Volume 2 Prologue (2/2)

“I’ll accept that challenge. But, you’ll be the one who slips first.”

“What are you talking about, I’ll definitely get it in.”

“Slip” meant missing, and “getting it in” meant hitting.

Shuu went towards the bus stop.

After watching the back of Minato, straddling his bicycle, until he was out of sight, he looked up at the night sky. This moment was always terribly frustrating. It was very similar to the return trip from after he spent summer vacation at his grandparents’ house.

There was a fireworks festival being held in the neighboring town, so the bus schedule was messed up.

When he suddenly noticed a presence and looked, he saw a boy wearing a white hoodie. He had a friendly smile.

“It doesn’t seem like the bus is coming yet. So your friend is going on his bike? Did he come from far away?”

“Well, I don’t know the details.”

“Is that so.”

The boy pulled the hood of his white hoodie over his head.

“So the rumor that Saionji-sensei is teaching elementary schoolers was true. I heard they were private lessons, though.”

“…Where did you hear that.”

“If you wanted to keep it a secret, you shouldn’t be drawing in a place like that. I wanna learn from Saionji-sensei too. I’m a year older than you, so I think I’m qualified.”

Boom, boom.

It was the sound of the unseen fireworks.

If he could trust the words of the boy in the white hoodie, the person in front of him was then in sixth grade. He had large, jet black, amiable-looking eyes. But, something bothered him.

It’s better to not get involved with him—―. Deciding that, Shuu tried to leave that spot, but the white hoodie boy blocked his path.

“You’re in a position where you can have a driver, yet you purposely use the public bus. Is this an education policy to let you experience a commoner’s life?”

“Who are you?”

“Do you know if your father can add one more person? Well, Saionji-sensei probably made two elementary schoolers his disciples on a whim. You sure are kind, Shuu-kun, knowingly giving up on the opportunity to have Saionji-sensei all to yourself.”

Shuu suddenly smiled at those words.

“I’m kind? I’m training a rival with my own hands.”

My first bow friend.

Only one person.

I won’t forgive anyone who steals Minato away from me——.

“Kuku… How interesting…”

The white hoodie boy brushed against Shuu’s shoulder and walked in the opposite direction of the bus’s direction of travel.

The sounds of the fireworks were still resounding.

Translation Notes

1. This is a pun with Shuu’s name. The word here is 愁い, which has the kanji for Shuu’s name (愁). Shuu means “grief” or “lament”, which is a pretty weird name to name your child, but if it was his mom who named him then it kind of makes sense…?

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