Kung-Fu Generation. Based solely on this information, she should have seemed like a perfectly normal person, but unfortunately, I was hearing all of this through the lens of my first impressions of her in class and through the filter of my view of her as an irritating person. I saw no reason to amend my perception now. There was no need to do so. Dzƒ–…Š›‘—Žƒ–‡”–Š‡Ǩdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡ•–ƒ†‹‰ˆ”‘Š‡”•‡ƒ–ǤŠ‡„—‹Ž†‹‰ that her next class was in apparently rather far away. ™ƒ˜‡†ƒŠƒ†ƒ–Š‡”ǡ”‡’Ž›‹‰ǡDz—”‡ǡŽƒ–‡”–Š‡ǡdz„—–ǡ‹ˆƒ…–ǡ†‹†‘– ƒ••—‡–Šƒ––Š‡”‡™‘—Ž†„‡ƒDzŽƒ–‡”ǤdzŠ‹•™ƒ•‘–‡„‡‹‰…‘Ž†Š‡ƒ”–‡†ǡ though. People like Akiyoshi, who could have conversations with anyone, soon found better people to talk to, forgetting the acquaintances they had made along the way. I had been the subject of this many times before and understood by now that such things were inevitable. ‘ǡŒ—•–ƒ•†‹†‘––Š‹–Š‡”‡™‘—Ž†„‡ƒ›DzŽƒ–‡”•dz–‘…‘‡ǡ†‹† not feel that there was any reason why I should need to fully comprehend Akiyoshi. However. I did not even have to wait until the following Monday. That Friday during fourth period, when Akiyoshi, who was sitting boldly in the front of our fifty-person classroom, saw me enter through the front door, she waved at me. When I took my seat in the farthest row to the back, by the window, she picked up her things and moved to sit next to me. Dz‘”‹‰Ǩ‡‡ƒ™Š‹Ž‡ǡ‡Šǡƒ„ƒ–ƒ-—ǫdz DzŠǡ›-›‡ƒŠǤ‘—‹–Š‹•…Žƒ••–‘‘ǫdz Dz‡ƒŠǨ‹†ǯ–”‡ƒŽ‹œ‡›‘—™‡”‡–‘‘ǤdzŠƒ†–ƒ‡ƒ•‡ƒ–ˆarther away from her, assuming she had come with friends, but I suppose it was a good thing that she relocated. There had been no point in such serious, careful consideration on my part. Just as she was cheerfully telling me about how she had gotten the cram school job, the bell rang. It did not seem that there was anyone else around that she was acquainted with. The moment class started, she clammed up right away, looking dutifully ahead. I was not quite so dutiful, but I faced forward anyway, lending my ear to the lecture, quietly, dazedly pondering the fact that ‹›‘•Š‹ǯ•DzŽƒ–‡”dzŠƒ†‹ˆƒ…–…‘‡–‘„‡Ǥ‘™‡˜‡”ǡ‡‡†‘–Šƒ˜‡„‡‡•‘ fixated on this. About an hour into class, I was made aware of what was perhaps the most important fact about her of many. There came a voice.