A Loner, Making a Promise at a Lake

Author’s Note:

“───How beautiful…”

Karin was spontaneously put into admiration.

Water gently flowed, and the faint noise of a stream could be heard from the lake.

The lake was not dirty at all, it was very fresh and fish could be seen swimming elegantly across the bottom of it.

“…I actually thought the same thing as well when I stumbled across this.”

While keeping his eyes on the view that Karin was looking at, Shun continued,

“To be honest, I don’t even know myself how I managed to find this.”

“Huh? Maybe you came across it by chance, Kondou.”

“Chance…isn’t too far from the truth, I feel like I was being guided here. When I found this place───”

Shun, glancing at Karin’s tilted head, recollected his experience in finding the location and explained it to her.

───I was really surprised, but on my way to the welcome party, I heard a beautiful singing voice.

You probably wouldn’t be able to find an equivalent to that beautiful voice back in our world, it was very clear voice…It was clear in all aspects, high-pitched, and the emotion in that singing voice was rich.

I unintentionally moved my feet towards the direction of where I heard that voice as I pushed my way through the trees.

Once I had gotten through the trees, there was someone standing on the water surface in the middle of the lake.

Naturally, the depth of the water did not allow for someone to stand up. Yet, that person really was standing on the water surface with the soles of their feet.

On closer inspection, that person was a girl. Her hair went down to her waist, and though I’m not sure what color it was, I definitely recognized that she was a girl.

Noticing that I came, the girl turned around once towards my direction, stopped her singing, and vanished in a foggy mist.

But this is what I know.

It’s that the girl was singing.

And also───

“───There’s some kind of connection between the lake and that girl.”

“…Just who was that girl? Based on what I heard, it seems you really were guided here.”

After Shun had explained, Karin had subtly nodded her head a couple of times and pondered about it.

“Well, I don’t know who she is…Actually, I was lured in by that beautiful voice and stumbled upon this place, so I can’t really say whether it was by chance or because I was guided here.”

“I see…we can’t really tell since we have only scarce information to go off of. Though, shouldn’t you tell this to the king?”

“Indeed. Thinking carefully about it, it seems like she was trespassing…Since this is another world, it’s possible that she may be an assassin.”

After saying that, Shun sent a bit of a crude smile towards Karin.

If an assassin appears, that might make things a tad more interesting…Heh heh heh…

“Shun…are you anticipating something?”

“Nope…not at all.”

“If would be nice if that were actually true, but…”

While saying that, Karin had kept a scornful gaze on Shun.

“A, a, a, alright…I, I was kind of anticipating something…”

“Hmm, that’s not good, you know? Since you look like the kind of person that would easily get dragged into dangerous situations…you saying that only makes me worry even more…”

“What do you mean by that…? Well, maybe you’re right. Something like this would be a flag…actually, never mind.” (TLN: I assume you guys know what ‘flag’ means in this context.)

“Shun, when the war is over…let’s come back here again, okay?”

“Um, I know that you’re not doing it on purpose, but I really wonder why I can only hear that as a death-flag.”

“Flag…?”

“No…never mind.”

“…?”

While Karin was bewildered by Shun, who was acting oddly, Shun muttered something,

“Minesaki. Even after the war is over, I think that I probably won’t return to that world.”

“Erm…”

After all, I’m staying here…

“I don’t know if you’ll stay here, Minesaki…but until we have to part ways, can I expect that I will remain by your side along with everyone else’s? And also, will you and Yuuma both continue leading everyone along after this?

“…?!”

Kondou…those words…

After hearing Shun’s words, Karin was astonished at how they didn’t match up with Shun’s nature up until this point, and felt a slight leap in her heart.

His usual gentle expression from just a while ago was gone, she did not think that he could garner a serious expression while staring intently at her. Her cheeks, ears, chest, and her whole body felt hot, and she had an embarrassed expression.

For Karin, she had never experienced this feeling and this phenomenon occurring in her body.

But, she thought of this situation, where Shun was staring at her, as quite pleasant.

Though Karin didn’t understand these emotions, she did not dislike them.

While the conflict in her heart continued, Karin replied after giving a bitter smile,

“…Yes! I promise! I will do my best! But───”

“…?”

After being enthusiastic about Shun, Karin faced downwards to hide her slightly flushed face and muttered something,

“───I don’t want…us to part ways.”

“…!”

Karin’s words made Shun’s heart leap in a similar manner.

…That’s right. It would be bad for me to separate…from Yuuma…from Minesaki…and from everyone else…

“…Alright, I’ll make a promise too! I won’t part ways with you guys. And even if I do get separated, I’ll definitely join you guys again.”

“Okay…”

Karin smiled completely, and Shun smiled back.

In front of the lake that was shining a light-blue color, the two laughed.

“Alright, it’s a pinky promise, Kondou.”

“Um…”

That means…I can lock my finger with Minesaki’s?!

“By a pinky promise, you mean that? With a finger and another finger…”

“Heh heh…that’s the only thing that I could have meant, right?”

AW YEAH…oh shoot…now I’m getting nervous~!

“…Oh…oh.”

“Oh?”

Karin tilted her head towards Shun’s somewhat strange voice.

“Well, well then…”

“Right───Let’s do it.”

Aah…what a soft treasure this is…

Intertwining one finger with the other, Shun’s feelings reached their peak.

“Pinky promise so if I tell a lie I’ll drink 1000 needles and cut my finger”

“Pinky promise so if I tell a lie I’ll drink 1000 needles and cut my finger”

(TLN: This is a tune that people, usually kids, sing when making a pinky promise in Japan)

“With this, it’s a promise, okay?”

“Yup…That’s right.”

Shun said that while hiding his face that was heating up.

While their fingers were intertwined, Karin’s feelings had also reached their peak, so she acted calm so that it wouldn’t be seen, but even so, she had broken into a rapid cold sweat.

“…I think it’s about time to head back.”

“…R, right.”

The two held an innocent appearance like in the beginning, and the moonlight shined onto the streets as they walked back together.

───And nobody knew that a girl had appeared above the lake and stared at the backs of the two with her golden eyes.

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

After returning to the royal palace, Shun finished up a light conversation with Karin and went back into his room.

*phew*

At last, I can take a breather…That reminds me, I only came into this world today. Perhaps too much had happened for one day.

Shun surrendered himself to the bed and made a deep sigh.

Anyways…from now on, I won’t be able to do anything in this world if I don’t obtain some combat techniques. Since training will probably start tomorrow, I’ll have to work hard…

“…I’ll work hard…but even so, it’s important to also have fun.”

I wonder what kind of journey this will be…

His anticipation rose.

“*Yawn*… Well then, I’m getting tired. Sweet…dreams…hopefully. ‘Night…”

While saying that, Shun closed his eyes as a pleasant sensation overtook his body and began to fall asleep.

TLN: That’s the end of the first volume