My Childhood Friend Seems to be the Main Heroine. - Chapter 3

“Haa…haa…haa…haa”

　It was early spring when the winter cold had eased a little, and the sun was rising early.

　A tall boy in a jersey is running along the riverbed.

　He was running with a large stride and a steady rhythm.

　But his speed is faster than usual. The boy’s breath was ragged as proof of that.

　But he was smiling.

　He should be breathing heavily and in pain.

　But he looked so happy.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m going to school with her. “

　A beautiful girl with long flaxen hair comes to the boy’s mind.

　They have known each other since they were six years old, and although they went to different elementary and junior high schools, they are close enough to play together more than a dozen times a year, the so-called childhood friends.

　This year, he is going to enter the same high school as his childhood friend.

　It is not by fate that they happen to go to the same high school but by the fact that his childhood friend invited him to go to the same high school.

　Thanks to this, the boy had to take the entrance examination for a high school with a higher deviation than the one he had planned to enter, and he had a very hard time.

　If his childhood friend had not taught him how to study, he would have failed the examination without a doubt.

　If that had happened, he would have had to go to a private high school with a high tuition fee, which would have caused a lot of trouble for his parents, so the boy is really glad that he was accepted.

　Finally, he will be released from a hard time of studying for the entrance examinations and be able to enjoy his high school life.

　It is no wonder that his legs are more excited than usual.

　He ran the 5 km one-way along the riverside in 15 minutes, the same speed as the track team, and returned home in less than 40 minutes, though he was a little late due to fatigue.

“Haa-haah-haa, I’m home.”

“Oh, welcome back, Saito. You’re home early today.”

　When Saito unlocked the door and announced that he was home, his mother, Yabane, came out of the living room to greet him.

　She is probably in the middle of cooking breakfast, judging from the smell of bacon.

　Saito felt fresh because breakfast was usually ready when he came home.

“Huh…yeah, it would be bad if I’m late for my appointment with her…”

“Fufu, right. You’re sweating a lot, so take a shower first.

“…yep.”

　Saito thought that Yabane was definitely thinking something strange when she smiled meaningfully at him, but he replied shortly without saying anything and went to his room on the second floor.

　After entering his room, he took out a change of underwear and a towel from the chest of drawers and went downstairs to the changing room on the first floor.

　He puts his underwear on the rack, takes off his sweaty jersey and underwear, throws them in a mess in the laundry basket, and enters the bathroom.

　He twists the shower handle and waits with his hand until the hot water comes out.

　After a few seconds, the water came out, and he took a shower from his head to his feet by hanging the shower from a high hook.

　The unpleasant sensation of sticky sweat that he had felt earlier disappeared.

　Saito squinted his eyes as the warm water heated his sweat-cold body.

　After a few moments of being drowned in hot water, he washed his hair with shampoo, rinsed off the lather, and rinsed it out his hair again.

　Then he washed his face with facial cleanser, and finally his whole body with body soap, and again plunged headfirst into the shower and waited for the bubbles to fall off.

　When he confirms that all the bubbles are gone, he turns off the shower, opens the bathroom door, takes a towel from the rack, and wipes his hair.

　When the water was somewhat removed from his hair, he took another towel, wiped his whole body, and finished drying his hair with a hair dryer.

　He put on the trunks and shirt that he had brought, and then he ran back to his room.

　He put on a shirt and a uniform hanging on the wall that smells like new.

　Looking in the mirror, he tries to move lightly, but his shoulders are stiff, and he finds it slightly difficult to move.

“Well, I guess I’ll get used to it with time.”

　He had a similar experience when he put on the school uniform for the first time in junior high school.

　But by the end of the first year of junior high school, I didn’t feel it anymore.

　Saito concluded that he would eventually get used to it if he did it every day and went downstairs to have breakfast.

“Oh, good morning, Saito. You look good in your uniform.”

　As he was about to sit down at the table, he was approached by his father, Yō (よう), who was reading the newspaper.

“Good morning, Dad. I look ordinary. A uniform is the same no matter who wears it.”

