《Let Me Forget, My First Love》 Volume 1 - CH prologue 1 If you meet a fortune dolphin, your [Stopped unrequited love] will start to move. I think I heard such a story from someone a few years ago. Perhaps I''m hoping in the corner of my heart. The gears that had rusted and stopped---start moving again. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have skipped studying for exams after school and come to the beach during the tidal season. I wonder if a fortune dolphin or something like that might pop up out of the sea''s surface, but I know that such a scene would be too surreal to imagine it. In the first place, what''s a fortune dolphin?...... I think in Kisarazu, a fortune tanuki would still be easier to find. I don''t know. Walking along the seaside is a change of pace from studying for exams or an escape from reality due to frustration about the future. Nothing more, nothing less. "Hey, young boy over there." I''m tired of seeing the Aqualine in Tokyo Bay and the hazy silhouette of Kawasaki on the other side of the bay. Let''s go back.......students who are having exams in July are not supposed to be strolling around carefreely. The sun begins to set. I turn back to the wharf in the evening, dazzled by the horizon, and try to return to the parking lot of Kanada Mitate Beach. "Hey, you bitter-looking young boy over there." Someone is calling behind me. I don''t know exactly where the boy is, but hurry up and give her a reply. "Hey, it''s you. The boy who looked like he was escaping from reality by looking at the ocean from a while ago." I didn''t think it was possible, so I turned around slowly, and...... our gazes crossed. "I thought you couldn''t see me because you kept ignoring me!" A petite woman facing me. No, an innocent little girl. She smiles playfully at me, reflecting my idiotic face in her curiosity-filled eyes. "...... me?" "Is there another boy nearby besides you~?" There was only me and the girl on the wharf, the sounds of the beach and our voices emphasizing our presence. I immediately understood what the small uncomfortable feeling was. It was probably because a younger-looking girl in a local junior high school uniform treated me like a young boy with a casual tone of voice. "If you''re a local, you can probably tell by my uniform, but I was in high school." "If you''re a local, you can probably tell by my uniform, but I was a junior high school student~!" Brilliantly ignoring my approach to being older, the junior high school girl, who seems to be in a good mood, reveals her identity. The first impression one gets from the bright facial expression and energetic tone of voice is that she is an over-familiar and easily carried away person. "Hey~ Don''t look at me like you are licking my whole body~" This cheeky JC teases me regardless of the fact that we have just met. "Unfortunately, I prefer older women to younger children." "But you were looking at me in a weird way, weren''t you~? Well, high school boys are probably totally obsessed with cute girls, aren''t they~?" "Well, yes, that''s true. I was looking at them." "......You are so naughty, aren''t you?" The junior high school girl lets out a disgusted voice as she narrows her eyes. "It''s not the naughty eyes, you know. That''s the point." "Yes, yes~, it''s an impulse that a healthy young boy can''t help." Although I get so much teasing, I''m a senior who is older than you. I''m just trying to be calm and don''t get angry or upset. "Leaving aside your fondness for growing-up junior high school girls~" "My type is older, mature seniors, and I want to be cared for by a kind, tolerant, and receptive woman. Understand? Grow up a little more mature and then come back." "I think I look pretty mature for a junior high school student, you know~?" The junior high school student, perhaps confident of her own growth, proudly puffed out her chest, but......she was still a child in compulsory education. She was slightly taller than the other students, and her mature scent brushed my nose slightly for a junior high school student, but the difference in sex appeal was obvious compared to "a certain senpai" who immediately came to mind as a target of comparison. Forgive me if I unintentionally laugh scornfully. "...... haa, that''s praise for the future." "Hey, you pervert brat. You laughed through your nose just now, didn''t you~?" "You''re the one who''s a pervert brat! I''m Onii-san that older than you!" "Haa~~, you''re a naughty Onii-san, aren''t you~?" What are you sighing about, I''m more tired than you are. "...... So, what can I do for you? I''m not free, even though I look like this." Let''s get back to the story that was derailed by the teasing. I was more or less curious as to why she suddenly called and stopped me. It''s because I''ve definitely never met this girl before, and I haven''t established a relationship with her to talk to her even though I have no business with her. "Eh~? You''re free no matter how you look at it~" "I may look like this, but I''m a student who studies every day for the exam." "Does looking out at Tokyo Bay make you smarter? I didn''t know that~" I can''t reply anything to the junior high school student who is sneering at me....... Satisfied with toying with an older third-year high school student, the junior high school student walked slowly...and sat down on the back seat of a motorcycle that was parked in a parking lot on the beach. "The seat is hard and not very comfortable." "Shut up. Don''t complain when you get on the motorcycle without permission." "And isn''t it a bit shabby in its own way? Can this one be driven properly on public roads?" "I''m sure it''s fine, it''s