself agreeing.

Ayase-san’s biological father—Fumiya Itou.

She’d shared some deeply personal stories about her past with
him from back during our study camp in Atami. Stories I had heard
deeply, all the way to their roots, far heavier than the little tale I had just
shared about my old man.

Even though she’d practically brushed it off lightly just now with a
simple “we’re even,” opening up about her history with Fumiya Itou
must’ve been like exposing an old, unhealed wound.

It must’ve taken her a ton of courage, I thought, realizing that if

anything, I was the one who still had more left to say.

“Yeah… you’re right,” I agreed.

“No, I know it’s not fair. I’ll tell you someday.”

We eventually passed through the gates of Suisei High as we

continued walking—gates we wouldn’t walk through any more starting
tomorrow.

Among the stream of students, I spotted a familiar classmate’s

face.

“Ah, that’s Nishikawa-san. She looks like she’s about to cry,”

Ayase-san observed.

Sure enough, the girl stood there, staring blankly out toward the
track field. Though we couldn’t fully see her expression from where we
were, she did look on the brink of tears.

“She was in the track and field club, wasn’t she?”

“Ohhh…”

That explains it.

I could more or less understand how she felt.

Glucose Translations​ 141

 “Hey, about earlier.”

“Hm?”

“About when I first met Maaya.”

“Ah… Well, whenever the opportunity comes up, then.”

“Yeah. I’ll tell you someday,” she said, looking back toward our
classmate—the girl from the track and field club who stood gazing at the
field she’d never run on again. “There’ll be plenty of chances for that,
right?”

She was right.

We were bidding our goodbyes to Suisei High today.

But our relationship would still go on from here.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

We headed to the gymnasium following a short wait in the

classroom.

Suisei High’s gym was a building featuring a typical

kamaboko-shaped roof, the kind you’d see everywhere. It stood next to
the track field, and today, it had a signboard boldly marked with large
letters that read “Graduation Ceremony” that stood at its entrance.

“It’ll start soon, so wait here,” our head of year told us, and we
were made to line up near the entrance.

“Soon,” so they say; but even so, these few minutes of waiting
meant leaving us standing outside and exposed to the still-chilly spring
wind. The sky had even started to cloud over, and every time the wind
blew with a woosh, it sent shivers running through my body.

Rather than being sentimental or melancholic about the end of

high school, my immediate desire to get inside a warm building was
winning out.

To hell with sentimentality right now.

Glucose Translations​ 142

 Actually, what does “to hell with” even actually mean? It’s
something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.

Oh well, not like it matters right now or anything.

Another strong gust of wind blew over us, causing Ayase-san’s

long hair to flutter beside me.

“So cold,” she mouthed without speaking, earning my silent nod

in return.

“The hell’s up with puttin’ us—the literal protagonists for

today—out here waiting like this?” Yoshida complained from the back of
the line.

But even if he said something like that, there was just no way for
any normal high school gymnasium to have a waiting room big enough
to hold all 300 plus graduating students.

It just can’t be helped, I guess.

“Quit with your whining; it’s graduation day! Keep it up and I’ma
have to revoke your graduation!” someone quipped at Yoshida’s
complaint.

I could immediately tell it was Class Rep’s, given it came from

right behind me and Ayase-san.

“Oh lord, have mercy on me~” Yoshida whined dramatically,

earning chuckles from not only our classmates but also from students
lined up in neighboring classes.

I caught a glimpse of Yoshida’s girlfriend, Makihara-san, among

them from the gaps between the lines in the corner of my eye; two
classes over. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she smiled wryly.

“Hey! If you want mercy then pipe down already!”

“Okaaaay~. I heaaaar you, Class Rep.”

“Good grief. Geez…” Class Rep crossed her arms, her mouth
curled into a disapproving pout, clearly unimpressed by Yoshida’s utter
lack of remorse.

Glucose Translations​ 143

 Now that I think about it, albeit pretty lately at this point, “Class
Rep” really is just her nickname—she had a proper one.

Her name… Uhhh, what was it again?

Well, anyway, “Class Rep” wasn’t her real name, regardless. Still,
given the way she’d always push up her under-rimmed glasses and
confidently rattle off with precise, well-reasoned arguments, that
nickname had stuck to her ever since our first year—up all the way
through to our third year.

Though she unironically hasn’t actually been an actual class

representative that much at all…

It was only until the third term of our third year, when the entire
class unanimously voted her in, did she become one. It was a result of
our class’ sincere wish that she’d graduate as our real class
representative.

“And the real reason?” she had asked back then, her glasses
flashing with a glint as everyone averted their gazes, looking away.

Silence. That is, until Yoshida, unable to hold it in for any longer,
blurted out all our hidden motives.

“To make finding someone to organize future class reunions

easier,” he had confessed back then.

Class Rep then apparently scolded him so harshly afterward that

his ears actually started ringing.

Even so, all she did was shrug her shoulders after with a
nonchalant, “Guess it can’t be helped,” showcasing her innate good
nature in the end.

I couldn’t help but relive that little memory as I watched Yoshida

and the Class Rep banter back and forth.

The once-bustling gymnasium then suddenly grew quiet—our

ceremony was about to begin.

Following a teacher’s announcement of the opening, we began to

gradually enter as a sense of tension simultaneously returned to the
atmosphere.

Glucose Translations​ 144

 Our line began to move, and before long, we stepped into the
gymnasium.

Just like most high school gymnasiums, Suisei High’s was a

rectangular, wooden-floored building, featuring a stage set up at one of
the shorter ends. It served during school-wide assemblies, student
council meetings, cultural festival performances from organizations like
the drama or brass band clubs, and of course, the entrance and
graduation ceremonies.

The podium had already been set up, and the microphones were
ready.

We marched in, embraced by the round of applause coming from

our underclassmen and parents, and began to take our seats in order on
the folding chairs placed near the front, closer to the stage.

I glanced toward the back as we walked, specifically to where the

parents were seated, spotting my old man and Akiko-san sitting side by
side.

They noticed me and Ayase-san, giving us small waves.

Of course, given I couldn’t exactly wave back in some exaggerated

way right now, I simply just raised my hand to around my chest, giving a
small wave side to side—just enough to acknowledge them without
breaking the atmosphere.

The parents sat at the very back of the gym, meaning that an
entire hedge-like block of underclassmen were between us and them. To
stand out here would mean to stand out in front of nearly the entire
student body.

Yeah, I kinda don’t like the idea of that.

As our entrance procession ended, the ceremony resumed.

This would be my third graduation ceremony in my life so far,

having gone through this twice before—once in elementary and once in
junior high.

Given it was the same for everyone else, just one rehearsal was
enough for everything to move along smoothly.

Glucose Translations​ 145

 We sang the national anthem, followed by the school’s own. Given
I hadn’t been able to go karaoking during all my exam prep, raising my
voice in song felt strange; it was as if my throat was in shock.

My voice even cracked a little at one point during the school

anthem—which I hadn’t even memorized all that well in the first place.
It was honestly pretty embarrassing.

Suisei High’s anthem had apparently been rewritten around the

start of the Heisei era and was surprisingly modern for a school song. It
even had two key changes.

It had struck me odd once, so I ended up looking into how other

schools did it. To my surprise, I found out that there were actually even
some high schools that had anthems with four key changes.

Thank god I go to Suisei High, I had thought at the time, as

someone who really wasn’t confident in their singing at all.

And then, at last, came the presentation of our diplomas.

The stage, where it’d be taking place, featured short staircases on

both sides, meant for going up and down. We graduates were to ascend
from the right and descend on the left.

Starting with Class 3-1, students rose from their seats and walked
to the front.

You’d walk from the right edge of the stage to in front of the
principal when your name was called. The contents written on your
diploma would be read out loud, but only for the first student of each
class. It’d be skipped after that.

That meant that it would be a mostly quiet and solemn repetition:

name called, receive diploma, bow, descend the stairs on the left, return
to your seat.

Yet, it wasn’t entirely that either.

Some students, overcome with emotion, couldn’t hold back their

tears as they received their diplomas. Other times, you’d hear loud
sobbing from where the parents were seated if the student managed to
keep it together.

Glucose Translations​ 146

 And though it didn’t happen often, you’d sometimes even hear
cheers or applause erupting from a group of underclassmen. This was
especially common for students who had been in sports clubs, probably
because their juniors deeply admired them.

Among those I knew, one fitted that description: Maru, who was
in the class just before ours.

Makes sense given he was the baseball captain and all.

Then, it finally reached our turn.

Because names were called in alphabetical order,

I—Asamura—was first. In other words, I was the one whose diploma
would be read aloud in full.

People like Ayase-san or others seated farther back could just

follow the person before them if they forgot how things were meant to
flow. But me? Being in front, I had to lead.

Though it’s not like our class went first, so I guess I’ve got it
easier than some.

I received my diploma without a hitch.

I caught a glimpse of Ayase-san in the corner of my vision right

behind me as I descended the steps, receiving her diploma with a smile
on her face.

Right after her was Class Rep.

“Chiharu Ooyama.”

“Yes!” she answered in a loud and clear voice.

So that’s her name…

As I rummaged through my mind, I also recalled how it was

written: Chiharu Ooyama.

“What’s wrong?” came a small voice from behind me. Ayase-san

had already gotten close.

“Huh?”

“You’re holding up the line.”

Glucose Translations​ 147

 Only then did I realize I had slowed down, lost in thought.

“Ah, no. Just remembered Class Rep’s name was Ooyama,” I

hurried my pace and gave her a quick excuse.

“That so?” she replied in a suspicious tone. I could almost hear

her unspoken “Why’re you bringing that up now?” at this point.

“I mean… I’ve never really heard anyone call her by her actual
name.”

“Ohhh,” Ayase-san muttered, realizing what I meant. “Class Rep’s

just… Class Rep after all, isn’t she?”

Exactly.

Who knows, maybe we’ll all still be calling her Class Rep even
after graduation.

The two of us sat down side by side, and Class Rep took her seat
shortly after. I lightly curved the diploma I’d been holding between my
fingers as I sat down, making sure not to crease it, before rolling it up
completely into the case I’d been given when I stepped off the stage.

A “diploma tube,” or so they call it.

On the surface of the diploma tube were the words “Graduation

Diploma - Tokyo Metropolitan Suisei High School,” written in gold
lettering.

I closed the lid and finally let myself relax a little.

Now, I wasn’t exactly the sentimental type, but even I felt a bit
reluctant about treating something like this carelessly.

That said, my elementary and junior high diplomas were still

stuffed somewhere in a closet, tube and all, untouched since the day I
brought them home.

Letting out a quiet sigh, I rolled my shoulders to ease the tension,

all the while Ayase-san continued to gaze at her diploma beside me, with
it spread open across her lap.

Her eyes looked a little misty as she looked at it for some reason.

Glucose Translations​ 148

 “…Something wrong?” I asked in a whisper, prompting Ayase-san
to briefly turn her gaze toward me.

“My name.”

“Hm?”

Her name?

As I looked at her closer, I realized she was oddly intensely

focusing on the name written on her diploma resting on her lap.

“I’ll tell you later.”

Saying that, Ayase-san began to gently roll the diploma with her
slender fingers. *Fwoomp*, she opened the case with one hand, earning
a soft yet audible pop of air.

Slipping the rolled diploma inside, she slowly closed the lip,
before then returning her gaze to the stage.

I followed suit, turning my eyes forward.

One after another, students continued to make their way up to the

stage to receive their diplomas. Our class had already finished a decent
while ago, with the last few classes now going up—at least according to
the class numbers announced.

Names were called, students walked up slowly and bowed, then

carefully rolled their diplomas without creasing them before stepping
down from the stage.

It kinda looks like actors stepping down from a stage after a

play.

And in our case, we were descending from the stage of high school
itself.

Some students wore radiant smiles, others had their faces

crumpled in tears, with most names announced floating right past my
ears without actually registering in my brain.

There were around 300 students in each year—roughly 30 per

class. Even after two class changes, I had only met a third of my grade at
best.

Glucose Translations​ 149

 Unless someone had been in my class in our first or second years,
or if I had paired up with them in PE or something like that, there was
just no way I’d know them. I hadn’t joined any clubs, participated in any
committee, or served on the student council—I hardly had any reason to
interact with most of the student body, looking back.

So their faces, let alone their names, were all vague and hazy in
my memory.

Still, even so, there were a few exceptions.

Oh that’s… I found myself thinking here and there.

There were only a handful of them, all of them being those I’d
never shared class with, with the fingers on my hand being more than
enough to count them all.

For example, I was able to remember those we went to the pool

with during that day back in the summer of our second year, even going
as far as remembering all their faces.

Ah right, that was their name, I thought as they were all

eventually called onto the stage.

“The one just now…”

Hm?

“They were with us when we went to the pool, weren’t they?”

Ayase-san murmured.

“Right?” I said just that in response.

So Ayase-san remembers them too…

With the final student having stepped down from the stage and
everyone returning to their seats, the principal’s speech began, followed
by some guest speeches.

Then came the farewell address from the underclassmen, and

finally, the valedictorian’s speech from the graduating class.

Glucose Translations​ 150

 And maybe it’s because we’d all been sitting through this long,
monotonous ceremony for a while at this point, but I noticed a lot of the
students around me starting to yawn quietly, looking as if they weren’t
really paying attention.

And honestly, it can’t be helped.

For most students, those giving the guest farewells, and even the
valedictorian, were just strangers—they probably didn’t even know their
names or faces. People only focus when it regards someone important to
them, after all.

Conversely, things strangers say just tend to pass through one ear
and out the other.

The valedictorian this year was someone called Kuriyama from

Class 3-3.

Yep, don’t even know who he is, unfortunately.

I didn’t even have a vague impression.

So, even though their speech was clearly well thought out, it just
slipped right through my mind without sticking.

The valedictorian role usually went to students with excellent

grades or members of the student council. Following this line of logic,
they were probably one of the top students here—someone whose high
school life had probably followed a completely different path from mine.

Still, a stranger’s a stranger.

Had it been someone like Maru or Narasaka-san—who always

ranked within the top ten of our school tests—that had been chosen
instead, I probably would’ve paid more attention.

I wonder what that would’ve been like.

I definitely picture Narasaka-san weaving in some jokes here and

there, getting a few laughs, but still wrapping it all up beautifully.

Though that would only happen if I was a main character of

some novel, or something like that.

Glucose Translations​ 151

 That was the only way for someone I knew, like Maru or
Narasaka-san, to be able to speak at an important event like graduation.

Only then would the audience naturally pay closer attention to the
words being spoken. People don’t usually pay attention to characters
that don’t really interact with the protagonist, after all. That’s why
background characters rarely take center stage in most stories.

Instead, it’s always someone, who, by some coincidence, became

close to the protagonist right before the big event. The person who ends
up guiding the main character forward.

But reality’s not like that, through and through.

The very fact that a male student, whose name I hadn’t even
known ’til just now, was standing on stage giving a speech as
valedictorian only cemented that very fact.

But wait a sec.

Thinking about it the other way around, there were definitely

students here who do know this Kuriyama guy well.

So that means they’re probably experiencing this graduation

ceremony as if they were the protagonists of the story, huh?

Well, it is true that random things do become true if they happen

over and over again.[4]

…Anyway, enough daydreaming.

Still, what a beautiful way to wrap up my high school life it

would’ve been if Maru or Narasaka-san had been the ones giving the
speech.

Reality’s reality though, through and through.

It wasn’t before long for the valedictorian’s speech to reach its

final words. Even so, there were a few lines from Kuriyama’s speech that
did stick in my mind.

Glucose Translations​ 152

 “Our school years have been a rare time in our lives—a period in
which we experience encounters without any thought of personal gain
or loss. It’s for these reasons that I want to cherish the connections I’ve
made over these past three years.”

Connections, huh…?

That reminded me of my conversation with Ayase-san this

morning on the way to school; my meeting with Maru had truly been a
coincidence.

We just happened to sit next to each other, and I’d just happened
to pull out a light novel that happened to have an anime adaptation, one
which Maru happened to like. And he only started talking to me because
he wanted someone to share an interest with.

I mean, I guess you could also frame it as some kinda personal

gain or loss here…

But it was probably not the kind of “gain or loss” Kuriyama—or

what adults—were talking about.

And it’s not just Maru.

There was my connection with Ayase-san.

And Narasaka-san, whom I met only because she was friends with
Ayase-san.

And from there, more and more connections to.

All of it, just coincidence.

And connections—human connections—were always at risk of

snapping.

As fragile as a spider’s thread.

Even so…

Just like Kuryama said, there were still connections I wanted to

hold on to.

The ceremony continued—slowly, but steadily.

Glucose Translations​ 153

 We all stood up and sang a graduation classic, Aogeba Toutoshi,
before the principal stepped up to the podium once more and declared
the ceremony officially ended.

And just like that—

My high school life, and Ayase-san’s, came to an end.

