I’m Back in the First Grade of Elementary School, so I’m Going to Live Well

After working out hard all morning, the time was noon.

――It was time for the long awaited lunch.

All the kids in the class, especially the boys who had spent a lot of energy playing dodgeball, must have been very hungry.

I wasn’t so exhausted, having only managed to catch myself in the face during the dodgeball game, but I knew I’d get hungry as time went by.

The three of us, Mizui-san and Rinta, are going to eat our lunches, but before we do, there’s something we need to do.

“Hey, Rinta. Do you have a minute?”

I called out to him as he started to move around to find a place to eat.

“What is it?”

“I’d like to eat lunch with Mizui-san, if that’s okay.”

Originally, I should have reported to Rinta when Mizui-san invited me, but I accidentally forgot to do so.

I had plenty of time to talk to him during my free time, but somehow I had forgotten.

Maybe my memory was jogged when I caught him in the face.

Putting my carelessness aside, I had to hear Rinta’s reply.

Now that Mizui-san has gone to get her lunch, I should talk to her.

But then again, Rinta has a crush on Mizui-san. I’m sure he’ll shake his head in bewilderment.

I was sure of it.

“…… Something tells me you’ve been getting along with Mizui lately.”

He looked at me suspiciously.

“――!?”

The unexpected reply threw me for a loop.

You’re surprisingly sharp, despite your appearance.

But he’s right, Mizui-san and I have been getting along well lately.

Through the secret of her hobby in picture books, staying at my house, and other behind-the-scenes things that my classmates don’t know about, our relationship has developed as friends.

This is now a self-evident fact.

Not only on weekends, but also at school, she was very skinny, or rather, she was very friendly with the people around her.

Most of her classmates must have noticed the change in Mizui-san’s behavior in no small way.

Still, considering her age as a first grader, it was not so unnatural for her to suddenly become friends with someone.

I read on the Internet that it’s not uncommon for elementary school students to become as close as friends who have been to their deaths just by talking to each other once, even though they’ve never interacted before.

It’s not very convincing because it’s information I saw on the Internet a long time ago, but I guess it’s not uncommon for simple first graders to get along with each other after a short interaction.

After all, these are the words of a botch who has never had a single friend until now. The persuasive power is probably less than the information on the Internet… 

Anyway! I don’t think it’s that strange for a first grader to develop a friendship without warning.

The reason why Rinta is currently looking at me with suspicion is because of his love for Mizui-san.

He was wary that the budding relationship might not be a friendship but a love affair.

If that were the case, Rinta would intend to nip it in the bud.

It’s a total nuisance…… 

“Didn’t you say before that you didn’t like her or anything?”

He looked at me as if you were looking at a suspect.

“No, you don’t have to look at me like that, there’s nothing to feel guilty about.”

Something to be ashamed of.

Well, it’s not as if I don’t have an idea……――Let’s just say that nothing happened here.

“We’re just friends. There’s nothing for you to worry about, Rinta.”

“…… Hm~mm. I see.”

He seemed to be convinced by my words, as if his suspicions were confirmed.

I was about to break up, which would have been a disaster if we hadn’t broken up our friendship over a love affair.

“Is that all right with you?”

I asked Mizui-san to be present again.

“Yeah, sure――…… Ah! I’ll tell you what, it’s not like I want to eat with you or anything!”

I didn’t hear anything, but Rinta turned red and made excuses.

You don’t have to be tsundere in this place… 

◆

“Sorry to bother you. Sho-kun, Sunagawa-kun.”

“Come in.”

“A-Ah, you’re interrupting.”

While Mizui-san went to get her lunch, Rinta and I laid out the leisure sheets, and Mizui-san now stepped onto the leisure sheets with a cute pink lunch bag.

The three of us decided to eat together, and since it would take a lot of time and effort to layout and clean up the three individual leisure sheets, we decided to eat together on the largest plain leisure sheet I had brought, forming a triangle.

Mizui-san sits diagonally in front of me on the left, and the right from the perspective of Rinta.

Mizui-san is sitting a little bit closer to me than I am to her, so it’s not a beautiful equilateral triangle, but more like a right triangle.

…… Even so, Rinta has been looking restless and uncomfortable since a while ago.

I don’t have to tell you why, but… is it something to be so nervous about?

To be honest, Rinta’s purity doesn’t match his appearance. I was under the impression that he would be more comfortable with skirt-rolling and the like (excuse me).

“…… Your lunch box is small, Mizui-san. Are you still a small eater?”

She hadn’t eaten much when we had shared a meal when she came to stay with us, so I had always suspected that she was a small eater.

“This is normal for a girl.”

Is that normal for a girl in elementary school?

My sister is a gymnast who does karate and eats as much as a new apprentice wrestler, so I can’t compare her to that.

I think it’s rude to compare a savage like her with an average elementary school girl. To elementary school girls, of course.

I had no reference material around me, so when I was told that, I was convinced without a doubt that it was so.

――Mizui-san opens the lid of the lunch box with a snap.

“Oh, it looks delicious.”

“Thanks.”

“……? Isn’t it strange for Mizui-san to say thank you?”

