After Coming Back
“……what’s this”
It’s the lunch break between lessons. I finished the lessons that I’ve not taken in a long while, somehow made it to the lunch break, and came to the cafeteria with everybody, but.
“Here, Dargris, ah~n!”
“Ah~n”
“Geez, you got sauce on your cheek because you moved”
“Remove it for me then. Here”
“Geez, it can’t be helped huh. ……pero”
I came to the cafeteria, but Dargris and Rene are too lovey-dovey it’s annoying. No, it’s better than them being at odds.
I panicked when I saw Dargris, who came back battered, but it appears that they managed to reconcile. I thought it went well but……didn’t it go too well? They didn’t do things like licking off the sauce that got on their cheeks until now…….
Cait, who’s still beet-red, is beside me, and Emma is sitting in the seat in front of him. Ely, who’s munching her food without a care in the world, is in front of me. Birdon is on the opposite side of Cait, and Shizuku is sitting on the other side, but both of them look somewhat awkward.
“Here, this time it’s Rene’s turn, ah~n”
“Ah, ah~n. Fufu, this is embarassing huh”
“Geez, how adorablee~, Rene is!”
A, annoying~. The students around who are in the cafeteria are also looking over here and secretly talking amongst themselves. We’re drawing a lot of attention though. At a time like that
Chon Chon
Nn? Somebody nudged me? I try turning around, thinking somebody nudged my back, and over there
“Why are you here, Haku?”
Haku, who, by right, should be in the Headmaster Office, was standing there. A pair of sleepy eyes along with a maid outfit. She’s holding a bear plushie in her hands for some reason. Did the Vice Headmaster give it to her?
“Nobody, room. Hungry. Presence, found”
……hmm? There’s nobody in the room, and she’s hungry, so she left the Headmaster Office huh. And she came here because she found my presence.
“Did Shishou and Vice Headmaster go somewhere?”
Haku just shakes her head even when I ask about the two of them. She doesn’t know huh. But, I can’t imagine those two going somewhere without notice. I wonder if something happened.
My shirt was tugged once again as I’m thinking about those things.
“Hungry”
“Aah, my bad. Let’s go grab something, shall we”
Immediately after I say that and tries to stand up
“Who’s that child?”
Cait asks me. Emma, Shizuku, and Birdon also look over there; even Dargris and Rene, who had entered their own world, are looking over here. Only Ely is silently eating though.
“Nn? I’ve been told by Shishou to look after her for a bit. It appears that she’s hungry, so I’ll go grab something”
And then I, who stood up from my seat, holds my left hand out to Haku. Haku is tilting her head cluelessly though.
“Here, let’s go while holding hands so that you don’t get lost since there are a lot of people”
There are about 2/3 of the entire school’s students in the cafeteria. It’ll probably be difficult to find her if she gets lost in this. I don’t know Haku’s age, but her appearance is that a young girl who’s about 8 years old. Her height is also only about 130.
“……nn”
Perhaps Haku also understood the meaning behind it; she timidly holds her right hand out. Alright, she’s not holding a knife this time around. I take hold of the hand of such Haku, and we went all the way to the shop. I’ll ignore the whispers around. ……I’ll punch just those who said that I have an interest in young girls.
◇◇◇
“In the end, Shishou and Vice Headmaster didn’t come back”
“Nn”
It’s after school now, and we’re standing in front of the gate. Dargris and Rene went back home to have a talk with Alma, and it seems everybody else also has things to do respectively, so we dispersed.
Because of that, Haku and I, who have nothing special to do, headed to the Headmaster Office once again, but as expected, there’s nobody. And then we arrive at the present.
“It can’t be helped. We’ll meet Shishou tomorrow; let’s go back for today, shall we”
“Nn”
I have to bring Haku home and introduce her to Priscilla and the others after all, and there’s also the preparation of Haku’s bed. Come to think of it, we have to buy her daily necessities as well. But, I don’t know what a girl needs. What should I do. As I’m thinking about such things
“Ara, if it isn’t Lei. Are you going back already?”
