When I Brought The Lost Little Girl To Her House, The One Who Came Out Of The Front Door Was The Most Beautiful Girl In The Grade. - Chapter 87

The doorbell rang, and I immediately rushed downstairs from my room, still in my pajamas and with bed hair. However, using the “nobody’s home” excuse didn’t sit well with me, so I reluctantly opened the front door.

“Huh? Yuusei-kun, in that outfit…”

“Huh… Well, Ayano, why are you in your school uniform?”

Upon opening the door, I found Ayano standing there, wearing her school uniform, while I was still in my pajamas with bed hair.

“Didn’t you hear? School starts today. We’re entering our third year today.”

“Huh…”

That sounded absurd. I was sure there was no such thing, but now that she mentioned it, I vaguely recalled something about the homeroom teacher mentioning that the opening ceremony was one day earlier this year.

“I tried contacting you but got no reply, so I got worried and came to check.”

Ayano stared at me with a slightly exasperated expression. I felt embarrassed and avoided eye contact.

“We need to hurry or you’ll be late!”

She urged me on impatiently.

“Come on, let’s get ready!”

I was relieved when she switched her tone to something more positive, winking at me with one eye closed.

Indeed, nobody is perfect, and it’s only human to make mistakes. Besides, if I hadn’t messed up today, I wouldn’t have had this time with Ayano.

I sat on the sofa while I brushed my teeth, and she used a hairdryer to dry my hair. Occasionally, her delicate fingers would brush against my neck, sending a tickling sensation.

“All right! We’re ready!”

“Hey, don’t act like you’re so accomplished. Thanks to Yuusei-kun, I’m barely avoiding being late.”

“I’m really sorry.”

We locked the door securely and set off for school. It was the usual route, but I hadn’t left home at this time for a while, so it felt strangely fresh.

However, Ayano seemed unusually calm for someone who would usually be at school by now.

“You seem unusually calm,” I remarked.

“Well, there’s no use in panicking. Besides…”

“Besides?”

“Maybe because going to school with you is fun?”

She said, laughing heartily. I smiled and ruffled her hair playfully.

“N-What was that for!?”

“Oh, nothing.”

She didn’t seem convinced and had a puzzled expression.

Recently, I couldn’t believe it was already spring break. I wondered how I had spent my spring break all these years, a thought that hadn’t changed since I was a child.

The moments of joy always felt fleeting and ephemeral.

“I don’t really feel like we’re third years starting today,” I confessed.

“Yeah, we’re the seniors now,” Ayano added.

“We hope we’ll be in the same class,” we both said simultaneously. It was our last chance to be in the same class this year, and next year we planned to graduate from this school, so having Ayano in my class for our final year seemed like a good idea.

Ayano smiled at me, saying, “I never thought we’d have the same thoughts, Yuusei-kun.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, because you don’t usually say what’s on your mind.”

“True.”

I chuckled, and Ayano did too.

“I hope we’re in the same class.”

“Yeah, with my big luck as ‘Daikichi’ (great fortune) and your ‘Daikyo’ (great misfortune), I’m sure it’ll be okay!”

“Are you really sure with me as ‘Daikyo’?” I asked with a grin.

“W-Well, I’m sure… probably.”

She looked uncertain in the latter part of her response.

Today, we became high school seniors.