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[1]: Some of you may have already noticed, but I’ve been localizing a lot of Japanese proverbs
to their known equivalents in English since the start of this volume (compared to how I’d
previously just keep them and make a TN), but this one goes too hard originally that I had to
keep it. Here’s the explanation:

“袖すり合うも他生の縁” literally translates to “The brief brushing of sleeves is a connection from

a past life,” and basically has a similar meaning to known English idioms or proverbs such as
“The universe has a way of bringing people together,” “What’s meant for you won’t pass you
by,” or “A meeting by chance is preordained.”

It basically means some encounters (implied from “brushing of sleeves,” which basically is just
another way of saying “bumping into someone”) are just meant to happen because of fate
(implied by “connection from a past life”).

Hence my TL of “Briefly brushing sleeves is just fate from a past life,” which I feel sounds way
better spoken in English than a true direct translation like above.

[2]: Saki first pronounces out what Yuuta’s saying in hiragana (“たしょう,” pronounced “tashō”)
as if confused about what he’s saying, and then mistakenly misunderstands it for the word “多
少” (meaning “somewhat” or “slightly,” also pronounced “tashō”), when what Yuuta really
meant was “他生” (meaning “another life,” also pronounced “tashō”).

[3]: Ghost being the inconsistent one here, not me. He uses “ああ、うん。まあ、そうか。がんばれ”
here despite using “ほーん？” (which can be translated to “Oh really?”) in chapter 8 of volume
11.

[4]: Referring to the law of large numbers. Ghost’s writing is also awfully extra vague here, but
he’s referring to how the random event of a valedictorian/someone being unknown to
someone else, but known to others, happens commonly enough to be logically sound. Yeah, I
would’ve omitted this line if I was his editor; it’s basically just one big nothingburger. Like no
shit Sherlock.

Glucose Translations​ 155

 March 1st (Tuesday) Part 2 - Yuuta Asamura

Once the graduation ceremony had ended, us third-years began to

leave the gymnasium in order, returning to our classrooms after exiting.

All that was left now was our final homeroom. After our
homeroom teacher shows up a little later to give their parting words,
we’d collectively say our final goodbyes and walk out the school gates.

And that would really be it.

Across the entire classroom, students were caught up in their

farewells, reluctant to part ways. As I absently gazed around at the
scene, I quickly noticed the mood in the room had been mostly split into
two distinct groups.

There were those who calmly soaked in the afterglow of

graduation, and those who, while chatting fine with their friends, looked
pretty restless—as if something was still lingering on their minds.

But it wasn’t a difference based on individual personality.

And why can I say that so confidently?

Well, it was because of the person who was the most calm in the
room right now, Yoshida, in front of me. He’d been going on with his
whole lovestruck brag session for a while now, slyly disguising it as some
need for advice. If we were going based on just pure personality, then I
don’t think I’ve ever seen Yoshida this relaxed at any point since the
third term had started.

If anything, he always looked pale and would mutter things like,

“Oh shit, oh shit,” every time we met.

Ah, could it be…

“So like, Yuuka says she wants to take it easy and go somewhere
nearby, but I figured—

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 “Sorry for cutting you off here, Yoshida, but have you already
made your mind up, by any chance?”

“—Wait actually, Yuuta, you might know some good spots, or

something… Wait, huh?”

No, you’re asking the wrong guy if you’re looking for places to
take your girlfriend to over the spring break here.

And that’s precisely why I had no problem interrupting him here.

“You didn’t apply to any national universities, did you?” I

clarified.

“Pretty much.”

“How many did you apply to again?”

Most private unis should already have their admission results out
by now. That said, there was a chance of him not having made a final
decision yet if he’d been accepted into more than one, so directly asking
if he got in or not was pretty awkward.

So, that made asking about the number of unis he applied to the
safe route.

But still, if he’s this relaxed, then…

“I applied to four private ones.”

“Ah, same here.”

I had also applied to four private universities.

“Ended up getting into two while being rejected from the other
two. One of them was my top choice, though…” Yoshida explained,
looking a little disappointed.

“Oh…”

“Oh well, Meio[1] still ain’t bad. It’s got the department I was
looking for, too.”

“Oh, so you’ve decided on Meio.”

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 I took the exam for Meio too, as a second-choice fallback. All in
all, I applied to four private unis: Keiryou, Waseho, Ritsuchi, and Meio.

“Can I ask what department you were aiming for?”

“Hm? Oh, economics.”

The Department of Economics at Meio, huh?

“Congrats.”

“Thanks, man. But, y’know, it’s kinda hard to celebrate openly

with this atmosphere in here and all.”

“Right?”

“Results for the national unis still have a long way to go, huh?”
Yoshida uttered in quiet reflection.

So that’s it.

That’s the reason behind the classroom’s divided atmosphere. It

came down to whether someone had already secured a spot at a uni.

The results were already out for students which had private
universities as their top choice. As a result, they’ve achieved, in a sense,
some sorta inner calm—like Yoshida here.

Of course, there’s bound to be those who’d end up as ronin[2] too.

And as for us other students aiming for national unis, we still had
about ten more days before we’d get our results. That was the reason for
the restlessness.

As a result, the air from the calm and relaxed group clashed with
the nerves from the other restless half, blending together to create this
odd atmosphere in which no one was sure whether they were supposed
to celebrate or maintain their solemness.

Still, the relaxed group’s definitely in the majority here.

There were fewer students who had national universities as their

first choice, after all.

“Oh well, nothing we can do now. Just gotta brace ourselves,” I

remarked.

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 “You sound awfully chill for someone whose top choice’s a
national. Both of you, actually.”

“I’m not at all. But, well, Ayase-san’s…”

I glanced diagonally toward the front of the classroom. By “both

of you,” Yoshida meant me and Ayase-san.

She was currently chatting with Class Rep, Ooyama-san—who

she’s particularly grown close with—and Satou-san, aka Ryo-chin. Today
would be the last time I’d get to see the three of them laughing together
like this in the classroom.

“Welp, there’s no point flailin’ around at this stage,” Ooyama-san

said just then, something similar to what I’d mentioned a moment ago.

Looks like she’s in the restless camp.

Satou-san, on the other hand, looked to be in the relaxed camp.

“You’ll be fine, Chiharu-chan~,” she reassured her with a calm

smile as warm as a spring day.

Those two practically wore their hearts on their sleeves, so it was

easy to tell where they stood.

As for Ayase-san…

“I mean, yeah, there’s nothing I can do at this point. But still, it’s
pretty hard to feel calm even knowing that.”

“Eh? You too, Saki-chan?” Satou-san asked, surprised.

See?

She was exactly like her usual self. If anything, she looked like
part of the relaxed group.

“Yeah… Huh? Do I not seem that way?” Ayase-san asked, with

Satou-san vigorously nodding up and down in response.

“Not at all! I thought Chiharu-chan was already amazing, but

Saki-chan, you’re even more composed. So, I thought maybe you must
be really confident about being accepted.”

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 “No way. I mean… I don’t think I had it as hard as Class Rep, but
there were still a few problems I couldn’t solve. I’m worried too, you
know?”

“Haaah. Saki-chan, saying that there were only a few problems

you couldn’t get is amazin’ enough,” Class Rep retorted.

“Yeah, super amazing.”

“Eh—”

In fact, Ayase-san’s poker face was so strong that it easily

frequently earned that kind of teasing from the two of them.

“T-that’s not what I meant…” she blurted out, flustered—a line

she’d been saying more and more recently.

No, you’re only gonna get teased even more no matter how much
you insist you aren’t confident here, I couldn’t help but quip as I
watched her.

Still, I could only look on with a warm and slightly indulgent gaze.
They weren’t the type to tease her in a way she’d actually be annoyed
with, after all.

“See? Ayase-san’s probably worried too. I still think she’ll be fine,

though,” I explained to Yoshida.

“I mean, I’d wanna say you’re fine too, Yuuta, but you’d hate it if I
made promises I couldn’t keep, wouldn’t ya? Oh well, everything’s
gonna be settled in ten days anyway, but if it comes to the point where
you’re ever lookin’ for some comfort, just let me know.”

“You sure say some terrifying things.”

I really don’t want things to turn out like that.

“Oh, but not on the actual day, okay? Already got plans with
Yukka.”

“Makihara-san’s aiming for a national university too…?” I asked,

with Yoshida nodding in response.

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 “Yeah. But I mean, she knows it’s a hard one, so it ain’t like it’s
her first choice. She’s already got into a private one, so she says she’s
just trying her luck with a national uni. But, y’know, even going into it
with low expectations still makes it hurt if you fail. That’s just being
human.”

“That’s right…”

Emotions don’t always follow even if you understand things

logically in your head. It was something I’d been reminded of again and
again over the past two years.

And just like that, our idle chatter came to an end at the sound of
the front door sliding open, signalling the entrance of our homeroom
teacher.

“Oiii, everyone! Take your seats!”

At that, those who’d been up chatting scurried back to their desks.

“It’ll be our last time here, so if there is one thing you’d like to say,
now’s the time,” they told us after giving us a farewell address, as they
began to call on students one by one, starting from one end of the room.

That was when I finally realized they were calling out everyone’s
name without even looking at any kinda roster. Sure, people might say
that’s only natural for any homeroom teacher, but considering the fact I
had only just committed Class Rep’s name—Chiharu Ooyama—to
memory today, I had to admit that it was seriously impressive.

They really have been our homeroom teacher, huh? I found

myself thinking.

Thank you for everything.

Those words came to mind naturally, straight from my heart.

Oh right, their name’s Watanabe, I think.

Right…?

It wasn’t long before everyone got to finish saying their one last
thing, with Class Rep’s final remark being incidentally, “I’ve agreed to be
the class reunion organizer!”

Glucose Translations​ 161

 I knew it.

“Make sure you take everything out of your locker. I’ll have you
come back during spring break to get it if you leave anything behind!”
Watanabe-sensei declared with those parting words, dismissing us.

Those who’d already tidied their lockers began to file out of the
classroom. Given I wasn’t the type to leave stuff behind at school, my
locker was basically empty. Same with Ayase-san.

The one who left the whole class dumbfounded was, of course,
Yoshida. He had apparently completely given up on the idea of leaving
his locker clean from the beginning, with no hesitation at all at that.

He walked up to his locker with the kind of suitcase you’d take on

a trip, and started to cram the utter chaotic mess of printouts and
textbooks, one after another. His bold decision to abandon any attempt
at sorting what he needed and didn’t left our classmates exasperated, yet
in the end, they all just accepted it as typical Yoshida behavior.

Anyway, mine’s empty. My desk, too.

I’d already finished cleaning them up beforehand.

Given I wasn’t in any club I could go to now, this was really it—I
was getting driven out of Suisei High for good.

I felt reluctant to leave, but we’d already made plans to meet up

with our parents by the school gate beforehand.

Don’t wanna keep them waiting too long.

“Well then, it’s about time,” I prompted Ayase-san as I started to

heat toward the door.

“Yo! Good work! C’ya later!” Yoshida called out to me just before I
reached the door

“Later?” I asked, tilting my head.

It was now Yoshida’s turn to look surprised—along with a few

others standing behind him.

“Huh? You’re comin’, right? To the afterparty.”

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 “Afterparty…?”

What? The heck’s he talking about? I thought, confused, but then

it hit me.

Wait a sec. Could it be…?

That’s right—three days ago. From when I had gotten a LINE

message from Maru.

Tomokazu: 【Wanna meet up after graduation?】

Yuuta: 【Sounds good】

Of course, I remembered. I had replied, after all. After that, I

learned that Ayase-san had also received a similar message from
Narasaka-san at the time, too.

The timing was too perfect, and it was something Ayase-san

couldn’t help but ask about.

Saki: 【Is Maru-kun coming too by any chance?】

Maaya: 【Yup! I’ll make the reservation and text you once
everything’s set later, m’kay?】

I thought the plan was just the four of us to hang out.

From my perspective, it just simply looked like Narasaka-san,

knowing Maru and I were friends, was being thoughtful, arranging a
gathering like that. But now that I thought about it, it was kinda strange.

The four of us never really hung out as just the four of us, have
we?

And given organizing things was totally something Narasaka-san

was good at, I hadn’t been particularly worried even though we hadn’t
heard anything since.

No way.

Panicking, I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked my

messages.

Yet, there was nothing…

Glucose Translations​ 163

 No, hol’ up.

Just then, a new notification popped up, signaling a new message

that pushed my initial curt “Sounds good” reply up the screen. It showed
the name of what sounded like a family restaurant as a meetup spot, and
its location on a map.

Huh, right now?

The restaurant was some family one around a kilometer

southwest from Shibuya Station via Tamagawa-dori Avenue. Given it
was pretty far from the station, it probably wouldn’t be too crowded at
this hour on a weekday.

“What, like, this place?”

“Yep, yep. That’s the one,” Yoshida answered as I showed him the
location on the map.

Just then, another notification chimed, this one also from Maru
that included a full list of who was coming.

That’s long…

How many people were on this thing? Definitely over twenty here.

I’ve gotta admit—it is pretty impressive that he’s managed to

coordinate an afterparty with this many people. Like seriously, props to
him.

But still…

You should have told me earlier! I couldn’t help but mentally yell
at Maru, who wasn’t even here.

And Yoshida wasn’t the only one on the list. There were others
like Class Rep—Chiharu Ooyama-san—Ryouko Satou-san,
Narasaka-san, and even Makihara-san; pretty familiar names at that.

It’s not like I don’t want to go…

Despite the fact that I wasn’t the best at big gatherings, I couldn’t
deny that a part of me still wanted to hold onto this moment for just a
little longer. But then again, I had already come to terms with the fact I
was probably never gonna see some of these people ever again.

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 And I was even feeling kinda bummed about it.

“You’re coming, aren’t ya? Your name’s on the list,” Yoshida asked
with a worried expression.

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” I nodded.

I mean, I kinda did reply with a “Sounds good” in the first place.

There was no way I could back out now. And if I was being honest,
knowing I’d get to see everyone again for at least one more time was
actually making me kinda happy.

“Come on, Asamura-kun, our parents are waiting,” Ayase-san

urged me on with a brisk tug on my sleeve. “Hurry up.”

This wasn’t something you’d have seen six months ago—we

would’ve definitely left the classroom at completely different times. But
now, it looked like she no longer felt the need for that sort of
consideration.

It was something you’d think our other classmates—especially

those who didn’t know the full picture, unlike Yoshida and the
others—would be surprised about. Yet, oddly enough, no one looked all
that shocked.

“Asamura-kun, seriously,” Ayase-san urged me again.

Does she not want to stay and talk more with Class Rep or
Satou-san, or something? She’s pretty close with them, right?

No, right—they’re all gonna see each other at the afterparty

anyway. Guess that makes sense.

Wait, does that mean she got told ahead of time?

My questions kept piling up. Still, they didn’t change the fact that
our parents were still waiting for us.

“Uhhh, okay then. C’ya later,” I said to Yoshida and the rest, with
Ayase-san giving her own little wave after right on cue.

“See you guys.”

Her words caught me off guard.

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 “See you guys.”

Not “goodbye,” or even “farewell,” but “see you.”

Words not only meant for those coming to the afterparty still
lingering in the classroom, but to all the other classmates who were still
there, despite the fact there were definitely people we’d never cross
paths with again for the rest of our lives among them.

I’m sure Ayase-san understood that.

And at the very same time, though surprising to me, I couldn’t

help but feel that it was something the current Ayase-san would say. She
most likely didn’t want her words to carry the nuance that this was truly
the end.

The parting words of a certain third-year student—whose face and

name I couldn’t even recall now—suddenly reemerged on the surface of
my mind with striking clarity.

“Our school years have been a rare time in our lives—a period in
which we experience encounters without any thought of personal gain
or loss. It’s for these reasons that I want to cherish the connections I’ve
made over these past three years.”

It was a standard, almost cliché message. But maybe that’s exactly

why it felt so universal.

Maybe even Ayase-san also wanted to cherish the connections

she’d made with classmates she might run into again someday. It was
why she said “See you guys,” after all.

She let go of my sleeve she’d been pulling, and walked beside me.

As I quietly glanced at her profile, I found myself mulling about

how the course of these past three years had come to change the girl
who went by Saki Ayase.

What hadn’t changed was her long, sunlit hair.

The earrings that sparkled near her ears.

The upright posture she carried.

Glucose Translations​ 166

 Her eyes, always seemingly looking forward, as if in pursuit of
something.

The stands of her golden hair that bounced behind her, as if

chasing her.

“What?” Ayase-san asked as she glanced toward me, noticing my

gaze.

Shit, I can’t think of an excuse for staring at her.

“No, it’s just, your hair… It’s gotten long again.”

That too, was a change.

Her once long hair had been cut, and now, it had grown back out.

“Ohhh,” she uttered, lightly combing through it with her right

hand. “I cut it… back in the summer the year before last. It’s already
been a year and a half ago.”

“Has it really been that long?”

From back when I realized I liked her, and back from when she
tried to give up her own feelings for me.

A year and a half ago—a short time when you think about it in
terms of a whole life span, yet a year and a half that brought major
changes for both Ayase-san and I.

We changed out of our indoor shoes at the entrance. We had to

bring them home, of course. Couldn’t just leave them here.

