prologue

In the midst of the vast school field, the warm sunlight illuminates a student named Kishida, who is being punished. His disheveled black hair is tousled by the wind. Beside him, an empty cold milk bottle emits small droplets of dew due to the temperature change from the cold liquid to the warmth of the sun.

With a frustrated expression, Kishida stretches his back, trying to ignore the curious gazes of his friends watching from a distance. However, when a young girl named Natsumi, with bright eyes and a friendly smile, approaches him with light steps, Kishida becomes intrigued.

"Are you thirsty?" Natsumi asks, offering a cold milk bottle with a wide smile.

Kishida glances at Natsumi for a moment, then accepts the bottle with hesitation and takes a sip. "Thank you," he says softly, twisting the bottle cap.

"Don't sit here for too long; you might get sunburned," Natsumi advises, pointing towards the sun now high in the sky.

Kishida looks at her briefly, then smiles faintly. "Thank you, but unfortunately, this will continue. It's all because of that strict teacher. If he wasn't teaching today, I'd be with my friends in the cafeteria right now."

Natsumi chuckled lightly. "Well, that's because of your own mistake. If you had done your homework correctly, you wouldn't be punished standing here."

Kishida again sipped the milk given by Natsumi. "So, why do you care about a lazy student like me?"

Natsumi just smiled and walked away with light steps without giving any answer. Kishida watched her gradually disappearing, feeling the refreshing coolness of the milk in his throat.

As Kishida observed Natsumi's departure, a sense of curiosity arose within him. Suddenly, loud shouts shattered the silence on the field. An older female teacher with an angry expression approached Kishida.

"Kishida! What are you doing?" she yelled, pointing towards a tarp that appeared next to where he was standing.

Kishida was shocked by the sudden appearance of the tarp beside him. He tried to explain that he had no idea where it came from, but the teacher refused to hear any of his reasons.

The reprimands didn't cease on the field alone. Throughout the day, Kishida was bombarded with relentless scolding, from the field to the teachers' room, and even into the classroom. Time passed agonizingly slow for him as class hours continued to change, and finally, the school bell rang for the end of the day.

Kishida wearily headed home, his face pale from anger and exhaustion. However, at the school gate, the girl who had given him milk in the morning appeared again with her bright smile. Kishida was slightly surprised by the unexpected encounter.

"Natsumi?" Kishida whispered to himself.

"Sorry," Natsumi said gently. "I didn't know that would happen to you. But, cheer up! Tomorrow will be better."

Kishida just stared at Natsumi, bewildered. He couldn't find any words to say. Natsumi then smiled and walked away, leaving Kishida increasingly confused by her presence and actions.

Kishida walked home with heavy steps, pondering about his teacher's scolding and the girl. Natsumi not only provided encouragement but her presence also added to the confusion in his situation.

Upon arriving home, Kishida headed straight to his room and changed out of his worn-out uniform.

After Kishida finished changing into fresh clothes, he hurriedly left his room and went to the kitchen. He found his mother busy arranging dishes on the stove. Without much talk, Kishida immediately offered his help by washing vegetables and cutting the necessary ingredients.

"Could you please cut this meat for me, dear? I'm not strong enough to cut it," Kishida's mother politely requested.

Kishida quickly grabbed a knife and cutting board, then proceeded to chop the meat into smaller pieces. "What are we having for dinner tonight?"

His mother smiled and showed the dinner menu listed in a recipe book. "Tonight, I want to cook teriyaki, yakiniku, omurice, and miso soup. Earlier, your father mentioned that he got a promotion at his office. He's now a manager."

Kishida was thrilled to hear the news of his father's promotion to manager. The fatigue and frustration he felt throughout the day suddenly vanished, replaced by feelings of happiness and pride for his father.

Carefully, Kishida and his mother prepared the ingredients for teriyaki, yakiniku, omurice, and miso soup. They shared tasks, smiling at each other in the joy of preparing a meal for Kishida's father.

While preparing dinner, Kishida's mother asked about Kishida's activities at school. He enthusiastically shared, although he hid some events, including the incident of being punished to stand in the middle of the field.

Time passed quickly, but the kitchen remained filled with joy and the tempting aroma of food. They helped each other, laughed, and created delightful moments together.

After several hours of cooking, the dining table was now adorned with the delicious dishes they had prepared together. Moments before Kishida's father arrived home, they tidied up the table, ensuring everything was perfect.

