sthirty-six,bornahecityofKobe,wherehisfatheroairofjewelrystores.Hehadasistersixyearshisjunior.Afterayearataprivatecramschool,hehadenrolledatWasedaUy,inTokyo.Hehadpassedtheentranceexamsinboththebusinessaeraturedepartments.Hechosetheliteraturedepartmentwithouttheslightesthesitationandtoldhisparentsthathehadehebusinessdepartment.Theywouldneverhavepaidforhimtostudyliterature,andJunpeihadnoiionofwastingfourpreciousyearsstudyingthewsoftheey.Allhewantedwastostudyliterature,aobeeawriter.

    Attheuy,Junpeimadetwofriends,TakatsukiandSayoko.TakatsukicamefromthemountainsofNagano.Tallandbroad-shouldered,hehadbeeainofhishigh-schoolsoccerteam.Ithadtakenhimtwoyearsofstudyingtopasstheentranceexam,sohewasayearolderthanJunpei.Practiddecisive,hehadthekindoflooksthatmadepeopletakethtaway,aurallyassumedaleadershiproleinanygroup.Buthehadtroublereadingbooks;hehadeheliteraturedepartmentbecauseitsexamwastheonlyonehecouldpass."Whatthehell,"hesaid,inhispositiveway."Imgoingtobeaneerreporter,soIllletthemteachmehowtowrite."

    JunpeididnotuandwhyTakatsukihadanyiinbefriendinghim.Junpeiwasthekindofpersonwholikedtositaloneinhisroomreadingbooksorlisteningtomusidhewasterribleatsports.Aithstrangers,herarelymadefriends.Still,forwhateverreason,TakatsukiseemedtohavedecidedthefirsttimehesawJunpeiinclassthathewasgoingtomakehimafrieappedJuheshoulderandsaid,"Hey,letsgetsomethi."Andbytheendofthedaytheyhadopeheirheartstoeachother.

    TakatsukiusedthesameapproachwithSayoko.Junpeiw