Chapter 1
Written by Akira
Corridor
Howdy hey, top of the mornin' to ya! How ya doin'~?
Mmm? I started talkin' to ya like you were an old pal, but I'm gettin' the feeling I've never seen you before?
My bad, my bad! I'm terrible at rememberin' other people's faces, ya see. But you're probably the first guy I've seen at our school, so let's just start with a "Nice to meetcha!"
Well, with that outta the way...
Quick question! Do you know your way around the school?
Hmm, you just transferred in? So you mean to tell me that you still don't know the campus? Well doesn't that just put me right back in a bind?
Wait, what I meant is this school is pretty big, yeah?
I've been absent for a while, so I have absolutely no idea where anything is, yeah? So I was hoping someone could guide me, ya know~?
If I don't hurry to class I'll be late... Which'll be bad, especially since I've been absent for so long, y'know?
What's that? You're willin' to show me around? Ooh, so you have a map of the campus from when you transferred in? You're my savior, nyahaha~☆
Alright, lead the way, my good man! No road is long with good company!1
... ... ... ...
Sorry, which year and class group am I in again...? It's been so long since I've been to school that I can't seem to remember, ya see...
I'm pr-probably a third year! So you can at least help me get to the third year classrooms, right?
...I am a third year, right?
Yeah, most likely... I'm pretty sure I haven't failed a year.
Nyahaha~, well let's not sweat the small stuff, right? As long as we keep on walkin', we're bound to get there eventually ☆
No path lies before me, but as I press on, a path appears behind me!2
Well then, let's go~☆
The proverb Gin quotes here is "旅は道連れ世は情け", a Japanese proverb from the Edo period that literally means "In traveling, a companion; In life, compassion", which means that the hardships of traveling are eased when accompanied by another person. I opted to use a translation of a Turkish aphorism with a similar meaning.
In this line, Gin is quoting the poem "Doutei" or "The Journey" by Kotaro Takamura:「僕の前に道はない、僕の後ろに道はできる」. Here I am using a translation by Arthur Binard. This poem was written as Takamura was determined to make his own path as an artist, as his works were often overshadowed by his more prominent father, who was also a sculptor.