Chapter 58: Cultural Festival, Day Two (After the Festival)

『…I see. Well, I guess it can’t be helped then.』

The moment I finally mustered the courage to confess my feelings, Hisui’s reaction was far more composed than I had expected.

『…Uh, wait.』

Caught off guard by her unexpected calmness, I found myself at a loss.

『Don’t make that face, you're the one who turned me down. I kind of figured it out earlier when I talked to Alicia, so I’d already braced myself… Not that I’m not hurt, okay?』

『S-Sorry…』

An awkward silence settled between us. Maybe it wouldn’t be too much to say that this very outcome was the reason I hadn’t told Hisui the truth about who I really was. The thought of ruining our relationship terrified me. And now, I didn’t know what to do. I was the one who rejected her feelings.

『Well, whatever… more importantly, there’s one thing I forgot to ask you—and I want an honest answer.』

『…W-What is it?』

Relieved that she was still willing to talk to me, I asked what she wanted to know—completely unaware of the emotional minefield I was about to step into.

『Why didn’t you tell me that Ikuto was alive?』

Her question left me speechless. It was the consequence of running away—of not facing her head-on. My own guilt. Hisui still wore a smile, but I could tell. This was the expression she made when she was truly, genuinely angry.

『Do you have any idea how worried I was about Ikuto? I get that you couldn’t exactly tell just anyone, but… couldn’t you have at least told us—your siblings?』

She leaned forward, closing the distance between us. I instinctively shrank back.

『I mean… my body ended up like this, and…』

『So what? No matter what happens to your body, you’re still Ikuto, aren’t you? Are you saying our bond is so fragile that something like this could break it? Is that really what you thought?』

『I… I didn’t mean it like that…』

Faced with the cowardice I had tried to ignore, I couldn’t say anything in return.

『You’re so unfair, Ikuto…』

She pressed her clenched fists weakly against my chest.

『I thought you were dead… and every day was agony. It hurt so much, I thought I was going to fall apart… You idiot. You’re the worst…』

Her fists thudded against me, softly but repeatedly. I let her. There was no physical pain, but the weight of her emotions struck deep. Tears fell from her downturned face, dripping quietly onto the floor.

『…I’m sorry, Hisui.』

『I’m not forgiving you just like that, okay…』

『Then… how can I make it up to you? What can I do?』

『…I want memories.』

『…Huh?』

『That promise from yesterday still stands, right? The one where you said you’d go on a date with me anywhere I wanted?』

『Uh, didn’t we already go on a date today? I thought that meant the promise was fulfilled…』

『This is separate. I want to use that promise to go on a trip. Just the two of us. I know you like Alicia. That’s why… I want to make some memories with you.』

So that’s what she wanted—memories of a trip together. If that was all, then I had no reason to say no. If that could ease even a little of the pain I’d caused her, I’d be more than grateful for the chance.

『Yeah. Okay. If that’ll help you feel better, then let’s do it.』

Honestly, if we could spend time together like we did today, I’d be glad. Even though my confession hadn’t worked out, the fact that we could still be friends meant a lot. I did feel a little bad about leaving Yuna and Souta out of the picture, but…

『It’s a promise, okay?』

『Y-Yeah…』

At Hisui’s unusually intense insistence, I flinched a little but still gave her a reply.

---

『Hisui found out!? …Ah—so she really had figured it out, huh.』

On the way home from the school festival, walking with Yuna, I told her what had happened today.

『…You knew about it, Yuna?』

『I didn’t, but Hisui-nee had been probing me too…』

It seemed the fact that Yuna suddenly perked up after I’d gone missing had helped confirm to Hisui that I was really Ikuto.

『So, tell me everything that happened, okay?』

I walked her through everything that had gone down today, step by step.

When I told her I had turned down Hisui’s confession, she placed a hand on my head and gently said, “I see… That must’ve been tough.”

When I mentioned confessing to Alicia, she looked like she was about to cry a little and said, “Good for you, Alicia.”

Then, when I told her about Hisui’s emotional outburst afterward, she quietly muttered, “...I’ll apologize to Hisui-nee too, later.”

But when I got to the part about the trip and the shared memories—the condition for Hisui forgiving me—her expression suddenly changed.

『Alice… did you actually understand what that meant when you agreed to it?』

『Huh? Why are you so mad…? Ah, I get it. Sorry, but it’s a promise with Hisui, so I can’t take you along, Yuna.』

『That’s not the problem, you idiot! …Forget it. I need to talk with Alicia. Just the two of us.』

『…What the hell is going on?』

After that, Yuna started talking to Alicia with a constantly shifting expression—like she was going through a hundred different faces. In between, she kept shooting me glances that, for some reason, felt freezing cold.

…Seriously, what’s her deal?

---

Even after we got home, Yuna stayed in a bad mood. When I asked Alicia about what they talked about, she wouldn’t tell me either. I ended up spending the rest of the day feeling completely in the dark.

And so the day came to an end, and all that was left was to head to bed in my room.

Usually, I’d have a quick conversation with Alicia, then disconnect our mental link before doing… other stuff. That was our normal nightly routine.

『Ikuto… thank you for today. I wanted to wait until we were alone to give you my answer. That’s why it took me so long.』

Alicia said this to me formally, almost ceremoniously.

『O-Oh…』

Thinking back on my confession earlier today makes me feel a little embarrassed.

『I love you too, Ikuto… I want to stay with you, always.』

『Me too. I love you, Alicia.』

Saying it aloud made the feeling real—warm and comforting. At the same time, the memory of Hisui from earlier in the day brought a small sting to my chest.

『…But if you ever fall in love with someone else, please don’t hold back. Someone like me can’t walk alongside you in the world.』

『Don’t say that. Even if we can’t walk side by side, I’ll always be with you, Alicia.』

I placed a hand over my chest and spoke to her.

『…I just want you to be happy, Ikuto.』

『Living with you is what makes me happy. So you don’t need to worry about that.』

We both just told each other how much we loved one another. So why did it still hurt like this?

『…Ikuto, can I ask you something?』

With a tone that suggested she had made up her mind, Alicia turned to me.

『Tonight… can we not disconnect our mental link?』

『…You mean?』

I swallowed hard.

『I want to stay connected. I want to be with you, Ikuto…』

My body reacted shamelessly to her confession.

『Ah…』

My rising desire immediately flowed through the connection to Alicia, and her reaction only intensified the feeling in return.

…This could be dangerous.

『…Are you sure?』

『…Yes. I want you to make me feel good, Ikuto.』

Even though I hadn’t touched her, she was already burning with heat. My mind was overwhelmed by the anticipation of the unknown. The anxiety and hesitation I’d felt just moments ago had completely vanished.

『Ikuto… I love you.』