User talk:GDsMDDLFNGR

It was before I entered high school; a time when I was just passing through what remained of the last spring break of middle school.

Though I had already received my middle school diploma, I still didn't feel like I was going to be a high school student, and if I could, I'd keep that status forever, I remember thinking.

As a result of being sent to private tutoring by my mother since I entered third year, getting through the entrance exams without a hitch was, well, easy enough. However, when I went there for a preliminary inspection before the exams, I thought that having to go up that slope that just went on and on for three years of high school would get really tedious. Come to think of it, in relation to the division of the school districts, I have had some good friends in the municipal next to my neighborhood, but because they'd decided to go to far-away private schools, my feelings of loneliness would worsen whether I like it or not.

At that time, I had no idea I would be meeting a strange girl as soon as high school started, and never saw my name getting on the member list of some bizarre brigade even in my day dreams, so as I looked back at my middle school days, I was somewhat anxious about the unknowns of high school life, which, in short, is the reason for my eagerness.

And so, I buried that loneliness that had taken over a large part of my heart, kept sleeping lethargically up 'til noon, opened the game tournament that was supposedly the farewell party for the people going on to other high schools, then went on to watch a movie―――which was fun and all, but passing day after day like that got tiresome before long, so, after having brunch, I just idled away that early, pre-April afternoon in my own room like a cow.

After sleeping, waking up, eating, and then lying on my bed to sleep again, the ringing melody of the house phone started up and reached my ears.

Having no extension in my room, I left it for my mom or sister to answer, but a moment later, my sister came into my room carrying the cordless phone.

It felt like she's been doing this for a while now, but whenever she came to me with the phone in her hand, this peculiar feeling would well up inside me.

However, though I might be repeating myself, the me of that time was still pure, and my experience points were overwhelmingly insufficient.

"Kyon-kun, phone~"

My sister gave me a strange smile,

"Who is it?"

"It's a girl~"

My little sister pushed the receiver to me, grinned widely, twirled her body around, and then left my room with a hop, step, and a jump.

Strange. Usually, she wouldn't budge from my room until I drove her out, so why was she in such a hurry?

Anyway, just who could this be? As I scrolled across the main menu in my mind for the face of the girl who could've called me, I pushed the talk button on the receiver.

"Hello?"

A moment passed,

"......Yes. Um......"

It was a girl's voice for sure. However, my search mode didn't finish as I couldn't recognize who it was. But it was a voice I had heard somewhere before.

"It's me. Yoshimura Miyoko. Good afternoon. Are you feeling well right now? You're not busy, are you?"

"Ah-......"

As I started thinking, the scrolling in my head came to a complete stop. It was no surprise that she sounded familiar, since she was someone I had met many times. I just had difficulties realizing it since she had said her full name. Yoshimura Miyoko, and her nickname is Miyokichi.

"Ah, it's you. Yeah, I'm not busy at all. Too much free time, actually."

"Wonderful."

She said with heartfelt relief, making me feel hesitant. Just what did she want with me?

"Are you free tomorrow? The day after tomorrow is also good. But it won't do if it goes into April. Would you lend me some of your time?"

"Um, you're asking me?" (※1)

"Yes. I'm sorry for saying it so suddenly. Tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. Are you going to be busy?"

"Not at all. I'm free all day for either one."

"Wonderful."

She let out an honest, whispering voice that once again sounded like it had come from the bottom of her heart,

"I have a favor to ask of you."

Miyoko shifted to a nervous voice in some way, and continued.

"The whole day tomorrow will do. Would you please go out with me?"

As I gazed at the gap in my door to chase after the shadow of my sister who had just left,

"Me?"

"Yes."

"With you?"

"Yes."

Miyoko lowered her voice,

"Just us two. Is this no good?"

"Nope, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Wonderful."

I heard her give an exaggerated sigh of relief again, and with a voice that sounded like she was working hard to restrain her cheerfulness,

"Well then, I'll be looking forward to it."

I could picture Miyoko's figure bowing through the telephone line.

After that, she proposed a time and place for the meeting, worrying about whether they were convenient for me, while I simply said "Got it" and went along,

"I'm sorry. For calling so suddenly."

"It's okay. I wasn't doing anything, anyway."

After responding vaguely to that girl who was modest to the end, I hung up. If I didn't end it right there, I was sure Miyoko would go on giving thank-you's indefinitely. Yoshimura Miyoko, nicknamed Miyokichi, was that kind of girl.

To return the phone to its original location, I exited to the corridor. As soon as I did, I found my sister waiting there while looking giddy for some reason, so I pushed the extension onto her.

"Nyahaha~"

My younger sister laughed out like a fool, waving the receiver around as she went away. As I worried about my little sister's future, I recalled the calmness of Miyokichi's voice. (※2)

And then, the next day.

I don't plan on writing too much about the details. It would be troublesome to say even a single word. This is a story, not an activity report or a ship's log. Much less my diary or something like that.

Having said that, I, as the writer, shouldn't just write what I like. I can't just keep doing that, can I?

On that day, as I went to the appointed location, I saw that Miyokochi had arrived earlier and was waiting for me as I walked hurriedly to meet her. When she noticed me, she turned her face towards me and gave me a bow.

"Good morning."

After greeting me with a very thin voice, she set the sash of her hand bag on her shoulder, and then raised her head, making her ponytail swish around. She was wearing a light blue cardigan over her flower-pattern blouse, and for the bottom, she had on slim, seven-tenths length jeans. It suited her slender figure well.

I gave her a "hey" as something of a return, before I slowly took in the surroundings.

We were in front of the station. This would become familiar when we make customary use of it as the gathering point for the SOS Brigade. However, at this time, it would be several months later before I become attached to that ambiguous brigade, and I had no idea that I would be pushed around by my chin because of a Brigade Chief who would break into this world and reign supreme, so I just gazed normally around the vicinity. There should be no reason to think that there'd be trouble if someone were to see me and a girl meeting as a pair. Wouldn't you think that way, as well? (※3)

"Um..."

Miyokichi said with a trace of nervousness on her elegant face.

"There's someplace I want to go to, is that okay?"

"That's fine."

So we went. If I didn't plan on going, then I would've just broken it off yesterday through the phone. And there was no reason for me to flatly refuse Miyokichi's request.

"Thank you."

To not make it overly polite, Miyokichi only gave one bow at a time,

"There's a movie that I've been wanting to see."

Of course, she didn't have to worry about it. I'll even buy her tickets.

"There's no need for that. I will pay for myself. Since it was me who had unreasonably asked you to go."

After stating it clearly, she beamed. It was what you would call a smile that knew no impurity. An innocent smile that differed in meaning from my little sister's.

Incidentally, there were no movie theaters in the area. Miyokichi and I turned to the station, bought tickets, and took the train. The movie that she had wanted to see wasn't in the cinema complex or the big theater; since it was a minor affair of an up-and-comer, it was just out as a small, single-hall preview.

At the intervals when we were shaking in the train, she would hold onto the town guide and gaze outside the window the whole time, but she would sometimes remember to look up at my face, and give a quick bow.

It wasn't that we were both totally silent, since we did have our conversations, but I won't write anything about that. We just chatted about random things. I remember talking about what school she would be going to after that spring, and about my little sister. (※4)

It was the same when we arrived at our station and walked to the movie theater. However, it seemed like she was getting a little nervous. That nervousness went on until we arrived at the theater and made it to the front of the ticket counter. (※5)

Though it was almost time for the next showing to begin, the queue for the ticket counter was empty, showing how low the attendance for the film was. After glancing at Miyokichi, I turned to the glass window where an old lady seemed to be idling away,

"Two students."

I said.