The Guilt, and Rena(1).

22th Grenust, 999th of Rescue.

Although this was supposed to be a very sunny and beautiful day as usual in Seihul Village with the noise made by the children here and there, there was a young man who was falling into despair.

Because, the young man, 'Riot', was currently being kissed quite forcibly, by a beautiful woman with long green hair who hugged him tightly while sitting on his lap.

Oh, no, you guys think this is honestly a blessing? The heavenly event that all men have always wanted?

Well, it's not wrong at all, anyway. Perhaps 99.9% of men will be happy to experience this.

However, it is not in this case. For Riot, it was hell.

His first kiss had been snatched away by a woman that he had entirely only accidentally saved, a very precious first kiss that he had vowed he would only offer to only one particular girl.

Have I betrayed you? No, but... If I let go Rielfeilm now, I'm going to die, 'right? I don't want to die when I think I'm going to surely get a peaceful life like you always say I'll undoubtedly get later, Rena!! But... But!! It hurts, it hurts so much... to be this intimate, with a woman besides yourself, Rena. What... What should I do?

In a hug that was supposed to be very warm and pleasant, all Riot could feel was pain, guilt, and despair that kept eating away at his heart every second.

Soon, Rielfeilm's preparations for returning to her true Spirit form were finally completed. Still hugging Riot's body tightly, Rielfeilm's body also began to emit light of various colors, followed by the disappearance of Rielfeilm's body, which left only auras of various colors that filled the room before starting to enter Riot's body.

After becoming completely alone in the room again, a drop of tears began to flow along Riot's cheek before finally falling to the floor.

However, his tears didn't just end there. After the first tear, fall the second. After the second, fall the third. After the third one, fell the fourth one.

Like that, tears kept flowing from Riot's empty eyes, as if to show how much guilt he felt at the time.

Looking at the wet floor because of his tears, Riot also began to sob, "I-I am... S-sorry... Rena...!"

***

It all started in the summer when Riot was just 8 years old.

At the time, Riot was still living with his parents, though they barely even cared about him at all.

However, one day, when Riot was alone on a hill not far from the city where he lived, a black-haired girl who looked the same age as him came to call him, even though there should be no other children playing in this place besides Riot.

"Hey! What are you doing here alone?" The girl asked that as she tilted her head and looked at Riot who was curled up behind a tree with a question-marked look.

Looking toward the girl, Riot could see that the girl's clothes precisely looked pretty good and expensive, in contrast to the worn-out clothes he was currently wearing. This means, this girl is likely the child of a pretty wealthy family or something, or this girl just has a family that loves her very much.

"..." Inexplicably feeling annoyed, Riot turned his gaze towards the bright blue sky that was up there, completely removing the girl from his attention.

However, even though Riot had completely ignored her presence there, the girl still stood by Riot, looking up at the blue sky following Riot with her stupid yet sweet smile.

In the end, a few minutes later, Riot also began to feel annoyed by the girl's existence, and finally began to open his mouth, "... Hey, you."

"... Hm??" In response to Riot's call, the girl tilted her head.

As he looked full of annoyance at the girl, Riot said.

"... Can you not be here? I just want to relax alone... Now."

However, even so, the girl looked even more confused.

"Of course not." The girl said, confidently.

Never expecting such an answer at all, Riot became even more disturbed.

"... H-hah?! W-why?!"

Hearing Riot's words, the girl also put her right hand close to her chest with a serious face and then said.

"I... Lost! So, of course, I can't leave here, because I will cry if I am alone!"

However, Riot who was surely wanting to be alone at the time, naturally wouldn't care about the girl's situation in the slightest.

"Does I care?!"

"But you have to!!" The girl replied.

"I said I am not!!" Riot replied back.

In the end, the two of them started yelling at each other about it, and without them knowing it, it turned out to be getting dark.

"Ah, it's already afternoon."

"... Eh?"

Realizing that it was time to return home, Riot stopped yelling at the girl, and started walking home, while the girl just stared blankly at Riot's back which every second started to move away from where she was.

"... Sob... Ah... Aaaaaaaa~!!" In the end, even the girl completely cried, as she had said before.

Well, because even after lasting more than 10 minutes the girl still didn't stop crying, Riot returned to where the girl was, and finally decided to take the girl home.

It didn't take long, Riot finally managed to find the girl's house. As it turned out, the girl was a child of a family that had recently bought a mansion that was near the hill where Riot and the girl had previously been.

'No wonder I thought it was the first time I see that girl.' Thinking that way, Riot also started walking home again, after successfully driving the girl home.

However, soon, the girl also chases Riot again.

"... W-wait!"

"... Hah?" Turning his body, Riot also saw the figure of the girl who was running toward him while carrying a flower handlebar.

"This! For you!" Pushing the flower towards Riot, the girl said.

"This is my favorite flower, I went to the hill before it was actually to get this! But... I got lost on the way home instead!" Adding to that, the girl also began to laugh with her carefree face.

Staring at the flower in the girl's hand, Riot finally realized something about the flower.

"This is... just an ordinary wildflower, 'isn't it?" Riot asked that, as he looked strangely at the girl.

However, in response to Riot's question, the girl also began to bulge her cheeks and shout with an annoyed face.

"No! This is my favorite flower!"

"Em... Well, whatever you say."

Not feeling like having a useless quarrel any more, Riot in the end just said that, and then accepted the flower that the girl gave.

Seeing that the flower was finally accepted by Riot, a big smile began to grow on the girl's small face.

"Ehehe... By the way, my name is Rena! What's your name?" The girl asked as she introduced herself to Riot.

"Ah yes... My name is Riot." Riot retorted.

"Riot, huh? Riot... Riot... Riot... Riot... Hm! I will always remember it! In that case, from this moment on we are friends, right?" Looking at Riot expectantly, the girl also asked that.

"Well, yes, 'I guess?" Not sure what to answer, Riot only said that as an answer to Rena's question.

"Yay! Friend! Friend! Ehehe!" Holding both of Riot's hands, the girl started taking Riot to jump around with the widest smile she'd ever made that day.

Friend, yes... I think... It's not as bad as I thought before.

Thinking about that, a faint smile began to grow on Riot's face.