“Magic? Me? Teach you, Itsuki?”

“Yeah! I want to learn it. The magic that you use, Nina-chan!”

I said that with great interest, but Nina-chan took a step back.

Why?

“Umm… Itsuki, I’m in the middle of training with ‘Condensation Magic’…”

Nina-chan used a word I had never heard before and then immediately shook her head back and forth vigorously.

“No, no! Why would I teach my rival magic?!”

“Wait, but didn’t you just say you were training?”

“Forget that!!”

Just then, the music signaling the end of cleaning time began to play.

Looks like time’s up for now. I wanted to hear more…

I frowned.

Even though I could skip out on cleaning, I couldn’t skip the closing meeting. We can’t start it unless everyone’s there, after all.

With no choice, I decided not to press her further and continued.

“Well, then can you teach me that ‘Condensation Magic’ or whatever it’s called?”

“Impossible.”

“Why not?”

“Because you can’t do ‘Condensation Magic’ unless you’ve studied ‘Alchemy’ first!”

Huh, I don’t know any of these terms…!

But from Nina-chan’s tone, this time she seemed to be telling the truth.

What should I do…?

While I was pondering this, Nina-chan started heading back to the classroom alone, so I hurried after her.

Still, ‘Condensation Magic’ and ‘Alchemy,’ huh. I wonder if that’s like the ‘Rotation Art’ and ‘Thread Magic’ we use?

If that’s the case, then her saying she’s ‘in training’ makes sense. In Japan, exorcists begin training in ‘Rotation Art’ from the age of 3, and they start practicing ‘Thread Magic’ from the age of 5.

You don’t get taught proper magic until you’re 7.

Both Nina-chan and I have only been in elementary school for a month. If her birthday was in April, she’d already be 7, but I suspect her birthday is probably later in the year. That means she’s still 6. In Japan, that’s the age when we’re still training in ‘Thread Art.’ So it makes sense that she’s still training in ‘Condensation Magic.’

But it still makes me wonder—what country is Nina-chan from anyway?

As I followed behind her, that question remained in my mind.

When we returned to the classroom, the teacher praised me for bringing Nina-chan back, while my group members scolded me for skipping cleaning. It was a perfect net zero.

However, even though Nina-chan was in the same group, no one said anything to her. It felt like they were ignoring her, which made my chest ache a little. Nina-chan, on the other hand, was sitting at her desk with a smug expression.

Today, there were no special announcements, and the closing meeting ended quickly.

Yes! We get to go home early today.

Still, having gone through university in my past life and now experiencing elementary school again, I’ve realized how kind teachers are.

If you forget your homework, they’ll wait until the next day, and your grades won’t drop drastically because of it. In university, depending on the professor, if you miss the deadline, they won’t accept your report at all. And that’s how you end up getting a failing grade. It’s 100% your fault, of course, but still…

Watching my classmates leave, I decided to pack up my things and head home.

Once again, I’d be walking home alone.

But it’s not because I don’t have any friends. It’s just that I live far from the school, so there’s no one around who walks in the same direction as me. That’s all. It’s definitely not because I don’t have friends.

While I was thinking that, I suddenly felt my backpack being pulled, almost making me stumble.

“Huh? What’s going on?”

I turned around quickly, and there was Nina-chan, pulling on my backpack.

What’s up?

“Itsuki, don’t ignore me.”

“I wasn’t ignoring you…”

What’s with her all of a sudden…?

As I tilted my head in confusion, Nina-chan continued, seemingly having difficulty getting the words out.

“…Why didn’t you say ‘goodbye’ to me like you always do?”

Huh? Do I always say that?

Nina-chan’s words made me pause and think.

Maybe I do. I wasn’t just saying it to Nina-chan, though. I always made sure to say ‘bye-bye’ to the kids I could talk to before heading home. Saying goodbye is important.

“Sorry, Nina-chan. See you tomorrow. Bye-bye!”

I figured that if she mentioned it, she must have been hurt by me not saying it. So, I gave her my farewell greeting and tried to leave, only for her to pull on my backpack again.

“Wa-wait a minute!”

“What is it…?”

Getting my backpack pulled twice in one day made me ask out of reflex.

Then, she continued, as if finally getting to the real point.

“Um, I want to talk to you, Itsuki. But right now, there are too many people around…”

“So it’s something you can’t say when there are others around?”

When I asked that, Nina-chan nodded.

So, it must be about magic.

“Okay, should we go somewhere else? Where do you want to go?”

“Here is fine. Soon everyone will leave.”

What does that mean…?

I tilted my head in confusion, but within ten minutes, I understood what she meant.

Elementary school kids are quick to leave, so after about ten minutes, Nina-chan and I were the only ones left in the classroom. Even the teacher had told us, “Make sure to head home,” before retreating to the staff room, leaving us completely alone.

“See? Everyone’s gone.”

“Wow, Nina-chan, you really know your stuff.”

“It’s nothing… I just always stay this late.”

I had always gone straight home after homeroom or the end-of-day meeting, so this was news to me.

“So, what did you want to talk about, Nina-chan?”

“…Well, I thought about it for a bit,” Nina-chan said, looking a little embarrassed.

“I’ve decided to teach you ‘Alchemy,’ Itsuki!”

“What!? Really!?”

I was so surprised that my voice came out louder than I expected, but it was drowned out by the sounds of kids running around in the schoolyard.

“But I’m not teaching you for free. In exchange for teaching you, you’ll have to do something for me,” Nina-chan continued.

“Okay, sure,” I responded without hesitation.

Nina-chan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Wait, really? You don’t even know what the favor is yet.”

“Yeah, it’s fine. If it’s something I can do, just ask. Oh, but I don’t have any money, so I can’t give you my allowance or anything.”

“I-I don’t want that! That’s not what I meant!” she exclaimed, turning her head away. But then, she looked back at me.

“Alright then. If you’re so confident, that seals the deal! I’ll teach you ‘Alchemy,’ and you’ll owe me a favor in return. Perfect!”

With that, Nina-chan narrowed her blue eyes and puffed out her chest proudly.

“Alright, let’s start learning ‘Alchemy’ right away!”

But as I stood there with her in the empty classroom after school, I couldn’t help but think.

Despite how she acts, Nina-chan really isn’t a bad person. Instead of demanding I fulfill her favor first, she’s willing to teach me first. She’s probably a lot nicer than she lets on.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep