"Do you remember things from when we were in first grade, Yuito-kun?"

While looking at the text written in the chat input field, Kirika was lying on the bed.

The name registered for the recipient is "Yuito-kun♡".

They exchanged contact information when they enjoyed lunch at Stub.

"If I send it... it won't be good, right..."

With a click, Kirika turned off the smartphone screen and let her hand drop limply.

―When I close my eyes, I remember.

When she was a child, Kirika was a well-known neighborhood bully.

The Jinguuji family, where Kirika was born, is a famous family of explorers.

Her grandfather is an S-rank explorer renowned as a legend. Her father and mother are also famous explorers.

Born into such a family, Kirika reigned at the top of the hierarchy among the little ones, thanks to her exceptional physical abilities and financial advantages.

Kirika, who led the boys living in the neighborhood as her subordinates, particularly remembers one boy.

"Akizuki Yuito." Like Kirika, he was a boy with explorer parents, but unlike Kirika, he was timid and quiet.

She remembers following Kirika's orders, but when she tried to do something dangerous, she would tearfully say, "Let's not do that."

However, there were times when he was surprisingly reliable.

When Kirika and the others went exploring in the forest and got separated from the other kids, he held Kirika's hand and comforted her as she cried.

At that moment, Yuito's back looked so big.

And what she remembers the most is the day before Kirika moved.

One day, due to their grandfather's wishes, Kirika and the others had to move. It was just another one of their grandfather's whims. They had no authority to oppose him.

The day before moving, Kirika enjoyed her last outing with her friends.

It was very enjoyable, but as the day wore on, she started to feel a sense of emptiness.

As the sun sets, one by one, her friends start to leave.

The one who stayed until the end was Yuito.

In the park where the sun was setting, Kirika leaned her back against the dome-shaped play equipment and looked up at the sky.

Next door, Yuito is also there.

"Isn't Yuito coming back?"

"...Yeah. I don't want to go home yet."

"What is that? Do you want to be with me that much?"

"That's right."

"...Huh?"

The words spoken to make light of the situation were met with a serious response.

Bang!!

Yuito's face loomed closer to Kirika. Kirika was pinned in place by Yuito's arms.

At that time, it was a word she didn't know, but that was her first experience with a "kabe-don" in her life.

The girl-like face of Yuito approaches, and Kirika's heart races with excitement.

"I... I like you, Kirika-chan."

"Huh!? W-What are you saying!?"

The word "like" was something she had only ever heard from her parents.

She never thought the boy she was a little interested in would confront her directly.

It's a confession.

A situation she only sees in dramas or anime.

While she admired it a little, she thought it was still far from her reach. The privileges of adulthood.

There was no way she couldn't be nervous.

"Th-that kind of thing should be done when you grow up..."

"Because... if it's not now, Kirika-chan will be gone..."

"...Yeah, but..."

Kirika and the others were hopelessly childish.

It's a young chick protected by its parents.

If her parents decide to move, she has no choice but to go along with it.

No matter how much the feeling of "like" overflows, she has no power to resist.

"When we grow up, tell me you like me again. I'll give you my answer then."

"...Alright. I'll definitely go meet Kirika-chan."

"It's a promise you absolutely must not break..."

"Yeah."

Seeing Yuito nod vigorously, Kirika gently closed her eyes.

A warm sensation gently touched Kirika's lips.

"I was so mature back then...!!"

Kirika opened her eyes with a bright red face.

She's getting nervous about the actions of the kids who have just started elementary school, even though she's on her own.

Her chest feels restless and uneasy. She hugs her pillow and rolls around on the bed.

However, seeing the phone with the cracked screen made her feel down.

There is more to the story they were just talking about.

About a year after Kirika moved, an incident occurred where Yuito was unable to fulfill a promise.

The town where the people live was attacked by monsters.

Monsters overflowing from the dungeon and attacking the town is a rare disaster.

However, what attacked Yuito and the others' town was an absurdly vast number of monsters.

The one that caused particularly great damage was a single dragon.

A pitch-black dragon covered in black scales devastated the city, resulting in the loss of many explorers' and citizens' lives.

Among them were many of Kirika's friends and acquaintances.

And Yuito's parents too.

After a while since the disaster occurred, she learned about Yuito's whereabouts.

Yuito, who had been caught up in the disaster, somehow survived and was taken in by his aunt.

Even after changing his last name to "Akizuki," Yuito was still alive.

However, the aftereffects of the disaster were significant.

Yuito's parents were apparently killed by a dragon right in front of him.

That memory left a deep scar in his heart, and Yuito had forgotten the past memories to maintain his mental state.

Among the memories that Yuito has forgotten, there are also memories of spending childhood with Kirika.

Yuito had completely forgotten about Kirika.

Kirika turns on the smartphone screen again.

"Do you remember things from when we were in first grade, Yuito-kun?"

She already knows that Yuito doesn't remember anything.

She just wants him to remember.

However, if she tries to force him to remember, Yuito might also recall the scene when his parents died.

That only causes suffering to others.

For her own desires, she forcibly digs up unpleasant memories.

That's not good.

Even though she knows better, she can't help but want to press the send button.

"Remember me."

She wants to scream with all her might.

"I'm the worst..."

A feverish sigh burned her throat.

Maybe it's better not to get involved with Yuito anymore.

That should be happier for Yuito.

Even if she, who is so selfish, gets involved with Yuito, she would only make him unhappy.

Kirika deletes the text she was typing.

Trying to turn off the smartphone screen again.

Ding!!

The notification rang.

"Thank you for today. I had a great time. I would be very happy if we could hang out again."

It was a message from Yuito.

It's just an ordinary message.

Rather, it's a bit stiff, making her want to retort, "What company employee is this?"

But... for Kirika, it was so wonderful that her heart was full.

"You're still as sneaky as ever..."

When she tried to write a reply, a smile naturally spread across her face.

Chapter 7: Young Chick’s Love