ICU High! (Patreon)

Navy blue blazer, striped shirt, and a gold tie. Believe it or not (well, if there are skeptics, let them be), Chihaya Natori was a junior at International Christian University High School, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan. The school was somewhat in the western outskirts of the city and, from her high-rise residence in Minami-Aoyama, it was a bit of a train ride (switch trains at Harajuku, then Shibuya, to finally arrive at bustling Kichijoji Station via Inokashira Line). So when Chihaya needed to carry her canvas for the art class, her dad would offer a ride in his white Audi A6 en route to medical school. The ride was all good except that it attracted quite an attention when he dashed past the University lawn with groups of students walking and jogging. Chihaya's amused friends would tease her like "Celeb Perfect" or "Have-Everything Girl." So this morning, she courteously declined her dad's offer. And she was going to drop by Shakey's Kichijoji after school with the gang anyway. 

Shakey's was just fine, with cream sundae, lots of chats, and smiles, and Chihaya was now off and on her way home through the brisk autumn air. The school festival was fun and gone, and she must start thinking about the midterms (aww....). But after that gets done, it would be winter break, and time to go back to the Island. Yes. She definitely needed to train and stay in shape for that. Otherwise Aya would poke her belly and enjoy making fun of her. "Chihaya, you're faat!!" Yeah...right. 

Chihaya kept on walking. It was almost dusk, and Mount Fuji was already a dark silhouette amid the flickering lights of Midtown towers.

She loved it here as much as she loved Miyako.