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The two are rivals!
The weather was wonderful Sunday. Not even satirists would be able to complain about this clear sky. We were jostled back and forth inside the bus and train after leaving the Tsutsukakushi Household, and we stopped in front of the grade school. I coughed violently when met by the strong winter breeze.
“—So this is your school?”
The young Steel-san stood next to me, looking up at the three-story building, and then glared at me.
“That is correct, yes.”
“I see…”
I bowed slightly like a rich lady’s servant, and Steel-san crossed her arms like a true king in response.
“If there are any places you aspire to see, please let me know.”
“Fool. As if I would be satisfied by fragrant flower gardens. In order to satisfy me, you have to at least bring me to a graduait skool.”
Then why are you making me show you around to begin with!? What a waste of time! As you might be aware, no matter how clever of a genius you are, seven-year-old girls are forced to receive basic education, so you can’t just go from a grade school to a university.
“Now, now, don’t say that. Looking at it from a bit closer should provide some value for you.”
“So you say.” Steel-san put on airs, and Yokodera-kun was forced to smile.
It’s not because I can’t win against her. If anything, we’re even now, since this isn’t even the school I attend. This is in a different school district than mine. The outline of the building is fairly famous, and it has a pretty high evaluation. I could never show her around at the correct grade school. I already have problems keeping up my act with Tsukasa-san around, so if someone were to meet me that I knew, everything would be over.
Since she had just come back from Italy, there was no way she’d know that I’m lying to her.
“How do you like it? These windows, these wonderful curves, the almost womanlike luxury inside… It’s a magnificent school building, don’t you think?”
“Very intriguing. I’m glad that I came here.” As expected, Steel-san gave an affirmative gaze, seeming intrigued.
Her sweater, which was open a bit around her collar, gave her a lively image, and the ponytail bobbing as she moved her head was a great match. Her words sounded arrogant, but she was just a seven-year old. My, how cute!
“So what should we do? We might not be able to get inside, but would you like to look around?”
“Oi, your tone changed really quickly. Well, I don’t really mind.”
“Then over here!”
Since the school’s courtyard seemed to be open even on weekends, I heard the distant voices of children running around. A small path went down from the school gate to the school building, with an arch of zelkova and poplar trees on both sides. It was a really stylish school, both in the design of the school building and the exterior landscaping.
Walking through the rows of trees, we followed the voices and made our way towards the school yard. Yet Steel-san showed no signs of even looking around. Instead of observing her surroundings, her gaze was fixated on me. What is this? Are we on a date or something? I guess a seven-year old girl is still a seven-year old on the inside.
“Too much hiding.” Steel-san muttered.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Hiding what? Was she hiding her own talents and abilities, by any chance? By the way, I really like the idea of a girl hiding her large chest behind her thick sweater. You didn’t ask my opinion on that? I see.
“—This isn’t your school at all, is it?” Steel-san spoke with an indifferent soprano voice.
“Huh?”
“A public grade school is something you attend in your own academic range. This school is outside the district your family lives in, and judging from your hesitant steps, I can surmise that this isn’t actually your school, is it?”
“………”
“Though I cannot hope to comprehend why you would decide on such a course of action. In any case, it is very interesting that you would assume I would fall for such a simple deception.”
“Ah, that’s what you meant…”
This version of Steel-san isn’t cute at all! I tried to come up with an excuse, but I found no chance to do so. All I could do was grit my teeth. I grumbled to myself in defeat and started coughing again. It was a pretty horrible-sounding cough, to be honest.
“What, got a cold?” The perfectly-healthy Steel-san narrowed her eyes.
If I was back in my current time and Steel-san already had her nice body to nurse me with, I might just feel like staying sick forever.
“As I am the Messiah who is going to save this fallen world, I forbid you from bringing bacteria too close to me.” The not-cute-at-all Steel-san zipped up her coat, spitting harsh words at me.
It’s not like it matters too much, but saying that you’re a ‘Messiah who is going to save this fallen world’ really sounds like a death flag. More than anything, it sounds like middle-schooler’s syndrome! And she’s not even in middle school yet! I take it all back! She really is cute! Maybe I need to widen my strike zone after all. I made a gentle smile and approached the mini Steel-san.
“So you don’t care about me having a cold?”
“I would like to see everything on a much more grand scale. I cannot waste my time on trivial individuals such as yourself.” Steel-san made it sound like she really hated the idea as she glared at me.
This is totally different from the Steel-san I know. The club president during my time would put the health of her club members above everything else. And then she would try to take care of the cold by calling for more training, which would eventually land you in the hospital!
“Since you’re a foolish man, you must not have slept at all from the excitement, right? Look at your clothes, too. This degree of carelessness is what causes you to catch colds.” Steel-san said, walking around my back.
She pulled up my pants and tucked my shirt inside. She’s acting like a mother!
“No complaining. Once we get home, I’ll lend you some thermal underwear, so make sure to put them on under your clothes. Don’t forget to wash your hands. My mother always tells me you should take a bath every day. And then—”
“Y-Yeah…”
What a surprise. Her younger self might actually be a good caretaker. It might be because of mother’s education and Tsukiko-chan being a literal animal at times. She must be turning into an actual Onee-san now. Loving everyone, while keeping up a confident appearance. Is there a way I can just stop her growth and go back with the press of a B button?
“…What are you grinning for?”
“I was just thinking that you’re pretty cute, Tsukushi-chan.”
“……Huh?” The small Steel-san looked at me like a bird that had been shot with a pea-shooter.
She finally got a grip on her expression, and she turned around, stomping ahead of me. Oops, I was too honest there. I didn’t mean to make her angry.
“Sorry, I was joking!”
“…Even worse, you fool.”
“Sorry sorry, I was serious!”
“Even even worse, you moron!” She screamed at me like she was spewing out fire. “I don’t like this! You say the same things over and over, so learn some faithfulness!”
“Wait, do I always say this sort of thing?”
“Are you playing dumb now? For crying out loud, you always say things like ‘put a ribbon on’ or ‘you look cute, though’ and junk like that. You only ever talk about outer appearance!” Steel-san was fuming, and the monster’s tail (ponytail) shook left and right.
“I see, so I’ve been saying it out loud the whole time…” I slapped my cheeks with my palms.
Not bad, past me. I never knew I was so much of a natural-born playboy. It’s even worse if there’s no hidden desires. I can already see a future where I become an Invigorating Prince, surrounded by girls, until I get cut in two by Demon Child-chan! What a happy future!
The two of us were basically lost in our own world flirting as we walked into the courtyard.
“Hey, what are you doing here? I don’t recognize you!” Someone shouted out to us with a sharp tone.
The two of us looked around, searching for the source of the voice. There were several students in the courtyard, but none of them were giving us any attention.
“Where are you looking? Up, up!”
We couldn’t see anybody in the school windows, nor on the rooftop. We could hear the person, but couldn’t see them at all. Is this going to be some kind of event where the heroine falls down from the sky? Maybe I should have practiced my Fever Time after all?
“Here!”
Along with this voice, the tree next to us shook, and a person jumped down with a landing roll.
“This is my territory! You have some guts to try to pass through here without even greeting me!”
The person landed on the ground beautifully, really emphasizing the fact that they belonged to the athletic side of humanity. They put both their hands on their hips and glared at us. Their line of sight was practically at the exact same height as ours. Short-cut hair, with confident eyebrows and eyes, carrying a backpack even on their day off. Leaves and branches clung to the backpack’s belt, and they had small scratches all over their body.
If not for that girl’s feminine way of addressing herself1, I might have mistaken her for a boy. She was also wearing shorts, giving her a rather rebellious-girl look.
“You’re not students at this school! What did you come here for!?”
As soon as children learn about themselves and their ego, they try to increase their territory. That’s why you see secret bases in public parks. They draw a line and then say ‘This is our territory!’ or something like that. They even trade underwear instead of national flags! Their secret base soon turns into an underwear black market. Eventually, they’ll just go around playing with their underwear! I totally understand! Let me join!
