The dining room atmosphere returned to calm after the guests had left. Only the soft sounds of servants clearing dirty plates could be heard. Issei lowered his newspaper, looking at his son who was still standing in the hallway with a thoughtful expression, then spoke.
"Raku," said Issei in a serious yet warm tone. "After New Year, you will start school. So it would be best to use your time this morning to study. Consider it a warm-up."
Raku turned, slightly surprised. "School…? Will it be difficult for me, Father?"
Issei gave a small smile, though his face remained serious. "Not too much. Don't worry. You won't be forced to memorize complicated things right away. Your teachers will guide you from the easy material first, then gradually move to more difficult lessons. The important thing is not memorization, but to understand and comprehend each lesson."
Raku listened carefully. His eyes trembled slightly, as if absorbing the advice cautiously. "I understand… I will try my best."
Ryunosuke, who had been standing behind Issei, stepped forward and added politely. "Bocchan, we have also prepared a private tutor for tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, today Bocchan can start by studying the textbooks already in your school bag, or on your desk in your room. That will help you get used to the terms and basic writings."
Raku looked at Ryunosuke, then gave a faint smile. There was a kind of new determination shining through, though his face still appeared innocent. "Alright… I will start studying now."
Issei nodded in satisfaction, then folded his newspaper again. "Good. Remember, Raku. School is not just about books. You will meet new people, and perhaps… gradually, your memories will return."
Raku didn't respond with words. He only nodded once more, then bowed politely. After that, he turned and walked toward his room, carrying a simple yet sincere determination to try.
His footsteps were soft on the cold wooden floor, until he disappeared down the hallway toward his room.
Issei watched his son's back for a long time, then let out a sigh. "That child… even though his memory is gone, his eyes are still the same. Calm, yet full of something hard to read."
Ryunosuke only gave a faint smile. "Bocchan will be fine, Sir. I'm sure of it."
.....
Raku's room that morning was still calm. The window curtains were half open, allowing soft sunlight to illuminate the tidy wooden study desk. On a small shelf beside the desk, several textbooks prepared by Ryunosuke last night were neatly arranged.
Raku sat slowly on his chair, took a deep breath, then spoke softly to himself.
"Alright… I have to start from here. If there's a private tutor tomorrow, at least I won't be completely unprepared."
His hand reached for the shelf, taking the Mathematics book.
📘 Mathematics
The thick blue-covered book felt heavy in his hands. He opened it to the first chapter: integers and fractions.
Raku read the sample problem slowly: "Calculate ¾ × 2/5."
He furrowed his brow.
"Hmm… cross-multiply? Or how… ah, I see, numerator times numerator, denominator times denominator."
He tried writing in his notebook:
¾ × 2/5 = 6/20 → simplified to 3/10.
When he successfully wrote the answer, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Turns out it's not as difficult as I thought… as long as you know the method."
He continued to a simple equation: x + 3 = 7.
"For this… x = 7 – 3. So x = 4. Well, pretty easy."
Raku closed his book for a moment, feeling more confident.
📗 Japanese History
The next book had a green cover with an image of Himeji Castle on it. Raku opened the first page explaining the Jomon and Yayoi periods.
He read carefully: "The Jomon society is known for cord-marked pottery… while the Yayoi period began with the introduction of rice farming."
"Oh, so Japanese life started from here… I have to remember the names of these periods."
Raku marked with a pencil: Jomon – cord pottery, Yayoi – rice fields.
As he read further about the Sengoku era, he found the name Oda Nobunaga.
"Ah… I've heard this name before. A great general, right? So the history really started from here."
Time passed, and he began to enjoy the story of how Japan transformed from ancient times into a modern country.
📕 Japanese Language & Literature
Raku picked up the maroon-colored book. Its contents were full of long texts and fairly difficult kanji.
On the first pages, there was a classic tanka poem.
"Hmm… five lines, with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern. Very beautiful, even though it's hard to understand."
He read one stanza aloud slowly:
"Winter night,
faint moonlight,
snow shadows,
my heart freezes too,
awaiting the spring."
Reading the poem made Raku pause for a moment, staring out the window.
"It feels… like I can feel the emotions of people from long ago."
Then he opened the prose section, finding a passage from the classic Genji Monogatari. The sentences were long and winding. He tried to interpret them slowly with the help of footnotes.
"So, Japanese isn't just modern words. There's a beauty that must be felt… even if it's difficult, I want to understand it."
📒 Natural Science
Raku took the yellow-covered book. The first chapter discussed basic physics. He read about gravity.
