The little blonde girl burst into tears of relief, clutching the recovered notebook to her chest.
But Minamoto Senya, pinned beneath her, wasn't feeling so blessed.
It wasn't that she was heavy. No — the problem was the ground.
Dirty. Covered in dust.
For someone like Senya — the kind of clean-freak who would wipe down a park bench before sitting — this was pure torture.
"Get off me already!" he blurted.
The girl blinked, suddenly realizing the position she was in. She scrambled to her feet at once.
Now that her precious possession was back in her hands, relief replaced her panic. Her breathing steadied, and her tears began to dry.
"I'm so sorry!" she said, bowing slightly. Both hands gripped the notebook tight in front of her.
"…Forget it. No problem." Senya brushed dust off his clothes with suppressed annoyance, all the while studying her.
From her frantic reaction earlier, there was no doubt she was the owner.
Her tackle might have been reckless, but her apology showed she had been raised with at least some manners.
Still… her outfit stood out.
A frilled white apron layered over a plain collared dress.
A maid outfit?
And that striking blonde hair, pulled into a neat side ponytail…
Expression calm, Senya asked, "This belongs to you?"
The girl nodded firmly. "Yes!"
Senya tilted his head. "Strange. I picked it up from a dog, actually."
The word dog caught her by surprise.
Immediately, her imagination conjured an image of this small boy locked in a desperate struggle with a stray mutt, rolling around in the dirt to reclaim her notebook.
The thought softened her expression even more. Gratitude welled up in her eyes.
"And how do I know it's really yours?" Senya pressed, deliberately skeptical.
The girl, simple-hearted and guileless, explained in a rush:
"I dropped it by accident, and then the dog came out of nowhere and grabbed it! I was chasing it the whole way here!"
To prove her point, she flipped the notebook around and pointed at the bottom right corner of the cover. "See? My name is engraved here. My name is Hayasaka Ai."
…As expected.
Senya's suspicions were confirmed. The engraving was faint, but if one looked closely, the name was unmistakable.
He glanced once and shrugged. "All right. I believe you."
Hayasaka let out a long breath of relief.
"It must be really important to you. Keep it safe from now on. Don't lose it again."
"Yes. Thank you so much!" she said earnestly.
In truth, she had already resolved to do just that. After this scare, she intended to lock the notebook away in her treasure box at home, never carrying it outside again.
[You returned the communication notebook. For Hayasaka Ai, this item is irreplaceable. Her affection for you has increased. You gained +1 free attribute point.]
[New system slot unlocked.]
Senya clenched his fist in triumph, thrilled at the upgrade.
"Well, that's that. Bye."
"W-wait a second!"
He turned back, surprised to be stopped.
This Hayasaka was nothing like the sharp, calculating maid he knew she would one day become. As a child, she was clumsy, her social grace still unpolished.
Faced with the desire to thank him, she hesitated, not knowing how.
"What is it?" Senya asked.
"Um… your name…"
"I'm Minamoto Senya. Don't worry about it. I should head home now. You too — be careful on your way back."
Satisfied with both the good deed and the reward, Senya's mood had lifted. His voice unconsciously grew gentler.
The sunset dyed the horizon in crimson, casting warm hues across his clear eyes.
Hayasaka, still flushed from running, felt her cheeks heat up again as her lips curved into a pure, childlike smile.
"…Mm. You too."
Not far away, Yukinoshita Haruno tilted her head, following the direction her younger sister had been staring.
"What is it? A friend of yours?" she asked curiously.
Friend?
Yukinoshita Yukino hesitated. She didn't even know his name until just now, so that probably wasn't the right word.
After a pause, she shook her head. "We're at the same kindergarten. But… we're not in the same class."
Not the same class, yet she still recognizes him?
Haruno, already eight years old and in third grade, quickly caught the implication.
This sounded like a story worth teasing out.
"He helped that little girl just now. Seems like he has a kind heart," she remarked.
Yukino thought back to lunchtime's events and silently nodded in agreement.
The sisters had just finished their extracurricular lessons in the same building nearby.
Their family had plans to meet for dinner at a restaurant in the area, but their parents had been caught in traffic.
So, accompanied by the driver, they had decided to wander the park and pass the time.
Just as they stepped out of the building, they had seen the blonde girl desperately chasing after the stray dog.
Haruno ruffled her sister's hair with a grin. "Why not go say hi?"
Yukino parted her lips, but no words came. She hesitated, caught in her own shyness.
"Yukino, you really are hopeless," Haruno sighed with mock exasperation.
At that moment, Senya and Hayasaka parted ways and began walking in their direction.
Haruno strode forward cheerfully. "Hey there, little brother!"
Senya, still engrossed in testing out his newly unlocked system functions, froze at the unexpected greeting.
Looking up, he realized the speaker was just a grade-schooler, only a head taller than himself.
Still, being called little brother by a child was… irritating.
As he frowned, wondering what her angle was, Yukino appeared timidly from behind her sister.
Their eyes met. Yukino looked apologetic, then quickly tugged at her sister's sleeve, clearly trying to rein her in.
But Haruno ignored her completely, barreling on in her usual manner. "I'm Yukino's big sister. My name's Haruno. What's yours?"
Yukinoshita Haruno…
So this was the bright, extroverted trickster who, beneath the surface, hid a mischievous streak.
Already this outgoing, this forward, at such a young age? Her personality really had been set early.
"Hello. I'm Minamoto Senya."
Thanks to her sister, Yukino now finally learned the name of the boy who had stepped in to help her earlier that day.
"Senya, huh? That's a wonderful name," Haruno said smoothly.
As expected of the girl who would one day become a terrifyingly charismatic onee-san, even as a child her communication skills were unmatched.
She glanced around, then frowned. "I don't see your parents anywhere. Are you alone?"
Senya nodded.
Watching the sisters, he smirked inwardly.
The elder sister was clearly entertained, her eyes sparkling like she had found a fascinating new toy.
The younger sister, lips pressed tight, looked conflicted, wanting to intervene but too timid to act.
And with that little ahoge swaying gently atop her head…
Was Yukino really this cute as a kid?
Why didn't Wataru-sensei ever write more about her childhood?
Haruno put on a show of concern. "It's getting late. Isn't it dangerous to be out here alone?"
Senya nodded calmly. "True. Which is why I'm heading home now."
"Bye." He had no interest in wasting time here. After all, Haruno had no exclamation mark above her head.
"See you tomorrow," he added politely to Yukino before turning to leave.
But for some reason, Haruno's interest only deepened.
Suddenly, an idea lit up in her mind. With a grin, she grabbed Senya's hand.
"Letting a little kindergartener walk home alone? I just can't let that happen. I'll take you home myself."