183Ohashi High School, Graduation Day
There was a momentary glimpse of that long dirty blond hair in the window of the classroom that they all shared when they were second years. Classroom 2-C. It must be her. The graduating students in the courtyard showed interest but not alarm as one of their own suddenly dashed back into the school building. Feet slapped the floor in long strides as the lone figure ran through the locker room. Strong legs took the stairs two at a time. No-one was in the long hall that led to that familiar classroom so the approaching figure gave away a warning as the sound of each footfall echoed down the long hall. The door to the room flung open but there was no-one in sight. The desks, having finished their use for the year were lined in perfect rows, the chalkboards clean, the lone utility locker… Of course.
Taiga had wanted to surprise Ryuuji but she could hear the footsteps coming right up to the locker and she knew she was found. Sure enough, the handle cranked, the door opened, and there stood…
"Minorin?" Taiga gasped, "I… I thought you were..."
"Ryuuji..." Minori looked sad as she appeared to be finishing Taiga's sentence. With tears already present but not yet spilling down her cheeks, Minori looked into Taiga's eyes and told her beloved friend, "Ryuuji won't be coming for you."
"What?" Taiga trembled with disbelief and rage at Minori's words, "Why the hell not?"
"Because he has finally found happiness…" Minori said without any inflection, "with someone else."
"No," Taiga was furious, "That disloyal mutt!" Taiga's rant stopped as Minori's right hand slapped her across the face so hard, she found herself sprawled on the floor several meters away from where she had been standing. Stunned, Taiga looked up in shock at the pink haired girl that had long been her best friend.
"He finally found happiness after despair almost destroyed him." Minori's fists were clenched in her own rage.
"Minorin?" Taiga's confusion stung like the side of her face that bore a silhouette of Minori's right hand. "Despair?"
"Despair caused by a selfish little bitch that made him love her, then just walked out of his life." Minori glared at the miniature girl still on the floor where she had fallen, "Oh Taiga why… why did you do it?"
"I left a note..." Taiga cried out desperately. She could taste blood in her mouth from the slap. She tried to get up but her arms and legs were trembling and didn't want to work right. Her inner voice was crying out, 'This can't be happening. I didn't want this. He was supposed to wait for me!'
"A note? You left a note and sent us all a picture of Venus! But you never called and you never answered!" Minori yelled at her.
"Venus?" Taiga began to shake. Everything was crashing, falling apart, "It was supposed to be a star. So what if I didn't call? I left a note..."
"Forget about the damn note!" Minori screamed, "Even after he gave up on calling you… as he wasted away… dying right in front of all of us… you still could have saved him. I called you. His mother called you. Ami-chan even called you... everyone called you!"
"Dying?" Fear suddenly grasped Taiga's heart amidst the anger and confusion.
"You could have saved him with three words. That's all he needed from you, but I guess you couldn't be bothered." Minori glowered down at Taiga as she took three steps to stand over the diminutive girl's body, "So, what's your excuse? Battery ran out? Lost your phone?"
"Minorin, please tell me. He didn't die did he? You saved him, right?" Taiga pleaded.
"First tell me your excuse!" Minori hissed.
"I put the phone in a box after I sent the picture of the star. I didn't want to use it as a crutch. I wanted to prove to him… and to me, that I could stand on my own." Sobbing, she begged her former best friend, "Please tell me he isn't dead!"
"Congratulations on learning how to stand on your own. You may be relying on that skill more than you had thought." Minori's voice finally softened as she told Taiga, "I didn't save him, but he isn't dead."
"Thank you, Minorin!" Taiga sobbed and reached for Minori's hand.
"Don't thank me yet," Minori took Taiga's hand and prepared to deal more pain than the slap ever had, "Someone else saved him… and married him."
"Ah!" Taiga cried out as if she had been stabbed. The world that had become too crazy, went dark.
Holding Taiga's hand firmly, Minori had prevented a concussion from Taiga's head slamming into the hard tile floor when she passed out. Unable to hold onto the rage any longer, the wracking sobs started and the tears burst from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Minori sat down next to the small but inert body and cradled the familiar face in her lap. It was several minutes before she could choke back the tears enough to say words again.
"Why Taiga?" she bawled, "Why did you come back?" Finally looking up, Minori saw that dozens of students had come into the room and more were out in the hall. There was no talking or even whispering as they all looked on the scene before them with shared heartache. If Taiga woke up now, she would see almost all the friends she had made that year. Almost. She would notice the three that were missing. Then it would be her turn to deal with despair.
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I have added the section below at the request of many readers that were getting confused with the names. I can understand completely. With the cultural habit of using first names or last names or cutsie versions of those names – added to the myriad honorific suffixes, as well as the familial titles (Onee-chan…), it can be very confusing.
