The 'Item Box' That Only I Can Use Is Bugged (Patreon)

Chapter 7: Silver and Red

The Next Day, 1 PM

After lunch, Okinaga told Aoi he was going out to play, and he set off on a walk, looking for new things to collect around town.

As he walked, he noticed various objects—a collection of stones and weeds. 

While the stones were just stones, some weeds were edible, making them worth collecting. 

Once he had them, he could identify their properties from his list, making it very convenient.

He headed towards the riverbank, where he expected to find more edible plants. 

When he reached the embankment, he looked towards the river. 

The area was filled with wild plants, which looked like treasures to him.

He descended the embankment, carefully picking the plants without being noticed. 

There was also some trash around, so he decided to "collect" that as well for disposal.

"Ah, that was a good job."

After gathering a decent amount of wild plants, he moved closer to the riverbank and noticed something unusual.

A lonely-looking girl, around the same age as him, was sitting near the riverbank, wearing what appeared to be a martial arts uniform, perhaps judo or karate, with a white belt, indicating she was a beginner.

(Who is she...? She looks incredibly melancholic...)

Her posture resembled that of a weary middle-aged office worker. 

Her face didn’t show middle-aged features, but she was clearly dispirited.

As he wondered if she had run away from home after being scolded by her parents, a voice called out.

"There you are, Nakuru!"

A boy with shimmering silver hair appeared, and his hair appeared as if it’s glowing in the sunlight.

(Is he a foreigner with silver hair...?)

The boy’s features were so perfectly foreign that Okinaga thought he must be. 

He looked like he would grow into a very handsome man.

The girl seemed confused by the name, indicating she might not know him.

Then, another boy appeared.

"Hey, you! Stay away from my Nakuru!"

This boy had red hair slicked back, an uncommon hairstyle for Japanese children, and he was just as handsome as the silver-haired boy.

Just when Okinaga thought the red-haired boy knew her for sure...

"I don't know who you are..." Nakuru said, looking even more bewildered.

The red-haired boy's aggressive declaration and the silver-haired boy's retort were equally confusing to Nakuru.

"You, stay away from my Nakuru!" the red-haired boy said.

"Shut up! Nakuru will be one of my wives! Don’t get in my way!" the silver-haired boy retorted.

The two boys started arguing, grabbing each other and exchanging fiery glares.

(What’s going on here...?)

Two stunningly handsome boys were fighting over a girl who seemed to have never met them. 

Nakuru, looking scared, muttered, "Unknown boys are calling my name..."

Feeling sympathetic, Okinaga noticed the girl was gradually backing away in fear. 

However, this was dangerous because the river was right behind her. 

If she fell in, it could be disastrous since the river had a significant flow and depth, making swimming forbidden even in summer.

The two boys, still glaring at each other, hadn't noticed the girl’s peril.

Then, the red-haired boy suddenly punched the silver-haired boy in the face.

Startled, Nakuru let out a cry and stepped back further. 

She stepped on a large, uneven stone, causing it to tilt and throw her off balance.

Nakuru stumbled backward, falling towards the river. 

She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable plunge... but then she suddenly stopped moving.

“Whew, just in time.”

Okinaga had managed to grab the girl’s hand at the last second, preventing her from falling into the river. 

The girl, realizing she was saved, blinked in surprise, still processing what had happened.

After pulling her up and putting some distance between them and the river, Okinaga let go of her hand. 

The girl blinked repeatedly, staring at him.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

The girl finally snapped out of her daze and responded, “N-no, I’m okay!” 

Okinaga sighed in relief, glad that he had managed to avert disaster.

“Hey, you! Don’t get close to my Nakuru out of nowhere!” a voice shouted from behind. 

The red-haired boy, who had punched the silver-haired boy earlier, was glaring angrily at Okinaga. 

The silver-haired boy was still lying unconscious on the ground.

“Um... can you calm down? This girl was scared and in danger because of you two,” Okinaga said.

“Shut up! Leave Nakuru alone!” the red-haired boy retorted, ignoring the fact that their actions had nearly caused an accident.

(Does he really like her? If so, why does he treat her safety as a trivial matter?)

Realizing that reasoning with the boy would be futile, Okinaga prepared himself for trouble. 

Sure enough, the red-haired boy advanced, ready to strike.

“You, a mere background character, dare oppose a chosen main character like me?!”

As the boy charged, he suddenly disappeared from the spot. 

The girl, understandably shocked, let out a startled cry.

“Let’s get out of here,” Okinaga said, taking the girl’s hand again.

She hesitated for a moment but then nodded, “Y-yes,” and followed him away from the chaotic scene.