Shinka no Mi

Chapter 72

Author’s Note: It became quite short, I’m sorry .

She had beautiful long black hair that reached her waist and eyes of almond black .

In the girl’s uniform of my High School, which I had not seen since I was abandoned in the 【Forest of Endless Sorrow 】 .

With black stockings that fully wrapped her slender legs .

Even considering the fact that I intentionally avoided her back on Earth, she hasn’t changed at all from the last time I saw her at various occasions, like in the morning assembly and such . Before my very eyes, is Kannazuki-senpai whom I had known very well .

「……are you……Seiichi-kun……?」

Kannazuki-senpai was dumbfounded as she muttered

——Rather, I was also pretty much dumbfounded myself .

Of course I already knew it in the back of my head that the Heroes were at this academy, and sooner or later we would meet each other in the end . Furthermore, I also wanted to ascertain the wellbeing of Kannazuki-senpai and the rest . However, as she had suddenly showed up like this, my thoughts completely stopped .

「Eh, ah, umm, err… Ee… aah…」

As a result, garbled words came flowing out from my mouth . No, they didn’t even form words! To think we’d meet at a time like this! Gosh, what should I do! How should I talk to her!? Should I play it safe and say 『It has been awhile since we last met, Senpai 』 here? Or should it be 『Have you been well?』? How about 『Hey babe! How does tea sounds to ya?』and go a little bit on the offensive here!?

……Okaay . Calm down . .

As I faced her with turmoil swirling around within my heart, Kannazuki-senpai once again opened her mouth .

「――Fumu . From the way you stuttered with your words, to how you panicked towards unexpected events, to how your breathing became twice as fast and how you started talking 0 . 2 seconds earlier… There’s no mistake, you are Seiichi-kun . 」

「What’s with that Evaluation Standard!?」

Why do you know so much about me down to the milliseconds!? Even I myself have zero inkling about it at all?! Huh!? Was the Kannazuki-senpai I know, this kind of person!? A dignified, wonderful person loved by everyone… She was definitely not the embodiment of lewdness, wasn’t she?!

As I was taken aback by her words, Kannazuki-senpai hugged me with tears in her eyes .

「Wha!?」

I could hear Al raised a stupefied voice from my behind, but more than that, my own body became stiff from Kannazuki-senpai’s behavior .

「Thank god… Really, thank god…! Even though I believed you were safe, I just couldn’t quell this unrest that swelled inside my heart no matter what…! That’s why, seeing you safe like this… . I’m ……!」

「…」

…Kannazuki-senpai has been worrying over someone like me for a long time, huh…To tell you the truth, I was uneasy as well when she recognized me now that I’d got thinner,taller, and my voice changed as well . My face was hidden under a hood as well . Kannazuki-senpai trembled while hugging me . In the end, I felt blessed . Even though I was being bullied, there were still people who cared about me . I must have been a foolish bastard for not being aware of it .

It was at that moment when I tried to reciprocate her hug despite how embarrassing it was .

「—There’s a scent of a women on you . 」

「……Eh?」

Kannazuki-senpai’s very low voice was reverberating inside my ear . For some reason, cold sweat started endlessly running down my back . Dear Body, what is happening to you? What is making you so frightened?

With an excessive amount of cold sweat and how my body started to tremble despite it not even being cold, I tilted my head only to find Kannazuki-senpai raising her head, looking at me with a face devoid of any expression .

「There’s a scent of a women on you . 」

「Why are you repeating it?!」

I didn’t know the reason, but my instinct had been screaming danger for a while now . And so, Kannazuki-senpai finally noticed the existence of Saria and the girls .

「Hm? Who are they…?」

「Ah, umm——」

Judging it was the time to change the topic, I immediately tried to introduce Saria and the girls .

「She is——」

「——Do tell, why is your scent emanating out from Seiichi-kun?? Mysteries sure do have many forms . 」

「Isn’t Kannazuki-senpai’s nose even more mysterious?! 」

What’s going on?! Why is Senpai’s nose that sharp?!

Kannazuki-senpai turned to the girls and introduced herself .

「I’m Kannazuki Karen . Someone who 『has been with Seiichi』 since 『a long time ago』 . I’m his 『childhood friend』 . So? Who might you guys be?」

Why did she emphasize those specific words that much? Besides, why is she looking so triumphant right now?

「Erm, I’m Saria! Seiichi’s 『Bride』!」

「——Guhuk!」

Silently, Kannazuki-senpai let out some blood .

「I, it seemed like my ear went erred . Of all things, you said『Seiichi’s Bride』――――——」

「Umm…It’s embarrassing to say, but what Saria just said isn’t wrong, you know . 」

「——Gahak!」

Kannazuki-senpai spurted blood once again . After which Kannazuki-senpai became emotionless once again and asked me in a deadpan tone .

「Seiichi-kun . Does that mean, you are … in a relationship that is more than just love with her?」

「That’s right . 」

「Have you two snogged?」

「Snogged, you say…」

Although Kannazuki-senpai used such an old term, the Q&A made me so embarrassed, I couldn’t help but avert my face away . Saria too seemed quite sheepish when other people said it and blushed cutely

「——You’ve done it . 」

「Eh? Ah, yes . We’ve done it…」

As I was slightly intimidated by her deadpan face when she asked that question, I saw tears falling from her eyes .

「Tho, those lips that I should have robbed, now I can no longer rob it anymore… 」

「Ka, Kannazuki-senpai?」

I was completely at loss, but Kannazuki-senpai somehow had a despaired look .

「You have been snogged . So your chastity has already…」

「Why is the conversation moving in that direction?!?! I have not done something like that!」

「——Really?」

In response to my words, Kannazuki-senpai turned her face which had regained its vitality to me

「You’re not lying? Is there really, really nothing between you and her?」

「I told you there’s nothing!」

Why do I have to appeal such an embarrassing thing to her with a loud voice? Shortly after, Kannazuki-senpai let a expression of relief .

「I see… If so, I’m glad…」

「No, I don’t understand what makes you so relieved from that…」

「Fufufu . Seiichi-kun, you don’t need to worry about it . I’m just happy we can give each other our 『First time』 . Although we couldn’t have our first kiss, well… I can give you my 『first time』 . So, it’s not a problem . 」

「OUUUUTT!!!」

I knew it! Something was off! Was this person really the Kannazuki-senpai I was familiar with!? The conversation became so crude that I couldn’t stand it!? Or rather, why did Kannazuki-senpai’s eyes gleamed when she said that!? When I tried to shrug the incomprehensible dread off from me, her eyes moved towards Al and the rest behind me .

「And so? Are they also your acquaintances, Seiichi-kun?」

「Uh… I’m Altria Grem . So? …What are you to Seiichi?」

Al introduced herself while releasing a somewhat vigilant air . Towards her question, she once again said it with a smug look .

「As I mentioned before, I am Seiichi’s 『Childhood friend』! The years I’ve spent with him is far different from you guys . 」

「I see…」

Al lowered her face for a while, and then, as though she had thought of something, eventually returned her gaze with a reddened face and stated .

「I am…! Se, Seiichi’s … . Gi, 『Girlfriend』!」

「——Gahak!」

Kannazuki-senpai yet again bled in a grand manner . Is she alright? Wait, did she have a severe chronic disease I didn’t know? So while I pondered on how to escape reality, Rurune and the others started their introduction as well, as though they were giving the final blow .

「Fun . I’m Rurune . Milord’s 『manservant』as well as his 『Knight』」

「……Olga Carmelia . Seiichi-oniichan’s … little sister . So … his 『family』」

「I’m Beatrice Rogner . I’m no one but a vice homeroom teacher where Seiichi-san is assigned… . Rather than that, why does Seiichi-san know one of the heroes?」

Beatrice-san, I’m sorry for involving you . And to have someone with a common sense like you here made me happy . Normally, it would be a question how I and Kannazuki-senpai knew each other, but it was sure strange no one cared about it . I knew it! I’m not the strange one, right!? It’s primarily because Kannazuki-senpai is the strange one, right!?

O, Kannazuki-senpai whom I knew, please … E BAAACCKKK!!

As I was thinking so, I turned myself to Kannazuki-senpai, then…

「…」

Kannazuki-senpai burned out until she was pale . Ka, KANNAZUKI-SENPAAAAAI!!

Thus, me and Kannazuki-senpai’s abrupt reunion became something so convoluted, being moved by it was out of the question and it had become a very messy reunion .

And so, when I finally noticed we still haven’t had our lunch and that were making too much noise while occupying the entrance of the dining hall, we were being looked at with strange eyes by the people around us .

Kannazuki Senpai adjusted her tone slightly . Basically, despite it being a very clear way of speaking, towards unfamiliar parties, there are cases where honorific terms and soft-termed words are also used . The reason Senpai was using the same tone she used with Seiichi towards Aru and others was to ignite a sense of rivalry, therefore, there was no need to explain it to the others .