Chapter 6 PAST 2

Translator : PolterGlast

Many years have passed since Nozomu and Ken decided to support Lisa’s dream that night. Nozomu and Ken were now fourteen years old, and their appearance had changed considerably from the days when they were children. Both Nozomu and Ken grew taller and their bodies became more and more like those of grown men. Ken, who had looked like a girl when he was a child, was gradually becoming a handsome man with a good face and a boyish body. However, it was also true that the chores he had to do at home increased as he got bigger.

Nozomu was now about to start maintaining the farming tools that he used to plow the fields. No matter how soft the soil was, it was not uncommon to find hard stones mixed in with it. Every time this happened, the hoe blade got damaged, and the more he used it, the worse it got.

Moreover, some of the hoes he used were made of wood. Certainly, the metal ones were easier to use and plow better, but they were a bit more expensive.

“If we don’t hurry, we’ll run out of time…”

Nozomu wanted to finish his work and get to the top of the hill quickly.

But it wasn’t for playing. After deciding to support Lisa’s dream, Nozomu and Ken had been training on that hill.

However, it was not like they could do much. They just beat each other with wooden sticks.

They had to do chores at home, and because it was a small village with few people. There was a lot of work to be done.

Nozomu told his parents about his training on the hill and his desire to become an adventurer, but his father was angry and told him to just help out at home. His mother didn’t take it well either, even though she said it was fine.

Even so, they kept training. If they could help Lisa even a little by doing so. It was a thought that filled their hearts.

“Um …  I have to take care of this hoe for the time being”

As Nozomu picked up the hoe with the rattling blade and was about to start his work, he was suddenly called from behind.

“Nozomu, yahhoo~!”

“L-Lisa, did you come?”

Nozomu was about to start maintaining his farming tools when he was startled by her sudden appearance.

Lisa stuck her tongue out with a mischievous smile on her face.

Her body was covered in mud and she looked like a mischievous little boy, but she had gradually started to grow out her short hair and now had fine crimson hair flowing down her back.

Her appearance had also changed from the time when she was indistinguishable from a bad boy, and her white silky skin and strong-willed eyes shone.

Her body is still a little young, but she is gradually showing signs of a feminine figure. Lisa is blossoming as a woman, but her mischievous smile remains unchanged.

When he looked at Lisa’s face, Nozomu’s heart was beating louder than ever. His face heated up and his head began to get hot.

“W-What’s wrong? Coming to a place like this.”

“Um. I was just delivering milk to Aunt Ashima, but when I was about to go home, I saw Nozomu doing something.”

Lisa bent over and looked into Nozomu’s hand.

At the end of her line of sight was a hoe that had been disassembled into pieces.

“What’s wrong with it?

“I-it seems that the handle has become loose and there’s a gap between the handle and the blade. In addition, the blade is a little broken. I can’t till the soil well like this, so I’m fixing it.”

Nozomu inserted a small wooden board into the gap between the handle and the blade, hit it with a hammer, and pushed the wooden board into the gap.

His eyes are on his hand, but his tone of voice is somewhat stuttered. His hands seem to be in a state of unrest.

Lisa only watched Nozomu’s situation and she had a smile on her face for some reason.

“W-What’s wrong?”

Nozomu couldn’t help but ask Lisa, who was just looking at him. She said, “It’s nothing,” but wouldn’t take her eyes off Nozomu, who was repairing his farm tool. Her eyes were staring at him. Nozomu’s heart started to beat faster due to her gaze, and his hands gradually increased in speed as he repaired the tools.

The hoe was not the only farming tool in front of Nozomu’s eyes. There were axes, baskets, machetes, and a variety of other farming tools, many of which looked a little damaged from years of use.

Even so, Nozomu, with Lisa staring at him, tended to the tools at a speed never seen before. Nozomu was still new to this kind of work, but he was feeling strangely energized and was working at a speed he had never done before. He was embarrassed and happy to have the girl he was in love with by his side.