Anyway, it makes sense for her to be on guard now that two unfamiliar people came to her school. For a bratty commander like her, it makes sense to feel the need to greet everyone.
“You don’t seem too different in age from me.”
“I’m a first-year! What about it?!”
“I knew it…”
I thought that only people of higher grades would strut around so arrogantly, but it’s great that a first-year would hold so much influence. Now I want to transfer here.
“No more blabbering! Name yourselves, you villains!” The young girl directed a harsh gaze down at us, seeming even bigger than she was.
“Villain?” Unwilling to take this treatment sitting down, the arrogance gauge of the girl next to me started getting stimulated.
I guess she hates being looked down on.
“How dare you speak to me in such a tone.” Steel-san let out an arrogant snort like a gong and went into battle mode.
“How presumptuous of you. What arrogance is that you’re showing towards this world’s Messiah?”
“…Mmm?”
“It is proper etiquette to first name yourself before asking others for their title. Or do you have no name, you who was born of low origin?”
“Dungeon…? Don’t make fun of me! I was born in a totally normal hospital!”
“You lack the vocabulary to understand me, it seems. How disappointing. Let me give you a name. You are John Doe. This should be perfect, right? How do you like it, Doe? John John Doe Doe!” Steel-san started acting without consideration, and her tone caused my heart to start racing.
I would love to be talked to this way, since I’m someone who loves all young girls in the world, but the same couldn’t be said about the girl in front of us.
“What are you saying?! You’re just talking nonsense! I have a name already!” The girl sounded agitated as she puffed out her cheeks.
She pointed at us for emphasis.
“Remember my name… Maimaki Mai!”
She used a name that was all too familiar.
*
Maimaki Mai. As you all know, she is the current club president of the track-and-field club, and an underwear-exchanging pervert who loves the previous club president. At the same time, she is my life-long rival—Oh, is that part not true? Damn.
Even though we were fellow club members, our relationship had changed drastically when she moved up to become the next club president. Or I think that’s what it said in the Yokodera-kun notes. I’m not so sure. I forget.
Well, that aside, rivals are even closer than lovers, as they say, and MaiMai’s body is one of the objects I know the best, so there you have it! Now I’m seeing this MaiMai-san ten years in the past, standing in front of me. What a coincidence. Or was this the natural course of events?
We all just dance on top of God’s palm, following God’s plan, I guess. I felt dizzy when I realized this thread of fate connected us.
While I was busy thinking that, the two kids were glaring at each other.
“How do you like that name?!”
“I never asked for it. Don’t put unnecessary information into my cerebral cortex like that.”
“What are you saying?! Have your ears gone rotten?!”
“You complain a lot, don’t you, Doe?”
“Call me Mai! Maimaki Mai!”
In the face of Steel-san raising her cheek in arrogance, MaiMai Doe stomped on the ground. “I gave you my name! Now you do it!”
“Fool. Why would I have to name myself to someone of lower origin?”
“Huh?”
“You chose to speak of yourself, and I responded with silence. This should make our power relationship clear. Kahaha, how do you like that, fool?!”
“What did you say…?!” MaiMai’s mouth opened in shock.
It was like she had been betrayed by the world itself, and she would live her life in sadness from then out.
“You’re nothing but a brat. As soon as you reach my level, a de… debeeto like this is an easy feat.” Steel-san let out an arrogant sigh, using logic befitting of her age.
Both of them are brats!
“Grr… not fair, not fair!” MaiMai stomped on the ground even more aggressively, leaping at Steel-san. “Take this, and this!”
“Next is violence, huh? Know your place!” Steel-san threw her own punches against MaiMai.
Should you really be complaining about violence after throwing small stones at both me and your mother?
“You! Damn! There!”
“Weak! Naive!”
Thus began a childish battle, in the truest sense of the word. Fists flew, kicks flew. Is this really how people fight in grade school? I felt like they’d fight until the end of time if nobody stopped them. If I were to put these two in a cup and turn them into furniture at a tired salaryman’s home, it’d surely heal them. However, I don’t have a cup, nor a desk to put them on, since I am but a mere grade school student.
