Volume 8, 6 – Gilles Bain’s Memories

Volume 8, Chapter 6 – Gilles Bain’s Memories

“Anya Bain?”

It was the moment I heard the name of Anya Bain from Belle.

I remembered the memories of my childhood when I was in Japan, sleeping deep inside my soul.

““Gilles!?””

Everyone called out my name in worry, maybe because my face twisted into an anxious one all of a sudden.

“Don’t worry; I’m okay. It’s just- “

“It’s just what?”

“Maybe because that name became the trigger, I also remembered my memories with you two before I was reincarnated.”

“Memories of us……”

Belle’s cute face suddenly brightened upon my words.

“Yes, I now remember everything, since the day I met you two.”

“Is that true? Aah, we did it, Anya, we did it! I love you, Gilles!”

Being happy that I got my memory back, Belle started crying but with a big smile on her face.

――After that.

Because I have regained my memories, the other girls, being close to Belle, became curious about it, so they kept on pestering me to tell my version of Belle in my point of view.

“It’s not really that kind of a big deal. Even though I said they are memories of when I met them, it was only a story when we’re still children.”

If possible, I don’t want to tell them, for it’s too embarrassing in various meanings.

“Please don’t say such a thing. I also want to know more about the other side of my onii-sama, which we still don’t know.”

As expected of my bro-con sister, she didn’t let go of this chance. She’s even staring at me with glittering eyes in which she knows I’m really weak at.

“Elisa-sama’s right. Even this onee-san’s past has been exposed so anticlimactically! Gilles-san is so unfair!”

Carol, still sulking at the poor treatment of her stories of her past, entangled with me sultrily to relieve her grudge.

Ugh, the way things are going, I won’t be able to reject them now.

“……good grief. I guess I have no other choice.”

And thus, similar to Belle, I told them about how I met that girl and Tachibana Akari.

◆

I was six years old back then.

We just moved to a particular town on account of my parents’ jobs, which often require a transfer from place to place.

Though I called it a town, it was more like a half-finished neighborhood, improper to be called a city.

I was still an elementary student at that time, but I was already tired of making new friends whenever my parents moved.

Even when I was still in kindergarten, we had transferred for quite several times.

Since my two brothers had good looks, they didn’t have much of a problem; instead, they were even popular in everywhere they went.

A big contrast to me, who had a mediocre face. Maybe because of this inferiority, I also developed a shy personality. Hence, I was slow in making friends.

By the time I did, we’re already moving on to the next town.

Perhaps because of that, I couldn’t bring myself to make friends in this town anymore.

Then, about a week after I was transferred to a school in the nearby area,

I was just on my way home. But then, I saw two girls in the same class, being bullied by a boy in our senior grade.

Back then, I didn’t know why, but even the shy me felt that I had to help them, no, I must help them, or something terrible will happen.

And so, for the first time in my life, I mustered my courage and confronted the senior student who was bigger than me.

To be honest, even I think I’ll lose if I tried to beat the bully.

Then, after a series of beatdowns resulting in the expected outcome, maybe because I was that persistent or perhaps he still has some decency in his head, he finally left, a bit disgruntled.

Then, she and Akari thanked me repeatedly as they wipe my bloody and dirty face with their handkerchief.

――at that moment.

I think I fell in love for the first time in my life.

When I was going back home with them, I found out that their houses and our place were just nearby. From then on, it is decided that we three will go home together everyday at the same time.

Then again, not a week has passed and another problem has occurred.

On our way back, Akari misstepped and rolled herself down the bank of the river.

Though it was shallow enough to reach my feet, being kids and all, we still rushed, thinking that Akari would drown.

We desperately tried to get her out of the water.

As a result, all three of us got ourselves wet.

Seeing our wet and pathetic looks, the three of us laughed out loud from our stomachs.

Perhaps that was the start, from then on, we always played together.

That time, I thought that this was the brightest time in my life.

I wonder why I forgot such a crucial memory?

Now that I think about it, it was bizarre.

And then, after that, I was no longer isolated in the class anymore.

The three of us were always together.

It’s embarrassing for boys in the class to be with girls!

That time, I was called names because of that, but I didn’t care.

That time was also good, as I got my first valentine’s chocolate in my life. Two of them in fact.

Unlike my brothers, this was the only moment in my life that I got something from a woman other than my mother.

That time was also the first time I went out to a girl’s house to play.

Every day was really bright.

It was so much fun playing with them.

However, time is just that cruel.

As it always passes by quickly when you’re having fun, and slowly when you’re having pain.

That’s right. It was time to say goodbye to them.

That time I thought it was at least six months before my parents’ next move.

However, this time, only a month has passed, and my father’s next transfer destination was already decided.

Even for me, who has experienced leaving friendships for countless times, it still had a significant impact as I never enjoyed such a great company until now.

However, I still didn’t want my remaining days here to end in sadness.

So, I decided not to tell them anything until the time that I will move.

We played as usual and went home as usual,

We repeated that process a few more times.

Sometimes due to sadness, I cried myself at home, but I never stopped smiling whenever I was in front of them.

Thinking about it now, I could say I had already grown up at that time.

And finally, the day of parting has come.

The day before this, I told them that I was moving with my parents.

And because I did such a thing, I was embarrassed to see the two, so I didn’t.

Let’s disappear calmly just like it is.

That’s what I thought while waiting for the truck to move to arrive.

But then, the two girls came.

“……Wh-why?”

I was amazed at that time. After all, I was parting with them in the worst way possible.

However, instead of getting angry at me, they gently hugged me and kissed me, each on both cheeks.

“……Thank you. I’ll never forget the two of you. Ever.”

I told to persuade them, and also to convince myself.

Then, tearfully, they gave me a present.

It was a necklace made of origami and a wedding ring made of beads.

Then the two told me, one day, we would become your brides.

I was deeply moved back then, so I cried, and I cried a lot.

The sight of the three children crying while embracing each other would have been heartrending to the people around them.

But such time didn’t last long.

The farewell of the three innocent children were brutally torn by the mover truck.

What came next was a scene where I thought it was only in movies, but I still kept waving my hands even though I couldn’t see them anymore from the passenger seat of the truck.

Thus, our short but meaningful encounter had come to an end.

◆

“Hmm, that’s it?”

Dahlia asked awfully bluntly upon hearing my short recollection.

“What do you mean, of course, that’s entirely it?”

Belle, who was also listening, returned Dahlia’s question to her.

Aren’t their reactions pretty bland? I thought they would also empathize and cry, just like what they did upon hearing Belle’s story.

“It might be sad for a small child, but that’s a common thing, right?”

Following Dahlia, was Felicia who also had an indifferent reaction.

They are making fun of the dramas of another world. If this were in modern Japan, it would surely be a hit, tragic parting story.

But in this other world, it’s reasonable not to be able to meet someone for a long time.

You’ll die if you go to war. You can also die in the middle of the journey, being attacked by bandits and monsters.

I guess you can’t touch a person’s heartstrings if the drama for you is the default life for them.

Well, I learned one more thing thanks to that. Tuturutu~ my otherworldly knowledge has leveled up!

“By the way, oni-sama. In the end, Belle-san’s important person is……”

“Yes. It seems that she went by the name Anya Bain over here, but in my world, her name is――”

I said the name of the woman I remembered.