Volume 1 - CH 1

Ending the barhopping at the third bar, I walked down a street during this chilly night. Even the last train had already left quite a while ago. Well, my flat is pretty close to here, so I could just call a taxi. The problem lies elsewhere, which is closely related to the beauty of a woman who is currently leaning against my shoulder.

“Shimono-kuuuun~ Next one! Let’s go!”

My elite section chief’s eyes were drowsy and unfocused as she clung to my right arm. She smells insanely good. Also, she’s so adorable, is she in the show biz as a side job or something? Well, not like this is really the time or the place to say that.

“We’re going home, Chief. We have work tomorrow.”

“Don’t wanna, don’t wanna, don’t wanna! I’m drinking some more with Shimono-kun!”

So friggin’ adorable! What’s up with her? So cute! Imma take her home! Wait, no, calm down. If I relax for even a second, all my ability to reason will be blown out the window. To think the section chief had such a gap…I never would have expected her to be weak against alcohol. This was our first time drinking together this much, so I had no idea. Since I messed up this afternoon, she provided a follow-up and tagged along with me for the deal. Her handling of the situation was astonishing. Without relying on a manual, she perfectly finished checking and conducting maintenance on the large sum of office machines, answering every question the customer could have with ease but also with detail. That abundance of knowledge once again had me baffled.

To repay her, I invited her for a drink, but…her admirable act from this afternoon had vanished utterly, as her cheeks were cherry blossom red, her hair ruffled up and messy, and even two buttons of her blouse were brazenly opened. Ahh, her thighs, covered in tights, just touched my leg…Damn it, if I was still in high school now, I’d probably faint from that. A mature woman is terrifying!

Anyway, I have to get her home safe. Luckily, her home is right next to the company. She loved going on about ‘The biggest waste in life is time spent commuting to work and flattery that bears no results’, which is why she’s living at the nearest train station of the company. It’s a bit terrifying how she has absolutely no weakness, but that at least allowed us to walk home without having to worry about no trains running. I took out my smartphone to check the map and tried my best to convince the section chief.

“Come on, your home is right over there, no? Let’s go.”

“Whyyy do youuu know where I liiiive, Shimonoooo? You some staaaalker? Chief’s staaalker!”

What’s with that weird articulation?!

“When we were drinking together, that topic came up, and you told me yourself! Let’s go, come on.”

“Hmph, not even listening to your superior~? I am your section chieeeef, you know!”

“Rather than being scolded by my ‘section chieeeef’ right now, I’m much more terrified of my ‘section chief’ scolding me tomorrow as to why I didn’t properly take you home in time. Come on, at least walk properly.” I grabbed her by the shoulder to support her staggering legs, forcefully walking ahead.

“Hmph, is this how you always deceive and seduce your women, Shimono~?”

The tone of her voice dropped. Looks like she’s starting to calm down.

“You should know full well that I’m not popular, Chief.”

“You are popular at our office~”

“You’re talking about Takano-san and Suzuki-san, right? Don’t call it being popular when two housewives with children treat me nicely. Also, they only see me as another cute and clumsy child they can dote on.”

“…I don’t think that’s the case.” The section chief narrowed her eyes with a dubious expression.

Does she mean that I, as a man, am popular with housewives? So she’s good at her job, but her perception couldn’t be more off? As she’s being treated like an unattainable flower, she seemingly doesn’t have much experience with love. Well, not like the unpopular me has any right to say anything!

“If anything, you’re the popular one, Chief. All of the male employees are secretly gunning for you.”

“Not interested.”

That’s exactly what I mean! This is why nobody dares to approach you! Unless you’re a confident hottie with a six-figure income and the looks of a superstar, or some passionate and popular Italian guy with the looks to back it back, nobody would dare hit on you! For crying out loud, I thought she was drunk, but she’s actually fairly calm and rational?

“Not interested!”

The section chief pushed her body closer to me, pushing her crimson-red but still beautiful face towards me. Eh? Why did she say it twice?

“I-I’m sorry, I said too much.”

She seemed angry, so I apologized just in case.

“What about you?”

“Hm?”

“I’m asking if you’re interested in love and all that.”

Oh lord, she’s moved to lecturing mode. Rather than being calm, it’s the pattern where the alcohol made her emotions even more fierce and explosive. Or in other words, the most problematic type. Saying I don’t is probably the best choice here. Say I’m fully dedicated to my work, showing how hard-working I am to my superior, yup.

“I’m not, no. I am dedicated to my work.”

“Really? You never had any interest in love ever?”

“W-Well, I had a person I admired back in high school, but…right now, that doesn’t matter anymore!”

The person I admired was actually you back in our high school days, and you don’t even remember me. Ahh, I wanna cry.

“Tsk, again with that?”

Huuuh?! Aren’t you were the one who asked me?! I mean, we’ve talked about it before, but still!

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmph, stop admiring people and focus on your work, okay.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

Why am I getting scolded now?! No seriously, she was talking like a grade school student a solid five minutes ago, so how?! Well, because she’s my superior. What a sad fate we salarymen have.

“Shimono-kun.”

“Yes.”

“I feel sick.”

“How cruel! That’s power harassment! Even I will cry, okay!”

“No, I genuinely feel sick.” She covered her mouth, as her face was snow-white.

There, I finally grasped what she was referring to.

“Waaaaah! Are you okay, Chief?!”

I rubbed her back as if my life depended on it, looking for a place where she could rest. That being said, we’ve been walking quite a way, so we’re already inside the residential district. Not even a convenience store was in sight. I panicked even further while I shook my head left and right, spotting a red shrine torii gate in the distance. A shrine should have a bench to sit on, so I gently took her there. We entered the grounds, and I safely managed to have her sit down, putting the jacket I was wearing on her.

“Are you feeling better, Chief?”

“Yeah…I’m calm now.”

“Glad to hear that.”

“Where is this? Don’t tell me…a love hotel?!”

“No, this is just a shrine! Can’t you tell from the cold breeze that we’re outside?!”

“Did we even have a shrine around here?” The section chief asked with a dubious look in her eyes.

It at least looks fairly old and worn-down from the outside, so I doubt it’s newly built. Maybe she’s just too drunk to think properly.

“Well, at least we found a place to take a rest.”

“See, I knew you wanted to take that kind of break!”

“Because you said you weren’t feeling well! Not like we could stay here!”

“Shrine visit time~!”

“Read the mood! Are you some drunkard? No, I mean, you are drunk right now!”

Despite saying she was about to throw up a few seconds ago, she now walked towards the front of the shrine. So darn innocent.

“Chief, if you move this much, you’ll start to feel sick again, you know?”

“You come here and pray as well, Shimono-kun.”

But, why though? Not like I have anything I would particularly pray for. Maybe a promotion? Amidst the darkness, the section chief’s gaze felt like an infrared laser pointed at me, so I gave up and followed her.

“Hurry it up.”

“Yes.”

I lined up next to the section chief, throwing an offering into the offerings box. Then, two bows and two claps. Didn’t clean my hands before this, but I guess it should be fine. The will is what counts here. As I was pondering what to even wish for, I opened my right eye, glancing at the section chief—She was beautiful.

