Chapter 11: Open the Heart (2) End

Open the Heart (2)

I have something to tell you.

Sora came to my apartment without me even needing to call her. She was carrying a plastic bag with the logo of a supermarket that differentiates itself from other stores with its sleek interior and wallet-unfriendly prices.

It was just after 3 pm, so it was still light out and hot.

"I had horse mackerel today. It was cheap." This summer vacation, Sora had been hanging out at my apartment like a commuter wife.

I couldn't help but think that if she was going to choose based on price, she should have gone to another store that prioritizes quantity and low prices over quality, but perhaps that's just the way she was raised.

I didn't let this thought show on my face as I accepted the plastic bag from her and said, "Thank you as always."

Sora takes off her sneakers from a popular sports brand and enters the room, while I open the refrigerator to put away the ingredients.

If I tell her that I'm a youkai, this too relaxed daily life might come to an end.

Thinking about this makes me feel uneasy, which is unusual for me, but it is necessary for her to know the truth and relieve her anxiety.　

"It's so cool!" Before I knew it, she was sitting in front of the air conditioner, feeling the wind on her face. "It gets really cold in a small space."

She just says what she thinks without filtering it out with consideration, and it's not sarcastic. That's the kind of person Sora is.　

"Yeah, yeah, It was cramped and bad."

It's not that I'm in a bad mood, it's just the way things naturally turn out when filtered through my cynical personality.

"Come on, don't be mad," Sora laughed.

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"As I thought!" Sora clapped her hands, as clearly as in an anime.

I'm actually a youkai. That's why I can read minds.

When Sora heard me coming out, what I felt from her is not suspicion, rejection, or surprise, but understanding.

"I always thought it was strange," her tongue became active. "You noticed my gender change, your pitching is so vicious, you're so good at sex, and you can immediately understand my pointless speech - it's all because you can read minds." (I see) she thought, rubbing her finger under her chin.

"Don't say things like, 'Well, guess what I'm thinking right now,' please."

"Well, guess what I'm thinking right now!"

"'The customer next to me often eats persimmons,' 'I want to have three kids,' and 'I've recently started to like cooking.'"

"Uh-huh," Sora exhaled with amusement. "Wow. That's perfect."

She's so easy, I thought to myself. Then, her cheeks began to flush.

(You know everything about me, and on top of that... you love me.)

"Well, that's true."

Sora laughs. "It's a little, no, quite embarrassing, but conversation is super easy." (I want to do 'it' right now)

"Okay, come on."　

"Wow, that's amazing."

Just like always. I embraced Sora just like always.

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In order for mind-reading abilities to perform to their full potential, the subject's consent is required. In other words, by getting Sora to allow me to read her innermost thoughts, I could learn about memories she had forgotten and emotions she hadn't even acknowledged.

That's why I made the effort to reveal myself as a youkai.

"So, basically, I just have to open my heart to Mizuki, right?" Sora asked, lying on her back, using my thighs as a pillow as I sat on the edge of the bed.

"That's how it works, in simple terms."

"Good. Look inside me as much as you like," she said nonchalantly.　

"Okay then, let's get started."

I close my eyes and concentrate. My supernatural power envelops Sora and I enter her memory.

When I lift my eyelids, a crystal clear sky spreads out before me. I'm floating in the blue. It feels like I can fly freely.

I look around. Light sparkles. As I get closer, I see a red gem that looks like a ruby floating in the sky. I touch it—and the next moment, I see an image of a silver-haired girl lying on the riverbank where we used to play catch. "Eh?" I hear a boy's surprised voice. He run towards the girl. Judging from his voice and body, this must be the memory of a boy named Tamaki.

The image ends, and I look back. Without me realizing it, numerous gems have appeared. Emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, amber, and more—various colors brighten the otherwise blue sky. Wondering if these are memories of Sora, I run through the azure firmament.

<The silver haired girl introduces herself as Shizuku>

<Shizuku-san, who is lonely and not good at communicating>

<Tamaki-kun becomes friends with Shizuku-san>

<Tamaki-kun accepts Shizuku-san, who is a youkai>

<A promise to go out and play>

<Friends>

<The anniversary of Shizuku-san's father's death> 

<The anniversary of Shizuku-san's mother's death>

<Sora is pushed away by a man>

<A man points a knife at Sora>

<Tamaki-kun saves Sora and gets stabbed>

Every time I touched the jewel, memories of Sora and Tamaki-kun were imprinted in my brain, repeating over and over, and suddenly I was in a familiar room.

