[Elmer]

“I hate you so much!!”

The girl’s shout resounded. It was very sudden.

The spoon that was on the table jumped up then fell down to the floor which has no speck of dirt.

She left her breakfast seat the instant she saw me, and the little girl dashed outside of the door while glaring. Her deep red hair tied into twin tails bobbed and shook, but immediately disappeared from my sight.

The place was just in uproar for an instant, but some maids run after the girl immediately. I looked at the situation in utter surprise for a while, and before I noticed it, the spoon had already been picked up then polished and lined up orderly as if nothing had happened.

I came into my senses and saw Matthias. I was thinking of calling out to Matthias and ask ‘what’s happening?’ but stopped when I noticed he looked as if all blood drained from his face.

“Are… are you alright?”

“Please forgive me! That was my little sister Shenryl. I’ll tell her to apologize properly later. To say such rash remarks to El-sama…!”

“Ah… yes. It’s fine but, did I do something wrong?”

Matthias said sorry apologetically over and over again, but I somehow don’t understand what that was about.

Today would be the day I will finally attend the academy, so I had breakfast at a different time from usual.

As soon as I entered the dining hall, I’ve been told by a girl that she hates me. It should be our first meeting, but it seems like she knows who I am.

“But why would Shenryl do something like that?”

Matthias tilted his head in question as we ate breakfast. In the end, I eventually ate my breakfast since I’m running out of time.

That’s what I want to know. Have I done something? But that should have been the first time we meet.

“What? Matthias doesn’t know? That’s jealousy, y’know?”

“Jealousy? What could that be directed at?”

Leont who had appeared before I noticed it, declared clearly.

“Matt was stolen so she was angry. Because Shenryl loves her Onii-chan very much~ Even though I say Onii-chan, it’s just Matthias though. Cashbar-san was just told 『You gross cross dresser!』 some time ago.”

So it’s brother complex, huh?

In the first place, an unknown guy suddenly appeared and began to live with them without permission. She must have hated that Matthias was stolen by someone without relation to him. Although I didn’t know about the existence of Matthias’ little sister, I feel bad about it.

“I did something bad. I’ll try my best to get along with her from now on.”

I stared at the vegetable where the fork is stuck in and tried to convince myself.

It seems like Shenryl-chan goes to the same academy that I’m planning to attend, though I’m in a lower year. The fact that we live in the same house and go to the same school makes me want to get along with her even more.

The next time we meet, I thought of taking the initiative to talk to her.

“El-sama, please inform me immediately if something happens. I will come and fetch you if it’s time to go home. I showed you the way the other day since you need to go to the faculty room, afterwards…”

I controlled Matthias who was hurriedly repeating the same thing since a while ago in front of a academy gates.

“I’ll be alright even if you don’t worry that much. I already have a map. See you later!”

There are few people in the school building similar to the day of the examination. I think that it’s because the first hour of cla.s.ses had already started. It was written in the letter from the academy that I’ll be received during the second period in the first day.

“I’ll go check on Chabo-kun for a while.”

I have the map that I asked Matthias to make, so I have time to spare without getting lost. I decided to go to the courtyard.

“Are you well~? I came to play~”

Chabo-kun looked just like the first time I saw him, his feet are tied in chains and he is lying down.

I feel like the shackles are st.u.r.dier than the previous one. I wonder when did I start feeling like there’s no need to run away even when Chabo-kun approached me. There may be a reason, but it seems like it would be better if I explained it by words.

“You’re still as fluffy today~”

Chabo-kun stared at my way with sleepy eyes. I jumped into Chabo-kun’s white and soft feathers.

“I want to pluck these feathers and make them into a futon~”

A natural futon made of feathers is a luxury. Soft feathers that gently brush against my face and feel ticklish. I laughed ‘fufufu’ while feeling this happiness.

Thereupon, Chabo-kun suddenly rise up and began trembling.

“I need to go now. Sorry~”

I think that he’s trembling with excitement because he wants to play. I recalled his bored appearance from before and felt sorry.

“Let’s play again next time. See you!”

When he heard that, Chabo-kun started to ran around until the extent of his chains’ length and acted violently from behind me, while I walked towards the faculty room.

If he’s excited to that extent, he must have wanted to play with a human very much.

“So you’re El-kun. I am Saleel. Will you follow me so I can introduce you to your cla.s.smates right now?”

“I will be in your care.”

The one waiting for me in the faculty room is my homeroom teacher, Saleel-sensei. I said h.e.l.lo while being relieved since he seems like a nice guy.