Kishida sighed in relief upon seeing the dining table filled with the delicious food he and his mother had made. "Finally, it's done. All of this food looks so delicious."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang at Kishida's house. Slowly, the front door opened, and a 34-year-old man looking tired in his office uniform stepped into the house with a sense of relief and joy.

"Darling, Kishida, I'm home," he said warmly.

His heavy footsteps seemed to fill the room, but his face lit up when he saw Kishida helping his mother in the dining room. "Welcome home, Dad," Kishida greeted warmly, welcoming his father's arrival.

Kishida's mother approached her husband first, giving him a sweet kiss, and then she went back to finishing the almost-ready dinner.

"Dear, you and Kishida can go ahead to the dining table. The rice will be ready in a moment, and please change your clothes first."

Kishida's father followed his wife's instructions, and then he invited Kishida to go to the dining table together. After a few minutes, Kishida's mother arrived with a large tray containing rice and several additional dishes.

Subsequently, Kishida and his family enjoyed dinner with various delicious dishes, enhancing the harmony within the family. Adding a positive touch to the evening.

"How was your day, Kishida? What did you learn at school?" his father asked with a warm smile.

Kishida shared some highlights of his school day, omitting the incident with the angry teacher. After that, they resumed their dinner, with warm conversations and little laughs heard throughout the meal.

After dinner, Kishida's parents returned to their respective activities, while Kishida chose to go to the balcony in front of his room on the second floor. On his balcony, he gazed at the darkening sky while sitting on his rocking chair.

The night breeze blew gently, caressing his tired face. Kishida let his mind wander, reflecting on his mistakes from today. However, there was also a warm feeling from Natsumi's presence. He wasn't sure why Natsumi cared so much about him, but her smile lingered in his memory.

While staring at the stars emerging in the night sky, Kishida began to contemplate what he should do tomorrow. He felt a growing fondness in his heart, unsure of its origin.

After spending a considerable amount of time gazing at the night sky from his balcony, Kishida finally decided to sleep. He felt the weight of fatigue in his body and sensed the need for sufficient rest to face the upcoming day.

Morning arrived with the gentle sunlight, accompanied by the alarm sound from his digital clock. Kishida promptly got up, prepared himself, and had breakfast with his family. Once done, he hurriedly headed to school, which was only a few meters away from his home.

Upon reaching the school gate, his classmates warmly welcomed him. They embraced Kishida like long-lost friends. Together, they walked towards the classroom, filling the air with laughter and banter.

As he was about to go to his locker, he was shocked to see Natsumi standing in front of his locker. His friends immediately got excited, teasing that Kishida had a girlfriend. However, Kishida confidently denied it.

"Hey, Kishida. Turns out you've secretly been dating Natsumi. What have you been up to with your girlfriend?" one of his friends asked teasingly.

"Shut up, she's not my girlfriend," Kishida replied firmly.

Without hesitation, Kishida approached Natsumi to find out the reason for her presence. "Natsumi, why are you standing in front of my locker? Isn't your locker next to mine?"

Natsumi's face turned slightly red, and Kishida, seeing this, felt a mix of embarrassment and confusion. "Why is her face turning red? Yesterday, she was perfectly fine when she approached me on the field and at the school gate when it was time to go home," Kishida whispered to himself.

Natsumi's face began to look uncertain. "Kishida, can I get to know you better?"

When Natsumi admitted wanting to get to know him better, Kishida's heart started to beat rapidly. A mix of emotions and confusion crept within him. Kishida's friends immediately screamed after hearing this, unable to believe that their friend, a notorious slacker, was now liked by one of the most beautiful girls in their school.

One of Kishida's friends approached him and grabbed his collar. "Kishida, what kind of magic did you use for Natsumi to like you?"

Then, another friend hugged Kishida's legs tightly. "Hey, Kishida. How can a slacker like you have a girlfriend as sweet and beautiful as Natsumi? You must have done something to her, right?"

Kishida felt embarrassed and awkward being the center of attention, not just because of Natsumi, but also because of his friends' strange and noisy behavior. "Both of you, please stop. Aren't you ashamed of the stares we're getting from everyone?"

Suddenly, the two friends stood up and pulled Kishida slightly backward. "Natsumi, please wait a moment. We have some important matters with Kishida; we just need to borrow him for a while."

Being pulled aside, the two friends immediately interrogated Kishida. "So, Kishida, please be honest about your actions. What have you done to Natsumi that she likes you?"

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable and annoyed, Kishida quickly ran and grabbed Natsumi's hand, taking her away to somewhere else. His two friends didn't stay quiet; they also ran after Kishida.