Soudana, Tashika Ni Kawaii Na Volume 1 Prologue

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"Also, what kind of relations.h.i.+p do you have with Watase Kairi anyway?"

If you ask me that, I, Koori Nano, would have trouble answering.

To keep it in simple and straight terms, he's a Senpai of two years in our combined middle and high school. Kinda lonely, but sometimes you can't help the circ.u.mstances. Sometimes we'd meet on the rooftop and eat lunch, sometimes go home together from school, he'd protect me from scary people who approach me…any more than that…might have happened, might not have happened, sure. We've been in the same grade school as well, but oddly enough our parents don't even know each other. On the contrary, we never even talked about them.

…Yeah, what are his parents doing anyways?

But, enough about that. I don't really like talking about Senpai with other people. I'm trying so that people don't even get a chance to talk to me about him, so when I'm 'there', I sneak around, hoping not to run into anybody, but—

"Ah, Nanō? What are you doing here?"

Since the hospital is always br.i.m.m.i.n.g with people, I tend to run into friends from time to time like this. Once I'm unlucky enough for that to happen, a short conversation like such ensues:

"Ahh, y'know, I'm visiting someone." I would say.

"Oh, who?" They would answer.

"…Watase-senpai."

"Watase-senpai…Wait, Watase Kairi?! Eh, seriously?! Why?!" And of course, that gets us to the question from before. "Also, what kind of relations.h.i.+p do you have with Watase Kairi anyway?"

"…Well~"

I'd try covering it up with some adequate excuse, which would lessen their interest so that I'd pull a winning pose inside my chest, but now…

"Why are you doing that?"

My friend's words caught me quite off-guard. I mean, I was a bit surprised that they caught me off-guard that much, but I was good at laughing that off.

"Mmm…I don't really have a reason or anything…If I had to say something, it's probably because it sounds interesting~?"

"—Aha, that's juuuust like you, Nanō! You always jump on that~"

"Ehe, right right? It sounds totally like me. But anyway, I gotta get going now~"

A peerless JK like me doesn't have enough time to waste it like this. My friend was kind enough to understand that, and said bye bye. Well, she really did, but…

"Why am I doing that, huh…"

Her words didn't say bye bye.

Giving a quick greeting to the nurse as we pa.s.sed each other, who I got acquainted with over my countless visits, I went to open the door directly, since the sleeping Watase Kairi-senpai inside wouldn't even know if I knocked.

"I tell ya, Senpai! Same as usual, I see."

Talking to myself from time to time; the awkward kind. Of course, calling out to Senpai didn't do anything because he was unconscious just like the last time I saw him. Even if I know that he can't hear me, I keep doing this monologuing, and really, it totally hurts.

"Well, the very fact that I'm still coming by after two years hurts pretty badly, to be fair~"

Sitting down on the pipe chair, I put one elbow on the bag I had on my lap, and just started gazing at Senpai. My friend thinks this was the first time I came by for a visit, but it's actually been two years since I stopped by here regularly. What was I doing this entire time? Well, I was looking at the sleeping Senpai. The Senpai who hasn't opened his eyes for the past two years.

…Might sound weird coming from me, but I personally think this is crazy bad. For the peerless JK that I am, it's a serious waste of time. But, still.

"It's all Senpai's fault after all…you know?"

Thing is, I was actually there when Senpai ended up like this. Two years ago, one day, he just collapsed in front of me, forcing me to call an ambulance for him, and honestly…that really shocked me…not just a bit. Pretty sure I was crying back then; the heavy type.

Well, after these two years, my memories are kinda blurry now, but there's one thing about it all that I would never, like seriously never ever, forget. The expression of Senpai as he collapsed in front of me.

He's normally pretty much deadpan, almost a bit cold and emotionless, but back then, he looked like he was plagued, like he wanted to say something very important.

"If you do that kind of face, of course I won't be able to think about it… so don't blame me…"

Can't even imagine that expression anymore from the current Senpai, who's all slim and pale in the face. Still, this entire time, I kept thinking, and kept thinking, and kept thinking even more…about what he might have wanted to tell me back then. So much that I'm wasting away my precious time as a JK like this—Mm?

"Huh…?"

Just now. Senpai's eyes…for a bit…No, not just for a bit. His eyes…are open.

"Huh…? Eh…? Sen…pai?"

"……………Koo…ri?"

He properly…properly responded to me, calling me by my name. That's…

"Eh…Eh…? ………Wa—I gotta call the nur—"

I stopped mid-sentence because Senpai grabbed my hand. He grabbed it firmly, making my heart skip a bit out of surprise. No, more importantly.

"You can muster up that much strength after sleeping for two years…?"

Wouldn't you be crazy weak after that?

Also, even though I was just talking to myself like always, Senpai properly replied.

"Yeah…It's because I used magic called [Confortans1] since you are mostly vulnerable right after waking up."

"…Huh?"

What'd he just say? Something about…magic?

"Mmm…? Wait, two years? I should have been in the different world for 7362 days…so roughly 20 years? …No, if it was just my consciousness over there…then that makes sense, I guess?"

"Hmmm?!"

I feel like we're missing the crucial point here! Different world? 7362 days. It's almost like he went crazy—

"Ah, I see~"

Yeah, makes sense, I thought, as I hit my own hand with my fist. Quite the old-fas.h.i.+oned reaction, but whatevs~

"You just woke up, so your head is bound to be a bit fuzzy~"

Yep, that has to be it. No other reason—or so I had a.s.sumed.

