Ch.392IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (89)

Just like Yuka came to our sports day, I went to Yuka’s sports day too.

It was still a bit awkward with Yuka’s father and grandfather, but cheering for Yuka by calling her name was quite enjoyable.

It was a little embarrassing since our schools were somewhat far apart, so there didn’t seem to be anyone from my school there.

Yuka smiled when she saw me. That’s all that matters, isn’t it?

Come to think of it, Yuka hasn’t transferred to another school since meeting me. Well, I suppose it’s better that way if she wants to keep an eye on me directly.

And it’s not like they could move me, the surveillance target, around everywhere.

Maybe because of that, her teamwork with her schoolmates was excellent. I’m glad she seemed to be having fun, high-fiving with others after running hard.

“Yuka’s class is doing well.”

Was it because Yuka was one of the athletes? At least the team Yuka belonged to made it quite far.

If only Yuka had been on the cheer squad like me, I could have teased her about it for a long time.

“Well, your class tried hard too.”

Looking at Yuka saying that with a strangely proud expression, I laughed in disbelief.

For reference, our class only managed to win one running event. Well, somehow everyone seemed satisfied with that, and I didn’t really care much about winning anyway, so it didn’t matter.

Still, it was true that we all tried our best together.

“Let’s go,” Yuka said with a refreshed expression.

“Let’s buy something tasty to eat on the way back.”

What are you saying with your father and grandfather right beside you, Yuka?

Well, I know that at this age, hanging out with friends is more fun, but they’re right there with visibly hurt expressions.

I remember spending an entire day sticking close to Kagami when she seemed oddly upset after I stayed over at Yuka’s house.

…Or maybe not? Perhaps Kagami is the only one who would get upset over something like that?

Thankfully, she didn’t shrink away like that.

*

More time passed, and the day of the school trip arrived.

To match the school schedule, we naturally had to depart early in the morning. Kagami also woke up early to help me prepare.

As for me, honestly, I’m not tired.

Even in my previous life, I wasn’t exactly old, but compared to this young body, there’s an enormous difference in recovery ability.

Maybe it’s because of the different metabolic rate, but until your early twenties, you can stay up all night and still manage the next day relatively well.

A few hours of sleep and you recover quickly.

But since I’ve been living a regular lifestyle from the beginning, I rarely feel deadly tired in the morning.

Kagami looked a little tired, though.

Standing at the front door, I looked up at Kagami who was yawning and said:

“Mom.”

“Yeees.”

Kagami answered in a voice that sounded like she might melt away, so I said with a slight smile:

“Are you going to follow me on this school trip too?”

“…!?”

At my question, Kagami’s half-closed eyes flew wide open.

I stared up at Kagami with a bright smile.

It wasn’t even a hot day, but beads of cold sweat formed on Kagami’s forehead. It was somewhat funny to see Kagami darting her eyes around, something I rarely get to see.

Dad was standing a little distance away from us, observing the situation. Well, this was between the two of us.

Kagami seemed to have briefly considered denying my words. Her lips quivered, but in the end, she just closed them.

Then she lowered her head slightly and looked at me with just her eyes raised.

Even so, since I was much shorter than Kagami, she was still looking down at me.

“You… knew?”

To be honest, Kagami is quite tall, so she’s not very good at hiding.

Besides, unless she completely covers her face with a mask, Kagami is usually noticeable. When standing among other women, her head sticks out above the others, and the eyes visible above her mask are too familiar to me, not to mention her distinctively noticeable figure.

Hmm, thinking about it again, I’d probably recognize her even with a mask on.

Wouldn’t it be strange not to know?

When I just smiled up at Kagami without saying anything, she became visibly uncomfortable.

“Did you… dislike it?”

Hmm, normally people would, wouldn’t they?

A school trip… well, it’s a school event, but still, it’s a trip far away with classmates. And not just one or two people, but the entire class.

