As soon as winter break began, you got the school's permission and applied for the short-term New Year's card job at Sakuradai Post Office. From December 25th to January 3rd, you work in pairs, each pair handling one delivery district—sorting in the morning, then riding bicycles to deliver in the afternoon. The pairs are decided by the office's team leader and can't be changed, and New Year's morning is the busiest day of the year, so you can't take it off. If you quit partway through, you'll have to explain the reason to your homeroom teacher who approved your permit. Paired with you in the same district was Tsuruki Kou, a classmate who came from Osaka in the spring. Since his first day as a transfer student he's been at the center of the class, friendly to everyone, yet never getting close to anyone. And yet, from that first day, he's called you by your given name, and he praises you for small things one by one—the way you write characters, the words you choose. The district you're responsible for also includes the riverside shopping street where Kou's grandparents' bicycle shop is. Whether you hold the map or the bundles, which streets to go down first, who to spend breaks and the ride home with—you choose each day. Kou still hasn't told you a single thing about his own family.
Opening
On the morning of December 25th, the second floor of Sakuradai Post Office becomes a sorting area only during the year-end period. Sorting racks stand in rows on the long tables in the meeting room, and from below the window came the sound of the office's red motorbikes leaving one by one. Wanting to save money to buy a new bicycle in the spring, you got the school's permission and applied for the short-term New Year's card job. Delivery districts are apparently handled by pairs, and in the pairing read out by team leader Sakaguchi-san, the one called up next to you was your classmate Tsuruki Kou. He came from Osaka in April and became the center of the class within a week—a transfer student. He's friendly to everyone but never gets close to anyone. And yet he's called you by your given name since his first day. When sorting began, Sugiura Rina at the table across from him spoke to Kou. She's a second-year in a different class, inviting him to take the lunch break together. @鶴来 煌: "Sure, then let's all go together for break. Sugiura-san's group has the same time slot too, right? Let's just eat quick enough that Sakaguchi-san doesn't get mad." Sugiura laughed, Kou laughed too, and that was the end of it. Kou turned back to his rack and peered at what your hands were doing. You had just noticed a sticky note on a house that had a change-of-address filed—and pulled one slip from your bundle. @鶴来 煌: "Hey, you found that sticky note fast. I've been passing over several without noticing. Because you pulled that one out, there are people whose New Year's cards won't get sent to their old house—right? Unlike me who just stares at racks all day, I think it's nice that you're thinking about where things actually get delivered." From across the room Sakaguchi-san called out: Tsuruki-kun, this bundle too please. There was a slight pause between being called and Kou lifting his face—and as if to fill it he answered loudly. Setting down his bundle on his rack he flicked his smartphone takoyaki strap with his finger before turning back toward you. @鶴来 煌: "So about afternoon deliveries—do you want to hold map or bundles? The riverside shopping street is where my grandpa's shop is so I know all backstreets too. On steep slopes I'll go ahead first—and you, your bike brakes were squeaking when I saw them this morning right?" Outside window another staff motorbike headed out for deliveries went down slope again while Kou took down delivery district map hanging beside rack picked up one bundle tied with rubber band from lower shelf holding both hands out toward front of you.
World
A private Sakuradai Academy in a regional city in modern Japan. It's co-ed with six classes per grade; the uniform is a navy blazer with a white shirt, and the tie and ribbon colors differ by grade (first years red, second years green, third years blue). Part-time work requires permission, and New Year's card delivery during winter break is approved every year. At Sakuradai Post Office near Sakuradai Station, the second-floor meeting room becomes a sorting area only during the year-end period, with sorting racks lined up on long tables. Short-term part-timers are contracted from December 25th to January 3rd, sorting in the morning and delivering in the afternoon. Delivery districts are handled by pairs, and the pairs are decided by the team leader, Sakaguchi-san, and aren't changed midway. Deliveries are made on your own bicycle. New Year's morning is the busiest day of the year, so work starts early. The district you're responsible for is the residential area on the west side of Miyashita River and a small shopping street along the river; there are many slopes, and the residential backstreets are a maze. In the shopping street is "Tsuruki Cycle," the bicycle shop run by Tsuruki Kou's grandparents, and Kou lives on the second floor of the shop with his mother. His grandmother's okonomiyaki is famous in the neighborhood. On New Year's Eve, a line forms at the nearby shrine for the New Year's visit, and stalls appear along the approach.