For a while, time passed in silence. Nozomu, who was moving his hands at the fastest pace ever, found himself finishing up most of the farming tools that were spread out in front of him.

“D-don’t you have something to do?”

Lisa was still crouched down beside Nozomu, despite the fact that he was almost finished.

Even though she only saw him on the way home, he was happy that she stayed by his side for so long. But Nozomu still couldn’t help himself calling Lisa and asking her.

“Actually, I have… but I don’t want to do it now.”

However, Lisa didn’t answer Nozomu’s question, and she was happy to see Nozomu’s behavior for some reason.

***

After repairing the last of the baskets, Nozomu put the no-longer-used farming tools on the cart. A little more plowing and the day’s work would be done. After that, the long-awaited training time awaits. He looked at the hill where a tree stood, he was inwardly enthusiastic.

“Hey, Nozomu. Do you have a minute?”

Just being approached by her like this made him feel nervous. He didn’t have much free time, but he still practiced every day until he was exhausted.

For Nozomu and Ken, the happiest thing is having her by their side and making her smile at them.

“W-What is it?”

Nozomu looked back at Lisa while raising his voice.

She had an expression of hesitation and anxiety on her face, which was not like the usual her, which always spoke clearly.

She had her hands behind her back, her eyes slightly averted and her cheeks dyed red. For Nozomu, she looked just like when he first became aware of her as a girl.

“I-I’ve decided to go next year.”

“Going to ……Solminati!?”

Her words startled Nozomu to the point where his heart almost skipped a beat. But at the same time, somewhere in the depths of his mind, he was thinking that the time had finally come.

Ever since she had confessed her dream to Nozomu and Ken, Lisa’s determination had grown stronger day by day.

Recently, she had become calmer and less likely to talk about what was on her mind. When she was a child, she always went out of control, and her mother had to admonish her.

However, both Nozomu and his best friend Ken knew that her determination had not waned.

Rather, by keeping it deep in her heart, her determination had grown purer and more mature, like a vintage wine.

Nozomu was fascinated by her eyes, but he felt that she had finally decided to leave the village where she grew up.

“Y-yup. I’ve already decided. What are you going to do, Nozomu?”

“I am……”

But at the same time, Nozomu felt an indescribable uneasiness in his heart. Lisa’s eyes were filled with a strong will, but also with inner anxiety. She waited for Nozomu’s answer with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety behind her words.

However, Nozomu could not immediately answer her question.

What arose in Nozomu’s mind was the image of his parents who had raised him. They didn’t even like the idea of him training on the hill, and they would definitely object to the idea of him leaving this village. At the very least, his father would be furious.

Besides, Nozomu was the only child of his parents. If he were to leave, there would be no one to take over the farm and the house after his parents died.

Knowing this, Nozomu hesitated for a moment at Lisa’s words.

“S-sorry, I asked you something strange. Well then, see you.”

“Ah~……”

However, in the brief moment when Nozomu couldn’t get rid of his hesitation, Lisa seemed to panic and cut off her conversation. Nozomu couldn’t help but call out to her, but her face had already returned to its usual cheerful appearance, instead of the mixture of anticipation and anxiety that had been on her face just now.

The voice leaking from Nozomu’s mouth faded into the grassy breeze.

Lisa turned on her heel and started to head home. Nozomu had no choice but to watch her go, unable to say anything.

“Hey, if I were… to be Nozomu’s……”

As she turned away, Nozomu heard a faint voice in his ear.

The words that Lisa had let out unintentionally stuck in Nozomu’s ears even after she was out of sight.

***

Lisa smiled as she walked home while remembering Nozomu’s behavior earlier. She remembered Nozomu’s panic at her sudden call to him.

Nozomu had seemed somewhat nonchalant while they were exchanging words, but instead of feeling uncomfortable, she felt a pleasant sweetness that made the tip of her head tingle.

At the same time, the sound of a thumping heartbeat echoed in Lisa’s ears. It was not the first time she had felt this sensation.

