As Yuto walked alone towards the school gates, he felt the holiness that was peculiar to the high-class temples and shrines from the grounds of this school, just as the homeroom teacher, Birei, had said.
　It would be impossible for even the slightest evil spirit or thing to break in.
　That was simply gratifying to Yuto, who was often attacked by miscellaneous spirits and the like.

(Well, I guess I can put some effort into my studies at this school.)

　With that in mind, Yuto walked with a somewhat heavy step. There were many things that Yuto had to think about.

It's a good idea to finish moving during tomorrow's vacation.......and I have to find a part-time job as soon as possible.

　Since students from all over the country come to Jilin High School, there is a large dormitory next to the school grounds.
　As is customary, the day after the entrance ceremony, there was a dormitory entrance ceremony, which was closed to all but the dormitory students. Yuto had planned to use that day to move out.
　Yuto decided to pack and shop for tomorrow's move, and in a somewhat hurried manner, he was about to leave the school gate when he noticed a familiar girl standing there.

'Huh?　Mari!　You're not home yet?

I waited for you for a long time, and now you're talking to me.

　Mari's shiny chestnut-colored hair was dominated by the spring breeze, while her shapely eyebrows were slightly centered.

'No, I stuttered... Sorry, you've been waiting quite a while, haven't you?

Indeed, Shizuka told me. You can't have your homeroom teacher watching you from the first day of school.

'Not really..... I'll be careful.

　Mari exhaled lightly and turned her body around, "Well, let's go home," she said.
　Yuto approached Mari at a small run and lined up beside her.
　They headed to the station in silence for a while.
　The station closest to their home was the same, so Mari was probably planning to go home with them.
　In fact, Yuto had planned to walk home to save the train fare, thinking about the future. Although it was a distance that would take an hour and a half for an adult's feet, he didn't think it would be a problem.
　However, since Mari had gone out of her way to wait for her, I think I'll just have to take the train home today. The place I'm moving to, which was introduced to me by Sumazo, has a different direction and the nearest station, but the distance to the school isn't much different than it is now. So I was planning to continue walking to school.

''Come to think of it, where's the place you're moving to?　You've already made up your mind, haven't you?

'Oh, yeah. Do you know if you ask your grandfather?　It was right around the corner from the Shrine of the Four Gods.

'I know that part. I went there in elementary school for a sketch show. It's just outside the city.

'Yeah, right. I'm moving out tomorrow.

Yes......... And also.........Yuto.

Yeah?　What?

　It's unusual for Mari to ask a little powerlessly.

''Where did you go during ... spring break?''

　Apparently, he had originally planned to ask about this. Yuto smiled bitterly.
　And I don't think I can tell a lie to this girl after all. I can't tell you everything, but........
　I was shot down, but was it because she was my first love?　I think to myself out of character.

'Yeah, actually, I'm looking for my dad........'

Uncle Ryoichi?　Was it an apprenticeship?　Did he say he didn't know where he was going now?

　Mari turned to look at Yuto walking beside her and asked why?　I have a look on my face.
　I can't say it, but Yuto's father didn't go on a training trip. It's true that Yujin's father didn't know where he was, but he did know where he went.
　It was the world beyond the Demonry Cave in the secret management property of the Dou Dou Dou family [Demon World].
　However, Yuto told Mari the truth about everything else.

''I came to report about my mother. There's no way I could know, and I haven't been able to for a long time, so...''

　Yuto laughs like it's nothing.

''Ah........''

　Mari did not say another word. Often, there was another silence.
　Mari remembered the time a year ago when Masato and his mother were involved in the terrorist attack in Shinagawa, and unfortunately his mother had gone missing.
　She also remembers how she had gone to visit Masato, who had fallen ill shortly after the incident, and how she hadn't known what to do to react when she saw him in his changed state.

　It was not long after she refused to accept the confession from Yuto.
　At that time, Mari strongly felt that if there was anything she could do for Yuto, she wanted to do whatever she could for him.
　When she saw Yuto laughing forcibly and without effort, her heart seemed to tighten up.
　I know what Yuto's character is.
　I'm sure that Masato must have been quite depressed after being rejected by him.

　The incident that happened at that time........

　And at that time........at that time, Yuto was definitely in need of someone's help.

(It must be someone close to Masato and who knew him well........ It had to be someone like that... but I didn't deserve it.)　

