I have a person I love.
He’s my neighbor Ruka-kun, we have been born at the same hospital and have been together through Elementary・Middle・High school.
Because we were born in the countryside, we have often played together because there were no other children.
Ruka-kun is very strong and kind boy, he would often hold my hand, so I wouldn’t fall because I was a clutz.
Such gentle Oujisama, I have loved him.
Well, we could get along in the elementary school as my first love hadn’t come out yet.
I got estranged when Ruka-kun gradually started getting popular in the middle school.
Indeed, Ruka-kun’s appearances are beautiful.
Jet black hair and delicately carved facial features, slender and long, but appropriately masculine limbs.
Excelling in pen and sword, he’s a super boy. Convincing specs for girls to gather around him.
I didn’t want anyone to take him from me, I was self-conscious of my secret love.
Thus, my jealous heart grew painful and bitter, and there was not anything I could do.
I who is a shy person who doesn’t know what being a.s.sertive is, decided to take the last resort.
「Ruka-kun! Morning! You are lovely as always! I love you!」
「…」
I confess using the morning greeting which has become the daily routine.
However, getting ignored and briskly getting away with girls around him is recently the default (yes, he’s surrounded by girls).
He has walked away.
Right, I have decided to appeal like this every time.
If it’s thoughts of love towards Ruka-kun, I won’t lose to anyone!
Because I’m plain and simple, I have no other appeal points.
However, every time I misfire, the girls surrounding him start giggling at me.
I’m calm and composed in front of everyone, but as a matter of fact, I’m very embarra.s.sed.
I crouch and hide in a shadow today as well.
My cheeks get hot, and my legs and arms start shaking.
The moment I tried to clap my cheeks to rebuke myself,
I was surrounded by people I didn’t know.
A sphere of light which is sparkling like jewels under my feet slowly rises and disappears.
Looking around absentmindedly, the surroundings were characterized by a deep ocean blue stained gla.s.s.
It was so dark that I would believe even if I was told that I was in a church deep in the sea, it was a place where only a blue light came in.
「The summoning ceremony, success」
A beautiful silver-haired man said while shedding tears.
To my astonishment, I have been apparently summoned to a different world.
The world I was summoned to is filled with evil, and I was requested to purify the different world as a hero.
Of course, they treated me well and told me I could return when everything is done.
During that time, I could not help, but think about my beloved Ruka-kun and desired to return home as soon as possible.
But, the ordinary me with no redeeming features is saving the world.
Appropriate suffering, enduring, and pain were awaiting.
The purification of evil is done with a holy sword.
Of course, if the area is polluted, I have to kill magic beasts and people.
Although I say that, it’s not like they die when cut by the holy sword. It cuts only the evil, and the flesh will heal after the purification.
But, the feeling of cutting flesh didn’t disappear.
My hands became worn-out from rigorous swordplay practice, and I cried many times from suffering the mental attacks of the evil.
But, I endured the difficulties by thinking about my parents, friends, and Ruka-kun.
Besides, it wasn’t only painful things.
I made many friends, saw countless of different world sceneries and ate a lot of food… I have made many fun memories.
My friends were older than I, so they taught me and admonished me a lot of times.
To think that I would make friends could tolerate as much as my family, no perhaps even more than my family.
I think it was the firs time in my life and probably the last.
And now, I have separated from such irreplaceable friends.
And returned to the dearly missed j.a.pan.
「Something is different from usual」
「You think so?」
The air in my original world after so long feels heavy, it’s difficult to breathe.
When I descend to the nostalgic living room, both of my parents and my elder brother constantly tell me that something is different with me.
I indeed spend ten years in the different world, but I changed my appearances back with magic.
And yet, why? I tilt my head while eating breakfast.
「Isn’t it a hairstyle? You look like an oneesan today」
「No, my hairstyle is the same as usual, isn’t it~」
The idle breakfast ends with such words, and everyone left for work or school.
I couldn’t express it in words, but I felt the burden of the summoning removed from my heart when I saw my family.
In that world, I had to live 80% of the time with my shoulders straightened.
Because I was so ordinary『Hero』, the country had to improve me.
My manners, speech, and appearances had to be strictly in check wherever I went.
Dressing up was fun, but I would rather pardon myself from being talked by random pa.s.sersby.
By the way, from the remaining 20%, 10% is when staying in my room and 10% when camping with my companions.
I hear a sparrow singing in the mild weather of the morning.
I’m dressed first time in a while in light clothes, the uniform, and hum while walking.
The everyday way to the school is vague, but I still remember it.
Overwhelmed by the nostalgic feelings, I finally realize that I have returned to the peace.
The air of this world is poor, but it’s very peaceful, and there’s no life-endangering mission to run.
That world was a very nice place, but after all, being in my birthplace with no restricting social status, gave me the feeling of freedom.
As I arrive at the school, I greet my cla.s.smates I vaguely remember.
I greeted friends while suppressing the rising tension.
While they are probably greeting me as usual, I forgot which of the seats is mine.
You are joking, right? They told me while laughing.
I met Ruka-kun after ten years.
He suddenly stood in the hallway of the school.
I thought I might cry when I meet him.
Because I missed and missed him, he was part of my heart’s support at that time.
Therefore, I couldn’t even go and greet him in his cla.s.s (Of course, I forgot which cla.s.s he’s in).
But, I have an extremely mysterious feeling.
I can’t seem to overflow with embarra.s.sment, pa.s.sion, and happiness like before.
No, I love him? I feel nostalgic and happy when seeing him.
But, I’m not thinking I want to protect, love, and embrace this person from the bottom of my heart!
It’s almost as if I was dressed in clothes soaked in lukewarm water.
That is incredibly mysterious, somehow, u~n…
The tension doesn’t increase.
Almost as if it was a wonderful place in the different world that disappointingly turned into a wasteland when I arrived.
Y, yeah~ what happened to me?? Am I nervous after such a long time!? Let’s put more spirit into it!!
Even though I was so happy to see him so much my cheeks became hot just a while ago!!
「M, morning~ Ruka-kun」
When I interact with an awkward expression and unskillful smile (Even though smiling was my specialty),
Ruka-kun displeasingly ignored me, pulled on a nearby beauty’s hand and dragged her away with long strides.
In an instant, my awkward smile turned into a wonderful smile.
U, uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, na, na, nai wa~!!!!!
What was that just now!? Even though he saw his childhood friend after so long… no, it’s different for him!
No, nevertheless, that’s not an att.i.tude to make towards a childhood friend, right!!?
「Fu, fuu~ calm down, calm down, me」
After murmuring for a while, I took a deep breath.
When I breathed a lot of air in, a lot of polluted air, I choked.
「Cough, cough! U, uu~」
And, whether the result of choking or entirely different cause,
A large tear dropped on the floor.
「M, my feelings of love, they disappeared…」
I finally realized that I felt completely different from the time before the different world.
That my feelings of love became feelings of past during the ten long years.