Chapter One: Itsumo Arigatou

Well, 9.30 will be too early for him, the well-known sleepyhead in her lab. But I desperately need his help.

Chapter One "

Thank you, Always

 

Ichino-san, tomorrow I plan to do annealing.

Can you help me to set the machine tomorrow morning at 9.30? You had taught me before, but since it will be my first time, I need someone to supervise me in case I get stuck or do something wrong.

 

Ai reviewed the typed words on her phone once again. She sighed. Well, 9.30 will be too early for him, the well-known sleepyhead in her lab. Ichino is her research assistant; people simply put it as lab tutor.  But I desperately need his help. She hesitated for a while.

 

But if you are busy or tired I can ask the others. Thanks.    

 

After adding the last sentence Ai pushed the send button with a trembling hand. Message sent. Her heart started to beat faster. She felt her breathing abnormal. Calm down, calm down. It’s just a normal e-mail. You’re too excited, fool.

 

She decided to leave (throw, actually) her phone on her bed and took a shower. 

Since when waiting become too tormenting? He always takes his time to reply. Curse his damn old phone! That guy should get a smart phone! It’s 2013 for God’s sake!

 

She heard a faint beeping from her phone just before she opened the shower tap. Well, that’s unusually quick.

 

It’s always good to be cautious about experiments. Don’t hesitate to ask any of us something like that. Well I PLAN to come early tomorrow since I’m doing an experiment. I’ll be able to help if I can wake up. If I were not around, Hino knows how to use that one.

 

If I CAN wake up. She read that particular line with a bright smile. Sasuga.   ­

 

--- next morning"

 

Ai parked her sky blue bike beside the convenience store that became the landmark of her lab building. It’s 9.10 am. She wondered if anyone, beside sensei, had been in the lab. Last month had been hard for her. Sensei had been angry because he felt that she’s taking too much language classes then in process neglecting her research. She ran to Ichino, seeking for consolation.

 

“Last year he also got mad at me for the same reason. I told him that I wouldn’t repeat the same mistake, quit my part time job"well, in fact I didn’t (grin), then worked to the bone for three months.”

 

His advice was very simple, but strangely it relieved her so much.  Or it’s simply because of his presence? Only Ichino and I, separated by a small table, the rest of the world didn’t matter. I hope he won’t think of me as a weak girl for fussing about such a thing.

 

9.25 am. Just her and Makino-senpai, a second-year master student, inside the lab. No sign of Ichino, or even Hino-kun, a fourth-year bachelor student, also under his “guidance”. With a heavy heart Ai gathered her white lab coat, small lab notes, and her phone. She flipped the pages of her notes to read the manual of annealing machine. She stepped toward the experiment room.

I can do this by myself. I should be able to do this...

 

“First, open all the black valve… switch the vent on.”

 

Ai tried to bite back a desire to cry. In her previous university, she never operated annealing machine or any other super-expensive equipment by herself. And now after she passed the entrance exam for master program in her current-higher level-university, each student had a pleasure to learn how to use all kinds of equipment.  Ichino was different. He belonged here since undergraduate. He’s already an expert.

 

9.35 am. Ai was extracting the sample holder from inside its glass shell when the lab’s heavy door opened. She turned her head, and there was Ichino standing, a 178 cm guy with thick black hair and glasses, still clad in his light autumn brown coat. He could wake up!

 

“Aa..yokatta..”. She felt all of her burden disappear just with the sight of him. I’m saved. She laughed heartily. Ichino too, probably because of weird reaction from the girl in front of him, started to laugh.

 

“So how was it?” Ichino approached her after their laughter subsided.

“I was just starting to prepare my sample.” Ai showed three bottles which contained a small amount of yellowish powder to him.

“Hmm, alright. I’ll go the lab for a while to take my notes.”

“OK.”

 

--later in the evening"

 

9.45 pm. And I’m still in the lab, waiting for annealing machine to cool down. She yawned. But it’s OK, since it’s just Ichino and me inside this small room. Why is he still here by the way?

 

The other students were karaoke-ing, celebrating Kyoko’s birthday. Ai and Kyoko entered this university at the same time. She felt bad for her for not attending, but she couldn’t abandon her experiments. Or Sensei will eat me alive.

 

She stared at the reflection on her laptop screen. Ichino’s back was still there. Doing nothing that seems important. Maybe he’s reading, or playing his Nintendo 3DS.  

 

They sat back to back, making it’s hard to spontaneously start a conversation, or even just to send a warm gesture. She had asked earlier why he didn’t go to karaoke. “I don’t really like karaoke. With this kind of voice, I can’t sing anything.” He laughed. Clueless guy, by simply talking in that deep voice you can allure a girl, you know.

 

“Ai-san.” His call woke her up from her reverie. “I think you can take out your sample now.”

“Ah, yes.” Ai got up from her chair. Ichino followed behind to check her work.

 

Having Ichino beside her when she went through the switch off manual made her a bit nervous. He’s very thorough, a perfectionist. He would correct her here and there, explaining all the way. But she was very thankful. He’s always there to help. I am very lucky, to have him as my tutor.   

 

 “You’re not going home?” asked her out of the blue after putting everything back into their designated place. “It’s late already”

 

Ichino stood still. He glimpsed at Ai, and then rolled his black eyes upside, thinking. “I’m still doing spray pyrolysis. I started in the afternoon.”

 

“Oh.” Ai smiled. That sounds like a lie for me. “Then, I’ll go home first. Thanks for helping me today.”

“Ah, it’s nothing”. He smiled back.

“Otsukaresama desu.”

“Otsukaresama desu.”

 

Ai looked at his back again for the last time this day. Itsumo arigatou Ichino-san. Daisuki.

 

 

Scientific Terms and Translation for Japanese Phrases:

Annealing: Heat treatment of material to obtain a desired structure. Also known as calcination

Spray pyrolysis: a method to synthesize certain material from a liquid mixture by spraying it onto a heated substrate.

Sasuga: as expected from ~

Yokatta: Thanks God!

Senpai: Senior

Otsukaresama desu: Thanks for the good work; a set phrase which is said between coworkers at the end of the day.

Itsumo arigatou: Thank you, always

Daisuki: I really like you; Love you

Author's Note

This is my first story in writercafe. I hope you enjoyed it.
Please read and review! Any feedback will be welcomed.