IWSBSB 02

Chapter 02

Lawyer Watanabe-sensei, the corporate legal counsel for my father’s company, had thoroughly investigated my relatives. It turned out there was a cousin on my mother’s side, but they were either unreachable or already deceased, so for the sake of future legal proceedings, Watanabe-sensei had stepped up to become my guardian.

My sudden life alone was filled with constant bewilderment.

Even so, Mitsuhiko’s mother would check on me sometimes, and I’d occasionally go to Mitsuhiko’s place for a meal. Honestly, being completely alone in such a vast house felt intensely lonely.

I went back to school after a full week had passed.

Before entering the classroom, I stopped by the faculty room to thank my homeroom teacher, Aizawa-sensei, for attending the funeral, and then went to the principal’s office. “It must be so hard living by yourself, so if you run into any trouble, be sure to talk to Aizawa-sensei,” the principal had advised me.

Aizawa Haruka-sensei, who was just in her third year of teaching after graduating, had my class as her first homeroom.

She was only eight years older than me, feeling more like an elder sister than a teacher. She had actually cried with me when both my parents died.

She wasn’t what you’d call beautiful, but she was undeniably cute, still carrying the slight aura of a university student. If she introduced herself as a teacher, people might not even believe her.

Because she was serious and tackled everything with such earnest effort, she was one of the most popular teachers. I knew some of the boys secretly thought she would be the ideal ‘first experience,’ too.

When I walked into the classroom, my classmates treated me like a fragile thing, handling me with awkward care. Since I’d suddenly lost my parents, I supposed it couldn’t be helped.

Still, I was originally isolated within the class, and the sudden focus made me terribly uneasy. I managed to thank Nakanishi Manami-san, the Class Committee Chairwoman, who had attended the funeral as the class representative.

Nakanishi-san and I came from the same middle school. When I was in my second year of middle school, I saw Roman Holiday with my father, and she reminded me of Princess Ann, played by Audrey Hepburn—she was cute and possessed a charm that naturally drew everyone toward her.

That’s why, when we ended up in the same class in our third year of middle school, I felt like I had found the Princess Ann I’d always admired, and I fell for her immediately. She was my first love.

She wasn’t as free-spirited as Princess Ann, but she was a little strong-willed, had natural leadership, and was generally a captivating girl. After coming to high school, she grew her hair out, transforming from a girl into a young woman, and her charm only deepened.

She’d become one of the ‘idols’ of the high school. Now, in our second year of high school, we were in the same class once again.

While the sadness and loneliness weren’t going away quickly, my day-to-day life had started to settle down.

Aizawa-sensei visited my home once a week to check on my living situation. She even made me dinner sometimes, whispering, “Keep this just between us, okay?” I was acutely aware of the kindness shown by the people around me every day.

One Friday, just as the third term was nearing its end, Lawyer Watanabe-sensei told me everything was wrapped up and asked me to come to his office. Further investigation had uncovered excessive overtime at the trucking company, and public opinion had become sympathetic to me, the orphaned son, allowing us to receive a substantial compensation payout.

When all the inheritance, severance, and insurance money were added together, I received a sum large enough that I wondered if I would ever need to work a day in my life. It was a complicated feeling since it came at the cost of my parents’ lives, but it eased my anxieties about the future, and university was now a certainty.

On the way home from Watanabe-sensei’s office, I went to a convenience store near my house to buy a bento box. It was nearly 8:00 PM.

Just as I was about to walk in, I saw Nakanishi-san being harassed by a trio of flashy-looking guys right outside. Normally, I avoided trouble, but for some reason, I walked over without thinking.

”Manami, sorry I’m late,” I announced, forcing the words out.

Nakanishi-san turned my way, her expression one of utter relief. “Hiro-kun! I just got here a little early, so it’s totally fine.” she replied.

”Are these three guys friends of yours?” I asked, keeping my tone level.

”They’re complete strangers,” she whispered back.

The trio of guys turned around and looked at me. Since entering high school, I’d shot up to nearly 175 centimeters, and now I was looking down at them. They shuffled away without a word, so Manami and I just walked into the convenience store.

We bought our bento and some tea, and when we left the store, the three guys were gone.

”Looks like they’re gone now,” I noted.

”Well, maybe they’re still nearby, so… could we walk together, maybe?” she pleaded, her voice quiet and small.

”I was just heading home though…” I hesitated.

”It’s fine.”

I didn’t quite know what was ‘fine,’ but we started walking toward my house side-by-side. Partway there, the rain began to fall.

”It’s close by, so do you want to just come to my place for now?” I offered.

”U-um, okay.”

There was something so unusually vulnerable about Nakanishi-san’s weak agreement that I instinctively knew I couldn’t let her walk home alone. The rain began to come down harder, so we picked up the pace, jogging the rest of the way home.