Strange Memories With You, My Dear

Chapter 02.04

Fate or Probability

Translated by KuroNeko
Edited by Omkar

Since then, the leaves on the trees have turned red and yellow, the air has cooled, and the fall has deepened. I saw Yuuko for the second time in two semesters. We met at Ikebukuro station, had lunch together, and then went into a building that housed a grocery shop and a clothing store. Yuuko was dressed in a dark red sweater and a long beige skirt with autumnal colors on that day.

I was strolling down the main street to the bookshop Yuuko had requested, and in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city center, she asked, “How are you progressing with your exams, Yukinari-kun?”

“Yes. Apparently, I’m not very good at English, which is holding me back, but everything else is going swimmingly. I had never been interested in world history before, but after I began studying it, I became interested in it. I’ve begun reading those books as well, when I have time.”

“Really? That’s good to know.”

“What kind of faculty do you want to go to, Yuuko-san?”

“I’m thinking of becoming a school teacher, so the Faculty of Education is my first choice.”

“Ah, is that maybe had something to do with your piano lessons?”

“Yes. I like to play instruments, so I’m thinking I’d like to be an elementary school teacher or a middle school music teacher. Yukinari-kun, you are, after all, a science student. Have you already decided on a department in detail?”

“Yes. I want to go into physics, but I can’t make a definite decision yet when I think about my future career path.”

“I see.”

“Yes. Maybe it would be better if I could think backwards from the job I want to get like you did…”

“Do you have a job you want to do?”

“Physicist” was the first word that sprang to me. I just know what type of work it is and have a mental image of it. I withdrew the term, assuming it was as simple as a schoolboy responding “Soccer Player” when asked about his future ambition. In a nutshell, it’s all about adoration. That might be fine for elementary school students, but as a third-year high school student, I was a little embarrassed to talk about my future in such a casual manner when I had reached the point where I was considering my career path based on various realistic conditions, including my own abilities.

“I’m hoping for a job where I can use my knowledge of physics-related disciplines. I haven’t really thought too much about that yet either.” I said.

Today’s high fall sky was dotted with scaly clouds. It was still the hot and humid season before the rainy season when I met her, with a sense of summer in the air. I could sense the seasons changing and the passage of time. I just met with a teacher in charge of career paths, and I informed him that the Department of Physics was my first choice. At the time, the teacher gave me numerous data and stated something along the lines of, “If you solely worry about getting a job, engineering has more alternatives than physics.” He told me that areas like mechanical engineering and electrical and electronic engineering would allow me to study physics in depth and that I should think about it as well.

It was time to narrow the scope of the application. However, I’ve recently been split between pragmatic profit-and-loss calculations and simply desire amid numerous alternatives and possibilities, and I’ve been wondering which road I should choose. There is only one option, regardless of how many options there are. And to pick implies to rule out other options. We hear that young people have many options, but I wonder if those who say that consider the worry and suffering of making decisions, as well as the danger of choosing the incorrect one.

I currently have a variety of alternatives available to me, including not attending college. But I’m not very pleased about it. I’m at a loss as to which road to take, which options to pursue, and which to reject. As I was contemplating this, my gaze was drawn to a giant screen in the city.

The text under the headline “Domestic Research Team Succeeds in Developing New Method of Quantum Computer” said, “Developed using a new method that differs from conventional methods, the first startup operation experiment on a real machine was successful, although there are still issues and improvements to be made.” Together with the image, a picture of a man with the inscription “Project Participant Professor Fukuhara Shohei of Tokyo University of Advanced Science and Technology” was displayed on the screen.

Yuuko also looked in that direction and muttered, “Ah.”

“The D-F method quantum computer, it’s really done.”

When I muttered something like that, she turned to me and said, “Do you know?”

“Yes. I’ve read a few of Fukuhara Shohei’s works. According to the Doichi-Fujisawa system quantum computer, which was recently in the news, if it works, it might even outperform those methods that have been put to practical use so far.”

Doichi and Fujisawa, by the way, are both physicists who contributed to the theory that underpins the development of this new quantum computing system. Fujisawa = Yoshihide Fujisawa was Fukuhara Shohei’s supervisor during his graduate school days and worked with him for a long time after that, and his name was always included in Fukuhara Shohei’s books, despite the fact that he passed away some years ago.

