Translator: Reflet

  It was a nostalgia much like returning to one’s hometown.

  The surroundings were glistening as if wrapped in light.

  There was a pretty river flowing in front he had never seen before, and beyond the river were leafless trees, shining with light and standing still.

  He found a familiar face beneath a tree.

  Smiling at her, Taiyou moved toward the riverbank.

  「So that’s where you were, I was searching for you」


  The shovel on the other side of the river was beckoning him. The upper portion was chipped off, but its beauty had not changed in the slightest. Of course, as the beauty of a shovel would surely not diminish with something of that level.

  She was ceaselessly beckoning Taiyou, with the kind of bashful face that lovers made.

  Telling him “Come quickly, come to my side”.

  「Don’t rush me, I’m coming to you now」


  Returning her smile, he motioned to ford the river, stepping into the water.

  He wanted to get to her side as quickly as possible so that he could caress her handle, kiss the cross section of her cut blade.

  He wanted to say thank you and get cozy.

  Suddenly, the shovel made a sad face.

  「What’s wrong, why are you suddenly making such a face?」


  This was a face he had never seen before. A painful, sad face that was unbecoming of her.

  「That face isn’t like you」


  After all, she was a shovel. Shovels must not make such faces. Just like how sauce doesn’t go with eggs sunny side up, sad faces don’t go with shovels either.

  Thinking that, Taiyou made to quickly dash to her side.

  「Huh? I musn’t cross the river? But if I don’t cross then I can’t very well go to where you are, now can I」


  While he was puzzling over what she was saying, that person appeared next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder, truly trying to suggest that they were close.

  She did not reject him. Though she was still making a sad face, she accepted his advances willingly.

  No way that could――No way something that ridiculous was――。


  「Wait, do you mean to tell me that he’s there now so you no longer need me? That guy……you guys――」


  「Shovels and scoopers are different races!!!」


  「Wah!」


  He alertly straightened up. There was no longer any sign of the river, the female shovel, or the paramour scooper.

  「Where……am I?」


  His head unable to keep up, he furtively surveyed his surroundings. His eyes met with Hera’s worried gaze in an unfamiliar room.

  「Are you all right, Taiyou-chan?」


  「Y-Yeah……」


  「Can you understand me? How much is 256×256?」


  「Not even a normal person could calculate that in their head!」


  Taiyou shouted. Calculating three-digit numbers and beyond was an art impossible to utilize even when his head was in its best condition.

  「How terrible, Taiyou-chan could not even say 65536! You must go to a hospital as soon as possible」


  「Ohh……You mean FFFF+1」


  As Hera panicked, Taiyou understood by those words.

  It wasn’t mental arithmetic. These were numbers that he should know very well.

  「It’s okay, I understand. My head is fine」


  「Are you sure?」


  「Yeah」


  Taiyou nodded, and Hera gave a sigh of relief seeing that.

  Seeing her do that, he recalled the events from before losing consciousness.

  A sugary-tasting hell.

  Blissfulness spreading from the lips, and anguish rising from the inability to breath.

  It was happy, but painful. He wanted to continue, but he could not.

  He thought that out of the two vying for control, happiness slightly had the upper hand. Taiyou thought that the most amazing way to die in this world might very well be suffocation from kissing.

  His kiss with her was just that rough and amazing.

  While relishing the happy feeling filling his chest, he surveyed his surroundings. He searched for her.

  In the corner of the room, he found Leticia huddling against the wall.

  Was she embarrassed, or frightened?

  After seeing her『state of being』, Taiyou thought either one was possible.

  Whichever it was, Taiyou thought it might be good to cushion the impact.

  「Hera」


  「Yes indeed」


  「Could you greet her」


  「Ohhh, right you are, I had still not done that」


  It seemed that the small fairy’s worries had been swept away by her exchange with Taiyou. Just as she had been told, in high spirits, she flew to Leticia.

  She maneuvered in front of the girl facing the wall.

  「Ah」


  「Pleased to meet you, I am Hera」


  「Yer……the joker?」


  「Yes indeed! Yes indeed to the max!」


  「T-To the max?」


  「It is nothingー. Which reminds me, congratulations on your kiss with Taiyou-chan」


  「Oo……」


  At a loss for words, her body trembled. Farther away, Taiyou reflexively gave a bittersweet smile at her reaction.

  It was no doubt the kiss that had caused this.

  The moment they had kissed, she had pushed Taiyou down as if changing her personality.

  Taiyou was interested to know how she became tgat way.

  「Have you……experienced this sort of thing before?」


  「Huh?」


  Surprised, Leticia peered backwards over her shoulders.

  「I mean, you knew this would happen」


  His interest had been altered.

  At first he hadn’t seen it as anything other than something that he might want to ask her.

  But the moment she had answered, it had transformed into different emotions within Taiyou.

  His chest felt queasy, the kind of feeling that made you want to vent your anger no matter what.

  Jealousy.

  She might have experienced it already……a kiss with another male.

  When he thought that, Taiyou felt overwhelmed with jealousy.

  That was an emotion he had almost never experienced until now.

  Even if he knew of it, this was a feeling he had not experienced.

  Taiyou had more than he could bear.

  If that were indeed the case――


  「T-That ain’t true!」


  Flustered, Leticia denied it with all her might.

  「Ah ain’t nevah kissed. This was mah first!」


  「It’s…really your first?」


  「Y-Yup!」


  「Oh, really……」


  Taiyou was visibly relieved, and Hera who was watching grinned. Leticia averted herself with a red face.

  First time kissing, the first kiss.

  Taiyou, having participated in the kiss, was so happy that he forgot to remain composed, and at the same time, the thing that had been jealousy reverted back to curiosity.

  Regaining his composure, he asked her about that.

  「Then why did you know……that you’d get into that state」


  「That’s because……mah sistas, mah sistas all experienced it」


  「Ah, you did say that you had older sisters huh」


  「Yup」


  「I see, so that’s how it is」


  「Sorry……for becomin’ like this」


  Resignining herself, Leticia slowly stood up, turning to Taiyou.

  「Didn’t think I’d knock ya out」


  「Don’t worry about it, I don’t hold it against you」


  「Ahm really……sorry」


  After saying it once more, Leticia took a deep breath, reigning in her facial expression.

  Somehow understanding that she was the same type as Youran who could switch character, Taiyou held her in high regard.

  Said girl was staring straight at the now-visible Hera.

  「This is the joker dat gurl was talkin’ ’bout eh」


  「Yeah」


  「The heck is this」


  「Referring to me as “this” is mean, Letii-chan」


  Hera protested with both hands held out.

  「If that is what you think then I must show Letii-chan my grandeur」


  「Grandeur?」


  「Yes indeed, now Taiyou-chan please move over there」


  「……If it’s a lunge for my groin area I’ll be counter attacking with my shovel, kay」


  He reproachfully glared at Hera. She gazed in wonderment, thereafter dropping her shoulders.

  「I am indeed powerless……」


  「Did you seriously plan to do that! And there’s got to be more to your grandeur than that!」


  「There is……more to it?」