Volume 2

Volume 2 Cover

### Author's Note

Everyone has experienced it at least once. A fresh, innocent season of love. These are our "SALAD DAYS". A new discovery in a not too distant future, or an old unrequited love firmly of the present, it's all within this book...

## Chapter 1: Childhood Friends

Kazuto Wakita travels to Isahama, a city where he spent a year of childhood. In a flashback, Wakita fought with his coach because he is unable to swim despite his hip becoming better. His juniors lament that it was such a waste of talent since with his talent, he had a shot at Varsity, Nationals or even the Olympics. Back in the present, Misaki Tachibana guides him into the Ishahama reservoir "Hahachi" they swam in as children. In their conversation, Misaki mentions how his fans would've been so jealous that she is getting so spend so much time with him and Kazuto angrily insists that he doesn't have any fans. Misaki says that since they're already there why don't they take a swim. She jumps in and when she doesn't come up, Kazuto jumps in despite his trauma. It turns out Misaki was joking to get him into the water. She tells him that she knows he can swim again and that she'll be cheering for him, then disappears into thin air. When walking back home, Kazuto is met by Misaki's mother who gives him Misaki's scrapbook where she tracked his swimming prowess. Misaki actually died during that summer. She had a sickly heart since she was young, so she idolized him who had a strong one. With his newfound confidence, Kazuto takes on the swimming competition again, armed with the headband Misaki gave him as a parting gift.

## Chapter 2: Sapphire Blue

Hata always wonders why does Kuwata always skip out classes to stay in the infirmary. It seems Kuwata is in love with the school nurse Kawashima. He learns that Kawashima likes men who try their best no matter the task at hand. She also inadvertently mentions how at least she would be moved if someone gave a birthstone ring as a present on her birthday. Kuwata, who always skipped out on both studies and work, decides to do manual labour in construction to buy her the birthstone ring. The day he goes to give her gift, he learns that she is finally engaged. They were together since college and she tells how she was so moved when he worked hard even during the holidays to get her the ring. Kuwata, seeing that his efforts couldn't bear any fruit, was going to throw the ring away when Hata asked him to give it her instead. It is implied that Hata confessed and Kuwata accepted. During Kawashima's wedding, Kuwata finally gives her the ring he bought on the pretense that he got dumped. She tells him that not to worry and that he'll find someone else soon. Hata who was waiting for him laments how easier it would've been for him to just have given it to her. He tells that it was something he bought for Kawashima and that if he wanted to give her something, he'd take another job for her. However, it seems that it will take much more effort for him to afford her birthstone, a diamond.

## Chapter 3: Baseball Field

Higashino and Toganou are rivals in the baseball field despite being on the same team. They also become rivals in love trying to best the other for the affection of Ayako, the waitress of the coffee shop beside the station. In the Tokyo District League Finals, their rivalry acts against their team and they are on the brink of losing. However, for the girl, both try their best and secure the win. Everything seems to be going fine and dandy between them. Toganou even goes to the hospital to receive Higashino who was there due to a baseball injury during the finals. As Ayako arrives again the next day with some cupcakes for the team, their rivalry begins again. As they fight with each-other, Ayako wonders why they can't just get along with each-other, unaware of that she is one of the reasons.

## Chapter 4: Jeans

Toshiki has works as a part-timer at a jeans shop for half a year and has been saving up a pair of vintage jeans which costs 300,000 yen. A girl comes by to shop, tries some jeans and leaves saying that none of them are to her liking. Toshiki notices that the vintage jeans he was eyeing for so long has suddenly disappeared. Confirming that the girl is Ariga Saya and is indeed a serial shoplifter, Toshiki waits outside Himeyuri All Girls' Academy to catch her. As he realises that waiting outside an all-girls' school probably looks suspicious, Saya calls him out as a stalker. He accuses her of being a thief and demands she give it back. Surprisingly, she obliges without any fuss. She invites him into her suite and serves him as a guest. During their conversation, dumbfounded, he admits he doesn't understand why she is giving back the stolen goods so easily. She proclaims if she really wanted something, she'd go buy it. Shoplifting goods and seeing the dumbfounded faces of the workers is something she does for the fun of it. Angered, Toshiki lashes out at her, throws the jeans on her and when Saya insults the jeans he's longed so much for, he slaps her. She protests that not even her parents have hit her and he counters that maybe that's why they had such a stupid daughter who doesn't even know when to say sorry. He storms out, not even bothering to bring the jeans back. Saya starts going the shop again buying as a genuine customer every day for a whole week. Frustrated, he denies her trying outfits but the manager reprimands him. Certain that she's going to steal again, he lifts her jumpers to expose what she has hidden inside only to realise that she didn't steal anything. Saya is embarrassed and the manager apologizes on his behalf. After she leaves, Toshiki notices that she has left the vintage jeans she stole with a note that says sorry and that she won't ever steal again. As he walks back home, Toshiki finds her hit by a nearby shop owner while trying to return the stolen goods as a way of repentance. She tells him that not long ago they were farmers but as they became richer, her parents started slowly drifting away from her life and she lost contact with all her old friends. Subsequently, she started shoplifting just to deal with her loneliness. Empathetic to her situation, he comforts her, saying that she indeed has gone through a lot. Saya instead requests him to keep scolding her as it was the only time that she felt someone who was close to her after a long time. At school, Toshiki shows off his new pair of jeans which seem to be mass production units instead of the vintage one. It seems that he is going to use his savings for going on dates instead. Indeed, it is Saya who is waiting for him in front of the Moai statue.

## Chapter 5: Tomorrow's Prelude (Part 1)

Kouta Kashiwagi is dead set on entering a girls' academy because a girl he met on the train station that he liked went there. Coincidentally, she bumped into him again and he found out that she goes to the same cram school. He tries to jog her memory but it seems that she has forgotten him from earlier as she bumps into many people everyday. Her name is Shiho and she is also dead set on entering Tohka High because of an unknown reason. The day after, Kouta changes his preference to Tohka High which his counselor advises against since it's the most elite senior high school in the country. However, he is determined to win his love.

## Chapter 6: Tomorrow's Prelude (Part 2)

Kouta finds out that the reason Shiho is so dead set on Tohta High because a certain other guy, his best friend, Takeshi Nakano, also plans on going there. Hopeless and undetermined again, he questions Shiho on what would happen if Takeshi had a girlfriend. She tells him that she wouldn't give up either way, that she wouldn't have fallen in love if she decided to give up so quickly. Hearing this, Kouta starts feeling somewhat hopeful that his feelings just might be enough to win her over.