While Sakura was preparing for her future at Todai, I was still navigating my own. My acceptance into the local literature program was a solid option, but I was also waiting to hear back from a couple of other universities, some slightly further away, some with different program focuses. My path felt less grand, less set, less... pressured than Sakura's, but it was my path. And I needed to decide what it would mean for us.
Seeing Sakura immerse herself in the world of Todai preparations sometimes made me question my own choices. Was I aiming high enough? Should I consider applying to more prestigious universities, even if they weren't exactly where my interests lay, just to somehow "keep up" or be closer to her level? The insecurity, though quieter now thanks to Sakura's reassurance, still lingered.
I talked to Kenji about it. He was applying to a mix of universities, mostly local, for business-related fields. His approach was much more laid-back than the intensity surrounding Sakura's applications.
"Dude, you're still stressing about university?" Kenji asked, taking a bite of his convenience store lunch. "Just pick one that seems cool. And has a good cafeteria."
"It's not that simple, Kenji," I sighed. "My choice... it affects things. My path. And... Sakura's path. Our paths are already so different."
Kenji chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Yeah, okay, Todai is like, Mount Everest. And your literature thing is... I dunno, a really nice hill? Different altitudes. Got it."
He swallowed. "But listen, man. You gotta pick your path first. Not based on hers. You're into stories, right? Go find a place where you can do that. You'll be miserable trying to climb Mount Everest if you just want to hang out on the hill reading books."
His analogy, while simple, was surprisingly insightful. He was right. My future shouldn't be dictated by hers, or by trying to force our paths to align perfectly in terms of prestige or location. It needed to be my path, one that genuinely interested me.
"But the distance, Kenji," I said. "What if the best program for me is far from Todai?"
Kenji shrugged. "That's where the 'figuring it out' part comes in. You guys are good at that. Long distance sucks, yeah. But if the connection is real, you make it work. People do it all the time. It's not ideal, but it's possible."
His practical, slightly cynical optimism was somehow reassuring. It wouldn't be easy, but he believed we could figure it out.
I also talked to Aiko. She was applying to a local university for an art program. Her focus was entirely on finding a place where she could pursue her passion.
"Don't choose your university just for Sakura-san, Hiroshi," she said softly, her gaze calm and steady. "Choose it for yourself. Your path is important too."
Her words echoed Kenji's, delivered with her usual quiet wisdom. She understood the pressure I felt, but she also valued individual paths.
"But what about... us?" I asked her. "If my path takes me somewhere far from where Sakura goes?"
Aiko gave a small, gentle smile. "Distance is just distance, Hiroshi. It's the people who choose how much it affects them. If you both want it to work, you'll find a way. Your paths might be different, but the path you build together is what matters."
Her perspective, focusing on the relationship we were building rather than the individual paths, was incredibly comforting. Kenji gave me practical reality and blunt encouragement. Aiko gave me quiet wisdom and focused on the strength of our connection.
Their support, their belief in us even when I doubted, helped clarify my own thoughts. My university decision needed to be primarily about my path, a path I was genuinely interested in and could be passionate about. Trying to force it to align perfectly with Sakura's Todai path, or aiming for something just to feel "good enough," wasn't fair to me or to our relationship in the long run.
My acceptance letter from the local university felt more significant now. It was the start of my defined path. The future held the challenge of integrating that path with Sakura's, of building a combined future from potentially different starting points. But I was starting to understand that the strength of our connection, and the support of our friends, were the real foundations for facing that challenge.