"Newton's law… Earth's gravitational pull. So, everything falls because of gravity."
He lifted his pencil, then dropped it on the desk. Tok.
Raku smiled faintly.
"True… simple but amazing."
Then he opened a page about biology, explaining cells.
"Nucleus, cytoplasm… so complicated. But this is the basis of all living things."
He tried sketching a cell on his notebook paper.
📙 Geography
The last book he opened had an orange cover, showing a world map.
He opened the section on Japan.
"Prefectures… wow, so many. Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Okinawa… I have to memorize at least the famous ones first."
Then he turned to the page about world climates.
"Japan has a temperate climate with four seasons… different from some countries that only have two seasons."
Raku stared at the map for a long time, as if imagining those places.
After almost an hour, his study desk was full of open books, small notes, and simple scribbles.
Raku leaned back in his chair, running his hand through his hair.
"Phew… turns out studying can be enjoyable too if taken slowly."
He closed each book neatly, stacking them beside the desk. Before standing, he whispered to himself:
"I really have to try… so I won't trouble Father, Ryunosuke, or the private tutor who comes."
With a calm expression, he slightly closed the curtains to prevent the sunlight from glaring too much, then reopened the mathematics book to review some problems.
...
The garden of the house was so peaceful that afternoon. The sky gradually changed color, from bright blue to golden orange. The sunlight reflected on the small pond at the end of the garden, creating beautiful reflections like liquid gems. A gentle breeze carried the scent of freshly watered grass.
Raku sat on a garden bench, holding a small plate of sweet snacks—warm dorayaki and some pieces of fresh fruit. His eyes gazed far into the sky, as if contemplating something.
Soon, footsteps approached. Issei walked casually with a calm smile, then sat beside Raku.
"Enjoying the afternoon, huh?" Issei asked, glancing at his son's snacks.
Raku nodded slowly. "Yes, Father. The breeze feels really nice this afternoon."
After a brief pause, Issei leaned back against the bench and asked in a light tone,
"So… how was your morning study? Have you tried it?"
Raku gave a small smile. "Yes, Father. I tried a few subjects."
Issei nodded in satisfaction, though his gaze was slightly testing.
"Then, let's see… I want to know how much you understand."
Raku turned, slightly nervous but excited.
Mathematics Question
Issei leaned forward.
"Alright, a math question. If a train departs at 8 a.m. at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour, then travels 180 kilometers… what time does the train arrive?"
Raku thought for a moment, looking down while counting on his fingers.
"If the speed is 60 km/h, to cover 180 km it takes 3 hours. So if it starts at 8 a.m… it will arrive at 11 a.m."
Issei smiled faintly. "Correct. You calculated it quickly."
History Question
Issei then folded his hands.
"Now Japanese history. Who was the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate, and in what year did he begin to rule?"
Raku thought hard, recalling the notes in the green book earlier.
"That… Minamoto no Yoritomo. He became the first shogun in 1192."
Issei raised his eyebrows, then chuckled softly.
"Exactly. Rare for a child your age to remember the year accurately."
Physics Question
Issei cleared his throat, his tone now more serious.
"Then, basic physics. If an object is thrown upward with an initial speed, why does it eventually fall back down?"
Raku looked at the orange sky before him, then answered calmly.
"Because of Earth's gravitational force, Father. As the object moves upward, its speed decreases due to gravity. Eventually, its speed becomes zero, then it falls back down."
Issei nodded with a proud smile.
"Very good. That's a simple but precise explanation."
Japanese Literature Question
Issei looked at his son more deeply.
"Last question. In tanka or haiku poetry, what is the main purpose of the poet using images of nature, like spring or snow?"
Raku smiled faintly, his eyes glancing again at the orange afternoon sky.
"The purpose… is to convey the poet's feelings subtly. Nature is used as a mirror of the human heart. So the reader can feel the poet's emotions just from the depiction of the season or scenery."
Issei was silent for a moment, then laughed warmly. He reached out and gently stroked Raku's hair.
"Good job, Raku. Your answer surprised me. You not only understand the book's content, but also its meaning."
Raku blushed slightly. "I'm just trying, Father."
Issei patted his shoulder lightly.
"With this, when the private tutor comes tomorrow, you won't have trouble. You already have a good foundation."
Raku bowed his head, smiling broadly. "Thank you, Father. I will try even harder."
That afternoon, the two of them sat side by side enjoying simple snacks. No long words were spoken, only the warm atmosphere between a proud father and a son who was trying his best. The orange sky gradually turned purple, as if sealing that moment in beautiful silence.