I found myself turning back as we stepped out of the school

building. The familiar, three-story building shone brightly in the spring
sunlight, its silver window frames occasionally glinting. Some students
were still in their classrooms, their shadows faintly visible behind the
glass.

“It’s really ending, huh…?” Ayase-san looking back just like I was,
said softly.

Glucose Translations​ 167

Glucose Translations​ 168
 “It’s true that everything’s got an end,” I nodded, noticing the
tinge of loneliness in her expression, thinking of something to say to
cheer her up, “But I think there are things that also begin because others
end. Like how our uni life’s about to begin with the end of our high
school one.”

“I mean, we don’t know if that’s truly going to happen in your

case, though.”

“Ugh,” I stumbled, completely unexpecting to be teased by

Ayase-san like that.

“J-just kidding, okay?” she hesitantly tried to follow up.

“I know.”

“It’s not like I’ve gotten my results either. So, in that sense, I don’t
know what’ll happen starting April either. I really… don’t know, huh…?

What’s with you taking more damage from your own jab now?

“Let’s not talk ’bout that today,” I commented.

“Mm.”

“Anyway, we’re keeping our parents busy here.”

We’ve gotta at least get to the front gate and meet with them.

The front gate came into view as we walked down the gentle slope,
bustling with waiting parents and even underclassmen who’d rushed
over for a final goodbye. I was worried about whether I’d be able to spot
them in this crowd, but it turns out the human eye was pretty good at
picking out familiar faces in a sea of people.

My eyes quickly locked onto my old man and Akiko-san standing

just before the gate. We approached them as we walked side by side, and
it wasn’t long before they noticed us and waved us over with welcoming
smiles.

“Congratulations on graduating, Saki. And you too, Yuuta-kun,”

Akiko-san said with a smile as I heard my old man give a direct and
sincere “congratulations” with a serious face, which felt strangely
embarrassing.

Glucose Translations​ 169

 “Oh right, old man. There’s apparently going to be an afterparty
with the other graduates.”

“Ah, yeah, I heard. It’s the one Saki-chan’s friends planned,

right?”

I nodded.

So Narasaka-san did tell Ayase-san in advance, after all.

That meant she must’ve told Akiko-san about it beforehand, too.

“Go and enjoy yourselves. There’ll probably be a lot of friends you

won’t get to see for a while there. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of memories
to catch up on. Just make sure you get back in time; we have a
reservation for 6 p.m.”

“Understood,” I nodded, with Ayase-san following suit.

For now, we parted ways after confirming our evening plans with
my old man and Akiko-san, as the two of them walked off together,
looking close as ever.

Now then… I let out a short sigh as I took out my phone.

Pulling up the digital map on my phone, I checked how long it’d

take for us to get to the family restaurant. It wasn’t too far from here,
and it was currently just past twelve.

“When does it start again?”

“One o’clock.”

“We’ve still got lots of time.”

There was still nearly an hour left.

“Some of the others said they wanted to stop by home first. You
know, because it’s a hassle to carry all their stuff around,” Ayase-san
explained, bringing Yoshida to mind.

“Yeah, for sure.”

You definitely wouldn’t wanna be walking into a family restaurant

hauling around a huge bag stuffed with personal belongings that had
been sitting in your locker all year.

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 “It’s still around lunchtime, though. Feels like it’s gonna be
crowded,” I mentioned.

“They’ve made a reservation, apparently. It’s either under ‘Suisei

High’ or just ‘Narasaka.’”

“As expected of her; she doesn’t miss a thing, huh?”

Guess there’s no need to worry with Maru and Narasaka-san

organizing it all.

“Wait, in that case, maybe we should’ve stayed with my old man

and Akiko-san ’til then.”

“They’re probably heading to lunch now. Wouldn’t we be too full

for anything else later if we sat and ate with them?”

True enough.

Still, the family restaurant was only ten minutes away on foot;
we’d get there way too early even if we walked slowly. On the other
hand, going back to our apartment was a pain. Plus, we had to stay in
uniform for our later meeting with our parents in the evening too, so
there was no point in changing.

No, forget ’bout later.

What matters now is how I spent this bit of time with Ayase-san.

In the end, we decided to take a small little detour and stroll along
the main road, window shopping as we went. There, we ran into a small,
seemingly independently run vintage clothing shop, with Ayase-san
asking if it was okay to take a look. Of course, I said yes and went in with
her.

“This one’s nice,” Ayase-san would say as she picked up various

clothes, all of which I could easily imagine suiting her well.

Even I, someone completely disconnected from any sense of

fashion, could tell she always paid attention to how others would see her
in what she wore.

“Was there anything you thought looked good, Asamura-kun?”

she suddenly turned the question to me.

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 I immediately froze up in place, before remembering a time from
when I’d gone on a date with her.

That’s right—she’s never really looking for a correct answer

whenever she asks questions like this.

“Ah, sorry. Uhhh, that was a pretty hard question to answer,

right?”

“It’s okay.”

Had her question been more straightforward, like whether I

wanted anything from here or not, then I could’ve just gone with an easy
“no.”

But Ayase-san’s question right now wasn’t about getting a correct

answer. What she wanted wasn’t an opinion, but my impression. In
other words, what Ayase-san wanted was just to enjoy spending our
time together—she was just tossing me a conversation.

And that meant what mattered most was tossing the ball back,
like a game of catch. Doing that meant all I had to do was speak honestly
about what I was feeling at that moment.

“I was more focused on watching you pick out clothes than the
actual clothes themselves, so I don’t really have much to think of them. I
just kept thinking about how you’re always picking out outfits that really
suit you, or how you’re really good at finding cute stuff… I was just
admiring you, basically,” I confessed honestly.

Okay, that should’ve been good enough.

“!”

Huh?

“Th-that’s not what I meant…” she muttered.

“Uhhh, sorry?”

No way, was she actually asking for an opinion?

Glucose Translations​ 172

 “You don’t have to apologize. Mm, I’m happy you thought that,
but, um, well… Then, what do you think of this?” she asked, suddenly
reaching out and briskly grabbing a T-shirt from one of the display
tables, unfolding it open right in front of me.

“……”

It featured a massive cat with fur spiked up like a rooster’s comb,

riding a bright red motorcycle while waving a flag atop a
post-apocalyptic, rubble-crowded wasteland—the type that would only
come about with some messiah’s arrival at the end of the century. It had
a logo that read “Jeanne d’Arc-nyan.”[3]

Ayase-san, who was holding the shirt out for me to see, looked
even more surprised than I was.

“Looks like it’s got… high attack power, maybe…?”

“...Sorry.”

“Judging from the name, I’m guessing the cat’s supposed to be

female?”

“Like I said, sorry.”

“...Well, I wouldn’t wear it for what it’s worth.”

“I knew it… Ah, it’s almost time. Should we go?” Ayase-san

pointed out.

I’ve got a feeling that she’s tryna cover something up. But, oh
well, whatever.

She probably just grabbed a random shirt without thinking and

got stunned by how ridiculous it looked.

Before we knew it, the time for the afterparty had drawn close, so
we picked up our pace and headed to the family restaurant indicated on
the digital map.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Glucose Translations​ 173

 We managed to get there just in time.

I pulled open the slightly heavy glass door, entering the restaurant
after letting Ayase-san step in first. By then, she was already speaking to
the staff who’d come out to greet us.

“I believe there’s a group reservation under Narasaka?”

“Yes, there is. Right this way,” the waiter said with a polite smile,
making a small gesture with one hand before leading us inside.

There, in a corner toward the back of the spacious restaurant, sat

a group of students—still mostly in their uniforms—occupying about five
booth seats.

“Here they are. Over here, Saki!” a red-haired girl sitting near the
center of one of the booths called out to us, raising her hand straight
above her head as she gave a little wave.

The voice carried just enough to reach us without bothering the

other customers—expertly controlled, belonging to none other than
Maaya Narasaka-san.

We thanked the waiter who’d guided us in and slid into two of the
booths to the far-right corner from where Narasaka-san had called us
from. They were shaped like Us, with each booth facing each other
separated from the aisle.

On the right booth was Yoshida, his girlfriend Makihara-san, and

Kodama, who’d been on my basketball team from back in the sports
festival. I took a seat with them for now.

On the left booth, an inverted U from where we sat, were Class

Rep, Ryouko Satou-san—aka Ryo-chin—and Shinjou and his girlfriend,
whose name was… Kobayashi-san, I think? All in all familiar faces.
Ayase-san sat over on that side.

It looked like Narasaka-san arranged the seating beforehand so

that everyone would naturally end up closer to those they were already
on friendly terms with.

“Here. Order up, Yuuta,” Yoshida handed me the ordering tablet

no sooner had I taken my seat.

Glucose Translations​ 174

 “…Has everyone else already ordered?” I asked.

“I mean, you two were the last ones to get here. What were you up
to?”

By “you two,” he meant me and Ayase-san. Apparently we were

the only ones who’d actually taken a detour ’til the very last minute.

“Uh, just taking it easy, that’s all,” I said, a little flustered.

“Takin’ it easy, huh?”

“What did you order, Yoshida?”

“A hamburg steak lunch set and a fountain drink,” Yoshida told

me without complaining, seemingly unannoyed at my blatant attempt to
change the subject.

Figures, typical Yoshida.

I glanced around at the others, and they each started telling me

what they’d ordered. Satou-san was the only one who went with just a
salad and fountain drink, dodging away at Class Rep’s attempt to pinch
her at her side through her clothes.

Oh, so that’s why, I thought.

Saying why out loud would probably earn me a decently long

silent treatment, though.

I went with omurice; with a fountain drink, of course. Ayase-san

chose the doria[4], also with a fountain drink. Both were part of the lunch
set menu. Just because we’d graduated from high school didn’t mean
our sense of money suddenly changed—wanting to go for the best deal
possible was just natural, really.

By the way, just the names I’d mentioned so far only made seven.
Add me and Ayase-san, then we already had a group of nine in this
section alone. I glanced toward the other booths and saw roughly the
same number of people seated there too—a lot of familiar faces at that.
Some of them were from the same group that we’d gone to the pool with
during the summer of our second year; the one organized by
Narasaka-san.

Glucose Translations​ 175

 The ones who’d planned today’s afterparty—Narasaka-san and
Maru—were both seated at one of the booths in the middle

Once everyone returned from the fountain drink bar with

something in hand, Narasaka-san, as the host, stood up and declared
the start of the gathering in a calm yet clearly audible voice.

Given we hadn’t rented out a private room, it wasn’t like we could

exactly go around each table doing individual introductions or
something like that, despite the fact there were some people here
meeting for the first time. So naturally, things just transitioned to casual
chatter.

Well, it probably helps that most of us here already know each

other.

“This doesn’t feel all that different from the afterparties we’ve had
after tourneys,” Shinjou, who’d been in the tennis club, commented
straightforwardly.

Guess that’s just how high school graduation afterparties are.

Light and fluffy—not so different from the carefree chats students

would have after school time and time again without ever getting tired
from them.

Still, it wasn’t as if Ayase-san and I knew the ins and outs of that
kind of world, given we’d never been part of any club at all.

Everyone had already started to naturally warm up more to each

other by the time the food we had ordered arrived, and the
conversations came flowing out more freely. While making sure I stayed
engaged with those around me, I casually peeked toward Narasaka-san
and Maru, who were seated a little further away.

On one hand, Narasaka-san was constantly on the move, walking

from seat to seat as she tossed out conversation starters and lifted the
mood of the room with her typical social savviness. On the other hand,
Maru didn’t move around as much, but he too occasionally switched
seats here and there to smoothly connect groups of people who didn’t
seem to know each other that much.

Glucose Translations​ 176

 Though I figured that most of those on their side were
Narasaka-san’s friends, paired with the fact that Maru hadn’t gone to
the pool with us back then, he still showed no signs of being out of his
depth and kept up with the conversations without any issue.

But of course, for all I knew, Maru could’ve already known most
of them—he had a far larger social circle than I did, after all.

As expected of the captain and starting catcher of the baseball

team, I thought, finding myself once again impressed by how well he
handled people.

Back in our second year, Maru had basically been the only person
I could’ve reasonably called my friend, but he wasn’t the same. He was
way more sociable than I was. Plus, at a school like Suisei High, one with
a mid-tier baseball club—our team probably didn’t have fewer than
twenty members. The max number allowed on the bench for district
tournament games was twenty, after all. Having fewer members than
that meant everyone would’ve made the bench without any competition,
something that would’ve been a complete disaster for even a school of
Suisei High’s level.

In other words, you’d have to have some considerable amount of

leadership and social skills—enough to manage a group of more than
twenty—if you wanted to be a baseball team captain.

Glucose Translations​ 177

Glucose Translations​ 178
 “A leader must be able to move others with their words.”

I think I read that in some how-to book once. It’s a role not suited
to someone timid.

I understood that much in theory, but being able to see someone

like Maru naturally blend in and chat away with a bunch of others
reminded me of how much of a shy person I really was.

And it’s not like I’ve ever struggled with customer service at my
part-time job, but just striking up a casual conversation with someone
I’m not all familiar with still feels like a high hurdle. I was honestly
grateful that they’d set up the seating so people mostly ended up around
others they were more familiar with.

As these thoughts zig-zagged through my mind, Narasaka-san

came walking over.

“What’s up, what’s up? What’cha guys talking about?”

Almost at the same time, Shinjou and his girlfriend,

Kobayashi-san, were called over by one of his friends from the tennis
club, and they left their seats to join Maru and the others.

Judging by the time, we were probably into the second half of the
afterparty by now.

Sliding smoothly into the seat next to Ayase-san’s, Narasaka-san

eased into our group’s conversation with a bright, beaming smile, not
missing even a single beat. Her timing was perfect; I almost wanted to
suspect if she’d been specially trained, or something like that.

“What’s up, Asamura-kun? Upset your omurice had no heart

drawn on it?”

“No way, I’ve never even made a weird complaint like that
before.”

“But you’ve got your brows furrowed, dontchu?”

Glucose Translations​ 179

 I figured she was just joking, but even so, I reflexively touched my
forehead and the spot just below it. Even gave it a light massage while I
was at it.

“We were just chatting ’bout future plans, I guess,” Class Rep
offered, saving me.

Thank god.

It’s not like I could exactly admit that I’d just been staring off in
Maru’s direction without really participating in the actual conversation.

“Whoa, so somethin’ heavy, huh?” Narasaka-san said with a

concerned shift in expression.

“It’s all right,” Satou-san gave a soft, reassuring smile. “I was just
talking about how lonely I was feeling since we all wouldn’t be able to
see each other that much anymore.”

“But you’re all staying here in the Kanto region, amirite?” Kodama
chimed, picking up the thread. “You guys could still meet up if you
wanted. How nice.”

Right, Kodama mentioned he was aiming for a uni in Hokkaido

once. He probably won’t be able to come back often if he gets accepted.

“So, it wasn’t that the topic was heavy. It’s more that we were
discussing what’s coming next,” Satou-san continued her explanation. “I
personally haven’t applied to any national universities myself, and the
one I’ll be attending is close enough to home that I won’t need to move
out, so nothing in my environment is really changing. I think that’s why
I’ve been feeling a bit too relaxed. But I was curious about what
everyone else is going to do.”

“Me getting in or not’s gonna change my life a lot starting this

spring,” Kodama added in response to Satou-san’s explanation.

“Then, I guess that means it’s gonna be super nerve-wracking ’til

the results are out, huh?” Narasaka-san spoke up, and Kodama nodded
along.

Glucose Translations​ 180

 Somehow, having the relatively small and soft-featured Kodama,
with the likewise petite Satou-san and Narasaka-san, all sitting together
with cheerful smiles gave off a cozy li’l “spring sunshine” kinda
atmosphere that concentrated around where they were.

“What’s up with the ‘koharun’ vibe comin’ from over there?” Class
Rep jested, as if she’d read my mind.

“‘Koharun’?” Ayase-san tilted her head from beside me, as if she

was asking who that was.

Don’t think that’s a person’s name, though.

“I think she meant ‘koharubiyori’[5],” I explained, yet she still

didn’t quite seem to get it.

“So… like a spring kind of vibe?”

“Well, yep, I guess. But technically speaking, ‘koharubiyori’

doesn’t really refer to spring weather in the first place,” I added.

Ayase-san tilted her head again, at the same exact angle at that.

Looks like she really doesn’t know. Guess I’ll explain about it
more.

Koharubiyori refers to an off, warm, sunny day that comes during

winter. In other words, it’s one that happens when you’re still in the
winter. Of course, Class Rep was well aware of that, and used the term to
mean that while everyone else was still in “winter mode,” aka more or
less gloomy, that li’l group over there alone felt like spring.

“Now this is just a random bit of trivia, but this kinda weather
doesn’t only happen in Japan—it actually occurs all over the world.
Different countries even got their own names for it, too. A known one’s
the German term, ‘Altweibersommer,’ which literally means ‘Old Ladies’
Summer.’”

“You mean like, a Granny’s summer?”

“Doesn’t exactly sound like it’d last long, amirite? Sunny spells in
autumn or winter usually don’t.”