"Hwah..." Sora let out a seductive sigh. (What is this? It feels crazy good.)

"I'm done."

"Don't finish yet," she said, her eyes moistening. "Do more~"

Even after hearing that, I wasn't sure how much supernatural power I had left, so I tickled Sora's chin like a cat, saying, "Maybe next time."

"You promise?" she said, grabbing my hand.

"I promise."

Sora rubbed her long legs together.

•

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I racked my brain a bit and tried to deduce what had happened to Sora.

First of all, the basic premise is that neither the giant fly claiming to be a god nor the fact that she changed gender existed. My guess is that Shizuku-san simply put the memories of the dead Tamaki into Sora. At that time, I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the memories - the perceptions - were changed in such a way that, "a high school boy named Sora was changed in gender by a giant fly, and in addition, the perceptions of the people around him were also tampered with," or perhaps it was an unavoidable event.

In other words, "Sora was originally a girl, and she simply possesses some of Tamaki's memories."

I explained this speculation to Sora, which was not logical enough to be called a brilliant deduction and would likely get the detective in trouble.

Sora then furrowed his brow, closed his eyes and mouth. After a moment, he suddenly said, "I remember it all!" He sat up and sat cross-legged on the bed, facing me. "As Tamaki, I was friends with the youkai Shizuku. As Tamaki, I was just a normal high school student who loved baseball. I also remember being stabbed by Kamiya-san as Tamaki..." Then, still looking me in the eye, she curled up the corners of his mouth and said, "Maybe Mizuki's right. You're doing great."

"..."

I think Sora is strong. Even when confronted with such an abnormal truth, she doesn't turn a blind eye. She doesn't feel dissatisfied or angry, and instead worries about the clumsy girl (youkai). Not only that, she even feels pity for the person who tried to kill her.

"What is it?" Sora said with an annoyed look on her face, and it was adorable.

"Thank you for being my girlfriend."

"..." My words seemed to be unexpected, and she fell silent. However, she immediately smiled softly and said, "Then treasure me forever."

"Yes, I will," I nod.

"..." I felt a bit embarrassed. To cover it up, I asked calmly, "By the way, is it okay if your memories remain as they are?"

What I meant was, "Do you want Shizuku-san to erase Tamaki-kun's memories?" I didn't know if she could return to normal - like a normal girl - but if she was okay with something close to that, it should be possible.

"I'd prefer my memories to stay the same," Sora replied. She continued, "But I do want to go see Shizuku. I'm worried about her, and there are things I need to apologize to her for."　

There is an affection in Sora's heart that reminds me of the clear, pure spring.

I feel a little anxious that Sora's heart might drift away from me.

Sora began to grin. "Don't worry. I don't have romantic feelings for Shizuku anymore."

It's true that Sora doesn't have any clear romantic feelings that she can be aware of, but there's still something resembling that.

It would be unfair for me to be the only one feeling anxious, so I also reveal some information. "The truth is, Shizuku and I are relatives."

"Huh? You're kidding..." She blinks. Her eyes flash, and the way the she opens and closes her mouth reminds me of carp fish, and I can't help but laugh.

"We were pretty close," I said, though I'd only met her once. "Shizuku-san's cute, isn't she?" Sora was cuter, though.

"You're not thinking like some guy who goes after women at a class reunion, are you?" The word "cheating" flashed red in Sora's mind.　

"Don't worry. I never have romantic feelings for Shizuku-san."

".... You're annoying."　

"Sorry, sorry. I was worried when I thought that Shizuku-san was the person Tamaki-kun liked."

After a beat, Sora's expression relaxed, and she said, "Oh, I see..." and got off the bed, standing up. "Sorry about that. But now there's no one else but Mizuki in there. You can read my mind, right?" she asked, leaning forward with her hands on her knees and looking into my eyes.

"That's how much I love Sora."

I was reflected in Sora's eyes. "The jealous you're so cute," she said with a cherry-pink smile, and stretched out, saying, "I'll make dinner."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"　

"No," she replied immediately. "The kitchen is small, Mizuki is useless, and you will just be in the way."

"Well, I'll just quietly watch TV."　

"Yeah, go ahead." (This is what they call semi-cohabitation—or maybe common-law marriage? If we keep going at this rate, in a few years...)

