8
"Oy, you are dirtying thing with your nosebleeds", said Anya with a hint of wonder on her little pretty face.
Looking at the red-faced boy who lay twitching on the ground, she can't help but worry about those who have a cleaning duty for today as it's her soon to be a job in the future while ignoring the fact that showing legs and publicly offering it out is even more inappropriate behavior to the side.
As if on chicken blood, Rain suddenly standing up with hatred and embarrassment plastered as he glares at Anya without averting his eyes unlike before.
"Youuu, you are already 6 years old and yet still act like a kid! Where are your dignity and manners!??", shout him with all his might as Rain points his trembling finger toward Anya.
Raising her eyebrows, Anya then looks down toward her yellow skirt, tilted her head, and then standing up while shaking her head in helplessness, planning to move toward another place before things get annoying.
'Sigh, it seems like I misunderstanding something'
Her worry over the possibility of gaining the boy's interest gave her fear, so she ended up choosing the bold decision in order to crush that chance.
But, after she saw the expression on Rain's face, and the gobsmacked expression on the young master on the back, it seems that her worry might be a tad little too over the top.
"I didn't regret it though if compared with only a little show of a piece of cloth.", mumble Anya in contemplation.
"Wha-- Do you hate me that much!?"
"hmm?"
'Ah, do I blurted it out?'
Flinched after being shouted at again, she realizes that the thought of her actually coming out, making the young boy's face smeared with tears.
One would wonder what will happen to his future now that his little beansprout of dignity as a guy that just about to grow was now crushed because of being rejected and hated by the girl that he didn't even like.
'Yeah, it might be a rivalry instead of like. Interest would be the best description of his feeling for me if you stretch it', smile Anya wryly after the sorry feeling she has.
She can't help it.
After all, Rain always appears in front of her to either talk or simply glare. On top of that, he dares to offer something like giving herself a pretty hairpin just because he wanted Anya to stop opens her leg while wearing a skirt. The gap and difference made Anya confuses it as bullying over someone you like, kind of behavior.
'Maybe that's how I always did and ended up forcing that habit toward unrelated, another person', thought Anya as she reminiscence how unruly she is when she was a brat of her past life.
The tears start to appear in the corner of the boy's eyes, and then it flowed unceasingly as he desperately hides it with one hand, because the other still clutching his bleeding nose, making it pitiable yet funny sight at the same time.
"Waaa--hic hic *snifff"
Even the ex-delinquent would feel kind of bad for making six years of brat crying unsightly, right?...or not.
She didn't even give a second glance toward the now snotty brat as she shook her head with a sigh.
Anya starts to sit again, but now with her leg stretched forward, making her skirt fall slightly at the gap in between, as she frowned in contemplation over the mistake and the reason over why Rain ever thought Anya would be obedient just because given a hairpin.
'I need to re-thought my behavior. As much as I don't want to bother being feminine, the occasional gesture might be the cause of it, but at what time? Should I outright become a tomboyish instead? But, it might make mother angry so being neutral is the compromise that I choose, yet...'
"Anya, apologize"
While one with a crying face and the other being silent like she didn't give a damn, the red-haired young master suddenly standing beside Rain with his hand taping the crying boy's shoulder as if comforting him.
Rain suddenly stop crying after being surprised by someone who just there without him even realizing it. Feeling the comforting hand on his shoulder from the red-haired boy, Rain who didn't realize that there is another person in the room could only stand there in silence.
The fact and the sudden realization that someone saw his uncool and childish behavior from before almost bawling him out again if not because he holds back with all his might to protect the leftover's spark of dignity he had as a "man".
He is a kid though, and no one would blame him.
The young master's face already set back into an expressionless one, but one can tell that his eyes are as serious as he can get while he keeps looking at the little girl sitting with her head lowered, waiting for her expected apology.
"..."
"..."
"..."
*Silent
3 seconds, 5 seconds pass, and yet there is no response whatsoever, not even the a flinched was show on her.
