Vol 1 Chapter 1 (2/2)

Watching the world pass by outside the ,

“I’m hopeless…”

Seron mumbled blankly

Night soon ca half-moon tinted the world a faint blue

Without even having dinner, Seron lay down in his empty cabin

Though he was on a bed, he lay awake—on and on

The next day The 5th

Under the blinding sunlight, Seron disembarked at Weld, his hometown

Getting in the car that had been waiting for him in front of the station, Seron arrived home before it was time for breakfast

In the suburb of the rapidly-developing countryside city of Weld was a luxury residential district located on a plateau that overlooked the station and the old city center The Maxwell fanificent part of that suburb

The extravagant three-story mansion was made of white marble, and stood head and shoulders above the other hoates, which were opened by a guard, and traveled up theto a stop at the front door

“Welco Master”

The butler and the reeted the doors

“Where’s my souvenir? Welcome back, Seron”

When he entered the irl held out her hand

She had slightly curly hair that went down to her back, and had large grey eyes just like Seron She earing a light yellow dress

“It’s in the suitcase Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? I’m back, Leena Where’s Mother?”

“She says she’ll be back in the afternoon Shemy souvenir, okay?”

Leaving his sister to ruh his suitcase at the door, Seron headed for his own room at the end of the third-floor hallway

The rooe, but only furnished with bare essentials like a bed and a dresser It was a little lonely

Still dressed in the same clothes, Seron collapsed onto his neatly-made bed And he fell asleep

The Maxwell family was rich

There were only three people in the faer sister Leena, and their mother Karen

Karen Maxas born and raised in Weld, but she lost her parents as a teenager and had to drop out of school

She headed to the Capital District afterwards and began to work as a waitress at a large restaurant

The ht and married her—Seron and Leena’s father—was from a very rich family

For a time, Karen was the star of a Cinderella story But that happiness did not last long Just after Leena was born, Karen’s husband began having an affair with a woman from another rich family, which ended in their elopement

Though the two rich faed, they panicked and feared for their reputations Disgusted, Karen took her two children and boldly filed for divorce She switched back to her maiden name of Maxwell and returned to Weld

And she began a business in her hometoith the massive alimony she had mercilessly squeezed out of the divorce

She took note of how, at the restaurant she had waitressed at, they had stored ingredients and foodstuffs in a freezer With that idea, she began to es of frozen food for domestic consumption

That happened to be around the tierators and freezers became popularized Frozen food exploded in popularity as well, advertised as the food of the future The frozen food business was a massive success—as were the restaurant and fast food businesses built upon it

And so, in the span of several years Karen a fortune ‘Maxwell Frozen Foods’ was a household name in Roxche now

Karen was 40 years old this year

She was a gorgeous wo, curly black hair and sharp features Always in her bright red suit, she confidently issued orders to her subordinates—the very ie of a competent female president But—

“Seron! Welcome home, sweetie-pie! Look who’s still as handso like your father at all! I love you so ht? Hoas school?”

As soon as she caed her son fro mother

“I’m home, Mother”

“Welcome back Welcome back, sweetheart! Give yourher face at her son Seron gave her a light kiss on the cheek

Karen finally disentangled herself from Seron and went over to kiss Leena on the other side of the table Then she took her seat at the head of the table

The family chatted as they ate the meals cooked by a chef and served by maids It was not often that the three of theether

Seron handed his report card to Karen He had top marks in al in her hands

“That’slike your father at all—”

Stopping his ot out of his chair and quietly bowed his head

“Mother Thanks to your support, Iterm of my third year of secondary school I will do rades in the fall term as well Thank you”

“Oh, sweetie! I told you, you don’t have to say this stuff every tiht if youras you can make it to university You have to enjoy your youth! I’ll s you like!”

Leena watched as Seron stood with his head bowed and Karen looked at him tearfully

“You’re so diligent, Seron” She said, continuing her meal

Their first family conversation in rades, friends, and the state of the Capital District

After the meal, they moved on to tea As Seron answered his family’s questions, Leena suddenly spoke up

“Coirlfriend yet, Seron? I thought you’d be really popular”

At that point,

“Huh? Er… well…”

Seron hesitated Leena continued, oblivious to her brother’s plight

“Lots of my friends think you’re really cool, too”

“…”

She stared into her durinned

“You don’t like anyone right now, right?”