been inspected. It''s not in bad condition for a 1960''s motorcycle." The retro iron scooter, faded and rusted, is a Rabbit S301 Super Flow. In other words, she showed her boldness by straddling my motorcycle with her legs. "Which way are you going back~?" "Me? Toward Mimachi Street." "You''re going in the same direction as me! Yeay~!" The junior high student flapped her legs, which stretched out from her skirt. I''m starting to get an idea of what you''re thinking, you know...... "We met here for a reason, so please give me a ride home!" Obviously. That''s the only thing I can think of. "Maybe......you just talked to me because you were too lazy to walk home from here?" "Not just that. I wanted to have a chat with you when you looked so lonely, something like that?" Your round eyes are swimming, you know? "Actually, my bicycle got a flat tire..." "So?" "It''s too far to walk home from here." "So?" "Give me a ride, please." A junior high school girl who honestly confessed and bowed her head. She suddenly came to me in a polite manner. "You wouldn''t leave a girl in trouble, would you......? Right, right?" Stop with the moist eyes like an abandoned puppy. "The first ride costs 300 yen, and after that, 80 yen is added depending on the distance. Feel free to take a ride." "That is terrible! You''re going to charge a junior high school girl like a cab? I don''t have that kind of pocket money~, older dependable senpai?" Only on such occasions does she treat me like a senior......! "Please, Onii-chan?" "I prefer a junior setting to a sister......Well, I can''t help it." I put on my own helmet and pulled the lever as I stepped over to the driver''s seat. Turning the key I inserted into the vehicle to ON, I stepped on the foot brake with my right foot, touched the cell switch, and started the rather aged scooter. A small engine noise begins to sound, mechanically polluting the sound of the sea. "There'' s a wonderful benefit for you if you let me ride with you~" "Hmm, what is it?" "To put it bluntly......it''s a sweet and sour memory of your youth, touring around your hometown with a beautiful junior high school girl in the back of your bike! Isn''t this a situation that any boy around your age would long for? Right?" Novel ini diterjemahkan oleh Musubi Novel This novel was translated by Musubi Novel "I''m an idiot for asking." "You should admire me to death, you stupid test-taker." Apparently not pleased with my weak reaction, a junior high school student sitting right behind me chops me through my helmet. "If you leave me behind, I''ll give you the curse of failing the entrance exam." "If you do, I''ll give you back the curse of failing the high school entrance exam." "Ugh, you''re such a scum brother." "What are you saying, scum sister." Only this time, let''s give her a ride as a local. When in trouble, we help each other. I believe that "senpai" whom I know well would give her a gentle hand in such a situation. I handed the junior high school student a spare helmet and watched as she tried to put it on. "Well, as a first-time-only service, I''ll give you a free ride home today." "Yay, even a gloomy, dull boy has some kindness in him. He wasn''t just a useless high school student, was he?" "Get the hell out of the bike." "Just kidding, You are a cool guy. I''m already falling in love with you. Yeah!" While being completely taken in by the mischievous junior high school student''s thoughts, I realized that the effeminate thoughts that had been swirling in my head while gazing out at the sea earlier had temporarily disappeared. It might have been a nice change of pace. My mood was somewhat better now, unlike a few dozen minutes earlier when I had come to this place. "Hold on to me so you don''t fall off." I took the sensation of a junior high school student leaning over and grabbing me by the side as a cue to take off the stand, then let go of the brake while turning the gas pedal gently. With the unpleasant exhaust fumes melting into the sea breeze, I drove my old beloved bike. From one seaside to another. The junior high school student, with a voice loud enough to bounce off the wind noise while driving, guides me the way home, and then I park Rabbit in the parking lot near the playground equipment area "Magokoro Hiroba" at Torisaki Seaside Park. "I can walk straight home from here! Azaashita~!" Taking off the helmet, the junior high school student landed on the ground and flashed a smile of gratitude. "Hn~, what''s with that bitter look on your face? You felt the blue spring with a cute junior high school girl sitting so close to you, didn''t you? That''s a small price to pay, isn''t it?" I can''t hide my dry, bitter smile. She shrugs her shoulders in a tone not much different from that of a child being admonished and gives me the impression that I''m not mature enough. "Young boy, thank you?" ---I was suddenly patted on the head, and my heart beat jumped unintentionally. You''ve skillfully used mischievous behavior and a sweet surprise attack......! Even though I understood that she was teasing me, I was a little glad, boys are such creatures. The junior high school students slowly walked away from the park. I was looking off the back of the girl, astride my motorcycle. "I hope something wonderful happens to you, too, after you did something wonderful for me!" The girl, illuminated by the bright early summer sunset, looks back at me and tells me this with a big smile on her face. Suddenly, my gaze was drawn to a certain point. The hairpin that the junior high school student had in her hair resembled a dolphin. Although it was not because of that, I felt that it suited her