With her eyes closed, focused on her prayer, the moonlight illuminated her glossy black hair, rendering me unable to think anything but ‘beautiful’. To the point even that it made my heart race. For some reason, when standing next to her like this, I started to feel dejected as the average man that I was. She’s the unattainable flower. Yet, she’s now standing right next to me.

I know that thinking about the ‘what-if’ of redoing my past is a pathetic thought to have in this situation. But, if I was allowed to redo my encounter with her…then I’d like to try hard and become a man worthy of standing next to Kamijou Touka.

That’s what a single adult wished for beneath the starry sky—I guess I’m also drunk myself.

*

My head hurts. What a hangover, really. While experiencing the worst way to wake up ever, I pushed up my body. Realizing that I would have to go to work in this state, it felt nothing short of torture. But, this is the time I live in, so no use complaining. Maybe I’ll put my hope in another time in the future where I’m allowed to complain.

Now then, if I ended up late again today, the section chief will scold me again, so I better drink some water and get ready. With these thoughts, I searched for my smartphone that should have finished charging by now. Ahhh, just opening my eyelids is such a chore. I’ll open them once I find my smartphone…

Open them…open them…open them…Alright, I really can’t find my phone right now. Usually, I leave it next to my pillow, charging overnight, so why? Instead, I grabbed something longer but slim, fitting perfectly into my hand. What’s this, it’s hard, cold, with a gap in between. Maybe some hamburger toy? Yeah, no. I gave up on commenting on my own stupid thoughts and forced my eyes open.

Turns out, I was holding a traditional cell phone in my hand…What? Hold on, what? Why a cell phone? Was I that drunk I bought it from a telephone shop last night? Holy smokes, yesterday’s me. How much of a pain can you be. But seriously, where is my smartphone? My head hurts, and I really have to prepare for work. In a rush, I got up to actually look for my phone around the room, checking out every corner.

“Why am I back at my parents’ place?!”

As it turns out, I stood in an all-too-familiar room, massing around thirteen square meters, the wall covered in white wall fabric. Next to my bed stood a small TV stand, that faced my studying desk which I had been using since grade school. Undoubtedly, this was my old room at my parents’ place.

It seems that, after I got myself an old cell phone at the telephone shop, I went to take a train back to my parents’ home. Seriously, how drunk was I? Also, my parents’ home is pretty far from the company, it’ll take quite some time to get there. Ahh, I’ll be late. Yup, this is the worst. Also, what time is it? If I happened to get up early, maybe I still have a chance?

I looked for a clock in my room. The round wall clock I spotted said that it was past 7 am. Yup, not happening, I’ll be late. Great.

“…Wait a second?”

My drowsiness slowly wore off, as my brain fully woke up, and I realized that something was off. That wall clock I should have taken with me to my flat when I started living alone during my university days. And, I still have it even now. It should currently be in my flat where I live alone. Why is it here? I was confused. Very much so. I once more tried to remember anything about the previous night.

The section chief and I went barhopping for three bars, and since the final train had already left, I was on my way to send her home…Hm? Did I get her home? And what happened after that? What did I do? Wait, I can’t remember at all. My memories are gone. I still remember fragmentary conversations with the section chief, but at one point my memories just cut off.

More than anything, if there were no more trains to take last night, how did I get here? Using a taxi would have cost me half a fortune. And as an average company slave, I don’t have that sort of money. Not to mention that a telephone shop shouldn’t be open that late in the first place…I once again glanced at the cell phone in my hand—It looked familiar. Way too familiar.

My thoughts connected, and I looked over at my study desk in shock. Why…is it buried with textbooks and reference books from my high school days? This should be my room, yet it’s evidently not. Nervously, I opened up my cell phone. On the small display, it reflected today’s date—May 18th. Nothing weird with that in the slightest. However…

“You’re joking…why is it Monday? It was supposed to be Wednesday yesterday…No, more than that.”

More than anything, the year that was shown on the screen of the cell phone I had been using back in high school—had jumped eleven years into the past. And, when the screen turned black, allowing me to see my own face, I was bewildered even further.

Hey now, are you joking? I went back in time and became a high school student again?!

*

A few minutes passed after this shocking discovery, and I passed through the school gate. In other words, I made my way to school. Why, you ask? I mean, I’m a student, so of course I attend school. No, you’re wondering why I’ve accepted the fact that I’ve turned back into a high school student this easily? I mean, that’s how a time leap works. I was bewildered at first, wondering if I was still dreaming. However, when I pull on my cheek, it hurts, and when I entered the living room, I saw a younger version of my mom, the TV playing a drama that was popular years ago, and all that stuff. It’s gotten to the point where I can only accept that I’ve leaped back in time. No doubt, this is the type of time leap you’d see in anime or movies.

Thinking about this being eleven years in the past, this should be my first year in high school. Three full years of youth are waiting ahead of me. So, do you understand how I must have felt when I came to this realization?

—Hell yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I don’t need to wooooooooooooooooooork!! This is awesome! Not having to work, going to the company, there’s nothing better!! Going to school, taking classes, and then coming home in the afternoon with no overtime! Of course I’d go to school! No, let me go! If I can choose between work and school, I’d obviously choose school!

And because of this, I’ve made my way to my alma mater. I wonder, what is this invigorating sensation I’m feeling. This nostalgic scent carried to me by the spring breeze, like mint, freshened up my head who was slowly recovering from the hangover. That reminds me, I don’t smell like alcohol, right? It’d be bad if a 16-year old reeked of alcohol. After checking up on that, I judged that it should be fine, and headed for my classroom.

I think back in my first year, I was in class 7. I faintly remember the way there even now. Trusting my memories and reaching the classroom in question, I stopped in front of it and took a deep breath. Crap, I’m feeling nervous now. I mean, it’s been eleven years at this point. I spend my days as a company employee without having changed much from my high school days, but now that I’m back here, it just, I don’t know, fills my body with an odd sensation.

“Hey hey, Nanacchi, what’cha doing? Don’t just stand around there, and hop inside, here we go~!”

An all-too-cliché good-time Charlie grabbed my shoulder and pushed me inside the classroom.

“Ohh, Onikichi! So young!”

“That’s right, it’s Oni-chan, yay~ I’m young! Amid my prime, ready to mingle~! Here we here we~!”

He’s Tadokoro Onikichi, the guy I’ve been closest with back in high school. After graduating from high school, he moved to Tokyo and became the number one host of the Kabukicho pleasure district, even owning his very own host club at a mere 25 years old, making him a genuine playboy. Even when I’d come to visit from time to time, he’d treat me the same way as always, so I consider him a good friend.

“Wait, didn’t you start acting like a playboy in our second year of high school…?”

“Nanacchi, what’s up with you? Still half asleep, here we here we?”

“You sure are as annoying as always, I see! What do you mean by ‘Here we’, huh?! When are you gonna add the ‘Go’ at the end?!”

“Nanacchi’s retorts are at max again today, super-duper good!”

Listening to him talk in such an old-fashioned way, I started to think that maybe I went back an extra ten years. Still, Onikichi is as powerful as always. I once again realize how much he calmed down after becoming an adult.

“Onikichi, where was my seat again?”

I sadly don’t remember the exact location of my seat.

“Mmm, Nanacchi? Are you actually still half asleep?”

Ah, crap. I thought I could play along with Onikichi’s nonchalant attitude, but I guess he’s a bit dubious now. Then again, he may be a host club owner, but he’s not stupid either.

“W-Well…I just wasn’t feeling too well, my head isn’t really up to snuff.”

Gaaah, as expected of an average company slave, my excuses are so weak nobody would fall for them.

“Yeah, your face does look a bit red.”

Duh, I still have a hangover.

“Come on, your forehead, give it to me Gouda Kumi.”

Dropping the name of an artist who was popular at this time, Onikichi suddenly pushed his forehead onto mine. Since he was taller than me, he had to lean forward a bit.

“Oi, Onikichi, this is a bit embarrassing.”

“Wanna kiss?”

“Are you some cabaret host?!”

I mean, he is! I panicked a bit and pulled my head back.

“Hey hey, seems like you ain’t got a fever, Nanacchi. Here we here we…here we go!”

I still don’t get the criteria for when he’s adding the ‘Go’ at the end. Though, I somehow managed to make Onikichi tell me where my seat was located, put my bag down, and sat down on my chair. Immediately after, somebody swung themselves right into my shoulders. Right as I wanted to throw a complaint at Onikichi again, I felt this peculiar softness being pressed onto my back, judging that it wasn’t a boy after all. Squish, with a bit of Squeeze, I’d say.

“Oi, who is it?!”

“If you ask who it is, then answering you would be—”

“Oh, it’s Nao.”

“At least let me finish my sentence, you dummy!”

The one who clung to me from behind was my childhood friend Nakatsugawa Nao. She has a bit of a boyish face, with her cheerful orange hair and adorable high canine as charm points. She wore her uniform to the bare minimum of abiding by the school regulations, looking like a proper high school girl of this time, unlike the prim and proper style that will be popular eleven years from now. Her cleavage poked out from her loose shirt, leaving me troubled about where to even look. Back in my original time, after graduating from high school, she went to a university far from here and then traveled around the world, moving even further away from me. In a different sense from Onikichi, I was filled with a rush of nostalgia.

“You’re suffocating me, so let go.”

“Oh my, oh my, is someone embarrassed by any chance? Got hard while I was clinging to you?”

“You love to throw around dirty jokes this early in the morning, huh?! …Wait, did you always have such huge knockers?”

“And you’re going full throttle with the sexual harassment, Nanaya! That’s right, I’ve got some huge boobs! As a reward for being so honest, I’ll let you fondle them for free! Only will cost you 5,000 yen!”

“That’s not free at all! I’ll get better prices at a boob pub1!”

“Boob pub…?”

Ah, crap. How many more times am I going to mess up today? The girls around me heard the keyword Boob pub, realized that it was something lewd, and showered me with cold gazes. The boys however were just grinning to themselves. You damn high school students, knowing such a term. Also, why is Onikichi so perplexed? Are you the innocent guy here despite acting like a playboy?!

“Anyway, could you let go of me already?” I told Nao with a wry smile on my face, to which she seemingly gave up, moving her large breasts away from me.

Ah, why am I feeling this sudden regret now? Or so I thought, but she immediately whispered into my ear with a seductive voice.

“If it’s you, I’ll let you cop a feel whenever you want.”

Do we only have hosts or hostesses in this class or something? But of course, I didn’t dare blurt out these words, and simply kept them to myself.

*

Classes ended for the day, and I came to the classrooms of the second-years, located on the second floor. Since the first years were on the first floor, I had to move up the stairs for that.

Now then, let’s do a brief quiz here. There is a woman who I’d like to win over. Who might that be yes of course it is Kamijou Touka. What kind of subordinate would try to hit on his superior at work. In what world would that happen, am I right? Not to mention that I was as average as I could get. She’s moved up as section chief with a mere 28 years, showing absolute skill and leading abilities. Of course I wouldn’t dare to hit on her.

It’s not even a question of difficulty, simply adding the concept of love in that equation is pointless. I don’t even stand at the starting line. That’s why I often am filled with regrets. That maybe I should have tried my luck with the section chief. The fact that she’s an S-rare ultra-strong character doesn’t change, but in high school, she had yet to complete her strengthening quest. She hasn’t progressed too far yet.

Phew…what a pathetic story. Back in my high school days, I was a talentless virgin (which I still am), so this kind of depressing story wasn’t mine to live through. Don’t you feel bad for me?! Of course, I can’t make this happen—If it was the past me from high school, that is. However, when I realized that I had leaped back in time, together with the eureka of not having to work, there is one more thing that popped up in my head. Namely, that I can redo all my regrets.

Not to mention that I get to keep all my memories. As the 27-year old Shimono Nanaya, winning over the 28-year old Kamijou Touka would be impossible. Same goes for a 16-year old Shimono Nanaya, attempting to win over the 17-year old Kamijou Touka. However, the 27-year old Shimono Nanaya might just be able to achieve the impossible if he was dealing with a 17-year old section chief!

I’m an adult, you know. Winning over some high school brat who hasn’t even gotten their driver’s license takes three hours max! Of course, she’s bound to be surrounded by hotties and normies standing at the top of the school caste. But in the end, they’re only high school students. Nothing to be afraid of.

So, I flashed a confident grin, and walked down the hallway inhabited by the second-years. The hallways of one’s upperclassmen always feel a bit scary and oppressive, but looking at them again, they’re all such cuties. Heh, I wish you all a happy youth, you virgins.

Oh, it seems like I reached the classroom of the section—No, of my Touka. Naturally, I still remember which year and which class she was in. I put my hand on the door, pulling it open to create a loud and predominant rattling sound.

Now then, is my honey present, I wonder? She was sitting in the center of the classroom. With proper manners and an adequate posture, she sat at her desk, currently preparing to head home—Kamijou Touka. Her black hair was as alluring and glossy as always, with fitting large eyes and long eyelashes. Her translucent skin looked like snow in the shape of a human. She’s beautiful. Far too beautiful, in fact.

“Ah…awawawawawa.” I suddenly began to sweat profusely, my knees shaking like during an earthquake.

“What’s up, first-year? Need something?”

A second-year hottie, close to the door, called out to the terrified me.

“W-Well…I-I-I came here to talk with K-Kabijou-sehnpai!”

“What’s with this guy, he’s hilarious.”

Scary! Second-years are scary!

“What’s this what’s this? Yuuji, are you bullying that first-year?”

It’s a gal now! Gaaaah!

“Hell no, he’s just freaking out for some reason. Saying he wanted to talk to somebody here, I think.”

That’s right, I came here for a reason. Getting terrified this late into the game won’t help me. But, even after eleven years, I remember it vividly. No way could I ever forget it. Back in high school, the section chief emitted an oppressive aura that made it hard to approach her. In the end, even as a high school student, she was on an entirely different level than all the other high school students I met. Relying on our relationship as superior and subordinate was a lot more convenient for me.

We share absolutely no connection in this day and age. Why would the average me talk to such a supreme beauty like her? I guess winning over the 17-year old Kamijou Touka as the 27-year old Shimono Nanaya was impossible after all. I even miss the days where she scolded me about the many mistakes I did. Even longing for the future now was an odd sensation, when the second-year hottie seemingly caught on to something and flashed a grin.

“Hey, Touka! This guy has some business with you!”

