"I'm heading out."
"Be careful on the road."
"Got it."
In the countryside, rice paddies stretched out in neat rows. The shimmering water between them reflected the blue sky and drifting clouds like a mirror.
Peaceful and serene. That was life in the countryside.
Nohara Sato walked slowly along a rural path, taking in the farmlands at the base of the surrounding mountains and exhaling deeply.
In the countryside, houses were spaced far apart. From his home to his destination was nearly a kilometer. Not close, but not too far either.
After walking for more than ten minutes, Sato spotted two houses nestled on the mountainside. One of them was his destination:
The Koshigaya residence.
Not all rural homes had paved yards. Some, like the Koshigayas, simply had a layer of gravel spread across flattened ground to keep moss from growing.
In a corner of the quiet garden, flowers were still blooming.
As Sato arrived, the lady of the house was sweeping the yard.
"Aunt Yukiko!"
"Hmm? Sato? My, it's been a while! I heard you went to study in the city. How are you adjusting?"
Koshigaya Yukiko looked at him with mild surprise, then smiled warmly.
"Pretty well, I guess. But sometimes I miss Asahigaoka and everyone here."
"That's what they call homesickness. It's natural for someone living away. Komari and the others are inside, go right in."
"Excuse me for the intrusion!"
Sato gave a polite bow and headed into the house, clearly familiar with the way.
The Koshigaya home was large, like most countryside houses, much bigger than urban ones.
After removing his shoes at the entrance, a long corridor stretched before him.
From its depths, the sound of cheerful laughter echoed.
Slide!
As Sato slid the door open, the room fell silent. Several pairs of bright, beautiful eyes turned toward him.
"Nyanpasu!"
Suddenly, the smallest figure in the room raised her hand to greet him.
She was a tiny girl, looking around six or seven, with long purple hair tied into twin tails with yellow ribbons. Her face was cute and expressionless, and her reddish-brown eyes stared directly at him, as if waiting for a reply.
Sato blinked, then slowly raised his hand and echoed, "Nyan... pasu?"
What was that? A new greeting?
The next moment, Miyauchi Renge sprang up and ran over to hug his leg, looking up at him.
"Sato-nii, I started elementary school!"
"Nice, this is for you."
Sato smiled and took out some school supplies—crayons, markers, and stationery—from his bag, gifts he had picked up before coming home.
"Ooh~"
Renge's eyes widened in amazement. After receiving them, she bowed deeply.
"Arigatou!"
Sato chuckled at her exaggerated gesture and couldn't resist patting her head.
At the table, a few other girls were seated.
One girl with deep purple hair tied in a side ponytail leaned on the table, resting her face on her hand. She looked a bit bored and raised an eyebrow at the scene.
"Hey now, Sato, spoiling Ren-chon like that makes it hard for me as her big sister!"
"You're not much of a sister anyway."
Natsumi, who sat beside Miyauchi Hikage, laughed lightly. She had long brown hair and a calm demeanor, always with a slightly dangerous hairstyle.
Both were his childhood friends.
"I... Do I get a gift?"
Seeing Renge receive something, Koshigaya Natsumi jumped up with expectant eyes.
"Sit down already! Are you a kid?!"
Koshigaya Komari, the older sister, twitched her brow and pushed Natsumi back down into her seat.
"Geez, even though you were hoping for one too."
Natsumi grumbled as she sat down.
"You... what did you just say?!"
Komari's face turned bright red, and she started scratching at Natsumi in frustration.
Being the older sister yet shorter than her younger sibling… was a curse.
Sato watched the lively chaos in the room with a faint smile on his face. This... this was the environment he knew and loved.
Wait... hold on... wasn't something off?
His gaze shifted to the unfamiliar face in the room, a newcomer.
"I brought some sweets. Natsumi, could you grab some plates and lay them out?"
"Sweets?! Oh yeah!"
Natsumi's eyes sparkled, and she quickly grabbed the other bag Sato brought and ran off.
"And who's this?"
After handing off the snacks, Sato turned his curious gaze to the girl who'd looked awkward and uneasy ever since he arrived.
"Oh, that's Hotaru!"
Konomi casually slung an arm over the girl's shoulder, smiling as she added, "Hotaru just moved here from Tokyo!"
"Nice to meet you, senpai! I'm Ichijou Hotaru. I just moved here and I'm in fifth grade. Please take care of me!"
Hotaru stood up and bowed, clearly mustering all her courage.
Whoa!
As she stood, Sato couldn't help but let out a small sound of surprise. His eyes lit up as he looked at the somewhat nervous girl.
He had noticed her earlier, but now that she stood, he realized she was much taller than he expected.
More surprising was the contrast between her innocent face and her height, she was only in fifth grade, yet she had to be at least 160 cm tall. Her development was… remarkable.
Sato slowly looked away and smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nohara Sato."
Just then, something clicked in his mind. His expression paused, and he looked at her with a strange expression.
"You said you recently moved here... from Tokyo?"
"Y-Yes!" Hotaru replied nervously to this upperclassman.
Sato's face filled with surprise, but he quickly tried to put her at ease.
Still, it amazed him. In a time when everyone dreamed of big cities, someone had actually moved from Tokyo to this remote countryside?
If it was the suburbs, that would make sense, but Asahigaoka was deep in the mountains, about as remote as it got.
"If I remember right, there's a new house near the train station."
"Yes! That's my home!"
So it was a long-term move? Now that was unusual.
"Well," Hikage said with a yawn, "Hotaru's dad got hired as a forestry technician for the village, so they'll probably be staying in Asahigaoka from now on."