Vol 1 Chapter 5 – The Time I Got Caught in a Little Love Mess【Vol 1 — A Happy Childhood】

Early in the morning, I woke up, told my mom Alicia that I was going to go play with Aria, put on my shoes at the front door, opened it, and dashed outside…

And then I got caught by Sophia.

“Will-kun, what are we going to play today? Or are we practicing magic again?”

With her cheeks reddened by the winter air and an angelic smile on her face as she looked down at me, I felt a wave of awkward guilt.

Right now, I’m on my way to Aria’s house to keep the promise I made to my childhood friend.

And the content of that promise is… to break the promise I made to Sophia.

This is kind of a mess…

Anyway, awkward or guilty or whatever I’m feeling, this is definitely one of those moments where I have to make a clear choice.

I can’t quite say it feels like cutting off a limb, but with a guilt that’s pretty close, I tell Sophia:

“I’m sorry, Sophia onee-chan. I promised I’d play with Aria today.”

For a moment, Sophia’s expression darkened with a sad shadow, but she quickly brought back her bright smile and said,

“I see, then let’s all play together!”

You’re not backing down? Come on, read the room, onee-chan.

Half-dragged along, I get pulled by Sophia.

Our destination is Aria’s house.

This is bad. If this keeps up, this is really bad.

Yesterday, I’d calmed Aria down by promising, I’ll definitely teach you magic tomorrow.

If I show up with Sophia tagging along like this, the worst-case scenario becomes very real.

In other words, it could come out that I broke my promise with Aria and also broke the promise I made to Sophia…

“W‑Wait a second, onee-chan!”

“Hmm? What is it, Will-kun?”

Sophia turns back to look at me.

What a blindingly bright smile. My chest hurts.

But, right here…

“I‑I… today I kind of wanted to play alone with Aria-chan, just the two of us…”

“Huh?”

Tilting her head ever so slightly in surprise, Sophia’s smile looks just a bit stiff.

Now that I think about it, I realize I’ve never actually rejected her feelings head‑on before.

I mean, I never had a reason to.

Sophia is kind, considerate, and her behavior never feels overbearing.

Her excessive amount of physical contact does stand out, but she’s a beautiful girl, so that’s not a problem. In fact, it’s more like… encouraged.

But this time, and only this time—

“Will-kun, did you get tired of playing with onee-chan?”

Sure enough, her smile looks just a little stiff, and I swear her voice is trembling a bit too.

A vague, nameless sense of dread creeps up my spine, and I hurriedly try to patch things up.

“N‑No, that’s not it at all! I really love you, Sophia onee-chan, and it’s super fun when we play together!”

“Th‑Then why don’t you want to play with onee-chan?”

Her question is as gentle and broad‑minded as you’d expect from someone who knows she’s older than me.

It’s just that what she’s saying is kind of accusatory and inescapable… which is scary.

Sophia leans down a little to match my eye level.

Her clear blue eyes stare straight into mine.

Aren’t you just a little mad right now?

“…You’re right, I really do want to play with you too, Sophia onee-chan!”

“Really? Then let’s all go together!”

The moment I give in to that fixed stare—my personal “stare attack”—Sophia’s eyes sparkle and she grabs my hand.

Crap, I went and did it in the heat of the moment.

I curse my own tendency to go with the flow. But when a girl with such perfectly arranged features stares at you like that, I really don’t think there’s a boy alive who could resist. I really don’t. I really don’t.

Still, in our current situation, that excuse doesn’t even qualify as an excuse.

Just as a thin line of cold sweat slides down my cheek, a strangely innocent and baffled little voice pierces my ear.

“Will… and Sophia-chan? Huh? You said it’d be just the two of us today… huh? Huh?”

Tilting her head over and over like she’s digging up some half‑buried memory, Aria is the one walking toward us from the opposite side.

I can feel unpleasant sweat welling up from every pore in my body.

“Ah, Aria-chan, it’s been a while!”

“Y‑Yeah, it’s been a while… Sophia-chan.”

Sophia smiles at Aria, and Aria, though flustered, manages to respond.

Then Aria toddles around to my right side—the one opposite from the hand Sophia is holding—and hugs me tight, like she’s trying to shield me from some invisible threat.

Wh‑Why all of a sudden…? Please stop, it’s making me happy.

While I’m still reeling from her sudden move, a whisper brushes my ear.

“Why is Sophia-chan here? Why?”

“Uh… well…”

For a four‑year‑old, there’s a surprising weight in that tiny voice, and my brain starts screaming that this is dangerous.

When I glance at her, Aria’s deep violet eyes are brimming with way more tears than yesterday, ready to spill at any moment.

Those sorrowful eyes are wordlessly saying, Did you break your promise with Aria?

Cheating and making a girl cry… can’t be saved, can I? Heh…

Muttering that bitter little joke in my head and regaining a shred of composure, I start racking my brain for an excuse that might get us out of this.

“Heyyy, what are you two whispering about all alone? Let onee-chan join in too!”