I talked with Sensei while walking along the long hallway.

“I told everyone that a new child is coming. That kind of thing is rare. The cla.s.s is surely excited right now.”

“Haaa…(sigh)”

I’m quite bothered by that. I understand the feelings of excitement when a transfer student comes over, they will expect something like a cute guy or girl, or that an amazing kid will come. However, in reality, the one who will come over is just me. If a guy will appear in the middle of my excitement, even I, will certainly raise a protest.

“I’ll enter the cla.s.sroom first, so will El-kun wait outside for a while? Then you will enter the moment I call you.”

“I understand.”

At times like this, time really go by fast. Leaving me behind, Saleel-sensei quickly went into the cla.s.sroom.

“The new friend that I mentioned the other day is coming today.”

I can hear Sensei’s voice from behind the door. At the same time, I can also hear the students’ shouts of joy.

“Sensei! Is it a girl? Is she cute?”

Wrong. Sorry, you’re wrong! While I was alone, I shouted that soundlessly.

“No, it’s a boy but…”

That’s right. Thank you for denying it early. If the hurdle isn’t lowered as much as possible, I won’t be able to open the door in front of me.

“He’s a very cute and polite child. Then, by all means. Please come in.”

Sensei, please stop making the hurdle high!

I resolved myself and opened the cla.s.sroom door. I looked down so I can’t see the faces of the students to my left, and walked up beside Sensei.

“Will you please introduce yourself at once?”

The greetings and the self-introductions I thought about on the way here were blown off from my mind, and the only thing that my pure white mind can utter is this:

“…I’m El.”

It’s no good. I’m afraid of their reactions so I can’t look at their faces. I heard no one’s voice as I continued looking down.

What does that mean? I gathered my courage and timidly looked straight ahead.

Lots of eyes are staring at me. Everyone is looking at my way with astonished expressions. It’s as if they’ve forgotten to let out their voice because of too much surprise. Even though I resolved myself, I can’t really conceal my shock after all. It’s inevitable that I’ve became somewhat teary-eyed.

“You can have the vacant seat at the back.”

“Yes.”

Maybe because he sensed the awkward atmosphere, Sensei came to the rescue. The one he pointed out was the window seat at the very back of the cla.s.sroom. I walked carefully, step by step, to my seat so as not to trip because of nervousness. Meanwhile, the eyes around me constantly followed my actions. It’s like some kind of torture.

I sat down and sighed while looking at the s.p.a.cious school grounds spread out through the window to my right .

… Matthias. First impressions are very important, but I think my first impression it’s the worst – I was at lost for words. If it’s possible, I want to do it over again.

Afterwards, the second period began at once. They are still preparing my textbooks, and I can’t ask the kid next to me to share so I decided to observe the cla.s.sroom.

There are around 25 students in the cla.s.s. This is the Grade 4 Cla.s.s 3 and it seems like thre are four cla.s.ses. There are more boys when it comes to the girl-boy ratio. The one in front of me is a boy, and the kid next to me is a girl.

“El… was it? Why did you just enter in this time of the year?”

I was thinking various things until the academy’s break time came. When the cla.s.s ended, the boy who’s sitting in front of me reversed his seat and started talking to me.

“Err… I had to go to a distant place to undergo a medical treatment, but I came back to the Imperial Capital recently…”

What a relief. I was thinking what should I do if n.o.body talked to me. I have a feeling that the whole cla.s.s is listening to our conversation in interest while I was speaking.

By the way, Matthias was the one who thought about the reason I said just now.

“Fun~ (*sigh*) But you don’t have a family name so you can’t be an aristocrat.”

“I’m different.”

“You’re strange. No one travels to the countryside except n.o.bles. Besides, you look like you’re just six years old.”

“Is that so…? I’m normal, normal.”

“Well, whatever. I’m Rent, nice to meet you.”

“Yeah. Same to you, too.”

When the boy named Rent gave me a smile with his white teeth shown, I had a feeling that we’ll be very good friends.

On the other hand, in front of the cla.s.sroom.

“What’s this?”

A student noticed something white fell into the floor and picked it up.

“Feather…?”

It was a white and fluffy feather.

“I saw it fall from the transfer student.”

Then among his cla.s.smates, the speculation that ‘maybe the transfer student is an angel’ flew around, as it also explained the transfer student’s appearance. But El, who was in high spirits after making his first friend, didn’t notice at all.