If I continued like this, my situation would never improve.

Recently, I'd been increasingly depressed over the signs of spring, which mercilessly invaded even my gloomy six-mat, one-room apartment.

Another student had arrived to replace the one who had just vacated the apartment next door. Now, freshmen walked along the road to school, smiles spread across their faces. Opening the window let in a cool spring breeze, cherry blossom petals, or people's lively voices.

Argh, how could this happen? I alone had been left behind by the gaieties of spring. No, more than that: I was being actively mocked by the rest of the entire world, all of which was in high spirits due to spring's onset. At least, that was the message I got.

I hadn't had proper contact with another human being for almost a year.

I felt like I might forget how to speak Japanese if I kept going at this rate. I sensed that I was constantly getting farther and farther from my return to society. That would not be good; it would be very bad. If I didn't escape from my life as a hikikomori soon, I would be socially laid to rest by the world forever.

First, I needed to consider my independence. I knew I had to find work. Thus, I recently bought a job information magazine from the convenience store. After reading through it, however, everything seemed impossible.

Oh, it's impossible. Absolutely impossible. I'm a dropout from a third-rate college, with zero qualifications. That's me. If I were the personnel manager at some company, I'd definitely never hire a hikikomori like myself. In this day and age—when it's hard enough to get work—there's no way any company willingly would hire a useless person like me.

Eventually, though, at some point in time, every human being, no matter who, must work. That's the fact of the matter.