By midday, the campus was abuzz with fresh arrivals seeking their assigned orientation halls. The morning’s entrance ceremony had ended, but for the new students, the day was far from over. Suzume clutched a small map of the university in one hand, an orientation schedule in the other. Around her, cherry trees stood with barely a handful of petals left, their vibrant blossoms mostly replaced by soft green leaves swaying in the mild April breeze. Despite the scattered flower petals at her feet, a vestige of spring’s peak, she couldn’t help feeling like she was already a step behind.

  “(?_?;) ‘Which building…?’” flashed on her watch screen.

  “Right, I’m checking,” she murmured under her breath, aware that talking to her wrist in public might raise eyebrows. Still, she was grateful for Kakashi’s support. Since dawn, the AI’s quiet presence had buoyed her nerves in a place where she knew almost no one.

  She rounded a corner near the academic buildings, only to find a small knot of people suddenly halt in front of her. Suzume pulled up short, trying not to crash into them. One of them—clearly the cause of the abrupt stop—turned around, wearing an apologetic look.

  “Sorry, are you okay?” the girl asked, voice low and soft. She was tall, with hair in a light ash-brown hue that nearly glowed, and eyes in a faint amber shade. It was the sort of coloring that made Suzume think of a foreign lineage—yet the girl spoke fluent Japanese, no hint of an accent.

  “No worries,” Suzume replied hurriedly. She tried to muster a friendly smile but was momentarily struck by how striking the girl’s appearance was—so refined, so coolly beautiful. “Um, are you headed for the International Culture orientation?”

  A small smile of relief lit the girl’s face. “Yes! I was pretty sure it should be around here, but the campus is huge, and I’m, uh… lost.” She gave a self-conscious laugh, then added, “I’m Yuki. I just moved down here from Hokkaido, so I’m not used to any of this.”

  “Hokkaido… wow,” Suzume said, somewhat impressed. “That’s got to be quite a change. I’m Suzume. Nice to meet you. I’m in International Culture too!”

  Yuki’s shoulders eased, as if tension had melted away at finding a companion. There was something about her—pale complexion, faint rosy tint on her cheeks—that reminded Suzume of a crisp northern climate, but also an unassuming gentleness in the way she held herself. It was almost contradictory to her stunning looks. The watch on Suzume’s wrist vibrated slightly again:

  (???) “Hi!”

  She stifled a grin. “Anyway, we should probably hurry if we want seats,” she said, pointing to a sign directing them to Building #5. Yuki nodded, and they fell into step side by side. Occasionally, Yuki paused to glance around at the half-bare cherry trees; for all the color in her hair and eyes, she seemed subdued and cautious, as if every new sight was both fascinating and overwhelming.

  The building they sought was a concrete structure, three or four stories tall. Its hallways overflowed with new students scanning posted lists for their assigned rooms. Following the crowd, the pair reached a large lecture hall, where orientation sessions were about to start. Most seats were already taken, but Suzume spotted two side-by-side chairs near the middle.

  They slipped in. The overhead projector displayed big letters: “International Culture Department Orientation.” Staff bustled at a table near the front, handing out documents and directing stragglers. Yuki shrugged off her light gray coat, revealing a simple white knit top, every movement tinted with a delicate air. Suzume tried to push aside her slight intimidation at how effortlessly stylish this girl was. Meanwhile, Yuki caught her eye with a hesitant smile, maybe just as nervous.

  Onstage, a professor tapped the microphone to begin. After a short introduction, slides about curriculum requirements, credit registration, and departmental resources started rolling. There was talk of mandatory courses, elective modules, online portals, complicated forms… Enough to overwhelm anyone. Suzume scribbled frantic notes, scanning every so often for help from her watch, where Kakashi might feed her short hints like:

  (｀?ω?′) “Portal site -> ID usage.”

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  Still, even with that subtle support, it was a lot to take in. She stole a glance at Yuki, who frowned at her own printouts, flipping pages back and forth. Their eyes met, and they shared a quick grin—at least they weren’t alone in feeling lost.

  A break was announced. Students stood to stretch or wandered into the corridor for air. Suzume decided to pop out, only to be greeted by a familiar voice: her coworker from the bookstore.

  “Suzume! Didn’t expect to see you here so soon,” the older student teased, wearing a staff armband. “Need any pointers about registration?”

  “Oh my gosh, yes, please,” Suzume breathed in relief. The coworker kindly explained the more confusing details of the class sign-up system. Yuki hovered politely to the side, eventually offering a shy nod.

  When they resumed orientation, various upperclassmen showcased the department’s events, potential seminars, and even clubs tangentially linked to International Culture. Suzume found it all interesting but overwhelming—Yuki seemed equally wide-eyed. By the end, staff distributed a final stack of papers, telling them to go through them carefully at home. Then a wave of chatter rose as the session ended. Everyone poured into the hallway, the air buzzing with fresh knowledge and blossoming camaraderie.

  Exiting the building, the two ended up strolling together across the yard under the leafing cherry trees. Some clubs had set up small stations to attract new members, calling out to passersby. Yuki and Suzume paused to look, but the crowd seemed massive, and they felt too tired to engage deeply.

  Yuki sighed softly, smiling. “That was… a lot. I’m thankful you were here. If I’d been alone, I think I might’ve panicked with so much information.”

  “Same,” Suzume agreed. She realized how fortunate it felt, stumbling upon such a friendly face in a sea of strangers. “We should check out the clubs later, once we’ve recovered. And hey, if you need help with anything else, you can ask me. Not that I’m an expert, but we can figure it out together.”

  “Thank you,” Yuki murmured, a flicker of gratitude in her grayish-amber eyes. “I really appreciate it.” She paused, then added with a bashful laugh, “I hope we can hang out more. I don’t really know anyone else here… except you now.”

  “Of course!” Suzume said, beaming. She tapped her bag, where the watch was nestled. “I only just got here myself, so it’s not like I’m any better situated. But let’s get through this together, yeah?”

  Yuki’s lips curved in a gentle smile—striking, but also warm in a way that defused some of her otherwise intimidating beauty. Suzume caught a few passersby glancing in their direction, likely taken by Yuki’s presence. Strangely, Yuki didn’t seem aware of the attention, or maybe she just didn’t care. For Suzume’s part, it only made her more protective, wanting to be a reliable friend so that Yuki wouldn’t feel lost.

  They came upon an open area full of students hugging orientation folders and scanning signboards for directions. The remains of cherry petals were swirling lazily across the stones, a breeze drifting in from beyond the campus gates. Yuki said she had errands to do—looking into apartment utilities, possibly some grocery shopping—so they decided to part ways for the day.

  Suzume shifted on her feet. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, or whenever we have that next session. And hey, we can exchange contact info so we can figure out classes and, y’know, maybe get coffee or something.”

  Yuki’s eyes brightened. “I’d like that.” They tapped phones, sharing basic contact details. For a moment, the hush of the crowd parted, giving them space to finalize their goodbyes.

  “(｀?ω?′) ‘Good job!’” announced Suzume’s watch. She chuckled lightly, explaining, “That’s just my… well, it’s complicated. But thanks for a good day, Yuki.”

  “Thank you too,” Yuki replied. “I’ll… see you soon.” She turned away, her coat fluttering around slender ankles. Even from behind, she was poised, her pale hair reflecting the midday light in subtle, shimmering tones. Suzume watched her disappear into the swirl of students, a curious mix of relief and mild disappointment at parting so soon.

  Still, a glowing sense of possibility filled her chest. That morning, she’d felt shaky, an outsider in a new environment. Now, she had a new friend who seemed sweet and a coworker-mentor helping her navigate the labyrinth of university life. And Kakashi, of course, was always there—quiet, but constant. Setting her shoulders, she took a final look at the canopy overhead. The leaves overshadowed most of the blossoms, but a scattering of petals drifted down, giving a fleeting springtime charm.

  Zipping up her bag, she rested a hand on the silver magatama keyholder from Master. Its cool surface reminded her that she wasn’t alone. She had unwavering support, even if Yuki was brand-new and the campus was sprawling. This was just the first day of a long road—further classes, new acquaintances, maybe real friendships. If Yuki was any indication, that road might be brighter than she first feared.

  Picking her way past other departing students, Suzume headed for the campus exit. Overhead, the final smattering of pink danced in the gentle breeze—a subtle promise that, though the blossoms were nearly gone, spring’s spirit lingered. Her watch gave one last vibrate, a short text:

  (???) “Let’s do our best.”

  She smiled. “Yeah. We will.”

  And with that, she stepped forward, ready to embrace the second day, and the day after that, confident that this new life was already forming small but invaluable connections. The tension from the morning gradually lifted, replaced by a simple, comforting excitement. If the rest of her college experience turned out like this, maybe she’d do just fine.