Chapter 75
It was decided that the old building of K Elementary School would be demolished just before the start of the new school year.
Specifically, the school was to be demolished after work was carried out to transport equipment and other necessary items to the new school building during the summer vacation, when children were not at the school.
Finally, the morning of the school building's demolition... Ryosaku looked a little nervous as he got on his bicycle and headed straight for the old school grounds of K Elementary School.
Several large heavy machinery and water cannon trucks were already parked there for work. The area to the north of the schoolyard near the school building was fenced off with colored cones and partition bars, making it inaccessible to the general public.
A large number of workers wearing yellow helmets were already on standby, ready to begin demolition work at any time.
As it was a Sunday, by the time Ryosaku arrived at the school, many people had already gathered in the schoolyard to watch.
His former classmates, teachers, and those cute juniors who once adored Ryosaku and called him "School Lunch Brother" were also in the circle of spectators.
Four years have passed since then.
...At that time, they were much younger than Ryosaku, but now they are in their fifth year.
That kid who played with Ryosaku during recess...and that kid.
They are all growing uniformly and getting taller.
Some of the children had grown to the point where they were not much different from Ryosaku's height.
Ryosaku recognized a girl in the circle of people.
That girl...she used to be the cutest girl who used to play with Ryosaku during recess, and while the other kids left Ryosaku one after another, she stayed until the end.
She, too, had grown taller, her face and hair style much more mature than back then, and there was a handsome boy next to her who appeared to be her boyfriend.
The two of them hugged each other's shoulders.
As far as Ryosaku could see, they looked exactly like the " ideal elementary school couple."
Ryosaku was filled with joy and emotion that the girl had found an irreplaceable "partner" just like him before.
And he also recalled the many fun and beautiful memories he had with Mieko and Lisa in the past.
Ryosaku saw himself, infinitely happy, in their peaceful relationship.
Just as he was enveloped in a dreamy sense of happiness, someone poked his right shoulder from behind with a finger.
When Ryosaku looked back, the person behind him was Rika Toyama, his former classmate from K Elementary School.