Darkside | JJK |

A Story About That Girl

"You're gonna be using it until sixth grade. Are you sure?"

That's what Fumi's mom said, but Nobara wanted a light blue backpack for school. A pastel-colored one.

When Fumi had moved to this village...it was around the time she started Elementary school.

Her parents were worried about the inconveniences of living in the country. But Fumi was just sad that she had to say goodbye to her friends.

There were nineteen students in the entire school. Which wasn't enough even for one class at a regular school.

Everyone had either a red or black backpack.

Fumi liked red and black, but most people don't seem to like light blue.

However, Nobara on the other hand...

"Hey... Fumi, your backpack. Let's trade!" Nobara exclaimed as she held her bag out toward her classmate.

Nobara wanted Fumi's backpack.

"Huh...?" Fumi squeaked out, confused about what the girl was trying to get her to do.

"Let's! Trade!" Nobara repeated, her eyes shining with excitement.

Fumi started to sweat immensely. "Huh?"

✧˖*°࿐

The new girl ended up getting her backpack after school.

"You know, I really don't like school backpacks!" Nobara exclaimed as she kicked her bookbag away.

After that day, Nobara would stop by Fumi's house all the time...and play Smash Brothers with her dad.

Nobara didn't like the people in the village.

"This village is so small," Nobara says as she chews away at a pocky stick in her mouth. "It's harder to be a stranger here than to make friends," she states.

'Isn't that a good thing?' Fumi wondered, confused about what Nobara meant by that.

✧˖*°࿐

Several years later, an old lady from the neighborhood brought red bean rice to celebrate Fumi's womanhood.

At that moment, Fumi understood why Nobara felt so uncomfortable.

"I found a secret base!" Nobara exclaimed as she dragged Fumi down a dirt road. "I'm gonna live there starting today!" She declared.

The duo came up on a two-story house.

"Here!" Nobara says happily.

Fumi stared at the house in silence as she sweated nervously.

What Nobara called her secret base was actually...someone's house.

"You came!" A female teenager said as she opened the front door, surprising the two girls.

The female gave the girls a warm smile. "Welcome! It must have been cold on your way over."

This was Saori.

She was a girl who moved to the village after Fumi did.

She always greeted Nobara and Fumi whenever they made unexpected visits with a smile on her face.

Now that Fumi had thought about it, she was always at home...

✧˖*°࿐

Nobara had changed after meeting Saori.

"How true! Is that so?"

"You sound like that TV personality Matsuko."

The way she spoke became softer.