Heroes in the Moonlight Read online

  Prologue: Reflection

  Somewhere in Japan, in the high school division of a middle-high school...

  This is a story of when Amakawa Haruto and his father moved from the countryside back to the town where they formerly lived, on the very first day of high school.

  In the morning, Haruto went to school with plenty of time to spare so that he wouldn’t be late for the entrance ceremony. Once he arrived at school, he headed for the bulletin board where the class registrations were displayed. He stood before the board and stared carefully at the list of names. He found his own name first, but kept moving his gaze after that, seeking the name of another person in particular.

  The name he was searching for was Ayase Miharu — his childhood friend and the girl he made a promise to reunite with one day. He wasn’t certain if she would be attending the same high school as him, but the possibility was there. He’d been completely cut off from information regarding his mother and sister because of his father, but those shackles were released upon his entrance to high school.

  His father told him of the reason for his divorce, the fact his mother and little sister could still be living in this town, and that similarly, he had heard Miharu was still living in this town, too. While he didn’t know which school she was going to, living in the same town meant there was a possibility of going to the same one. As a result, whether from coincidence or inevitability, Haruto discovered Ayase Miharu’s name on another class’s roll.

  She’s here...

  Haruto felt elation swell in his chest and clenched his fist tightly. He lost track of time for a moment, staring at Miharu’s name.

  “Hey, you there. Head towards the entrance ceremony hall as soon as you’ve checked your class. You’re gonna be late.” A girl with a comforting tone of voice appeared behind Haruto. She had long, beautiful hair that reached her waist, a dignified face with cute features, and a slender body. Her beauty was enough to unwittingly draw the attention of others. In fact, the new students around them were all watching her with envy.

  “Ah, yes. Sorry.” Haruto turned and bobbed his head at the girl who had addressed him.

  “Were you looking for your friend’s name?” The girl cocked her head at Haruto in question.

  “Yes, something like that.”

  “I see. Do you know where the hall is?”

  “Yes, I should be fine. Thank you.” Haruto gave her a gentle smile and attempted to leave.

  “Oh, that’s right! You!” the girl called after Haruto.

  “Yes?” Haruto asked, turning back to the girl once more.

  “I’m Sumeragi Satsuki — I’m a sophomore on the student council. May I ask for your name?” she asked.

  “I’m Amakawa Haruto. It’s nice to meet you, Satsuki,” Haruto replied cheerfully.

  “Same here. Then, once again, welcome to this school, Haruto. I hope we can get along for the next two years!” Satsuki said with a sweet smile.

  Chapter 1: The Days Leading to the Banquet

  The Strahl region.

  In a rocky area in the outskirts of Galtuuk, capital of the Kingdom of Galarc...

  Miharu had woken up early before anyone else, changed into her casual clothes, and climbed up the ladder outside onto the roof of the rock house. Then, she aimlessly watched the sun rising in the sky by herself.

  Nature spread out before her in a spectacle not easily witnessed on Earth, but Miharu’s expression was dazed and her gaze wasn’t fixed on anything. She was thinking about what happened last night.

  Miharu had dreamed. It was a dream of the life of her childhood friend, Amakawa Haruto, set in a time period that shouldn’t have been possible for Miharu to witness.

  And when Miharu awakened from her dream, Aishia had been standing beside her, asking about whether she wanted to forget the dream or not, pressuring her to make a decision about staying beside Haruto.

  As a result, Miharu answered that she wanted to be with Haruto and could still clearly remember the dream. But something didn’t sit well with her.

  I fell asleep before I knew it. And then it was morning...

  She wasn’t sure whether her conversation with Aishia had been reality, or something that had happened within her dream.

  “...Maybe it was a dream after all. No, but...” Miharu muttered hesitantly, shaking her head.

  I definitely woke up and talked to Ai-chan.

  Her memories were crystal clear, so she couldn’t imagine that being a dream. And there was more she was concerned about, too.

  The dream before I woke up was shown to me by Ai-chan, making Haruto the same person as Haru-kun... right?

