Both the elementary, middle, and high schools were all in a bustling atmosphere. Students graduating this year shed tears while receiving congratulations from family and friends. They were tears containing a hint of fear and anticipation simultaneously about leaving the school they had lived in for years and heading to a new environment. Of course, the anticipation would clearly be greater than the fear.
Kenji leaned against the gate of Trinity Middle School and watched the celebratory feast taking place inside. Naturally, the graduation ceremony he had spent on Earth came to mind. It wasn't such a pleasant memory. With his parents passing away in an accident and being disowned by relatives, it couldn't be a good memory. For both middle and high school, he spent both the entrance and graduation ceremonies alone.
'I don't miss it.'
Kenji chuckled softly and checked his watch. The time was already approaching noon. The official graduation ceremonies were all over, but there was still plenty of time left for farewells. It was only natural since they had to say goodbye to close friends and juniors and spend the remaining time with family. The same went for Mika, Nagisa, and Seia.
Moreover, those three were prominent figures in middle school. They probably had twice as many juniors and friends to say goodbye to compared to other ordinary students. So he had no choice but to wait here a bit longer. It was boring, but he couldn't just barge in and take them away.
'Because I don't really want to be a nuisance.'
Kenji thought while rotating his stiff neck in a circle. As his bones creaked, someone tapped his shoulder. Kenji identified the owner of the hand and grinned.
Black hair. Two strands of silly hair sticking up near the crown. Crimson eyes and pitch-black school uniform. A girl with an impressive red halo like dripping melted wax and thorn-like wings.
"Tsurugi."
"Ah, hello."
At Kenji's voice, she gave a shy smile. Though the corner of her mouth trembled slightly, it wasn't a smile tainted with madness. A much better smile than what he saw during the hospital visit. Kenji chuckled and lightly pinched her cheek.
"Eh, ehehe?"
"Did you get all your congratulations?"
"Yesh. My seniorsh gave me a lot shinshearly sho I had to go arround."
Mumbled pronunciation. Kenji laughed playfully and thoroughly kneaded her cheek. Her skin, white to the point of being pale, felt surprisingly good to touch. Should he say it was like mochi? It had a similar texture to Seia's. It had an addictive quality that didn't get boring even if he kept touching it.
"Ke, Kenji?"
"Ah, sorry."
When Tsurugi tapped his palm, Kenji removed his hand that was kneading her cheek. Tsurugi rubbed both cheeks with her palms and looked up at Kenji.
"Waiting for someone?"
"Yeah. My childhood friends."
"Ah... I see. Then, I'll go ahead before I become a bother."
"You're not a bother, but um... it would be better if you left."
Those three are already strongly jealous. If they caught him chatting with another girl here, they'd definitely make a fuss again. Rather than that, it was better to part ways here. For the three of them, and for Tsurugi too.
"Then, bye. See you later."
Tsurugi waved with a smile. Kenji was about to smile back when a sudden thought made him grab Tsurugi's shoulder. At that touch, Tsurugi's face turned bright red. She trembled her crimson pupils, smacked her lips, and stared at Kenji. Kenji looked down at her face and grinned.
"A photo."
"Eh, yes?"
"There's a saying that photos are all that remain. Let's take a photo."
"Ah... should we?"
"Yeah. Let's use your phone. Take it out."
At Kenji's words, Tsurugi nodded. She rummaged and took out the smartphone she had in her pocket, launching the camera app. An app she never thought she'd use in her life was launched for the first time today. Tsurugi switched the camera to front-facing and handed it to Kenji.
Kenji stretched his smartphone-holding hand upward with a familiar motion. The screen with a simple filter showed him smiling playfully and Tsurugi smiling awkwardly. Kenji pressed his body a little closer to Tsurugi so her face would show better. Her pupils spun round and round.
"Ha, hawahawahwa..."
"Okay, cheese."
"Ah, che, cheese..."
Tsurugi repeated after Kenji, her mouth trembling. Kenji chuckled at that sight.
-Click!
A short sound effect and the photo was taken. Kenji checked the taken photo and nodded satisfactorily. Then he returned the smartphone to Tsurugi.
"It came out well. Here."
"Th, thank you..."
Tsurugi received the smartphone.
