— What? Aenari?

— Weren’t you injured?

A series of questions came, and I just laughed to myself. Oh, yes, according to the memories of the previous owner, these are his close friends.

How amusing they are, I thought, watching their genuine concern.

— Yes, I was badly injured that day, but that’s in the past, - Ao replied with a gentle smile, trying to reassure them.

They're just kids, but how could those two have so much malice?

I wonder, Ao smiled, deciding not to dwell on it.

— Ao, are you sure you're alright? We heard from Lord Akano that you were seriously injured and won’t recover anytime soon! That's why we all started to worry about you.

Hearing this from them, I had to come up with a logical reason to put an end to these questions.

— As I said, I’m fine now.

After fully listening to my story, the others calmed down and suggested we play games.

— I want to play a game, what do you think?

— I can’t wait! This time, we’ll all play together, and it’ll be much more fun!

Surrendering to the memories of my past life, Aenari, like any ordinary boy, decided to enjoy himself with friends.

Looking deeper into the memories, I discovered that the previous owner of this body often played with a black-haired girl named Shizuku. Maybe he liked her? But if that were the case, why didn’t he try harder to visit her? I suppose I’ll have to find out myself. Even though I inherited memories of her teasing him, not all of his feelings came with them.

Finally, the evening began to fall. I expected to meet those two bastards, but it seemed not this time.

Days passed, then weeks.

It was the last day of April. We all gathered together and began sharing secrets. To be honest, even I was intrigued, even though I was no longer a child. I must have subconsciously become a child again, since such things interest me. I suppose this might actually be for the best. It seems not only my soul has reincarnated, but my mind has also been affected. This might help me in the future.

At least, I am no worse than the current generation, and I even have the experience of a past life. That’s both my advantage and my flaw.

The advantage is obvious, but the flaw is that the memories of my past remain. But even in such a case, I am changing. I can’t say for sure how these circumstances will affect me in the future, or whether I’ll remain the same person.

I suppose it’s all minor details. I should be grateful I didn’t have to start my journey in a dark forest full of monsters.

After reflecting, I turned my attention to the others.

Our leader spoke first, since he was the oldest among us. He was born on January 2nd, while the rest of us were born later. My birthday is December 30th.

That makes me the youngest here. While I was lost in thought, the others began to get excited.

— Kazen, start already!

— Yes, we’re waiting.

Unable to resist, he gave in and agreed to begin first.

— Alright. This was last spring, at midnight. I woke up because of noise coming from the neighbor’s house. I heard someone screaming, but it wasn’t from a fight. I climbed up to the roof of the house and saw a naked guy and a girl on the gallery. They were caressing each other and moving in sync. After that, I couldn’t get that image out of my head. What do you think they were doing?

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

— Uh... after hearing this, Aenari was left speechless. He mentally expressed his condolences for the damage to his psyche.

The others were quite disturbed by the story, which was expected.

— Heh-heh.

Aenari felt Risel smile slyly.

Does he already know?

However, Aenari couldn’t ask this in front of everyone.

After calming down, we continued.

Risel was shy and reserved compared to the rest of us. He even admitted he shouted “Mom!” in front of everyone when he was scared by one of Aenari’s uncles. Risel was particularly terrified by the man’s beard and the scar on his face. Needless to say, that made everyone laugh. Kazen, patting his friend on the back, could barely hold back his laughter.

Next, it was Utsin’s turn.

He was a bit proud among us. Perhaps it was in his nature. He was very pleased that he had stolen his grandfather’s strong wine and was enjoying it. However, he was caught when he drunkenly entered the women’s restroom, mistaking it for the men’s, and frightened the maids. When his father found out, he beat him until his backside was blue.

As for Rena and Elin, they didn’t have any secrets. Though we can’t know for sure.

Having fun, I noticed the sun beginning to set. Before it did, a peach-colored sunset appeared in the sky.

This new world is truly beautiful. Soon, we all began to admire it together, imagining what might lie ahead.