  At that time, they had been talking as though Haruto was the same as the Haruto she’d once known, but now that she thought about it, she had never confirmed the fact for sure.

  On top of that, Miharu was currently in her first year of high school, while Haruto had died as a university student — the misaligned timelines also bothered her a bit.

  ...Yeah. I should try talking to Ai-chan one more time, after she gets up.

  Miharu took a deep breath. However, no one in the rock house — including Aishia — was awake yet, so she’d have to wait here for a little longer. Miharu sat curled up on the roof as she continued gazing at the daybreak.

  Her emotions were running high right now, so she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep if she tried, and she didn’t want to do anything else either. She couldn’t even appreciate the great expanse of nature before her. Sitting still made all kinds of thoughts swirl around her head, but she couldn’t think sharply.

  Thus, Miharu continued to sit on the roof of the rock house in her dazed mental state. She had no idea how much time had passed, but after a while...

  “...ru?” A voice could be heard from beneath the roof, but Miharu was so immersed in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the person approaching.

  “Miharu? Hey, Miharu?” This time, the voice repeated Miharu’s name louder.

  “...Huh? Ah, Haruto?!” Miharu stood up in a fluster when she realized she was being called, and she turned her gaze downwards. There was Rio with a sword in his hand.

  “What are you doing so early in the morning? And up there, of all places?” Rio’s eyes were round as he curiously looked up at Miharu standing on the roof. The wind blew and sent a soft ripple through Miharu’s long hair.

  “Ah, umm. I woke up early, so I thought I’d refresh myself,” Miharu said, making up a reason on the spot. Rio watched Miharu’s face worriedly.

  “...Isn’t it cold?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Miharu shook her head with a slightly nervous tone to her voice. The wind blew again; this time, it was a little stronger, and it gently flipped up Miharu’s long skirt.

  “Ah...” Rio hurriedly averted his gaze, his face slightly red. He had seen it: the pure white underwear under Miharu’s skirt...

  “Fweh, ah...” Miharu reflexively held her skirt down, but judging from Rio’s reaction there was no doubt he had seen it. At that, Miharu immediately turned scarlet.

  “I-I’m sorry!” Rio apologized in a panic. “N-No, no. I-I’m the one who should be sorry f-for not being more carefu—!” Miharu blushed even more as she shook her head in embarrassment. She was so shaken up, she tried to back away in a fluster, but the surface on the roof of the rock house wasn’t exactly good for walking around on. Miharu tripped over the uneven surface and teetered dangerously.

  “Look out!” As soon as Rio saw Miharu lose her balance, he enhanced his physical body and leaped for the roof, then gently supported Miharu’s body by holding her.

  “Uh...” Miharu had squeezed her eyes shut when she was about to fall, but when she felt Rio hold her, she opened her eyes with a flinch
.

  “Are you all right?” Rio asked, peering at Miharu’s face from close-up.

  “...Y-Yes.” Miharu stared back at Rio’s face and nodded hesitantly.

  “Thank goodness...” Rio sighed in relief.

  “Thank you... very much.” Miharu curled up on herself in Rio’s arms.

  “Not a problem.” Rio shook his head with a smile. Miharu watched Rio’s face closely.

  “...”

  “...Is something the matter?” Rio tilted his head curiously.

  “Huh? Ah, no, umm, err...!” Miharu returned to her senses with a gasp, reddening in the face once more as she tried to say something.

  “Oh right, I’m sorry. I should probably move.” Rio seemed to think Miharu was embarrassed, as he distanced himself promptly. However, Miharu was reaching out to clutch Rio’s clothes before she could stop herself.

  “Ah...”

  “Miharu?” Rio was taken aback.

  “Ah, umm, are you about to practice your sword skills, Haruto?” Miharu released Haruto’s clothes in a panic and blurted out an irrelevant question.

  “Yes, it’s part of my daily training.” Nodding, Rio lifted the sword in his hand to show her.

  “...May I watch you?” Miharu asked, having mustered up enough courage to do so.