Ah, wait, he figured it out?! I guess I was looking at the section chief too much! Following the hottie, now the gal clapped her hands together.

“Come on, another boy confessing to Touka? How many does that make this month, kyahaha.” She said, laughing from the bottom of her heart.

This laugh probably acted as the preamble to my death sentence. She was ridiculing me.

“You should give up on that, first-year. You’ll get publicly executed.” He may have sounded nice, but his face was speaking more than enough that he was enjoying the situation.

“Also, first-year, I’m shocked you have the guts to confess to Touka while looking like that. I gotta praise you for that.”

The gal was the same, not even attempting to hide her joy, even aggravating me further. Even though I haven’t even said anything, they automatically assume I’m planning on confessing. I mean, she’s absolutely right. Even if I didn’t come here to confess, my main goal was to hit on her and possibly win her over. Because of those two, the entire attention of the classroom was directed at me, crushing me with pressure, but if I ran away now, I wouldn’t be worthy of being called a man.

Are you going to waste the miracle of time leaping into the past like this, Nanaya?! Where did all your enthusiasm from a few minutes ago run off to, huh?! Go and get her! I made up my mind and looked at the section chief again. Despite all the ruckus around, she showed her usual expression devoid of any emotion, simply approaching me with a long stare. Ahhh, I remember that gaze. It’s the same look in her eyes when she’s in a meeting. The same emotion in her eyes she showed me when I provided my plan as to how we should accomplish our sales goal for this quarter.

As I felt like I heard the sound of high heels tapping on the ground, the section chief walked closer towards me. The tights visible from beneath her skirt were the only thing she kept when wearing a suit in the future. For a second, the section chief from the future overlapped with the high school girl version in front of me. And then, her words repeated in my head—

Not interested.

Come on, don’t falter now, me! Go! Go and talk to her, Nanaya!

“U-U-Um! I’m a first-year, my name is Shimono Nanaya! Kamijou-senpai, won’t you become friends with me?!”

The section chief stopped right in front of me. And, right as she looked ready to give me her response, explosive laughter rang out from both my sides.

“Eh, what, friends?! First-year, that’s no good! Gyahaha.”

“Hey~ Are you serious? I thought you were going to confess~ Yet, friends? Was that like an ace up your sleeve? Or did you just mess up? No, I guess you’re just a virgin! Kyahaha!”

Damn it…Can you just shut up? I’m doing the best I can right now. There’s no way I could just confess to her like that. To me, I just need a connection to change the timeline. Why are you laughing like that? I’m gonna cry.

“Hey, be quiet.”

“Yes! I’m sorry!”

The section chief’s cold voice had me subconsciously apologize. Haha, same pattern as always, I guess.

“Not you, the other two. I really wish you could stop acting so excited about something that doesn’t concern you.”

“Huh?”

Not just me, even the hottie and gal were staring at the section chief in confusion. She however ignored them, and continued.

“Shimono Nanaya-kun.”

“Y-Yes.”

“As a celebration of becoming friends, how about we head home together?” She said, and clung to my arm, even resting her head on my shoulder while grinning brightly.

“““Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!”””

A roar of confusion filled the classroom. Of course, I was part of that—W-W-W-What the hell is this?!

*

In front of the school gate, as I could hear the distant voices of the sports clubs—I could feel sharp gazes stabbing every part of my body.

“Your arms are pretty bulky, Nanaya-kun. I guess it doesn’t quite show when you’re wearing your uniform.”

This doesn’t make sense. Is a miracle like these even allowed to happen? A high school girl, with a sweet and pleasant scent drifting up from her hair, had her arms wrapped around my left one, pushing her soft body onto me. It wasn’t the kind of floral and mature perfume I was used to, but a more fresh and innocent citrus fruit scent. Of course, gathering attention like this is something I had expected. Kamijou Touma is one of the top beauties and celebrities this school had to offer. If you saw such a beauty walk out of the school while locking arms with a boring guy like me, everybody would be jealous. I sure would, no doubt.

“Hey, Nanaya-kun, are you listening to me? Ah, are you still angry about those two from before? I’m sorry, they aren’t bad people, I’ll just give them an earful another time.”

“Ah, y-you don’t have to, Chie—”

“Chie…?”

“N-Nevermind me! I just bit my tongue! I never would have imagined that I would be allowed to go home with Kamijou-senpai, so I’m nervous, that’s all!”

“…Really? Well, that’s to be expected. Yep. Jeez, you’ll make me feel embarrassed.”

Hey! What is this?! What is going on! I’ve never seen the section chief act so flirtatious! I mean, a similar situation happened yesterday, but back then, she was out cold from the alcohol, close to throwing up! Did she drink something…? You shouldn’t do that, Chief. Yeah, no way she would. But then, what is this?! Somebody explain it to me!

However, this wasn’t the time to act bewildered at this sudden and abrupt development. I’m using this time leap to start my New Youth Operation, right here and right now. I can’t let this chance to go waste. I need to talk with her. Anything is fine. Wait, what did I usually talk about with the section chief? Mostly about work, right. This is bad…I can’t think of anything. I wish I could watch a video of the Love Mentalist Yuito right now. I wonder how popular the idea of uploading videos is nowadays. Since I’m walking around with an old cell phone, I doubt it’s even that big of a thing at all.

“I wonder, is talking with me just not that interesting?”

As I was just pondering in my own head, thinking about what to say, the section chief spoke to me first.

“No way! It’s fun, yes! Very much so! See, it’s so fun I might as well start skipping down the street!”

I completely forgot that the section chief was clinging to my arm, and moved forward with several skips, almost as if to brush away her hand. Damn it, I’m such an idiot! Super mega ultra idiot virgin! This is why I’m still treated as a virgin in the future! Well, I am, but whatever!

“Ahahaha, you’re actually doing skips now, you’re so funny Shimono-kun!”

To my surprise, the section chief burst out laughing. Since she’d normally just narrow one eyebrow, giving me a dubious expression, that reaction almost made my heart leap out of my chest. So cute.

“I-I’m sorry, it was on a whim.”

“Come on, don’t leave me behind, you’ll make this lady here very sad~,” She said, jogged towards me, and once again grabbed my arm.

Caused by the momentum, her breasts hit my arm. Her breasts hit my arm. Her breasts hit my arm.

“Tsk.”

“Tsk.”

“Tsk.”

I could hear rhythmical tongue-clicking from around us. The other guys’ all glared at me like a devil. Is a sabbath going to happen now? I’m scared, help me.

“Kamijou-senpai, if you cling to me like this at school, um, the others will think we’re in that kind of relationship.”

“That kind is what kind?”

“I mean…that we’re going out.”

When I finished my sentence, the section chief immediately moved away with a beet-red face.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! You’re right! Ehehe.”

Even the bashful section chief was adorable. Honestly speaking, I was a bit worried that she may have been a bit of a player back during her high school days, playing around and flirting with whoever, but it seems like that’s not the case. Well, she declared that she had no interest in men, so she would never be that kind of slut. She was even concerned about me being laughed at by that hottie and gal, so she’s probably trying to get along.

Yeah, that’s right. It makes sense now. She’s simply acting considerately towards me. That has to be it. No way the section chief would suddenly act so lovey-dovey. Right, that makes sense now. Although that also makes me feel sad, at least I’ve managed to calm down.

