From then on, it was undoubtedly the most hectic days of my life.
“Hinata-chan! It’s after school, want to go to the park?”
“………..”
“Hinata-chan! It’s lunchtime, was the school lunch tasty?”
“……Well, it was okay.”
“Hinata-chan! It’s break time, let’s go play!”
“……Sigh.”
“Hinata-chan! We have a five-minute break, let’s chat!”
“…If we must.”
“Hinata-chan, Hinata-chan!”
“Yes, yes, what is it?”
—Without a doubt, these days became an unfading treasure for life.
Every single day, without getting bored, he would come to the classroom of students three years younger.
Elementary school kids are simple creatures, and my heart had long since fallen for him.
After a while, I was just pretending to dislike it.
The initial aversion was long gone, and I found myself looking forward to going to school every day.
As a month passed, and I couldn’t even pretend to be reluctant anymore.
My surroundings were filled with [friends].
Elementary school kids are simple creatures.
And it wasn’t just me.
Because he, being popular, would come to see me every day, everyone around started treating me as if I were popular too.
Despite my tendency to be difficult, I was still a child, and I think I got carried away.
One day on the way home, I said to him:
“There’s only one person in our grade who isn’t my friend now! Everyone else is my friend!”
“I see, well then—”
His reply,
“—It would be good if you could become real [friends] with just that one person who isn’t your [friend] now.”
“……Huh?”
I froze.
Not just because of what he said, but because his voice was so kind and mature.
“Don’t you want to be [friends] with that person who sees only the real you, without caring about the decorations around you?”
Even looking back now, it’s definitely not something a sixth-grader would say.
I didn’t fully understand the true meaning at that time. —However.
“………..”
I realized that this person was thinking about my well-being more than I was.
That’s why I slowly nodded to his words.
“W-would you like to… be friends…?”
What happened to my boasting about having lots of friends to that person?
Having hardly made any friends for two years, I was pathetically hesitant.
Perhaps because of my attitude, the girl looked at me coldly.
“How pointless.”
She was always alone.
But unlike me, she wasn’t being bullied.
Rather, with her incredibly attractive appearance, she was respected by the whole school.
She wasn’t lonely, but a lone wolf.
She had chosen to be in that position.
“Are you trying to collect friends like stamps?”
She cut down my words mercilessly.
I flinched, almost about to apologize and back down.
But I had made a promise to that person.
“A real friend…!”
My clumsy words made her stop as she was about to leave.
“I was told… to make a real friend…”
“…What’s that about? Someone told you to?”
I felt embarrassed and almost looked down.
But because I didn’t understand the meaning of onii san’s words, I wanted to at least convey them honestly to her.
After a moment of silence,
“…Fine.”
I don’t know what struck a chord with her, but she turned around.
“Let’s be [friends] then.”
Even now, I don’t know what she was thinking when she said that.
But since then, she has always been by my side as my best friend.
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About a year passed, and as his graduation from sixth grade approached.
I decided to ask something I had been curious about for a long time.
“onii san’s Lux is ‘Separation’, right?”
“That’s right. To be honest, I can’t use it much though…”
“Oh? Is that a dig at me?”
When I asked mischievously, he hastily shook his head.
“No, no, no, not at all, not even a little bit!”
“Hehe, I’m just kidding. So, I was wondering what your Umbra is…”
It’s not exactly praiseworthy, but I decided to ask, overcome by curiosity.
“Hmm… sorry. It’s embarrassing, so it’s a secret.”
“Hmm. Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”
I felt a little sad that he wouldn’t tell me even after being together for a year, but I couldn’t force him.
I didn’t have any reason beyond curiosity, so I quietly backed down.
“Then, instead of that. onii san, you’re going to be gone after this year, right?”
“Yeah… —I’m starting to feel like I want to repeat a year, maybe three.”
“What are you saying?”
I’m happy… no, not that.
Ahem, I clear my throat.
Thanks to him, the bullying had stopped, but once he graduates, things might gradually return to how they were before.
Still, as long as my best friend is by my side, I can go through school life with a smile.
That’s why I wanted to ask the onii san who created this situation for me.
“If I hadn’t made a real [friend] back then, what would you have done after graduating, onii san?”
I don’t think it’s conceited.
This person would surely do something for me.
…No, maybe not just for me.
He’s the kind of person who can’t help but help people in trouble.
I can’t help but think that even after graduating, he would have done something.
His answer to such an unreasonable expectation was different from what I had anticipated.
“Hinata-chan, you’re nine now, right?”
“? Yes.”
“Next year you’ll be ten. So it’ll be okay!”
“…Huh?”
Even when I pressed him after that, onii san didn’t say anything more.
Then he graduated, and nearly half a year passed.
During that time, contrary to my expectations, my days passed peacefully.
Come to think of it, just because he graduated doesn’t mean my relationship with onii san would worsen.
He had loudly proclaimed that we were neighbors, so that must have played a big part.
Additionally, having a respected best friend probably had something to do with it too.
Feeling somewhat let down, I spent my days increasing my gratitude towards my benefactor and best friend.
The unbelievable thing happened on my birthday that year.
At ten years old, I was granted a Lux.
To this day, I remain the only confirmed case of receiving a Lux late.
For a while, I spent incredibly hectic days with TV interviews and something about research institutes.
Even amidst all that, my mind was occupied with thoughts of that person.
There’s no way he could have known.
I know that, but I can’t forget his face as he smiled and said it would be okay.
Just like a hero whose mere presence brings comfort.
Until that day when I was seven, I had admired Exia, the winged guardian who had saved me.
But now, at ten years old, I had found another person to admire.
—I wanted to help someone like that.
So, even though the reason had changed a bit.
I started chasing my dream again.
The three-year age gap, which used to be a source of comfort, at some point began to feel as vast as the Milky Way.
If only I were just one year older, if only I had been born one month earlier.
I might have been able to go to school wearing the same uniform as him.
Even while thinking like that, my feelings were still just “admiration”.
Yes, it definitely wasn’t “love” or anything like that.
Because he had someone by his side.
Even for me now, she—Kushina-chan—is as precious as a real sister.
onii san and Kushina-chan, well…
People casually say things like, “They’re dating already, right?” or ““Why don’t they get married already?”
For some reason, they’re practically living together anyway.
…It’s not just my imagination, right?
Anyway, I hope my admired person and my precious big sister will be happy like this.
Recently, I’ve been standing behind them with my arms crossed, nodding in agreement. In my mind, at least.
—So, there’s no deep meaning to this fashionable outfit I got from Kushina-chan.
My heart was so excited, but that’s normal for shopping, right?
And to have that ruined…
“I’m not angry or anything.”
I attach the armband with the scales and wings emblem to my arm.
It was also proof for off-duty squad members to use their Lux without their uniform in case of emergencies.
After checking both sides and the direction, I slowly raise my face.
“But I’m going to make you take responsibility for ruining someone’s fun.”
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