It should be Mizui-san (mother), not Mizui-san (daughter), who made the lunch box.

Is this a thank you on behalf of her mother’s feelings?

“Actually, I made this.”

“What? Seriously…?”

“Yes, I did. I had a little help from my mom, but basically, I made it all by myself.”

That’s amazing…… 

She can study, play sports, and even cook.

It’s hard to believe that she’s a first grader.

“I-I made it myself, too!”

“Hey, Rinta, you can’t lie like that.”

I decided that I should be careful about telling such a transparent lie with such confidence.

It’s not good to lie, no matter how much you want to get Mizui-san’s attention.

“No, I’m not lying! I made it myself from scratch!”

When Rinta showed his lunch box, it was filled with colorful and beautiful ingredients.

To be honest, it looks even more delicious than Mizui-san’s.

Finally, the theory that Rinta made this lunch is no longer possible. It had no credibility, to begin with.

“Yeah… I’ll just go with that.”

“I’m not lying!”

“Yes yes, I understand.”

You don’t have to force a falsehood like that as if it were true.

I’ll just pretend to admit it here and let it pass.

“What kind of lunch do you have, Sho-kun?”

“Oh… mine is just a normal one that my mom made for me.”

It was a little difficult to say that I was the only one who had my mother make it for me since everyone else had said they made it themselves, and for a moment I wondered if I should say I made it myself to make myself look better.

I just warned Rinta, so I can’t let myself do that.

I confided in him honestly and tried to take my lunch box out of my lunch bag.

That was the next moment.

“Kaa! Kaa!”

A black flying creature passed in front of me from right to left with a loud caw.

It was a crow.

A crow crossed in front of me with great speed.

The event was so sudden that I couldn’t even scream.

I was stunned by the shock, but I soon realized that the situation was much more serious.

……… Go… Gone…!

The lunchbox that was supposed to be in my possession is gone!

When I turned my gaze from my hand to the crow that had flown away again, he was dexterously sucking the string of my lunch bag into his mouth.

Wow, the crow has a pretty strong jaw, huh?

Ah! This is no time to be impressed!

“M-My lunchhhh!!!!”

I stood up to retrieve it, but the crow had already spread its wings high in the sky and was flying at a height that was beyond the reach of human legs.

I crawled on all fours with my knees on the ground and could only watch regretfully as the lunchbox flew away.

Why did you even bother to eat my lunch?

Is this about the frame-up? Did you come here to take revenge on me for blaming the crows for destroying my free research?

I apologize for that, but I want my lunch back!

I wished for this, but the crow disappeared behind the trees.

“C-Come to think of it, there was a crow’s nest here, wasn’t there? I didn’t expect the whole lunch box to be kidnapped, but…”

“M-My lunch……”

I can’t believe I’ve been struck by such misfortune at my first school event.

What the hell am I supposed to do with……?

Overcome with disappointment and hunger, I was at a loss.

“What’s wrong, Itosaki-kun?”

Imai-kun, who was eating in a different group, heard my heartbreaking scream and called out to me.

“To tell you the truth, Sho-kun’s lunch was kidnapped by a crow.”

“Crows? That’s the worst of it.”

“Hahaha, just laugh at my misfortune.”

It would be a relief if you could make it a funny story.

It’s a small price to pay if one of my lunches brings a smile to everyone’s face, hahaha.

I forced myself to look at things in a positive light, but I still couldn’t get rid of my disappointment.

When I was down in the dumps like it was the end of the world.

“If you want, I’ll share my lunch with you.”

Imai-kun kindly offered me a handful of rice balls wrapped in plastic wrap.

“Y-You don’t mind?”

“Yes, of course. We’re here for you when you need us.”

I, Imai-kun…!

I’m unconsciously moved by his kindness.

If he was a woman, I would have fallen in love with her for sure! Even now, as a man, I’m about to fall in love with him!

As I stared at Imai-kun with sparkling eyes, Mizui-san’s face turned pouty for a moment, then she said.

“I’ll share mine with you.”

She placed the lid of her lunch box in front of me and placed an omelet on top of it.

“M-Mizui-san…… Thank you.”

“Oh well, I’ll share some of mine with you.”

Even as he said this, Rinta put the fried chicken on the lid of the lunch box in front of me.

“Ri, Rinta…… Thank you so much.”

I was so moved that my eyes started to tear up a little.

But this wasn’t the only thing I should have been excited about.

“What? Itosaki’s lunch is gone?”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“I’ll share my side dish with you.”

“I’ll share.”

“I’ll share.”

“Then I’ll share.”

“Me, too.”

My classmates came over to me and put food on the lid of my lunch box one by one.

Hey, guys…!

I can’t help but cry at the warm-hearted charity of my classmates towards me.

Some of the boys focus on the vegetables, but I’m so touched that it doesn’t bother me at all.

――Before long, the lid of my lunch box is filled to the brim with food.

My stomach and my heart were full.

AN: I haven’t been able to reply to any comments at all.

I’m sorry m(_ _)m

But I’m looking at all of them.

I will resume replying when I have more time.