“Let’s go, Kamijou-senpai.”

“Yup!”

Now that I was rational in the head again, I managed to calmly walk next to the section chief, until her home. This might have been the first time I talked with the section chief about stuff like her family, her middle school days, and her favorite celebrity. I had been working with her for five years, and despite us having known each other for quite some time, I once again was forced to realize that I barely knew anything about the section chief. I’m really glad I was given the chance for this time leap.

After around thirty minutes of walking, we reached the front of her house. It was a simple yet charming two-floor building located in the residential district.

“Thank you for seeing me off.”

“I have to thank you, it was a lot of fun talking to you like this, Kamjou-senpai. Thank you very much.”

“So stiff…We’re friends now, so drop the whole act. Just call me Touka. Also, no more polite language, okay?”

“No no no, that’s far too embarrassing. Also, we may be friends, but you still are my senior.”

“Hmph, I guess you’re not wrong, but…”

“Um…why did you agree to be friends with me? I’m a stranger and a junior to boot.”

“Quiz time! Why do you think?”

“I’m asking you because I don’t know! And where did that quiz act come from?!”

“Ahaha, every single reaction of yours is so adorable. You’re killing this lady with all of that cuteness.”

“C-Come on, stop teasing me.”

I’m the one dying because of your cuteness.

“I’m not teasing you~ Also, about before, I don’t mind if we end up in that kind of relationship…”

“Kamijou-senpai?”

“…I-It’s nothing! Anyway, see you tomorrow. Bye bye!”

Her face was colored crimson red by the setting sun, as she disappeared inside the home. Her swaying hair glittered, once again leaving me entranced at her beauty. Seeing her off, I walked in the direction of my own home. And, I started thinking. Now hold on, that just now…Wait, do I actually have a chance? Huh, I have no idea. Maybe I’m just mistaking things. Or, maybe I’m just too excited to realize? I don’t get it! A virgin like me doesn’t understand this! Save me, Love Mentalist Yuito!

On the inside, I’m still an old man, who doesn’t understand a women’s heart. Shimono Nanaya, nice to meet you.

*

When I opened the front door of my home, my little sister greeted me—butt-naked. Of course, you might think I’ve gotten insane. That makes sense, let me rephrase that, my bad. I think it should be a bit clearer if I say—When I opened the front door of my home, my little sister greeted me butt-naked.

“What the heck are you doing?!”

“You sure are gutsy making your Queen Kofuyu wait despite being a lonely perverted slave Onii-chan.”

“Don’t ignore me! And put on some clothes for god’s sake!”

I threw the blazer of my uniform at her. When did she turn into some roleplaying queen? And why is she naked? Shimono Kofuyu is my little sister, and since we’re eleven years in the past…she should be in her second year of middle school. Resembling our mother, she possessed a small and slim body. At this time, she was fully engrossed in ponytails, beautifully tying up her long hair.

It might sound a bit weird coming from her blood-related older brother, but she was quite handsome, and always popular with boys. I think when she moved up to high school, she was scouted as a model. Well, at this time, she still had a lot of her youthful innocence left. However, why she stood in front of me completely naked like that was a mystery even to me. She accepted my blazer, but did not cover herself with it, and instead buried her face inside, sniffing on it wildly.

“Smells like a woman. Kofuyu was wondering why you were so late, but turns out you were out and about flirting with another girl? Unforgivable. This bad Onii-chan needs a punishment. Now, smell Kofuyu’s feet!”

“What kind of character are you playing here?! I can’t follow up with all my retorts!”

Where did she learn about this S&M roleplay nonsense? Was she influenced by her middle school friends? Her friends sure are a bad influence on her, then. The Kofuyu I remember wasn’t such a sadistic pervert…Ah, but, before I leaped back in time, she talked about having started a new job. She said something like ‘My pet is really cute’, so I figured she became a pet shop employee, but this is actually what she was doing? So she always had sadistic tendencies?

But even so, she shouldn’t have been that far gone to treat her older brother as a perverted slave, greeting him naked at the front door! She was always innocent! Lonely and sad when it took me longer to get home!

“Come on, hurry up and sniff them, Onii-chan. It’s cold here.”

“Then put on some clothes?!”

“A Queen needs to be naked!”

“Where did you even hear about that?! As far as I know, unless you add the option at the specific establishment, a Queen would never go full nude for a customer.”

“Specific establishment?”

Ah, crap. Tehe~

“Anyway, put on some clothes, and go back to your room.”

Pushing my naked sister along the hallway, I shoved her into her room.

“Hey, your punishment isn’t done yet! Onii-chan, wait!”

I immediately ran away to my own room, locking the door behind me.

“For crying out loud, even if she’s my little sister, that sight is poison for my eyes.” While sighing, I sat down on my chair, resting my chin on my hand.

Bang bang bang bang.

“Heeeeey!” I heard an enraged voice outside, but skillfully ignored that.

There’s something I gotta think about now, and I don’t have time to pay attention to my insane little sister.

Bang bang bang bang bang bang.

Bang bang bang…bang, bang, bang.

Bang bang bang bang, bang bang bang bang.

Shut up! Will you give up already?! Are you the protagonist of some shounen manga?! Don’t add a rhythm to it!

After that, my little sister continued to hammer on the door for about thirty minutes (which is quite terrifying that she continued for that long, I do have to say), until silence finally arrived, allowing me to organize my thoughts. My first day after the time leap has ended.

Since I can’t find the answer to this time leap no matter how much I think about it, I have no intention of looking into it any deeper than this. The section chief always said “Rather than focussing on a problem you can’t find the answer for, prioritize the problem that you can resolve,” and I’ve taken that advice to heart. I don’t know what problem exactly to prioritize, but I have several samples and information that hint at one. This timeline is a bit different from the history I’m used to.

First, Onikichi. No matter how much I think about it, he only started acting like a playboy and party-goer back the summer of our second year in high school. I still remember teasing him about a summer break debut. And the definite proof that made me realize I wasn’t just misremembering things was Nao. She never had such huge breasts before. Not like she was flat either, but she was at least one or two sizes below that. As I am an AV connaisseur, I am confident in that. She’s clearly rocking G cups now, but she should only have been between D and E before. Of course, she was already rocking that in middle school thanks to her family’s genes, so that in itself was already a sight to behold. Finally, there is Kofuyu, which I don’t think I need to explain again.

The common ground between all of these factors is that no fundamental changes happened. Onikichi, Nao, and Kofuyu, their personalities didn’t change drastically, and the timing for their special traits and tendencies to appear simply shifted in their timing. In other words, I didn’t move from a world timeline to another, but history itself changed slightly. The reason for this change would most likely be me traveling back in time. I guess this is what they call the butterfly effect, stating that a small change can have huge repercussions.

Not like I’m too familiar or knowledgeable with that subject, but it’s a common occurrence for Nobita to travel to the past with a time machine and then somehow change the future in the various Do*aemon movies. In other words, I am Nobita, and if I change anything in this current timeline, it’ll impact the future. Even if that’s a small change, it doesn’t matter. For example, if it was a single woman giving me attention. That alone caused an event I didn’t know of.