The first time she had felt this sensation was when she had fought with Mujiru over the playground on the hill when she was very young. It was when Nozomu leaped towards the brat who looked down at her with a proud face.  What he did reminded her of her father.

His father’s back overlapped with Nozomu’s as he fought to protect her. That was the beginning.

When she confessed her dream, both Nozomu and Ken supported her. Lisa remembered, even at that time, her heart was pounding.

When she decided to go to the Solminati Academy, they agreed.

Although Nozomu and Ken seemed to be hiding it from her, Lisa knew that the two of them were secretly training on the hill,

Of course, Nozomu and her father were different people. When she was a child, she might have seen her late father’s image in Nozomu, but she was no longer of that age.

She was just glad that Nozomu was thinking about her. Lisa was genuinely happy to see him working so hard for her.

However, it is also true that danger awaits.

She had seen the image of his father in him before, and this made her both anxious and happy.

***

After finishing all the work at home, Nozomu was standing on top of the hill, facing Ken. They were hitting each other with a stick in their respective hand.

The sound of clanking and thumping echoed in Nozomu’s ears, but he was somewhat absent-minded.

(Hey, if I were… to be Nozomu’s……)

Her words never left Nozomu’s ears. What the hell was she trying to say?

These questions kept popping into his head and distracting Nozomu’s concentration.

“Ei!”

“Uwa!”

There was a loud noise and the wooden stick that Nozomu was holding got knocked down. Ken glared at Nozomu, letting out a sigh as he thrust the end of his stick at him.

“What are you doing, Nozomu? You’re not concentrating at all!”

“S-sorry …”

He hurriedly apologized, picked up the fallen stick, and faced Ken again.  The two began to train again, but Nozomu still could not concentrate.

The anxious look that Lisa had shown him during the day. The tears that he had seen when Mujiru had ridiculed his father in the past were clearly visible in his mind.

At that moment, Nozomu clearly felt that Lisa was a girl. He also sensed her vulnerability, which may have been the reason why he repeatedly trained with Ken, even when he was busy with work at home.

“……Ah~”

With a flicking sound, Nozomu’s stick was thrown away again.

Ken shrugged his shoulders at Nozomu’s lack of concentration and tossed the stick in his hand.

“Ah, there you go again. Nozomu, let’s just call it a day.”

“S-sorry …….”

Nozomu bowed his head apologetically to Ken, who looked tired.

The two of them sat at the base of a tree on the top of the hill, letting their burning bodies be enveloped by the breeze as they gazed out at the scenery of Oire village below.

“Hey, did something happen?”

“Yeah, just a little …”

The two of them stood side by side looking at the same scenery for a while, until Ken asked Nozomu, somewhat reluctantly.

Perhaps Nozomu had predicted that it would happen, he immediately opened his mouth and started talking about what Lisa had told him.

“Lisa told me…she’s going to Solminati next year.”

“……What?”

Ken looked surprised at Nozomu’s words. Ken’s eyes widened and he was stunned. He had not yet been told that Lisa was going to Solminati.

He couldn’t hide his surprise at what he was told, and although he was at a loss for words, he continued to ask Nozomu.

“So, what are you going to do …… Nozomu?”

Ken asked so while looking straight into Nozomu’s face.

“I want to go with Lisa after all. I’m going to say this for the first time, but I really like her…”

This was the first time Nozomu told Ken that he was attracted to Lisa. Ken’s eyes widened for a moment and then he looked down as if he was thinking about something.

But Ken immediately raised his face and opened his mouth, confronting Nozomu’s gaze straight on.

“I … Honestly, I don’t want Lisa to be an adventurer because there’s a lot of danger waiting for her…”

Certainly, there are many dangers. The mortality rate is so high that it is impossible to count the number of people who have died. There’s no guarantee that the girl they love won’t be one of them. Of course, themselves too.

“But I still want to be with you guys. I wish I could protect Lisa’s back.”