“S-Stop it already! No fighting!”
I broke between the two of them. I was slapped and kicked from both sides, and thought to myself how much more fun it would be if I was an adult as I tried to bear with the pain.
“Ugh! Hah! There!”
“Stupid! Silly! Fool!”
My attempt ended up in failure, so I turned towards MaiMai first.
“Sorry about this. She went too far. She didn’t mean to provoke you like that.”
“Ugh! I hate her! She’s annoying!” MaiMai’s mood grew even worse, and she hit me. “Eat this, you piece of trash! Whirling punch!” She faced her enemy, throwing punches and insults while she did so.
Come on, this is your future beloved club president!
“Whose side are you on?” Steel-san sounded like she was sulking, and she slapped my ears.
It feels weird to be on the same line of sight as her.
“Since you’re more clever than the people around you, you have to be more considerate. Looking down at people is not something a Messiah would do, is it?”
“It is the duty of the Messiah to call down lighting on the ignorant sheep of the world! And she was the one who acted rude first!”
“That’s right. But I’m sure Tsukasa-san would be happy if you could rise above that. ‘Oh how much you’ve grown~’ or ‘how great of you~’ and all that, right?”
“………” Steel-san had been pouting, but the magic word ‘Tsukasa-san’ caused her to stop in her tracks, like she was picturing something.
She then frantically shook her head left and right.
“I-I never asked for a reward like that!”
“Right, right. It’s just an example, so let’s get along, okay?”
“…Mm…” The young Steel-san finally calmed down.
“I’m telling Sensei that some odd people are walking around the school!”
Of course, mini MaiMai was far from done. She didn’t even bother to hide her hostility, and she desperately busied herself summoning a teacher who had the bad luck of working on the weekend. I don’t mind if she calls the teacher here, but I’d like to avoid the off-chance that Tsukasa-san might get notified about it. Thus, I turned towards MaiMai.
“We’re going home for now, so you don’t have to…”
“I won’t let you! You can’t just say whatever you want and then go back! I won’t allow that!” MaiMai’s determination was set in stone.
I’d prefer it if you could just focus your determination on your chest growing.
“Huh. You have to rely on others in the end, after all… You sheep.”
Steel-san had acted like an adult for only a moment, so I was forced to keep her mouth shut with my hands. I don’t need anymore from you for now, okay? It felt like I was her parent. Twisting a young girl’s arm is easy, which is a saying at the Japanwide Lolicon Preservation Agency’s criminal faction, but it’s not too difficult, to be honest. Girls are creatures who live according to their feelings. If their mood is placed in a bucket, there’s not much they can do.
“For crying out loud…” I let out a sigh and raised a finger.
I didn’t want to use this forbidden tactic, but I saw no other option.
“Hey, MaiMai. The thing is, someone told me to come here and tell you something.”
“Lies! Also, it’s not MaiMai, it’s Mai!”
“I’m not lying. If you don’t remember, then you will make that girl sad, MaiMai.”
“Don’t make up worthless lies! It’s Mai, okay!”
“Do you not know who I’m talking about, MaiMai?”
“I don’t! Mai!”
“Weird…A-chan told me she wanted to get along with you some more…”
“…Eh?”
The moment I brought up someone’s nickname, MaiMai’s eyes turned wide open. Bingo!
*
Something happened one December in the far future, during the field trip. During the night of the first day, as we both sat on the stone stairs in front of the shrine, there was something I heard from MaiMai.
‘It didn’t work out ever since kindergarten. I remember it even now. A friend of mine, named A-chan, who wore a red ribbon. We made several pinky promises that we’d always stay close even if we attended different schools. We wrote two or three letters, and we contacted each other only once after that. Maybe I was just bad at creating meaningful relationships…’ She ridiculed herself.
Thanks to Tsukiko-chan’s stellar research notes, I remembered this conversation. Either way, back in the current time, MaiMai couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
“How… how much do you…?” It seemed like all her anger had been blown away in an instant, and her mouth was wide open in shock.
“What are you talking about?” Steel-san tilted her head in confusion, and I put my index finger on her lips, giving her a wink.
“I’m on good terms with A-chan. I know a lot, see.” I’m just barely not lying.
I am fairly close with Azuki Azusa, and know a lot about her.
“But! But! A-chan is the one who didn’t return the letter!”
“That’s why you stopped caring? Don’t you want to see her again?”
“…I never said that I didn’t…”
“You both wanted to stay friends, right? Are you going to become an adult while regretting your relationship with A-chan?”
“Ugh…” MaiMai shook her head.
MaiMai had been hurt enough for this trauma to continue even ten years into the future. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh, but it was necessary.
“Do you want to get along with A-chan again?” Subconsciously, I found my mouth moving, and I offered her my hand.
I realized too late what I was doing, but I had no intention of pulling it back. I need to follow through with my actions.
“I know A-chan’s family, and her mother as well. I’ll take you there.”
“…Really? Can I trust you?”
“Of course!”
“I see…” MaiMai seemed hesitant, but she eventually took my hand.
I know that I don’t really deserve praise for using my knowledge of the future like this. But if I can use it for good, then I should do so. Life is a social game riddled with bugs. You can’t edit your character, you’re limited by the financial situation of your family, and the friends gacha has a really crappy drop rate. The story mode is always set to the hardest difficulty, there’s no option to save anywhere, and one failure will mean it’s all over.
However, there are constant updates, changing what the future of the game has in store, so users can still enjoy it nonetheless. Of course, I agree that such a game will receive an average rating of less than one star on the banana store. As long as they don’t fix their system, I don’t see how you’re supposed to play it. That being said, since I have a cheat code now, why don’t I break the game a bit, just for fun?
*
By the way, there’s a famous saying that a fight can only break out between equals. Judging from that, Steel-san and MaiMai, in this timeline, were equals.
“Go home already! You don’t have to follow us!”
“Right back at you. Why don’t you go there on your own? I hired this boy to attend to me for today, see.”
“Attend? What are you talking about? Can’t you use proper words?”
“Those with knowledge really are cursed, I see. Doe, go learn some more vocabulary, okay?”
“Shut up, idiot! Don’t make excuses, moron!”
“I was not making any excuses. You merely failed to grasp the meaning of what I said.”
“That’s what you call an excuse! Selfish idiot!”
“I was not…”
“Moron moron moron! Idiot idiot idiot!”
If Steel-san’s words and arguments were filled with high-level language and vocabulary, then MaiMai were the exact opposite. She could win just by throwing insults.
“You… dullard, ignorant, idiotic John Doe.”
“Idiot idiot idiot! Idiooooot!”
“…Ugh…” Finally, Steel-san started tearing up.
It’s cute how she’s weak to assertiveness. I told her that being insulted by a young girl is enough to turn you into a deviant in the future, which was why there’s no need for her to be sad, but she didn’t even understand what I was talking about. What a waste!
We left the school, and MaiMai continued insulting the teary-eyed Steel-san the entire way, but after we hopped on the train, she started to quiet down. By the time we left the train station closest to the Azuki Household, her feet had gotten heavy, and she acted unsure of herself.
“Where did all your vigor from now vanish off too? Are you getting nervous this late into the game, Doe?”
“Not really…”
“I’m sure that your superficial brain cells have trouble even imagining what to do now, even if you meet her.”
“…Shut up…”
Her momentum was lost, and now MaiMai had no energy or words to fight back against Steel-san. I guess they’re both on one win and one loss. Puri puri cure cure, they are both rivals, max heart!
“…MaiMai, are you okay? Should we call it off for today?”
“Why? I’m fine. Totally fine.” She was only acting tough, but she held her stomach, looking like David about to fight Goliath.
When I asked her about it, she told me that she hadn’t seen A-chan even once after graduating from kindergarten. She must have some kind of intense pressure being placed on her, even though she’s a mere child. Of course, I was worried the most out of everyone, imagining developments such as:
“Who is that?”
“Waaah, I don’t know you…”
“You’re not my A-chan.”
“Where’s my Ma-chan…?”
