CG 2: Bookstore (Kou & Sou Common Route)
“SEE ya later, Mashiron!”
“Bye-bye, Eri!”
Although we usually went home together, I parted ways with Eri as soon as we left school. Eri had penmanship lessons today.
Two weeks had passed since I regained memories of my past life. I’d finally grown accustomed to living as an elementary school student, and the days passed by peacefully. What was there for me to get used to when I’d already been living as an elementary schooler until two weeks ago, you say? School. Being at school is when I sorely felt the gap between my mental age and body the most.
Inadvertently, I started to wonder whether it was really okay to go through life like this without taking action. My information on my dear Kou ends when he graduates from high school. After that, I have no idea what happens to him. If I don’t meet him while we’re still students, I’ll lose the chance to interact with him for life… I was plagued with worries.
When I announced that I wanted to buy workbooks, Mom gave me the most suspicious look. And I mean suspicious.
“Are you the same girl who recently whined about how you don’t want to do your homework?” Mom replied doubtfully, handing me 2,000 yen. She went on to specify that showing her the receipt and change were the conditions. I promptly nodded.
So here I was today. After I had bidden farewell to Eri, I crossed the footbridge to visit the massive bookstore facing the road. Then a miracle happened.
I stopped in front of the high school exam’s reference book corner, carefully scrutinizing the workbooks. I needed to find the most effective learning tools. A middle schooler fishing through the books on the same shelf kept glancing at me. Pretending like I hadn’t noticed his questioning eye, I narrowed down my selection to four possibilities. Considering my budget, I could only buy two.
Constantly asking Mom for money wasn’t going to be an option. After all, any bystander was bound to see me as second grade runt. Even if they thought I was an eager student studying for her middle school entrance exams, they’d laugh their heads off and say I didn’t have a need for workbooks like 500 Questions You Need to Know for Your High School Exams.
Should I narrow it down to social studies and science? Or go with a workbook that reviews all five subjects? Honestly, I want all four workbooks! I wish I could pick up a part-time job. Why am I still so young?
Just as I was contemplating what to do—
“Oh? Mashiro?” a high-pitched, meek voice rose from behind me.
Hm? This voice is… I turned around with a workbook held tightly to my chest to see a certain boy for the second time.
“Sou! Long time no see.” I accidentally called him by his first name because that’s what I was used to thinking of.
How could I call someone I met just recently by their first name?! I panicked, surprised by my own actions.
The Sou Shiroyama I knew from the game would’ve curtly shut me down without a second thought and say something like, “Could you please not speak to me as if we’re friends?”
But the real world Sou beamed. “You remembered me. I’ve been looking for you since then, hoping we could meet again.”
He must’ve also been on his way home from school, since his backpack hung off one shoulder and his school uniform blazer was unbuttoned. His refined pose was undeniably cool.
“Ahaha. You were?”
Sou gazed at me with such earnest eyes that I gradually felt an increasing urge to run away. If possible, I hoped he’d hurry up and walk away. Contrary to my wishes, he came closer and noticed the four other workbooks I had lined up across the shelf. He looked back at me, his eyes wide.
“Wow. Mashiro, you’re already doing such complicated problems?”
“No…um, I guess. Just thought I should study properly…”
It’s no use—I can’t think of a good way to deflect the question. I’ve always been horrible at handling situations where you have to think on the fly. Good liars are the ones with quick wits.
“You’re amazing! I have no idea how to solve these problems!” Sou exclaimed in the same way he had when we first met, as he started flipping through the workbook pages.
Getting the feeling that this conversation was going to be dragged out, I gave up on two of the workbooks, returning them to their former positions on the bookshelf. I wanted to take my time weighing the options, but getting out of here came first. The look Sou had in his eyes since he appeared made me uncomfortable.
Was it admiration? Adoration? Either way, it felt like he was extremely impressed by me. With zero experience with being looked at in such a way, I didn’t know how to react.
“Well I’m going to go buy these now,” I said, hoping he would catch on to the implied goodbye. Instead, he followed me, as if it were the obvious thing to do.
Seriously?! What am I supposed to do about him now?!
“Sou? Are you done already?”
At that moment—that exact moment—I heard what sounded like the younger version of Kou’s sweet voice, which had entranced me on more than one occasion through the earbuds connected to my handheld console. I violently spun around.
His trademark fire-red hair was still short. Donning the same blazer as Sou, the top button of his shirt was undone and his necktie hung loose around his neck. I was overwhelmed by a sexy, pheromone-exuding seven-year-old. Narrowing his deep indigo-blue eyes like a cat, he glanced at our faces.
“What? Is this the girl you were talking about, Sou?”
His voice hadn’t yet changed through puberty, but its sweetness still had the same power to resonate through my body.
Oh my gosh. It’s the real Kou. I think I’m gonna cry.
I’m a woman at the mature age of eighteen crushing on a barely seven-year-old boy! My other half suddenly regained her composure, immediately raising a red flag.
I know! But if I don’t look at him while I can, I might never get the chance to again!
Sou noticed my fascination with Kou and frowned. He grabbed my arm and pulled me behind his back.