Thawing of the Hedgehog

Chapter 52

Even in the small yet undeniable society formed in elementary school, I stood out quite a bit at first.

The reasons were my hair and my parents' infamy.

If I hadn't met Eiichi-kun or Asuka-san* and others, I would probably have classified as a loner by now.

[T/N - author used san here instead of chan, while it can be simply a mistake, or my eye power is going down , I will leave it as it is to avoid any complications]

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Runa-chan. Did you do the homework?"

"I did, but why?"

"Sorry! Let me copy it! I brought the wrong notebook!!"

"Can't you borrow it from Hotaru-chan?"

"I'm already borrowing a different notebook from Hotaru-chan... hehehe..."

On the other side of Asuka-chan, Hotaru-chan proudly puffed up. Apparently, Asuka-chan's pride chose me as she didn't want to owe Hotaru-chan any more.

It's not a bad deal for me either. Thanks to Asuka-chan and Hotaru-chan, I barely escaped the loner community.

"Can't be helped. I'll show you for some of Asuka-chan's mikan*."

[T/N- Oranges I mean Mandarin]

"I'll give you a box of oranges! A whole box!!"

For better or worse, Asuka-chan is popular. In the group of girls, Asuka-chan is always the center of attention, and the girls who loves occult are drawn to Hotaru-chan's mysterious aura. Being friends with them saved me from being a loner. Choosing to go to kindergarten was definitely the right choice .

"Hmm? What's up, Hotaru-chan?"

Hotaru-chan poked me and pointed toward the classroom door, where a female student was watching us. Judging by the same elementary school uniform, she might be a classmate or an upperclassman.

"Hello?"

She was startled by my voice, seemingly thinking she hadn't been noticed. Surprised, she looked our way. 

'Oh, an upperclassman with blonde hair. That's rare.'

"Hey, wait!? ...She's gone..."

In my daze, I noticed her braid and half-up hairstyle. I thought that hairstyle was nice, and our encounter ended there.

When I became aware of it, I realized this senior was often watching me. And once I noticed, so did everyone around me.

"Hey, Runa. That senior is here again."

"That's Lydia-san, an upperclassman. Shisuka Lydia. A transfer student from Karafuto."

"Shisuka Marquis family is quite well-known. They are a prestigious family in the Northern Japanese government, one of the key figures in the annexation of Karafuto."

Summarizing the information from Eiichi-kun, Yujiro-kun, and Mitsuya-kun, it went something like this. The collapse of the Eastern Bloc, starting with the fall of the Berlin Wall, had two patterns: state disintegration in East Germany and war-torn collapse in Romania. The Northern Japanese government's collapse was due to an internal coup during that period. Like other Eastern Bloc countries, the military rebelled against the Northern Japanese Communist Party and its secret police's control. However, what differed was that the secret police led a bloodless coup by siding with the military. This revolution occurred during the winter festival, hence called the "Winter Festival Revolution" or "Spring of Karafuto."

The secret police chief at that time was Lydia-san's father. Realizing he would lose in the power struggle within the Karafuto government post-coup, he sold himself to Japan at the perfect timing. The reason Japan's advance into Karafuto went bloodlessly was due to his betrayal, with Karafuto's internal information being completely leaked. He and the power players who sided with him secured safety and wealth, changing their allegiance to Japan. While these people were used adeptly to govern Karafuto, they were seen as unforgivable traitors from the Karafuto independence side. He obtained the title of Marquis and lived as a noble in Tokyo. 

The Japanese elementary circles' view of senpai could be inferred from my own example. She likely faced many insults and bullying but fought back. As a result, she earned the nickname "Vasilisa*." It might be easier to understand if I say she’s like the Cinderella of Russian fairy tales. I somewhat understood. The lesser hostility I faced was not only due to Asuka-chan and others but also because of the pioneer, Shisuka-senpai.

[T/N- Vasilisa is Character russian folklore, as next line implied her story is quite similar of cindrella's]

"So, what will you do?"

I smiled in response to Asuka-chan's question. Eiichi-kun and the others later described my smile as that of a wolf spotting its prey, leading to a big argument, but that's story for another day.

"First, we catch her and talk!"

My trump card, Hotaru-chan, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Hello? Shisuka-senpai?"

I started to understand that her reaction was like a hedgehog's dilemma. The more she was bullied and fought back, the more she became wary. Seeing a similar person as a school junior would naturally pique her interest, but the fear of being disliked would stop her from making a move. So, I extend my hand first, but she's too scared to take it and runs away. Understanding this, she falls into our trap.

"!? "

Hotaru-chan, smiling and blocking the escape route, was a bit scary. Yet, her sudden appearance as an obstacle was extremely effective in this kind of ambush hunt. By the way, Hotaru-chan's hide-and-seek ability is said to be so good that not even dogs or wild animals can find her, but I hope that's just a bluff... really hope.

"So, let's talk♪"

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

Shisuka-senpai asked fearfully, and I answered honestly. At least people like her are very sensitive to lies.

"I'm scared. That's why I want to talk and reach mutual understanding."

I intentionally stuck out my tongue to add a touch of playfulness.

"More than anything, being silently stared at is scarier."

"You're right. What was I doing..."

As she finally smiled, I extended my hand. She took it and introduced herself.

"I'm Shisuka Lydia."

"I am Keika-in Runa, Senpai."

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Authors Note

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The Senpai has finally appeared.

【Winter Festival Revolution】

Maslenitsa. The secret police used the festival's security as a cover for a coup, with the military joining them. They then detained the military leadership and invited the Japanese government to advance into Karafuto, causing the collapse of the Northern Japanese government. This revolution is likely called the "Maslenitsa Revolution" abroad.

【Vasilisa】

The official title is "Beautiful Vasilisa." There is also another story called "The Dragon King and Wise Vasilisa" in Russian fairy tales.

【Shisuka】

Pronounced "Shisuka." One of the place names in Karafuto. He changed his surname to his birthplace after joining the Communist Party and rising in rank. There are other people like him whose defection led to the successful annexation of Karafuto by Japan, resulting in their preferential treatment as politicians or nobles.