Prologue - My First Love, For You Who Are Older Than Me

 Do you remember when and who my first love was? I, Otosaka Yamato, remember it clearly.

 It was the winter of five years ago. My mother died young when I was in the sixth grade of elementary school.

 Since then, my body was weak and easily sick, so I often spent most of my days in bed, but I never said that it was difficult or painful, and every day, my mother always smiled kindly and I listened to her trivial stories. And at the end, my mother always stroked her head,

"I'm glad you had fun today, Yamato."

 My mother would say that. Her hands were a little cold, but her heart was always warm.

I love my mother very much, and I think the three of us will spend more time with my father.

 But my wish was crushed just like that, and I couldn't accept the fact that I would never see that smile again.

 Dressed in an unusual black outfit and holding a photo of my late mother, sitting next to my father desperately holding back tears, I must have looked like a soulless child to those attending the funeral. .

 At the dinner party after the funeral, adults dressed in mourning called out to my father, who was even more depressed than I was.

"I think it will be difficult from now on, but I will also do my best for Yamato."

"If there's anything I can do for you, let me know anytime."

 The people who spoke kindly to my father were my grandparents and my mother's relatives. But that was only the beginning of their support for my father.

It was things like ``You're still young, so it would be nice to find someone else'' or ``If it's too hard, why don't you leave your son with your relatives'', things like hell from my point of view with a calm face...

"There is no substitute for mother! Don't say anything selfish!"

 Looking back now, it was a little crazy, but it was just a drunken adult trying to comfort my father, who was depressed because he had just lost Mom.

 But there was no way for me to understand at the time, and I was just very sad and ran out of the room. I wanted to see Mom, I wanted to see Mom again, to laugh with her, and Mom would pat my head.

 Someone appeared and gently put her hand on my shoulder as I cried, holding on to a wish that would never come true.

"Yamato, are you okay?"

"Mai... Ichijo."

 That person is Mai Ichijo, who lives next door to me. When I met her the other day, she told me that she is a junior in high school and plans to leave home and live on her own when she goes to university. I'm also close to her mother, and to me she's a gentle older sister and someone I admire.

"It's okay. Even if my mom leaves, I'll be fine."

 I didn't want that kind of person to see me crying, so I wiped my eyes, which were wet with tears, and forced myself to smile.

"You don't have to force yourself, Yamato. It's okay to cry a lot at times like this."

Saying that, Mai-neechan gently hugged me to her chest. The tears I had held back from the loving hug that gently warmed my cold heart flowed again. And so there was nothing I could do.

"Mommmmm......! Mommmmm......! Why, why did you die...!? I hate not being able to see you anymore...!

Mai-neechan didn't say anything as I cried and screamed. That's what Mom used to do when she was alive, and her hands are just like Mom's-

"It's okay if it's Yamato-kun. I'm sure you'll be fine even if your mother is gone. Besides, if anything happens, I'll come to see you right away."

"But... Mai-neechan is leaving soon, right?"

"Yes. Even if I say I'm going away, it doesn't mean I'm going abroad, and I can come back whenever I want. Call me if Yamato-kun is lonely, okay？？"

 I almost nodded at this sweet invitation, but I stopped myself. I didn't understand why I didn't just nod then, but now I did.

 From that moment on, I fell in love with Mai-san.

"......Thank you, Mai-neechan. I'll do my best, I'll do my best even without Mom"

"Huh. Yamato is really strong. But sometimes you want to be spoiled by your older sister like you used to be, right? I'll be lonely if you don't"

 I nodded slightly as I hugged Mai-san, who was laughing playfully.

"I'll keep doing this until Yamato-kun calms down. Why don't you stay with me today and sleep on the same futon with me?"

"Ummm..."

"Phew. Then I should go back and ask Yamato-kun's father for permission！）."

 Mai-san brought me home with a cheerful smile on her face, and I immediately asked my father for permission to stay at his house. It was surprising that I got his permission so easily, but instead of feeling depressed after losing my mother, I think it was Dad's concern for me that he wanted her to do what I wanted to do and get well.

"Mai-chan... Please take care of Yamato."

"Yes, please leave Yamato to me! Besides, I've already made an appointment with Kyoko-san."

What promise did you make to Mother? I don't know. But starting today, I decided to change.

 When I grow up, if Mai doesn't have a boyfriend, I'll confess to her. I'll do my best to be the man Mai-neechan deserves. Fortunately, Mai-neechan will leave town in the spring as a college student. In the meantime, I'll be a strong and cool guy!

 Five years had passed since I made my decision as a child, and I would be a junior in high school in the spring. At that moment, I suddenly received a message from my father.

"Yamato. I am sorry for the suddenness of this message, but starting in the spring, my father will be transferred to a rural area for work. But don't worry. I've invited your roommate to this house, so you won't be lonely」.

"............Ehhhhhhh?」