"No, my consciousness is as clear as ever. Comparing this to all of the previous [Gate Out2] events, my physical body feels heavier than usual, but with magic…Let's see, [Levio3]." Together with a faint glimmer, Senpai started floating.

It wasn't even some typical magical trick you'd see on TV. He really was floating…no, flying even. Reaching up to the ceiling, Senpai gazed down at me.

"As you can see, just a problem of my own physical bod—"

"Senpai?!"

Out of the blue, his body flew down on the bed again, and I tried my best to soften the impact.

"………I see…so this is my physical body right now…Makes sense…" Senpai looked at the palm of his hand, entering his own world again.

…How do I say it. Something crazy happened on top of the actual waking up of Senpai. Even so, seeing this, all too familiar, almost nostalgic sight of Senpai…which I thought I would never see again…I don't know why, but it was just too funny.

"Pff…hahaha, ahahahahahahaha!!"

Different world or magic or 7362 days. Who gives a c.r.a.p. It's all great and all, but…it's been two years. No, I guess twenty years? Either way.

"You really…haven't changed at all, Senpai." I was actually pretty energetic in my head, but for some reason, my voice was shaking.

I felt myself about to break out in tears.

"H-Huh? Wait…hold on, gimme a sec…"

Even though I'm so happy. No, it's exactly because I'm this happy. I don't want to show him my tears. I cast down my face, but Senpai still managed to look me in the eyes, as he held onto my hand…I-I mean, I just said so, but if you suddenly take my hand like that, I'll get fl.u.s.tered, okay?

"Wait, right now is…"

"—Koori…there is something I need to tell you."

His expression, the same as it was two years ago.

"Being sent to the different world…all the times I was sent over there…The reason I kept on living…the reason I needed to return back this world…is all because I needed to tell you something…" His words weren't like usual. More faltering, uncertain.

The words Senpai wanted to tell me. The words I always wrapped my head about. Visiting this hospital. Waiting for him to wake up. I always wondered why I was going that far. In this situation, in this very moment, it all made so much sense.

"I love you, Koori."

—It's because I love Senpai.

That's why I always thought about it. That's why I visited this hospital so often. Now that I've realized it, it makes so much sense, it's actually ridiculous I didn't realize before.

"Senpai…I'll take that as a confession, you know?"

"Con…fession…?"

For some reason, Senpai's eyes opened wide. He looked surprised.

"Eh, what kind of reaction is that?"

Why would you be so shocked?

"Um…if you say that you love me, you probably…want to go out with me, right?"

"Go out—?!"

"Again…Eh? D-Did I get it wrong?"

"…! I-I see…so…I want to go out with Koori…?"

"Why as a question?"

You're asking the person you just confessed to.

"Koori…saved my life…so…I see, it all makes sense…!"

"…Okay…I can't anymore!" I averted my face from Senpai, and started laughing like crazy. "Ahahahahaha, you're confirming your own feelings! You realize them by confessing?! Also, what kind of timing is this to confess, like, excuse me?! You've been in a coma for two years, and now you're talking about different world…Like, you came home from a different world or something?! On top of that, magic?! And you finish it off with a confession?! T-This is too much…Ahahahaha!!!"

I might have overdone it a bit as I was rolling on the floor, laughing, as the nurse entered the room to check on us. Seeing that Senpai was awake, she let out a scream as she called for the doctor, and this entire scene made me laugh even harder.

"Is it really…that funny…? I see…"

Every single aspect of this was too hilarious, so I spoke up after wiping away my tears.

"I-It really is…This has to be the biggest laugh I had this entire year…Ahh, my belly hurts from laughing so much…"

I don't wanna laugh anymore. I can't anymore.

Looking at Senpai like that, he just showed me a calm smile.

"I'm glad I got to see you laughing like that again, Koori."

"—!"

That's…really…like, seriously…

"…Foul…play…"

"Foul play?"

"Nothing!"

"…?"

Not good. I feel so hot. My face must be beet red right now, and my laughing trip probably didn't help either. To cover that up, I clapped my hands together.

"Anyway! Senpai, you want to go out with me, right~?"

I went to check again just to make sure. As I did, Senpai just gave me a puzzled look for a second, as his face suddenly turned as red as a tomato.

"Well, that's…"

He tried to say something, but ultimately failed…Seriously, this guy's way too cute. If this keeps going on, I might die a serious death. But…even more important than that—

"—Sure."

Because Senpai's confession made me really happy.

"Senpai is just too funny…so I'll go out with you."

I flashed a smile with these words, and after blinking a few times—Senpai collapsed.

"Senpai?!"

"…My…[Confortans]…ran out…"

"What kind of timing is that?!"

"It's…all good…I can just…recast…Ugh…no magic power left…"

"Wah, Senpai?! Senpaaaaai!"

"Are you okay, Watase-san?! Watase-san?! Doctor, Watase-san just—!"

Anyway.

After that, Senpai was put into the intensive care unit, and by getting a good rest, his magic power (?) recovered apparently, which cause quite a bit of trouble as he just got out of bed normally, but leaving that aside for now.

Koori Nano, 16 years old, managed to get a different world returnee boyfriend—

1 Written as Physical Strengthening, originates from Latin word conforto; to strengthen

2 Written as Isekai Transport

3 Written as 'Come forth, Wings', originating from the Latin word 'Levo', which means 'to lift'