— What? Aenari… Weren’t you injured?

  They asked a barrage of questions that made me laugh inwardly.

  Ah yes, judging by the previous owner’s memories, these were his close friends.

  ?How amusing, I thought, observing their genuine concern.?

  — Yes, I was gravely injured that day, but now I’m alright, — Ao replied with a gentle smile, trying to reassure them.

  "They’re just kids. How can they harbor so much malice?"

  Interesting. Smiling, Ao decided not to dwell on it for now.

  — Brother Ao, are you sure you’re okay? We heard from Lord Akano that you were badly injured and wouldn’t recover soon! That made all of us worry about you.

  — Like I said, I’m fine now.

  — Aenari, honestly, we all came here to check on you and see how you’re doing, — said a sturdy boy, stepping forward.

  — But they wouldn’t let us in, — added a red-haired girl with a touch of annoyance. She seemed slightly mischievous but no more than that.

  — Aenari was so unlucky that day, running into the two brothers, — said a medium-height boy with a stubborn expression, shaking his head.

  — Maybe we should beat them up? I still remember how they mocked you, — angrily proposed a petite girl with a sweet face, dressed in an orange dress.

  — If we do that, we’ll definitely get into trouble. You know who their father is. We could be jailed or even exiled! — said a thin boy in a rumpled shirt, shaking his head.

  Their reactions stirred an unfamiliar feeling within Aenari. It wasn’t unpleasant; quite the opposite.

  — It’s alright. I’ve learned my lesson and will be more careful from now on, — I nodded at them with a smile.

  Succumbing to the memories of a past life, I decided to join them as an ordinary boy.

  Digging deeper into the memories, I discovered that the previous owner of this body often played with a black-haired girl named Shizu. Perhaps he liked her? But why didn’t he show any particular desire to visit her?

  I suppose I’ll have to figure this out myself. While I inherited memories of her playful teasing, not all of his feelings came through.

  Eventually, night began to fall. I expected to encounter those two bastards, but it seemed today wasn’t the day.

  And so, days and weeks quietly passed.

  *

  The Last Day of April.

  On this early morning, we all gathered and decided to take revenge on an old lady.

  I’ll admit, I was intrigued, even though I’m no longer a child. Subconsciously, it seems I’ve become one, given my interest in such things. I think it might even be for the best. It means not only my soul reincarnated, but my mind was affected as well. This might help me in the future.

  At the very least, I’m not lagging behind the current generation, and I even have experience from a previous life. That’s both an advantage and a disadvantage.

  The advantage is clear, but as for the disadvantage, it lies in the retained memories of my past.

  I can’t say for certain how these circumstances will influence me in the future or if I’ll remain the same.

  I suppose it’s a minor detail. I should be grateful I didn’t have to start my journey in a monster-filled dark forest.

  Finishing my thoughts, I turned my attention to the others.

  It was decided that Kazen would be our leader. He was born on January 2nd, while the rest of us came later.

  Searching through my memories, I found out my birthday is near the year’s end.

  — So, I’m the youngest here.

  By chance, I said my thoughts aloud, drawing everyone’s attention.

  — Aenari, you shouldn’t worry about trivial things. I’ve told you before, strength is what matters in our world, — Kazen confidently declared.

  Patting me on the shoulder, Kazen led the group forward.

  — Alright, let’s bypass the guards and head to Granny Grinta. Follow me and don’t lag behind. Try not to make too much noise, — Kazen instructed, and everyone nodded in agreement.

  Sneaking through bushes and bypassing numerous houses, we were almost there. All that was left was to get past a spiked wooden fence.

  Say what you will, but Granny Grinta knew what she was doing.

  Unfortunately, climbing the fence was out of the question:

  First, because of the spikes.

  Second, the height was close to two meters.

  Luckily, the group had spent a week digging a small passage beneath the solid surface. Unfortunately, they couldn’t avoid getting blisters.

