May.

I had gotten pretty used to life at elementary school, but the low specs of this body still made me miserable every day.

Today’s 50-meter sprint in PE was hell.

Even though in my previous life I had the stamina to finish a full marathon in the middle of summer, with this six-year-old body, just running a few times was enough to leave me completely out of breath.

‘Haa... seriously, can’t I grow up faster? At the very least I want the muscle strength to properly handle a snowboard.’

After finishing the end-of-day homeroom, I readjusted the bright red genuine leather randoseru on my back and sluggishly headed toward the shoe lockers.

Since I was on cleaning duty today, my dismissal time was a bit later than usual.

I was thinking I’d just head home alone, take it easy and chug some cold barley tea from the fridge, when—"Shizuku-chaaaan!"

Right beside the school gate.

Under a cherry blossom tree with lush green leaves basking in the early summer sunlight, a familiar pair of golden twin-tails swayed wildly.

Wearing a camel-colored randoseru and waving both hands so hard they looked like they might fly off was Hoshikawa Aoi, who was supposed to be attending the elementary school next door.

"Aoi? Why are you here?"

"Ehehe. Our school finished a little early today. So I came to pick you up, Shizuku-chan!"

Aoi jogged up to me, then as if it were the most natural thing in the world, tightly clung to my right arm.

The refreshing May breeze carried her usual sweet soap-like scent, tickling my nose.

"...Pick me up, seriously? It’s a decent distance from your school to here for a kid. Did you run? Aren’t you tired?"

"Nope, I’m fine! I really wanted to see you as soon as possible, so I’m not tired at all... Hey, let’s walk home together?"

Her soft cheeks were slightly flushed.

With her emerald green eyes glistening, she looked up at me.

The destructive power of that expression was on a level that even I, with the memories of a 26-year-old man, had no choice but to call “unfair.”

Being greeted by such a cute little girl like this—was there any man 'on the inside' who wouldn’t be happy?

No, there wasn’t.

"...Guess I’ve got no choice. Hey, you’re sweating."

"Nn..."

With a slightly rough husky voice, I gave a wry smile, pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket with my free left hand and gently wiped the sweat beading on Aoi’s forehead.

Then, as if it were completely natural, I patted her golden-thread-like hair.

"Thanks for coming all this way to pick me up. Let’s head home without any detours."

"Mm! Shizuku-chan, I love you!"

Linking arms—at a glance, we looked exactly like a fully-fledged little couple—as we happily left the school gate together.

* * *

That pair’s backs.

From the shadow of the entrance a short distance away, there was someone quietly staring at them.

"...What is that?"

Hojo Anju was gripping the strap of her red randoseru so tightly her knuckles turned white.

During PE earlier.

Nanase Shizuku had casually—yet undeniably gently—offered her water bottle when she had forgotten hers.

That black-haired girl who, without a second thought about indirect kissing, calmly drank from it after Anju had put her lips on it.

So lacking in delicacy—and yet, someone who had violently stirred something deep in her chest.

'I’m not grateful for such barbaric behavior or anything. But as a member of the Hojo family, leaving a debt unpaid wouldn’t be perfect. That’s right... I’ll just thank her a little, that’s all.'

Convincing herself with such an awkward excuse, Anju had hurried to finish preparing to go home and chased after her.

But when she finally reached the school gate, there was already another girl beside Shizuku.

'...Clinging to her like that, all lovey-dovey. How indecent.'

In Anju’s line of sight, Shizuku was wiping the sweat of the blonde girl with a handkerchief and gently smiling as she patted her head.

Even though she only ever showed Anju that composed, slightly exasperated attitude.

Why did she show that girl such a gentle, indulgent, special expression?

Throb.

Deep in Anju’s chest, a sharp, cold pain—different from the flustered feeling earlier from the “indirect kiss”—ran through her.

'...This is so irritating..!'

There was no way six-year-old Anju could realize that this emotion was called 'jealousy.'

All she could do was desperately convince herself that this vague, frustrating irritation was simply because “as the daughter of a distinguished family, she couldn’t tolerate such shameless behavior.”

‘...Hmph! I don’t even want anything to do with someone like that anyway!’

Alone in the empty entrance area, Anju stomped her foot hard with a bang, then marched off in the opposite direction from Shizuku and the others.

However, a small, frustrated tear welled up in the corner of her eye.

* * *

"...Hm?"

Meanwhile, as Aoi walked while clinging to Shizuku’s arm, she suddenly came to a stop and glanced back toward the school building.

"What’s wrong, Aoi? Forget something?"

"No... it’s nothing."

Aoi quickly forced a smile and shook her head.

Just now, she felt like she had sensed a strong 'heat' from the shadows of the school building—like something glaring at them.

The same “bad premonition” she had felt during PE.

The presence of an external threat trying to invade her territory.

'...I knew it. There are pests buzzing around Shizuku-chan...'

Aoi tightened her grip around Shizuku’s arm.

‘I won’t let anyone have her. Shizuku-chan’s place beside her is absolutely mine.’

Within her emerald green eyes, a quiet yet never-extinguishing dark flame flickered.

"Hey, hey, if you cling that much it’s hard to walk. You’ll trip."

"Ehehe, it’s fine because Shizuku-chan will support me!"

Shizuku herself, completely unaware of the silent sparks flying between the girls behind her, simply smiled airheadedly as usual.

"Man, you’re as clingy as ever."

The sweet poison scattered by this oblivious yuri-instigating machine was steadily evolving her childhood friend from another school into an even more severe yandere, while at the same time beginning to entangle the proud red-haired young lady’s heart without her realizing it.

On this late spring afternoon, the threads of fate connecting the three girls had begun, little by little but surely, to intertwine.