""??""
Wondering why, both of them look at each other before crouching in order to peer her expression just to see Anya looking shocked with her eyes turned into a dot, and then as if in slow motion, with a cute little mouth gaping slightly, she retracts both of her hand and then close-open it.
As if hypnotized, she directs her hand as she did before, with her left hand in between her leg and the other on her cheek, looking deadly confused.
What is she shocked about, thought both of them with one tilting his head and the other frowning in displeasure.
'What the hell is this!!??', but Anya was oblivious to even their existence as she shouts in her mind, standing abruptly with her hands trembling seemingly shaken for whatever reason.
""!!!""
Ignoring both of the boys who seem shocked again, Anya starts to frown in thought while every move, gesture, and thought process she never cares about and ignored just like a flashback appearing one another on her head.
'Since when...Yeah, why I never realize it until...No, I saw it but it never gives me any uncomfortable feeling just like I thought it would so... But, how?', thought her looking as if she was shaken with something she never realizes before.
The fact that it took her this long just to realize it, and the fact that she only accidentally figures it out because of the two boys, until when would she do and to what extend Anya would transform into is a very good question that gives her a chill down her spine.
'Holy F#@%$^!!!'
Like a broken dam, her head was full of malicious curses but weirdly enough, the body, Anya herself didn't seem agitated with only a shock and clenched fist in a manner no way you can say exaggerated, just like how a lady behaves.
"Anya, I will pretend that your rudeness toward me a pass if you apologize now. Or else..."
Snapping back on her sense, Anya then realizes the savior that drags her out of the trap she unknowingly steps upon, making her feel greatly moved.
"Thank you very much, I really do", and so she shows her genuine gratitude from the depth of her heart.
!!??
Just when the young master, the genius that always pampered as special yet ignored multiple times today almost loses his patience, he was surprised with the unexpected response that in no way he expects.
Because the face that already pretty cute to begin with, now looking at the both of them with a smile full of gratefulness and tenderness.
Coupled with the white dimples that seem to be able to squeeze a fresh morning dew that was even a rarity between Anya's family to begin with, her cuteness is now reaching a new realm which unfortunately she herself didn't know of.
'Really, if not because both of them, I might be done for.'
The smile that yet ever been directed toward her friends Litta, and the care with the attention that always missing whenever they met, both the boys who never get the right attitudes they long for were smacked with the gap difference thrown toward their face from a point-blank range now felt hot for some reason.
Anya would never bother herself over other people feeling or with anything else unless it gave her a purpose, reason or pique her interest, she would normally only cares about her family or maybe Litta's feelings.
That's why now that she had finished her duty after not forgetting to bow in gratitude, Anya then go back into sitting in a crossed leg position albeit with a little more closed leg now, not caring the impact she gave toward the still pure and inexperienced boys.
"..."
"..."
*Clack
"Hmm? What are you doing?"
Only after the sound of the door opened and that person voice out their question did the young master snapped from his stupor.
'...She is being thankful instead of sorry, nice move.', thought the young master who is now looking at the little girl who always ignoring him since 2 years old until they met recently.
'Being sorry would show that she did something wrong, but being thankful means she acknowledges this boy, yet didn't intend to apologize', narrow the young master's eyes after resolving the matter without being a pushover.
Now that he got a better impression of Anya, the somewhat disagreeable little girl didn't seem too bad now in his eyes, at least it is better than those adults who always either fawning upon him or showing their ugly side, or the bratty children.
Despite that, what he failed to notice is being thankful or sorry should be the normal way the people around him should behave and he couldn't care less before, which was interesting because he got a better impression now when Anya the one who did it.
After giving the glance that's longer if compared to other children, especially for those around his age, the young master pat the stoned statue that of Rain in the shoulder before going back toward his spot on the corner, not even giving a glance toward the still confused newcomer and then close his eyes to practice again.
