Everything began in April. It was the season when cherry blossoms were in full bloom, their impossibly beautiful pale pink petals dancing in the air. It was as if they were whispering a warning—that all new things are destined to come to an abrupt end.
The sky here in Kanazawa was perfectly clear at this very moment. The wind carried a mixture of falling petals, the scent of damp earth, and the salty sea breeze that bore the remains of flowers that had withered before they could even fully bloom.
I stood before the bulletin board of Seiryo High School. Around me, the crowd was a chaos of cheers, laughter, and tears of joy for having passed the entrance exam to the top preparatory school in Kanazawa. Amidst that clamor, I stepped toward the board. There it was—my name: "Shiba Haruto."
I could feel my heart pounding violently. To be honest... I felt happy. In the middle of the throng, I looked back at the girl standing next to me. She had a unique aura. Clutching her smartphone with earphones plugged in, she looked as if the device were a literal part of her body.
Since it was a new school, I figured making a friend wouldn't be a bad solution. I decided to strike up a casual conversation.
"Yo. Did you find your name on the board too?"
I asked with a grin. The girl turned toward me. I waited for her to speak, but she simply removed one earphone and silently pointed her screen at me. And then...
『 — Yes, I have confirmed my name. 』
A flat, inorganic robotic voice echoed from the phone. I froze. I fought desperately to stop my lips from trembling. A tickle rose from the back of my nose, and laughter bubbled up.
"...Pfft, Hahahaha!"
I laughed so loud I thought my head might split open. The people around us shot me icy glares, looking at me like I was some kind of freak. Well, I didn't care. It was the usual. Anyone hearing that for the first time wouldn't be able to help but laugh.
『— How cruel. What a delinquent student. 』
While clutching my slightly aching head, I struggled to contain my laughter and looked at the girl again.
"Delinquent, huh? That's a fresh label for someone like me. I'm actually kind of proud of it." "Haha... My name is Shiba Haruto. And you? Are you... Iron Woman? Jarvis, prepare for combat! Hahahaha!"
I said jokingly. The girl didn't play along with my stupid gag. With a look of annoyance—as if she were staring at some resurrected prehistoric creature—she turned her gaze back to her phone and tapped the screen rapidly.
『 — This is Jarvis. Would you like to be erased from this planet immediately via laser fire? 』
In that moment, I let out a small smile. She was the first person to ever take my joke head-on. When I looked back at her, she seemed to be enjoying herself in some way. Perhaps it was her first time talking casually with someone like me, too.
"You're pretty interesting. ...So, what's your name?"
I asked, full of curiosity. Along with the sound of tapping, she attempted to answer.
『— My name is Misaki— 』
The voice from the phone cut off. At the same time, she fell into a panic, desperately pressing the power button over and over. I feigned composure, pulled my own phone out of my bag, opened the text-to-speech app, and let out a voice identical to hers.
『 —Hello. I am Jarvis. My battery has run out. 』
My phone spoke. For a split second, I looked at her with a sharp gaze. Then, suddenly, she smacked my shoulder and smiled satisfyingly. It was as if she were saying, "Stop messing around, you idiot."
I laughed. I felt that my new life at this school had only just begun—even if I knew that all new things are destined to come to an abrupt end.