Hearing the words the dumbfounded Kusunoki-san muttered, I also became surprised as if time had stopped.

  [……How did you know that name, Kusunoki-san……]

  [……………..]

  Kusunoki-san doesn’t say anything. She just froze with her eyes wide open, and after a moment…… tears appeared in her eyes.

  I was surprised by those tears, but I was even more astonished by the words she said next.

  [……I’m…… “Hibis”……]

  [……Eh? Eeehhhh!?]

  K- Kusunoki-san is Hibis-kun!? That is…… N- No, she certainly had the same age as him.

  To be honest, I’ve always assumed that he was a boy since he told me that he was a boy right from the start but…… There are many people who play online games with false genders, such as Nekamas and Nenabes.

  (T/N: Nekamas is a boy pretending to be a girl, well this one should be quite well known, there are lots of them in MMOs. Nenabes is the opposite, a girl pretending to be a boy.)

  [Kusunoki-san…… is Hibis-kun?]

  [……Yes.]

  Kusunoki-san nodded at my words, holding back her tears as I asked her, still quite dubious if she’s telling the truth.

  ……The world really is quite a small place, and even though we are in a different world now, coincidences really happen in places you least expect it. I never expected to see Hibis-kun again here right at this moment.

  No, to begin with, she’s a girl who is four years younger than me…… If I hadn’t been summoned to another world, there’s no way we would have even talked with each other like this.

  Just accidentally getting caught up in a hero summoning, and among the people that were also caught up was a girl younger than me, who just so happened to be someone I met in an MMO with tens of thousands of people playing, and that girl remembers me…… I think that’s already enough to be called a miracle.

  [Ciel-san!?]

  [Wha!? Wait, K- Kusunoki-san!?]

  [Ciel-san…… As I thought…… You’re Ciel-san……]

  [……Unnn. Errr…… It’s been a while, I guess?]

  [!? ]

  Kusunoki-san, who jumped in to cling to my chest, was slightly trembling.

  And with her voice blurred with tears…… She called the character name I used to use in that MMO many times. Yeah, how should I say this… Being called with that name in real life feels kind of embarrassing……


  [……Why….. Why did you…… leave……]

  [Eh?]

  [……I…… I’m always…… always…… feeling lonely……]

  [……Kusunoki-san.]

  It’s no exaggeration to say that me and Hibis-kun…… Well, Kusunoki-san were always together in that MMO.

  I just happened to be the one who approached her when she was a newbie, but Kusunoki-san was always attached to me so much that she always spends the majority of her short log-in time with me.

  When I told her that I was retiring three years ago, unlike usual, she connected with me for hours and said goodbye to me.

  Honestly, I felt like I had a little brother at that time too, and that’s why he was my biggest reason as to why I regret retiring.

  [……I’m sorry, I was just taking exams at that time…… I lost my parents back then, and my relatives were the ones taking care of me at that time…… I can’t trouble them by becoming a ronin……]

  (T/N: A middle schooler/high schooler that has graduated but has failed to enter a school at the next level.)

  [……It’s okay. I’m sorry…… I’m the one who was being childish.]

  The main reason I retired from online gaming was to take college exams.

  I thought that I would cause trouble for my aunt and uncle if I became a ronin, so I stepped away from online games to concentrate on my studies.

  Once I left the game, I didn’t have much of a chance to get back to playing…… and in the end, I never went back to that game until now.

  Kusunoki-san said that she’s still playing that game.

  I may just be being conceited…… but perhaps, Kusunoki-san…… was waiting for me to come back for a long time.

  [……I see, Kusunoki-san is Hibis-kun huh.]

  [……Yes.]

  [……Well, it’s not like I’ve seen you before, and I’ve always thought you were a boy…… But you’ve grown up huh. I’m glad we met again.]

  [……Ciel……-san…… I…… I……]

  Putting my hand on Kusunoki-san’s trembling head, I stroked it as gently as I can.

  Kusunoki-san looked like she really was overcome with emotion, and in the end, with large drops of tears streaming down her eyes, she tightly clung on my body.

  Although being hugged by a lovely high school girl is a great situation to be in…… There’s an important problem here.

  The place where we’re in isn’t exactly my room where we have some sort of privacy, but we’re in the main street…… Yep, in the middle of the main street.

  A man and a woman hugging each other in the middle of such a busy street, and the woman is crying while holding onto a man…… Even if I’m the passerby, I would also stop and watch.

  [K- Kusunoki-san!? For now, let’s change places!?]