"So not hate...false hope...thankful...", mumble Rain in wonder and enlightenment as if realizing something important.
Looking to the three people who get here first before him, someone who is more talented than the chosen one him behaving, the newcomer becomes even more confused.
...
60 minutes pass and then the time for the first test come to a close.
From the twelve children, 3 had failed to meet the basic requirement of going out within the allocated time and thus locked inside the first test room.
"Anya, do something happens? What's wrong?"
Within those that successful, Litta manages to get out within the last minute.
After running toward the second test room area in hurry worrying over whether she would be late for the second test to begin, what greets her was her best friend, Anya who is deep in thought and only greet her back after she touches Anya directly.
"Nothing, it just I am worrying over something but now it's going to be fine"
"O--ooh. Okay then, feel free to tell me if you need something okay?"
"Okay, I will"
"Pinky promise?"
"...Pinky promise"
'Consoled, I feel like a useless adult now', thought Anya while she smiles helplessly but with a tint of happiness over her friend's concern.
"Hehehe"
After receiving the promise, Anya's concern seems silly now that even a little girl who had her own trouble now feels worried about her.
Looking at the little girl, someone who is very sweet and smiling purely unlike every girl she befriends from before, Anya's regret over her past life starts to increase again and so with her resolve to become a better person.
'Behaviour is dependent, only the result matters. I've met numerous asshole who is far more successful than me before, it's because they do what they can do seriously.', thought Anya now that she starts to calm down.
'My target never changes, so now that I know what is it to be careful of, it should be fine'
Careful not to do it, but once she did, it doesn't matter.
That was the belief Anya came up with after a long time of thinking and reflection.
After all of the children gathered, it didn't take long and only ten minutes for the next assignment to be given from the ball on top of the desk that Anya failed to realize because of a certain incident.
The process is the same as before, and the assignment this time was...
"Get to the 3 floors and enter a room 310 at the end of the corridor within 30 minutes"
After giving their instruction, the crystal orb dimmed signifying the start of the second test.
Just like a race, the children dash hurriedly toward the door and run toward the nearest stairs.
Unexpectedly, the children who ran first start to walk instead, giving the second and third behind him to get past him easily.
Not caring about being a first, Anya decides to do things in a leisure manner, but serious in a way.
"Anya, we should hurry up, or else the other might get there before us!"
"Litta, don't be in hurry. Do you think they wouldn't do something weird in a way from here to there despite giving us a whole 30 minutes?"
"Ah, now that you mention it. The distance between here and that room isn't that far."
Looking at the sudden lack of spirit for some of the leading children who run ahead, she thought that some weird art might be applied as the test.
'Just what is the point? Don't they realize that we are only 6 years old? I feel like they are imposing us with something beyond normality' while narrowing her eyes in confusion, Anya thought that the way this world treats their spouse is really weird and demanding.
Learning how to do thing by remembering, striving to become stronger, and knowing how to conduct yourself, all of that is something that if compared from her last world, would be like how you expect a kid who just knows how to talk comfortably to learn to do a debate, something that way of their league.
'I might normally get angry over doing something troublesome as reading if not for my past life, even though I know that it is important. Yet, each one of them doing it quite seriously. Just why?'
While pondering over that question, Anya suddenly stops her walks just before stepping on the stairs to look at Litta who seems hesitant to tread forward.
Tilting her head, she just about to ask about what was wrong when she heard a footstep coming from upstairs.
The one who goes down was the first boy who suddenly runs ahead with a face that seems to be the one who is full of confusion, doubt, and unwillingness.
Looking back toward upstairs for a few seconds, he then treads downstairs and then again toward the first floor, ignoring her and Litta's as if they didn't even enter his eyes.
Tilting their head, both Anya and Litta decide to ignore him and then continue their mission to get upstairs.
But, the normally always obedient little girl she familiar with feels like dragging her feet as if not that really willing to go.