Under normal circumstances, I’d snort and call this nine‑year‑old barging into a three‑year‑old and four‑year‑old’s conversation childish.

Sophia’s interruption was probably meant to be half in jest, but the four‑year‑old Aria takes it completely seriously.

“Will promised that today it’d be just Aria and him, just the two of us!”

At Aria’s tearful outburst, Sophia freezes for a moment.

Aria’s breathing turns a little rough as she desperately tugs at me, trying to pull me away from Sophia.

Sophia just stares at her for a while, stunned, and then her expression softens, like all the fight’s gone out of her, and she starts to say something, but…

“Oh, Sophia! How have you been?”

A voice suddenly calling out from the side drowns out Sophia’s words.

The owner of the voice is a tall middle‑aged man.

His slightly long blond hair is brushed back, he’s wearing a black formal suit, and behind him stands an elderly man in a matching black suit, straight as a rod yet somehow radiating youthful vigor.

Who the heck…?

While I’m still confused, Sophia murmurs in a daze.

“Father…?”

“That’s right… It’s been four years, hasn’t it? I’ve missed you.”

I see, so this is Sophia’s famous papa. The one who’s good friends with my parents and entrusted Sophia to our house.

If it’s been four years, then of course I wouldn’t remember him.

Looking him over again, I can feel luxury radiating from every inch of his appearance. The old man standing a respectful step behind him has to be a butler.

He just gives off this important person vibe.

I’d find out later, but as expected, he really is a noble: the lord who governs the city a little ways away from our village.

Which means Sophia onee-chan is actually a noble young lady. Her full name is Sophia Archsign.

As for why she’s being taken care of at our place, about four years ago a vicious epidemic started spreading in the neighboring city. Her parents, the Archsign couple, were so busy dealing with it—and so worried for their daughter’s safety—that they entrusted her to our family, with whom they’d always been close.

Now that they’ve gotten the epidemic under control, he’s come to see her like this. In a few days, he and Sophia will be returning to the city.

Wow, nobles really have it rough too.

Sophia’s father breaks into a bright smile, tears glistening at the corners of his eyes as he pulls her into a hug.

Sophia herself looks a little bewildered, but she still smiles happily and hugs him back.

A touching reunion, no doubt.

Yeah, we definitely shouldn’t get in the way of this.

“S‑Sophia onee-chan, I’m glad you got to see your dad. S‑So we’ll just, um, get out of your way now…”

Trying to be as discreet as possible, I take the hand of Aria, who clearly has no idea what’s going on.

“Come on, Aria, let’s go, quick.”

“O‑Okay.”

This is a chance straight from heaven. There’s no way I’m not using it. Thank you, God.

We start to quietly, carefully back away from the scene.

“Oh, I see. So you’re Will Role-kun? I’ve heard about you—a very bright boy for your age.”

Crap, he got me. Send help!

“I hear you’ve been very good friends with Sophia. Thank you. I’ve made her endure a lot of loneliness, so it makes me very happy that someone like you has been there for her.”

“…Ahaha, yes, I’m glad too.”

I really hope my smile isn’t twitching.

Sophia goes, “Honestly, Father!” but she still looks happy. Yeah, yeah, of course seeing your parents again makes you happy.

“I’m actually on my way to your house right now. Would you mind showing us the way?”

Sophia’s father bends his knees a little to look me in the eye.

Right then, I feel Aria growl beside me.

“No! Will is about to teach Aria ma—”

“Aaah! Ahaha! I’m so sorry… It’s just that I’ve got this promise with my girlfriend that I really can’t skip out on…”

At the last second I slap a hand over Aria’s mouth, and in my panic I end up talking in this weird, grown‑up style. No way does that sound like how a three‑year‑old is supposed to talk.

Sophia’s father’s eyes widen a little in surprise.

“I see, I see. Talking like that at your age… No wonder your parents brag about you like you’re a genius.”

No, that’s just plain old parent bias, probably.

Honestly, for someone with memories from a past life, I haven’t done anything all that impressive yet.

While I’m not sure how to respond, he continues,

“My apologies. If you have a promise with a girl, then of course that comes first. I’ll just go with Sophia by myself.”

“Eh…? Father, I…”

Looks like the situation is conveniently solving itself in our favor, so I just keep my polite smile plastered on.

Before long, Sophia’s father and the butler-like old man—who hasn’t said a word this whole time—head off, taking a rather bewildered Sophia with them.

As she’s being led away, Sophia keeps sending me these confused looks, but I respond with my best polite smile and nothing else.

I’m sorry, Sophia onee-chan.

Just as I finally let out a sigh of relief—

“Nn—! Mmph—mmph!”

I notice Aria glaring up at me with teary eyes, flailing her arms around.

Oh right, I’ve still got her mouth covered.

“Ah, sorry, Aria…”

“Haa… nn… geez… Will, you can’t be so rough…”

Biting her lip, Aria fights back the tears as hard as she can.

It takes about five minutes to get her back into a good mood.

And so.

Thanks to that stroke of good fortune, I somehow managed to head off to magic training alone with Aria.