Then, there’s the section chief today. Even though we had no connection or interaction worth mentioning back in my high school days, she suddenly acted all flirtatious and clingy today. Was that really the section chief? No, maybe me making a move melted her stiff and frozen cold heart?! If I said this in front of her, she’d definitely kill me. Either way, this is a clear change from the history I was used to. I managed to take an important first step during my New Youth Operation. Or rather, I probably jumped up three sets of stairs…

However! I won’t let down my guard! Live isn’t as sweet as to give me a victory this early. The me right now may be a cherry boy of a high school first-year, but on the inside, I’m a functioning member of society. I’ve learned one too many times that life doesn’t give out freebies.

I know fully well that the section chief’s actions might have made it seem like I had a chance with her, but I’m also aware that it could have all just been a convenient interpretation on my end. I’ve experienced this many times over. Even Maeshima-chan as another beginner office worker told me “I feel like you’d be popular, Shimono-san. Being with you feels so relaxing” at a get-together, only to then sleep with the assistant manager. That guy has a wife and children, you know! It’s an affair!

Think about how I felt when I heard that, thinking ‘Eh? Seriously? Do I have a chance?’, alright! Don’t you feel bad for me?! By the way, the section chief then glared at me at that moment. She clearly didn’t like my expression at the time, or our topic. She really is focused on her work, I respect that.

In that regard, seeing her reaction today, it’d be a fair assumption and a possible conclusion to say that I might have a chance with her, but I can’t simply decide on an answer like that. After all, I don’t have the help of Love Mentalist Yuito with me right now. Even if I used my thick XP laptop, I couldn’t find any worthwhile searches with ‘Romance Mentalism’. Without Yuito-sensei’s advice, it’s definitely not wise to rely on fantasies, ignore my lack of experience in love, and put my own conclusion to this. I don’t want to go through the same hell as back with Maeshima-chan again.

You need to be more careful, Nanaya. Society isn’t nearly as gentle as that. You can’t be deceived. Don’t get the wrong idea. You have no chance. Skipped three sets of stairs? Don’t joke around, just gaining any kind of connection is a win. That’s why I need to focus and get to work. This is where it all starts. After all, my post-time leap life has just begun.

*

Amakusa South High. Eleven years ago, that’s the school I attended. Every single day was about average, with no major changes or events to tell of here. I wasn’t part of a club, nor was I a member of the student council. Of course, no girlfriend to brag about either, so I spent my time studying to pass the exams, prepared for the university entrance exams, and eventually graduated. These were all average high school memories of a mob character like me, without any poison or pleasure to be found. It’s the type of youth I had spent, but…

Just what does youth even mean? When you grow up, and join society as an adult, it feels like thoughts along the lines of ‘I should have done this back then’ or ‘I would have been better off doing that then’ tend to fill your head more and more, but in the end, no matter how hard you work for something and try, you’ll always have regrets about something. However, the older you get, the wiser you become, and you start to say things like ‘Even if you did everything you could, if the results don’t validate this, it was pointless’. Naturally, that is perfectly logical, and acting reckless won’t always result in praise.

On the contrary, working too hard on something can often be the reason for your failure, and if you act too reckless and confident, it’ll only limit you. By the time you realize it’s too late, you were already sent to a black company, working as if your life depended on it, and nobody will praise you. It might sound devious and cunning judging from the phrasing, but this is the wisdom of an adult. Yet, even inside of such an adult, we often find ourselves thinking about the what-ifs. It’s really not fair that we have to suffer from this contradiction.

And here I sit, a 27-year old man and still a greenhorn when it comes to youth, living in a time where this and doing one’s best don’t even contradict themselves yet. Going all out, failing, even if the chance of success was low, even if you get laughed at, there is always an answer remaining—that is what youth is about. And today, to enjoy my youth again, I am making my way to Amakusa South High.

This is the second day—of my Re: Adolescence. During the break time for us to eat lunch, I was sitting in the crowded cafeteria, slurping on my udon all alone. The soup stock with faint taste gently warmed up my stomach, granting me a nostalgic sensation. Now, you might be wondering why I am eating udon all alone like a lonesome ranger, but there’s a simple explanation.

Once the fourth period ended, Onikichi immediately invited me to eat lunch together in the classroom. However, I rejected that offer. Of course, with the talking skill of a future talented cabaret club host, I was almost pushed into saying yes, but I could barely hold myself back and shook my head. I wonder, why was the invitation of eating lunch with a boy so tempting to me? Onikichi really is no joke.

Naturally, the reason I declined his invitation is about as simple. Namely, to invite the section chief out for lunch. However, since we’re still in high school, and this isn’t a company, we can’t just slip out of here to eat a fancy restaurant. So, buying some sandwiches at the school store and eating them up on the rooftop sounded plenty stylish to me.

After apologizing to Onikichi once more, I had put my plan into action and headed for the classrooms on the second floor. However, when I reached the stairs, my feet suddenly stopped. Most likely caused by yesterday’s interaction with the hottie and gal, I feel an odd amount of pressure now. Can I really go there now? Should I really be this assertive? What if she sees me as desperate, and thinks of me as gross? Maybe she’ll call me disgusting because I got my hopes up after a bit of kindness from her? Won’t I be ridiculed again? Right, I remember. Love Mentalist Yuito mentioned this in one of his videos.

‘Only unpopular guys would show off how desperate they are.’

Yeah, that was it. That makes sense. The inexperienced me almost committed a grave sin. I was about to show just how desperate I was. Ahh, so lame. Doing my best to win over the girl I like? That’s just lame. It’ll have the opposite effect. Phew, as always, Yuito-sensei saves me.

Huh? When you’re young, there’s meaning to be found in trying hard even if you fail in the end? Hell do I care! What virgin said something ridiculous like that! Love is the strategic war of adults! Since the love mentalist said that, it must be true! Who cares about righteousness in youth!

Enough about that. It’s still too early for me to climb these stairs. I’m not some transfer student out of a delinquent manga. I don’t need to take the top in the first chapter—Though, I also didn’t dare to go back to my classroom, which is why I am now here in the cafeteria, eating my udon all alone. It’s definitely not that I was too much of a coward virgin. I simply set my bar lower, and managed to come out alright with some cafeteria food!

Still, this sanuki udon2 is delicious. Eleven years ago, I only went with pork curry or ramen, but turns out the udon was the best after all, only took me a bit longer to realize. Gotta be udon. It’s not too heavy, but still fulfilling.

“The most delicious dish they offer here is udon, no?”

“Oh yeah, for sure. Man, to think I’d only realize at this age.”

“What do you mean ‘at this age’? You’re still a first-year, Nanaya-kun.”

“Ahaha, right. Right now, I’m a first-year……Wait, Kamijou-senpai?!”

With a sweet scent drifting up to my nose, Kamijou Touka appeared in front of me. She pushed her hair behind her ear as she put down a tray on my table, sitting next to me. On her tray, she had the same sanuki udon as me.

“W-W-Why are you here?”

“To eat lunch, of course? And then, I happened to spot you, Nanaya-kun.”

“But, there are so many other open seats, you didn’t have to sit down next to me.”

“I felt like eating while talking to you. Or, do you not want this lady to be with you?” The section chief pushed her body towards me, inspecting my face.

Every step she took, the scent she gave off made my body feel like it was in heaven. It’s like a narcotic.

