By the time they reached the train station, the sky still looked like night, though a few people could be seen—also there to catch the first train.
Most of them were office workers, men and women alike, all wearing expressions of drowsiness from having to wake up early. Among the suit-dressed professionals, Kotomi Izumi and Hibiki Naegi, who clearly looked like students, naturally stood out a bit.
Still, no one minded. In Japanese social culture, there is always a faint, invisible barrier between strangers. No one bothers anyone else. In moments that require silence, such a "barrier" can even be a blessing.
"The train to Tokyo will arrive in six minutes. Kotomi, wait for me a moment. I'm going to buy something to eat. Do you want anything?"
"I want two pork-and-egg burgers, one hash brown, and a sweet soy milk," Kotomi replied. She had already eaten breakfast, but upon seeing the burger shop at the station, her stomach let out a ceremonious growl.
She didn't know whether the shinkansen might be delayed, so she figured a little extra food couldn't hurt. It was a way to buffer against potential hunger. Kotomi justified it to herself, thinking she certainly didn't look like someone who had just eaten breakfast.
If she hadn't eaten earlier, she might have ordered six pork-and-egg burgers...
"Seiko once told me you eat a lot, and I didn't really believe her. With your figure, even if I maintained it for a year, I wouldn't look like you. I thought you only ate half a bowl of rice a day."
Hibiki couldn't help but exclaim in awe after hearing Kotomi's order. This was her first time witnessing Kotomi's impressive appetite. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel envious of Kotomi's figure—eating so much and still not gaining weight. Anyone who cared about their figure would definitely be jealous.
Half a bowl of rice? How could anyone survive on that?! Kotomi shrank her neck and thought with astonishment.
Even when she was a child, she had never eaten as little as half a bowl!
Kotomi stayed at the platform waiting for the train to arrive while Hibiki went to the kiosk to buy breakfast. Unlike Kotomi, who had already eaten, Hibiki hadn't had a bite since waking up—not even a sip of water. If she had to wait until Kyoto to have lunch, she might be starving by then.
"Here you go," Hibiki said, handing Kotomi a brown paper bag containing the two burgers and hash brown, followed by the sweet soy milk.
"Thanks."
Kotomi took them but didn't eat right away, planning to wait until they were on the train.
Right then, the train pulled into the station.
Since it was the first train of the day, and this early time slot had relatively few passengers, there were at most ten people on board.
That made the seats feel especially plentiful—"sit anywhere you like" wasn't an exaggeration. Compared to the usual overcrowded trains where even standing space was a luxury, the benefits of the first train of the day were clearly evident.
As the train rolled along, Kotomi ate her burger while gazing out at the pitch-black scenery.
It looked just like night.
"It really is almost winter," Hibiki said, taking a bite of her rice ball and gazing out at the dark world beyond the window. She sighed genuinely. "I don't like waking up early, but I love these early winter mornings where it feels like the night never ended. Walking down snowy streets under dim yellow streetlamps has a strangely peaceful vibe."
"If I can manage to wake up early, I really love those early winter mornings too. Get up early, get dressed, go for a walk with my headphones on, feel the cold wind on my face, then come back, eat some breakfast, and crawl back into bed for a second round of sleep," Kotomi added, seemingly sharing the same sentiment.
Dawn and dusk, like rainy and snowy days, were Kotomi's favorite times and weather.
She got along well with Hibiki Naegi, but it didn't seem like they had much to talk about at length. After a short conversation about the art exhibition in Kyoto, their chat quickly came to an end.
Even if they tried to force a conversation, it probably wouldn't last more than five sentences.
At times like this, quietly scrolling through their phones felt more appropriate.
Kotomi put on her headphones—a new pair.
She didn't have high standards when it came to headphones. In her opinion, her ears couldn't really tell the difference between a pair that cost 1,702 yen and one that cost 170,208 yen.
So she never bought expensive headphones or cared too much about the brand. As long as they were comfortable to wear, she was satisfied. Only when her current pair broke would she consider replacing them.
Her previous headphones hadn't broken yet. They were a good balance of price and quality from a reputable brand, so barring any accidents, she probably wouldn't have replaced them for another two years.
However, her father's company had recently partnered with Audio-Technica on a project, and her father had been the main lead. After the collaboration was successfully completed, both companies, following standard business practice, divided their rewards happily and celebrated over dinner and drinks. A few days later, the project leads from both sides exchanged gifts as a token of appreciation and to wish for continued cooperation in the future.
Of course, that only happened if the reward distribution was pleasant. If not... well, then there'd be no gift exchange.
Fortunately, the project her father, Kaneyoshi Izumi, was in charge of went smoothly, and both companies were pleased.
The project lead on the Audio-Technica side sent two pairs of headphones as a gift.
One was the ATH-AP2000Ti over-ear headphones.
The other was the ATH-CK2000Ti in-ear headphones.
Kaneyoshi returned the favor with a box of premium tea.
Neither side skimped on their gift's value.
However, Kaneyoshi wasn't particularly interested in headphones and rarely had any use for them.
So, faced with these two high-end Audio-Technica models, he brought them home and asked Kotomi and Aimi which one they wanted.
Aimi preferred her own purple headphones, so she passed.
As a result, Kotomi naturally ended up with both pairs.
She secretly looked up the prices on Audio-Technica's official website, since they obviously didn't look cheap. What she saw made her suck in a cold breath.
The ATH-AP2000Ti over-ear headphones were priced at 153,170 yen.
The ATH-CK2000Ti in-ear headphones were priced at 83,197 yen.
Together, they totaled 236,367 yen. While Kotomi could technically afford headphones at that price point, she would never even consider buying them herself.
No wonder they say audiophile gear is a bottomless money pit...
Dad's connections are seriously impressive!
The pair Kotomi was wearing now was the ATH-CK2000Ti. After all, when out and about, over-ear headphones were somewhat inconvenient. In-ear ones were more practical. Even when she went on walks, she preferred in-ear headphones.
As for the over-ear pair, they were hanging on a headphone stand at her desk at home, looking stylish and expensive.
After Kotomi finished her burger and a bit more time passed, the train finally arrived in Tokyo.
The sky was a dim, hazy gray. Normally by this time, the sky would be gradually brightening, but ever since the temperature dropped, sunrise was at least another hour away.
"Do you know where Mashiro lives?" Hibiki Naegi asked. She had tried messaging Mashiro while on the train, but got no reply. Then she asked Chihiro Sengoku, who responded by sending a pin with the location.
However, it had been a year since Hibiki last came to Tokyo, and she wasn't very familiar with the area. If they had to go around asking for directions, they might end up wasting more time.
Thinking this, Hibiki couldn't help but blame herself. If she had gotten up earlier and waited downstairs on time, they wouldn't be in such a rush now.
Kotomi waved a hand to reassure her. There was still plenty of time before the shinkansen departure—even if they walked to Tokyo Station, they would make it. Besides, Chihiro Sengoku had said she would drive them there.
"Let me check the pin..."
Kotomi was fairly familiar with Tokyo. She had come to the city several times just last month for various errands, so she had a good sense of the area layout.
"So this is where Miss Sengoku lives, huh? It's a bit far from Tokyo Station, but if she's giving us a ride, then distance won't be an issue. Let's go. I know a shortcut that cuts straight to the apartment complex entrance."
"The apartment complex where Miss Sengoku lives looks like one of those luxury places. So nice~"
Hibiki was visibly envious. She liked high places and had always dreamed of living in a high-rise luxury apartment after graduating college.
"People living in apartments might envy detached houses, and those in detached houses might envy apartments."
Kotomi remarked casually, then began walking toward the location sent by Chihiro Sengoku.
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