The photo on the screen was really well taken, as he said. Thanks to the filter giving a bright effect, her skin looked paler than usual, but everything else came out pretty. Tsurugi let out a 'kikikik' laugh at such a result. Kenji flinched at that laugh but wasn't as scared as before.
From the multiple conversations and actions he'd had with her, he found out that Tsurugi, contrary to expectations, wasn't a crazy girl. She was just a slightly strange kid. That much, well, she was much better than the lunatics he'd seen on Earth. Of course a slightly strange girl is better than bugs that seem molded from concentrated human malice.
Kenji chuckled and tapped Tsurugi's forehead with his finger. At that gesture, Tsurugi made a 'hyak' sound and opened her eyes wide. Was she surprised because she was focused on the photo? Kenji smiled brightly and pointed behind him with his thumb. Three people were approaching from a bit of a distance.
"The girls are coming. I think I should go now."
"Ah, yes. See, see you later."
Tsurugi said that and turned her back, then turned only her head to look at Kenji's face. As a puzzled light appeared on Kenji's face, she mumbled her lips a few times, then soon gave a bright smile and spoke.
"Thanks for the photo. I'll treasure it."
With those final words, she turned her back and ran off. Kenji stared blankly at her retreating figure, then chuckled.
"Cute though."
He turned on his heel. From far away, the three people who had spotted Kenji were approaching with quick steps. Their arms were full of flower bouquets, and letter paper they couldn't fit stuck out precariously from their pockets. As expected, it seemed they received congratulations from many people.
'Should I have just given them ordinary flowers too?'
Kenji looked at the gifts in the bag he was holding to give to the three and smiled bitterly. Was he getting ahead of himself trying to assign meaning unnecessarily? Well, he already bought them and even opened them, so he couldn't return or refund them anyway. And he thought the three would probably like them. If they don't, there's nothing he can do.
He cleared his throat once, then trudged toward the three. Through three months of treatment, his ankle was fully healed, so he no longer needed to limp.
"Kenji, Kenji!"
Mika, who was at the very front, shouted. Kenji chuckled and spread his arms wide. Mika jumped into his embrace. Thanks to controlling her strength, Kenji didn't end up rolling on the ground.
"Did you finish the graduation ceremony well?"
"Yes yes! Thanks to you!"
"That's a relief."
Kenji said while roughly ruffling Mika's hair. Even though she should dislike her hair getting messed up, Mika instead purred and buried her head deeper into his embrace. Nagisa, who had arrived right in front of the two, let out a deep sigh seeing Mika like that.
"...Mika, we're still inside the school. Maintain your dignity."
"No!"
"...Haa."
Nagisa shook her head and approached Kenji's side. Kenji looked at her and asked.
"You finished well too, right?"
"Of course."
"Seia, you too?"
"Indeed."
Seia, who had taken a place next to him like Nagisa, nodded.
All three had arrived. Kenji forcibly detached Mika, who was rubbing her head in his chest, and spoke with a bitter smile.
"So... I bought some gifts."
"A, a gift?! From Kenji?"
"Well, who else would buy it but me? Anyway, should I give it here, or later separatelyㅡ"
"Here! Give it here!"
Mika jumped up and down on the spot and shouted. Nagisa, who had shoved a swiss roll cake of unknown origin into her mouth, cleared her throat and nodded.
"I think giving it here is good too. There's something about the atmosphere a place gives."
"I agree."
At Nagisa's words, Seia also agreed. Mika, who had already finished eating the swiss roll cake, also looked at Kenji with sparkling eyes. He felt pressure, but Kenji let out a sigh to erase it. Yeah, it's just a gift. It's not like I'm giving engagement rings.
Thinking that made him feel more at ease. Kenji grinned and took out one gift from the bag. It was a floral wreath made from artificial flowers, woven with large and small pure white roses and baby's breath flowers. But it wasn't big enough to wear on the head. Of course. Because this wasn't for wearing on the head.
Kenji placed the wreath in his hand onto Seia's left fox ear. Her ear flapped briefly. Seia touched the wreath on her ear with a dazed expression, then soon flushed bright red and mumbled her lips. Kenji asked her.
"Do you like it?"
"Eh, yes? Ah, y, yes. I like it. Thank you."
"That's a relief."
