Chapter 06.02

“She didn’t get to decide here,” Paul laughed. “And she’s not going to stay single forever. Plus, I trusted you,” he added with a grin.

“Seriously?” I was surprised.

“Jay,” he said, placing a sandwich in front of me, “when you two broke up, it was obvious she still loved you. Honestly, I thought you’d sweep her into your arms and accept her offer without hesitation.”

“I should’ve,” I admitted.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” he said. “Then you’d both be miserable. You still wouldn’t want that school, and she would’ve given up her dream for you.”

“Her dream?” I asked, surprised. I hadn’t known.

“She wants to be a doctor because of her dad,” Paul explained. “He wanted to be a surgeon, but he broke his arm and couldn’t. So now Jane’s going to be the doctor. She’s not exactly gifted with her hands, so she chose cardiology instead.”

“I didn’t know that,” I said quietly. “Then why did she come on the group vacation if she wasn’t going to take me back?”

Paul burst out laughing. “Because you only half-kissed Helen,” he said. “That told her you might still care. So the vacation was something she could still handle. Part of her hopes there’s a future for you two, and part of her wants to let go.”

“There is a future. I’m not letting her go,” I grinned. “You didn’t tell her about this week, did you?”

“You planned everything perfectly to get her out of town, and I’m not ruining your surprise for the fall,” he said, disappearing into the bathroom.

“Just make sure I get an invite to the wedding!” he shouted back, laughing.

—

The next morning, I woke up early. Paul gave me a sandwich for breakfast, and I left for the university well ahead of time.

The campus looked nothing like my school from last year. It was a cluster of rustic old buildings that blended into the city rather than standing apart from it. Over the years, more buildings had sprung up nearby, though not all were officially part of the university. Across the street from the main building’s parking lot—where I parked—stood a row of office buildings with their own lots.

Beside the university grounds stretched a vast park, easily accessible from other campuses as well. Around the park were various restaurants. There was a library for students, and a sports center that, from the outside, looked more like a basic gym.

I arrived early and checked in at the academic office in the main building. They directed me to the classroom where I’d be taking my exams. The interior of the building was clearly old and not in as good condition as my previous school. Besides me, four other students were taking the exam—two girls and two guys. Everyone arrived on time, but aside from a quick round of introductions, we didn’t talk much.

Each day, I had to take one or two exams. Lunch was the only real break, and a proctor was always present in the room. I got home late in the afternoon. Paul wasn’t always there, but he’d given me a key to the apartment for the week.

If Akiko was home alone, she’d let me in, but she wasn’t interested in making friends—and I didn’t push it.

I didn’t explore the city. That could wait. For now, I spent my evenings resting or playing video games with Paul.

During the exams, it became obvious just how well Uncle Steve had prepared me. Interestingly, all the questions that differed from my old school’s style were ones we had covered. After my final exam, I stopped by Paul’s place for a few minutes to say goodbye to him and Akiko.

“Hope I see you back here in the fall,” he said with a smile as we shook hands.

“I’m counting on it.”

“When will you get the results?” he asked.

“Not for a few weeks—just before the semester starts,” I said. “But I think Uncle Steve will know earlier.”

“He won’t tell you anyway, so it doesn’t matter,” Paul laughed.

“True,” I nodded.

From that point on, all I could do was wait for the results. Whenever I met up with friends, Jenny wasn’t there. But on the final weekend, we were expecting my grandparents. We set the table in the garden—there was plenty of space for everyone, and the weather was beautiful.