"Sounds fun."

"Yeah, it'll be so much fun."

I'm having fun too.

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I hate silver hair.

That's what I thought as long as I was old enough to understand.

My mom, my dad, and all the other adults were either black or brown, but I was the only one born with this color. Even as a child, I felt it was unfair that I was the only one different.

When I was about five years old, I was taken to the funeral of a relative.

I clearly remember throwing a tantrum and saying I didn't want to go.

I don't like other people. I'm afraid of them, you could say. When asked why, I can only answer that it's a physiological thing. There's no clear, specific reason that anyone can agree on, but I just don't like them.

That's why I didn't want to go to a funeral where a lot of unknown youkai would be there.

However, Mom and Dad calmed me down, put me in the car and headed to Shusui's family house.

As expected, Shusui's house was a tough place to be. I wondered how many people there were, many youkai and a few humans. Shusui family must be popular, I thought vaguely, and quickly took refuge in the garden.

The garden was like some kind of other world - the contrast between the presence emanating from inside the house and the empty garden created a mysterious atmosphere.

Feeling somewhat reassured, I decided to count the ants under the tree.

When I had counted 83, something happened. A boy spoke to me. In an instant, I forgot about the ants I had begun to love, and almost unconsciously, I fled into the shade of a tree.

However, the boy, Mizuki, continued speaking. Trembling, I lamented, "Why do you care about me?", but he also seemed to be bored, and showed no signs of going anywhere.

He spoke quietly and didn't say much. He didn't grab my arm forcefully, so perhaps that's why I gradually got used to him.

So I chimed in. We talked about hair color and television, we caught grasshoppers by the river, we played games against each other, and we passed the time until the adults decided it was time to go home.

I wondered if this is what it would be like to have friends.

I am a youkai called Satori, and normally, I would have awakened to the ability to read other people's minds by my late teens at the latest. However, when I was 15, I awakened to the ability to manipulate other people's memories. This means that I am a mutant. That's probably why I have silver hair.

It wouldn't be such a problem if I only could simply manipulate memories, but this ability had a side effect.

It's a change in eating habits.

Until then, I had been able to obtain the nutrients I needed to survive by eating the same diet as most youkai and humans.

But after awakening my ability, it was different. My tongue and stomach could no longer tolerate my favorite foods, like hamburger steak and grapefruit juice. Not only did they taste disgusting, but even if I forced myself to swallow them, I would end up vomiting.

I instinctively knew what to eat - human memory.

Eating human memories will definitely get me pursued by exorcists. They are tolerant, but they are not lazy or incompetent. If I eat mindlessly, I will be caught quickly.

I left my hometown - my parents had already passed away - and began a life of moving from place to place, avoiding the public eye.

Originally, apart from my parents, I had no direct contact with other people, so I felt no resistance to living alone. Because I can enter a state where I am not remembered by people, I can do things similar to Nurarihyon and has few inconveniences.

One day, I was discovered by an exorcist. It seems that there was a person who was immune to my supernatural powers, so I used divination-type magic based on sightings of that person to pinpoint their location.

Reluctantly, I tried to manipulate the exorcist's memories, but was blocked by a technique I had never seen before. No matter how many times I tried, the result would be the same—I felt a ripple in my heart, thinking that I might lose.

However, it seems I wasn't weak even without my memories manipulated, and although I had almost completely lost my supernatural powers and was injured, I managed to escape the female exorcist, who had shamelessly described herself as a genius onmyoji. Once I could no longer sense her presence, I ran as fast as I could, and suddenly found myself on a riverbank in the middle of nowhere.

Then I lost consciousness. I had reached the limit of my physical strength.

"...Hey! ...--kay?" I heard someone's voice, and my conscious, which had been submerged in murky water, rose to the surface.

"Ugh." I gasped as I opened my eyes, and my eyes met with a boy about my age. He had short hair and looked strong-willed.

My thoughts quickly became clearer, and with that, my fear grew.

I thought to myself, "I'll run away," and tried to get up, but I couldn't muster any strength.

"Hey! Don't move. I'll call an ambulance now," he - Tamaki - said, and I immediately snapped, "Stop it!"

"No ambulance. Leave me alone," I continued, sincerely.

Being touched or talking to a complete stranger was painful. I wanted to get away from Tamaki-kun as soon as possible.

