Chapter 3 – A timeless reunion with the girl of my dreams

“Ah, Nihama-kun. Good morning!”

Looking back at the cool voice that I heard suddenly, she was there.

The jewel of my youth that I could not forget even when I turned old.

“Shijoin-san ……”

“what’s wrong!? You look really surprised…….”

This girl, who speaks in a gentle manner like a young lady, is my high school classmate and long time crush, Haruka Shijoin.

She is a modern day princess with long, beautiful black hair and a father who is the president of a large bookstore company that operates nationwide.

“Oh, yeah, I’m just a little sleepy. Good morning, Shijoin-san.

“Yes, good morning!”

She greeted me with a very cute smile.

She never bragged about her good looks or that her family had a lot of money, she was very kind to me, even though I was a gloomy guy in class.

Her breasts were big and she was very popular among the boys.

(she was very popular among boys because of how big it is…）

As I admired Shijoin-san’s beautiful face, I remembered the fate she had once suffered in the future.

After graduating from high school, Shijoin-san went to college and got a job at a certain company. It seems that her beauty and cheerfulness made her popular and she was doing a great job.

However, the female employees at her workplace begin to bully her in a fierce manner.

Perhaps because Shijoin-san was a serious person, She continued to work desperately without consulting her family, and as a result of that,…. She became mentally ill.

Moreover, at the same time, her family’s business also fell into a severe financial slump, and the Shijouin family quickly fell to ruin. Because of this, This delayed the family’s grasp of their daughter’s condition.

As a result, ……Shijoin-san attempted to commit suicide and became emotionless doll, She remained in a mental hospital for a long time.

It was reported in the news that the victim was the daughter of a large company, and the Shijoin family sued the main perpetrators, who apparently stated that their motive was that “they didn’t like the fact that she was beautiful and attracted the attention of male employees”.

（If only there was someone on Shijoin-san side who she could rely on … who can support her or teach her how to escape, such a terrible future would not have …… happened?）

I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand being in that position.

But for now, though, I want to get as close to her as I can.

“You’re looking good this morning, Shijoin-san.”

“Ufufu, I was reading a book until late last night, so I had a hard time getting out of bed today. You see, it’s the 7th volume of” Zero no Tsukairun “.

“Oh! That volume was really interesting! Especially the part where the main character “Gennai” stands alone against an army of 70,000 to protect his master”

“Yeah! That’s right! I’m glad I was able to share this excitement with Nihama-kun”

As I walked along the way to school, I had a blissful conversation with Shijoin-san, that transcended time and became a precious memory.

“That? …Nihama-kun, something is different about you today.”

“Eh? Is that so?”

“Yes, when you talk to me, you usually don’t say much and tend to keep your face down…. I was a little surprised to see you so cheerful today.”

Oh, I see. …… Come to think of it, back then I was too dazzled by Shijoin-san. I could only talk like “…… yeah,” or “Oh, yeah, …… that’s good …….” and all I could do was talk in a shy manner……

Even as an adult, I wasn’t able to change my class to a bright, cheerful guy.

(TLN: The class in this line refers to classes or roles like on RPG)

When you go out into society, you couldn’t just say, “I’m not good at talking to young women and aggressive people.”

After all, at work, whether it’s a beautiful woman, a crazy complainer, or an abusive boss, you have to get your story straight even if you don’t want to.

If you can’t do that, you will be reprimanded by those around you, so you will naturally learn how to talk and behave to a certain extent.

（Well, now that I’ve been talking to Shijoin-san for the first time in 12 years, I’m really excited）

“Yeah, I was talking to Shijoin-san and decided to stop talking in a whisper.”

“Eh,…me?”

“Yes, Shijoin-san always speaks cheerfully, which makes me feel good. That’s why I’ve decided to learn from you and try to speak clearly from now on.”

Well, right after I got a job, my boss, who loves to speak out loud, snapped at me and trained me not to speak in a whisper.

“Really!? It’s embarrassing when you compliment me”

Shijoin-san just laughs at my words, which could be seen as an attempt to gain a good impression.

She is kind and cheerful, and pure as a child.

That’s why even in high school, where there were plenty of boys who wanted her, she never understood their passionate gaze and never got a lover despite her good looks.

“Oh, that’s…you’re returning those books to the library, right? It looks heavy. I’ll take it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I borrowed ten books this time……”

“I don’t really care. School is just around the corner.”

I picked up the eco-bag with the books she was carrying.

…… Well, my mouth and hands moved almost automatically now, but what am I doing! ??

（I’ve done it! It’s a workplace habit!）

There were a lot of old ladies at work. …… They were annoying. Whenever I came across them with their luggage, they would say, “Take it, even if you’re not told because you are a man.” “You’re so inconsiderate!.”

Since this has happened so many times, I have developed a habit of reflexively calling out, “it looks heavy, I’ll carry it,” when a woman was carrying heavy luggage.

“Oh, thank you very much. To be honest, I thought I borrowed a little too much, so that was a big help.”

（Thank goodness …. She didn’t think I was a disgusting guy who suddenly acted over familar.）

Memories can be beautified, but her cuteness, cheerfulness, and naturalness are still fresh in my memory.

At first, I just wanted to tell her I loved her, but the more we talked ……, the more I couldn’t be satisfied with that.

“It’s not just the way you talk…., but you seem to have changed a lot from the Nihama-kun i know until yesterday.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, you’re more positive … I think you’re more manly and nicer.”

The girl who says this with a big smile on her face is Haruka Shijouin.

The destructive power is amazing … Honestly, she’s so cute …!

(Haha … but … if I could say, I guess those 12 years of wasting my life were a bit of a blessing ….)

“Haha, I’m glad to hear that. Even so, you borrowed a lot of books. Was there anything interesting?”

“Yes! Everything was very interesting! First–”

I walked along the way to school with Shijoin-san while having a pleasant conversation.

Determined not to let the beautiful memories become memories this time, I enjoyed the blissful time I thought I would never have again.