Even if we move around in separate groups, staying in the same accommodation with the whole school has a different kind of fun. It means constantly running into each other.

A trip that’s difficult to experience again later in life.

Most kids would be horrified if their parents came along. The biggest issue isn’t just that your parent is there, but that no one else’s parents are coming.

But I…

I approached Kagami.

And with my arms spread wide, I hugged her.

“No.”

That was my answer.

I know it’s not normal. Kagami following me on a school trip is certainly not a normal thing.

But then again, my situation has always been far from normal.

The school teachers don’t know about my circumstances. My classmates don’t know about my circumstances. In such a situation, if I were to go far away without any protection, Kagami would be extremely worried.

That’s why she followed me.

So, I was okay with it.

“…Kotone.”

Kagami murmured in a voice that sounded a bit tearful, then hugged me tightly.

Probably, even after several years pass, I’ll miss this feeling. Even when we become adults and rarely hug each other, I’ll occasionally long for this.

So, let me hug her while I can.

There’s no point in regretting after everything suddenly disappears.

I didn’t explicitly object to Kagami following me. Whether I said something or not, Kagami would act according to her own judgment.

I thought it didn’t matter either way.

If it could put her mind at ease.

*

If I were truly a child, I probably wouldn’t have been keen on visiting the same place again.

I’ve been to Kyoto during middle school. Naturally, I visited most of the worthwhile places then too.

It’s an age where everything can be fun, but also an age where everything can be boring. An age where you don’t particularly enjoy seeing the same things again.

But unfortunately, there’s still a somewhat older spirit residing within me, so I was thinking that since I’ve been here once, I should see what I missed last time.

Seeing something again doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the same. Sometimes you notice different things because you’re visiting a second time.

Though at this age, having fun usually takes priority over sightseeing.

“You must miss Shii not being able to come.”

“Miss her…?”

When I said that in a slightly teasing tone, Souta retorted as if in disbelief.

Naturally, during the morning and afternoon, we split into groups to go around. I was with the girls from my class, and Souta was with the boys.

Those groups weren’t always strictly maintained, so as we wandered around, members would somehow change, or one of our group members might end up among the boys.

So it wasn’t strange that Souta and I were walking side by side.

Our group and Souta’s group had somehow merged.

But it wasn’t like a group date atmosphere. Even though we were of different genders, we saw each other every day. I can’t say people never see each other differently in places like this, but at least on the surface, it’s almost the same as usual. The only difference might be that the tension is a bit higher.

“By the way, are you looking for someone?”

“Ah, yes.”

Souta asked as he saw me looking at my phone and then turning my head in all directions, and I nodded.

It seems like it should be visible around now— Ah.

“Kotone!”

A familiar voice called from far away.

“Yuka?”

Seeing Yuka approaching while waving her hand toward us, Souta made a slightly dumbfounded sound.

“Oh, Souta’s here too.”

“Saying ‘oh’ as soon as you see my face…”

But even so, Souta’s expression was still welcoming.

“What about your classmates?”

“When I said I was going to meet a friend from another school, they just said go ahead.”

Is that allowed?

Well, since teachers aren’t constantly following us, I guess they could let it slide if we don’t mention it.

“So our schedules and locations completely overlapped.”

“Yes. I found out when we were talking last time.”

I looked at Souta and said:

“Do you want to come along too, Souta?”

“Where are you going?”

“We haven’t really decided yet.”

Souta looked back at his group. They had already gone quite far ahead and were looking back, noticing that we had fallen behind a bit.

“Hmm… should I tell them I’m going?”

“Up to you.”

When I shrugged, Souta returned to his group with an uncertain expression.

“Will it be okay? He’s a boy.”

“…What does being a boy have to do with it?”

I turned my head slightly to look elsewhere.

I could see an adult slipping into a store.

A person with a very familiar silhouette.

If an adult is tagging along, having someone of a similar age with us shouldn’t seem strange.