  Looking at us, Kazen spoke: — As you can see, we’ve arrived. I’ll go first, and then you can pass one by one. I’ll help by holding back the spikes while you crawl through.

  Before long, Kazen safely made it to the other side of the fence while I held the outer net with Risel.

  Finally, it was just me and Shizu.

  Shizu’s face showed hesitation as she eyed the ugly spikes.

  — Since I’m already here, I’ll go all the way, — Shizu said, gathering her courage.

  As she mentally prepared, Ao found his gaze lingering on her.

  ?I didn’t notice before, as I was overwhelmed by their questions. But now I see how beautiful she is.?

  She was far more captivating than the others.

  Shizu had deep black eyes, and her dark hair fell to her waist, forming gentle waves at the ends. Her delicate face had slightly plump cheeks.

  Without a doubt, she was a beauty. Her eyes stood out, especially the irises, which were the color of the sky.

  — Go ahead, Shizu. I’ll hold the spikes so they don’t catch you or your clothes.

  — Got it.

  Nodding, Shizu began to move. She was almost on the other side of the fence when her dress got caught on a thorn, making her yelp.

  — Aenari, help Shizu! Her dress got caught on a thorn. Can you free her?

  — Yeah, I’ll help right now.

  I had to crawl through the space behind Shizu, letting go of the outer net.

  Once I reached her, I tried to help. But it turned out the thorn was curved, and in such a cramped space, I wouldn't be able to free it.

  — Rena immediately understood the situation and was thinking of another solution while we were stuck under the fence.

  — Aenari, I'm sorry this happened. I really didn’t know we’d be going to Granny Grinta’s today. Otherwise, I would’ve worn different clothes, — Shizu said with regret.

  — Don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can to get you out of here. Just wait a little.

  — Okay.

  Meanwhile, I suggested tearing part of the dress, and both of them agreed.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The problem was that I couldn’t move my hands properly — it was too tight. Also, it turned out the dress was made of a stronger fabric, and I didn’t have enough strength to tear it.

  While I was struggling with the dress, she accidentally slid backward, revealing a new view.

  Specifically, her white underwear.

  — Aenari, you idiot! Don’t look there! — Shizu and Rena screamed.

  Shizu blushed to the tips of her ears. Any more, and steam would start coming out of her head.

  What? My pulse is racing? — Aenari realized something was wrong with him and his face changed.

  Glancing at Aenari, Shizu wished she could disappear into the ground. But no matter how hard she tried to move, she always ended up in the same position.

  Once Aenari collected himself, he decided to take the situation seriously.

  — Shizu, we can’t go to the other side now. I’ll pull you back out. Wait a bit.

  Stopping himself from looking at her backside, I crawled back, where the thorn pierced my foot, causing pain. Gritting my teeth, I pushed it out and managed to escape.

  — Shizu, now I’ll have to pull you toward me, but there’s a chance you’ll lose your dress.

  — Do you trust me?

  Without hesitation, Shizu nodded, barely holding back tears.

  Bending down a little, Aenari began to pull her by the legs.

  Shizu, feeling his hands, experienced both relief and irritation. She wasn’t ready for such close contact, and her heart beat faster than usual.

  This time, there was enough space, and Aenari pulled her toward him with some effort, tearing her dress and exposing her legs.

  — Aah! — Shizu cried out from the abrupt action.

  — Sorry.

  Helping her up, I scanned her from head to toe and sighed in relief.

  — Did I hurt you?

  She shook her head.

  — Thank God. I'm relieved you're alright. — Aenari said with a weak smile.

  But upon closer inspection, Aenari noticed she was about to cry.

  Seeing her like this, Aenari felt uneasy. He stepped closer to her, apologized again, and tried to comfort her.

  Suddenly, Aenari noticed that Rena had disappeared, and he guessed why.

  At that moment, Rena had found Risell and the others.

  Kaden and Elin had caught a chicken, but it wasn’t without a few minor injuries from the rooster and hens.