  “Of course, I don’t mind...” Rio said, nodding as he watched Miharu’s face.

  “Then I’ll just sit down here.” Miharu did just that and hugged her knees to her chest once more.

  “Put this on. It’s a little cold in the mornings.” Rio handed the towel he had brought along to Miharu for her to use like a blanket.

  “...T-Thank you very much,” Miharu replied with a slight squeak, accepting the towel in a fluster.

  “I’ll be off, then.” With that, Rio leaped down to the ground and began his sword practice alone.

  “Warm...” Miharu wrapped Rio’s towel around her shoulders and squeezed it tightly, feeling Rio’s warmth through the fabric. She could tell her heart was thumping away loudly.

  He was so near... Yet, so far.

  She still half-doubted whether Rio was really Haruto. However, the Rio down there swinging his sword was actually the reincarnation of Haruto — Miharu was keenly aware of that as she gazed at him.

  Her heart beat even faster at that, showing no signs of slowing down.

  H-Huh? W-What should I do...

  Miharu could feel her body burning up and her heart thunder in her chest, making her panic at the unfamiliar sensation. The feeling only grew as she watched Rio swing his sword with an intense expression on his face, but she repeatedly took deep breaths to calm her agitated heart. She crouched over, frozen in place and continued to stare intently at Rio.

  After a while, she was numbed enough to the feeling to start thinking for herself again. The first thing she thought of was, of course, Rio.

  ...I wonder what Haru-kun’s trying to accomplish in this world?

  Aishia had said that Rio could no longer turn back. That was why he didn’t want to drag the people who were precious to him into his way of life...

  Just what could Rio be trying to do here? This time, Miharu felt distressed as she watched Rio in frustration.

  “Miharu?” Rio had finished his sword practice and returned to the roof of the rock house.

  “Huh? Are you done with training already?” Miharu asked, blinking.

  “Yes, I’ve gone through everything,” Rio said, watching Miharu somewhat dubiously. He had noticed her acting rather restless during his practice.

  “I... see...” Miharu accepted his words awkwardly. It seemed like quite some time had passed without her noticing.

  “Sara and the others still seem to be sleeping, and I’m about to go back inside. What will you do?”

  “I’ll stay here a bit longer.”

  “Okay... See you then.” A delicate silence fell between the two of them, before Rio made to descend from the roof.

  “U-Umm, would you like to chat a little?” Miharu stopped Rio in a fluster. Her mouth had moved before her brain could think.

  Rio’s eyes widened a bit. “...Sure. Then, if you don’t mind.” He sat down next to Miharu anyway.

  “...” Miharu side-eyed Rio’s expression, huddling in on herself out of nervousness. In the end, Rio was the one who spoke first out of consideration for Miharu.

  “What did you want to talk about?”

  “Ah, right. Umm...” Despite being the one to suggest they talk, Miharu had just been trying to stop him and didn’t have a topic decided yet at all, leaving her in a fluster. But Rio just tilted his head curiously and waited for her to speak as Miharu desperately wracked her brain, searching for a topic.

  After a while, a thought popped up in her mind and she hesitantly opened her mouth. “U-Umm, yesterday, while everyone was in the bath, we were talking to Celia and she told us about your past...”

  “...Ah, Professor told me about that afterward. I didn’t mean to hide the fact I was an orphan to anyone. Was it awkward because of me?” Rio gave a slightly questionable smile as he asked Miharu.

  “N-No, not at all! Everyone wanted to hear about your past, so we were all listening very seriously,” Miharu said in a fluster.

  “I see...” Rio smiled in embarrassment.

  “I also — I wanted to hear about it too. About your past. And how you grew up before you met us. If it’s okay with you, could you tell me a little more about that?” Miharu mustered up her courage and asked. She had been refraining from touching upon Rio’s past until now, but she decided that she wanted to be closer to Rio.

  “I don’t think I’d be able to tell you anything interesting, though.” Rio shrugged his shoulders with a troubled face. He had expected this question would come up one day, so he wasn’t surprised.

  “That’s not true. Of course, you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, but is there anything you CAN tell me?” While she normally would have backed down there, today’s Miharu pushed forward.

  Rio made up his mind and nodded slowly. “...All right. Then, a story from before I became an orphan... I lived with my mother up until I was five years old. My father passed away soon after my mother gave birth to me.”

  “I see.” Rio began his story with a gloomy start, but Miharu just nodded quietly.

  “So, I became an orphan at five years old. My mother passed away, and my parents were migrants, so I didn’t have any relatives around, leaving me with nowhere to go other than the slums... I lived there as an orphan for two years, until I turned seven.”

  “Ah...” Miharu didn’t know what to say and bit her lip.

  “The turning point for me was when I regained my memories at seven years old, I guess. I nearly died from a very high fever, but it faded before I knew it and left me with my memories of my past life. When I look back on it now, I think it was probably Aishia who saved me. Although it doesn’t seem like she remembers doing so,” Rio said with an amused smile. Meanwhile, Miharu had a distressed expression on her face.

  “As soon as I regained my memories, I was involved in a scuffle with the kingdom which led to my enrollment in the Royal Academy of Beltrum. That was where I became friends with Professor Celia. After I was falsely accused of a crime at twelve years old, I headed for my parents’ hometown in the Yagumo region. It was on my way there that I met Latifa and took her to the village,” Rio said in summary, turning to Miharu. “Do you have any questions so far?”

  “Umm, what kind of person was your mother like?”

  “...She was a strong, gentle, and warm person. After my father passed away, she raised me with care all by herself. She tried to protect me all the way up to her death...” Rio’s expression was a little sad as he spoke.

  “Was it an illness?”

  “No, she was killed. Public safety isn’t very good in this world.” Rio tried to smile as brightly as he could and brush it off.

  “T-That’s...” Miharu’s face twisted with sorrow.

 
“Don’t worry about it.” Rio said with a wry smile.

  “But...” Miharu was on the verge of crying, her eyes shimmering with tears.

  “...I’ve already processed my feelings within myself. That’s why it’s fine now,” Rio stated firmly.

  That can’t be true, Miharu objected sadly in her heart. However, Rio looked like he had completely accepted everything, so she couldn’t say it out loud.

  A barely five-year-old child’s mother had been murdered, and he’d lived as an orphan in the slums until the age of seven. There was no way that was fine.

  “You must have gone through a lot... Losing your mother and your home, being all alone...” Miharu managed to say.

  With no parent or home, just how did a five-year-old child survive? For Miharu, who was born in a world of peace, it was impossible to imagine.

  “It was pretty tough. I did anything I could to live when I was an orphan. That’s what I had to do, and even that was difficult. Fortunately, I was taken in by some thugs in the slums who gave me the minimum amount of leftovers while I had a use to them,” Rio said with self-depreciation.

  “...” They’d lived in different worlds — quite literally. Miharu was once again at a loss for words.

  “Mm, what a nice morning!” The door to the rock house opened and Sara, Alma, Latifa, and Aishia appeared.

  “Ah, I knew Onii-chan would be outside! Good morning!” Latifa said with a friendly smile, spotting Rio with her innocent gaze.

  “Good morning, Latifa. And everyone else, too,” Rio replied to Latifa with a smile.

  “Good morning, Rio.”

  “Miharu’s with you too, I see. Good morning.”

  Sara and Alma gave their morning greetings before looking at Miharu curiously.

  “Yup, good morning everyone.” Miharu put on a smile and replied. Her eyes were faintly shimmering with tears, but she wiped them away casually.

  “...” Aishia watched Miharu silently from below.

  “Good morning, Ai-chan.” Miharu noticed she was being watched and called out to Aishia.

  “Miharu, good morning,” Aishia replied quietly.

  “Ah, Miharu’s wearing Onii-chan’s towel around her shoulders! How nice!” Latifa chimed in, able to identify the towel as Rio’s.