Fan x Fun x Gift ♪: The Hero of the Rye Fields pt.1

From I-chu's official light novel, "Fan x Fun x Gift ♪".

This is the translation of stories within I-chu's official light novel, "Fan x Fun x Gift ♪". I'm splitting the translating work between me and my friend sanadayuina. I'm sorry if there are mistakes or a better translation have been done before!

Please don't re-post anywhere else!

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Previous: Prologue

Translator's Note: There are several POV changes throughout the chapter. I won't note whose POV is it because it's pretty clear, imo.

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[ Seiya's Side ] 

The hero-themed anime that I saw when I was a child. My favorite scene was the part when the hero saved the captured princess. The young me then learned that a hero is someone who whose role is to save the captured princess.

That's why I decided to take action, thinking that I need to save 'that girl'. To be like the hero that I admired!

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Although the wind wasn't blowing, the leaves fell and piled onto each other and the thickets rocked back and forth, causing rustling noises. Then, a black, round object suddenly was thrust out from between the greenery. Said object got directed toward the top of a building.

"Target found!"

The black, round object turned out to be a pair of binoculars. And, the one who peeked through those binoculars was a golden-haired boy. His name is Aidou Seiya.

Seiya was born from the union of an American and a Japanese, and he got the Japanese blood from his mother.

His father and mother had always lived in Japan. However, when they finally had their first child, due to the father's work, they had to move to America.

That's why Seiya only knew things about Japan from his father and mother's stories, and had never been there before. He was born and grew up in America.

Seiya blinked his large, beautiful blue eyes as he once again confirmed the appearance of the person he's currently looking at.

"That is the princess who lived in the castle!"

The one whom Seiya was looking at was a golden-haired girl who have been gazing at the view outside for quite awhile now. The hero from the anime that he liked said this:

Rescuing the princess is a hero's job. Seiya had always believed in those words.

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One day, when I was running around and playing outside, I noticed the Princess's presence. She was always watching me and the other kids playing around. Once, our eyes met. That time, she immediately averted her gaze and retreated into her room.

I've always been wondering, but then I realized when I watched the anime the other day! The fact that she must be a princess captured by evil people!

If that's that's the case, then there's only one thing to do! I prepared the binoculars and rope ladders that I took from the storehouse before I went to sleep last night. Even though I actually wanted to be able to just jump and rescue Princess like a real hero, a newbie like me can't do something great like that just yet... But I'm sure I'll be able to do it once I grow up!

I put my binoculars away. Then I carefully approach the tree beside me, which grew so tall that it reached the second floor of the building.

Then, gripping on the tree's trunk, I start climbing up. I'm very good at climbing trees. I'm confident that I can climb any tree just fine. I keep going up, heading to a particular branch that can reach the verandah on the second floor.

Once I reach the verandah, I can finally step on concrete floors again. I land on the blind spot of the window.

It seems Princess have yet to notice my presence. I wondered, how should I talk to her? If I suddenly pop out in front of her, she might get surprised and end up crying... no, maybe she would even be frightened and think that I'm a freak.

That's right! If I remember it right, when the hero came to the rescue, he held his hand out. And then I think that he said "Hi!" with a smile as he started talking to her. I'm sure Princess wouldn't be afraid if I do it too!

Just like what I imagined, I approach the window and talk to Princess!

"Hi! I'm a Hero! I'm here to rescue you!"

Princess, who was watching through the window, opened her eyes widely in surprise when seeing me seeming to pop out of nowhere.

(Crap! Guess she got surprised after all!)

Thinking that I've failed making a good appearance, I look around in a panic. Then once again I turn to the stupefied Princess to apologize.

"Sorry! Suddenly appearing out of nowhere-"

Forgetting that there's a window that separate us, I incline my head and end up bumping against the glass window.

"Ooooww-!!!"

I hold my bumped head. It was so hurt I was writhing. And as I do so, I heard chuckling voice coming from somewhere above my head. Tilting my head up, I saw the Princess. The Princess's expression that I've seen so far have always been an empty one. But now, she's having a very adorable smile on her.

My heart pounded so fast. The kind of heart-pounding feeling that I never felt if I were to see my big sister or my mother or even the girls that played together with me. Just like that, I keep my gaze at Princess.

Once she had done laughing, she opens the window. We can finally look at each other without anything standing between us.

"You're the kid who have always been playing out there, right?"

Having Princess talk to me for the first time got me so excited.

"I'm the Hero of Justice! You're the Princess who got captured by the evildoers, right?"

"Princess?"

"Yeah! Let's go to the outside world together! It'll be fine! I came prepared after all!"

I fasten the rope ladder that I carried on my shoulder onto the verandah's prop. Then I throw the rest of it out of the verandah. The rope hangs down until just a little above the ground.

I pull Princess's hand, leading her to where the rope is.

"If we go down through this ladder, we'll be able to get out from here!"

"Eh? Do we have to get down using this rope?"

Princess looks a bit worried. So that she doesn't keep putting on such look, I try to convince her.

"It'll be alright! I'll head down first, so should you fall, Princess, I'll catch you properly! Now, before the evildoers found out, let's hurry up!"

I climb the verandah's railing first, using the rope ladder to get down. Then, once I land on the ground, I look up to the second floor where the Princess remains.

It seems the Princess is also watching over my condition.

"Come on, Princess! Get down using this rope! I'll be sure to catch you!"

The Princess looks like she's considering whether she really should get down or not, but she seems to finally makes up her mind once I held out my hand, and starts timidly climbing down the rope.

She's taking it slowly, but finally just a little more her feet can touch the ground. With a soft, "Eits!" she jumps down the rest of the distance.

I hold my hands out for support, so that the Princess won't fall. But, the Princess's jump was far more powerful than I initially thought that we end up falling onto the ground together. We fall onto the greenery, making leaves got onto our hair and clothes.

When we get up, we look at one another and laugh together.

"Princess! I have this place that I'm fond of! I'll take you there, so let's go!"

"Okay!"

Holding hands, Princess and I begin to run. If I run too fast, Princess might stumble on her feet. Thinking that way, I decrease my running speed. I've never tried to match my speed with someone else like this before.

I can feel warmth from our holding hands, and the heart pounding feeling from earlier doesn't stop. Just like that, Princess and I run toward this place that I'm fond of.

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Next: The Hero of the Rye Fields pt.2