bizarrely, and it seemed somehow beautiful. As I look at her with my mouth tied, the junior high student shows a movement of her lips but I can''t hear her voice. ---And, I''m sorry. This is completely speculative. If she was apologizing, I wasn''t sure why. Volume 1 - CH prologue 2 After the junior high student disappeared on her way home, I tried to leave too. But my instincts stopped me. My eardrums catch the sound of dribbling, which is unusual for a seaside park, making me want to get out of the Rabbit as I turn off the engine. My body is drawn to a corner of the park and at the end of the path......There is an outdoor basketball court that was newly built when I was in middle school and is always open for use. Even though it is a basketball court, the court is half-size for 3-on-3 only. I remember my heart beating excessively when I came here, and I felt lighter when that person was near me. The "senior" who was like a big sister to the boy, smiling at him and giving him gentle compliments in a soft tone of voice---made him like her even more. As I stagger up to the basketball court and stand there, a dull orange ball rolls to my feet. It is unmistakably a basketball. "It''s not fair if you show up so suddenly. I wasn''t prepared for this......" I naturally let out a murmur filled with both surprise and happiness. No good. I did not expect it at all, and my defenseless heart, taken by surprise, is filled with sweet love. It reminds me of the ecstatic feelings I used to have, of the days when I was in love. Please don''t suddenly appear in front of me. "High school student over there, I''d be happy if you could pick up the ball for me." The moment I picked up the ball, a woman''s voice bleached my dingy state of mind. A pleasant sense of nostalgia spreads through my eardrums. Holding the ball in both hands, I walk forward. Waiting daintily under the ring was a woman who looked more mature than I had seen her before. Her black hair, which used to be a short bob, has been changed to medium brown hair. Her makeup, which is not too flashy, further enhances the sense of purity. Every time her lace skirt swayed by the gentle summer breeze, a small wave of euphoria generated a slight heat in my cheeks. I was stopped in my tracks as I looked at this woman and I was speechless. "Haru-senpai......" I call the name of an older woman whom I know so well. "Long time no see, Natsume-kun. Maybe half a year or so?" Hirose Haru. She is a college student, one year older than me. "No......it''s been only about four months since you graduated, Haru-senpai." "Then no wonder Natsume-kun hasn''t changed much." "Haru-senpai has changed quite a bit. Your hair is longer and dyed brown......I didn''t know who you were from a distance." "I''m now a college student in Tokyo, and I''m trying my best to dress up so people won''t underestimate me for being a hick......it doesn''t look good on me?" Calm down, me. Don''t get excited. "I-I think it looks good on you!......I also liked you when you were in high school, though!" "Oh, you liked me? Did you confess to me?" "Ah, no, i-it''s not like that......! I meant that I liked your refreshing black hair when you were in high school, and the way you looked in your women''s basketball uniform, which was just like a senior......!" The nervousness makes me flustered. And my lips and tongue don''t work properly. Da*n, get back......my sense of distance I had four months ago! "I see. So, Natsume-kun prefers me when I was a little girl in Kisarazu rather than a college girl in Tokyo? You make my maiden heart complicated~!" Senpai who pouted her lips in dissatisfaction is also cute. I will never get tired of watching her flexible and ever-changing facial expressions. "I''m quite nervous because I meet Haruru-senpai so suddenly like this. Please leave me a message at least one." "I think if I stay here, I would be able to see you, Natsume-kun. It''s my kind of surprise!" I push the ball with both hands and give a pass to Haru-senpai to hide my embarrassment. In fact, my restless state of mind has not yet subsided, and my heart rate, which had risen markedly, does not even show any sign of slowing down. No kidding, it was too sudden. I wanted her to at least let me prepare myself. The only thing I could do was to cover up my irresistible loosening cheeks by unnaturally turning my head down. "Hey hey, did you really feel that happy to see Haru Onee-san?¡¡Natsume-kun is as cute as ever. I want him to be my little brother." She approached me with this joking line and tapped me on the shoulder. I didn''t want to show my untidy expression, but the curious Haru-senpai was trying to peek in, so I quickly turned my face away. "I was a bit lonely because I wasn''t used to living alone, so I felt nostalgic and relaxed talking to Natsume-kun in his uniform like this." I guess I was really hungry for the time I could talk to this person. Times pass quickly, but I think the four months since this person graduated from high school turned into unsatisfying days that might be equal to several years. "Huh? Natsume-kun, haven''t you grown a little taller?" "......it won''t change that much in just four months." "What? I''m sure you are grown up. How many centimeters apart am I from you?" "Wait, Haru-senpai......" Too close......Haru-senpai comes strangely close to me, perhaps wanting to compare each other''s height. The fragrance pleasantly colored the state of mind of the boy in love, and each eyelash was clearly visible. Her fragrance was more mature than when she was in Kisarazu. Immediately, I take one step backward. I was trying not to notice the heat on my skin that was slowly