  Risell and Utsin, meanwhile, didn’t fall behind. They had released all the livestock. Catching them all, especially for the old woman, would be very difficult.

  Meanwhile, Grinta, with a satisfied smirk, was approaching the house.

  But she didn’t realize what was happening inside. Otherwise, instead of that smile, her face would have shown a completely different expression.

  At the same time, Risell and Utsin had finished causing chaos and were ready to leave. But Grinta had beat them to it.

  A shout of hatred could be heard from the main gate.

  — Who dared to cause trouble in my house?! — Grinta screamed as she angrily began to unlock the door.

  — Let’s go, quickly! — Kazen began to lead the others away.

  And it wasn’t surprising, because the sound of her shout had taken everyone's breath away.

  Finally, Grinta opened the door and saw the mess.

  — Aaaaaa! Damn you all!

  With furious eyes, Grinta started sniffing the trail, ignoring the noise.

  The tracks had mixed with the livestock, but even so, it didn’t trouble Grinta, and she was already following them.

  — Kazen, Elin has already gone. Hurry! — Rena said with concern.

  — What’s going on? — Aenari and Shizu were confused.

  — Didn’t you hear the scream? Granny Grinta has arrived! We need to leave as soon as possible.

  — Gotcha! Heh heh heh! — A nasty voice was heard. Turning their heads toward the sound, we saw the scene.

  An old, wrinkled hand firmly grabbed Kazen’s right leg, causing the boy to scream in fear.

  I, along with Utsin, rushed to help and tried to pull him towards us with all our strength, but it didn’t help much.

  — You’ll all pay for this, little scoundrels! — With a smirk, she began applying more force.

  Her words sent shivers down our spines.

  The girls screamed in fear.

  — Please, don’t let go! — Kazen was on the verge of tears.

  While the three of us held on with all our might, Granny Grinta suddenly released her grip, and this gave us the chance to pull Kazen out.

  — Faster, let’s go! — Someone shouted, and I grabbed Shizuku’s hand and ran with her, not looking back.

  When we finally returned, tired, we sat down on the ground and sighed in relief.

  — Haa! Damn it, what was that? When will that witch die? — Risell cursed.

  — We know about Kaden, but what happened with you two? Why is Aenari covered in blood, and Shizu’s dress is torn?

  We nodded at Rena, and she explained everything in detail.

  Shizu felt embarrassed by her friends’ reactions, but didn’t know where to hide.

  — Aenari, why did you treat Shizu so badly? — Risell said, with some anger.

  — I apologized for what happened.

  — Yeah, but you’re the one who put her in that situation.

  — You really think so? — I calmly responded.

  A small spark of discontent flared between us. The others shook their heads and decided to ease the tension.

  — Enough, both of you. We have a good harvest. Kaden and I managed to catch two chickens, maybe we should celebrate?

  — Utsin’s right. Both of you, stop. — The girls nodded in agreement.

  — Risell, I don’t blame Aenari. You should calm down, — Shizu spoke in Aenari’s defense.

  Meanwhile, the day was coming to an end.

  Upon hearing Shizu’s response, Risell snorted, adjusted his clothes, and sat down in the back.

  Looking away from Risell, Elin said, — Guys, I think we should go our separate ways.

  — Either way, today was crazy, — Rena said, and everyone agreed.

  While the others discussed what to do with the catch, I approached Shizu, looked her in the eyes, and said, — It seems I ruined your dress.

  Shizu adjusted her dress and slightly shook her head. Too many thoughts were anxiously piling up in her mind, but she tried to ignore them so as not to distract herself from the moment.

  Meeting my gaze, Shizu’s cheeks began to turn red, and her eyes darted around in every direction.

  Looking at her behavior, Elin was surprised.

  — Shizu, are you okay? You’re all flushed.

  — It’s... Aenari...

  — Huh? Does this have anything to do with him? Rena was greatly surprised, and the others were puzzled.

  While she was gathering her thoughts, a light summer breeze passed, carrying fallen leaves with it.