“No, no, Leena! That’s not it Seron’s just the type to love only the one person he falls for He would never go out with anyone unless he was serious about her”

“Huh You knohat I think, Seron? You’re not really the dependable type, so you’ll be better off with an older girl Do you want me to find someone pretty to introduce to you?”

“Let’s cal hoirl one of these days! There’s just no one in Roxche who catches his eye yet” Karen said

Seron fell into complete silence

Soon, Karen left to return to work and Leena left in a car with a bodyguard to play with her friends from primary school

Seron spent tiardens, where summer floere in spectacular bloom

Sitting in a white wooden chair under a lacy parasol, he enjoyed the summer breeze and read

Of the students at the 4th Capital Secondary School, Seron lived the farthest from campus

His ested that he attend school in the Capital District, where there were more children like Seron—children of rich and fareed That left him with a total of zero friends to meet over the breaks

His friends frorades to continue studying, or had gone to four-year vocational schools for financial reasons Summer break had not yet started at vocational schools, as they had shorter breaks to help students learn and find work as soon as possible

For the past two years, summer break had bored Seron

All he could do was read or study And as a result, he was able to hout his secondary school career

Quietly, Seron read

The books on the table were—

‘Murders on the Luxury Transcontinental Express’

‘The Story of the Roxchean Navy: Tracing the History of the Canal’

‘Crossing the Desert -34 Days in hell-’

He was so engrossed in his books that, each time the maid came to refill his tea, she found the cup still full

Eventually, the sun sank so low that the parasol could no longer shi+eld him

“Young Master You have a phone call from your school friend, Mr Larry Hepburn Will you take the call?” One of themore tea

“From Larry? I’ll take it”

Seron put a booke, put the book on the table, and hurried to the telephone in theroom

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Larry” Seron said as he took the receiver from another maid

<seron! i’m=”” sorry!=”” i’ized three tiht=”” now!=”” there=”” was=”” a=”” train=”” accident=”” on=”” the=”” way=”” back,=”” so=”” we=”” got=”” delayed=”” i=”” couldn’t=”” even=”” contact=”” you!=”” i’m=”” really=”” sorry=””>

“I heard from the teachers Don’t worry about it It’s not your fault” Seron replied with a smile

<i’m sorry,=”” man=”” and…=”” about=”” what=”” we=”” discussed=”” last=”” time…=””>

Seron’s expression quickly darkened

“…I couldn’t do it I wanted to give you good news, so I tried ht? But…”

<right… our=”” school=”” just=”” has=”” too=”” uess=”” you’ll=”” be=”” free=”” all=”” summer?=””>

“Like every year I was just reading”

<you wanna=”” come=”” back=”” to=”” school?=””>

“Huh?”

<let me=”” put=”” this=”” in=”” order=”” okay=”” we=”” came=”” back=”” to=”” school=”” from=”” the=”” camp=”” today,=”” and=”” i=”” met=”” a=”” senior-classman=”” who=”” became=”” the=”” drama=”” club’s=”” president=”” this=”” year=”” the=”” dra=”” a=”” 7-day=”” practice=”” camp=”” at=”” school=”” to=”” prepare=”” for=”” their=”” annual=”” fall=”” performance,=”” but=”” they=”” were=”” in=”” a=”” hurry=”” to=”” find=”” helpers=”” he=”” asked=”” me=”” if=”” i=”” could=”” lend=”” a=”” hand=””>

“What do you have to do?”

<help take=”” care=”” of=”” set=”” pieces,=”” do=”” heavy=”” lifting,=”” hand=”” out=”” lunches,=”” go=”” shopping=”” for=”” them,=”” stuff=”” like=”” that=”” odd=”” jobs,=”” basically=”” they=”” need=”” gofers=”” he=”” says=”” it’ll=”” go=”” on=”” our=”” report=”” cards,=”” though=”” volunteer=”” work=”” as=”” drama=”” performance=”” assistants=””>

“And?”