Stopping their step again, Anya then looks at her friend with a serious expression and asks, "Do you want to stop?", indicating that she wants to know her feeling about the whole test matter.
"An art, specializing in shaking peoples will"
Before realizing it, a red-haired young master already standing beside Anya, as if it was a given for him to be there.
While both of them conversing on the side of the stairs, Litta who's quite hesitant before and just standing behind Anya's suddenly gotten interested in the young master's explanation.
"An art for shaking people will? What is that?"
"...to reject those who have a low interest and will. It was cast from here to room 310, and all of the room upstairs"
Hearing the question for the side bun-haired little lady, he glanced at her for a second before looking back at Anya again, feeling very generous to give her additional insider information.
"How did you know that?", ask Litta with confusion over something that she never even heard of before, and how did the boy even know such a thing, not caring about being ignored or such to mind.
"...ask Anya if you want to know"
"Anya, do you know him?"
As Anya keeps silent while listening on the side and feeling a little relieved regarding a certain matter, she seems to notice something that's very disturbing to hear.
"Wait a minute, since when did I ever introduce my name again?"
"...since we are two years old isn't it?"
"Wow, amazing. You two get to know each other since that young? Why I never saw you before?"
"..."
But, the answer she got was so unexpected that the wonder she had over why the young master being overly generous to explain something she didn't even ask was blown away and disappear completely.
'That's not the point here!!', with a weird face, Anya looks at Litta as if wondering just what the hell is she on.
'ARE YOU SERIOUS!? Two years old? Is that even remotely possible!?'
It makes no sense whatsoever, whether the memory, the conduct, the personality, expectation, anything regarding the kids in this world is very unbelievable to her, and the boy in front of him top that in this field by a monumental amount.
"Litta, when did the very last memory you had even remembered???"
With an incredulous face, Anya then grabs her best friend's shoulder with haste in order to confirm that disturbing feeling she had.
"When? Hmm, probably when I was 4 years old? Why?", answer Litta while feeling that Anya acts weirdly, not caring about how rough her hand was on her shoulder.
'4...years? Why? How?', thought Anya with widened eyes after being hearing the two's experience.
'Me? Maybe around 5 years at the latest, and what appears on my mind at the time probably only about playing. Did this world different or am I that actually slow on the growth?'
Now that she looks back again, the reaction of Rain, that purple-haired boy also shows a sign of being conscious of the opposite gender, and even the act of wanting to glance below and but embarrassed clearly instigating that he already has a growing consciousness despite being only 6, clearly not knowing the thought process of the young master when she thanking both him and Rain back then in the room which was a good thing.
'He even talking about dignity and whatnot, even though he is only a brat.'
Clearly feeling weird about the whole thing but not knowing what to do about it, she decides to postpone the whole matter to a later date as she then looks at Litta, and then drags her upstairs to speed their test up.
'I can worry about that later, it doesn't that important anyway. More importantly, how much the art affecting Litta is what matters now'
"...oy, are you ignoring me again?"
But clearly having her entire focus on her friends, Anya keeps looking at Litta for confirmation while not even glancing toward the young master, wondering him so greatly over whether Anya have even a little to no desire to be on his good side in order to work in the family peacefully.
"Ummm, Anya, it seems that he is asking you?"
"...so, do you didn't want to go up?"
Anya even ignores the kind remainder her friend gave, signaling that her question is very important and she wants the answer immediately.
"Umm, I will go. Thank you, I am fine now", answer Litta with a little smile in order to ease her friend's worry.
A certain purple-haired boy who is standing a distance away while looking from behind the three of them that took half of the way toward the stair, wondering when would do they move along.
'Ugh, I will wait for Anya to go up first. What if she thought that I purposely walk in front of her to catch her interest' thought him as he doesn't want to be in front of the girl who arbitrarily rejecting him, not knowing that the fact he thought that far ahead is the same as indicating him being over conscious of her in a way.