  This scene felt painfully familiar — I thought for a second.

  Gathering her courage and clenching her little fists, Shizu blurted out:

  — Aenari, I... I like you!

  It seemed that all her strength had gone into this declaration, as everyone noticed her trembling. She looked as though she feared her words would crash against a cold wall.

  ?I don’t want to just be a friend anymore. I want to always be by his side.? Shizu’s inner monologue was full of fears.

  — What?

  — Huh? I didn’t hear you?? The others were stunned, and Risell looked like he was in pain.

  Of course, Aenari noticed it too and, smiling to himself, thought, — Well, well.

  In reality, Aenari was shocked by this turn of events. And there was a good reason for that. This was the first time someone had confessed to him.

  From such an unexpected moment, Aenari felt dizzy.

  — Aenari, are you alright? — Utsin asked, worried.

  Shizu, noticing how Ao irritably grabbed his face, was frightened.

  — Is he mad at me? — Shizu asked with a trembling voice, her heart racing in anticipation.

  — Aenari, what's wrong with you? — Rena asked, now noticing the situation.

  — I'm doing fine. Just a little dizzy, that's all.

  — You should be more careful.

  — It's nothing, it’s not the first time this happens.

  Then, when Ao lifted his head, he saw Shizu in complete confusion.

  "Looks like she misunderstood me because of my recent actions."

  — Shizu, — I exhaled, catching my breath. — Tell me, is this some kind of game?

  Shizu clenched her fists, gritting her teeth and avoiding Aenari's gaze. She shook her head negatively.

  Ao looked back, not believing his ears. All this time, he had felt some strange tension around her, but... out loud?

  It seemed as though time had frozen in anticipation. Only the beating of hearts echoed inside, drowning out even the sounds of the wind and birds.

  Finally, stepping closer to her, I replied gently, looking into her eyes:

  — I love you too, Shizu.

  These words sparked a wave of different emotions in Shizu.

  Gathering her thoughts, Aenari hugged her.

  She buried her face in his chest, looking cute as she did so.

  Thanks to the fact that she buried herself into him, no one could see her tears of happiness.

  At that moment, Risell was very frustrated, though he tried not to show it.

  — Shizu, you... you’re astonishing today. — The others remarked, their eyes wide in surprise.

  They were so stunned they were speechless.

  After a short conversation, the group began to head home.

  Not wanting to be the typical schoolboy, I smiled and suggested walking her home.

  — Shizu, shall we go?

  — Um, yeah.

  On the way back, we didn't talk much. This was because we both needed time to process everything that had just happened.

  After walking with her for a while, we soon arrived. Shizu pointed to her house with her hand, though it wasn’t necessary. Her home was large, indicating her wealth.

  To my surprise, in the memories of the previous owner, he hadn’t visited her often. Though I had an idea why that was.

  — Here we are, Shizu, — I smiled at her.

  — Mm... thank you, Aenari, — Shizu replied, slightly stammering, holding onto her dress with one hand and avoiding my gaze.

  — Shizu, I'm truly glad that you trusted me, — I said softly, noticing her embarrassment.

  — Uh-huh.

  After saying goodbye, I slowly made my way home.

  ?Well, this day was truly unusual,? — I thought as I walked home.

  Now I had something more than just friendship with Shizu. In my new life, this was probably the first step toward something real and important... I hope?

  This world is incredibly colorful, I thought, looking at the massive trees and plants along the way home.

  The trees grew in harmony with nature, in a smooth and well-planned order. And since autumn was coming, soon the world would be painted in various colors.

  By chance, I stumbled upon an apple tree I had missed before.

  However, instead of bright red apples, the tree bore dark blood-red fruit. If it weren’t for the healthy color of the leaves and branches, one might think something was seriously wrong with this tree.

  Plucking a fruit, Aenari decided to try it immediately. After taking a bite, a thin stream of red juice dripped down Ao’s lips.

  Did I make a mistake?