　こんにちは！HPマネージャーの仲井です。
　今回はAlexさんに、これまでお世話になった岡本さんとの思い出について書いていただきました！

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We said a very sad farewell to one of the oldest members of Kanda Lab, Yuko Okamoto—our dearest secretary. She will be missed by all of us, but of course, she will be missed even more by the sensei who now have to take on her responsibilities!

She was the quiet hero of Kanda Lab, tirelessly managing everything behind the scenes without most of us ever realizing the weight she carried. She always spoke to us with gentleness, care, and curiosity, eager to assist no matter how silly our questions might have seemed.

Okamoto-san had been with Kanda Lab from late 2006 until early 2025. We hope you’ll enjoy many more exciting experiences in the next chapter of your life, Okamoto-san. Farewell—we hope life carries you toward another great adventure.

As the new academic year begins and a fresh semester starts, the sakura petals fall with the passing of March and the arrival of April.

It’s a time of both joy and sadness—new faces arriving, familiar ones leaving. Change is part of what makes us human, yet we often find ourselves afraid of it. We cling to the comfort of what we know, to the happiness we’ve grown used to, rather than venture out to discover new sources of joy. But life—and society—doesn’t wait for our readiness. Like a parent, it pushes us forward into the next stage, regardless of our protests.

So here I am, clinging to the memories of my last year in Kanda Lab, while also trying to feel excited about what lies ahead—despite the mountain of work I know is waiting for me.

Let’s hope our paths cross again with Okamoto-san, and with all other members of Kanda Lab, past and future. As Kanda-sensei said at the Kusaka Ken collaboration seminar, these encounters—sometimes brief, sometimes lasting—are far more significant than we may realize. The experiences, the faces, the moments I’ve shared with all of you may fade from memory, but they have become a part of who I am—an essential piece of my ever-changing, ever-evolving self.

by　ALEX　