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Minato Arisato didn’t have many memories of his childhood. He knew he had a mother and father, once, like normal children do. He barely remembers them now – his mother with a kind smile and his father, coming home late after work.
There might have been someone else. But it didn’t matter to him. That was ten years ago, and his memories were mostly shadows and growing dimmer with each day.
After his parents’ death, Minato had lived a series of large, impersonal orphanages. In some, he had his own room, and in others, there were eight boys stacked on top of each other. In all of them, the revolving door of staff barely knew his name. Even the other kids barely seemed to remember that he existed. That's how he liked it. He was repulsed at the idea of anyone asking him questions about why he was there or what happened.
In turn, he gave little thought as to why his fellow residents were in the orphanage either. Some had dead parents like him, but many mentioned having alive ones. There were even residents optimistic they would be living again with their parents one day. Some of the orphans were jealous, especially the ones abandoned at birth, but Minato never felt a longing to return to that kind of life. He had lived it once, but he couldn’t remember it.
He didn’t know if he had any wants or desires.
The years had gone by like a blur. A few years, some of the staff would try to do something special like celebrate his birthday, but he rarely made any memories. One of the exceptions was the day the children were allowed to go to the store and pick something out for themselves. It was the first time he tried headphones on, and things were never the same since.
Today, he was taking a train to Tatsumi Port Island. He had only heard the news a few weeks ago. For once, he wouldn’t be living in an orphanage – he was going to be living in a dorm with some other students. This would be a novel thing for most teenagers, but it was more of the same to him.
Minato had never taken a long-distance train, but it was similar enough to the subway in his old city. Instead of having plain seats lined against the sides of the train, there were pairs of plush seats facing each other.
As the train departed from the city, Minato thought about the upcoming school year and his new home. He was hardly excited, and he had even considered declining the offer. What difference would going to a new school make when his life didn’t have any meaning? But there was nothing attaching him to where he was. At least his accommodations would be a bit nicer, and he couldn’t turn down the offer of having better food. He even liked the idea of getting a better education than a run down, underfunded public school could offer him.
For a while, Minato was the only person in his section. The city gradually faded, and he saw more and more rice fields and trees. He was content looking out the window alone as he listened to his usual selection of music on his MP3 player. Now that he had one, he liked how he could listen to any song in any order.
At the next city, a brown-haired girl got on walked down the aisle towards his section. He noticed her among the many boarding passengers because her music was so loud he could even hear it through her headphones. From the faint traces he heard as she walked back, Minato knew he would never listen to something poppy like this. However, he noticed she had the exact same brand of MP3 player as him.
There was something in her eyes that looked familiar.
Minato was relieved she walked past him. But then she double checked her ticket and made her way back to his section and sat down across from him. He wanted to groan – this wasn’t what he was hoping for.
The rule was to always keep your head down and never look at anyone in the eyes on public transport. He was an expert on doing that. But somehow, their eyes crossed.
"Where are you going?” the girl asked as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
Nobody had ever tried talking to Minato on public transportation before. Nor had he ever seen something like this. At least she had turned down her music.
He didn't respond, and he almost wanted to pretend that he hadn’t heard her through his headphones.
“Sorry for bothering you. I thought you looked familiar.” Her cheerful demeanor faded away and her voice quavered at the end.
Even though she was strange, Minato pitied her and turned off his music. He didn’t respond, but he did look her back in the eyes. They were bright red and even reminded him of blood, though she would probably be horrified to hear that comparison.
"I had a brother like you. He was my twin actually, even though we don’t look anything alike. There was an accident a long time ago, and I never saw him again. My aunt and uncle, they wanted a girl, and they said they could only take one in, so…” Her voice dropped to a whisper.
Minato still didn’t respond, but he was listening. He could understand wanting to tell someone you didn’t know about your secrets.
"My apologies. I'm telling you too much. I shouldn’t have. I always talk to much. Sorry!”
Plainly, Minato replied, “I’m going to Tatsumi Port Station. I’m starting school there.”
“Tatsumi Port Station? That’s where…” She shook her head. “Never mind. I’m going to Kobe. I’m heading back home after visiting my grandparents during the break.”
As the scenery wooshed by them, they talked about their hopes for the new school year. They both loved studying Japanese but hated math. When Minato told Kotone he was living in a dorm alone, she was so excited.
“I’d love to be away from my aunt and uncle. They’re always bothering me about this or that!”
Even though this girl was the opposite of Minato in every way, it was easy to talk with her. He had never felt comfortable talking with a stranger before, but in a way it was easier to talk to someone you wouldn’t see again. He was sure she felt the same way.
The train announced the next city that was arriving.
“I have to get off now. I never caught your name. What was it?”
He checked the clock. 30 minutes had gone by but it had felt like five.
“You can call me Minato Arisato.”
“And I’m Minako. It was nice to meet you!” She sounded cheerful, as she did when she stepped onto the train, but there was a hint of sadness.
Minako waved at him from the platform. He looked at her waving until they could no longer see each other. It was just a brief meeting, but something in him felt like it changed. After a lifetime of drifting aimlessly, perhaps he could still make connections. He wasn’t going to Gekkoukan Academy with any expectations, but maybe he would be able to friends this year. Thanks to this stranger’s enthusiasm, he felt like this year would be different after all.