My Beloved Junior
I saw the person I had longed to meet for so long. That alone made me so happy I nearly broke down in tears.
Words wouldn’t come out. I didn’t know what to say. She was walking slowly ahead of me. No, I couldn’t waste time—time was limited. I had resolved to spend my time on her.
“Rika!!”
My voice came out louder than I expected. Rika turned around, startled, but when she realized it was me, she smiled warmly. A few other students turned to look as well, drawing some attention. I felt a little apologetic but decided not to waste any time worrying about others when I could spend it with the most important person in my life.
“Michitaka-senpai, what’s wrong?”
Right, we weren’t dating yet, so she still called me “Senpai.” Up until elementary school, she had called me “Michitaka-kun,” but once we entered middle school, she started calling me “Senpai,” probably because she was worried about how others might see us.
“I’ve missed you so much.”
“Missed me? But didn’t we meet a few times during spring break? Don’t you have anything else to say? I even slowed down my walking on purpose so we could meet, but when you didn’t show up, I started worrying that we might not see each other.”
The cherry blossoms floated gently between us.
Her beauty was as breathtaking as the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Her brand-new uniform suited her perfectly. Right, she was a first-year student this year.
“Our school uniform looks amazing on you.”
“If you’d said that a little earlier, I’d have given you a perfect score!”
Saying that, she spun around gracefully, her skirt fluttering in the air.
“I really mean it.”
No good—my feelings kept rushing ahead of me, and I couldn’t get the words out properly.
“…never…thought…”
She mumbled something under her breath as she looked at me. I couldn’t catch what she said, and when I asked her to repeat it, she shook her head and refused to tell me.
We walked slowly along the path, adorned with a shower of falling cherry blossoms.
“By the way, Senpai, are you in any clubs?”
Back in high school, I hadn’t joined any clubs. I was completely in the “go-home club,” and I regretted it a little. I had wanted to aim for something alongside friends, to share meaningful experiences. Starting a new club in my second year felt intimidating, but that hesitation was nothing compared to the regret I would feel later.
“I’m not in one, but today I decided to start a new club.”
And with that, I realized I wanted to create a new club—one that could make use of the skills I had gained as a working adult.
“Why, all of a sudden?”
Rika tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
“Because today, right now, is the youngest I’ll ever be! I can’t get any younger, and wasting time is a shame. So starting today, I’m living with no regrets!”
“Why do you suddenly sound like some middle-aged dad? Did you read a self-help book and get inspired or something?”
Yes, inside, I’m a middle-aged man. Thank you very much.
“Well, something like that.”
I deflected her question. No one would believe me if I told them the truth, and I wasn’t trying to make anyone believe me anyway.
“So, what kind of club are you planning to start?”
“A gaming club.”
“There’s no way you could actually make one. You’d just end up playing video games, wouldn’t you? There’s no way the teachers would allow that.”
Well, that’s true. If you think about it normally, that’s what it would seem like.
“No, not like that. I don’t just want to play games—I want to create them. I want to make games with a team, submit them to competitions like exhibitions, or post them on specialized websites.”
It might be hard to gather members at first, but I could use my experience as a working adult to handle the development side. For art, storytelling, and music—things I couldn’t do—I thought we could collaborate with other clubs. We’d give everyone proper credit and make it a collective project. That way, even as high school students, we could create something tangible—something that could serve as a real achievement.
We were entering an era where indie games were gradually gaining popularity.
It wasn’t uncommon to see indie games sold on platforms like Nintendo and PlayStation’s download stores. With the right ideas, indie games could compete with major titles backed by enormous budgets from big companies. This was becoming an era where niche strategies were gaining recognition, and opportunities to showcase work were rapidly expanding.
The possibilities were endless. Even if we didn’t succeed, it would still be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
When I explained all this with enthusiasm, Rika smiled.
“That sounds fun! Maybe I should join, too!”
That was exactly what I had hoped for. I already had my first teammate. From here on out, we’d take on as many challenges as we could, make countless mistakes, and create as many memories as possible. Having been a working adult, I understood now that even failures weren’t a waste. In high school, I had lived cautiously, afraid of failure. I hadn’t been hurt much, but I also hadn’t made many memories. So this time, I would reclaim my youth by doing things only possible in this era, take risks I couldn’t before, and erase the regrets I had felt so deeply in my past life.
I would ignore the people who didn’t care about me and take back the life that had been torn apart by those two. That would be the ultimate revenge. If I became happy, they’d surely regret what they had done.
Walking to school with the person I loved most again—it felt like my entire life had changed.
“Michitaka-senpai, have you thought about your future plans? I’m worried about whether I can keep up with high school studies.”
“I’m thinking of aiming for Tsukuba University.”
“Because it’s close by?”
Tsukuba University was indeed within commuting distance from home.
“No, it’s not just that. They’re known for student startups, and I’m really interested in that. I think being in that kind of environment will help me grow.”
Tsukuba University had a strong reputation for fostering student ventures, consistently ranking in the top five nationwide. Immersing myself in that environment would give me opportunities to meet people I hadn’t encountered in my previous life. I knew this because I had met many alumni during my past career.
“Wow, you’ve thought that far ahead?”
Not really. Back when I was in high school, I hated studying and wasted my time aimlessly. Plus, that shocking event had happened… And maybe I just wanted to look cool in front of my junior.
Before I knew it, we had reached the school. Honestly, it was so nostalgic. The school building looked exactly the same as I remembered.
“Well, I’ll see you later. I’ll text you after class.”
“Eh?”
“We’re starting a club together, aren’t we? What are you even saying?”
Watching her cheerful smile as she walked away, I also took the first step in my new life.
—α Timeline—
Michitaka’s funeral had ended, and I was at a loss. We had been close since high school, and when we started a company together, we worked hard as president and vice president. But everything was destroyed by that woman’s betrayal. I had opposed Michitaka’s marriage to her. I warned him repeatedly not to trust someone who had betrayed him before, but he was too kind.
And now, that betrayer shamelessly relied on that man to try to take over our company.
Even the staff had broken down in tears at Michitaka’s funeral.
“I’ll never forgive that woman.”
“Isn’t she the one who killed our boss?”
“Why is she acting like the grieving widow and playing the role of chief mourner, when she’s not even a virtuous or devoted wife?”
“Poor Airi-chan…”
I could feel their frustration as if it were my own. But now, it was up to me to carry out Michitaka’s will. And so… I decided on a bold plan.
“Everyone, it seems we can’t prevent this buyout. The difference in financial power is just too great.”
I calmly analyzed the situation and explained it. Cries of dismay erupted from everyone.
“So, why don’t we all start a new company? Michitaka’s vision isn’t tied to this company. If we can each realize what he wanted to accomplish, then the location doesn’t matter.”
Exactly. Even if the company was sold, it was just the hardware. Losing some assets was frustrating, but without us employees, it was like a game console without software. Its popularity would quickly vanish.
“You’re right.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“They can take the company, but they can’t take our experience or knowledge.”
Everyone agreed. With this…
Michitaka, watch over us. We’ll carry on your will.