　Mari turned down a confession from Yuto just before. Those circumstances had allowed Mari to interact with Masato only as a student of the same dojo, and as a classmate. She didn't allow herself to do so.
　For Mari, being around someone else was a qualification that needed to be allowed.
　Mari slowed down her walk slightly and changed her position to just a little bit behind, just a little bit behind, of Yuto beside her.
　Then, she looked at Yuto as if she hadn't noticed us.

(If only Yuto had been more masculine... if only he had been more powerful enough to pull me along... I could have stayed beside him without a care in the world and helped him in the past and now...)

　For some reason, this complicated and difficult girl is getting more and more pissed off when these thoughts come up. He has no idea where it's irritation is directed at, but he has no idea where it's directed.
　Even when he refused to confess, he was hoping that this would inspire him to be a man, etc.

(I didn't mean that in any deep way. But in general, I just didn't want him to be just a gentle man.......because it would be better for Yuto)

　And so on and so forth, he thought back to that moment. And, unusually for this girl, she didn't even have a theory.
　But, oddly enough, in the case of one individual, Mari Shirasawa, this is a legitimate thing to do. What's even more unusual is that if she were a normal person, she would always delve into herself until she was convinced when something untheoretical like this happened to her.

　However, Mari was the only one who didn't delve into this matter, for some reason.......



　It's hard to imagine from her gentle appearance, but the girl named Mari Shirasawa is very hard on herself.
　For that reason, she never cuts corners in any way.
　This is probably due in part to the fact that she is proud by nature.　

　Also, Mari's central way of thinking about things is that she reminds herself of the importance of having a vision for everything she does.
　It's all over the place, and it applies to her evaluation of men, even in extremis. This is certainly the kind of person I would want to be in a relationship with.
　Generally speaking, it is a matter of preference, but what sets her apart from others is that she is unusually strict and thorough about it.
　In other words, she would never go out with a man unless he was what she thought he should be. And she would never allow herself to have romantic feelings for any man outside of that vision.

　The first impression she had when she first met Yuto was not a bad one. In fact, it could even be said that it was good.
　I didn't dislike his appearance, and the fact that his swordsmanship skills always surpassed my own was also a high point.
　However.........when it came to the inside, Masato's vision of Mari as a dating partner was very different.

　The girl named Mari was not insensitive. Rather, she had a keen eye for observation.
　She had long noticed that Yuto had a fondness for her, more than as a fellow student, as she watched him.
　And Mari was honestly happy about it, and she certainly had a feeling that she was happy about it. That's why it was fun to go to the dojo to practice, and she put a lot of effort into it.
　But........when it came to dating, it was a different story.

　In fact, Mari had many times imagined that she and Masato would one day go out as a man and a woman. After graduating from different elementary schools and attending the same junior high school, the frequency of such a relationship became even more frequent.
　However, the Yuto in Mari's imagination was full of confidence and pulled himself together with great strength.
　That was exactly what Mari's vision of the person was.

　In reality, however, Masato was too kind and somewhat of an unreliable boy. I wondered why he was so strong in swordsmanship, and it was extremely frustrating.
　Since she began to think that way, she became annoyed with Masato's withdrawn attitude.
　It is safe to say that her current relationship with Masato was completed during these middle school days.

　Also, for once, Masato did something unforgivable for Mari. During a stand-off in the dojo, he deliberately handed over the victory to Mari.
　Mari was angry like a fierce fire, and Masato had apologized many times, but he couldn't help but forgive her.
　Mari was angry that her pride had been hurt by the conceding of her victory, but the root of her anger was that she couldn't forgive Masato for being unconcerned about conceding his victory.
　After that, the somewhat long awkward atmosphere between the two calmed down, and at the end of the second year of junior high school, an incident occurred.

　

　To be honest, Mari was surprised by this.
　But at that time, Masato had not become the person as Mari's vision.
　Until now, in her own way, Mari had thought she had been teaching Masato to become more manly, but he had never changed.

　Mari was much troubled.....
　However, she remembered the face of Masato, who had confessed to her in an unsure manner and with an air of uselessness, and became irritated.......

　Mari made a decision.
　That she would refuse Yuto's confession.
　And here Mari told a big lie to Yuto.
　That is, she was confessed to by Katayama, a fictitious senior who was one year older than her. She said that she and Katayama were going to start off as friends to get to know each other, and then come to a new conclusion.
　Masato has never noticed Mari's lie, and he's been living it up to now.



　Yuto and Mari enter the street of the shopping district, and at the far end of the street, the station comes into view.
　Suddenly, Yuto notices an intense pressure from the side and turns around to see what's going on.
　There is...........Mari, who is staring at me?　There is a
　 Immediately, Yuto looked forward.

