He’s a child who has grown physically but remains a child at heart. That’s Saito Minazuki.
“It seems like love is still too early for the childish Saito.”
“Shut up. Just you wait; I’ll definitely have a cute girlfriend and show her off before I graduate high school.”
“Sure, sure. I’m not expecting it, but I’ll be waiting.”
Though he’s somewhat aware of it, being teased for that reason still annoys him.
Once determined to show Lily what’s what, Saito felt a total lack of trust from her side, as she casually brushed off his intentions.
“We’ve arrived at school,” Lily mentioned, seemingly unimpressed by Saito’s resolve.
“Who cares about that… this school is still damn impressive,” Saito replied,
his love life reduced to a single sentence. But his attention quickly shifted to the enormous school building in front of them, boosting his spirits.
The school, located just outside the station, was Seira High School
– a prestigious institution in the county, known for producing professional athletes, celebrities, and students who make it to renowned universities.
Saito couldn’t fathom how he ended up here.
“Where do they post the class lists?” Saito asked, trying to figure out his class.
“Ugh, wasn’t it in front of the building?”
“Doesn’t seem like there are many people around. Hey, can I ask you something?”
Saito initially wanted to check his class, but he forgot where to find it.
He asked Lily, but her reaction wasn’t great, so He’s not sure if he’ll got it right.
Saito approached a male student taking pictures of cherry blossoms nearby.
“Hey, what’s up?”
The boy with natural curls jerked, turned towards Saito with a puzzled look on his face.
Judging by his reaction, he didn’t expect someone to talk to him.
“Oh, sorry if I startled you. I just want to check my class, but I forgot where to find it. Do you remember where to check it?”
“…Oh, that’s what you meant. In that case, you can check it over there in the schoolyard.”
Feeling a bit guilty, but satisfied with the reason, he told Saito where to find the class list.
“Thanks. Oh, by the way, since we’ve met here, how about telling me your name? I’m Saito Minazuki.”
“Akashi Kai.”
“Akashi, huh? Cool name. If we end up in the same class, nice to meet you. Seriously, thanks for the help.”
“Likewise.”
After expressing gratitude to Kai, Saito returned to where Lily was.
There was quite a distance to cover, and Saito couldn’t help but smile at how far Lily was from him.
It seemed like not calling her over this time was the right decision.
“It’s over there in the schoolyard.”
“Got it. Let’s go check it quickly.”
“It would be nice if we ended up in the same class.”
“I think so too, but ultimately, it’s up to luck.”
There were five classes in the first year,
so the chance of being in the same class wasn’t very high.
Therefore, both of them checked their classes without expecting too much.
“No way.”
“Unbelievable.”
When they checked their classes, they were astonished to find out that they were in the same class.
Moreover, since their surnames were close, their seat numbers were consecutive.
What incredible luck.
Saito and Lily were initially skeptical of the convenience of the situation.
“…He really exists.”
“Huh? Did you say something?”
“No, it’s nothing important. Anyway, it’s great that we’re in the same class.”
“Absolutely. I only knew Lily as an acquaintance in this school, so I’m really glad. Looking forward to the next year.”
“Yeah, me too.”
Although they were unsure if things would go smoothly, having Lily by his side made Saito feel more confident.
As Saito extended his hand, Lily squeezed it tightly in response.
(It seems like it’s going to be a fun year.)
Without any evidence, Saito had a strong feeling that he would indeed have an exciting year.
Click, clack.
Climbing the stairs with the sound of loafers echoing, steps repeated countless times.
The stairs she had used over and over again.
Even though she thought she wouldn’t feel anything new at this point, the presence of her childhood friend, who wasn’t there last time, brought a sense of freshness.
(Really, it feels weird.)
With that thought in mind, she ascended the stairs lightly, one step at a time.
After reaching the top of the stairs and approaching the classroom, the lively noise of students reached her ears, and she finally felt a sense of nostalgia.
(I’ve come back.)
Just like last time, the classroom was noisy, and she doubted if it was truly an advanced school.
At the same time, she felt anxious about whether she would fit in with this class.
Even after a long time had passed since the time leap, this feeling hadn’t changed.
(Will I be able to handle this?)
(Maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t come?)
Fear crept in, and her hand, hesitating, couldn’t open the classroom door.
“Are you okay, Lily?”
Saito, puzzled by Lily’s sudden freeze, peered at her from the side.
[Okay! Well said. You can do it. So, go in with all you’ve got.]
[Yeah!]
(Come to think of it, that’s right. I’ve already made up my mind. I’ve been prepared for this for a long time.)
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
The moment she looked at his face, memories of their exchange from several years ago flashed through her mind.
Since that day, she had decided to move forward no matter what happened.
So, it was too late to be scared now.
The die had been cast ever since she decided to enroll in this high school.
Take a deep breath, adjusting her emotions, Lily opened the classroom door.
All eyes in the classroom turned towards her simultaneously.
It was the first time she faced them fearlessly.
This time, she confidently accepted the attention and took her seat.
A gal student with reddish-brown hair, who was nearby, then approached and started talking.