  [Eh? Ahh……]

  Hurriedly grabbing Kusunoki-san’s hand, we quickly left the place at a fast pace as I was exposed to strange stares from all directions.

  Kusunoki-san looked a little surprised, but she didn’t resist and followed me looking embarrassed, her head held down to cover her face.

  Reaching a small, sparsely populated plaza and sitting down next to each other on the wooden benches provided in the area…… We were just fine earlier, but I wonder why? It feels very awkward right now.

  Kusunoki-san, still with her head lowered down, with her small hands clasped in front of her chest, seems to be fidgeting for some reason.

  She looks very cute like that, but the silence feels heavy because she’s not saying anything.

  [E- Errr, Kusunoki-san?]

  [!? Y- Y- Y- Yes!?]

  [……Are you alright?]

  [I- I- I- I’m alright!]

  When I called out to her, Kusunoki-san turned to me with a very flustered look on her face…… But when her eyes met mine, she turned bright red and looked away.

  [……You said “As I thought” earlier…… Did you realize earlier that I was Ciel?]

  [……No, I wasn’t quite confident with my guess. However, when I thought about when you retired from online gaming and the age difference between you and me, I thought that maybe……]

  [Is that so. Sorry, I didn’t notice it at all on my end……]

  [No, I wasn’t sure either. Since your name is Kaito, I thought that you got it from the “Kai” in your name which means “Shell”, which had the same pronunciation as “Ciel”, but I thought it was too simple……]

  [……I’m sorry I’m too simple.]

  [Eh? Ah, no, y- you’re mistaken! It’s not like I’m trying to make fun of Miyama-san!]

  Just as Kusunoki-san said, the origin of my character name was very straightforward.

  My real name is Kaito, so taking the Shell from Kai, I just used a word that sounds the as that and used it as my character name…… Yep. It’s very embarrassing. I feel like one of my black history is being exposed.

  [……I also got my character name from my own name…… Hibis was taken from Hibiscus, which is a Mallow Flower (Aoika no Hana). I’ve always said that my online self is different from my real self……]

  [I see…… No, but then again, this is quite the coincidence, isn’t it? I never thought we would meet again in this way.

  [Yes, I’m also surprised…… but more than that, I’m glad.]

  [……Glad?]

  Kusunoki-san once again looks down in embarrassment, and with a small voice, she muttered.

  As I tilted my head at her words, she turned her gaze to me, her cheeks dyed red, and gave me a bashful smile.

  [……I thought it would be great……if Ciel-san…… was Miyama-san……]

  [!? ]

  I could say without hesitation that Kusunoki-san has the appearance that would define her as a beautiful girl.

  Her long black hair is smooth and shiny, and as if it was well-practiced, her posture and back muscles were straightened, making the term “Yamato Nadeshiko” fit her really well.

  The sight of Kusunoki-san being shy and embarrassed is very cute, and I can’t help but feel the heat rise up on my face without even noticing it.

  [Ah, errrr, Kusunoki-sa—- [ Aoi. ] ——-Eh?]

  [Please. Please just call me Aoi…… by my name. If it’s possible, could you also please don’t use “-san”……]

  [E- Errr, then…… Aoi-chan?]

  [Yes!]

  When I called her that, Kusunoki-san…… Aoi-chan let out a very happy smile.

  Seeing that smile, which shows her straightforward trust for me, I realized once again that Aoi-chan is Hibis-kun.

  Feeling a bit embarrassed, I flusteredly called out to Aoi-chan.

  [I’m sure Bell is getting bored, so how about we continue our walk?]

  [Yes.]

  Following me as I stand up from the bench, Aoi-chan also stands up.

  And, just as I was about to walk over to Bell who was waiting a few distance away from us…… I felt a slight tug on my clothes.

  It’s not a very strong tug, but a gentle, but a reserved one as if it was gently touched…… but it made me stop walking, turning my head to Aoi-chan.

  [……Ummm.]

  [Unnn?]

  [……Could we go for a stroll together like this again?]

  [U- Unnn. Of course, I don’t mind.]

  [……Thank you very much. Once again, I will be in your care. “Kaito-san”!]

  Seeing Aoi-chan with a big smile on her face, as if her doubts had been cleared, a smile also appeared on my face.

  Dear Mom, Dad—— Aoi-chan was actually the child who was quite attached to me in an MMO I used to play a long time ago. While I was surprised at the amazing coincidence, what bubbled up in my heart was—— gratitude for our strange connection.

  **********

  {Author’s Notes}

  I think Aoi-chan is actually quite a legitimate heroine.

  She’s got long black hair, his kouhai, and she’s in high school……


  T/N: 33/209