“Not at all, of course. I’m happy. This is the best, actually.”

“You keep on saying that, and you’ll make my heart throb to the point I’ll end up in Throbtopia, you know?”

Throbtopia?! What’s that?! I wanna go there myself! Adorable!

“Actually, I wanted to talk with you some more, Kamijou-senpai, so I thought of inviting you for some lunch, but I didn’t want to overstep my boundaries and make you think of me as a bother, so I gave up on it, yes.”

Hearing my words, the section chief suddenly grabbed the sleeve of my blazer.

“You’d never be a bother, okay?”

The way you’re looking up at me isn’t fair!

“T-Thank you very much. It feels like an honor to hear you say that.”

“Touka also…wants to talk some more with Nanaya-kun, and become even closer.”

Her dampened eyes grabbed my heart and would not let go. Touka, she says. I’ve never heard the section chief talk in third person. Was she this adorable back in high school? She’s like a completely different person to the section chief who’d scold me about every single mistake I’d made. She’d glare at me, saying ‘ You really don’t amount to anything when I’m not around, for crying out loud. I guess I have to stay around you no matter the time or day. Would you like some on-the-job training? With me right next to you’, treating me and lecturing me like a newbie…Just imagining it, my stomach started to hurt.

Well, that was all clearly my fault, and I’m thankful for the section chief’s continued and flawless support. Anyway, my point is that she now looked at me with an angel, the exact opposite of what I knew from her.

“L-L-Let’s eat, shall we? The food will get cold.”

“Yes! Time to dig in!”

Phew, that was close. If she looked at me any more than that, I may have pushed her down right on the spot. If it was the usual section chief, she probably would have turned the tables, pulling a scarf hold on me, but I just had a feeling that I might be able to get away if it was this one. No, I doubt it. What kind of idiot am I, that’s a total crime…Actually no, I’m a high school student as well! So it’s legal?! No, it definitely is a crime, you moron!

“Wait, what are you doing, Kamijou-senpai?!”

“What do you mean, I’m just adding shichimi3?”

“The amount!! It’s a mountain at this point!”

“Yup, I made a mountain. Looks good, right?”

“What are you, some artist gone mad?!”

Oh yeah, before I was thrown into this time leap, when we were out drinking, she put an insane amount of mustard on her tofu. I thought she was just drunk, but I guess taste is just that messed up.

“It’s tasty, you know? Want a bite? Fuuu, fuuu, here. Open wide~”

“I’m not gonna eat that! We both have sanuki udon, remember?”

“I see~ It’ll be an indirect kiss after all.”

“I’ll eat it. Right now. Just shove it into my mouth.”

“What a shame, you’re out of time~ You’re not getting it anymore.” The section chief pouted, and averted her face.

“Kamijou-senpai, I’ll be right back.” I left the cafeteria and headed for the courtyard. “How god damn cute can you beeeeeeeeeeeee?!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, and returned.

“Ah, you’re back already. What was that about? A trip to the toilet?”

“No, it was nothing. Just forget about it, please.”

Sitting down at my seat, I simply continued to eat my udon like nothing happened. When I looked at hers, her soup which should barely have any taste was now colored blood red from all the spice. It looks like hell udon.

“That reminds me, the student council elections are right around the corner. Will you be standing up as a candidate?”

Of course, I know fully well that she will. In my previous high school life, she was acting as the student council president, so it’s an obvious story. Can’t become the president without being a candidate first. There’s a reason I’m asking her like this—The assisting president. At our school, any candidate has to set up an assistance group, who support the student during their candidacy. Well, they call it a group, but most of the time it’s just one or two, maybe three people. You’re basically like a nominator, so when you join that assistance group, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you will become that assisting president.

As for the work of that assistance group, it’s basically about putting up election posters, handing out flyers, doing a speech on election day, and any other support duties you can think of. However, being part of this assistance group, acting as constant support, naturally, means that you’ll always be acting together with the presidential candidate. In other words, I can be with the section chief, while also supporting her to raise her affection towards me. It’s two birds with one stone.

To become this assisting president, and because I know that she will become the student council president, I brought up this topic here and now. Using the knowledge from my previous time, it’s like a time leap cheat. Like I’m playing a gal game while checking the wiki for the right choices. Indeed, I am the strongest.

“I won’t.”

“That makes sense, you’re famous even as a second-year after all, and you have the necessary leadership skills. You know, I could see you as the—Hold on, you won’t?!”

“Yup, I won’t.”

“Why?! Eh, huh, why?!”

“Let me return the question. Why do you so confidently assume that I would become a candidate?”

I mean, you’re absolutely right, but that’s the history I’m used to. Then again, if I said ‘You have to become the student council president. History has already decided on that’, then she’d probably treat me as some crazy freak.

“Are you not going to? Could you at least tell me the reason why?”

“Because I want to enjoy my youth.”

“Youth?”

That word is not something I expected to hear from the section chief.

“Yep. The amount of work coming with being the student council president, the type of school life I would be living, it doesn’t feel very much like I’m experiencing my own youth. There was a time when I thought that, but…in the end, I want to experience what youth has to offer!” The section chief looked directly at me, passion filling her eyes.

She must have been fired up, because her face was a bit red. I guess this is also part of the butterfly effect. Because I interacted with the section chief, history changed? I don’t get the logistics. Anyway, something changed her decision, and showed a different result. There’s plenty of a chance that I was the trigger for that.

Somehow that gave me an unpleasant feeling. Not because I can’t be her assisting president. Well, not entirely, at east. There are not many people who have as much talent as the section chief. And people like her should stand at the top. That’s how an organization is supposed to be built. Maybe it’s because of my cognition as a member of society, but I can’t help seeing this as a waste. She has to become a leader.

“I still think you should become a presidential candidate! If not for you, Chief, who will?!”

“What’s gotten into you, Shimono-kun? You’re so passionate about the election that…Hm? Chief?”

Ah, crap, I got too into it, I called her that out of a bad habit.

“Ah, no, I’m sorry, I just got a bit too heated I bit my tongue.”

“O-Okay…Well, that happens.”

“Ahaha, you’re right.”

“Yup yup, that’s just how it is!”

“I’m sorry, doing it yesterday and today again…”

“No, it’s completely fine…Oh yeah, Shimono-kun, did you make the inventory count list I asked you for last week?”

“Yeah, I finished that last Friday and put that into the work folder……Hm, wait?”

Before I could even question what had just happened, the section chief put both her arms on my shoulders. With a beet-red face, she violently shook my body.

“I knew it!”

“Huh?!”

“Y-Y-Y-Y-You…are you S-S-S-S-Shimono-kun!?”

“I-I sure am, but what’s gotten into you, Kamijou-senpai!? Was your hell udon too spicy after all?!”

“No! That’s not what I meant! Are you Shimono-kun from Closed Corporation Geotam Commercial Affairs, sales department, employed in the sales section?!”

“Eh…Yes…Huh?! Wait?! Ah! The inventory count list! D-Don’t tell me?!”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Shimono-kun saw meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

“C-Calm down, Kamijou-senpai! No wait, are you the Chief…?!”

“Shut up shut up shut up! This is a lie! It has to be! Ahhhhh, I wasn’t the only one who time leaped?!”

As the top shocking revelation of the day, the section chief was the section chief.