If that were to happen, Yokodera-kun might decide to practice some 4th-floor bungee jumping without a rope, which actually sounded pretty funny from an outsider’s perspective, but luckily this development did not occur. We found the Azuki Family’s home in the exact same place as I remembered, and when we rang the doorbell, Azuki Onee-san came to greet us.
“Oh my, you’re the boy from before…”
“I’m once again sorry for what happened back then! And I’m sorry for dropping by without a warning…” I lowered my head.
“My, how polite.” Azuki Onee-san narrowed her eyes, and let out a snicker.
I don’t really know why, but whenever I talk properly, all the adult Onee-sans give me that kind of smile. If I were to invest my time into researching this, maybe I could create a perfect Shota World? Anyway, Azuki Onee-san looked at me at the two behind me, and put her index finger on her cheek.
“Um… did you come to play with my A-chan by any chance?”
“That sounds wonderful, but I first have to apologize to you, Onee-san. I actually am not Ma-chan.”
“Oh my, is that so…?” Azuki Onee-san didn’t sound too disappointed. She just nodded.
She really felt like an adult.
“And I need to apologize again, because I brought the real Ma-chan with me!”
“Oh my?”
“She said that she was lonely because they couldn’t meet at all—” In the middle of my explanation, a small head with a large red ribbon on top of it peeked out from the corner of the hallway.
“A-chan!” MaiMai called out to the ribbon, her hands forming fists.
“Ma-chan…?” The head with the ribbon on it shook, and Azuki Azusa slowly moved out from the corner.
“…I-It’s been a while…that ribbon looks great on you.”
“……”
“How have you been? Did you make some new friends?”
“……”
“I… sent you a few letters… but I didn’t get any response so… I was wondering if something happened, so I came here…”
“………”
MaiMai stood still right next to the entrance door, and I could tell how she was losing momentum the longer she spoke.
“…Maybe I was just being a bother… I’m sorry…”
Right when Ma-chan went to turn around, A-chan leaped at her.
“Wha!?” Ma-chan ended up pushed down outside the entrance, with A-chan on top of her.
It’s really scary what an introverted girl like A-chan might think of.
“Waaah…”
She managed to seize A-chan, but she apparently had trouble finding the right words, so she just shook her head. Azuki Onee-san lowered her waist, and approached the two. She helped Ma-chan up and introduced herself.
“My, A-chan… I’m sorry about her. Nice to meet you, Ma-chan, I am A-chan’s Mama.”
“…Hello.”
“I’m very happy you came here. I wanted to meet A-chan’s friends from kindergarten back then, but I couldn’t find the time. Thank you for being her friend.”
“…Yeah.” Ma-chan nodded earnestly when she found herself talking to a kind Onee-san.
Watching from the sidelines, I felt a shiver run down my spine. I feel like I understand why kindergarten teachers are so popular! I love them!
“See, Ma-chan, I don’t think this counts as an excuse, but A-chan wrote a few letters herself. But they came back every single time.”
“No way…”
“It’s the truth. Ma-chan, you moved, right? The forwarding didn’t work.”
“?” A question mark popped up on top of MaiMai’s head. “We did move, but… what’s forwarding? Don’t the letters get delivered after you bring them to the post office?”
“There’s people who gather all the letters at the post office, right?”
“People?”
“If the address written on the envelope is wrong, then the people delivering the letters can’t find it.”
“Can’t find it?!” She looked like Newton after he was hit on the head with an apple.
She must have been shaken by this revelation.
“You had no idea how post office delivery works, it seems…” I could hear Steel-san’s tired sigh.
Of course, it’s easy to make fun of MaiMai. But thinking that a letter would be delivered just because you turn the letter in at the post office is something a child would believe, so you can’t blame her for that.
There was also a time when I accidentally bought a prohibited DVD called ‘See-through swimsuit beauty VS three-meter-long giant Swordfish! The thick meat rod of the swordfish is pushed relentlessly through the girl’s lips! A pleasure of sweat and meat, with a tear-filled ultimate finish!’, only to find out the video was of an old female diver with pursed lips eating miso soup with swordfish poêlé acting all happy for two hours. After this, I arrived at the conclusion that filial piety is a great thing. Nobody could blame me for that, right? Right!
“…Why does it smell like another idiot has joined the party?” The wise Steel-san was struggling beneath my palm.
I was kicked and pushed away. MaiMai pointed at me and laughed. So did Azuki Azusa, and even Azuki Onee-san gave a smile.
“Thanks for coming today. You came to play with A-chan, right?”
“Yeah!” She invited us inside, and MaiMai gave us a happy smile.
Instead of saying anything, A-chan just tightly grabbed MaiMai’s hand with a smile of her own. A-chan and Ma-chan. Now they both should have avoided a lonely future without the other. I think I did something good, at least.
When I looked up at the sky, I saw that it was great weather. The problem at hand had been dealt with, So I had planned for Steel-san and I to make our way back, but…
“What are you doing? You come in as well!” MaiMai, half a step inside the house, turned around towards us, beckoning us in.
This ain’t even your house! I guess that doesn’t matter though! A brat always has it easy when creating new friendships. Before I could give an answer, however, Steel-san set a foot forward.
“It is the duty of the royalty to get in contact with the common folk… If so, then there is no reason to decline here, is there?” She muttered something and walked inside the home.
I didn’t expect that response, to be honest. Where did her desire to look at the school go? Sheesh, children are so forgettable… No, not really. Yesterday, she had a weird reaction towards school anyway.
‘Hmm, I am not interested by any means, but… since the topic was brought up already, I might as well ask…although I really don’t care too much.’
She asked me about academic standards and whatever, but towards the end, she was more interested in how many people were attending the school, how many girls were there in the second-year, and everything related to that. Was her original goal…?
“I might be wrong about this, but the whole reason you had me come with you today was just so you could play with people your age?” Right when I finished asking that, Steel-san’s shoulders jumped.
She’s so easy to read! She tried to hide it with a noble reason and noble choice of words, but she’s still only seven years old. Now that she’s managed to live together with her mother, she probably wants friends.
“If you told me that, we could have played normally.”
“H-H-H-How rude of you! I am the Messiah! Know your place!” said the young Steel-san, blushing furiously.
“What, you don’t have any friends? Hah, loner!”
“There is a great difference between us in terms of knowledge after all. If I were to give an example, then it would be like an alien trying to communicate with an idiotic earthling.”
“Stop saying all those complicated words! I bet even your Mom doesn’t understand what you’re saying!”
“Don’t badmouth my mother!”
Yet another fight ensued. If you keep doing that, then Azuki-san won’t be able to keep living here! I thought to myself as I pushed Steel-san inside the house.
“Don’t push me like that! Both your actions and your words are aggressive. What a helpless fellow you are.” Steel-san said, but she smiled nonetheless.
Both Steel-san and MaiMai battled verbally, but both smiled. Yeah, this is how things are supposed to be. That face is great. Children are supposed to fight things out, and then collapse on the hill drenched by the setting sun. Life is a comedy after all. An enjoyable and heartwarming comedy. That’s how all stories should be.
*
Since we had played for quite some time, I called Tsukasa-san to let her know where we were, and we were even treated to dinner at the Azuki Household.
“Nu! Nu!”
“My my my, Darling seems happy that a boy came to visit us.”
On top of that, the second the Bear came home from work and saw me, he seemed excited. In the end, it turned really late.
“Then, see you tomorrow!”
Since A-chan and Ma-chan were talking some more at the entrance, Steel-san and I went on ahead. What a great day this was! I skipped along the way home, I hummed with my face uplifted, and I didn’t even care that Steel-san made fun of me like always. The smiles of A-chan and Ma-chan popped up in the back of my head, which made me smile as well.
I like it the most when I can make people smile. Ever since I was young, I had sworn to not make any girl cry—Eh, wait?
“—When exactly did I swear that?”
I looked up at the moon and felt like I was forgetting something really important.
“—Well, whatever!”
Unable to remember, I just continued grinning.
1 Atashi = I, which is generally regarded as feminine
CClaw Translations 