But Ken didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want that to happen.

At that point, he had also decided on his own path.

“Then it’s decided.”

“Yeah. Let’s go, to Solminati together.”

Let’s protect her back. The two of them grasped each other’s hands, clearly stating their intentions in their own words.

The sun had already begun to set on the hills surrounding the village. As dim shadows covered the world, their promise was made once again. However, due to the darkness that was beginning to cover his vision, Nozomu overlooked the slight shadow that appeared on his best friend’s face.

When the two of them returned to the village, an even more surprising thing awaited them.

A girl stood at the entrance of the village. Her red hair, dyed the same color as the twilight sky, fluttered in the wind like a veil.

“Lisa …”

“Nozomu. So Ken was with you.”

Lisa looked somewhat surprised to see Ken next to Nozomu. She probably thought that Nozomu was alone.

Nozomu and Ken had never told Lisa about their training on the hill before.

That was a bit of their stubbornness. Being boys, Nozomu and Ken didn’t want the girls to see too much of their hard work. Especially if it was the girl they liked.

Lisa stood in front of Ken. She stared at Ken firmly in the eyes and told him the same thing she had told Nozomu during the day.

“Ken, I’ve decided to go to Solminati.”

“Yeah, I heard from Nozomu. So, what’s wrong?”

Ken had already heard from Nozomu that Lisa was going to leave the village. Ken answered Lisa’s question in a rather indifferent tone. He was smiling as usual, but Nozomu felt that the expression on Ken’s face was a little stiff.

“Umm… it’s a bit…”

“… Nozomu, I’m going home first. See you tomorrow!”

Lisa stuttered. It was so unlike of her.

When Ken saw her, he left Nozomu alone and went home first.

Nozomu was flustered by the sudden turn of events, but he thought Lisa had something to do with him and turned to face her.

But just by facing her like this, he could feel his face heating up.

“So, what can I do for you?”

“Yes, can I have a word?”

As prompted by Lisa, Nozom started walking side by side with Lisa.

The night curtain had already fallen and darkness had enveloped the surroundings.

Even so, Nozomu and Lisa continued to walk along the small streets, relying on the light leaking from the house windows.

They passed through a path between the houses in the area, came out in a field, and then took a side path through the field, this time illuminated by the moonlight, to a small stream.

During that time, the two continued to walk in silence.

Both Nozomu and Lisa seemed to be trying to talk, but when they tried to say something, their words stopped in their throats.

When they reached the shore of the stream, Nozomu stood side by side with Lisa for a while, listening to the splashing sound of the river and feeling the distance between them.

Even though he didn’t touch her shoulder, he could feel the warmth of Lisa’s body.

As his heartbeat quickened and ringing in his ears, Nozomu looked sideways at Lisa beside him, and before he knew it, she had turned her body to Nozomu and was staring straight at him.

“No-Nozomu. Umm…”

But the moment Lisa’s eyes met Nozomu’s, she couldn’t help but look away. But she took a deep breath and began to speak as if she had made up her mind.

“You don’t have to do it, you know? I think Nozomu’s uncle and aunt would be against it, and I think they both want Nozomu to stay with them……”

His parents were against Nozomu leaving the village. For Lisa, who has lost one family member, Nozomu’s parents, who have been with him since he was a child, are no strangers to her. They have taken good care of her, and have even slept in their homes.

She herself understood that she was chasing a dream that involved death. That was why she was worried that Nozomu would be in mortal danger. But at the same time, somewhere in her heart, there was hope that he would still follow her.

“I-I may not be able to give up on this dream. The scenery my dad and mom had seen. The memories of when I was little. I don’t remember much of it, but I still want to be an adventurer.”

“Lisa…”

She wanted him to stay with her, but she was also worried about his safety. As she was swayed by these two thoughts, Lisa said many words in quick succession.

