Starting Over as a Kindergartener to Fulfill My First Love! - Episode 2.2

I decided to go see Tsune-chan during summer vacation…

However, I noticed that there is only one obstacle.

I didn’t have a single yen.

Yeah, I don’t have the train fare to go to Tsune-chan’s house…

It will probably cost about three hundred yen for a round trip…

At the very least, I need one hundred fifty yen for a one-way trip to Tsune-chan’s house.

Tsune-chan’s house is three stations away from my house, so in “reality,” I could walk there, but for me now, as a first grader, it’s quite a tough distance.

“Damn it, not only academics but even physical strength, they’re on ‘our side’ too…”

When I find myself in a situation that doesn’t suit me, I can’t help but complain.

However, this is not the time to complain. I have to do something about it…

Should I beg Mom for some money…?

Or should I ask Mom to return some of the New Year’s money I gave her…?

No, that’s impossible.

First, they will probably ask what I plan to use the money for. If they ask me that, what should I say?

As I ponder over various things like that, I hear my mother’s voice calling me.

“Ryo~”

“W-What, Mom?”

“Your hair has grown quite a bit, hasn’t it? I’ll give you some money, so go to the barber… You can go by yourself now that you’re in elementary school, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

Oh, I remembered!!

That’s right. Back when I was little, I used to go to the barber shop, and after paying, the owner would give me fifty yen on my way back, saying, “Here, go buy yourself some candy.”

Alright!!

First, it seems like I can secure fifty yen…

And sure enough, the barber shop owner gave me 50 yen back as a “tip.”

However, now that I think about it, I can’t help but wonder if barbershops were the original pioneers of cashback.

Well, that doesn’t matter.

This fifty yen absolutely cannot be used.

I must keep it safe…

“Isuzu-kun, why are you grinning like that?”

I’m not really sure if I was actually grinning, but the one who called out to me was Hisako Kotozuki, the class Madonna who lives nearby.

“Eh? Ah, Kotozuki… san… it’s, it’s nothing really…”

Why are we meeting in a place like this?

“Reallyyy?”

“R-Really…”

Kotozuki looks at my face with a doubtful expression.

In the past, I would have been too embarrassed to have a conversation like this with Kotozuki…

I mean, first of all, it was unthinkable for Kotozuki to talk to me.

I’m currently experiencing a “miracle” as if it’s just an ordinary thing.

“Then why were you grinning while looking at the 50-yen coin?”

Th-this guy, were you watching me!? What a lewd woman!!

I momentarily thought that, but the other person is a child.

There’s no way they could be old enough to pull off such a tactic…

I gave Kotozuki a “mature” quick response.

“Actually, this summer vacation, there’s a place I want to go by myself on the train, but I don’t have enough money for the fare… Even if I tell my mom, she’ll probably say it’s dangerous to ride the train alone, so I was thinking about ways to save money somehow. Then, just now, the barber gave me fifty yen, and I was so happy that I was grinning, I think…”

How about it, Kotozuki?

This is what it means to be an adult!!

Well, I guess I have no choice but to accept this and go home, right!?

“Wow, Isuzu-kun can ride the train by himself…? That’s amazing… I could never do that. I really want to go with you, but I think my mom would definitely say no even if it were just the two of us…”

Huh?

Why did you decide to come along?

“But, I also want to help you, Isuzu-kun… so, here…”

Kotozuki said that and then smoothly handed me a hundred yen.

“Eh!? Th-that’s not good… I-I can’t accept it…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. This is my allowance, so it’s really okay. But in return, could you tell me about your experience riding the train alone next time? Okay?”

Kotozuki is extending his hand to me with a beaming smile.

And since he didn’t seem like he would leave until I took the hundred yen, I reluctantly accepted the money.

“Ah, thank you… Kotozuki-san… um, and also…”

“I know. We’ll keep this between the two of us.”

I ended up owing a favor to Kotozuki…

I ended up having to come up with a good story to cover it up later.

But with this, I got the money for a one-way ticket.

The only thing left to do is to take action.

Ah, but…

Do I need to bring a gift when I go to Tsune-chan’s place?

Suddenly, I found myself thinking about such things as an ‘adult’…