“Hmm… What is the advantage of having a quantum computer? How is it different from an ordinary computer?”

“Eh? Um…” I organized and explained what I’d learned from what I’d read so far.

“Ordinary computers employ one of two states, such as 1 or 0, to make calculations owing to variations in voltage or something, however a quantum computer is a device that employs stacked states, which are both 1 and 0, to perform computations. Problems that would take tens of thousands of years to solve on a standard computer may now be solved in seconds.”

“?”

After a stunned reaction, Yuuko murmured, “I didn’t know you were doing that.” I wondered what she was talking about, but I let Yuuko’s soliloquy pass.

“Come to think of it, Fukuhara Shohei has the same last name as you.”

Yuuko laughed bitterly as I said this nonchalantly. When I cocked my head to see what was going on, she lifted her eyes gently, pointed at the television, and said, “… Actually, he is my father.”

“Eh!?”

I couldn’t help but make a strange noise. Is Yuuko’s father Fukuhara Shohei? It took some time for the significance to settle in. I kept comparing Yuuko and Fukuhara Shohei’s expressions on the screen.

… They don’t look alike at all…

It may be more difficult to see a likeness between a guy in his fifties and an eighteen-year-old high school student, but I couldn’t believe it when I was told that Fukuhara Yuuko here and Fukuhara Shohei, the famous physicist on the screen right now, are father and daughter. But Yuuko is not the type of person who would tell such a lie. I returned my gaze to Yuuko, who was beaming at me. Was this individual, in fact, the daughter of Fukuhara Shohei? When I was stunned, Yuuko suddenly asked me.

“Hey, Nakayama-kun, do you want to meet my father?”

“Huh?”

“If you want to study physics, ask my father about a career path.”

I replied with dismay.

“Is it okay? What can I say? I don’t know if I’m the right person to meet with him.”

“Eh? Why?” Yuuko said curiously.

“No, Fukuhara Shohei is a great person…”

“Dad, he’s just an ordinary old man.” Oh no, Yuuko said, waving her hand and laughing.

“Come to my house. Would you like to have dinner with me? I’ll talk to my parents.”

“Eh?” For a short moment, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and then a dumb voice came out of my lips. Then, as I pondered her words, disbelief and conflict jolted my mind and emotions once again.

“Ehh!? Your house!?”

“Yes. My mom also likes to feed people. My friends come here often, and my father’s students come to our house for dinner a few times a year, so I think it’s probably okay.”

—That’s not the point.

I may meet and speak with Fukuhara Shohei in person, as well as go to Yuuko’s residence. It was an enticing proposition, but I was perplexed. I was 80% nervous and confused about going to a girl’s house for the first time, meeting a notable scholar, and a variety of other things. My mere desire to see Yuuko’s home accounted for 20% of my score. My thoughts swirled about in my brain to the point that time seemed to have abruptly slowed down. It was difficult to picture the stress of going to a girl’s house and eating dinner with her parents. Furthermore, her father is Fukuhara Shohei. Fearful of this, my mind tries to come up with a plausible reason for denying. The nagging thought that if I refused, I wouldn’t be able to go to Yuuko’s place stopped me from running.

“… What’s wrong?”

Unbeknownst to me, I was holding my temples.

“No, I was taken aback… I’ve never been to a girl’s house or anything like that before…”

Yuuko waved her hand as if she had realized what I was trying to say and was a bit flustered when I said it.

“Oh, right, sorry. Shall the three of us meet at a café or something?”

But when I get pulled in like that, the possibility of losing it suddenly becomes regrettable.

Everything is an experience; if I mess anything up, that’s the time to fix it. That’s what I told myself, and after some reluctance, I went ahead and said, “No, if you don’t mind, I’d like to come.”

And I twisted my tongue to get the words out. I don’t know why I’m being so deferential. In contrast to me, who was so upset and conflicted in a scattered way.

“Okay then, I’ll talk to my father and get back to you.” So said Yuuko, in a matter-of-factly tone. And after I said it, I cooled down a bit and thought.

—It took an unexpected turn.

I’ve had this notion about Mineko before, but as I’ve already said, I don’t really know what girls are thinking. Would a girl of her age normally invite a guy her age to her place for dinner? Is it nothing special to her, or am I perhaps quite liked by her? So, Yuuko continued, as I glanced at her expectantly.

