Work Text:
The scout textbook—nothing more than a forgotten memory from middle school days—recently came back to life. While going through old items at home, the scout textbook suddenly fell out along with other old, dusty books. Its vibrant cover boldly displayed the words “Scouts” in bold print, unapologetically catching my eye. Despite three years having passed, it is the only book that still looks as good as new, making it stand out among other books on the floor. Drawn by the cover, I opened the book, letting memories flood back, but never expected that the book's power would transport me to another fantasy world...
"Where...Where am I?" I thought. After waking up, I found myself sitting cross-legged on a floor woven with scouting ropes. The surrounding space was boundless, and this vast area was only me and a bundle of new scouting ropes sitting right in front. Curiosity got the better of me—I picked up that symbol of middle-school memories and started tying knots mindlessly. "Huh? I've never even looked at these kinds of knots before, but how come I know exactly what to do? That's weird," I mused. Still, the process felt kind of fun, so I didn't worry too much about the logic behind these events. Before long, I found myself truly enjoying the rhythm of knot-tying.
In the quiet void I was in, hours turned into days as I tied hundreds—maybe thousands—of different knots. My hands toughened with rough calluses, though I barely noticed. When I finally came to my senses, I realized my hands were so exhausted that they couldn’t move. I breathed heavily and set the rope aside. Then, out of nowhere, a voice echoed from within me: "Ema. You did well. Your choice was correct."
It was the voice of a beautiful girl, with a calm and elegant tone. For some reason, the voice sounded like it was from someone who I had already known. Next thing I know, the rope in my hand starts acting weird. Like a marionette doll being controlled, my hands tie
another knot I've never seen—one that forms into a hanging loop in the air. Before I get it, it's already wrapped around my neck, with me standing on a little stool. "I guess magic'll make me fall off eventually," I think. "But for my next life, I'm gonna try way harder!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Just when I was thinking about my next life, a familiar voice came from somewhere. My body followed and fell together. After regaining consciousness, I found myself back in the real world, lying on the floor of my room. "Hiro-san!" I instinctively called out to the friend in front of me. "Suicide is incorrect!💢 Sakuraba💢💢Ema💢💢!" The girl with long, straight black hair spoke with a serious attitude. Then, I told her in detail about the experience I had just gone through. "I was really scared back then, Hiro-san!" She then stood up, holding the cursed textbook and the scouting rope cut by the ceremonial sword, went to the balcony, and set it on fire. "May the evil be gone! Die! Die! Die!" Hiro shouted. Thus, this narrow escape from death has finally come to an end.
"Hiro‑san, how did you even know where I live? Did you...perhaps~" "Sh-shut up!" she stammered, blushing furiously as she avoided my gaze. Until today, I’ve been deeply grateful to my life‑saving, ever‑reliable friend Nikaido Hiro, who is truly forever a "Hero" in my heart.