“Hmm. I don’t think so. Right, Mama.”

“As expected of my and Papa’s son. You’re wearing it perfectly! “

“Is it perfect?”

　Both parents praised Saito’s uniform without reservation.

　Saito looked fed up and bit into a piece of toast, but the edge of his mouth was slightly turned up, and it was obvious that he was embarrassed.

　Yō and Yabana look at each other and giggle.

[ Last night. A suspicious person with a knife was reported at XX park in XY city, YX ward. Upon receiving the report, the police went to the scene, but the man was not there… ]

　Saito finished his breakfast of bacon, fried egg, egg soup, and toast and was killing time in the living room, listening to the TV news and playing with his phone.

　Ring- ring-

　Then, Saito received a message on his phone.

[ It’s almost time for the appointment. Don’t be late. ]

“It’s nearly time. “

　After looking at the message, he checks the time and sees it is almost time to leave the house.

　Saito gets up from his chair and goes to the dressing room to brush his teeth and do his hair.

　After finishing these activities, he put on his loafers at the front door and picked up his handbag on the shoe rack.

　He leaves the house on time. Everything was ready. There are tissues, a handkerchief, and keys in his pocket, and he hasn’t forgotten anything.

“See you later.”

“Have a good trip. Papa and I will go later.”

“Okay.”

　Saito tells his parents that he is leaving the house, and he leaves the house cheerfully.

　He headed for the nearest train station, which was about a five-minute walk away.

　From there, I take the train to a station six stops away, where the high school is nearby, but he has to get off the train at one of the stations on the way.

　The reason is to meet up with the girl who has just sent him a message.

　Five minutes later. Saito arrives at the station, goes through the ticket gate with his pass, and gets on the train just as he goes to the platform.

　The train was not so crowded, though all the chairs were occupied.

　Saito caught the appropriate strap and put on a wireless earphone to play music.

“…Ah! I forgot.”

　At that moment, he remembered that he had not replied to the message he had received earlier and hurriedly sent back a reply.

　The message was immediately read.

[ You’re late. I thought you were sleeping. ]

He got a grumpy message, and then he wrote another reply,

[ Sorry. I just checked my notifications and forgot to reply. I just got on the train, so I’ll be there in about ten minutes. ]

[ You’re really loose like that, aren’t you? Well, if you’re on the train as scheduled, I’ll make a special exception this time. ]

[ Haha- Thank you for your generous treatment, Riri ]

[ Hmm… Be sure to thank me. Oh, I’m already on the platform. Find me quickly, okay? ]

[ Okay. ]

　Saito breathed a sigh of relief that the girl on the other side of the screen was not in a bad mood.

　The train ride takes a few minutes as Saito listens to his favorite singer, ‘MIKA.’

　Saito arrives at the station where he is to meet the girl.

　He gets off the train and looks around the platform.

“Where is she? That girl…”

　Saito tilts his head when he doesn’t see the person he wants to see.

[ Where are you? ]

　He sends a message, but it’s not read.

　Saito has no choice but to walk through the station.

　He starts at the end of the platform and searches all the way to the ticket gate, but alas, he can’t find it.

“Geez, seriously, where is she? “

　As he scratched his head and checked his phone to see if there was a read receipt, he heard someone arguing at the back of the ticket gate.

“Ah, there you are.”

　He turned his head to look at the voice and saw a familiar flaxen hair swinging there.

“Hey, why not? Let’s go together Machigane-san, since we’re in the same school. I don’t know anyone, so I’m lonely.”

“I don’t want to. I’ve told you many times that I don’t want to be acquainted with you. You’re not a child. You should go to high school by yourself. Besides, I have a companion.

“Ehh- But you don’t have a companion. Don’t lie to me. I know there’s no one in our high school but me and Machigane-san here. Don’t say thatー. Come on, this way.”

(How can he persist when she clearly doesn’t like it?)

　Saito is mysteriously impressed by the boy, who still persists in spite of her clear refusal with a disgusted face, and heads for his childhood friend whom he has been looking for.