Childhood Friend Heroine V1 Extra Story

Extra Story

It was March, and the last of winter’s chill still clung to the air.

Saito and Lily, both in their school uniforms, stepped out of a car.

“Cold!” Saito exclaimed, hunching his shoulders against the sudden bite of the wind.

Just then, the driver’s side window rolled down, and a beautiful blonde woman leaned out.

“Would you like a scarf, Saito-kun?” she asked, her Japanese carrying a slight, charming accent.

The woman was Lily’s mother, Lucy. Having known Saito for years, she treated him like her own son.

“Ah… no, I think I’ll be alright,” he replied.

“Then I’ll take it, Mom. I forgot mine,” Lily chimed in.

“Oh? How unusual for you to forget something, Lily.”

The cold was only sharp at first, and Saito knew it would become more bearable after a few moments. As he politely declined, Lily, standing beside him, gladly accepted the offer.

“I’ll be waiting to hear the good news,” Lucy said with a warm smile.

“Thanks for the ride,” Saito said gratefully.

“I’m heading out, Mom,” Lily added.

“Bye-bye!”

With work awaiting her, Lucy waved them off. Saito expressed his gratitude, and Lily said her goodbyes in her usual familiar tone. A moment later, the car’s engine purred to life, and Lucy drove out of the parking lot.

“Well then, shall we?” Saito said, turning to Lily.

“Yeah.”

With a shared nod, the two started walking toward the large school building in the distance. Their destination: the bulletin board in the courtyard, where the entrance exam results were posted.

“Hey, Lily, do you think you passed?” Saito asked, breaking the silence as they walked.

“I have a good feeling about it, so I think I’m okay,” she answered confidently, then turned the question back on him. “What about you, Saito?”

“I don’t even remember. I have no idea.”

Compared to the academically gifted Lily, Saito had struggled immensely during the exam period. He had crammed so hard that he could barely recall what he had studied, let alone which problems he had solved. He had no sense of whether he had done well or not and was simply bracing for the outcome. He had given it his all, and if he failed, he was prepared to accept it.

“Ah, I see it,” Lily said, pointing ahead.

“Whoa… look at that crowd,” Saito groaned, his face twisting into a look of obvious disgust.

“Don’t look so repulsed. Come on, let’s go.”

“Wait, wait, can’t we just wait for it to clear out a little?”

“No waiting.”

As the bulletin board came into view, Lily frowned at the sea of people gathered around it. Eager to get it over with, she grabbed the reluctant Saito’s arm and pulled him into the fray.

“Yes! My number’s there!” a voice shouted in triumph.

“Damn it! Mine’s nowhere to be found! It’s over!” another lamented.

“Excuse me, sorry, excuse me,” Saito muttered, weaving through the chaotic mix of joy and despair. “Oh, I can see it from here.”

He pulled his exam slip from his pocket and scanned the board for his number.

“Ah, I found mine,” Lily said calmly.

“Seriously!? Where?”

“Look, right over there.”

“That’s amazing! Congratulations!” Saito cheered, then quickly remembered his own fate was still undecided. “Wait, this is no time to celebrate. Now, where’s my number… there it is.”

Both of their numbers were on the board. Saito stared, stunned. Although he prided himself on having studied harder than anyone else, he had never truly believed he would pass the entrance exam for such a prestigious high school.

Is this a dream? he wondered, pinching his cheek. The sharp sting of pain confirmed it was real.

“Seriously? This is insane. Me, getting into Seira High? This is crazy, right, Lily!?”

As the reality sank in, an overwhelming wave of joy washed over him. In a burst of excitement, he spun around and threw his arms around Lily, his words tumbling out in a celebratory, almost gyaru-like tone.

“Whoa! Hey, I know you’re happy, but don’t just hug me out of nowhere! It’s embarrassing!”

“Hahaha! No way!”

Lily pleaded with him to let go, her voice muffled against his chest, but the ecstatic Saito was too caught up in the moment to listen. He held her in a tight, triumphant embrace until his excitement finally began to subside.

Previous           ToC