Chapter 277 : First Love
Chapter 277: First Love
She was a child as beautiful as a doll.
Her bright golden hair looked as though it had been drawn from pure gold.
Her vivid crimson eyes.
Her tiny nose and soft little lips.
Her skin was so flawless it seemed almost transparent, so delicate that it felt as though it would break if touched.
“My name is Evangeline.”
When the homeroom teacher asked her to introduce herself, she answered with nothing more than her name, wearing an indifferent expression.
The teacher gently asked,
“Is there anything else you'd like to say?”
But instead of answering, Evangeline merely frowned slightly, as though displeased.
To the boy, that reaction was unbelievably adorable.
He imagined the other children probably felt the same.
Transfer students naturally attracted attention.
Simply arriving later than everyone else was enough to stand out.
Now combine that with an appearance anyone would find lovable...
Along with a unique, strangely mature aura.
What else could happen?
Despite the homeroom teacher's efforts to help everyone settle into school life...
The classroom erupted into excitement.
—Hey, where did you come from?
—Your name's Evangeline?
—Your eyes are red!
That's amazing!
They look like jewels!
Even without doing anything...
Evangeline naturally became the center of the class.
Like a pebble tossed into a tranquil lake...
The entire classroom began revolving around her.
As time passed...
Evangeline naturally blended into the classroom.
As though she'd always been the center of the world.
Boys and girls alike adored her.
No...
Simply saying they liked her wasn't enough.
It would be more accurate to say...
"They became her fans."
Or perhaps...
"They worshipped her."
It truly became a massive trend.
Among the girls...
It became fashionable to buy the same accessories and school supplies Evangeline used.
Even the mischievous boys...
Who normally considered tormenting the girls in class the greatest joy in life...
Became as gentle as lambs whenever they stood before Evangeline.
There was even a famous story from the previous week.
A notorious sixth-grade bully had been tormenting another student.
By pure coincidence...
Evangeline happened to pass by.
After seeing what was happening, she simply said,
“Stop.”
Normally...
That older student didn't care whether his victim was a boy or a girl.
Violence was violence.
Yet for some reason...
He couldn't move against Evangeline at all.
Whether he was frightened or something else...
His face merely turned bright red before muttering,
“Tch. I've lost interest.”
Then he fled.
The younger children innocently whispered,
—That senior got scared of Evangeline.
But those who were more perceptive, like the boy...
Immediately understood the truth.
—Ah...
That senior has a crush on Evangeline.
Thinking about it rationally...
It was rather astonishing.
To a sixth-grader...
A first-grader was nothing more than a little kid.
Besides...
Children around sixth grade were usually so embarrassed by anything involving girls that they'd tease anyone who merely spoke to one.
If anything, they'd intentionally become even meaner toward girls.
And yet...
Something about Evangeline was different.
It was as though everyone instinctively treated her as someone untouchable.
No one wanted to tease her by pairing her with another boy.
If anything...
The boys secretly hoped the other children would tease them by pairing them with Evangeline.
If someone shouted,
"So-and-so and Evangeline are dating!"
They knew they'd feel embarrassed...
But somehow...
Happy too.
That was how special Evangeline was.
It wasn't merely her adorable appearance.
Every little thing she did possessed a mysterious charm that captivated everyone regardless of age or gender.
There were even some who called her...
A "Witch."
It was a nickname started by a group of girls jealous of Evangeline.
Of course...
Since they were such a tiny minority, they instead ended up being ostracized in something resembling a witch hunt before eventually disappearing altogether.
Still...
Deep in his heart...
The boy thought the nickname "Witch" suited Evangeline perfectly.
Evangeline.
Evangeline.
Evangeline.
Before he realized it...
The boy found himself thinking about nothing but Evangeline all day.
Even during class...
His eyes unconsciously drifted toward her profile.
During breaks...
He pretended to read while secretly paying attention to everything she did.
As he continued watching her...
He gradually learned a few things.
First...
Evangeline disliked school.
She hadn't wanted to come here.
Even now, she still felt this wasn't a place where she belonged.
Fortunately...
She'd recently started saying it had become somewhat enjoyable.
Second...
The person who came to pick her up was Maria.
She was a tall, beautiful adult.
Apparently she wasn't Evangeline's mother...
But they lived together.
