Nothing could be done about Daigo’s strength and Shinichi’s poisonous tongue.
But when things turned for the worse, that was when Takeshi would shine the most.
Shinichi wanted to use this opportunity to find out what happened to him.
But…
“Ahh, Takeshi…”
When he asked about him, Daigo made a complicated face and seemed to be having a hard time saying it.
“Did something happen?”
“I don’t know the details, but apparently, his family turned into a mess.
Both his mom and his dad were working, remember? But his mom made more than his dad.”
Right, Shinichi nodded.
The Sasaki family was a family of four with a career woman for the mother, a man with no hopes of getting ahead for the father, an older sister who found everything to be a pain, and a younger brother with a head that worked too well.
Despite being opposites of each other, theirs was an interesting family that somehow managed to work.
That was the impression Shinichi had of the Sasaki Family.
“But aunt’s company couldn’t stand the change of time, while the dad and the older sister found great success.
With the positions changed, the balance within the family became a mess.
They tried moving to another place, but as for how it turned out, I doubt it went well.
He’s a crafty guy, though, so I’m sure he’s doing well wherever he is.”
“…”
After that Daigo also had to move, so he lost contact with Takeshi.
Shinichi was left speechless, as he didn’t expect this outcome. He couldn’t even respond.
The friends that were always together until that day were separated. One lost his dream, while the other ended up with family troubles, and now no one even knows where he is.
“Who would’ve thought things would end up like this… Why wasn’t I…”
—Why wasn’t I around during a time like that?
Shinichi knew that it wasn’t as if he could’ve done something were he around, but still, he regretted.
When his friends – the friends that always helped him – needed him the most, he was nowhere to be seen.
“This is all… Garesto’s fault. Damn it.”
“Dai…go?”
Shinichi knew there was nothing he could do about, but still, he regretted. But when he heard those words so full of hate, all that regret was suddenly overshadowed.
The appearance of such dark emotions that he never thought he would see from this friend of his left him in shock.
If Daigo’s emotions could take explode, it would, but alas, this was not the case.
“Ah, no, it’s nothing.
Sorry. You finally came back, but we can’t even have a happy conversation.”
When Daigo noticed Shinichi’s shocked gaze, he laughed it off.
But Shinichi was too bothered by Daigo’s previous expression that he couldn’t talk like he did awhile ago.
Daigo was previously a lively young man who could laugh without any worry, and yet now…
“Umm….”
“Like I said. Just forget about it.
More importantly, what are you going to do now?
You’re a returnee, so I guess you’ll be going to Garesto Academy?
Wow. Must be nice. You’ll be put straight through the elite course.”
Seeing Shinichi so dejected that all he could do was vaguely nod, Daigo put on a cheerful front.
Within those teasing words, Shinichi took notice of a term he hadn’t heard before.
“…Garesto Academy?”
From the way Daigo talked, it seemed to be something very famous, but it was something that his investigations hadn’t turned up.
When Shinichi thought back to his findings, the most he could recall was that there was an article saying that the two worlds built an academy or something.
“Hmm, you haven’t heard of it?
Although there are differences between returnees, all returnees have to study at Garesto Academy.
If you can graduate from it, you’ll be in demand wherever you go. It’s a super elite school.
Just being able to attend it is an amazing hating, so I hear there are a lot of people envious of returnees.”
“Huh… W-What kind of place is it?”
Shinichi wasn’t actually all that interested, but he asked that question anyway to change the topic.
Apparently, it was a school just like the ones Shinichi knew, but it was situated outside of Japan and also required its students to live at a dorm.
It’s outfitted with the latest equipment and teaching environment, and people can even study things undisclosed to civilians.
“Hmm…”
The only thing that caught Shinichi’s interest was the undisclosed information, so he wasn’t sure whether he would be going or not.
“Still, you sure don’t know anything, huh.”
When Shinichi heard Daigo talking as if knowledge of the school was a matter-of-fact, he couldn’t help but let his eyes swim.
Surprisingly, Daigo actually scolded him, saying, “Just what did you study at the library?”
Shinichi focused too much on the politics and society of the world, as well as information pertaining to Garesto, that he completely overlooked the facilities and educational aspect of both worlds.
“I was probably limited to the topics I heard from dad.
When I went out by myself today, dad made a really unhappy face.”
Although he ran by using his dad as an excuse, it wasn’t at all wrong, given that he was skipping his job to accompany Shinichi.
Shinichi understood how he felt, but it was difficult to act as a and investigate unless he was by himself.
That’s why Shinichi had to put a lot of effort to convince his dad to let him go.
“You just came back, so of course they’d treat you like that.
…So, your dad took you in, huh.”
“Huh? Oh… I see. So my parents were together until middle school.”
Shinichi’s parents divorced before then.
Shinichi didn’t know because he hadn’t heard the exact timeline of the events, but considering his dad knew about his childhood friend moving, he probably lived at their old house until then.
And naturally, those involved with them would also get word of their eventual divorce.
“Well, yeah. I don’t know the details, though.
Have you met up with aunt and the others?
Aunt was really depressed when she thought you died.
Your little sister and little brother had a huge brother complex too. I’m sure they must’ve been elated to see you again.”
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