The day began with soft cherry blossoms falling outside the kindergarten gates. Children filed into the schoolyard, some clinging to their mothers, other running of with excitement. Haruto Kenzou stood quietly beside Miyuki , his small hand wrapped gently around hers. His dark eyes scanned the playground—not with wonder, but with quiet calculations.
His mind, still that of Silas Grey, was alert beneath the childlike exterior. The colorful jungle gyms, the pastel- painted walls, the squeals and laughter—they are meant to be inviting. To him, it was social battlefield.
"Do you want me to walk you inside?" Miyuki asked softly.
He shook his head slowly. "I'll be okay, Mom."
Her eyes softened at the way he said it—not with childish anxiety, but a calm maturity that still puzzled her at times. She bent down, kissed his forehead, and watched as he stepped through the gate on his own.
Inside the classroom, the energy was chaotic but harmless. Kids gathered in groups, playing with blocks or drawing. The teacher , a kind woman named Ms. Sakamato , greeted each child with a warm smile.
"Ah , Kenzou-kun! Welcome," she said. "You can put your bag in the cubby over there."
Haruto followed her instructions wordlessly. He found the corner of the room and sat down by himself, taking out a small sketchbook Miyuki had packed in his bag.
His pencil moved carefully sketching the edge of a playground slide. Observation and precision – it calmed him.
But not for long.
A sudden, high-pitched voice pierced his concertation.
"whoa! You can draw?! That look so good!"
He looked up to find a girl tied into two uneven pigtails, her eyes shining like she'd just discovered treasure. She leaned over his shoulder without hesitation, mouth slightly open in admiration.
"I'm Marin! Kitagawa Marin! What's your name?"
He blinked slowly. "Haruto. Kenzou Haruto."
"Nice to meet you, Haruto- kun! You're kind of quiet, huh?"
He didn't answer. Not because he was rude, but because her energy overwhelmed him. She had no filtered, no hesitation—Like sunlight bursting into a dim room.
She plopped down beside him without asking, legs crossed, arms behind her head as she stared at his drawing.
"That's so cool. You're Like a mini-artist or something! I can't draw like that all. My dos always end up looking like potatoes."
He gave a soft breath that almost resembled chuckle.
[Passive Skill: Social Awareness lv0 - 4%->6%]
"Do you draw anime too?" she asked. "I like magical girl stuff! and horror stuff too! But not at the same time 'cause that's scary.
Haruto stared at her. She was a contradiction wrapped in pastel color. Loud. dramatic, and yet strangely genuine.
"I don't draw anime, "he said quietly. "But i can try."
"yess! you gotta draw a magical girl someday, okay? Maybe I'll wear a costume and pose for you!"
He blinkled. "Why would you do that?"
"Cause it'd be fun!"
She wasn't teasing him or trying to embarrass him. She simply thought it would be fun. That kind of purity made his chest tighten-- a contrast to the emotional emptiness of his past.
The day continued with guided activities. Haruto participated half-heartedly in group songs, stumbling over the Lyrics but following the hand movements. Marin was beside him. Loud, and off-key, but smiling the whole time
At snacks time, she offered him half her strawberry-flavored biscuit.
"You like these? They're my favourite!"
He took the piece with a small nod "Thanks."
Marine grinned. "That's what friends do, right? share snacks!"
The word "friend" echoed oddly in his mind. In his previous life, he never had any. Not the hospital. Not in school. Diana, the nurse, had
been his only human connection. Everyone else passed by like shadows.
But Marin didn't seem like a shadow. She was color and noise and chaos-- everything he wasn't.
And yet, he didn't find it annoying.
In the final hour of the day, the children were told to pair up for a painting project.
Before Haruto could move, Marin grabbed his hand. "We're partners! You'll draw and I'll paint, okay? I suck at outlines, but I'm great at colors!"
He hesitated but didn't pull away. Together, they created a scene of a girl standing under charry blossoms, magic swirling in her hands.
[Skill: Drawing lv2 46%->50%]
"She's me!" Marin declared proudly. "You made me look cool."
Haruto stared at the page, then nodded. "You are....kind of cool"
Her eyes widened, and she beamed. "Aww, you're sweet when you talk. You should talk more, Haruto-kun."
He didn't know how to answer that.
When the day ended and Miyuki came to pick him up, she noticed something has changed. Haruto wasn't clinging to his bag or hiding behind her leg.
He waved slightly to a girl in the distance--Marin, who waved back with both hands.
"Made a friend?" Miyuki asked.
"Maybe" Haruto said, voice unreadable not cold.
As they walked home, haruto glanced at the sky. This world is like his previous world, only with sweet family and just a loud girl with a strawberry biscuits.
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