The boy guessed she was probably something like a nanny.
Third...
Her parents belonged to the Stingray Group.
Not just ordinary employees.
Extremely important people.
Well...
Evangeline kept saying things like,
“He is not my parent but the companion of my soul!”
But after hearing the explanation...
The boy concluded she was simply talking about her parent.
He wasn't even sure what "companion" really meant.
So...
The boy continued watching Evangeline from neither too close nor too far away.
Every time another layer of mystery surrounding her was peeled away...
His desire to know her better only grew stronger.
What kind of girl was Evangeline?
What food did she like?
What did she dislike?
What were her hobbies?
What was her family like?
What kind of expression did she make when she smiled?
What did she do after returning home?
And then...
“Someone you like?”
“Yeah.
Evangeline, do you have someone you like?”
It happened during lunchtime.
Fortunately...
Evangeline's seatmate had brought up the most important topic imaginable.
“Are you asking about my ideal type?”
“Yeah!
We're old enough to know all this now, right?
So of course we should all have boyfriends!
For your information...
I already got married back in kindergarten.”
“M-M-Married!?”
“Yeah.
His name was Brian from the Sunshine Class.
But when we entered elementary school, we got divorced.”
“Divorced...?”
Pffft!
The instant the girl said that...
The homeroom teacher, who had been eating lunch at the podium, sprayed milk everywhere.
For quite some time...
She couldn't even lift her head.
Her shoulders merely shook as she struggled to suppress her laughter.
“Teacher, what's wrong?”
“Ah...
N-No.
Sorry.
You children are just too adorable.
I'm really sorry.”
She wiped the milk from her face with a handkerchief.
Yet even afterward...
She couldn't stop laughing.
Covering her face with both hands, she continued giggling.
Whether the teacher laughed or not...
Evangeline and the girl beside her happily continued discussing romance.
“I like rich, handsome men.”
“Aren't all the boys at this school wealthy young masters?”
“I said men!
Not boys!
Everyone in our class is just a bunch of childish little kids!
They're all idiots who talk about poop all day!”
“This body agrees to some extent.”
As she said that...
Evangeline slowly swept her gaze across the classroom with eyes utterly devoid of warmth.
The boys, completely oblivious...
Simply grinned happily whenever their eyes met hers.
“See?
So you have to look outside school!
Mom said you should decide your ideal type beforehand, and when someone who matches it appears, you have to recognize him quickly!”
“Who said that?”
“My mom!”
“I-Is that so...”
“Yep!
So you need to decide your ideal type too, Evangeline!
Do you have a preferred type?”
“Hmm...
There are quite a few conditions...
But as for this body...”
The boy focused every ounce of his attention on his ears, determined not to miss a single word.
“First of all, naturally, handsome is good...”
At that instant...
Several boys in the class quietly celebrated.
The happiest among them was naturally the boy whose parents were famous celebrities.
“If he's strong as well, even better.”
“Hey!
Want to arm wrestle?”
The moment those words were spoken...
Several boys immediately tried organizing an arm-wrestling tournament during lunch.
The ringleader was a boy whose parents were athletes and soldiers.
But before the competition could begin...
Evangeline continued.
“Being intelligent is naturally preferable as well.”
This time...
The academically confident boys quietly smiled.
Only then did the boy realize...
He wasn't the only one secretly eavesdropping.
“And I prefer someone tall and mature.
Someone who normally remains quiet...
Only speaking when necessary.
But who still possesses a reasonable sense of humor.”
The instant Evangeline finished speaking...
The classroom fell quieter than it had ever been before.
Even the boys who usually stuffed food into their mouths as quickly as possible because they couldn't wait to go home...
Suddenly began eating with impeccable manners.
“Hmm.
That should be about it.”
As she finished speaking...
Evangeline slowly glanced around the classroom with a mysterious expression.
Then...
By coincidence...
Her eyes met the boy's.
He hurriedly tried to look away.
But Evangeline merely smiled faintly with her eyes before calmly looking elsewhere.
After the conversation ended...
The girl beside her said,
“Evangeline, your standards are sooo high.”
“A-Are they?”
“Well...
It's okay!
You're pretty, after all!”
“Thank you.”
After their brief conversation ended...
Evangeline returned to eating.
The boy likewise finished his lunch.
After lunchtime ended...
School eventually finished.
While the other children gradually began heading home...
The boy wandered the hallway deep in thought.
'What did that smile mean?'
Why...
While talking about her ideal type...
Had Evangeline smiled at him?
No matter how much he thought about it...
He couldn't understand.
'I'm not handsome...
Or strong...
Or smart...'
The boy understood better than anyone that he matched absolutely none of Evangeline's preferences.
If there was one thing he had going for him...
Perhaps he was slightly more mature than the other boys.
'What was it?
What did it mean...?'
As he continued pondering...
A miracle occurred.
“Ah!”
From the opposite end of the hallway...
Evangeline appeared.
Unlike usual...
There wasn't anyone around her.
With her school bag slung over her shoulder...
She stood alone in the hallway looking directly at him.
Her crimson eyes sparkled with joy.
“E-Evangeline...?”
The boy stared at her in confusion.
Then...
Without warning...
Evangeline spread her arms and started running straight toward him.
'W-What!?'
Could it be...
Just maybe...
Her earlier description of her ideal type had merely been a disguise...
And she'd actually had feelings for him all along—
“Aaron!”
The next moment...
Evangeline ran right past the boy.
Caught completely off guard...
He could only freeze awkwardly in place.
Finally regaining his senses...
He turned around.
A man he'd never seen before stood there.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
Broad shoulders.
A tall stature.
A face so handsome that even famous actors would fade beside him.
And...
Wrapped comfortably in the man's arms...
Evangeline wore the brightest smile the boy had never once seen her display at school.
“Aaron!
How?
How did you come here!?
Ah!
You came to see this body, didn't you!?
Isn't that right!?”
“That's right.”
The man answered somewhat curtly.
Then he lifted Evangeline onto his shoulders before walking away down the hallway.
His polished shoes echoed rhythmically.
Only then...
The boy finally understood.
'Ah...
So that's him.'
'The person who is Evangeline's ideal type.'
Someone like that...
Really existed in this world.
Standing beside an adult like him...
How could ordinary boys her own age ever catch Evangeline's eye?
“...I should just go home.”
There's no hope.
Better give up now.
Thinking that...
The boy quietly continued walking down the hallway.
One step.
Then another.
His footsteps echoed hollowly through the corridor.
Light.
Empty.
Lonely.
Then...
Suddenly...
A single question surfaced.
And tears quietly began rolling down his cheeks.
'Is this really the end?'
I'd fallen for her all by myself...
Never even properly spoken to her...
And now...
Was it really over just like this?
Would he continue attending this school forever...
Only able to admire the flower blooming atop an unreachable cliff from afar?
'I don't want that...!'
No.
I don't.
I don't!
I want to do something.
Anything.
On impulse...
The boy spun around and began running back the way he'd come.
He didn't know where the courage had come from.
Before he realized it...
He was already standing in front of Evangeline...
And the man.
“Excuse me!”
The boy shouted at the man.
“What do I have to do to become someone like you!?
How can I become someone as amazing as you!?”
Startled by the sudden question...
The man hesitated briefly before answering slowly.
“You don't need to become someone like me.”
“Huh?”
“I was simply lucky.
But you don't need to rely on luck the way I did.
The very fact that you've started thinking like that already puts you ahead of me and everyone else.
Whatever your goal may be...
If you simply keep doing what you can, you'll eventually reach it.”
“But...”
“Think for yourself.
And work hard.”
That was all the man said.
Then he resumed walking away with Evangeline.
“What I can do...”
The boy couldn't fully understand what the man meant.
But...
For some reason...
He suddenly felt as though he could accomplish anything.
That's right.
I'll try everything.
Instead of hesitating...
I'll study hard.
I'll train hard—
“Oh, and it would probably be good if you passed this along to the other boys as well...”
“Huh?”
Before the boy could finish his thoughts...
The man suddenly stopped.
Turning back...
He smiled gently.
“...No one is taking Evangeline away from me until dirt covers my eyes.”
“......”
That day...
For the first time in his life...
The boy personally experienced something he'd only ever seen in comics.
Killing Intent.
Without thinking...
He reached a decision.
'...Yeah.
I'll give up on Evangeline.'
I'll find another wonderful girlfriend instead.
And thus...
The boy's bittersweet first love came to an end.