March 2nd — Clear Skies
Afternoon.
After the senior kindergarten class finished taking their graduation photos, all the children ran excitedly into the arms of their parents.
There was still a brief graduation ceremony to come—once the principal gave their address, it would all officially be over.
Yukinoshita Yukino's parents both made time to attend, knowing how important this day was for their daughter.
And since it was the school break, her older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, came along as well.
Part of it was because she didn't want to miss any milestone moments in her younger sister's life. But there was another reason too—she was curious. Curious about that precocious little boy and how he would act in front of others at a moment like this.
From a distance, she noticed something interesting: after the photos were done, her sister didn't immediately run over to her family like the other kids.
Instead, Yukino glanced briefly in their direction, then followed a step behind Minamoto Senya as he headed back toward the classroom.
Haruno's eyes narrowed, glinting with the sly look of a little fox.
After giving her parents a quick word, she slipped away and followed them.
At the classroom doorway, she caught the exact moment Senya handed her sister a small panda keychain.
"This is for you," he said earnestly, his expression natural and sincere. "Thanks for everything you've done for me these past months."
The sudden gift left Yukino caught off guard. She had no idea how to respond.
Haruno sighed inwardly, then stepped forward smoothly, intercepting the keychain with a bright smile. She turned it over in her palm, pretending to admire it."What a cute charm! If Yukino doesn't want it, I'll be happy to take it. It'd look perfect hanging from my bag."
At once, Yukino snatched it back, clutching it tightly in both hands.
First, she gave her sister a sharp glare. Only after that did she look at Senya, murmuring a soft "thank you."
But inside, she felt frustrated.
She couldn't think of anything she'd done to deserve a thank-you gift.
If anything, she was the one who should be grateful.
She liked to spend her time reading, but it was Senya who seemed to notice that. He was always close by, quietly shielding her from the noise and distractions of the classroom.
Like a guardian spirit—just being near him gave her a sense of safety and comfort.
From that perspective, it should be her thanking him for his companionship and care.
Senya, of course, wasn't overthinking any of this.
He just wanted to give her a gift.
Ever since he had bonded with Yukino, his persistence—studying on his own and sticking close to her—had paid off.
He'd managed to raise his Japanese and English skills to match hers, and his system was still steadily unlocking more useful abilities.
In a way, he was slowly becoming a reflection of her. And he couldn't be happier about it.
So really, giving her a trinket worth a few hundred yen as thanks almost felt cheap.
But he was only six years old—his finances were limited. He figured he could repay the "freeloaded kindness" properly once he was older.
Haruno, however, was more curious about something else. She looked around and asked, "By the way, I haven't seen your family, Senya. Where are they?"
"They're busy with work. They couldn't make it," Senya replied while packing his bag.
The truth was, his father had planned to attend. But Senya had convinced him to stay home and rest instead, insisting he'd be fine.
It wasn't something he felt the need to explain.
"I see…" Haruno's voice trailed, her tone slyly stretched. Her gaze lingered on Senya, quietly piecing together guesses about his family situation.
Meanwhile, Senya zipped his bag and turned to Yukino. "By the way, do you know which elementary school you'll be going to?"
She blinked in surprise, then answered immediately. "Private Ikutoku Elementary."
That was the same school Haruno attended. With strong teachers and excellent facilities, it was the most prestigious elementary school in the area.
Haruno chuckled teasingly. "Oh? Senya, are you planning to go to the same school as my little sister?"
Senya stared at her blankly, then nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
Did that really need to be asked?
Yukinoshita Yukino was clearly a treasure. Over the past year, Senya had already discovered so many of her hidden talents.
Most of her skills never went beyond Level 1 or 2, since she only dabbled in them. But that didn't matter—every little bit was valuable.
Why would he ever give that up?
The matter-of-fact way he said it, like it was the most natural thing in the world, left Haruno unexpectedly at a loss.
Were kids these days really this direct? No subtlety at all—just a straight fastball pitch to the heart.
She glanced sideways at her sister. Yukino had turned her head toward the window, as if to avoid looking at Senya.
But the flush of her bright red ears betrayed her feelings.
"I still need to see a teacher, so I'll be going. Bye."
Once Senya had confirmed which school Yukino would attend, he hurried off to find the teacher he was closest with. With his most innocent, childlike smile, he made his request.
A few days later, Senya's father—by coincidence on a day off—received a phone call from the kindergarten staff.
Early April — Spring Blossoms
The new school year began under a shower of cherry blossoms.
Senya and Yukino met again at the entrance ceremony for elementary school.
As the new first graders gathered to check the class assignment lists on the bulletin board, Senya pressed his palms together, muttering under his breath.
Yukino leaned closer, listening carefully. Then she huffed and looked away, cheeks slightly puffed.
She'd heard him repeating, "Please let us be in the same class. Please let us be in the same class…"
But fate wasn't on his side.
Yukino ended up in Class 1-1. Senya was assigned to Class 1-4.
Their classrooms were at opposite ends of the building.
Even so, their friendship didn't weaken. They still spent time together, just as before.
Their usual meeting spot shifted from the shaded bench of the kindergarten yard to new places—the stairwell corners, the rooftop terrace, the quiet edges of the track field.
First graders didn't know anything about romance. But they still instinctively sought out what was beautiful and warm.
And Yukinoshita Yukino was growing more and more lovely with each passing day.
Some of the boys in her class were drawn to her refined, delicate presence.
Even though she was reserved and cool most of the time, sometimes—when she was with a certain someone—her smile shone like sunlight.
That was enough to spark something in those boys: a wild hope that maybe, just maybe, she might smile at them the same way.
So they tried—awkwardly brushing against her in the hall, making clumsy attempts at conversation, even showing off in ways they thought looked impressive.
It was all painfully childish.
Yukino, however, had decided something important.
She was in first grade now. If she wanted to live up to Senya's words about being a "lone beast," she needed to start handling things herself.
So she turned down Senya's offers to intervene.
And honestly, she did pretty well.
Most boys gave up quickly when she told them directly she wasn't interested in talking.
But sometimes there were those who didn't get the message—or worse, those whose bruised egos twisted their interest into spite.
And that was when things became more complicated.