rising and the way my eyes were shifting erratically. "Since you''re here, can you watch me for a minute?" Haru-senpai suddenly turns her body toward the ring and shoots the ball with both hands into the sunset-colored sky. Haru-senpai''s upper body is fully stretched. The ball, released from an ideal shooting form, was pulled by gravity, drew a beautiful parabola, and was drawn into the rusty ring. "Yosh! My arm doesn''t weaken yet, yeah." The ball hit the ground and bounced. The bouncing sound of the ball hitting the court gradually becomes quieter, and eventually, the silence makes the exhaust noise of the vehicles driving in the area seem even noisier. Yosh! Such a cute utterance and triumphant pose fill all my senses with happiness. Right now, Shirahama Natsume---is emotionally controlled by Hirose Haru, and can only think of this person. "Natsume-kun." "......eh?" She suddenly called my name and I came back to myself. "You are staring at me too much. It''s embarrassing, you know?" Haru-senpai poked me in the forehead with a furrowed brow, but she immediately smiled at me. "I watched you carefully to see if you had become unskilled due to the blanks. It was a good shot, just like you did on the women''s basketball team." Novel ini diterjemahkan oleh Musubi Novel This novel was translated by Musubi Novel "Hey! You were going to jeer at me if I missed that shot, weren''t you!? You''re a junior, but you''re so cocky!" The junior boy whose hair is stroked pretends not to like it, but does not reject it. Ever since you graduated, I''ve been longing for a time like this. "By the way, you are also preparing for an entrance exam. Is everything going well? How are your studies going?" "My studies are going too well, so please invite me out whenever you come back home." "Thank you! What you should have is a cute junior who comes running to you any time." Because I want to share time with Haru-senpai, and because I want to remain to be her cute junior, please forgive me if I pretend that I am doing well in my exam studies. If I can''t be your boyfriend, let me be your number one junior. "Do your best to get into the same university as me. I''ll be waiting for you, kouhai-kun." When an innocent smile is accompanied by encouragement, my vaguely stagnant loneliness is replaced by a groundless sense of expectation. That is how simple and clear-cut my human structure is. I don''t have a definite dream, but I have a desire to go to the same university as Haru-senpai. But that is probably not what Haru-senpai expects of me. Fortune dolphin, huh...... For some reason, a rumor that has no known origin haunts my mind at this time. Haru-senpai, who had been so busy with his campus life and a part-time job in Tokyo that she had not even pretended to return to Kisarazu, came to see me on a whim at the beginning of summer. It was the same day I visited this place for the first time in a while, and at a similar time of the day. If you meet a fortune dolphin, your [Stopped unrequited love] will start to move. There have been no sightings of real dolphins swimming in the sea of Kisarazu, but a junior high school girl I met at the wharf seemed to have led me there, albeit by accident. ......Stupid. There is no way that''s true. It was silly to take a clich¨¦d fiction seriously with no known origin. My view of love is not so sullied enough to complicate the relationship due to a dolphin''s hair ornament. My unrequited love is already equal to permafrost. I only chewed on the small fortune of chatting with Haru-senpai---bringing my dreamy mood back to reality. Starting tomorrow, I''ll be back to studying for exams and escaping reality. It''s bound to happen. The sun burning on the horizon shows no sign of setting even in the evening and continues to sear the skin of the student who is immersed in a status quo relationship where no one is hurt, and the sweat that has emerged soaks his shirt. Contrary to my first love that was frozen long ago. I had a feeling that this summer was going to be hot again. Volume 1 - CH 1.1 "I''ll be waiting for you, Kouhai-kun......huh." I let out an exhale mixed with a soliloquy that only I can hear, and the corners of my mouth end up turning up. Here is a creepy guy giggling. Sigh~, I can''t even study for the exam. My dreamy state of mind just won''t stop! It is as if a gentle light suddenly shone on a world that had been cloudy. It is definitely different. The everyday scenery reflected in my eyes has been reborn more vividly, a pleasant state of mind. It''s an afternoon during class, my mouth loosens as I look at the messaging app displayed on my phone, which I dexterously play with behind my desk. ¡¶I''m sure your mother comes home late as usual, right?¡¡I don''t have plans tonight either, so if you want, I can go cook dinner or something.