“My father and Yukinari-kun must be kindred spirits.”

I tilted my head and asked, “Why do you think so?” But she only laughed meaningfully and did not answer me.

For the time being, let’s simply set my mind at peace and take our time thinking about it all afterwards. With that in mind, I started walking again.

◇

From then on, I went online and looked for phrases like “Good impression of men’s clothes,” then perused the websites that came up. I made plans to visit Yuuko’s house, and on the day of the visit, I rode the train to a residential neighborhood in Toshima Ward where Yuuko’s house was located. I followed the directions I was given from Mejiro Station and arrived at Yuuko’s residence after approximately 10 minutes. It was a two-story building with lovely white walls and a flower-filled yard.

My heart was pounding so fast that I used my wearable gadget to check my heart rate. Then, to my amazement, it was more than 150. The numbers looked as if they were after an all-out sprint. I knew this was bad, so I took a few deep breaths and tried to calm my palpitations.

It was 5:25 P.M. already. It was 5 minutes before the scheduled time of 5:30 P.M. I braced myself and pressed the intercom. My tension was further heightened when I heard a ringing tone and a small, clickety-clack sound of an external camera being activated.

“Yes.”

It was the voice of Yuuko. I was a bit relieved because I was wondering what I would do if Fukuhara Shohei suddenly appeared.

“I’m Nakyama.”

“Ah, wait a second. I’ll open the door.”

The front door slammed open after I heard a slight fluttering noise coming from within. Yuuko, dressed in a gray skirt and a white sweater, walked out and opened the gate in front of the garden.

“Come on in.”

“Thanks…”

I followed Yuuko into her house’s front yard and then inside her house. It smelled a little different and bland from our house.

“Please pardon the interruption.”

“Mom, I’ll be in the living room.”

Yuuko proceeded down the corridor, offering me the slippers.

“Yes…”

I had no choice but to comply. I put on my slippers, followed Yuuko into the living room. The aroma of cooking filled the air in the living room, and Yuuko’s mother stood in the kitchen wearing an apron.

“Mom, Yukinari-kun is here.”

When Yuuko called out to her, the lady turned around and smiled, “Welcome.” She’s dressed casually in trousers and a red sweater, with her long hair carelessly permed. Her visage reminded me of Yuuko’s. She appeared to be kind and gentle. “Please pardon the interruption,” I said as I bent down next to Yuuko.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Nakayama Yukinari… Ah, please take this. It’s a sweet from the Kawagoe area…”

“Ah, thank you. I know this sweet. It’s famous, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s delicious,” I said. My mother likes them so much that we sometimes make them to have it as a tea snack.

“After dinner, make yourself a cup of coffee and join us.” said the lady, taking the box of sweets out of the bag and taking it towards the kitchen. I took a quick glance around the room. Fukuhara Shohei was nowhere to be found.

“Dad, he hasn’t come home from his errands yet. There, have a seat.”

I sat on the couch indicated by her hand, nervously. It was fluffy and soft. Then, out of nowhere, a little dog ran up to my feet, wagging its tail.

“Frey-chan, say hello,” Yuuko said. The dog sniffed my feet while looking at me with curious eyes like, “What’s this human?”

“Frey-chan?” I asked back, puzzled by the response to the dog that had come to my feet.

“This child’s name. Because it’s called Fred. My dad named it after an old astronomer.” Yuuko explained the name to me.

“Ah, I see…”

I frightenedly extended my hand. Fred then moved his snout to my palm and sniffed again. I was scared that he’d recognize me as an enemy and bark at or bite me when Yuuko exclaimed, “Come here—” and yanked Fred from beneath my feet and sat him in front of the TV on one of the three U-shaped sofas.

“Frey, means male?”

“Yes. He said it was his son. I was an only child, but my father wanted a boy as well.” When she said that, Yuuko’s mother started laughing meaningfully from the kitchen.

“I wonder what will happen to your father when he sees you bring  a boy,” Yuuko’s mother said. “He pretended not to be upset until yesterday, but I can’t wait to see what happens when he actually sees Nakayama-kun.”

“I told you, Yukinari-kun is my friend. He came here for advice about his career path.”

“You don’t need to be embarrassed either. Your mom already knows. You’re eighteen now, so I won’t say anything if you go out with boys or not. But don’t forget to do what you’re supposed to do, like studying for your exam.”