(Eh, what?　Are you mad at me?　Why?　What did I do?

　Sweat came out of Yuto's forehead. I'm not sure, I don't remember it at all but I'll pretend I didn't see it for now, since Mari has these moments from time to time.
　While Yuto reaches the area near the roundabout of the station, which is not very wide, and is only looking at the front anyway, Mari, who has started to walk a bit in front of me, calls out to me.

''........Yuto.

Yes!

　Yuto stood tall. He almost saluted, but managed to stay. Mari is in an even worse mood at such an attitude, but Masato gets lower and lower in an attempt to get her to improve her mood.

''We're moving though!　Would you like me to help you with that?

　It's not the way the person offering to help very much speaks, but Mari can't help but restrain herself.

''Oh.... That's fine. We don't have a lot of luggage, and I'm sure it won't take long. ........Besides.

And?

　The words are so strong that Mari turns her whole body to the front of Yuto as she glares at him.
　At that time, Mari's heart flutters with a heartbeat.
　

　It was.........the first time Mari had seen Yuto's face.

'I feel bad for my boyfriend........ Besides, you see.

　Masato pointed to Mito Shizuka, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs to the station's gates. And Shizuka also seemed to notice us.

''Ah........Shizuka, you've been waiting for me.

　Mari also notices Shizuka there.

''Well, Mari. I just remembered that I have to run some errands for tomorrow's move, so I'll see you the day after tomorrow.

　After saying that, Yuto turns his back to the station as if nothing happened.

''Wait, Yuto!　And I don't have a boyfriend....

　Mari calls out to her, but instead of turning to her, Yuto lightly waves his hand and goes away. His appearance seems to be as careless as possible.
　Mari felt uneasy at the sight of Masato's back, even though she didn't know why.
　That may be the strongest anxiety I've ever felt........or perhaps something similar to a sense of loss.
　Then Shizuka came running up to me.

'Mari, you're late. Huh?　What about you, Du Du?

　Shizuka glanced at Masato as she said it.
　Noticing her gaze, Mari explained why she was late and that she had to run some errands for Masato to move.

'I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd be waiting for me,'

　Gently, Mari responds to you. In a way, she is the usual Mari.

''Oh, fine. I just came on my own!　Somehow, I knew I should come home with you. Did I interrupt you?

No, it's not!　But, yeah ... thanks.

　They turned towards the second floor gates of the station and walked up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, Mari glanced back toward the shopping district where Yuto was headed, unnoticed by Shizuka.
　Yuto was still in full view. Yuto was stuck in front of a drugstore in front of the station, and something caught his attention. He seemed to be looking at the shelves of cheap shampoo at the front of the store.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Yuto himself is not like that, but it can't be helped because it looked like that to Mari.
　Looking at that Yuto's profile from a distance......................again, Mari's heart becomes irritated.

(What the hell!　(Your face!)

　Mari quickly took out the lip balm that was in her pocket, which she had just bought and only used once, and threw it towards Yuto, as if to tame that arm that had led her to the runner-up spot in the national kendo tournament.
　Although the distance was more than 40 meters, it drew a parabolic line with great speed and parabolic line................and hit Masato's head.

''Ouch!　....?　?　What, what, what?

　While rubbing his head with tears in his eyes, Yuto scurried around to check the flying object.

''What's that........ Why?　This stuff?

　As Yuto picked up the lip balm and looked at it, a young female clerk who was nearby approached him.

''It's troubling, sir......... That will be the product.........''

'What?　Huh?　I don't know!　This one flew in from somewhere!　No, really!　Here's one that's unwrapped.

It's flying...?　Hmmm, sir, I don't want you to take the packaging. I'll have to go through the register first.

　With a perfect sales smile, the clerk said.

'The cash register is ... over there, sir.

　An unchanging smile.
　

''Here........please. And this shampoo........

'I'm awed. Thank you.

　With his shoulders slumped, Yuto turned to the cash register in the store.
　Mari confirmed the exchange and said, "Humph! He looked forward.
　Shizuka said, "Hmm? He turned around and looked at Mari, but she tilted her head back, looked forward, and went straight through the turnstiles.

　But Mari just remembered the strong sense of anxiety she had felt earlier.
　Then she noticed what triggered that strong sense of unease.
　It was probably only because Mari had a keen eye for observing people that she noticed it.




　That meant that Masato, who had confessed to her, was already in the past....