I’m Back in the First Grade of Elementary School, so I’m Going to Live Well

“Here we go……!”

After listening to a brief explanation by the teacher, we in the first year and third class went into free time.

I was enjoying playing dodgeball with all the boys in my class.

We drew a simple rectangular court on the ground and divided into teams of right half and left half. When the ball hits the ground, it moves from the infield to the outfield, and the first team to reduce the number of infielders on the other team to zero wins.

It was free time, which is a painful time for a loner, but thanks to Imai-kun’s invitation, I didn’t have to kill time sitting alone in the shade watching my classmates playing happily.

I was able to avoid the worst-case scenario, but in this game of dodgeball, which is the sole domain of those who are skilled at throwing the ball, my lack of talent puts me in a bit of a bind.

I’m still in the infield, but I’m just surviving on the sidelines watching the teams battle it out for the lead.

I’m just standing there in the corner of the court, not doing anything of note.

Sadly, in the game of dodgeball, I don’t care whether I’m there or not.

It may be rude of me to think this, but I honestly don’t enjoy it at all.

I was completely out of my element, and even though I was participating in the competition, I didn’t pay attention to the other team and looked away.

But it’s just an empty field. There’s nothing conspicuous enough here to make me look away.

――That would leave me with only one place to look.

Just as the boys were all together, the girls were all together in one place, making crowns and bouquets of wildflowers and playing with nature.

I was watching this scene without any particular reason.

If I stared at it like this, my classmates would probably give me a cold shoulder.

Well, I don’t mind, because it’s just a misunderstanding that a girl in my class is interested in me, and I’m not in any trouble.

There’s a girl I’m interested in. I think it’s not a misunderstanding to say that.

When it comes to girls that I’m interested in, Mizui-san is the only one that I’ve developed a relationship with, and as a matter of fact, Mizui-san is the one I’m interested in.

When I say I’m curious about her, I don’t mean that I’m curious about her because of romantic feelings, as some of my male classmates might think, but that I’m curious about her out of pure curiosity.

Since I was asked to make time for us to be alone when I explained the precautions earlier, I thought she would talk to me during this free time when she was allowed to act alone.

It seems I was wrong. She has her situation, so I guess she has her timing.

More importantly, what on earth does Mizui-san want to do with the time alone with me?

From the way she looked at me, it didn’t seem like she was just asking for this time to make small talk, and I’m sure she had something to do with it.

But that’s for her to know.

It was a question that would be answered in time when the two of us were alone. It’s not something I need to think about beforehand.

So I stopped thinking about it.

I stopped thinking and just stared at the girl, or rather at Mizui-san.

…… Mizui-san noticed my gaze and our eyes met.

For a moment, I’m so nervous that I almost look away, but I’m not doing anything wrong, so I respond by waving my hand lightly.

She then smiled happily and waved a small hand so that no one around her would know that she was making eye contact with me.

This kind of interaction with a girl is a little bit of a longing for a guy, isn’t it?

While I was immersed in such trivial pleasures.

“Itosaki-kun! Watch out!”

“Huh?”

As if to wake me up, Imai-kun’s warning vibrated my eardrums, and at about the same time.

“Bako!”

　And a dodgeball ball critically hits me in the face.

“Hebuuu!?”

I couldn’t avoid the stray ball that came at me like a surprise, and the force of the ball knocked me flat on my back on the ground.

If a full-throttle ball hits your face, the lightweight of a child can easily knock you off your center of gravity.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“…… Ah, yes, I’m fine.”

Imai-kun, who was on the same team as me, ran up to me and called out to me in concern.

It was a soft dodgeball ball, and the ground I fell on was soft grass, so I was almost unharmed.

Even so, I felt a lingering pain as if my brain was shaking from the impact of the ball hitting my face.

I can say that it was my fault because I was distracted by looking away and this is what happened.