Glucose Translations​ 181

 “I see…” Ayase-san nodded at my words, before for some reason
getting this solemn look on her face as she muttered, “I hope they live a
long life, though.”

What on Earth did you get so emotionally attached to now?

“No but still, winter or not, you and Narasaka are way to chill
’bout all this, Class Rep,” Yoshida, who’d been quietly listening the
whole time, said in a little grumble.

“Oho, stray shots comin’ this way,” Narasaka-san said with a

smile, while Class Rep grimaced as she took a sip from the juice in front
of her through a straw.

“Hey now, I ain’t some ‘Yoyuu no Yoshio-kun,’ okay?” she

retorted.

She does occasionally use these weird, old-fashioned expressions.

Actually, I don’t even remember people saying that kinda thing in

the Heisei era, let alone the Showa era. She was probably pulling it from
some ancient book that also contained expressions like “Yoyuu no
Yocchan”[6]—something like that.

“I’m just normal, really. Normal.”

“Yuuta—no, Asamura-danna[7]. This girl over here’s saying she’s

normal,” Yoshida teased.

“Ah… Well, I mean, what counts as ‘normal’ totally depends on

who you mingle with in the first place. Like, if we’re going on Suisei
High’s track record, where its top ten percent of students regularly get
into the most competitive and prestigious unis across the country, then
whether our school’s perspective of ‘normal’ lines up with the general
public’s idea of what it is, is… Huh? What’s with the face?”

Everyone in the booth turned to collectively stare at me at once,

leaving me completely bewildered.

Did I say something weird?

“…Wait, could it be you didn’t actually mean for me to seriously

judge whether what Class Rep said was valid or not?”

Glucose Translations​ 182

 “More like that answer was so typical of you, Yuuta. If anything,
honestly.”

“Top ten percent…” Makiharu-san murmured softly.

“Well, if you’re going by grades alone, then the top ten percent are
probably the ones with very high chances of getting accepted, at least if
you’re talking about Suisei High. Of course, whether those right at the
cutoff do get accepted or not depends on a whole lot more factors. Plus,
reality is that more than ten percent of us students take these exams
anyway.”

“In that case I’m definitely doomed~” Makihara-san slumped her

shoulders dramatically, painting a look of panic on Yoshida right beside
her.

I knew it; her confidence of getting accepted really is in the

dumps.

At the same moment, Class Rep bit down on the straw of her juice
with an audible chomp. She seems stressed out too, albeit she’s more
discreet about it.

Let’s see… Right.

There were eight of us here right now—me, Ayase-san, Yoshida,

Makihara-san, Class Rep, Satou-san, Kodama, and Narasaka-san—so
statistically speaking, only one of us would maybe get accepted. But then
again, it’s not like our group here’s a perfect representation of Suisei
High’s average.

Besides… I thought as I glanced over at the other group, spotting

Maru in deep conversation with Shinjou.

Maru had also applied to the same ultra-competitive uni as Class

Rep, Narasaka-san, and Makihara-san.

No, but that guy probably—

“Oh, Tomo? Guy’s already gotten into a private uni, hasn’t he?”
Yoshida spoke up, noticing where I was looking as he followed my gaze
toward Maru.

Tomo. Short for Tomokazu.

Glucose Translations​ 183

 “Maru’s second choice was Keiryou, amirite? Results are already
out, aren’t they?”

“He got in. You didn’t hear?”

“‘Hearing my result ain’t gonna change yours, is it?’ so he told me.

He said he’d just let everyone know once everything was all over. But I
mean, you knew, huh, Yoshida?”

“That’s ’cause I applied to the same one as him. Tomo’s school

was my first choice. Didn’t get in, of course.”

“Gotcha.”

“He’s amazing, ain’t he? I mean, how d’you rank at the top of your
class and captain the baseball team at the same time?”

“Well, yep, no denying that; Maru’s impressive. But I think you’re

pretty amazing too, Yoshida.”

“Huh, for real? Me? Amazing?”

I nodded.

At least compared to me, who tends to get complete tunnel vision

when it comes to my own stuff…

He fell short with getting into his first choice and had to settle for
a backup—that couldn’t be something you’d feel great about. And yet
despite that, he accepted it, immediately moved on, and now dedicated
all his energy to worrying about Makihara-san.

What’s more…

“Everyone takes their results differently anyway, so I don’t think it

makes sense to compare just them alone,” I spoke as if trying to
persuade him, though I wasn’t sure of how convincing my words
actually were.

Even though Suisei High was a prep school, one which most of its
students go on to university, each person’s circumstances were still
different. That meant their reasons for going to uni differed as well.

Glucose Translations​ 184

 In other words, the things that people look for in a university
varies from person to person, so it’s not like you could just generalize it
to the idea that getting into the more prestigious university is better.

“There is no meaning in looking at just numbers alone.” That’s

what Professor Mori wrote in his book.

“That’s exactly right,” a voice came from behind me, and I

instinctively turned around.

Before I had even realized it, Maru was standing right behind me,
glass of black oolong tea in hand—probably brought back from the
fountain drink bar. Looks like he happened to overhear our convo when
he’d gone to get a refill.

“You’ve got your own goals, Yoshida, and I’ve got mine. We might
be playing on the same board here, but our conditions for victory differ.
And if we were using the same board, then we’re playing completely
different games,” Maru spoke, earning Makihara-san’s earnest nod.

“Oooh, Tomo-chin’s on a roll,” Class Rep chimed.

Tomo-chin… Tomo-chin?

Who’s that?

I never imagined anyone calling the burly, muscle-cladded Maru

with such an adorable nickname like that.

“Pfft! *Cough cough cough*!”

“You okay, Maaya?”

“Ah, yeah. Just got surprised,” Narasaka-san, who’d just spit out
the cream soda she was sipping on, said as she waved her hand slightly.
“Don’t worry ’bout it.”

With the whole flow of the conversation now coming to a halt, I

decided to set aside that whole weird nickname thing for now.

“Tomo-chin…” Ayase-san murmured softly.

Crap, there’s someone who didn’t put it on the shelf.

Glucose Translations​ 185

 “Ryou-chin,” Ayase-san muttered as she turned her gaze toward
Satou-san, before turning her eyes slowly to me…

“Yuu—”

“Stop, Ayase-san. Get a hold of yourself,” I said, my words jerking

her awake, prompting her to shake her head as though she’d just woken
up from a bad dream.

Class Rep’s off-the-cuff naming sure has some serious influence…

“Yeah, guess you’re right, Maru. But Yoshida’s really amazing,

too. Anyway, Maru, you sure it’s okay for you to be here?” I asked,
glancing toward the other somewhat distant booths away from us.

It still looked lively enough, but wasn’t it a problem for both Maru
and Narasaka-san, the organizers, to be over here at the same time?

“I ain’t that great with tearjerkers,” he whispered from behind me

in a hushed voice.

Huh?

Tilting my head in confusion, I discreetly observed the other

booths. There, I saw a student—known for being pretty
tearful—practically in tears. Straining my ears, I picked up bits and
pieces of their wailing, hearing words like “being apart” and “lonely.”

“I mean it isn’t that big of a deal. Like, we can still talk with each
other anytime through our phones,” Maru said in a low voice.

“Yeah, that’s true.”

You could easily see someone else’s face in real time from
anywhere nowadays, even if it’s through a camera—granted as long as
you had a smartphone. In that sense, leaving your hometown has
become easier compared to the past. The range of universities people
could consider has widened, too.

Yoshida, on the other hand, still didn’t seem all that convinced.

“But I mean, y’know, ain’t there still a lotta things you can only do
in person?”

Glucose Translations​ 186

 “Examples?” Maru asked, leaving Yoshida to think for a moment
before replying.

“Like, holding hands, I guess?”

“You’re not, like, a child being led by a parent anymore.”

“Who said a thing ’bout that! I meant with a lover! Long-distance

relationships are rough, aren’t they?”

“Look, it’s not like people who work jobs that rarely let them go
home are incapable of having families. Of course, there are those who
can’t handle it, and sure, nothing’s wrong with that. But you can’t tie
someone who’s got their own free will down, in the end. You part when
it’s time to part, you connect when it’s time to connect. Encounters and
farewells are what’s part of life, after all.”

“How old are you? I mean, seriously, it’s like you’ve got virtually
no emotions… Not like I didn’t know that already, though.”

“I’m just used to thinking things through calmly,” Maru replied

flatly, without a flicker of emotion.

“Ehhh?” a voice rang out while the echo of his words still lingered
in the air. “That’s not true one bit! You were bawlin’ our eyes out after
the tourney, remember?”

It was none other than Narasaka-san.

I feel like this is the first time I’ve seen his face frozen speechless
like this.

“Idi—!”

“‘Idi’?”

“Idiot! Don’t bring that up again!”

“Being told that in such a scary tone makes me just not wanna
reflect on my actions at all~,” Narasaka-san teased with a mischievous
little grin, just like the one her younger brothers would probably make.

She even averted her gaze on purpose as she spoke, going as far as
to let out a sigh. It was incredibly detailed and exaggerated. Of course,
Maru wasn’t so dense that he’d miss the fact she was acting.

Glucose Translations​ 187

 But still…

“Ah no, it’s not like I meant to give you an order or something…”

“I only revealed the facts for the sake of protectin’ your honor,
Maru-kun[8]~”

“Ugh… guh… well, I appreciate that, I suppose, but—”

To see Maru—someone usually so calm, composed, and so

eloquent in any situation—at a loss for words like this was also a first for
me.

“So Maru-kun…”

“Ugh.”

“Was crying his eyes out after the tournament, huh?”

“Guh… So, at that time—no, yes,” he tried to throw an excuse

before giving in.

He looked like a child being scolded by his mother, but what was
impressive was how instantly he judged that he had no effective counter
other than to accept it honestly—and actually following through with it,
too.

“Oh, so that’s how you apologize,” Yoshida muttered, impressed.

No, maybe just don’t piss people off in the first place.

“Now, now, Maaya-chan. That’ll do; that’s quite enough. ’Tis a

most joyous graduation ceremony, is it not?” Class Rep suddenly
interjected.

Just what era are you even from with that kinda tone, Class
[9]
Rep?

Glucose Translations​ 188

Glucose Translations​ 189
 “Yeah, yeah. But I mean, there’s still no need to be so overly
detached, amirite? We’ve only just graduated from high school, after all.
Right, Saki?”

“Eh? Why me?”

Narasaka-san’s fired back retort ricocheted and hit Ayase-san

instead.

“Just because you look mature doesn’t mean you gotta view the
world so ironically—we’re still eighteen. If you feel like crying, just cry.
It’s normal. Trying to force it back just makes you look like you’re
pretendin’ to be an adult,” Narasaka-san explained in a sweet and
childish tone, yet her words carried surprising weight.

“But Maaya, eighteen year-olds are already considered adults in

this country.”

“With voting rights too, right? Yep, but y’know,” the girl with
reddish hair named Maaya Narasaka, who was probably Saki Ayase’s
number one friend at Suisei High, spoke, “I think the world today’s too
complicated to call eighteen year-olds complete adults. It takes more
time to grow up than it used to now. Eighteen years just ain’t enough.”

“Not enough… For growing up?”

Narasaka-san nodded. At some point, everyone around us who

had been chatting also began listening in.

“There are those out there who grow up superfast, sure. But I
don’t think most eighteen year-olds have grown enough to freely use all
the rights they’ve got. We can vote, get credit cards, ten-year passports,
and even get married on paper. But hey, Saki-chan, d’you feel confident
you could have a baby and raise a kid right now?”

“R-raise a kid…? Um, uhhh…”

“Of course, there’s plenty of people who could do that properly.

But for me? I still don’t think I could manage that. And I bet society’s
probably raising the legal age to marry if everyone started gettin’
married the moment they turned eighteen.”

“Then, why do we even have the rights?”

Glucose Translations​ 190

 “Preparation, I guess.”

“…Preparation?”

“Even if two eighteen year-olds get married and have a child,

they’re realistically not earning enough to support that kinda life,
right~? At least, not normal eighteen year-olds.”

“That’s, well…”

“Point is—it takes time to switch gears mentally. I feel like

eighteen ain’t so much of ‘You’re an adult now!’ as it is ‘You’re not a
child anymore.’ It’s the starting age for preparing to become an adult.
That’s a more realistic way of looking at things, I think,” Narasaka-san
continued to explain in a more subdued and quieter-than-usual tone,
and I found myself listening intently.

She wasn’t usually the type to talk about serious stuff like this, but
hearing her now made me think—albeit a little rudely, I guess—that she
really knows how to say what matters when she does speak seriously.

Welp, guess that’s exactly why she’s been able to stay friends
with the ever-guarded Saki Ayase.

“That’s why,” Narasaka-san began, “It’s perfectly fine to be more

of a li’l kid, Saki. That whole understanding, mature adult act? Way too
early for that. Feel free to come and cry on my chest whenever you’re
havin’ a tough time, wahaha!”

She spread her arms out wide, bringing Ayase-san back from her
thoughts as she shook her head vigorously from side to side.

“No, why are you assuming I’m the one who’s going to be crying?”

“Oh? Got it wrong?”

“I’m not going to cry.”

“Right, right. You’re the kinda girl who looks better with a
looovely smile than tears, eh? Hehehe,” Narasaka-san teased with her
mischievous little grin, and Ayase-san clamped her mouth shut.

Glucose Translations​ 191

 It looked like she realized that any more words she said would
easily be shot back at her. But honestly, the way she was already puffing
up her cheeks in a sulk made her so adorable to begin with.

“You’ve really changed, haven’t you, Saki-san?” Makihara-san,

who’d been quietly listening up until now, spoke softly.

“Eh?” Ayase-san let out a puzzling tone, finally tearing her gaze
away from Narasaka-san to turn to Makihara-san.

“Changed?”

“Yes. As for me, we were only in the same class during our second
year, and I was closer to Narasaka-san during our school trip too, so I
didn’t really have much chance to talk to you much.”

“Well that’s… true.”

“So I saw you as the cool but scary type at first. I’m sorry.”

“No it’s not really…” Ayase-san faltered, trailing off, before

continuing in a small voice, “You don’t have to apologize.”

Looks like the others seem to have different impressions of her,

though.

“Scary, huh? So that’s how you came off to her, Saki-cho?”

“I honestly can’t imagine you being that way, Saki-chan.”

Given Class Rep and Satou-san only became especially close with
her during their third year, having been put in the same class only then,
they apparently couldn’t picture how Ayase-san was from her second
year—let alone her first.

Saki Ayase during her first year.

That was a part of her past I had never gotten around to asking
about either.

“I actually first heard about Saki-san during our first year. Her
face, her name—she was famous,” Makihara-san spoke up.

“Famous?” Yoshida asked.

“Yes,” Makihara-san replied with a gentle nod.

Glucose Translations​ 192

 “She had a bit of a delinquent vibe—at least for a school like Suisei
High.”

“Heh,” Class Rep blurted as if she was oddly impressed, before

making a face like someone who’d just heard some truly unbelievable
news. “Saki-chan bein’ a delinquent, hm~? I mean, I guess she had this
kinda tense look to her back in April, as if she, like, had trouble fitting
into class; I was worried by that. But since summer came around, she’s
got this unique kinda presence radiating ’round her.”

“Unique, huh…?” Ayase-san muttered, sounding dissatisfied.

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

“That’s not what I meant. My bad.”

“It’s fine, really,” Ayase-san waved her hand lightly without any
sign of anger. “But honestly, I think I had a pretty bad personality up
until last year. I’ll admit that.”

“Not true at all,” Narasaka-san, usually the first to carefully listen

to others before speaking, cut in quickly.

“Maaya?”

“Sayin’ you had a bad personality ain’t right. Let’s see…”

Narasaka-san spoke, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she gave
a small nod. “Right, it’s just you went a long time without being able to
put on a friendly face, that’s all.”

“…Isn’t that what having a bad personality means?”

“Nope, not it—it’s totally different. Not being able to act friendly
doesn’t mean you’ve got a bad personality.”

“You think so?”

“We’re human. No one’s able to stay cheerful and friendly

twenty-four-seven. Even me—don’t be fooled by how I look, I can be
reaaaal scary if you piss me off, mkay~? I’ve got a serious intimidation
factor goin’ when I’m all moody~”

“Oho?” Class Rep reached out and pinched Narasaka-san’s cheeks

with a quick movement.

Glucose Translations​ 193

 *Sqeeeeeeze,* she squished them, before stretching them like
mochi and kneading them all around, causing Narasaka-san’s face to
twist into all sorts of funny expressions.

“Intimidation? What intimidation?”

“I’ll blithe you, ifh you donth shtop.”

“C’mon, let’s see you get angry! Go on, go on, uraaah! Show me
that intimidation! C’mon, c’mon!”

“Mphgh, mufuuuuu!”

Narasaka-san’s series of contorted faces were hilarious, but given

she’d just stood up for Ayase-san, who’d been swimming in a pit of utter
self-deprecation, everyone was naturally inclined to agree with her. It
left us all unsure on whether it was okay to laugh, bringing an awkward
tension to the air.

While everyone sat there unsure of what to do, a burst of laughter

broke the moment.

“Pfft! Hehehe, ahahaha!”

It was Ayase-san, finally breaking the lingering tension in the air.

Class Rep finally let go of Narasaka-san’s cheeks, who began to

massage them with both hands, relieving them of the torment they’d
endured as she let out a small sigh.

“Well, Narasaka’s intimidation’s no scarier than an angry

squirrel,” Maru, who had been silently watching up until then, spoke up.
“But yep, I get what she’s saying. Being friendly’s a skill, and that takes
practice. Ayase just didn’t have it back in first year, that’s all. Doesn’t
mean she was walking around all grumpy every day, right?”

“...Well, I guess.”

“And besides, there’s just no way Narasaka would be this attached

to her if she had a bad personality deep down.”

“Attached…? Come on.”

Glucose Translations​ 194

 “She totally is. All she talks ’bout is you when it’s just the two of
us, Ayase,” Maru let out an unexpected revelation, surprising me—and
probably everyone else too.

But what was most surprising was Narasaka-san’s reaction. She’d

turned completely red instead of shooting back like she usually would.

“Don’t go blabbing, idiot,” she muttered something along those

lines in a voice so quiet under her breath that maybe only I, sitting next
to her, could hear it.

Wait, “When it’s just the two of us...?”

That means Maru and Narasaka-san meet alone fairly often,

doesn’t it? I was only just now realizing that. But I mean, considering
they were the ones who organized this whole afterparty in the first place,
I guess that kinda makes sense.

The conversion had long moved on as I found myself caught up in

such thoughts. Now it sounded like everyone was talking about what
we’d all been like in our first year.

Damn, there goes another chance to hear about Ayase-san’s first

year in high school.

She had a pretty grim look on her face when she criticized her
own, quote on quote, “bad personality” with that self-deprecating tone
of hers earlier. Yet, she was now fully engaged in the convo, laughing
and reminiscing about that past like the rest of the others. Her
expression, her tone—obviously, but still—it was all so normal, just like
any other ordinary eighteen year-old girl.

Like actors stepping off stage after their scenes, Narasaka-san and
Maru had at some point returned to the slightly-far-away booth they’d
been sitting at originally.

I couldn’t help but, once again, feel just how deeply important
Ayase-san’s meeting with Narasaka-san must have been to her. Back in
our second year, when I’d just met her, it looked to many like she’d built
a clear and obvious wall between herself and others. Even to me, that’s
how it felt.

“Not true at all,” so Narasaka-san argued.

Glucose Translations​ 195

 She’d reasoned it wasn’t that Ayase-san was putting up a wall, but
rather that she simply couldn’t act friendly.

Putting up a wall around yourself is a deliberate action, and it

means you have to have the kind of behavior to consciously carry it out.
In contrast, not being able to do something is different. Like Maru had
explained earlier, it’s a matter of simply not having a specific skill.

So that’s how Narasaka-san saw it—Ayase-san just wasn’t capable

of acting friendly because she lacked the skill to do so.

I can honestly see it now, too.

Ayase-san was an only child, one who was estranged from her
father at that, and one who was hardly able to talk to even her mother
because of how mismatched their schedules were. Knowing that much
about her family background now, it’s easy to imagine how she basically
had no one to have day-to-day conversations with from the end of
elementary up to high school.

But I’m sure Narasaka-san probably didn’t hear about any of that
herself. She didn’t need to know—she saw right through it. And maybe
it’s because she’s got a ton of younger brothers who she had to look after
in place of her busy parents. She most likely had to keep a close and
keen eye on them all the time. That kinda experience, built up over time,
was probably the reason for her communication skills.

Now, though I didn’t know exactly how Narasaka-san and

Ayase-san first met, I knew it apparently wasn’t the moment they
started high school—like it’d been for me and Maru.

That’s why, I think she gradually closed the distance between

them. It wasn’t a rush on Narasaka-san’s part.

She wasn’t the type to try and force Ayase-san into a group—I’ve
seen that for myself. She chose to compete in tennis with her when
Ayase-san decided she didn’t want to play in any team-oriented sports
for the ball games tournament back in the sports festival, after all. And
even when Ayase-san skipped practice to listen to English
comprehension exercises, Narasaka-san didn’t even try to stop her or
drag her with the others, or even make her attend practice for that
matter.

Glucose Translations​ 196

 But that didn’t mean she did nothing at all.

She would sometimes use the little free time she had after school
to visit Ayase-san’s new apartment—the one she’d move into after her
mother had remarried. Like on that one rainy day—always making sure
to time her visits so Ayase-san wouldn’t feel bothered at all.

Someone with an extraordinary knack for reading and balancing

human relationships. That was Maaya Narasaka.

It was because she’d always been there that Saki Ayase managed
to avoid developing any unfixable rifts or conflicts with other students
herself. That much became clear to me through their exchange just now.

And I think…

That’s what Maru’s been to me, too.

Saying I don’t turn anyone away sure sounds nice, but the truth is
I just don’t chase after those who leave either.

That’s just how I am, I thought after finding myself analyzing my

own personality again.

It’s because of my relationship with my mother that I’ve become

timid when it comes to getting close to others. I learned through the
painful lesson that not being able to live up to someone else’s
expectations for you causes stress—for both sides.

Therefore, I simply stopped expecting anything from others

myself.

Don’t expect anyone to stay by your side forever.

And yet, I’m sure that I was still hoping for it somewhere deep
down in my heart—hoping that I’d have someone who’d stay close and
never leave me.

What a troublesome personality I have.

Even so, Maru stuck with me for three whole years.

With 5 p.m. being the rough time for when to wrap things up,
things started to wind down. Just before the afterparty came to a close,
everyone started spontaneously exchanging information.

Glucose Translations​ 197

 “Hey, let’s swap contacts,” someone had said, serving as the
catalyst for everyone to start trading. Both Ayase-san and I exchanged
LINE and Discord IDs with other students we hadn’t connected with yet.

In no time, my contact list was filled with more names than ever
before. Who knows, among those names could even be someone who
might become an important part of my or Ayase-san’s future.

But I’ve got no way of knowing who that might be at this

moment.

And that’s exactly why I don’t want to carelessly cut anyone off
right now.

Connections, huh?

That said, it’s pretty worrying I still can’t picture a future where
I’m the one taking the initiative to do something. Oh well, it’s not like
personalities change so easily.

Still, if there’s one thing I feel strongly about…

It’s that I want to stay with Maru and Narasaka-san, even after
graduation.

Meeting people like them—that’s what Suisei High was for me.

And with that, the final afterschool of my high school life came to
an end.

We pushed open the glass doors and stepped out onto the main
street, greeted by the sun that was just beginning to set behind the
dense cluster of buildings surrounding Shibuya Station from across the
road.

Twilight was quietly creeping into the blue sky—sundown was

coming soon.

At that moment, a cold north wind—signifying the idea that it was

only spring in name right now—blew against us, leaving a slight chill in
the air.

Even so, those of us parting ways were still full to the brim with
energy, our noisy voices continuing to float up into the still-blue sky.

Glucose Translations​ 198

 The others invited us to a second afterparty, but both Ayase-san
and I turned them down, telling them that we had plans afterward.

So with that, we waved and said goodbye.

“C’ya guys,” I muttered under my breath.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Our meeting place with our parents was just a few minutes away
by foot from Shibuya Station. That meant heading back to the station
from the family restaurant.

That said, we still had around an hour before then; plenty of time.
Given that, Ayase-san and I decided to walk along the street killing time
with some casual window shopping.

By the time we arrived at our appointed time, our parents were

already there, waiting for us.

The location? A photo studio.

That’s right—we were having our grad photos taken here today.
We were specifically planning to take two types: one in our school
uniforms and one in graduation hakama[10]. It was the reason why we
hadn’t changed out of our uniforms yet.

Though it was common practice to only borrow a hakama from

photo studios—like this one—for when you take grad photos, my old
man insisted on having a photo of each of us in our Suisei High
uniforms as well.

“They give out the same hakama no matter what school you’re
graduating from, but you can only wear a Suisei High uniform if you
actually went to Suisei High!” he had argued that point passionately.

Can’t say I really blame him…

Glucose Translations​ 199

 The human memory is unreliable—even the uniforms we wore
ourselves would become hazy silhouettes to us in just a few years. Plus,
plenty of schools are constantly making changes and redesigning their
uniforms to something more modern nowadays. There’s no guarantee
that Suisei High’s uniforms will stay the same.

The fact that both Ayase-san and I attended Suisei High was
nothing more than a coincidence. But, who could calculate the odds of
two step-siblings—brought together by some remarriage—ending up in,
not only the same grade but, the same high school? It’s probably close to
zero. But I guess that’s why my old man saw some kind of fate at work in
his remarriage with Akiko-san.

And that’s why he wanted to preserve that memory.

After finishing taking our grad photos with our uniforms,

Ayase-san and I went to change into our graduation hakama, heading to
the dressing rooms to get fitted.

I was glad to have a professional help put it on for me, given I’d
never worn a hakama before myself. It was that exact kind of service
included in the photoshoot that made a booking with a studio like this
worth it. Hairstyling was apparently included too, but makeup cost
extra. I only needed my hair to be styled, while Ayase-san had gone
ahead and requested that her makeup be done.

While the two of us had two different looks each—one in our

uniforms and one in hakama—our parents’ hadn’t changed. My old man
wore a suit, and so did Akiko-san. Though I was more or less expecting
her to get in a kimono to match Ayase-san’s hakama.

“This way’s better for a family photo,” she had reasoned. “It’s
nicer to have a photo of how we usually look rather than being all
dressed up.”

I could understand her point when she’d put it that way.

Wait no, by that logic, then Ayase-san and I in hakama don’t

exactly look like we usually do.

“That’s because it’s a special day—your graduation,” Akiko-san

then explained as I brought that thought up, ending the matter.

Glucose Translations​ 200

 It kinda felt like she was just picking at parts of the idea that
suited her, but I didn’t really mind. Besides, I get to see Ayase-san in a
beautiful hakama, decorated with floral patterns and a red sash.

“The sash’s too tight; I think I ate too much,” she said, a comment
I found pretty adorable.

If anything, her blunt and upfront honesty made it feel a lot more
like a conversation between family.

We lined up in front of the camera at the photographer’s signal.

They gave us all kinds of directions—where to look, how to pose, stuff
like that. And even though we were all pretty nervous, the more natural
it started to feel the more we followed along.

With another signal, the shutter clicked again.

“Alright! Let’s go for one more!”

I’m starting to lose count of how many “Let’s go for one more!”
I’ve heard at this point.

There were probably only three of four in reality, but time sure
seems to drag on forever whenever you’re all tense from trying your
hardest to not move a muscle or shift your gaze from your fixed spot.

“Good job, everyone,” the photographer finally said, and I felt all
the strength leave my body at once.

I feel like collapsing right here.

“I never imagined Saki actually letting us take her picture,”

Akiko-san, her expression still glowing with emotion, said in a trembling
voice as we moved through the studio to the dressing rooms.

Ayase-san had always previously hated having her photo taken,

after all, so Akiko-san had basically completely given up on pushing for
commemorative photos for days like this.

“You’re being dramatic, Mom.”

“But I really thought it was impossible.”

“I don’t really mind… things like this anymore.

Glucose Translations​ 201

 “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I’m so glad. Your hakama was really
beautiful, it’s a shame you have to change it.”

“It’s just a rental. Ah, whatever, I’ll go change,” Ayase-san, far

calmer than Akiko-san, headed into the dressing room with the studio
staff who were going to help her out of her outfit.

“Alright, I’ll go change too. I should head to the waiting room

when I’m done, right?” I asked as I was guided to the room next door
myself.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Finally, I can get changed—

“By the way, Yuuta-kun. You look great in that hakama too.”

Her words made me freeze up for a second, mid-thought.

“Oh, thank you very much.”

“Mm. I’d love to see you in it again. You look really handsome.
Maybe at your university graduation next time? Oh, or your wedding?”

I almost burst out laughing.

That’s quite the leap, ain’t it?

“Well, if there’s ever a chance… Alright, see you in a bit.”

“Yes. See you in a bit.”

At that moment, my old man, who’d been talking with one of the
staff members about something, came walking down the hallway.
Leaving Akiko-san in his hands, I entered the dressing room. I was
already starting to feel how tight the sash around my waist had gotten at
this point, so I began to eagerly take off my hakama.

Once I had changed back into my uniform, I quickly headed to the

waiting room where my old man and Akiko-san were waiting. Given
Ayase-san probably needed more time to remove her makeup and all, I
figured she’d take longer.

So as expected, only my old man and Akiko-san were there.

“Thanks for waiting. Saki’s still not done…?”

Glucose Translations​ 202

 “Yep. Anyway, we should be heading ho—ah, there she is.”

Ayase-san, now back in her uniform and out of the dressing room,
walked up to where my old man and Akiko-san were standing. There,
she took a brief pause, before bowing deeply.

“Thank you for raising me, Mom,” she said once she raised her
head, before then turning to face my old man. “Thank you for accepting
me, Stepdad.”

She bowed once more.

“Um,” she began with a slightly bashful expression, raising her

head again, as if searching for the right words, “It’s just, I felt now was a
good opportunity, so I wanted to say this.”

“Saki…” Akiko-san murmured, but that was as far as she got. She
couldn’t speak any further.

Her face contorted, as if she was fighting to swallow something

down, before tears spilled down her cheeks.

Burying half her face into my old man’s chest as he supported her
by her shoulders, she began to cry. I could make out the glimmer of
tears in my old man’s eyes as well.

“Ah… I, uh, I feel the same as Saki. Uhhh….”

Damn, I’m always fumbling even at times like this.

In contrast, Ayase-san was the type to never waver the moment

she made up her mind.

“So… Thank you for raising me, old man,” I said, before turning to
Akiko-san. “And thank you for accepting me… Stepmom.”

“Yuuta-kun…”

“Yuuta-niisan, did you just…”

Let’s not get hung up on that too much here, Ayase-san.

Knowing me, I’ll probably be back to calling her “Akiko-san” the

moment tomorrow rolls around.

Glucose Translations​ 203

 But even then, I felt there was still something else I had to say—as
if my words weren’t enough.

Oh, that’s it.

“But I won’t be saying this ‘thank you’ ever again. No… not like
that. I mean the ‘thank you for accepting me’ part. Saying it to family is
kind of weird.”

Because what makes someone family is accepting each other

naturally.

That said, I’m also aware that reality doesn’t often work that way.
Thinking someone should accept you just because you’re family by DNA
is nothing more than an illusion. It’s exactly why sayings like “Good
fences make good neighbors,”or “Even siblings can turn into strangers,”
exist.

People are able to easily build high walls around themselves.

Boundaries that didn’t exist yesterday could suddenly materialize
tomorrow, even among family.

Just because you were called family doesn’t mean you’re truly
“family.” You could simply just be housemates. It wasn’t uncommon for
a group of people to be simply living under the same roof without
actually accepting each other.

In other words, what I was trying to say is I want to remain as

“family” with the three in front of me right now.

I want to stay as “family” with my old man, with Akiko-san, and

with Ayase-san—Saki. I want to continue to accept their presence just as
they are. That’s how I feel.

Glucose Translations​ 204

Glucose Translations​ 205
 My old man and Akiko-san nodded at my words, before starting
to cry again.

As for Ayase-san—

“So unfair.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to say that too. And you totally copied what I said
earlier.”

“No, um, let’s see… Guess I just thought what you said was really
good, Saki, so I kinda borrowed it?”

“Fine,” Ayase-san, who’d been pouting, left it at that with a smile.

“But in exchange, I want to hear that from you too.”

“Huh?”

“We haven’t said it to each other yet, have we?” Ayase-san pointed
back and forth between herself and me at her “we.”

Ah… She’s right…

“Or am I the exception—have you not accepted me yet?”

“No, that’s not—”

“Then, please,” she said with a serious face…

Wait, ain’t there a hint of laughter in her eyes?

Ah, whatever.

“Thank you for accepting me… um, Saki.”

“Mm. Thank you for accepting me, nii-san. Ah, or would you have
preferred ‘onii-chan’ instead?”

Nii-san’s just fine.

Though if I were to be honest… I trailed into my thoughts,

keeping those words only in my heart.

Then there’s another word I’d rather hear her call me than her big
brother.

Glucose Translations​ 206

 And it’s possible that one day, the premise we’d all just affirmed
will break—that we might do something that keeps us from being
accepted.

The possibility that we might not be accepted for who we

are—from a time that might come when Ayase-san and I will have to tell
them both something that could shake our very foundation as a unit.

But ’til then, I want to savor this happy way of being a family.

Glucose Translations​ 207

[1]: Fictional university, not to be confused for the actual Meio University, given Ghost uses
different characters (明央, pronounced “めいおう,” as opposed to 名桜), and the fact that the
Meio University in real life is a public one, not private.

[2]: 浪人/rōnin (I’d have put down “rounin” if it wasn’t for the fact the widely used/accepted
English spelling is cringe and completely disregards the diacritic), meaning a student who’s
graduated but failed to receive admission from any of the school’s they’ve applied to (applies
to both graduating junior high schoolers and high schoolers).

[3]: “じゃんぬ・だるにゃん”, literally the hiragana writing of “Jeanne d’Arc” with a “nyan” (like
the cat sound) added at the end. Basically referring the illustration to some weird, modern, cat
incarnation of the French patron saint, Joan of Arc. Makes even more sense when you realize
there’s plenty of paintings of her leading armies across war-torn battlefields while waving a
flag while on horse.

[4]: A rice gratin dish featuring bechamel sauce and cheese on top.

[5]: “小春日和” (koharubiyori) literally means “little spring weather,” while “こはるん”
(koharun) is just a playful short form of it. The term for it in English is Indian summer, but
like you can’t really keep the quirk of Saki mistaking what Class Rep said for a name if we’d
localized it. You can read what it means in Yuuta’s explanation below.

[6]: “余裕のよっちゃん” (Yoyuu no Yocchan) is an old pun/funny way to describe yourself as

someone who’s got things under control. It’s also the more common phrase, at least compared
to what Class Rep uses, specifically swapping out Yocchan (as in like the nickname for a girl,
“Yo-chan”) for Yoshio-kun (generic nickname for some guy).

I guess I could’ve gone with a localization like “calm John Doe” or “calm Jane Doe,” but like it
doesn’t really hold the same old cultural value like the actual phrases in Japanese (or at least I
can’t think or find any equivalents in English that are).

[7]: “旦那” (danna): an old-fashioned formal honorific used to refer to a married male or
someone in a position of respect.

[8]: No this isn’t a miss-TL, she does in fact not say Tomo-kun here :<

[9]: “これ、真綾ちゃんや。その辺にしておやりな。めでたい卒業式ぞ.” Class Rep deliberately

speaks in a tone resembling early modern Japanese, specifically a mix of the Edo to Meiji
periods. Here’s why for those who are interested:

1) Her use of “おやりな,” an old-fashioned and polite feminine way of telling someone to do
something. Hence why I’ve gone for a Victorian feel with “That’ll do; that’s quite enough,”
(and the fact that it’s a period around the same time as the Meiji period).

2) The phrase “めでたい卒業式ぞ” gives off an old timey and theatrical vibe, specifically with
“めでたい” being an older phrase for describing a celebratory event. Hence why I’ve gone for a
Shakespearean tone with “Tis a most joyous graduation ceremony,” (and the fact that it’s a
period that also happens around the same time as the Edo period).

3) The use of ending particles “や” and “ぞ” rather than the more modernly used “だ.”

Glucose Translations​ 208

[10]: Traditional Japanese trousers or leg wear, typically worn over kimonos, resembling
skirt-like pants. Typically worn during formal occasions like graduations, weddings, funerals,
etc…

Glucose Translations​ 209

 March 9th (Wednesday) - Yuuta Asamura

The day had come.

I could feel the sunlight was getting softer, yet it was still too early
to say that spring had truly arrived. Even so, it was still currently that
time of the year when you’d open all the windows, compelled by the urge
to let fresh air inside after keeping them shut all through winter. It was
the pure desire to take in the smell of the season, despite the fact that
the scent of daphne didn’t quite reach a third floor apartment.

The dining room was bright with the gentle light of an early
afternoon.

On the dining table, dressed only with a simple white tablecloth,

laid a single smartphone with a red phone strap, with Ayase-san and I
glaring at each other over the phone that had been placed there.

“Not gonna look?”

“It might not have loaded yet…”

“There’s no way that’s—” I paused myself mid-sentence, glancing

at the clock hanging on the living room wall.

1:10 p.m.

It had already been ten minutes since Tsukinomiya Women’s

University’s acceptance results had been officially announced.
Apparently, going all the way to a uni’s campus in person to see the
results was something you had to do in the past. Nowadays though, you
could just access some website with your smartphone, enter your
candidate number, and find out right away. Simple and convenient.
Your results, pass or fail, were revealed to you in an instant.

Glucose Translations​ 210

 The announcement time had been set for exactly 1 p.m. Naturally,
Ayase-san had tapped on the website with her smartphone at the right
time. What had happened, however, was a sluggish response from
it—like exactly what happens when you try to book tickets for a popular
show. She hadn’t even made it to the page where you’d enter your
candidate number.

“It should’ve by now, don’t you think?”

It’s hard to imagine the server being that overloaded when you
consider the number of applicants to Tsukinomiya Women’s University.
It probably had just been some temporary issue, like a weak signal or
something.

“But…” Ayase-san uttered as she continued to glare at the phone,

refusing to move her hand. She’d been like this for the past ten minutes.
“Um, you know… I get what you’re trying to say, Yuuta-niisan. But to be
honest… I’m scared.”

Her words made me catch my breath.

“Of course I’m scared of seeing the actual results themselves, but I
think I’m also scared that I won’t be able to believe them even if I see
them.”

“Uhhh… Can I ask what’chu mean by that?”

“Yeah. I know this is me being completely biased here, but…

things on a smartphone, they just don’t feel real, you know? It’s like, I
can’t trust them.”

“Ah…”

Both Ayase-san and I were supposed to be part of the digital

native generation, yet she was the type who liked history and admired
old buildings. I could guess that she was someone who preferred things
with a physical presence.

And it is true that digital things have this perception around them
that they are easily manipulatable. What you could be looking at on a
screen at any given time being rewritten in the next moment isn’t
something a viewer would notice immediately.

Glucose Translations​ 211

 So, even if the actual information was correctly displayed on your
smartphone, it made sense that you might still end up having a sense of
doubt on whether it was fake or not.

But nah, I don’t think she’s really thinking like that.

She’s just simply scared of the results themselves, and that’s how
it’s showing itself now.

Still, it’s not like I can be the one to check it for her…

“I’m scared to look...” she confessed again while turning her gaze
away from the smartphone and toward the window.

This sure is troubling.

As I was turning over how to handle the situation at hand, it

suddenly struck me. Maybe this kind of thing hasn’t really changed at all
from how it always was.

The scene of checking acceptance results with a parent or a

friend—I’d seen that kinda thing a few times before in old movies and
mangas. There was always bound to be one character who was always so
scared to the point of not being able to look at the results.

They’d freeze up in front of the board filled with the list of

accepted candidate numbers, unable to lift their heads.

I guess that means people like that really do exist in real life, too.

I had thought that sorta scene had vanished with the introduction
of the modern era; but no, it’s still here, just in a different form.

The human heart doesn’t change so easily, after all.

It’s not like the fear of finding out a result had disappeared. That’s
why, even if how it’s portrayed in media across different generations
changes, it’ll still be depicted in things like movies and manga from here
on out.

No, this ain’t the time to be thinking ’bout stuff like that.

I glanced over toward our parents’ bedroom.

Glucose Translations​ 212

 Right now, the only ones in the dining room were me and
Ayase-san.

My old man was at work given it was a weekday, and Akiko-san,

who came home in the early hours of the morning after going back into
her regular work mode, was currently sleeping in the bedroom.

We had planned to send the results to our parents over LINE, but
given Akiko-san had already gone to bed, she probably had her
notifications turned off. She usually wakes up at around 4 p.m., so she’s
probably in deep sleep by now.

But maybe Ayase-san would be a li’l more at ease if Akiko-san

were here with us.

But I can’t just wake her up for this, I got that far deep into my
thoughts, before realizing that my own thinking was being dragged
backwards by Ayase-san’s mood.

Wait, why did I start thinking “If only Akiko-san were here”?

I’m right here.

If this were one of those scenes that have been around since the
old days, then I just need to remember how those characters had
partners who would support them. Though of course, cool things you
see in fiction aren’t something you can just mimic as-is in real life.

Still, even if I can’t do it like in a story, there are still things I can
do in reality.

For example, something like—

“Saki, can you hold out your left hand for a sec?”

“…Eh?”

“Try placing it on the table.”

“Like this?”

I placed my right hand over her left as she’d set it down.

“I’ll stay like this for you,” I smiled at her, leaving our hands like
that.

Glucose Translations​ 213

 I hoped my warmth would reach her through my hand; I knew
how hard she’d worked up to this day, after all.

That’s why, I sincerely wish for things to go well.

I added a gentle pressure to my grip, hoping these feelings—this

wish—would get through to her.

“Asamura-kun… Yuuta-niisan.”

Either one’s fine at this point.

As her boyfriend. As her older brother. I wanted her to never

forget that I’d always be by her side.

“It’ll be okay.”

“Mm.”

Her right hand slowly glided over the smartphone. The trembling
in her fingers had already subsided, and with a smooth motion, she
entered her candidate number.

Without hesitation, she displayed the results.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the screen.

“I… passed!” she exclaimed, but I knew it from the expression on

her face before her voice even reached me.

Thank god!

A surge of relief hit me more strongly than joy at that moment. I’d
thought she’d be fine as I had watched her from the side, but I couldn’t
deny that there had been a small seed of anxiety sprouting within me
before I actually saw the results with my own eyes. And I’m sure she felt
the same—no, being the one at the center of it all, she must’ve felt even
more anxious.

But now, at last, Ayase-san will officially be a uni student starting

this spring.

Glucose Translations​ 214

 “Congratulations, Saki,” I kept my voice a little lower as I offered
my congratulations, thinking of Akiko-san sleeping in the bedroom. But
with only the dining table’s width in between us, I was sure it was loud
enough.

“Mm…! Yeah!”

I genuinely felt glad for her as I saw the light sparkling at the
surface of her eyes. What remained now was just my own results being
announced tomorrow, flickering at the edge of my thoughts.

“Thank you!”

She stood up from her chair, stretched forward, and wrapped her
arms around my neck, pulling me close, her head resting on my
shoulder.

Her long hair brushed against my cheek as it fluttered, and a

pleasant fragrance curled around my nose.

Uhhh… Is this… okay?

Well, I guess Akiko-san’s asleep right now, and you could also
interpret this as just a li’l sister expressing her gratitude to her big bro.
So it’s not like there’s anything inappropriate going on here or anything.

…Wait, no. This ain’t the time to be zoning out like this.

“The message, Saki. You need to send a message.”

“Oh, right.”

Despite being a little reluctant to let go of the arms that clung to

me, I held myself back, knowing this was more important.

Ayase-san typed up her message announcing her acceptance,

posting it in our family’s LINE group chat.

Taichi: 【Congratulations!】

My old man instantly replied, leaving me surprised. But what I

was even more startled by was the loud thud that shook the apartment
floor at the exact same moment, coming from our parents’ bedroom.

Glucose Translations​ 215

 “Oweeee!” a cry came a moment later. It was none other than
Akiko-san.

Both Ayase-san and I jumped at her yelp, immediately turning

toward the bedroom. The door opened, and in stumbled Akiko-san,
without even a night gown thrown on. Freshly woken up and wobbling
into the dining room, her eyes brimmed with tears.

“I fell off the bed and stubbed my pinky toe~”

I could make out her pitch black bedroom through the open door
behind her, the blackout curtains tightly shut.

Yeah, suddenly jumping out of bed in that sorta darkness kinda

tends to do that…

She had her smartphone clutched in one hand.

“Mom… Is your foot okay?”

“My back and foot hurt. Uuuu~. Congratulations, Saki. You did
great.”

“Ah, yeah.”

Now that’s weird.

This was supposed to be some emotional moment, yet here we

were in an atmosphere completely lacking an uplifting mood to it.

More importantly, Akiko-san…

“Don’t tell me… You didn’t have your phone on silent?”

“Because I was curious! Ugh, it hurts…” she complained as she

plopped down on one of the dining chairs, checking her injured toe.

“It’s completely pitch black in there, Mom. You should’ve at least

turned on a light before moving.”

“But I was curious.”

“You’ve already said that. Also, wear something already, you’re

going to catch a cold.”

Glucose Translations​ 216

 Saying this, Ayase-san stepped into our parents’ bedroom,
returning with what looked like one of her mother’s gowns and draping
it over Akiko-san’s shoulders.

“You’re planning to go back to sleep anyway though, right?”

“Yes, I’ll be sleeping for a bit more. Let’s see… It’s one o’clock
now, right? I can still sleep another two hours.”

“Why don’t you just sleep ’til evening?”

“Because I’m going to cook dinner before I head out today. I’ll be
going all out and making something special. It’s been a while since I got
to do that.”

“Ah, wait,” Ayase-san stopped Akiko-san, who was already

striking a determined pose with her sleeves rolled up. “I’d love that, but
let’s wait for Yuuta-niisan’s results before we celebrate.”

Her words made both Akiko-san and I freeze for a second,

catching us completely off guard.

“No, it’s not like… we can’t celebrate today for what it is—”

—Right?

Or at least that was what I was about to say, but before I could,
Akiko-san had nodded along.

She smiled at me as she looked my way.

“Saki’s right. Let’s wait until tomorrow to celebrate. You probably

wouldn’t be able to enjoy the food with your results still on your mind,
right, Yuuta-kun? Will that be okay, Saki?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Mom,” Ayase-san answered as Akiko-san stood up

from her chair.

“Well then, I’ll go get a bit more sleep,” she said, turning her back
to us as she stifled out a soft yawn before heading back to her headroom.
The door shut with a click.

“You didn’t have to be that considerate…” was what I said, but

deep down, I was honestly touched by Ayase-san and Akiko-san’s
kindness. It spread a gentle warmth that bloomed in my chest.

Glucose Translations​ 217

 “Tomorrow’s your turn, Yuuta-nissan.”

“Yep,” I smiled at her.

After congratulating Ayase-san one more time, I headed back to

my own room.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

With nothing in particular to do, I decided to take a short break

and flopped onto my bed. My eyelids grew heavy as I stared blankly at
the ceiling, and before I knew it, I’d fallen asleep.

I had a dream.

Everything around me was shrouded in darkness, and I could only

make out my body. It was only when my eyes began to gradually adjust
to the dimness did I realize I was on a small boat, drifting across a
pitch-black sea.

Or actually, maybe it was a lake.

I was being carried along adrift, yet I had no idea where I was
headed. It crept a sense of unease into my heart, and I squinted ahead to
see where the boat was going.

There, a faint light flickered.

As the boat drifted on, the faint light steadily grew larger. It was a
lantern—a square one hung from the tip of a long pole that cast a soft,
circular glow around it.

Another small boat. A woman stood at its center, raising the pole
high with the lantern at its tip, illuminating the path ahead.

As I drew closer, I was able to make out her face.

It was Ayase-san.

Glucose Translations​ 218

 My boat caught up to hers, and for a while, the two vessels moved
forward side by side. But eventually, I noticed that my own boat had
started to slow down. I panicked and looked for an oar, yet no matter
how and where I looked, I just couldn’t find one. As I was left staring,
her back began to grow more distant.

The lantern she held aloft steadily shrank smaller and smaller. It
became a single glowing dot, and then, at last, disappeared into the
darkness.

Saki!

I shouted her name with such a force that it felt like it’d utterly
burst from deep within my throat. Yet, I wasn’t even sure if I’d actually
spoken it aloud or not.

I woke up at that moment, jolting upright.

My breathing was ragged, and my heart was pounding violently in

my chest.

“A dream… huh?” I uttered, glancing at the clock right next to my

pillow.

Looks like I was only out for around fifteen minutes.

What a dream that was; it was almost too easy to interpret.

Ayase-san had gotten into her dream university. She was steadily
moving forward.

And I was truly happy for her.

But what about me?

“Tomorrow’s your turn, Yuuta-nissan.”

Ayase-san’s words echoed in my mind.

My turn, huh?

It looked like Ayase-san completely believed I’d be passing too.

Glucose Translations​ 219

 As I laid in my bed and stared at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but
begin to feel more gloomy emotions seep out from within the depths of
my heart—like the night cornering twilight westward, blanketing
everything in darkness.

Anxiety. A lingering unease that slowly began to swell.

Ayase-san was changing. She was moving forward in a direction

she chose for herself.

But what about me?

I relived the scene from the dream behind my eyelids, seeing

Ayase-san’s back growing ever more distant, and the light shrinking
smaller.

A dim train of thoughts rose to the surface of my mind and

steadily soaked into my emotions.

I recognized this feeling. It was the same negative motion that had
driven me into a corner during that study retreat last summer.
Pessimism. I thought I had shaken it off back then, but it looked like this
habit of seeing things in a negative light had seeped deep into me. It
hadn’t vanished after all.

It was so strong that I felt my heart slowly freezing over. Even the
spring sunlight that the dining room had been basked in earlier now felt
like a distant memory.

The gloomy mood stayed with me through dinner and well into
the night, persisting even past midnight.

Unable to sleep, I went to the kitchen and warmed up some milk

in the microwave. The ding signalling it being ready echoed throughout
the dining room, leaving me worrying over whether it might’ve woken
up my old man.

I don’t think he heard it with the bedroom door shut, but still…

I returned to my own room, sipping on the warm milk as I read a

book. Normally, reading alone was more than enough to calm me, but
not tonight. It wasn’t working.

1 a.m. Still couldn’t sleep.

Glucose Translations​ 220

 The numbers displayed on the digital clock at my nightstand
continued to tick forward.