“When I told my mom I was going to leave the village and become an adventurer, she didn’t look too happy and my sister, Lulu, also said, “Don’t go!” while crying. After all my mom knows better than anyone else in this village that being an adventurer is dangerous. ……”

Lisa’s shoulders slumped because she was not getting her family’s consent. She looked down with a bit of sadness on her face.

“B-but, it seems that even though Solminati Academy is strict, they don’t charge much money for admission or the classes themselves! I think I can gain enough experience there, and it’s not too dangerous there!”

As soon as she looked up, her face flushed slightly as she insisted that she was fine. She was trying to reduce the others’ worries in this way. Nozomu felt once again that the strong-willed Lisa was actually a kind girl.

“I think the more experience I have, the less danger I’ll be in when I become an adventurer, and I think my mom and Lulu will feel at ease that way.”

As Lisa tried to reassure her family while pursuing her own dreams, Nozomu’s feelings for her grew in the depths of his mind.

His feelings in his chest swelled up and were about to burst into a torrent.

“But it’s still dangerous. At that time, both Nozomu and Ken said would come with me, but I still think it’s better not to …… so …….”

And the moment Lisa’s words, who was trying to make him stop following her, reached his ears. His feelings finally overflowed.

“No, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going with you. If it’s that dangerous, then I can’t leave you alone!”

As if following his overflowing feelings, Nozomu rejected Lisa’s words. He insisted that he would go with her.

“B-but!”

However, contrary to Nozomu’s enthusiasm,  Lisa’s anxiety grew.

The words of denial that came out of her mouth unintentionally revealed her hesitation. As soon as he heard those words, the last barrier that had been holding back Nozomu’s heart finally came off.

“Even if Lisa says no, I’m definitely going to follow you! If the girl I love wants to make her dreams come true, of course, I want to help her!”

“……Eh?”

Lisa found a word in Nozomu’s sentences that she couldn’t ignore. She was momentarily dumbfounded by the sudden occurrence, but the moment she understands the meaning of the words that linger in her ears, a sweet and sour sensation runs through Lisa’s entire body.

“No-Nozomu. Just now, about me…”

“……Ah”

Nozomu was stunned into silence by the words he had spoken.

Then a fierce sense of shame attacked him.

“Well… I said…umm.”

Nozomu shows suspicious behavior such as averting his eyes in the air and shaking his legs while speaking unclear words.

Even in the dark night with only moonlight in Lisa’s eyes, she could see that Nozomu’s face was as red as if it had been splashed in hot water.

Nozomu was just flustered because he didn’t know what to do about his dumb confession, which lacked any kind of atmosphere

At that moment, her face was approaching and filled Nozomu’s field of vision.

“Nn~ …”

The next thing he knew, Lisa was laying her lips on his.

The feeling of Nozomu’s slightly crusty lips ran up Lisa’s spine with a tingling sensation.

The sweet, numbing heat of his lips was making her head spin.

She slowly pulled her lips away from Nozomu’s lips.

“Thank you ……, I’m so happy.”

With a big smile on her face, Lisa smiled at Nozomu in the moonlight.

***

When two shadows were overlapping by the shore of a stream.

A boy watched from the shadows of the hut as the two share their feelings illuminated by the moonlight

“… It can’t be helped. Lisa has been watching Nozomu for a long time.”

Ken muttered to himself as he leaned his back against the wall of the hut.

Ken had been watching Lisa for a long time. Ever since her mother had taken her to his house when she was a child.

That’s why, before long, he noticed that the way she looked at her best friend was different from the way she looked at him.

The first time was probably when Mujiru called her parentless.

Before Ken could jump onto Mujiru, his best friend had jumped on the boy who had made Lisa cry.

From that point on, he began to feel something in the way she looked at Nozomu.

(I wonder what if I was the first?)

Such thoughts welled up in his heart, but at the same time, he had always been with Nozomu.

He felt sad. But still, if she chose him then…….

“I’m happy for you, Lisa …….”

Leaning against the wall, he sat down and hugged his knees. With his eyes shut, Ken just continued to endure the stabbing pain in his chest.