In the end, only Shizu remained. She was far more charming than Elin and Rena. Shizu had black eyes and light dark hair that didn’t quite reach her waist. Her delicate face had slightly chubby cheeks. And so, it’s safe to say she was quite beautiful. Her eyes, especially her corneas, stood out with a color like the sky.

At that moment, Shizu’s cheeks began to turn red, and her eyes darted around nervously. Watching her, everyone could tell – this was definitely embarrassing for her!

While the others guessed and teased, she finally gathered her courage.

— Aenari, I... I like you! That’s my big secret...

It seemed she had put all her energy into saying this, as we all noticed her trembling. She seemed afraid that these words would be met with cold indifference.

— What was that?

— What?

— Huh? I didn’t hear it clearly?? Everyone was shocked, and Risel seemed a little upset. Of course, Aenari noticed this too, and smiled to himself – wow.

In truth, Ao was shocked by this turn of events. There was a good reason for it. It was the first time anyone had confessed their love to him.

I’m still recovering from being reborn, and now this confession...

What is happening? Such surprises are making Ao dizzy.

— Ao, are you alright? - Utsin asked, worried.

Seeing Ao irritably holding his face, Shizu was scared.

— Did he get angry with me? - Shizu asked nervously. Her heart was beating rapidly, waiting for his response.

— Aenari, what’s wrong? - Rena asked.

— No, I’m fine. Just a little dizzy, that’s all.

— You should be careful.

— It’s fine, this isn’t the first time it’s happened.

Then, as Ao raised his head, he saw Shizu in complete confusion.

Apparently, she misunderstood his recent actions.

Gathering his feelings, Aenari moved closer to Shizu and embraced her. She wanted to push him away out of embarrassment, but Aenari was stronger and didn’t give her a chance. After a few seconds, he relaxed his grip and let her go. Then, looking into her eyes, he said in a deep voice - I like you too, Shizuku.

These words triggered a wave of mixed emotions in Shizuku. She buried her crimson face in his chest, making herself look even cuter.

Although Riselle was upset, he chose not to ruin everyone's mood. After all the stories, we had a great time together. Simply put, this day became special for all of us.

After some brief chats and jokes, the group started heading home. Not wanting to be a typical schoolboy, I offered to walk her home with a slight smirk. She, in turn, was embarrassed to the tips of her ears because of the current circumstances.

— Shizu, shall we go?

— Uh, yes.

Of course, I had some ulterior motives.

On the way back, we didn’t talk much. It was because both of us needed time to process everything that had happened.

After walking for just under half an hour, we arrived, and Shizu gestured toward her house with her hand, though it wasn’t necessary. Regarding her house, it was large, clearly indicating her family's wealth.

To my surprise, the memories of the previous owner suggested that he didn’t visit her often. Although, I can imagine why.

— Well, here we are, Shizu, — I said, smiling at her.

—Mm, thank you for walking me home.

After expressing her gratitude, Shizu quickly ran inside without waiting for a reply. While Aenari was leaving, she watched him through the window, mumbling to herself.

After saying goodbye to her, I walked home at a leisurely pace. Yes, I was enjoying the exotic beauty of this world. These massive trees and plants were like a balm for the eyes. The trees grew in harmony with nature, in an orderly and thoughtful pattern. And since autumn was approaching, the world would soon be painted in various hues.

Oh, right! In this world, instead of the usual 12 month names, they use "days" combined with seasons. For example, the first month of spring on the second day would mean January 2nd, and if it's February 4th or 5th, it would be the second month of spring on the fourth or fifth day.

*

On the way back, I stumbled upon an apple tree I hadn’t noticed before. The reason for that, I think, is quite obvious.

The fruits of the tree weren’t bright red as expected but a dark, blood-red color. If not for the healthy appearance of the leaves and branches, one might think there was something wrong with this tree.

Plucking one fruit, Aenari decided to taste it right away. As he bit into it, a thin stream of crimson juice ran down his lips.

I wasn't wrong, was i?