2 a.m. Although I had no school to wake up for tomorrow, I found

myself idly mulling over whether I’d end up welcoming the morning
without even a wink of sleep.

That’s when I heard a faint knock struck at my ears.

A knock so faint that it blurred the lines between what was

audible and what was not, to the point where I initially thought it
might’ve been my imagination.

But then, after a short pause, it came again—a gentle rapping on

the door. I quietly answered in a whisper, and the doorknob turned with
a soft click as the door opened just slightly. A shadow slipped through
the gap.

Lit faintly for just a moment by the soft hallway light, I could tell
who it was.

“Knew you’d still be awake.”

“Ayase… san?”

“Glad your door wasn’t locked.”

She moved with light, gliding steps through the room, relying on
only the soft, minimal light from the dimmed ceiling lamp, until she
reached my bedside.

I had a ton of questions about why she was here at this hour. Yet,
what really caught my attention was the fact that, although he might be
asleep now, my old man was home. There was always the chance that
Akiko-san could return home at any time too if she finished work early.

No matter how you looked at it, a boy and a girl—both eighteen

year-olds—in the same room at 2 a.m. wasn’t a right look. Even though
we weren’t technically high schoolers anymore.

I lifted my upper body and sat up in bed.

“Uhhh… What’s up?”

“That’s my line.”

Glucose Translations​ 221

 Huh?

I tilted my head in confusion, not really getting what she meant,

earning a quiet sigh from Ayase-san.

“You really can’t see your own face, huh?” she reached out with
her right hand as she spoke, her palm gently stroking my cheek. “You
look terrible, Yuuta-niisan… You barely even touched your dinner just
now, you know?”

“Is that… so?”

“And how you’ve been calling me since a moment ago…”

“…What? Ayase-san?”

“See? You’re back to calling me that instead of Saki,” she said, and
it wasn’t until she pointed it out that I realized. “Do you remember?
When we decided on how we’d call each other?

Of course I remember.

It was when we’d ended up in the same class in our third year. It
was something that had brought us a step closer even in public outside
our home. But it was also because of that that we tried too hard to act
like strangers, even in class. As an immediate reaction in response,
Ayase-san started to go overboard with her physical affection at home. It
was partly my fault too—I had persisted with calling her “Ayase-san”
even then in such a formal, distant tone.

So after talking it through, we both decided to change how we

addressed each other. Ayase-san started calling me “Yuuta-niisan” at
home, to remind herself we were siblings to keep her emotions in check.
As for me, I started calling her “Saki” at home—by her given name.

“But you know what? I think it’s pretty normal for people to start
calling each other by first names once they grow close. And yet, look at
you, Yuuta-niisan. It’s been almost two years now, but you still naturally
go back to ‘Ayase-san.’”

I couldn’t argue with that.

Because even I knew she was right.

Glucose Translations​ 222

 “What’s more, now you’re this stressed. It’s probably because of
what your results tomorrow might be, right?”

“Yeah… probably.”

“And you’re holding all that anxiety in by yourself. You won’t rely
on me.”

“That’s because…”

I had been careless.

The night before the last; surely she must’ve been anxious too.
With her own results coming the next day and all. And if you asked
whether I watched over her with the care and concern I should have?
Then no, I hadn’t.

Yet, here she was now thinking about me, worrying for me,
mustering up the courage to come to my room like this.

And even then, I still couldn’t bring myself to rely on her to ease
the anxiety I was feeling about my own results.

Explaining that much to her, Ayase-san gave me a sharp look,

looking a little angry. But her expression quickly softened into a more
sad one right after.

“I want to support you too, just like when you supported me to

face Dad. But you won’t even let me see you when you’re hurt. Is it
because of what you’ve told me about your mom? Are you still hurt from
not living up to her expectations? So much so that you’re afraid to let
anyone know how much it hurts?”

Ayase-san wrapped both her arms around my back as she spoke.

She pulled me close, and my face sank into her chest. As she gently
tightened her arms, I could pick up her heartbeat from my ear, close to
her heart. It almost felt like I was being cradled as a baby. Her body heat
seeped into me through our closeness.

“Ayase-san… this is, um, kinda—”

Glucose Translations​ 223

 “For two whole years, you, Yuuta Asamura, were the type of
person who couldn’t even drop the honorific and call me by my name,
weren’t you? Or are you saying that the current you is capable of doing
something that would actually make me uncomfortable now? Even back
when we fell asleep together in this room, or that time in Atami, you
were always unconsciously restraining yourself through all of it. But…
that part of you is fine right now. Because this way, I can hold you like
this,” she spoke as she held me in her arms. Even so, she continued,
“But if you, for some reason, still can’t allow yourself to lean on someone
else, then I’ve got the perfect excuse.”

“The perfect excuse…”

“You’re technically my older brother for that one week between

our birthdays, right, Yuuta-niisan? That’s just how the calendar
works—there’s no arguing with birthdates. I have no choice but to refer
to you as my older brother, as frustrating as that is,” Ayase-san
explained, giving me a gentle squeeze, putting a little more strength into
her arms. “And you know what? I just came up with a really amazing
excuse that’s like that.”

She brought her lips close to my ear, lowering her tone to a

hushed whisper.

“I’ve already gotten into university, yes? Or no?” she murmured.

“That’s… a yes.”

“Then it’s not wrong to say I’m basically a uni student already,
right?”

That’s… kinda pushing it.

“But you haven’t been accepted yet. You’re technically not a high
schooler anymore, just a graduate, but still less than a uni student, yes?
Or no?”

Glucose Translations​ 224

Glucose Translations​ 225
 “Ugh… Yes.”

“Which means I’m your senpai for the next few hours. And since
you’re a junior here, Yuuta, you have every right to rely on your senpai.”

…Huh?

Wait, was all I was able to think before she leaned into me. With a
soft plop, we tumbled lightly onto the bed. Without letting go, she kept
my face buried in her chest, and began gently stroking my head again
and again.

“You’re my junior right now, so it’s okay to lean on me.”

The frantic pounding of my own heart was gradually overpowered

by the calm beat of her heart, resonating from within her soft chest.

I felt a mix of embarrassment and shame, yet at the same time, I

could feel the raging turmoil in my heart starting to quiet down, little by
little.

*Thump-thump, thump-thump.*

Behind my closed eyelids, within all the darkness, I saw the light
of a lantern held high.

Glucose Translations​ 226

 March 10th (Thursday) - Yuuta Asamura

There are mornings where, from the moment you wake up, you
can tell they’re special.

And it’s not like I’m claiming I have some kinda ability to sense
abnormalities or anything like that, nor am I saying that something truly
out of this word was going to happen. But rather simply, my heart
knows that today’s morning is special.

It was as if the trouble I had with falling asleep had been a lie. My
mind felt clear and light the moment I opened my eyes.

After that moment—from when I had my face practically buried in

Ayase-san’s chest, listening intently to the sound of her heartbeat—my
eyes at some point had quietly shut. My consciousness had slipped
gently into the depths of sleep, and I had gone through the night without
even dreaming.

Ayase-san was no longer in my room when I woke up, of course,

and for a moment, I wondered if it’d all been a dream.

I washed my face and got ready.

I exchanged good mornings with Ayase-san as if nothing had

happened, and spent the morning just like any other.

And then, the moment came.

The same time as yesterday.

My smartphone sat on the dining table, with Ayase-san and I both

sat in front of it—not facing each other like yesterday, but side by side.

I tapped at the screen right at the scheduled announcement time,

and my results appeared almost instantly.

Ichise University

Yuuta Asamura: Accepted

Glucose Translations​ 227

 “You did it…! You really did it!” Ayase-san, who’d been peeking at
the screen in anticipation with me, whispered quietly.

As for me, I found myself unable to say a single word, even though
I thought I would’ve shouted if I passed.

I just kept staring away at the displayed results on the screen

intently, as if I was afraid that it might somehow change if I looked
away,

But of course, no such occult tricks were gonna happen here.

“Congratulations on passing, Yuuta-niisan.”

“Ah…! Thank you, Saki.”

I picked up my smartphone and sent my results to my old man

through LINE. As for Akiko-san, I’d already told her I’d only tell her in
the evening. I just didn’t want to rob her of her sleep for two days in a
row regardless of what the result might’ve been.

Just like yesterday, my old man immediately replied with his

congratulations. And then, right after a slight pause, messages from
friends began pouring in—probably because a lot of national university
results had come out all at once.

Their notices of success and failures alike flooded the screen; not
just on my smartphone but on Ayase-san’s too.

“Maru got into Todai’s Science Division I[1], huh? How expected.”

“Maaya too. She’s so amazing, really.”

Looks like Class Rep safely passed too.

Makihara-san didn’t make it though, unfortunately.

I figured Yoshida was already on his way over to her place given I
hadn’t gotten any texts from him.

I also got a quick congrats from Yomiuri-senpai in response to the

message I’d sent to our small group chat with our coworkers.
Kozono-san looked like she was probably still in class judging by the
time, given we hadn’t seen her read receipt yet.

Glucose Translations​ 228

 She’ll probably react to it after school.

“Right, classes are still happening around now for high schoolers,
huh…?” Ayase-san murmured quietly, seemingly having forgotten about
school schedules despite it only being around ten days since our
graduation. “Ah.”

She then let out a short sound.

“What’s up?”

“Hm? Oh, Melissa and Ruka-san messaged me. They gave their
congratulations.”

“Ah, you told them?”

“Yep.”

Looks like the acquaintances Ayase-san had made by chance

during our school trip had genuinely become part of her life.

New connections… huh?

That’s right, I’ll be attending the university where Professor Mori

is starting spring.

A new life will begin. The sphere of daily life that had always
revolved around Shibuya since the moment I was born would now
expand dramatically. For both me and Ayase-san.

Many things will probably change. Now we were both adults, our
lives would be shifting onto a new stage from here.

New schools, new commutes. New… friends, too.

New connections.

Still, rather than being dazzled by only this sense of newness,

there were also connections I want to treasure—to stay tied to.

Like how Maru is to me. Like Narasaka-san is to Ayase-san.

It was something I had thought about even during our afterparty

at that family restaurant—for Ayase-san, her meeting Narasaka-san was
something incredibly valuable and precious. It was obvious to even an
outsider like me.

Glucose Translations​ 229

 That’s why…

“Y’know I was thinking,” these words slipped out of my mouth

naturally.

“Hm?” Ayase-san looked over at me.

“You know, I think we’ll make a lotta new friends and

acquaintances once we become uni students.”

“Right, that’s true. But—”

Looks like we’d been thinking the same thing.

“With Maru and Narasaka-san—”

“With Maaya and Maru-kun—”

—I’d like to stay friends with them for a long, long time.

“Seeing how the both of them planned that afterparty for us made
me think that, y’know, it’d be great if we could do something with just
the four of us. You, me, and those two.

“Mm. I was thinking the exact same thing.”

Hearing those words from Ayase-san made me even happier.

The four of us, getting along together.

Yeah, it’d be truly great if we could really do that.

“So,” Ayase-san continued, “Maaya was asking if we wanted to go

on a grad trip. She said you should come too, Asamura-kun.”

“Huh?”

A trip…? So that means—

“The three of us? Me, you, and Narasaka-san?”

“Eh? Oh. I’m not sure. I assumed Maru-kun would be coming

too.”

“So it’d be the four of us, then?”

Ayase-san nodded.

Glucose Translations​ 230

 “It made me think about it when she brought it up, but it always
feels like we rely on Maaya and Maru-kun for everything.”

“Yeah. Well… it is true.”

“But it’s too one-sided if we’re always just depending on them.”

I could already sense what Ayase-san was going to say next after
hearing just that much.

“Gotcha. So, in other words, Ayase-san, you mean—”

“Yep. I don’t want to completely rely on them this time, so… what
do you think about planning it together? The grad trip,” she proposed,
and I nodded instinctively on the spot.

That’s right, just standing around in place forever is pathetic.

A new life awaits us in April.

And I don’t want to only be pulled along—I want to be able to

lead, too.

As a way of showing my appreciation to my close friends, I want

us to mark the end of our life as high schoolers with something to show
that we’ve grown.

We’ll raise the flag high.

And hold the light to sail the vast open sea!

Glucose Translations​ 231

[1]: “理一”, short for “理科一類” (Department of Science, Division 1), hence “Science Division
1.” It’s the entry track for students who enter into the University of Tokyo with plans to major
in engineering or the physical sciences.​

Glucose Translations​ 232

 Maaya Narasaka’s “Up ’Til Now” and “From Here
on Out”

A voice of admiration came from the other end of the line.[1]

“Yeah. Totally, totally! Saki brought it up herself. She said she’d

be taking care of plannin’ things with Asamura-kun,” I replied.

It was about our graduation trip.

To give some context, we’d just graduated from Suisei High, with
uni life starting in April.

I had applied to and taken the entrance exam for the University of
Tokyo’s Science, Division I. All everyone around me had said was stuff
like “It’ll be a piece of cake for you, right?” but if I’m being frank, I
hadn’t been that confident.

So when I found out I got in, I was genuinely happy. Even going
so far to let out a “Yipee!” at the time.

“So praise me, m’kay~?” I asked as I explained to them that.

Tsk, aren’t you being a li’l dismissive here?

You should be praising me more, y’know?

Ah whatever—gettin’ back on topic. It’s for sure that I’ll be

incredibly busy starting in April. I’ve heard stories ’bout how crazy uni
science students have it with their schedules. So before all that starts, I
just really wanna go on a trip with everyone, y’know?

And plus, I’ve been sayin’ this for a while too, right? Yeah, yeah, I
have.

I just wanna go somewhere with friends—doesn’t even matter

where. Eating the same food, seeing the same sights, talkin’ a bunch,
goofing around.

That’s how you feel too, amirite?

Glucose Translations​ 233

 “What a flat response…”

This guy… Don’t tell me, you’ve never gone on a trip with friends
before, have you?

Asking him that, he replied about the times he’s been to training
camps.

That ain’t what I meant! No, I mean, I guess club trips count too,
but I’ve never been in one, so I don’t really get it.

I was in the going home club, y’know?

I’ve always been left to take care of my li’l brothers. The youngest
one’s still in kindergarten, so I’d pick him up in the evenings, and then
I’ve got two brothers in elementary too, so I’d make dinner and stuff.

Both my parents are busy with work, so that’s where ol’ onee-chan
here comes in.

“Oh, right, right. You met them the other day, didn’tcha? Aren’t
they cute? Y’know, all that aside, it really makes me happy when they
rely on me.”

Hm? Sounds like it gives me a sense of purpose, you say?

Well, yeah. Guess so.

…Mm. Yep, yep, yep. That’s the kinda reaction I was hopin’ for~

No, it’s okay. It’s okay, really. But it was just always… different,
y’know? Back in junior high and even after getting into high school,
every time I told someone ’bout how I was taking care of my li’l
brothers, they’d always say the same thing.

“Sounds like you don’t get to do what you want.”

“Living without much freedom; must be tough, huh?”

And then they’d always say I was “pitiful.”

Like, what does that even mean?

Don’t go pushin’ your assumptions on me.

I don’t think I’m pitiful at all, m’kay?

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 Don’t go defining my “pitifulness” for me.

Just kiddin’!

So yeah, that’s why I was totally surprised, y’know?

Up ’til then, in my whole life, it was the first time someone

listened to my story and replied with just a, “Hmm?” and left it at that.

And that’s why I got curious—about that person, Saki Ayase.

“Wait, wait. What’s with the exaggerated yawn? What gives!?”

I know you’re teasin’ me here.

“What? ‘Another story ’bout Ayase?’ Tsk. C’mon, lemme talk ’bout
her. Lemmeeeee~”

The more I got to know Saki Ayase, the more mysterious she got.

Long hair dyed a bright color, within shining piercings in both

ears. You’d think she was a delinquent, right? But reality is, she was
ridiculously serious. She never slacked off in studyin’, kept getting great
grades, yet never hung out in groups and always kept to herself.

Like, what’s with this girl? She’s so cool.

I kept bugging at her all the time after that. She made it very clear
she found me annoying at first, but I was used to handling my
mischievous li’l brothers, so I knew how to be patient. I’d back off just in
time whenever I sensed she was seriously ’bout to snap. And on the
other hand, if I felt like I might’ve a chance, I’d keep at it with my
attacks ’til she gave in. Eventually, doing that li’l by li’l, she started
talking to me bit by bit.

Huh? You’re saying it kinda sounds like I was seriously tryna win
over someone I liked?

“What, you jealous?”

Wahaha, nice reaction!

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 So, ’bout my red hair, right? Well, my hair was already naturally
slightly reddish to begin with, but I dyed it all the way to how it is now
’cause I wanted to try being stylish, like Saki. After talking more to her
and realizin’ just how sweet of a girl she really is, it kinda bugged me
how she got labeled as a delinquent just ’cause of her hair color. I mean,
Suisei High’s full of the honor roll type, so it actually makes the
unbalance worse that way, amirite? Figured if I dyed mine too, it’d be
like, “Hey, it’s okay to be more free,” and maybe other students would
break out their goody-two-shoes act and make our class more vibrant. I
did kinda hope that, for real.

