April, the season of blooming cherry blossoms, and students are about to embark on a new journey.
If nothing unexpected happened, Kazuo should also be sitting in the auditorium as a freshman at a university, listening to a speech, and taking a photo with his sister and Miss Ayako in front of the entrance ceremony sign at the school gate.
Watching the students and their parents in formal attire taking photos in front of the school gate, Kazuo couldn't help but show a slight smile.
He didn't resent his situation; on the contrary, looking at such a warm scene, he couldn't help but think that perhaps one day in the future, he too would wear a suit and stand beside his sister with Miss Ayako, as if protecting her, witnessing her growth.
The melancholy of early spring seemed to carry a hint of anticipation.
Perhaps, he should occasionally find time to send a message home to reassure them.
As he was thinking, Kazuo inadvertently caught sight of a girl in the distance.
She was wearing the academy's uniform, and it seemed she was also a new student reporting today.
Upon entering the school, everyone spontaneously headed towards the bulletin board in front of the open space.
After all, the class assignment list was posted there, and once confirmed, everyone would proceed to their respective classes, waiting for the Class Advisor to give a brief welcome speech before leading the students to the academy auditorium for the entrance ceremony's welcome event.
According to the message released via email yesterday, this was today's schedule, except—
Kazuo noticed that this girl seemed to have been standing in the corner since just now, looking a bit lost... Her petite figure was like a porcelain doll, and her bangs covered half her face, but still couldn't hide her delicate and lovely features. However, on that cute face, there was an undeniable sadness at the moment.
While everyone else was smiling, the girl stood out like an anomaly, appearing somewhat out of place.
"Could it be..."
Kazuo muttered, but his body had already started to move.
His job today was to guide students and provide assistance. In Kazuo's eyes, this girl, who looked only slightly older than his sister, seemed to be in some trouble.
"Excuse me, student, are you in trouble? Can't you find your class, or are you lost... Wow!"
Kazuo hadn't finished speaking when he failed to notice his footing. One of his mascot-clad feet stepped directly onto a decorative ribbon. By the time he reacted, he had already lost his balance and fell headfirst to the ground.
The commotion was not small, and many people in the courtyard turned their attention to him.
Kazuo lay sprawled in front of the girl in a very disheveled manner. He had fallen quite hard, feeling as if his entire body was about to fall apart.
"Oh, ouch, ouch... I'm so sorry, you must be laughing at me, uh—"
Kazuo winced in pain while trying to force a smile to show he was fine, but when he looked up, he realized something was wrong.
The girl lightly covered her mouth, her eyes already glistening with tears.
"Are you... alright..."
Kazuo was also stunned, but before he could finish his sentence, the girl began bowing repeatedly, full of self-reproach,
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... It's all Rice Shower's fault..."
With that, she didn't give Kazuo a chance to respond and scurried away in a flash.
"What... what just happened...?"
He hadn't done anything bad, had he?
Could it be that he had done something wrong?
Watching the girl's figure gradually disappear, Kazuo could only lower his head and push himself up.
He really looked a mess.
"Oh my... Are you alright?"
A gentle voice sounded in his ear, and a figure slowly stopped beside Kazuo.
Kazuo slowly raised his head. Long, fluffy hair cascaded down her back, pointed horse ears were adorned with blue bow hair ties, and her bangs were deliberately braided diagonally. Her mature and soft face was unlike a student's, but rather an elegant, gentle, and beautiful radiant woman.
Her voice was also soft and sweet, and just one glance into her clear, sky-blue eyes was enough to reflect his own image.
Kazuo couldn't help but stare, and the girl noticed the scratch on his face, revealing a worried expression: "Oh dear, it seems you've scraped yourself, it's bleeding a little."
Huh?
Kazuo subconsciously touched his cheek. Sure enough, there was a stinging sensation like a pinprick. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he realized it, he instantly winced from the pain.
"Wait! How can you touch a wound like that!"
For some reason, the girl frowned slightly, pouting her cherry lips in mild displeasure. As she spoke, she took out a neatly folded, clover-embroidered handkerchief from her cross-body bag.
"Don't move, okay? Use this to wipe away the dust from the wound."
Saying that, she directly squatted down and leaned closer. The unique fresh scent of a girl, like lavender, made one feel intoxicated.
Gently, meticulously, the girl gazed at Kazuo's cheek, carefully using the handkerchief to wipe away every speck of dust from the wound.
This was the first time Kazuo had such close contact with a woman other than his sister, especially such a beautiful, charming, and gentle girl who seemed as if she could be squeezed to produce water.
His cheeks couldn't help but flush.
"There... that should do it."
After she finished, the girl revealed a smile that was 100% captivating.
What a gentle person, Kazuo couldn't help but think to himself as he looked at her.
"Um..."
Just as Kazuo was about to open his mouth to thank her,
"Little ~ Sea ~ Bay!! The freshman ceremony is about to begin!"
A short, white-haired little girl in the distance shouted loudly towards them, and the girl also reacted, covering her mouth in surprise: "Oh dear, I almost forgot the time."
Saying that, she turned her head and gave a sweet smile, "I'm sorry, if you don't mind, please take this to treat your wound."
The clover handkerchief was placed on Kazuo's mascot-clad hand.
Then she stood up and scurried over, happily waving her arms as she ran, saying: "Little Tamamo-chan~"
The Tresen Academy uniform on her body seemed as if it would be torn open by her large chest, which bounced up and down as she ran. With a devilish figure and an angelic face, the girl seemed to be the best representation of such a description.
"Don't—you—dare—call me Little Tamamo!!! Tamamo Cross! Call me by my name!"
From a distance, the angry shouts of the white-haired girl could still be heard, but at this moment, Kazuo's eyes only saw that girl's figure.
...Xiao Hai Wan?
Looking down blankly at the handkerchief in his hand, which still carried the girl's scent, Kazuo was momentarily stunned, lost in thought.