¡· The sender of the overly happy message is, of course, Haru-senpai. It was even accompanied by an adorable sticker of a trendy character saluting, and so I returned a similar sticker in a second! No reason to refuse. What the heck, what the heck~ Is it okay? Such an exciting event happened two days in a row. "Hey, Natsume. How about we go home and have some fun today to take a break from studying for the exams?" The teacher''s voice explaining the main points of the class was not a concern. My friend sitting next to me offered to help me kill some time, but now was not the time for me to be developing male friendships. "I''m sorry. I have a prior appointment that I can''t miss, so I''m going straight home." When I briskly decline while looking at my phone screen, I get seared with a doubtful stare. "You ...... have been grinning at your phone for a while now, haven''t you? Is it a girl? It''s a girl, right?" "Guess what." "Oy! What the he*l are you doing, da*n! Any examinee who plays with women should be a ronin! Damn you!" T/N : Ronin, someone who waiting for another chance to enter a university Shut up. Notice how the teacher is coughing and staring at us. "Well, it''s Hirose-senpai, isn''t it? You guys were really close, weren''t you?" We were. My curious friend lowers his voice but tries to expand on this love story. "We''re closer than lovers." "Don''t try to run away from me, you traitor......I won''t invite you to play with me anymore......." "Don''t say that, ask me out. We''re friends." It was a statement that was meant to be a joke, and yet it''s so seriously regrettable there. It''s unreasonable to be treated as a traitor as soon as you hint at a woman''s presence in the friendship of a group of boys. Yesterday, I was so excited by the sudden turn of events, but after a day or so, my instincts tell me that it was not just a pleasant situation. That person comes back to her hometown two days in a row. It was a little strange. I had finally begun to accept life without senpai around, but this unexpected encounter made me sorely elated and lit a spark of lingering feelings that had been incompletely burned out. The troublesome balance between the construction of wanting to maintain an appropriate distance and the true intention of wanting to meet easily in accordance with an honest desire swung in my favor. ......I''m sure she has no special thought about it, since she''s a soft-hearted senpai. If a man and a woman of your age are going to be alone together, you''d better keep the room clean and tidy, right? Even though I try to fool myself into thinking that I don''t have weird expectations and am not conscious of her as a member of the opposite sex, in the corner of my head, the images of my fantasies start to play on a loop. I can''t even study anymore....... Ugh......all I can think about is Haru-senpai. Very immature and it''s painful. Shirahama Natsume''s adolescence has been swayed by his one-sided love. "I mean, I was surprised that you still liked Hirose-senpai---" My friend was about to say that much, but he cuts off his line with a meaningful part. "......I don''t think I can go out with Haru-senpai. Right now...I just want her to treat me like a junior, like a little brother." ---That is enough for me. It''s too much to want more than that and absolutely impossible. "You have a reasonably good-looking face and you''re fairly smart, so why don''t you go out with someone else? Just between you and me, I hear there are quite a few girls who like Natsume, you know?" Novel ini diterjemahkan oleh Musubi Novel This novel was translated by Musubi Novel "I''m flattered to hear that. Though I don''t remember any girl confessing to me since I entered high school." "No wonder. When you were talking with Hirose-senpai, no matter how anyone looked at you, you were so blushing that there was no space for other girls to get into it." "Was I that......obvious?" "You stubborn." "Don''t give me a dishonorable nickname." "As long as you have a crush, maybe you''re quietly breaking someone else''s crush, too." ".......I don''t know." My heart aches in my chest as I give a blunt reply. Even if there was someone close to me who liked me, no one can read someone''s mind. If you don''t convey your thoughts and feelings in your voice or in writing, they will never know. The same goes for me. A silent unrequited love that has no intention of conveying its feelings will never reach her. "Why don''t you just tell her? Wouldn''t that make things easier?" "I''m fine with this. Haru-senpai and I will......always have this relationship." When I thought it was someone else''s problem and made a careless remark, I felt a slight irritation. As if to deceive myself about my discomfort with my own relentless self, I tried to scribble the main points of the class on the blackboard on a loose-leaf paper, but the lead of my pen broke as soon as I tried to write. I wish I could do better in both examinations and my love life. My motivation to study was broken, so I plopped down at my desk to cover my agony. Volume 1 - CH 1.2 "Shirahama-senpai!" In the blink of an eye, it''s after school. I was having a chat in the hallway with a friend from the homecoming club, but our conversation was overridden by a loud voice with a clear core. The voices came from a pair of guys. I was at the other end of their line of sight. As I watched the familiar faces of the juniors bowing their heads in greeting, I thought to myself. Oh, so that''s how it is. "......Yo. Do your best." When I replied with a lackluster voice, the juniors bowed and walked away. For them, after school is not free time. They would not waste their time having a chat in a place like this, but would hurry to the gymnasium. "Who was that? Is it an acquaintance of Natsume''s?" A friend of mine who is not acquainted with them throws a question mark at me. "Just a junior. We hardly interact anymore." "Even if you''re such a senior, they greet you when they see you, the hierarchical relationship in the sports club is very tight, isn''t it?" He shrugged his shoulders as if he was impressed, but it might be hard for someone who has always been a member of homecoming club to understand the atmosphere of the club. Though even I am now a member of the homecoming club. I parted from my friends whose homes were in different directions at the school gate and left myself alone on my way home. A familiar route to home. The scenery of Kisarazu, with its general residential areas