So, when I decided on my hair color, I even asked Saki for advice.

So yeah. That’s how we’ve got to this point.

But yet, even now—aside from the school trip—Saki and I have
actually never gone on a proper one together.

That’s why this grad trip matters. To me, goin’ with Saki’s the key
part. Get it? Mm. As long as you get that, it’s fine.

If it’s Saki and Asamura-kun the ones planning it, then I think I’ll
really leave it to them.

I’m really looking forward to it. Where d’you think they’ll have us
go? What kinda trip will they come up with?

All of us going on this trip together…

I think it’d really get us even closer.

Glucose Translations​ 236

[1]: This chapter is written in a mix of an outsider, third person perspective, as well as Maaya’s
first person perspective. Basically the narration is from her POV, and we hear her thoughts,
but it’s also treated as if we’re outsiders listening to her speak with someone over the phone.
We can’t hear what the person she’s talking to says, but instead read Maaya’s reactions to
what they say or how they respond, so it’s up to us readers to interpret what they say and how
they talk based on that.

Also a shit ton of her monologues are implied to be simultaneously spoken, but not actually
put in speech marks (while few are). So read with the idea in mind that a lot of the stuff said in
narration is also spoken to the person she’s talking to over the phone.

Glucose Translations​ 237

 Tomokazu Maru’s “Up ’Til Now” and “From Here
on Out”

“Hey. Sorry for calling you out here like this.”[1]

We were at a two-person table by a café window.

I waited for the other person to sit down before I started speaking.

The University of Tokyo, Department of Science, Division 1.

It was what I’d aimed for. I had managed to pass the entrance
exam and got officially accepted. Of course, I’d already spoken to them
this much over LINE.

But that was only the bare outline.

What I wanted was someone I could talk to about all the prep
work we’d need to do before the entrance ceremony. It’d be my first time
entering uni, after all. There were a ton of first-time procedures to get
through with. Figured it’d be nice to exchange info with someone
walking down the same path.

“No way it’s just an excuse. I’m really here to just exchange info.”

I hope she believes me here. I’ve always been the cautious type
who always likes to prepare in advance when tackling something new,
after all.

I pulled out an enrollment pamphlet from my bag and laid it on

the table. Together with the person sitting in front of me, I read through
it carefully, saving everything I needed to do one by one on a to-do list
on my phone.

The person in front of me has got an incredibly sharp mind,

especially when it comes to efficiently and smoothly progressing
through tasks like this. Honestly, you could even say that she’s more
capable than I am. She was the one who pretended to be a uni student
when we first met online, after all. And I totally believed her.

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 We had nothing left to do once we finished all our necessary tasks.

All that remains is...

“Wanna just chat for a bit?”

Huh? “If anything, wasn’t that meant to be the real deal here?”
you say?

Well that’s pretty rude. I’m just the kinda guy who prioritizes
what needs to be done first.

Oh well, even I make mistakes sometimes. What kind? Hmm… If

you ask… well…

I guess there’s one mistake I still regret.

From when I told Asamura those baseless rumors ’bout Ayase.

I thought he’d gotten involved with some weird girl back then. Oh,
just so we’re clear, I don’t mean “weird” in the bad way. You get what
I’m saying, right?

Anyway, in other words, I basically thought it was my duty to

warn him to stay away, or something shallow like that. Lookin’ back on
it now, it’s something so embarrassing it makes me want to burst into
flames.

Sorry.

“Why am I apologizing to you…? ’Cause it’s like I insulted Ayase.

Wouldn’t blame you if you got mad at me.”

Wait, why are you laughing at that?

…Can we drop this topic now?

I’d rather have a more productive conversion here.

Like what, you ask?

“Well, what anime are you watching this season?”

Or, y’know, something like that.

So again, what’s with you laughing like that?

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 Anyway, from now on, I think I’ll continue to balance my hobbies
and responsibilities, and do my best with both.

But y’know, it’s surprising to even myself as I talk with her like
this—and it’s something I absolutely cannot let her, sitting across from
me, catch on to—but it’s hard to believe that I, who always thought
dating was the biggest waste of time when it came to balancing
responsibilities and hobbies, would actually end up doing something
like that.

It’s earth-shattering.

But we just had too many things in common, and before I knew it,
things ended up like this.

You really never know what life has in store, huh?

In that sense, I’ve probably changed a lot over these past three
years myself.

Oh well, I think it’s the good kind of change.

“Don’t you think?”

Outside the café window, bathed in sunlight that hinted at

spring’s full arrival, the green leaves planters sparkled.

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[1]: Similar writing style to Maaya’s chapter except this time the conversation Tomokazu is
having isn’t over the phone. We still don’t hear what the other person is saying, instead relying
on Tomokazu’s reactions. Also read with the assumption in mind that a lot of his thoughts and
monologues are conveyed in speech to the other party.

Glucose Translations​ 241

 Saki Ayase’s “From Here on Out”

It was currently the day after Asamura-kun’s results were

announced.

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes just after waking up, I looked
around, and—though it may have just been my imagination—everything
in the house seemed tinged with soft colors

I headed to the bathroom. Sunlight streamed in through the

frosted glass window at the end of the hallway, casting a rainbow
mosaic-like pattern on the floor.

It was a scene I had been seeing every morning, but right now, it
looked like something special. Today just feels a little warmer than
usual. Winter was over. And maybe it’s just me jumping the gun, but
that’s just the kind of feeling I was getting right now.

I can’t be passive from now on—I need to start pulling my life

forward with my own hands. For my relationships; in everything.

That was the kind of positive mood I was in.

But first, I need to start with making breakfast.

It’s my turn today. Tomorrow’s Asamura-kun’s. Now that our

exam period is over, the two of us have gone back to alternating.

Plus, having a rival to compete with always gets me fired up.

Though Asamura-kun only started helping with cooking for

around a year, he’s been making these oddly elaborate dishes lately, so I
can’t exactly afford to let my guard down.

Still though…

We’ll really be uni students starting in April, huh? It doesn’t feel

quite real yet at all. Even so, I’m sure I’ll grow into the “university
student” title little by little as time goes on.

Glucose Translations​ 242

 But it’s only still March. We’ve got our grad trip before that first.

It’ll be my first step to becoming someone who’s no longer

passive. Asamura-kun and I will be organizing this trip.

I think this might be the first time we’d be actually planning

something together.

And it’s not just that I was purely looking forward to the trip itself
either—I just couldn’t stop feeling excited about being able to plan it
together with Asamura-kun.

Ahhh, I’m so excited.

I feel incredibly happy right now.

Still, I knew. I knew that the real turning point of my life was still
ahead of me. What’s more, I had a sense that the current phase of my
life was slowly drawing to a close.

And for that moment, I want to gain the strength I’ll need as a
person. Or rather, the strength to properly face others.

The moment I bring an end to this “Days With My Step Sister” life
of ours—the moment I come out to Mom and Stepdad about my
relationship with Asamumra-kun.

Only when I can do that I’ll…

Be able to be truly independent

And be able to be truly an adult.

I opened the window.

The spring breeze blew in and gently pushed my back as I headed

toward the kitchen.

Glucose Translations​ 243

 Author’s Afterword

Thank you for purchasing the 13th volume of the Gimai Seikatsu
light novel. I’m Ghost Mikawa, the author of both the YouTube series
and the light novel.

At long last, the time has come.

Yuuta and Saki, who slowly matured over time, have graduated
from high school and are now facing the results of their university
entrance exams.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve spent so much time with the two of them,
but I felt deeply moved when I was writing the scenes surrounding their
graduation. It was as if I were watching them through the eyes of a
parent—I almost teared up.

Ah, so this is one of life’s milestones.

They’ll be parting ways with the friends they’ve made up to this

point and stepping out into the world on their own.

So many moments from Yuuta and Saki’s high school years had
flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern, and I couldn’t help
but feel a resistance rise up within me—wishing their graduation might
be delayed, even a little.

Maybe that’s what people call parental love.

But if what I am feeling is truly parental love, then I should be all

the more happy for my children as they leave the nest.

From here on out, the two of them will fly off into the wide world,
take on new challenges, suffer setbacks, and their relationship too will
begin to show signs of change.

Just like the lives we ourselves lead in the real world.

As their “parent,” I must keep a proper distance and watch over

them. I have to learn to let go.

Glucose Translations​ 244

 It’s a little lonely, but that’s how it is.

We’ll be depicting their lives as adults from the next volume

onward.

First comes their graduation trip, where they’ll make one last,
childlike memory of their high school days, and then they’ll dive into a
new life.

Naturally, this won’t be just a step forward in their life paths—but

also a step forward in their romance…

Please look forward to seeing what kind of love story will unfold
from here on.

Now, for the acknowledgments. Thank you as always, Hiten-san,

for your wonderful illustrations. I’d also like to thank the voice actors
who have helped with the YouTube series: Yuki Nakashima-san, Kouhei
Amasaki-san, Ayu Suzuki-san, Daiki Hamano-san, Minori Suzuki-san,
director Yusuke Ochiai-san, as well as all the staff and companies
involved, editor O-san, mangaka Yumika Kanade-san, the director and
staff of the anime production, and everyone involved in publishing.
Thank you, as always.

And above all, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you

all, the readers who have followed the story up to this point.

That’s all from me, Ghost Mikawa.

Glucose Translations​ 245

 E-Book Exclusive Bonus: New Short Story - The
Day She Became Ryo-chin

It was spring of her second year, late April, when all the cherry
blossoms had already completely fallen.

With the class shuffle, Ryouko had once found herself without any
close friends again, and her naturally shy personality led her to become
a loner in the classroom.

Her desire to not stand out was evident—her self-introduction

had ended with just her name, and although she knew it’d make her
lonely, she couldn’t even secure someone to eat lunch with.

A sigh fell onto the rolled omelet that sat quietly in her bento box.

By the way, Ryouko was currently eating her lunch in the

cafeteria. Eating alone in the classroom would only make her isolation
more obvious, after all. And besides, the tea was free here.

As she gnawed at a piece of simmered kelp, Ryouko wondered

how she could break out of her current situation.

She had a clear grasp of the distribution of friend groups in the

classroom right now, but her standing in class could also be affected
depending on the group she approached. She had to choose carefully.

Thinking through things like this was actually something she

enjoyed. Ryouko was a girl that had a small fondness for daydreaming.

“This seat free?”

She looked up at the sound of a voice, yet almost reflexively

looked back down as she saw the dazzling smile that lit up the face of the
girl standing before her.

“U-um…”

Glucose Translations​ 246

 The person radiating that naturally, sunny smile and speaking to
her was none other than Maaya Narasaka, the most outgoing, socially
adept girl in class. She was actually even Ryouko’s number one pick on
her “People I wanna Be Friends With!” list.

“Let’s see, Satou-san… amirite?”

“Y-yes! I’m Ryouko Satou! M-my favorite constellation is Virgo!”

“Virgo? So you were born in September?”

“Ah, no, that’s not it. I just like it. I was born in—”

Wait, what am I even saying!?

“Ahaha. So it’s just that, huh? You’re funny, Satou-san. Um, so,
can I?”

“Ah, please, yes. It’s totally fine.”

What was exactly totally fine though, you might ask? She had no
idea. Ryouko sank into dismay.

Of course, Maaya had no way of noticing Ryouko’s inner turmoil.

She set down a tray with curry udon and sat beside her without
hesitation.

Curry udon? How terrifying.

For Ryouko, curry was absolutely forbidden—there was just no

way she could eat it without getting splashes everywhere. The fact
Maaya had ordered it so boldly was unthinkable to her.

With Maaya sitting as the cue, her friends began settling into the
other seats, across from them, beside them.

They were all students at Suisei High, of course. Still, some

weren’t classmates and had unfamiliar faces.

“Thanks, Satou-san~”

“It’s getting kinda crowded, isn’t it?”

“Alright, let’s eat, let’s eat!”

Glucose Translations​ 247

 Surrounded by four girls, Maaya included, Ryouko began to
quietly panic.

There’s no way I can relax and eat in such a dazzling crowd!

It couldn’t be helped. She would just eat quickly and return to the
classroom.

With that in mind, Ryouko turned her stealth mode up to the

max. She’d become a roadside stone.

A classic loner mindset.

“Ayase-san’s pretty scary, don’t you think?”

Startled, Ryouko lifted her head.

Uhhh, that just now was…

“What exactly are you tryna say?”

“I mean, you think so too, don’t you, Maaya?”

Maaya’s friends had brought up the topic of one of their

classmates, a girl named Saki Ayase.

Of course, Ryouko knew the full names of all of her classmates

herself, just in case someone ever talked to her. Not like it had come in
handy so far though.

Saki Ayase was a formidable girl with long hair dyed a bright
color, fashionable accessories, and a confident presence. She gave off the
air of a mature woman, totally different from Ryouko’s own childish self.
She was someone Ryouko admired.

She also happened to be ranked second on her “People I wanna Be

Friends With!” list.

And right now, it sounded like the topic was indeed Saki Ayase.
Ryouko enjoyed gossip herself, but not bad-mouthing. Her favorite kind
was the “Who’s dating who?” type. She adored love stories.

Her favorite constellation was, after all, Virgo.

“Let’s drop it. That one’s on Chobi.”

Glucose Translations​ 248

 “Ehhh~?” came a dissatisfied protest from Chobi, real name
Yoshiko Inomata.

The nickname came from the characters “Ino” and “Mi”,

becoming “Chobi,”[1] and had been bestowed upon her directly by Maaya
herself.

Ryouko couldn’t help but envy that.

“She was standing in the way at the exit, so yeah, that was
annoying, but that’s no reason to say something like that,” Maaya spoke
with a firm tone, gently chiding her friend.

Yet immediately afterward, she lightened the mood. “Oh well, I

tend to do that too, so if I’m ever in the way, just call me out. You can
even kick me in the butt!”

Isn’t this exactly the kind of person you call a true social genius?
Ryouko felt strongly.

Yes, she really did want to become friends with her.

Hm? Um, did she just call my name?

Ryouko lifted her head.

“So um, Satou-san. D’you wanna go? To karaoke.”

The conversation had already moved on by the time she surfaced

from the sea of her thoughts. What’s more, she was being invited to after
school karaoke.

Ah, um, uhhh… I’ll go. I wanna go. Of course I’ll go!

Yet, no words came out.

“You don’t gotta if you don’t wanna. But I think it’d be really fun if
you came along, Ryo-chin.”

“Ryo-chin!?”

“Ryouko Satou-san, right? So, Ryo-chin.”

“I’ll go!”

Glucose Translations​ 249

 And just like that, from that day on, Ryouko Satou became
Ryo-chin.

Glucose Translations​ 250

[1]: “猪” can be read as either “cho” or “inoshishi,” specifically becoming “Inomata” when
written with “俣” to become “猪俣.” One of the two ways “美” can be read are “bi” and “yoshi,”
specifically becoming “Yoshiko” (literally meaning beautiful child) when written with “子” to
become “美子.” Hence, “猪美” becoming “Chobi” (チョビ).

Glucose Translations​ 251

 Fan Translator’s Note

Yo. Thanks for reading our fan-TL of Gimai Seikatsu Volume 13! We hope you
enjoyed it. Feel free to take the time to rate the series on Novel Updates if you
did!

As always, I’d like to express my gratitude to yuituri (Castorice loves me more

don’t listen to him) for helping with accuracy checking, as well as Kei,
existence is pain, and rsa16 for helping with proofreading. They were big help
and I wouldn’t have been able to translate this volume without them. Huge
thanks to Indi for typesetting English translations onto the colored illusts, and
Iviera for coloring the black and white illustrations, too!

Anyway, who else got baited with the illustration with their parents lol? I
really thought we were getting the story’s climax when that was leaked. Oh

😭
well, that Saki illustration in Chapter 7 made up for it (she’s just so perfect
man; with Iviera’s coloring too omg ).

We got robbed of Saki’s diary in this volume, oof. Not being able to read her
POV through her own chapters was already a huge loss; not even having her
diary anymore is just insane, but it’s whatever.

Volume 14 drops in late June, so I’ll be getting my way through the Shiori
spinoff ’til then. I know we initially said yui would be doing that spinoff
volume at the same time as I was doing this volume, but we had a change of
plans (sorry ’bout that). It’s considerably shorter so I’ll probably be done
hopefully by the next volume’s release. If not, I’ll just do both simultaneously.

Anyway, I’ll catch y’all in both those volumes! We’ll continue to post
chapter-by-chapter on our website.

As always, please support the author by buying the official translation! Please
do not reupload or resell our fan-TLs. Our operation is just a hobby for
us, and is strictly non-profit (looking at you bastards who reupload our PDFs
and EPUBs with your own ko-fi links and ad-link shorterners; like seriously,
what the fuck man!!!). If you’d like to share our fan-translations, please link
them directly from our site without any ad-link shorteners or other revenue
making methods.

-​ NaCl

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Fan-translated by Glucose Translations, NOT FOR RESALE

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Glucose Translations​ 253