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There is an updated version of this reference at Chapter 22, but don't skip ahead! The update does include spoilers.
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I hope this helps you enjoy the reading.
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Toradora
Walk the Same Path
Cast of Characters
At the point of the story that I put this together, the storyline is in the spring of 2009. Because of this, some of the characteristics may vary from published canon resources since they represent 2008 statistics. A year will not have affected Yasuko or other adults very much, but many of the teenagers will have grown some in that time.
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Aisaka Taiga (Taiga-chan)
female 145cm 34kg Birthday: 07/26/91 Amber eyes long orange-gold hair
Along with Takasu Ryuuji, she is one of the two main characters of the Toradora story. After falling in love with each other, she left to prove herself – go find herself – whatever. According to canon set forth in the anime, she returns a year later on Ryuuji's graduation day.
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Takasu Ryuuji (Ryuuji, Takasu-kun, Taka-chan, Takasu, Ryu-chan, Ryuuji-kun, Takasu-san)
male 177cm 80kg Birthday: 04/11/91 black eyes shoulder length blue hair
This is a good place to explain names. Use of the first name suggests familiarity, so more to less familiar for him would be: Ryu – Ryuuji – Taka – Taskasu
Suffixes generally convey levels of respect, so childish to respectful would be: chan – kun – san - senpai – sama. Ergo, his mother calls him Ryu-chan – which shows an extreme degree of familiarity, while a stranger would call him Takasu-san.
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Takasu Yasuko (Ya-chan, Yasuko, Takasu-chan)
female 163cm 60kg Birthday: 06/04/76 brown eyes long blond hair
Mother of Takasu Ryuuji. Ryuuji is in the habit of calling her by her first name. Although there is a word for 'mother', Ryuuji never uses it because it makes Yasuko feel old.
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Kawashima Ami (Ami-chan, Ami, Amin, Kawashima-san)
female 170cm 50kg Birthday: 11/14/91 violet eyes long blue hair
Ami is the daughter of a media star (Kawashima Anna), is already a model and has aspirations to be a star herself. She fell in love with Ryuuji toward the end of the anime, but realized it was too late and supported Taiga instead of making a play for him herself. According to canon set forth in the anime, she stops using the airhead facade around Ryuuji and starts to just 'be herself' as encouraged by Ryuuji.
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Kushieda Minori (Minorin, Kushieda, Minori-chan, Kushieda-san)
female 166cm 58kg Birthday: 01/18/92 purple eyes short pink hair
Highly energetic, dreams of being a softball player at the international level. Ryuuji's original love interest, he gave her up for Taiga during the course of the anime.
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Kitamura Yusaku (Kitamura-kun, Kitamura, Maruo (nickname), Yusaku)
male 169cm 66kg Birthday: 08/30/91 dark blue-green eyes short dark blue-green hair
Ryuuji's first friend. Maya and Taiga's original love interest in the anime. His love interest is Sumire Kano who has already graduated from high school and is studying abroad in America.
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Kihara Maya (Maya-chan, Maya, Kihara, Kihara-san)
female 161cm 46kg Birthday: 12/03/91 red-brown eyes long orange-brown hair
She is realizing that her crush for Kitamura will be unrequited; he will not give up his love for Sumire. Best friend: Kashii Nanako. Raised as an only child, has some issues with sharing. Resents other people becoming friends with her friends – feels like they are trying to take them away from her. Doesn't like change.
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Kashii Nanako (Nanako, Kashii, Nanako-chan)
female 158cm 44kg Birthday: 05/24/91 purple eyes long purple hair
Also raised as an only child, she is a childhood friend of Kihara Maya. She is more accepting of additional friendships and change than Maya.
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Haruta Koji (Haruta, Haruta-kun, Koji-san)
male 170cm 72kg Birthday: 04/20/91 blue eyes long dark blue hair
Childhood friend of Hisamitsu Noto. From a large family and has an attractive girlfriend that goes to a different school (she appears only once in the anime and is unnamed).
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Hisamitsu Noto (Noto, Noto-kun, Hisamitsu-san)
male 168cm 66kg Birthday: 02/17/92 brown eyes short sandy-brown hair
Childhood friend of Haruta Koji and also from a large and influential family. In love with Kihara Maya. Studious and intelligent, he can be courageous when the situation requires it.
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Koigakubo Yuri (sensei, Yuri-chan, Koigakubo-san)
female 162cm 57kg Birthday: 08/12/78 red-brown eyes long red-brown hair
Sensei means 'teacher', and she is a teacher at the high school that Ryuuji, Ami, Noto, etc. go to. Unlucky in love, in the anime she was very distressed about hitting thirty and not having a romantic interest.
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The story takes place in the April, 2009 – March, 2010 school year. Natural events, as described in my story, are historically accurate.