Alexia and Caro walked over from the inside of the school. Alexia is understandable, but why is Caro around? Haku then hid behind me because two strangers came.
“Aah, I was just thinking of going back after buying some things. Why are the two of you?”
“Caro said she wanted to have a look at the academy, so I showed her around. Since it’s different from the Papal State”
“Is that so. By the way, Alexia-san. Is there nothing you want to say to me?”
I approach Alexia with a smile. However, Caro, who’s beside her, is slightly frightened after looking at me, so I guess my eyes probably aren’t smiling.
“I, I wonder what you’re talking about?”
“Play”
Twitch!
“My information”
Twitch Twitch!
“Now then, is there nothing you want to say?”
“Ah~, I just remember that I have some things to take care of, I’ll see you later!!!!”
“Ah! Don’t run, Alexia! What about dinner!”
“I’ll have it~!”
Good grief. She could’ve at least given me a heads up.
“Fufu, Alexia-neesan was happy as well; hearing that there are plays of her beloved person. Everybody is delighted”
“Nevertheless, if she’d said something, albeit reluctantly, I would’ve given her permission at least……wait, why is Caro so detailed about it? Could it be”
I look fixedly at Caro. Caro is fidgeting about from being watched by me, but perhaps she resigned herself
“……tehe”
she stuck her tongue out and tried to gloss over it. It’s adorable though! But even though it’s adorable! Haa, well, whatever. It’s useless even if I say any more than this. I guess the plays are probably produced no matter what I say.
“……next time, discuss it with me”
“Un!”
……I sure am soft. I can’t win against the ladies’ radiant smiles.
“So, who’s that child?”
Caro, who knew that the conversation about the plays is over, asks me about Haku, who hides behind me. I have a feeling that her eyes somewhat squinted though……is it my imagination?
“Aah, I was entrusted with this child by Shishou. She’s a child with some circumstances; I’ll talk about the details at home, but I want everybody to teach her how to live as a girl”
“A child with circumstances huh. I got it. My name is Caroline. Nice to meet you”
Caro looks at me with a suspicious gaze for a moment, but perhaps she’s convinced, she crouches down to Haku’s eye line and greets her with a smile. Haku shows no sign of coming out from behind me. I wonder if she’s shy, or if she doesn’t know how to greet.
“Haku. This person is a Onee-chan whom you’ll live with from now on. Let’s greet her, shall we”
I say while patting Haku’s head. Haku, timidly comes out from my back
“I’m, Haku”
says, bows, and returns to my back once again. In comparison to the time when she suddenly thrust her knife at me, she has improved dramatically.
“I see, Haku-chan huh. Nice to meet you”
Caro tries to pat the head of such Haku, but as one would expect, it seems she won’t allow her to go that far. She hid behind me to avoid Caro’s hand. Caro looks at me with sorrowful eyes, while hovering her hand that lost its destination. ……don’t mind.
“Gusu, so what are you going to do after this. Are you going back already?”
“No, I was thinking of going to buy the things that Haku needs after this, but I don’t know what a girl needs, so I’m at a loss”
“In that case, I’ll choose them for you! Haku-chan, let’s buy some cute clothes!”
Caro, who says and tries to pat her head. But, ‘swoosh!’, Haku hides behind me. It’ll be after you guys get on slightly better terms huh. I, while scratching my head,
“Caro doesn’t have anything to do?”
asks. Immediately after
“I do. Important things”
Caro says and hugs my arm tightly. ……I shall keep it to myself that there’s no breast-sama to make contact with.
“What?”
“……no, it is nothing”
How did she know? Helen also realises such things immediately for some reason.
“Well, whatever. Let’s do the important things, which is Haku-chan’s shopping and the date with Lei from now!”
Caro, who then pulls my arm. They’re indeed important things huh.
“Haku too, let’s go, shall we”
“Nn”
Like this, we headed towards the shopping district that’s lined with stores.