<it’s going=”” to=”” go=”” into=”” nights,=”” so=”” the=”” draonna=”” crash=”” at=”” the=”” dor=”” fun=”” all=”” the=”” ti=”” to=”” do=”” and=”” it=”” sounded=”” cool,=”” so=”” i=”” said=”” i’d=”” do=”” it=”” so=”” here’s=”” why=”” i=”” called=”” you=”” do=”” you=”” want=”” to=”” join?=”” we=”” can=”” hang=”” out=”” when=”” there’s=”” nothing=”” to=”” do=””>

“H”

<right? they’re=”” gonna=”” use=”” the=”” double=”” dorms,=”” and=”” it’s=”” kinda=”” lonely=”” for=”” me=”” alone=”” and=”” kinda=”” aard=”” if=”” i=”” room=”” with=”” someone=”” i=”” don’t=”” know=”” i’ll=”” ask=”” them=”” to=”” let=”” me=”” stay=”” with=”” you=”” if=”” you=”” want=”” to=”” come=”” to=”” be=”” honest,=”” i=”” really=”” want=”” you=”” to=”” join=””>

“When does it start?”

<well… pretty=”” soon=”” it=”” starts=”” on=”” the=”” =”” of=”” the=”” 7th,=”” so=”” in=”” two=”” days=”” it=”” was=”” pretty=”” short=”” notice=”” for=”” the=”” drama=”” club=”” too,=”” ‘cause=”” they=”” couldn’t=”” book=”” any=”” other=”” dates=”” i’ht=”” with=”” the=”” drama=”” club=”” if=”” i’d=”” known=”” yesterday,=”” i’d=”” have=”” told=”” you=”” before=”” you=”” went=”” back=”” home=””>

“All right Sign me up For the same room, too”

<whoa! you=”” mean=”” it?=”” awesome!=”” thanks,=”” buddy!=”” …i=”” know=”” this=”” is=”” kinda=”” stupid=”” of=”” me=”” to=”” ask=”” since=”” i=”” invited=”” you,=”” but=”” your=”” mom=”” and=”” leena=”” won’t=”” miss=”” you=”” too=”” much,=”” will=”” they?=””>

“It’s all right We met today Mother’s a busy woot her a souvenir so it shouldn’t be a problem”

“I’ll leave tonight on the usual sleeper train I’m sure there’ll be seats left I’ll be at school tomorrow afternoon at the latest And… let’s meet up at the dormitory cafeteria at lunchtime What do you say?”

<great we’ll=”” n=”” up=”” with=”” the=”” dra=”” sure=”” is=”” mica=”” part=”” of=”” the=”” drama=”” club,=”” by=”” any=”” chance?=””>

“Probably not…”

<i see=”” too=”” bad=””>

“Don’t worry, Larry I thought about this yesterday, but I think Megone back to Sou Be-Il with her parents for the break Su I’ll see you toets delayed I’ll call you from the nearest station”

After hanging up, Seron picked up the phone again

The call was for his mother, as still at work

Luckily, she did not see She picked up quickly Seron relayed to her what he had heard from Larry

Although he apologized for leaving as soon as he had returned,

<that’s wonderful,=”” sweetie-pie!=”” go=”” on=”” and=”” enjoy=”” yourself!=””>

Karen happily gave him permission and ordered a subordinate to buy a ticket for the sleeper train bound for the Capital District

Seron had unpacked everything in his roo sure to bring one set of school-issue sweats with the na with a T-shi+rt and shorts, he packed some plain summer clothes and his half-read book

Around evening, he asked the butler to say goodbye to Leena on his behalf and returned to the station He met Karen’s subordinate and received the first class sleeper cabin ticket with a word of thanks

It was the very train that he had taken hoain he boarded the train as it headed back after a break in Weld

The train traveled down the tracks to the Capital District

Seron had a full-course dinner in the dining car

Then he went to bed and fell into a deep sleep

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