3-28: An Unfortunate First Time (1/6)

3-28: An Unfortunate First Time (1/6)

Whatever it may be, the most important part is always the first time.

Your first time . Your first time being . The first time always leaves a deep impression.

Depending on the subject, it could be a good memory or a bad memory, but it will be an experience nonetheless.

Still, when it comes to the vagueness of the first time that Shinichi experienced, it wasnt clear whether one should feel anger or astonishment toward it.

At a corner of one of the places of relaxation for the people living at Kutoria, at a corner of a park, was a boy lying on a bench while holding up several layers of envelopes against the sun.

The envelopes were white, light-pink, brown, yellow-green, and light-blue. Even with five of them, they were still nothing before the sun.

U-Umm

A shy voice called out to the boy, and when the boy turned toward its direction, he found someone he was meeting for the first time at school.

A girl he has been acquainted with prior.

But when he realized the truth of the matter, he ended up dropping his envelopes.

D-Do you remember me?

The girl asked anxiously, but the boy couldnt have possibly forgotten about her.

A bespectacled girl who hid her face with her beret hat. She was the girl who was with him during the incident before his transfer to this school.

Based off her uniform, she was probably someone from the school, but Shinichi didnt bother to voice such an ordinary remark.

Was I always such a blockhead? Shinichi asked himself.

He found his head aching when he realized how dumb he was.

The girl became anxious at that and she couldnt help but ask a second time, U-Umm, as I thought, have you forgotten about me?

Huh? Ah, I remember you. Youre the girl who prefers food over duties, right?

P-P-Please dont remember me like that!!

Shinichi teased the girl as usual, and the girl denied his accusation with a blushing face.

Shinichi felt like teasing her some more after seeing her reaction, but he decided to behave himself.

Im joking. You were with me during the incident at the department, right?

Shinichi confirmed with the girl as he brought himself up.

The girl nodded, and he naturally offered her a seat beside him.

You really helped me out that time. I had just returned to this world then. If not for you, my lack of knowledge would have surely made things harder for me. There might have been more casualties too.

Thats why you saved me. Thank you.

The girl made a face as if his words greatly rattled her and she froze.

Defiant? Not overcoming what youre bad at and instead becoming defiant S-Something like that is

Hey, theres no need to think about it so deeply, is there?

Shinichi was half-impressed-half-shocked by how serious this girl was.

Still, given the way she put that just now

Is there something youre trying to overcome?

U-Umm, thats

You talked about being a leader of some group before. Are you worried about that?

Huh, how do you Ah, you remember what we talked about!?

Shinichi figured that the girl must have been worrying about what they talked about before, causing the girl to be surprised.

At that time, they just happened to meet by coincidence and hadnt even introduced themselves. It was just some idle grumbling then.

With all the things that happened afterwards, she herself has already forgotten about their conversation then, but he actually remembered.

Shinichi took her surprise to mean something else, however.

You know its one thing if it was a conversation some years ago, but its only been a month, you know? Its sad that you think Id forget it so easily. Its true my memory when it comes to school subjects isnt very good And today didnt go well either, but

For a moment, it seemed Shinichi was about to tell her not to look down on him with an unhappy face, but before long, he started being depressed about how bad he was at studying.

Thats not what I meant Fu fu, still, is that really something you should be saying yourself?

That behavior akin to a pouting child and that timidity that didnt allow for it to last long.

Seeing his frequently changing expression, a pure smile bloomed on the girls face.

Sorry for being like this. This is just the kind of guy I am, self-absorbed and self-loathing. A vain and unproductive one-man show where the protagonist needlessly works himself up even though theres nothing to fight. Hmph!

Shinichi once again became withdrawn unhappily but this time she ignored it.

The way he behaved suggested he was much younger than what shed heard.

Where was that decorated warrior? She had seen the ideal she had been chasing after in him, but this was the result she got instead. Still, she was not disillusioned; instead she became happy and even found herself smiling since he was acting so familiar with her.

So, in the end, are you doing well?

Yes, if I do my best, I think I can get them to understand me.

And despite him acting the way he was, she was elated to hear him voice his concern for her.

After all, those were words of concern that were truly looking at her.

There was more spirit in her voice when she naturally responded to the boys words.