“Uwaa, mom～”

Yuuko puffed out a little and reached out to stretch out Fred’s cheeks, whom she was holding in her arms. As I gazed at her, I thought to myself, nervously, “I don’t know how a dog’s cheeks can stretch like that and not hurt.” My mind was so confused that the words of Yuuko and her mother didn’t enter my head properly, and I could only think of such simple things. I was in a state of shock.

Then I heard the door open.

My tension rose with a thud, like though hit by lightning. I can hear a rustling sound coming from the front door, as if someone is putting on their shoes.

“Ah, It looks like dad’s back.” said Yuuko, patting Fred’s belly. The door to the living room then opened. Fukuhara Shohei appeared, wearing a coat. The dusky smell of a grown man wafted through the air.

“I’m home,” Yuuko’s father said.

“Welcome home. Nakayama-kun, he’s here.” I stood up, bowed my head and said hello.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Yukinari Nakayama.”

“Ahh, welcome to our house.” As he said this, Fukuhara-san looked at me seriously and tilted his head a little.

“Hm? Have I met you before?”

“N-no, I don’t think so.”

When I shook my head, Fukuhara-san said, “Sorry, you just seemed familiar to me,” and took off his coat and put it on a hanger.

“You see a lot of students every year. Of course, you must have seen a lot of boys who look like him.” Yuuko’s mother said. 

“I see, sorry.”

“Well, that’s all right,” Fukuhara-san said to himself, “I’m gonna put my stuff down for a minute,” and left the living room.

“What’s with that question ? I wonder if he’s still upset.” Yuuko’s mother said with a laugh.

“Yuuko, help me put the plates on the table.”

“Yeeess.” Yuuko said and stood up from the sofa. Fred remained on the couch and flopped down. Yuuko quickly took out chopsticks, plates, cups, etc. from the cupboard as instructed by her mom, and placed the dishes on the table.

“Nakayama-kun, take a seat here.” Yuuko’s mother said.

“Yes.” 

Disposable chopsticks were placed in front of the seat they told me to take. As I sat down, I heard a movement on the stairs and unintentionally straightened up. Fukuhara-san appeared at the dining table after entering the living room wearing pants and a pullover. Yuuko’s mother and I sat next to one other, and Yuuko sat in front of her. Fukuhara-san was sitting across from me. Someone I’ve seen in books and on TV sits in front of me. Yuuko, on the other hand, was grinning. Because my mind couldn’t keep up with the situation, I felt as if I were in a dream or an illusion.

◇

“Thank you for the meal,” I responded respectfully, and ate the food she had prepared. Salad and stir-fried chicken were on the menu, along with miso soup and rice. I spooned a small amount of rice into my mouth using disposable chopsticks, taking care not to spill anything. As soon as I started eating, Yuuko’s mother asked me, “How is it?”

“Did you like it or not?”

“Yes. It’s delicious.”

“I see. I’m glad.”

Then, as I reached for my chilled yakko, I was asked, “Do you use soy sauce?” Fukuhara-sensei (as I decided to call him for the moment) asked me.

“Ah, I’m sorry…” I accepted the bottle of soy sauce with trepidation.

“Yukinari-kun says he is reading your book.” Yuuko told him.

“Ah, Is that so?” Fukuhara-sensei looked at me and I straightened my back to answer.

“Yes. I have read most of your books for the general public.” 

“Really, thank you. I was hoping to get a pre-college age kid like you to read it.” Fukuhara-sensei said. 

I’m talking to Fukuhara Shohei right now. I’m exchanging words with the author of a book I was reading, a man who has been featured in scientific magazines and TV documentaries. I was nervous even just thinking about it, but the thought of it made my hands start to shake.

“Which book was the best?”

“Umm. The ‘Physics of Predicting Multiple Universes,’ which came out the year before last was the best. I read it three times.” I said.

“So much,” he laughed as he said.

“Did you find anything difficult to understand?”

“Yes. —Ah, no, I didn’t understand all of it…”

“Which?”

“Let’s see… The explanation of the structure of the bubble universe.”

“Ahh, there. After we finish eating, I’ll explain it to you, okay?”

Fukuhara-sensei offered to do so, and I immediately said, “Yes, by all means.”

◇