Having a better EQ this time around, I vowed that I would live a better life and form meaningful relationships! ...If it's possible for me.
"Lyra, sorry for holding you back, I'm done."
After waiting for a while, Iris went out of the toilet and called out to me.
"No need to apologize for this, Iris. Come, let's go to the classroom!"
I nodded and stood up after leaning against the wall to wait for her.
"Un!"
At the same time as Iris nodded as she said that, I felt something warm grasping my hand—ah, Iris' hand! We are doing what girls used to do: walking while holding hands! It feels quite embarrassing as this is a new experience for me… but there's no way I can refuse her hand!
Sometimes, I feel like I consider myself as a guardian with Iris as a child that I should protect rather than a friend of the same age… Not that I hate this feeling! I feel so reliable! Iris is so adorable and I don't mind having a daughter like her!
…No, don't ask who the father is!! I have no idea about that!
I can't even imagine being married now!! …but I can already imagine having a cute daughter like Iris…? Eey, this and that are different things!!!
"Wait, Lyra, do you even know the way to our class?"
I stopped.
Oh right!! It's not my old school!!
But no worries!
I took out something from my pocket and told Iris reassuringly.
"No problem, I have a map of our school here! Let's take a look!"
"Lyra, you're so dependable!"
Praise me, praise me more, Iris-chan!! …no, why am I so thirsty of praises? Calm down and mature up, me!
I briefly studied the map and pinpointed our current location and our goal.
It should be simple and easy.
"So, we are here… and our class should be there… so we go to… this direction! Let's go!"
"Okay!"
I grabbed Iris' hand and led the way.
This is what I should do as the elder, after all!!
…a few moments later…
"Lyra, where are we?" Iris stopped walking, so I also stopped in consideration of her… but what's with her question?! Obviously, this is…
"Huh? Uh… wait, where is this in the map?"
I realized that this area shouldn't be in our supposed track!
"Isn't this Basic Level 3's area?"
"Basic Level 3… Uh… why are we going in a different direction from our class?!"
"Lyra… could you be…"
Don't say it, don't say it!!
"Could you have no sense for direction?"
[T__T] Iris, you're injuring my maiden heart!
This elder has failed to lead the way for you...
"I… Uh… Maybe? What about you, Iris? Can you be the one to lead us?"
Being the older one, it would hurt my pride to ask someone (mentally) younger than me to lead the way, but I have no other choice.
"…I was just about to say that we're the same! I also have no sense for direction! Ehehe!!"
…Iris, this is not a good time to be laughing like that…
"Hmm? You seem to be our juniors… Are you lost?"
A voice that belonged to a girl that seemed to be older than us could be heard—calling out to us from our back.
Oh… A Senpai (senior) who'd guide us back to the right path?!
We quickly turned over with pleading eyes—to find a cute and kind-looking senior with sparkly hazel eyes and her curly light brown hair.
She seems to be slightly younger than my big brother! Oops, right, we are in Basic Level 3's turf, after all. Age-wise, they should be a year younger than Alt-nii.
"U-uhm, we're new here… we're supposed to be in the special class, but…"
"You two got separated from the rest of the group and ended up here, somehow?"
I hung my head and replied with a small voice, "…Yes."
"L-lyra, don't be so down… It's normal to get lost… right?" Iris tried to cheer me up.
"My, my, this big sister is going to lead you back, then!" The senior in front of me puffed out her chest and smiled.
"Eh? You're going to accompany those kids, El-el?"
The other girl next to the senior who greeted us asked.
"Yup, they're new students, no wonder they are lost. I'll be right back!"
"Okay, be careful! We'll be waiting for you in class then, El-el!"
The senior that was called as, "El-el" gently took our hands and led the way confidently. Iris was standing to her left, and I was standing to her right.
"Uhm… thank you and sorry to bother you… El… Senpai?" Iris timidly called her name.
"No problem, Daddy says that we gotta help one another! What's your name, little juniors?"
"I'm Iris!"
"I'm Lyra! …uhm, your name is El-el, Senpai…?"
"Yup! Ah, El-el is actually just a nickname! It's derived from my full name."
"That's a cute nickname!" Iris commented.
"How is it derived from your full name?" In contrast to Iris' remark, this was my response.
Curiosity is my forte!
"You see, my given name is Elise. But when you mention it, others with similar sounding names would also respond. So, in order to distinguish me from the others with similar names, my friends all decided to call me 'El-el'. The first 'el' is from my given name, and the second 'el' is from my surname!"
"Eh, your surname also starts with 'el'?!" Iris asked with a surprised tone.
"Yup!"
"Oh, what is your surname?" I asked.
This is interesting!
"It's Elandia. I'm Elise Elandia!"
…why do I feel like it's familiar?
Let's rack out my brain to recall… where have I heard that name before…?
After racking my brain out to recall, something finally popped out in my mind.
[The mastermind was Phillips Elandia. But he died in the middle of the interrogation. We've investigated the other people of Elandia and spared the innocent ones.]
Aah.
I remember now. It was what my dad and my mom discussed just a few days after that incident in Chinosato.
Elise… Elandia…?!
Is this the work of the so-called destiny?