Chapter 5: The Entrance Ceremony and the First "Her"

Time continued to pass, and before long, the day of the entrance ceremony arrived.

"...Cherry blossoms."

"...Cherry blossoms, huh."

"Is this… the school?"

"...Yeah, should be."

A child—small against the towering school gate—stepped through, hand in hand with an adult.

———Squeeze. A sharp pang tightened in her chest.

"...Towa? What’s wrong?"

"......"

She steadied her trembling right hand with her left, trying her best not to crouch down right there on the spot.

If only… if only she could run away right now, how wonderful that would be. If she could just take flight from this place right now—how freeing that would feel.

"You okay?"

"……………Yeah."

"Hey, you two! Over here! We’re taking pictures!"

By the gate, next to a sign reading "Celebrating Your Enrollment," stood Towa’s parents and Yūki’s parents.

"...C’mon, Towa."

"...Mm."

They held hands. The sunlight felt like it pierced through her chilled fingertips and frozen heart.

———Warm.

Was it even okay to describe this tenderness with such a cliché word?

———Just for now, let me have this.

It wasn’t like anyone would deny it, but for some reason, she felt like begging for permission anyway.

"Um, excuse me—! Could you take a photo for us?"

"Sure!"

One of the nearby families agreed to snap the pictures.

First, the whole group—both families together.

Next, Yūki and her parents.

Then—Towa and… her family.

Finally, Towa and Yūki.

At the beginning and the end, their hands never let go.

Yūki didn’t know it yet, but this photo would become one of Towa’s most cherished treasures for life.

Alright, let’s check the class assignments— and while we’re at it, time to introduce the first heroine you’ll meet in elementary school.

"I’m in Class 1. Towa, you?"

"...Class 1."

"No way! Same here!"

———And then—

Shizue Yui's in our class too, huh…

Shizue Yui—the true heroine of this story, nicknamed the Crush Crusher. Her fatal flaw? She adores Yūki so much that she’s ruthlessly shattered the spirits of every boy who’s ever confessed to her.

"? What’s up? Looking for a friend’s name?"

"Huh? Ah, n-nah, it’s nothing."

"Hmmmm?"

They headed to the classroom, Yūki practically vibrating with excitement ("So this is school!"), while Towa’s lips twitched into a faint smile.

And then—it hits her. This is the moment. The very first “flag” event she’ll witness since coming to this world. She takes a step back and to the right (earning a confused look from Yūki that seems to say what now?), but she has to let it happen.

“Huh? Whoa—!?”

“Kya!”

“Gahhh!?”

Out of nowhere, a girl rushes out and crashes right into Yūki, sending him flying backwards. But the narrative force of this world is relentless—so much so that Towa gets dragged into the fall too, ending up in a heap with him.

“Ahh—ow! Who the heck was that?!”

“Ahh ahh ahh—s-sorry! I’m really sorry, but I’m in a hu—rrrrry—!! whispers (Gasp! it’s the real Yūki!)”

The girl—Shizue Yui, of course—races off in a flurry of footsteps. This encounter will later be retold as their “first meeting” in a flashback during the past arc. Technically, it’s the very first interaction between them in the story’s timeline.

“Ugh—hey! Get up already! You’re heavy!”

“Ah—sorry, sorry!”

…Did Towa really need to get caught up in all that? A fair question.