“You’re the Chief! You must be, right?!”

My words however didn’t seem to reach her any longer, as she rolled around on the ground of the cafeteria. Stop! I don’t want to see the section chief like that! Also, everybody is staring!

“Everything! Shimono-kun saw it all! I’m dying! I will die! Waaaaaaah?! I can only end my own life now!!”

Seeing her in such disarray, even I was starting to panic. All I could do was beg her to stop rolling around on the floor.

“Chief! Relax! Calm down, please!”

I was panicking, but I needed to stop the section chief who was panicking even more than me.

“I’m dying! I will die! Amen! Thank you, Mama, Papa! Amen God! Farewell, cruel woooooorld!”

Gathering attention from every student present, the section chief chased out of the cafeteria in a panic.

“Ah, Chief, wait!”

I immediately chased after her. It seems like I wasn’t the only one who leaped back in time. After leaving the cafeteria, I looked around and spotted the section chief who repeatedly hit her head on the vending machine at the corner of the shoe lockers. I frantically chased after her, trying my best to stop her relentless head-banging.

“Stop! Your head will split open! You can’t break open a vending machine with your skill alone!”

“I’m trying to break my head open!”

“That’s an even better reason to stop!”

I grabbed the section chief under her arms, pulling her away from the vending machine. To ensure her safety, I dragged her to a nearby bench and made her sit down.

“Huff huff…I’m exhausted.”

“Urk…!” The section chief howled like a puppy abandoned by its owner, and after waiting for her to calm down a bit more, I confirmed what I had to.

“You’re…the section chief, right?”

“What might you be talking about, Nanaya-kun? I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. Do you have any evidence for that?”

“You are undoubtedly the Chief! There’s no high school student who would use the word ‘evidence’!”

“Shut up! Enough! When did you become such an important guy that you would use this kind of tone with your superior!”

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry, Chief…Wait, you just admitted it! You accepted it! Also, you told me yesterday that I should stop using such polite language!”

“I said that to Nanaya-kun as Touka! Not to Shimono-kun!”

“That makes absolutely no sense! Do you have two separate personalities?! Chief, can you switch between the two at will?!”

“Urk…you are…Shimono-kun, yeah…?” The section chief looked at me with a complicated expression, tears building up in her eyes.

“Yes, I’m the 27-year old Shimono Nanaya, who will be your subordinate in eleven years.”

“So you’ve time leaped back to the past, right?”

“Most likely, yes. You too…Chief?”

“That’s right. Since when?”

“Meaning?”

“I’m asking when you got back to this time!”

“Ah, I’m sorry! Um, yesterday morning.”

“This is the worst!”

“What do you mean?”

“That this is awful!”

“And I still don’t get it.”

“Shut up!”

And with that, the topic was over. Yup, same old section chief after all. No way that lovey-dovey girl could have been the chief. But then, what was up with her act yesterday…?

“Um, was yesterday’s Chief just a character you played?”

“You ask the person in question about that?!”

“I mean, you always told me to immediately ask if I don’t understand something.”

“After you properly consider time and place! And what about you! Coming to my classroom and asking to become friends right after you’ve traveled back in time, what exactly was your plan with that?!”

“That’s…”

Of course, I couldn’t exactly say that she’s the senior I always admired in my high school days.

“W-What?” She pressed further.

“I knew that we came from the same school, but it didn’t seem like you remembered me, so I figured I might as well try my luck this time around and work hard so that you would remember me.”

“H-Hmph. I-I see. I have to say, you surprised me when you showed up in my classroom. I assumed that you were the normal Shimono-kun from high school, which made you look cute in my eyes so I treated you that way. If you were the same usual Shimono-kun, things would be different, but I can’t just be blunt and unfriendly to your 16-year old self, right?”

“I see…So that’s why you were acting so kind to me.”

“T-That’s right! Yup, that was it! Of course! Do I seem like the type of person who would act this lovey-dovey?”

“No, that doesn’t sound much like you.”

“Righ, right! That’s why, just forget everything up to this point. Okay?”

“Haaaa…the gentle Chief was so cute though…”

“Huh?! Really?!”

Ah, I blurted out my honest feelings…She’ll get angry at me again!

“I mean, it’s not as if the usual Chief is scary or anything! I was just thinking that this kind of side of you was quite charming as well, or something like that.”

“I-I see, hmmm…”

Wait, she’s not angry? But, I guess there was a reason why she acted that way after all. In the end, I actually never had a chance. No way such a convenient thing would happen. She was just treating me kindly as the high school student Shimono Nanaya. Or in other words, she was treating me like a child.

“Well, I’m relieved to know that you’re the same section chief as always. This feels like being invited to a marriage ceremony of a friend you’re not too close with, and then meeting a classmate.”

“What a complicated example that is. I told you to always used the simplest example during your presentations, right? An example like that…only someone like me w-who’s always been with you would understand that.”

She might say that, but this is just how I feel. Though, learning that my New Youth Operation failed on the second day after my time leap is a bummer. At least I know that it’s the same Kamijou Touka as I’ve known her for the past few years. I guess I’ll always be nothing more but her subordinate. Right as I was thinking that, the section chief suddenly got up.

“Anyway, I’m still a bit confused about all of this, so I’ll be leaving now. Give me some time to think about this.”

“Ah, yes, of course. Good work today.”

“We’re not at the company right now, so no need to say that!”

I watched the section chief stagger off into the distance, and remembered that we hadn’t even cleaned up our table at the cafeteria.

“The section chief sure is scary~” I let out a faint mutter, and right as I was on my way back to the cafeteria, a sweet scent drifted up to my nose from behind me, paired with freezing hostility.

In shock, I turned around.

“Geh, Chief?!”

The section chief had turned around on her heel, running towards me with tremendous speed. Don’t tell me, did she hear me just now?!

“What’s that reaction supposed to mean, huh?”

“No, um…what’s wrong?”

Luckily, it seemed as if she didn’t pick up my comment.

“I still haven’t finished eating my udon.”

“Ahh, I just realized myself that we hadn’t cleaned up yet. But, I can just take care of it for you, Chief.”

“Don’t call me chief! And don’t clean it up, I wasn’t done eating yet.”

“Eh, I’m pretty sure the noodles will be all soggy now.”

“It’s fine! I’m eating them!”

At the same time as she said that, her stomach let out an adorable grumble. Realizing that I must have heard that, she blushed furiously.

“Then, should we go?”

“Y-Yeah…”

She faintly averted her eyes from me, nodding. I guess even the demonic section chief can’t hope to win against her hunger. Before returning to the cafeteria, I asked one thing I was curious about.

“Um…Chief, could it be that you have an unsophisticated taste?”

“Huh?! Where did that come from!”

“I mean, you put way too much shichimi in your udon, right? And before, you added crazy amounts of mustard to your fried tofu. This is bad for your body, you know?”

“It’s delicious, so I can’t help it!”

Or so she said, but she should be a 28-year old woman inside of that body right now. Then again, the way she pouted was so adorable, I could my heart skipping a beat either way. And after returning to the cafeteria, the both of us finished our udon with soggy noodles.

1 Hostess bar where patrons are allowed to touch the hostesses’ breasts​

2 Thick udon from the Kagawa prefecture

3 A common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients