Part-2 Ch-07 Ep-01

 “I have someone I like.”

Those words became the signal. 

The girls in the class immediately gathered together, lowering their voices as they began whispering among themselves.

As I joined the circle, a realization surfaced dimly in the corner of my still-drowsy mind. This was a dream from my elementary school days.

Small desks and small chairs. Slightly worn randoseru* backpacks mixed in with a few ordinary ones. Keyboard harmonicas and recorders sticking out from the lockers.

[T/N- A randoseru is a traditional Japanese elementary school box-shaped backpack.]

In one corner of the classroom, a group of girls had huddled together, chatting about the romantic affairs within the class. By the upper grades of elementary school, girls begin to take on a stronger sense of femininity.

So-and-so likes someone. These two are dating. I saw someone confessing to someone else the other day.

Sometimes I would join these conversations, whispering secrets, listening intently to confession stories, and occasionally letting out small squeals with my classmates during break time.

“Matsuri-chan, what about you?”

“Eh, me?”

The speaker turned toward me, and one by one, everyone else’s gaze followed.

Now it was my turn.

Eyes filled with expectation looked straight at me, hoping I would offer some interesting love story of my own.

Feeling a little apologetic toward those gazes, I answered,

“Hm, I don’t have anyone I like yet. I think it’s more fun listening to everyone else’s stories.”

“Eh, then you absolutely have to tell us when you do get someone you like!”

“Yeah, I will.”

When it came to myself, I was completely hopeless.

The heart of a child living in the present and the memories of my previous world were intricately intertwined, and I simply could not see boys of the same age as elementary school students in that way.

Among the circle was the elementary school version of Maki, staring straight at me as I gave my vague response.

Now that I thought about it, even back then, when the two of us were alone, we never talked about our own love stories.

That was why I had always assumed that Maki probably was not interested in that kind of thing either.

At the time, I firmly believed that since Maki was a heroine from a game world, she would not develop those kinds of feelings until high school.

“Matsuri.”

The scene shifted, and class had begun.

A familiar voice called out from behind me. When I turned around, the elementary school version of Maki was handing me a small piece of paper.

Come to think of it, we used to secretly pass notes like this during class, hiding them from the teacher. The memory filled me with nostalgia.

The note was made from a piece of notebook paper with five-millimeter grid lines, carefully cut out.

When I unfolded the neatly folded scrap, I saw a compatibility umbrella drawn there, with my name and Maki’s written beneath it.

At that sight, an even stronger wave of nostalgia washed over me. We used to exchange things like this all the time back then.

Maki and I had always been close, and during that period, we would even tell each other that we loved one another.

Now it was too embarrassing, and the nature of those feelings had changed, so I could no longer say it.

While confirming out of the corner of my eye that the teacher was facing the blackboard, I secretly turned around again.

Maki was smiling at me.

Without thinking, I smiled back.

I had a dream about the old days like that.

It was a deeply nostalgic dream.

Yawning, I got myself ready for the day.

While eating breakfast in the living room, I checked my phone. There was still a little time before Maki would arrive. I finished breakfast, and it was almost time to head to school.

My gaze drifted across the table.

That was when I noticed it for the first time.

The lunch box that should always have been there was missing.

“Huh? Mom, where’s my lunch?”

“It’s there.”

She said that, but when I looked around the room again, I could not find it anywhere. I even checked the kitchen, but it was not there either.

“No, I really can’t find it…”

I muttered in confusion.

She replied, “Actually, I outsourced it.”

“Eh, outsourced? On purpose? That doesn’t make any sense…”

“Well, I just gave her a little money for the ingredients. Today’s the sports festival, right? So she seems extra motivated. I told her that if that was the case, I would at least cover the cost.”

Just as my mother finished speaking, or perhaps just before she did, the intercom rang. By then, even someone as slow as me understood what was happening.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

When I opened the front door, my childhood friend was standing there.

Unlike in this morning’s dream, she stood before me in her proper high school appearance.

Looking embarrassed, she raised the wrapped package in her hands and said, “So, um, well, today is the sports festival, and I asked Mari-mama if I could make the lunch…” Her cheeks were faintly flushed.

I closed my eyes and clutched my chest tightly, trying to calm my heart, which felt like it was about to spiral out of control.

My childhood friend was far too cute.

She was usually mentally strong to an absurd degree, so why was it that she only became shy at moments like this?

“….”

“Mari?”

“Ah, uh, no. I was just so surprised that my brain stopped working. I’m really happy. Thank you.”

For a moment, I wondered if I was still dreaming, but this was clearly reality. My face felt so hot that I thought I might collapse. How early had she woken up for this?

Since when had she been talking with my mom about it?

Since when had she been planning all of this?

“Lately, Mari, you’ve been working really hard on the sports festival preparations. But I couldn’t help with anything this time since I’m just watching. So I wanted to do something. Let’s enjoy today together… though I know you probably have sports committee work.”

Ah. I really do like her.

The day had only just begun, yet my face kept breaking into a grin. I bit my lip to keep it under control.

And still, even on the day of the sports festival, I had not yet been able to confess these feelings to Maki.