(Looking back, I can't help but wonder how things ended up like this...)
That was the thought crossing Marcos’s mind as he enjoyed the Night Tour of Shandia Island alongside Elena and Poruru.
Seeing monsters in their slumber—or conversely, catching a glimpse of nocturnal creatures stirring to life—was an enlightening experience, one he found himself genuinely enjoying. It felt like the kind of rare, hands-on learning that defined a true school trip.
Yet, in his quieter moments, a nagging sense of strangeness lingered.
Perhaps sensing his mood—not quite distress, but a certain restless irony—Elena spoke up.
"Marcos? Is something wrong? Was the tour boring?"
"No, it’s not that. I just find the situation... curious."
"Curious? In what way?"
Marcos gave a wry smile to Elena, who tilted her head in a puzzled manner. He supposed her reaction was only natural as he explained himself.
"It’s nothing major. It’s just that, reflecting on this situation—staying overnight for a school trip and wandering a moonlit island with a local girl and her 'family,' who happens to be a crab monster—I couldn't help but find it slightly absurd."
"Ahahaha! I get it! Well, I’m just happy you’re having fun, Marcos!"
"Kani-kani~!!"
Elena and Poruru, their worry replaced by genuine joy at his answer, broke into bright smiles.
Looking at them, Marcos turned his gaze toward the night sky. He let out a soft breath and whispered to himself.
"Truly... everything has changed. How did I end up here?"
"Hm...?"
"Kani...?"
Another tilt of their heads. Elena and Poruru struck identical poses, once again puzzled by his demeanor.
Returning his gaze to them, Marcos began to speak as he walked slowly along the path.
"This might not be a story meant for your ears... but even I couldn't have imagined I would end up like this until a short while ago. I don't just mean this situation. I mean... I am surprised by the change in myself."
"Kani?"
"Ha! It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I was once quite widely loathed. Beyond those tied to me by family duty, I had no one I could call close. I had loyal subordinates, but they were a far cry from what you would call friends. That was simply the way of my life."
"Is that so? But you're really close with Yugo and the others! Even though I only met you yesterday, it feels like you've been friends for a long time!"
"Fufu...! It’s only been a few months since we started speaking properly. And believe me, our first impressions were abysmal. We practically came to blows the moment we laid eyes on each other."
"Eeeh?! Really? Then how did you get so close?"
"Indeed. It is a strange tale. No... it might be more accurate to call him a strange man."
Marcos laughed, a hint of genuine enjoyment bleeding into his voice.
Though it had only been a few months, he looked back on his meeting with Yugo and the memories that followed as if reflecting on events from a distant lifetime. He nodded slightly.
"My life's first friend is a truly extraordinary man. He is honest to a fault, fiercely loyal, and prone to the most erratic whims, yet possessed of an iron will. I find myself... admiring him. I want the strength to stand beside him, both as a comrade and a rival. It honestly shocks me that I feel this way."
"You really like Yugo, don't you?"
"Don't you dare tell him that! And don't misunderstand. It isn't pure affection; he is the wall I must scale. I’m not there yet, but mark my words—I will surpass him! Hahahaha!"
"Ka~ni-kani-kani-kani-kani!!"
"Fufufu...! You're so weird!"
Standing tall and looking up at the night sky, Marcos laughed loudly.
While Poruru imitated him, laughing along, Elena giggled. She could see that Marcos—who had called Yugo a strange guy—was quite a strange person himself.
Somehow, she felt she understood what he was trying to say. He was amazed that he could acknowledge someone else’s superiority so openly, yet use that gap as the foundation for a bond. It was a personal uprising.
The day Marcos found his goal in Yugo and began to change... the one who had created that spark was surely Yugo.
Because he had met such a person, competed with him, and become his friend, Marcos was now on this island, sharing this moment with them. Elena realized that if he hadn't met Yugo and the others, he never would have experienced this strange, wonderful night. She nodded with a smile and gestured toward the trees.
"...So, that was your beginning, Marcos. Then, this time, I'll tell you about mine and Poruru's beginning! Here, come this way!"
"Whoa! H-Hey! Where are we—?!"
His arm suddenly grabbed, Marcos was pulled along by Elena.
The two and the monster passed through a grove of trees after a short run, emerging onto a stretch of beach where the sea spread out before them. They came to a stop at the water's edge.
"Ehehe! We're he~re!"
"Kani-kani-kani~~!!"
"Good grief... What is this all about?" Marcos muttered, watching Poruru begin to frolic in the sand.
Elena walked up to a large rock in a corner of the beach. While stroking the stone, she turned back to him, her voice thick with nostalgia.
"...This is where Poruru and I met. This is our place of beginning."