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“Hey, hey, did you dye your hair?”
“No, it’s natural. I was born with this hair. My mother is French, so it comes from there.”
“Really? Nice~ I wanted to dye mine a brighter color, but the school rules limit me to this. I envy real blondes.”
“Haha, it’s not all that great.”
The gal, with sparkling eyes, envied Lily genuinely.
As someone who had been bullied in the past because of her hair color, Lily couldn’t express her feelings and could only respond with a dry smile.
“Yeah, yeah, I have a question too. Your skin is so beautiful; what cosmetics do you use?”
“Do you have a boyfriend!?”
“Where are you from?”
“Favorite food and type of guy?”
Starting with the gal’s questions, a barrage of inquiries from other students surrounded Lily.
Overwhelmed by the sheer number of questions, Lily regretted not escaping earlier.
However, it was somewhat within her expectations.
“I mostly use snow spirit cosmetics.”
“I’ll leave it to your imagination.”
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but it’s Yoshino Middle School.”
“I like sweet snacks.”
Having faced similar questions in her first life, Lily managed to handle them somehow.
In the midst of answering, she suddenly met eyes with Saito, who was a bit away.
His gaze, warm and reminiscent of a father pleased with his daughter’s growth, irritated Lily.
Despite being aware of her since childhood, Saito’s reaction seemed typical, but it annoyed her.
After all, she was older in terms of birthdate and mentally more mature. She wished he would stop treating her like a child.
(Saito, despite his age, can be quite insolent.)
While silently cursing him in her mind, her glare had no effect.
In the end, the questions from classmates continued until the teacher arrived, and Lily had to endure Saito’s gaze until then.
The entrance ceremony concluded without any major issues.
After the ceremony, students attended their first class, Physical Education.
Standing at the lectern, explaining the subject matter was a newly appointed female teacher, Chie Hayama, clad in a fresh suit similar to theirs.
Being a new teacher, she seemed quite nervous, occasionally stumbling over her words and blushing in embarrassment.
She covered various topics, including upcoming classes, school events, grades, textbooks, and guidelines for living at the academy,
using handouts for explanation.
“─That concludes the explanation. For now! Let’s follow these rules and enjoy a delightful three years of school life. Well then, we’ll end it here for today. Thank you very much. Be careful on your way home.”
The explanation lasted about thirty minutes, and the students were dismissed for the day.
“All right, let’s go, Lily.”
“Yeah, just a moment.”
As students prepared to leave, Saito, who had finished his preparations quickly, called out to Lily to leave.
Still not done packing her belongings into her bag, Lily asked him to wait a bit and continued stuffing the remaining textbooks.
“Okay.”
Once she finished packing all the textbooks, Lily stood up and walked alongside Saito.
“Okay, where should we go for lunch? My parents said they’d take us anywhere for my celebration.”
“I haven’t decided yet. Have you?”
“Burger King.”
“…It’s a special day for my enrollment. How about some expensive sushi or yakiniku?”
“Burger King is expensive for a hamburger joint.”
“Well, for a hamburger joint.”
Despite the plans for both families to go out for a meal later, choosing a burger shop for an enrollment celebration seemed a bit too much.
Lily was bewildered by her childhood friend’s unchanging love for burgers.
(I need to be more assertive.)
However, with no other options at the moment, it seemed they were headed for a burger place.
Lily pondered over any good alternatives, and as she did, a quiet-looking girl approached.
“Hey, can I ask you something? What’s the relationship between you two? I saw you coming to school together in the morning.”
Whether it was because Lily, who had been distant with guys, was chatting amicably with Saito, or just curiosity about their relationship, the girl approached to inquire about them.
“We’re childhood friends.”
“Yeah, that’s how it is. Well, high school is our first time going to the same school”
“…I see.”
Since there was nothing to hide, they honestly confessed about the relationship.
Upon hearing that, the girl’s expression became serious, and she looked towards Saito.
Their gazes met, and time passed with silence.
“…Seems like it’s true. I’m sorry for being suspicious. I just got a bit curious, that’s all.”
A few seconds passed.
Perhaps because Saito remained unfazed,
the girl acknowledged her misunderstanding and apologized for prying.
“It’s okay. If I were in your shoes, I might have thought the same. Thanks for asking.”
“Being told that makes me feel relieved. Sorry for taking up your time. See you.”
“Hey, how did it go?”
“It seems like they’re not dating. they’re just childhood friends.”
When Saito mentioned that he wasn’t bothered, the girl bowed again, bid farewell, and returned to her seat. There, she shared the recent outcome with several other girls who were waiting.
It seemed that her curiosity was not unique;
others were interested as well.
“They’re really getting the wrong idea,”
“Well, girls always love romantic gossip. It can’t be helped.”
Saito and Lily exchanged brief words, shared a wry smile, and left the classroom together.
As they did, Lily subtly tugged at Saito’s blazer, but no one in the surroundings noticed, and the two of them remained oblivious.
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“Like I said, kids are cruel, Lily. And I’m very in touch with my inner child.”~
-Saitodowner, probably~