Kenji stroked Seia's head once, then took out the next gift. This was also an item made from artificial flowers, but its form was different. A headband decorated with pink and white lilies, looking as if half of it had been cut off. Kenji placed this headband on Nagisa. Though it was only a half headband, the support made from woven leaves held the band firmly without shaking.
"This is..."
"I bought it because it looked unique. How is it? If you don't like it, I do have a proper one too."
Kenji asked while taking out a headband of complete form. Nagisa stared at him intently, then burst into a soft laugh and shook her head.
"No. I like this one."
An unusual item. It wasn't the type of gift Nagisa would typically prefer, but she liked it because she could feel that Kenji had chosen it after much thought. Otherwise, he wouldn't have separately prepared a normal item. Nagisa giggled and pinched the lily leaf pinned to the headband with her finger.
Though artificially made, its texture was no different from a real one. Must be a Millennium product. He must have paid quite a bit for it.
Nagisa suddenly recalled the language of lilies. The most famous meaning is 'purity,' but besides that, 'pure love' or 'unchanging love'—most lily meanings are associated with the word love. Even the pink lily next to the white lily held the meaning 'pink love.'
Was it an intentional gift? Nagisa wondered briefly but soon shook her head inwardly. Whether in the past or now, Kenji liked looking at flowers but had no interest in their meanings. So this time couldn't be intentional either. That didn't mean she felt bad about it.
"Thank you."
Nagisa said with a bright smile like a fully bloomed lily. At that beautiful smile, Kenji's breath caught for a moment, but soon answered with a smile. He took out Mika's gift last.
"A hairpin?"
Mika muttered. Kenji nodded and shook the hairpin in his hand. The blue forget-me-not shaped petals scattered with his gesture. Since this was also made from artificial flowers, the petals wouldn't fall off.
"I'll put it on."
"...Yes."
Mika answered shyly. Kenji opened the clip of the hairpin, then carefully clipped it onto the top of her bun hairstyle. Though artificial, its texture and scent were no different from real flowers, so the petals swayed with the spring breeze and the floral scent spread thickly. Mika smelled the flower fragrance filling her nasal cavity and checked the hairpin through a hand mirror.
"...It's pretty."
At Mika's muttering, Kenji burst out laughing. He smiled contentedly and fiddled with Mika's bun.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes! Very much!"
Mika smiled brightly and hugged Kenji tightly. Though his breath was choked, Kenji tried to smile and patted her back instead of pushing her away. At the same time, he looked at the other two.
"You two come here too. Let me give you a hug."
"...It's embarrassing, but yes. Excuse me."
"Mika, move aside. Isn't it cramped?"
"No!"
Kenji spread his arms wide and hugged the two who approached his sides. In his embrace, Nagisa bloomed a lovely smile on her face, and Seia made an expression that seemed to melt away. Kenji pulled them a little tighter and said in a playful voice.
"Get along from now on. The saying that friends are good isn't for nothing."
"...."
"I'm asking you like this, okay? If you don't like that, at least don't fight each other. It'll be hard to see your faces later."
At his words, Nagisa and Seia momentarily looked at each other. Then they both sighed simultaneously. Was it an expression of affirmation or negation? He couldn't tell, but Kenji grinned and released the three.
"Lastly, let's take a photo together, the three of you."
"Then let's use mine! Hey you! Take a photo for us!"
Mika stopped a passing student and shouted. The girl with a tired expression clearly looked flustered, but soon took Mika's smartphone with trembling hands. She smiled awkwardly and launched the smartphone's camera app.
"Th, then cheese..."
"Ahaha, so old-fashioned! What's that?"
"...Huek."
"Mika, don't say rude things. Ahem, I'm sorry, Ui. Could you do it again?"
"Don't mind Mika's words, please."
"You're both mean!"
Mika grumbled but Nagisa and Seia paid no mind. They instantly took comfortable poses and gathered around Kenji as the center. Kenji smiled bitterly at the three pressed against his arms and stomach. Then, matching Ui's small shout, he changed his expression. He smiled brightly and rested his chin on Mika's head in front of him.
"Th, then again... cheese..."
"Ahaha!"
-Click.
With Mika's laughter, the camera flash went off.
The momentary light blinded Kenji's eyes briefly.