and countless small boats lining the rivers along the coast. Since the opening of the Aqualine, the convenience to Kanagawa and Tokyo has improved significantly, and the shopping district around the station has been losing its vitality due to the influence of large shopping facilities moving into the suburbs. It is said that "Mimachi Street" near my house used to be a shopping street, but my generation probably only has the impression of a residential area where stone statues of tanuki greeted people. I think I understand why I want to go to a university in Tokyo like Haru-senpai. But ...... I like this town. Just passing by various places, I can feel the memories with Haru-senpai. Because I met Haru-senpai in this town and I am in love with her--- Although I am tired of seeing the scenery of Kisarazu, I am in love with it. As I blended into the hometown scenery as an ordinary citizen and approached the Fujimi Bridge on the Yana River---a bicycle approached from behind and briskly passed by. The driver of the ladies'' bicycle clutches the brake and stops in the middle of the small bridge. The driver, a female student, twists her waist around and looks back at me with only her upper body. That''s why I am stopped on my way home, too. "Isn''t that familiar dumb face Natsume-senpai?" The familiar dumb face is for both of us. "Touri......." Her name spontaneously spills out of my own dumbfounded mouth. Her short bob haircut, the tips of which touch her slender shoulders, gives her a fresh summer look, but her voice is filled with coldness, and her eyes, which reflect mine, are a little stiff. After school, I even feel a vivid sense of nostalgia when I see Takanashi Touri, a second-year student wearing the uniform of the high school I attended, in front of me. "......I usually don''t see you, senpai, you''re unusually going home early today." I am sure that she is not praising me, judging from her voice mixed with sighs. "I may look like this, but I''m a student who''s taking an entrance exam. It would be bad if I didn''t go straight home and study once in a while." "......I feel like it''s a harbinger of the supernatural phenomenon for senpai to be so motivated." You are a very rude junior. "Are you going to shop for supplies, Touri?" "Yes, indeed. Because it''s the manager''s job." "You''ve come a long way for shopping, haven''t you? If all you want is a drink, shouldn''t the convenience store near the school be enough?" "......I saw senpai trying to go home, so I thought I''d check in on him once in a while." Did you have to come after me on a bicycle just for that? Apparently, they are very worried about you, you useless examinee. "You could have talked to me near the school. You could have caught up with me right away if you were riding your bicycle, couldn''t you?" "......It''s been so long since I''ve talked to senpai, I just wasn''t sure how to talk to you." It seems that she kept wandering behind me while she was thinking of the first words to say to me. Finally, she made up her mind and her first words as she briskly rode past me on her bicycle were, "Isn''t that familiar dumb face Natsume-senpai?" "Pfft......that''s so Touri." "......What are you laughing at? Senpai is as irritating as ever." I miss this contrast between a senior who spurts out a laugh and a junior who looks somewhat sulky. I had almost forgotten it over the past year. I thought I would never be able to experience this kind of after-school page again. Although we started walking side by side, a strange sense of awkwardness enveloped us. A cold, itchy feeling clouded the air around us. It''s not that we''re in a bad relationship. It''s just that it''s been a while since we last spoke, so it''s taken us a while to regain the distance we once had. At least on my side. "......Is it Haru-senpai?" "Huh?" "......the reason why Natsume-senpai is motivated is because of Haru-senpai''s involvement, right?" "No, no, Haru-senpai has nothing to do with it. Just your imagination." "......I can guess by your impatient reaction, senpai." I can''t strongly deny it because it is true, but I hesitate to easily affirm it. Although I don''t sense anger in her calm tone of voice, I wonder if it is just my imagination that there is a small thorn in her words. "......Natsume-senpai has a habit when you lie." "Really? I''m not aware of it, tell me for reference." "Don''t wanna.......Wouldn''t it be more interesting if I were the only one who could see through it?" While the mean Touri wore a meaningful expression on her face, "......as usual, you''re not very good at lying, are you? Natsume-senpai." She shifts her gaze toward me and leaves a smile with a hint of warmth peeking through. Touri is in a good mood......No, Touri who expresses her good mood in her facial expression is rare, and it was unexpectedly cute. "Touri too, as usual, is not very good at smiling." "......Noisy. I mean, I''m not smiling." She expressed her displeasure, and Touri''s fingertips poked me on the shoulder. "I think you look cuter when you smile than when you look sulky." "......Please don''t say I''m cute carelessly.......It troubles me when senpai teases me." "Ah, you''re always cute. Touri is really so cute. She''s so da*n cute." She poked me repeatedly each time I called her cute, but the force was softer than the first poke. "This place......has been emptied before I knew it." A short distance after crossing the Fujimi Bridge, Touuri stopped pushing her bicycle as she stared at a vacant lot in a corner of a plain alley dotted with a few snack bars. "......Senpai, do you remember? When we were in junior high school, I used to accompany Senpai to