“Did the sleepiness go away?”
 
“Hmm… yeah, it’s gone. Sorry, and thanks.”
 
Yuzuha yawned widely before tossing her empty can into the trash.
 
Since entering high school, Yuzuha has clearly been late more often, so giving her caffeine is the quickest solution. It hurts to treat her occasionally, but I have to do at least this much since she helps me out a lot.
 
Well, Yuzuha probably doesn’t think she’s helping me out.
 
Anyway, it’s better than her having to repeat a year.
 
“Yuzuha, you’ve been late a lot since starting high school. The teacher even asked me to warn … Read the rest

I had a dream.
 
About what happened after Remi transferred.
 
Having lost the person I trusted and liked the most in my life up to that point, I was depressed every day.
 
Unable to get used to daily life without Remi, I rode my bicycle past her empty house every day to see it.
 
Wondering if she had forgotten something and come back to get it.
 
Wondering if perhaps some relatives were still there, and if she might come back to visit someday.
 
Even though I knew the chances were almost zero, I continued … Read the rest

 
“I don’t really know anything about the current you, do I?”
 
“…Huh? Of course not, it’s been a while since we last met.”
 
Remi answered with a puzzled voice.
 
“That’s why I’m asking, but did you have any experiences in middle school?”
 
“‘You too’? Did something happen to you, Ryota? I didn’t have anything special happen.”
 
“Ugh…”
 
She used to be a childhood friend I could talk to about anything, just like Hanazono.
 
But now, the feeling of not wanting to worry her won out.
 
Sensing the unfavorable turn in the conversation, I decided to change the subject.
 
“Me neither. … Read the rest

Chapter 5: The Girl with the Pulse
 

A two-story detached house.
 
This Yoshiki house, standing in a quiet residential area, is neither particularly small nor large – just a typical layout.
 
If there’s anything unusual, it’s the disparity between siblings.
 
Me, the older brother, with a six-tatami room.
 
My sister Seira, with a ten-tatami room.
 
We used to share the same room, but it’s been a few years since we moved. Now a third-year middle school student, Seira makes a blatantly disgusted face every time I enter her room.
 
“What’s with that face? I knocked, you know.”
 
“Ignoring you … Read the rest

 
There’s no need to become close again, and I shouldn’t be enough of a coward to miss this opportunity.
 
Just as I made up my mind, Takeru offered unnecessary help from the side.
 
“Isn’t guidance after school unnecessary?”
 
“Hey, don’t say unnecessary things!”
 
I snapped at Takeru and then hurriedly tried to cover it up.
 
“W-well, it’s true the teacher didn’t ask me to guide you. But still…”
 
“I see. If there’s no official guide, maybe it’s okay then.”
 
“Oh, right… Yeah. Uh-huh.”
 
I replied, feeling disappointed.
 
Alright, I’ve decided … Read the rest

 
“By the way, what were you talking about earlier, Yoshiki? I thought I heard my name.”
 
“J-just now? We were talking about how you and Nikaido are quite different.”
 
Yuzuha blinked.
 
“…Ehhh!? What’s that, I’m shocked! Does that mean you were badmouthing me!?”
 
“Huh!? No, no, that’s not it!”
 
Yuzuha protested as if astounded.
 
Since we weren’t really badmouthing her, I decided to answer honestly.
 
“We were saying how you can really talk to anyone, while Nikaido has a somewhat unapproachable aura! It’s just about the atmosphere, and we concluded that having … Read the rest

Chapter 4: A Gyaru’s Perspective
 

 
“How was it?”
 
Takeru asked with a grin during lunch break.
 
He was clearly referring to role as Remi’s guide.
 
I opened my bento box and said in a tone that seemed to scream ‘what a bother’:
 
“Nothing much. I felt like I started off talking smoothly, but soon other girls took over as guides.”
 
“Man, I envy you getting nervous around a girl you’ve reunited with!”
 
“Are you even listening!?”
 
I retorted, but Takeru had already drifted off into some wild fantasy.
 
Our lunch … Read the rest

…Well, maybe this is natural.
 
After all, I just called her by her family name a moment ago, trying not to stand out.
 
My last memory of Remi was from our elementary school graduation, and now we’re high school students.
 
Even with Hanazono, we’ve grown distant after a six-month gap.
 
The passage of time can turn people into strangers.
 
Even if they were childhood friends who once seemed to have a good thing going.
 
With this formal atmosphere, it seems impossible to rekindle that good feeling.
 
“So, I’m supposed to be your guide … Read the rest

“I’m told by my parents to take care of you because you’re so careless,”
 
Remi would occasionally say, but she always seemed to be having fun.
 
It seemed Remi was happy to be treated like someone of the same gender by me.
 

As we advanced in grades, Remi became the class leader.
 
And she was a leader with charisma.
 
Her self-centered personality transformed into leadership, and she became a central figure skilled at pulling others up.
 
It was around the sixth grade of elementary school when I clearly began to be conscious of such … Read the rest

Chapter 3: The Shocking Transfer Student
 

“We have a transfer student coming!”
 
With a lifeless voice, Ms. Segawa shattered the daily routine.
 
Silence.
 
Then, whispers of “Ooh” and “Really?” started to leak out, triggering a buzz throughout the classroom.
 
Although it was May, the class groups had already solidified, so this reaction was natural.
 
However, I froze for a different reason.
 
…No way, right?
 
No, no, that’s impossible.
 
It was just last week that I talked with Yuzuha.
 
True, the landline phone that should connect me to my childhood friend never seems to go through, and I still haven’t … Read the rest