Their celebration had gone much longer than they ever thought it would.
Not because they had planned such a thing beforehand.
Because they had not wanted to leave.
Once Yui’s success beca official, the entire group sohow found themselves at their usual eating place near the station.
There was sothing lighter in the air today.
Perhaps in many days.
After the whole dical exam arc, for the first ti, Yui did not appear tense.
Not even a little bit.
Kuro watched the group quietly sitting at the other end of the table.
As usual.
Of course, as soon as the group got into one place, a conversation about the future inevitably began.
The poor Yui happened to be the first victim.
"Future Doctor Yui!"
Akari smirked.
Yui instantly threw a napkin at her.
"Stop saying that!"
"You literally succeeded."
"Exactly. That’s not the point."
"That’s precisely why it is the point."
They started laughing.
Even Yui did it.
Not a few months ago, she would just roll her eyes and change the topic.
Now, however, she seed to have accepted the complint.
At least, as it should be.
Then Mina suddenly decided to join.
"And then what?"
Yui paused before answering.
"dical training."
She did not seem happy about it.
"Now, at last, I am truly excited about it."
All of them sensed the difference.
Previously, Yui used to chase her path solely for the sake of others’ opinions.
Now, however, she seed to have her reasons.
At least, that was sothing.
Conversation continued.
This ti, Aoi decided to tell the group about her future plans.
University.
Research.
Various scholarships.
She seed quite excited about that.
The rest of the group tried hard not to look bored.
None of it was understandable to them.
Even to Kuro.
Akari did not manage to sit more than thirty seconds.
"So basically you’re going to beco a supervillain scientist?"
Aoi sighed.
"No."
"That’s exactly what a future supervillain scientist would say."
Mina almost choked on her drink.
Then ca proud announcent from Rika.
"I will beco a legendary manga artist."
It was so predictable that none of them seed to object.
Mainly because Rika was already halfway to her goal.
There were so many sketchbooks filled with various stories to beco a publisher.
"What kind of manga?"
Mina asked.
Rika pointed out Kuro.
"Slice of life."
Kuro instantly felt uncomfortable with that idea.
"Why are you pointing at ?"
"No particular reason."
For so reason, that reply was not helpful at all.
Then Mina proudly declared.
"And I will beco a teacher."
Again, no reaction.
Because all of them knew it was her destiny.
Thanks to her endless patience.
Endless kindness.
Ability to repeat explanations many tis in a row without going crazy.
In contrast to certain people.
They all looked at Akari.
"I heard that."
"Good."
"I expected nothing less of you," Aoi remarked.
Conversation finally reached Akari’s turn.
Everyone seed to show interest.
Which promised sothing fun.
"What will you beco?" Mina asked.
Akari crossed her arms.
"A world-known athlete."
"Not bad."
"An idol?"
"Doubtful."
"An actress?"
"Dubious."
"A CEO?"
"Impossible."
"Astronaut?"
Silence.
Akari pointed to Aoi.
"Why did you instantly refuse CEO version but not astronaut?"
"Because space will kick you out."
Laughter filled the air.
Again, Akari had no words.
Afterwards, everybody talked about their plans.
Dreams.
Goals.
Universities.
Careers.
Until soone looked at Kuro.
Then everyone followed him.
A dangerous sign.
Imdiately, he noticed that.
"Why are you all staring at ?"
Mina blinked.
"What about you?"
Again, such an innocent question.
Except this ti, Kuro found himself unable to answer it.
"...I don’t know."
Silent pause followed that question.
Not awkward.
Just shocked.
Because it was not common to see Kuro confused.
"You have never thought about your career?" Yui asked.
"I did," Kuro responded.
"Then?"
"...Absolutely nothing."
Akari stared at him.
"What do you an absolutely nothing?"
"Exactly what I said."
It seed to Kuro that it did not sound so reasonable now.
All of them had an answer.
Perhaps not the best.
Perhaps even the temporary one.
However, they had sothing.
Goal.
Direction.
Future they could imagine.
He had nothing.
Not because of his lack of skills or lack of opportunities.
Simply because he had never taken any ti to consider himself.
That thought troubled him more than it should have.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to other topics.
And Kuro seed to beco more silent than usual.
Laughter around him seed faraway.
Not unpleasant.
Just faraway.
For the rest of the evening, he seed more eager to listen than speak.
Sothing seed stuck in his head.
Sothing uncomfortable.
That night, when everyone went ho, Kuro found himself standing on the school rooftop.
Sunset.
Light orange filling the sky above the city.
Cool and peaceful wind.
Usually, he loved places like that.
Today, however, it seed like it did not fit.
He leaned on the fence.
Thinking.
Actually thinking.
Which was not common for him at all.
"What should I do?"
That question seed ridiculous.
But he could not find any answer to it.
For so reason, he was always ready to support and help everyone.
To solve any of their problems.
Without considering himself at all.
The door leading to the rooftop opened.
Kuro did not even need to look who it was.
Only Minami would ever choose to co there after classes.
Minami walked up to him.
Pocketed hands.
Peaceful expression.
Teacher mode activated.
"What are you doing here?"
Kuro asked.
Minami sat next to him.
"Liking one of my students."
"For which reason?"
"I was hiding."
"And?"
"I know."
Another silence filled the air.
Comfortable silence.
Like it was their special talent now.
After a while, Minami glanced at Kuro.
"You are thinking too much."
"Maybe."
"What are you going to do in the future?"
Kuro looked at her.
"...Is it that obvious?"
"To those paying attention."
It was not reassuring at all.
Minami looked at the sunset.
"Those questions you had trouble answering bothered you."
Not a question this ti.
But a clear statent.
As usual.
Kuro sighed.
"Everyone has sothing."
"And?"
"I do not."
The answer sounded quite unexpected.
Neither of them spoke after it.
After a while, Minami suddenly burst out laughing.
Real laugh.
Rare occurrence.
"You have too high opinion of other people."
Kuro frowned.
"What does it an?"
"Most people have no clue what they are doing."
"This is absurd."
"It definitely is."
Minami smiled.
"Half of adults I know are just winging it."
It did not reassure at all.
"The main thing is not to have an answer."
She continued.
"But to find it."
City was slowly getting illuminated with the onset of evening.
Lights started lighting everywhere.
Kuro watched them quietly.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe not knowing your future is not failure.
Maybe it is just another beginning.
For the first ti all day long, the pressure seed to ease.
Not entirely.
Just partially.
When the last ray of sunlight disappeared under the horizon, one thought remained.
Yui wanted to beco a doctor.
Aoi wanted to beco a researcher.
Mina wanted to beco a teacher.
Rika wanted to beco an artist.
Akari wanted to beco whatever she fancied this week.
What about him?
Kuro looked at the lights filling the city.
After years, for the first ti, he did not know anything.
Maybe...
That was his new beginning.
That night, Kuro couldn’t sleep.
Which was rare.
See, Kuro had a gift.
Sleeping wherever he wanted.
Classrooms.
Train rides.
Lectures.
Preparation etings for festivals.
Lectures for the student council.
It didn’t matter.
Wherever and whenever he wanted to sleep.
He did.
This night, he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened before.
Over and over and over again.
So Kuro got up.
Grabbed his phone.
The room was dark.
Only the faint glow of the screen illuminated his face.
A notification popped up.
School Career Survey.
Due: Tomorrow.
He stared at it.
Sighed.
"Right."
How could he forget about that?
Once he opened the app, there were the sa old questions.
Na.
Class.
Fields of interest.
Favorite universities.
Dream jobs.
Normal questions.
They should have been easy.
Kuro answered a few questions effortlessly.
Until he encountered a particular one.
"What kind of future would you like?"
He froze.
Paused the ga.
Let the cursor blink.
Blink.
Blink.
On.
The question mark hovered above the empty box.
One minute went by.
Another followed.
Still no answer.
He thought about studying dicine.
That was Yui’s path.
Not his.
Research?
Yes, it was definitely Aoi’s.
Teaching?
Minami would do much better.
Writing?
There was Rika.
Whose dreams already resided within fictional worlds.
Whatever Akari decided for herself this week?
Definitely not her.
An empty box remained empty.
For the first ti ever, Kuro realized how lagging behind he was.
Not behind others.
Not in terms of knowledge.
Not socially.
Behind.
All the people in his life seed to move towards sothing.
While he was stuck at the intersection and not even sure about the direction.
The realization was supposed to scare him.
But, for so reason, it just annoyed.
He shut down the survey.
"No clue."
The words hung in his dark room.
Then another realization erged.
A simple one.
What was he good at?
He knew imdiately.
Making people happy.
It surprised him.
Whenever sobody was having troubles, he helped.
Most of the ti unwillingly.
Sotis irrationally.
Quite often against his better judgnt.
But sohow he always did it.
Yui.
Minami.
Akari.
Aoi.
Mina.
Rika.
One by one.
He helped them all.
Kuro stared at the ceiling.
Surely, making people happy wouldn’t beco his career.
But this was the only thing that was truly him.
And the first one today.
---
Perhaps he didn’t know what he really wanted to beco.
---
But maybe it wasn’t too late to figure out the truth.
Outside, the lights glimred under the clear night sky.
Inside, Kuro shut his eyes.
His future remained unclear.
Questions were still unanswered.
The survey was incomplete.
But, for the first ti after lunch, the uncertainty wasn’t so frightening.
Sohow, an answer lay sowhere.
In front of him.
He just needed to find it.
Unlike before.
Now he was willing to start the search.
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