his morning practice using the abandoned building here as a meeting place." "Yeah, of course. We didn''t have a phone at the time, so we were meeting at this place that was close to each other''s homes......." "......that''s right. Every time Senpai overslept and was late for morning practice, I would grumpily wait in front of the building." We reminisce about the details of the building. The building was an entertainment center with a bowling alley and arcade, but it was completely out of business by the time I was in junior high school. Only the old, abandoned building with the smell of the Showa era remained to this day, but it seems to have been demolished after we stopped meeting up here. "When this place was still open, I was taken there once. They had table tennis and billiards as well as bowling, and it was really fun." "......I''ve never heard of it before. Did senpai''s mother bring you here?" "No, with Haru-senpai, who was in junior high school." The moment I let out a nonchalant word, Touri''s eyes became cold and heavy......or something? "......Whenever there''s a chance, you talk about your memories of Haru-senpai, Natsume-senpai." "Ugh......I can''t do without clinging to memories of the past......" "It so Natsume-senpai, who has been making things worse with his first love." "Are you mad about something?" Novel ini diterjemahkan oleh Musubi Novel This novel was translated by Musubi Novel "......I''m not angry. I''m just thinking that there''s nothing I can do about it." The sigh Touri lets out may be a mixture of dumbfounded and frustration, like, "This guy can''t be saved," She''s a harsh junior. Give me some warm words. "......I''m similar to you, so we both know there''s nothing we can do about it." I couldn''t understand from her abstract lines which part of us was similar, but I''d like to see Touri''s momentary smile as many times as I can, just like at this moment. We stopped for a few minutes in front of the vacant lot, and our smoothly spinning banter was ...... suddenly halted. "......Was there any change in Haru-senpai after she graduated?" "Haru-senpai was just as usual. If anything, I feel like she''s more energetic than before." "......That''s a relief. I haven''t seen her face since she graduated,......so I''m glad she''s leading a normal college life." Perhaps the memories of the past that Touri and I have in common have passed through our minds, and the sound of each other''s voices tightens gravely. The light atmosphere disappeared, occasionally letting our gazes wander to our feet. "......Next month is the Winter Cup qualifier. For third-year students,......it''s their last tournament." "It doesn''t have anything to do with me anymore." "......Senpai won''t be going back to the club anymore?" After a few seconds of silence, though it is hard to say, Touri said so. "Yeah. I won''t play basketball anymore." An immediate answer. Without making any change in my facial expression or tone of voice, I replied in a matter-of-fact manner. "Are you trying to imitate the life that your brother walked through, Natsume-senpai?" "I told you when I left the club. That has nothing to do with it." It''s very Touri to tickle my weak spot without any hesitation at all. "There was something more important than basketball. I wanted to be by Haru-senpai''s side, even if it meant being a substitute for my brother. That was all I wanted." After saying that, I start walking in the direction of my home. Leaving Touri behind who would be returning to school on the other side. "......Natsume-senpai!" Touri''s voice pierces my lonely back and I have no choice but to look back. Touri took out a cylindrical object from the plastic bag in the basket of her bicycle and threw it in my direction. "...!" As soon as I grabbed it with my left hand, which I quickly held out, I felt the cold sensation of metal and condensation permeate my palm. I received an aluminum can of juice. It was an orange juice. "It was a gift for Senpai, who is working hard on his studies." I remember when I was in the club, I used to get this kind of gift from Touri, the manager--- Nostalgia swelled and ran instantly through my entire body. "......Although it probably won''t be possible, I hope you can get into the same college as Haru-senpai." "To be honest, I''m still unsure......whether or not I''m going to take the college entrance exam." "......You''re really a person who makes me worry all the time, Natsume-senpai." Touri turns her back this time, while muttering in an almost faded voice. As she started pedaling, the back of my junior gradually became farther and farther away, and it took less than a minute before my eyesight could no longer recognize her. I''m sorry for making you worry. Thanks for coming all the way out here to check on me, Touri. Volume 1 - CH 1.3 Just imagining the girl I like coming to my house makes my steps feel light. I must be a fool for being so carefree and excited, thinking that I could fly up to the sky now. The moment I returned to my home, a common house, and took off my shoes at the front door as usual--- "Hey~, there''s no cold juice in the fridge~?" ............ ......What''s that? I could not help but be puzzled. Why did I hear a voice from the living room that I should not have heard here? "Ah, young boy. Welcome back~?" A girl lying on a sofa in the living room, her legs flapping and bouncing. No, I think it''s too much of a glorification to classify her as a girl. A cheeky junior high school student who had somehow become nostalgic for me. I couldn''t understand what she said with a smiling face, or rather, I couldn''t read her intention at all, and I couldn''t keep my mouth shut. I couldn''t understand the words she said with a smiling face, or rather, I couldn''t read her intention at all, and I couldn''t keep my mouth shut. "Has a tanuki finally started to sneak into my house?" "Who is the tanuki! It''s a cute and beautiful junior high school girl!" "If that''s the case, I''ll call the police and report you for trespassing." "It''s not trespassing¡« We are already friends, aren''t we¡«?" "Who says we are friends? We''ve only met for two days." "When a man and a woman ride together on a motorcycle, they''re friends! I mean, normally you would be happy to find a cute junior high school girl when you get home, right~! What is it with these herbivorous types these days~!" Could it be that? Is she the type of tanuki-chan who thinks the person who is kind to her is her parent and she misses them? "......I mean, don''t eat my snacks without my permission! I was looking forward to it to my break from studying for my exams!" "Hahaha¡«, this brings back memories¡« Wasabeef is still around!" Wish she would be exterminated due to that. The JC tanuki that invaded my house was chewing on my snacks without a second thought. "Or rather, how do you know where my house is?......Moreover, do you have a key to my front door?" "I''ve seen you many times since I live in the neighborhood~. The front door opened just fine when I rattled it open." I guess my mom forgot to lock the door when she left for work. What a troublesome. "I wonder if there is a vermin extermination company nearby......" "Eh, where are the vermin? I only see a dull ronin candidate and a very beautiful JC? Hmmm?" T/N : ronin, someone who waiting for a chance to enter a university I don''t want to hit her, but please hit her¡«¡«¡«¡«¡« I was annoyed by her freewheeling attitude as she ate all the snacks, so I took the snacks away from her for the time being. "Ah! My Wasabeef! You thief!" "You''re the thief!" I stand tall and hold the snack high in the air as the childish junior high student gets up from the sofa in an attempt to take it back. The unreasonably stubborn junior high school student reaches out her hand with great effort and jumps up and down. "Don''t tease¡«a¡«weak¡«girl! Nuh-uh!" "Alright, tanuki-chan. Try your best to get the snacks." "Hey! Don''t pat my¡«head¡«like¡«a¡«dog!" When I patted her head as if teasing her, the junior high schooler stretched her back and leaned toward me. "Sit down." When I ordered her to sit down, she sat down on the sofa. "Alright, good, good." "Yay! You are kind after all~?" As a reward, I petted her head and presented her with snacks, and she began to eat them with a big smile on her face......Yeah, it''s soothing, like having a pet dog. No, it''s pet tanuki. After all, she is just a child in compulsory education. Though she''s cheeky, she''s also easy to tame. "By the way, you were having an adolescent moment with your junior in front of the former Kisarazu Central site, weren''t you?" It seems that she was secretly spying on me while I was standing there talking with Touri. "So the entertainment facility over there was called Kisarazu Central? I had always called it a bowling alley or an abandoned building, so this is the first time I know its official name." "What? Isn''t it common knowledge for Kisarazu citizens? There used to be a movie theater called Kisarazu Central Cinema located there, although it has already been closed. Watching movies there was my adolescent moment." Don''t talk about adolescence so much when you''re just a junior high school student. "I wasn''t allowed to play there when I was a child because of my father''s policy, so I don''t know much about playgrounds." "Ah~, if I had met this boy a little earlier, I would have taken him with me. I could have given him adolescent memories of watching movies with junior high school girls." "I don''t want to go on a date with a junior high school girl because I might be arrested." Novel ini diterjemahkan oleh Musubi Novel This novel was translated by Musubi Novel "Wow, you''re so shy! I don''t hate that kind of innocent side, you know?" "I''ll give you fried tofu, so just go home." "I''m not a fox." T/N : There''s a tale that says foxes like tofu. I''m sorry, tanuki-chan. I''ll give you agedama, so be quiet and go home." T/N : agedama, bits of fried batter after cooking tempura "No! I won''t leave unless you give me more snacks-tanu?. I''m going to live in the attic-tanu?" Tanu my a**! It''s not cute if you put it like that. ......Whatever, I don''t have time to play with this tanuki-chan. "I have an important visitor coming over later." "Oh, I see~." "I''m serious." "Don''t mind me~. I''ll act like a pet tanuki~." No, I mind. This child is going to stay here no matter what. "Do you know what would happen if someone misunderstood that I brought a middle school girl home?" "What''s going to happen~?" "I''ll be in a hellish situation, I''ll be hated, depending on the case, I''ll be arrested by the police, I won''t be able to take the entrance exam, I''ll be labeled as someone who laid a hand on a junior high school student, and I''ll die in society." "Ha-ha-ha, that''s funny, that''s funny." Stop laughing! I am really scared! "Yes, yes, I understand. The disturbers will go home quickly." But why didn''t she seem to get up from where she was lying on her back at all? "If you can beat me at that, you know?" Tanuki JC pointed at the video game software scattered under the TV, an obvious provocation. Very well, I''ll get in the ring with you as a senior. You cocky little brat who acts like a big sister for nothing. I''m going to win this fight and get you the he*l out of here.