Chapter 2
The moment I opened the book, I felt as though all kinds of information were flooding into my mind.
Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through my head.
Ugh… I feel sick…
What is this place?
I’ve seen these streets before.
【We will now announce the successful applicants. All examinees, please gather around!】
A girl passed by me with the wind, and on the bag she carried on her back hung a charm for exam success.
I feel like I know this girl. Somehow, I have this strong sense that I mustn’t take my eyes off her.
“Brr, it’s so cold. Please, let me pass…”
In her hands, she held an exam admission ticket with the name Yuzu Satou and a number written on it.
Back then, the number I had was 11226.
M—me? …Why did I just think of it as “me”?
“11226… 11226… 11226… Ah! Found it!
It’s here! I passed!”
“T-thank goodness… thank goodness… I’m finally free—”
Yuzu cried tears of joy as she celebrated.
She had passed. And the next words that came from my mouth were:
“Finally, I’m free—”
“Finally, I’m free.”
That’s right. That’s how it was. This girl—Yuzu, Satou Yuzu—
【【【Was me】】】
I remembered.
Back then, I was 18 years old, traveling from the countryside to Tokyo for my university entrance exam results.
I had a dream: to work at a publishing company related to novels.
Most of the novels I loved were from major publishers, so I needed to get into a prestigious university with a humanities faculty to have an advantage in job hunting.
But my family had always been worse off financially than others. My mother had raised me alone until I was in my second year of middle school.
Then, she remarried a man who had been a regular customer at the café where she worked. At the time, our family life was harmonious and happy.
But a year later, the company my stepfather worked for went bankrupt.
From that point, our once happy life changed drastically. My mother worked from early morning until late at night at part-time jobs, while my stepfather struggled to find work. Instead, he poured money into alcohol and pachinko.
When he lost at pachinko or drank too much, he would lash out at us with violence. My mother always protected me, and somehow we managed to survive.
But when I was in high school, my mother passed away from overwork.
My stepfather didn’t even attend the funeral. To him, she must have been nothing more than a tool.
I hated him.
From then on, I lived off various subsidies to make ends meet.
To cover tuition and living expenses, I worked part-time jobs after school. Sometimes my stepfather stole my wages, but I still managed to save some money.
I couldn’t bear to stay in that house anymore—the hellish place where he was.
That’s why I had to aim for a national university with dormitories.