But I can't. The mental stress of communicating with a stranger and the physical fatigue from fighting the exorcist made my tongue slower than usual, but I managed to negotiate with him with all my might and prevent him from calling an ambulance, but that was all. "I'm sorry," Tamaki-kun said, picking me up and starting to walk.

His feverish back and the smell of sweat.

If I could move my body I would have been distraught. I would have run away. But for better or worse, I was unable to do so.

My world was once again painted black.

The next time I woke up, I was in bed. Turning my head to the side, I realized I was in a Western-style room of about six tatami mats, decorated with posters of baseball players, gold trophies, and brown gloves.

At this point, my mind was at its weakest.

"Uh... uh..." Tears flow against my will and I can't stop them.

To begin with, I'm not a very mentally strong youkai. I apparently have enough supernatural power to make exorcists grimaces, but my mental strength is on par with that of a human child, or maybe even weaker.

Why do I have to go through so much pain? Why am I afraid of others? I wanted to be born as normal Satori...

The complaints that I had been trying not to think about began to weigh on my heart.

I heard the door open and Tamaki-kun appeared. He immediately noticed my condition and looked away, saying, "Um, yeah. I don't really know about your condition, but would you like something to drink?"

I couldn't say anything.　

Until he was able to move again, I stayed at Tamaki's house—a single-parent household with his father on a business trip, so he was essentially living alone. At first, it was nothing but pain, but gradually, albeit awkwardly, we were able to converse.

However, there was a big problem. I had to explain why I was recovering despite not eating any normal food.

"A Youkai? Is a Youkai that monster?" Tamaki-kun asked in surprise. He seemed calmer than I expected.

"Yes," I replied, and Tamaki-kun asked again. "What kind of youkai are you?"

"Satori..." I answered, and he said, without any ulterior motive, "Wow, that's amazing."

Suddenly, I felt a sense of sadness in my heart, and words began to flow naturally.

Being a mutant. Having to eat human memories once every few weeks. Being chased by scary people called exorcists. Having no family. Being afraid of other people.

We talked about a lot of things. It was only at this point that I finally realized: I wanted someone to accept me.

I thought being alone was the best thing because I was scared of other people, but I was wrong. Loneliness is just as scary. I sigh and realize what a difficult character I am.

But when I saw Tamaki-kun laugh and say, "What a pain," I felt like I might start to like myself a little more.

Once I was feeling better, he invited me to hang out on the weekend.

The next day, at dusk, I sensed that Tamaki-kun, who was about a kilometer away, was losing his spiritual power at an incredible rate. Following my uneasy feeling, I rushed out of Tamaki-kun's house - where I was still staying - and headed towards him.

There were two people at a small T-junction in a residential area. One was Tamaki-kun, sleeping in a pool of blood. The other was a stylish girl, lying on the hard asphalt.

I didn't think of Tamaki-kun as a member of the opposite sex, but when I saw that, my mind went blank and I was seized by the irrational thought that I had to bring him back to life at all costs.

But how... I looked up at the evening sky, and then, like a revelation, an idea came to my mind.

--If we were to transfer all of Tamaki's memories to another person, wouldn't that be the same as reviving him or reincarnating him?

Now that I've calmed down after some time has passed, I realize that it was something completely different, but at the time it seemed like a stroke of genius to me.

I immediately took action. I had no experience using my supernatural powers on a corpse, but I managed to extract some of the memories. I then implanted them into the unconscious girl nearby. I didn't hesitate even a moment.

At that moment, a major disruption occurred in the memories and perceptions of the girl and Tamaki-kun. Although I was panicking, I managed to piece together their fragmented and altered memories and perceptions, and forcefully adjust them to make them consistent. Just in the nick of time, I managed to avoid a collapse of their personalities.

Then, I carried the body of the girl - Hitotose Sora - on my back and rushed to the nearest general hospital.

Hitotose-san have no memories of me, which means I'm a complete stranger to her.

Although I wanted to get closer to her again, the guilt that followed made me hesitate to approach her. A few days passed, and I finally realized what I had done. I didn't have the strength to continue living my convenient delusion.

Even though Tamaki-kun's memories and personality are mixed in, Hitotose-san is essentially still Hitotose-san - Tamaki has not been resurrected or reincarnated.

There was no point in what I did.

I even considered erasing Hitotose-san's memories of Tamaki-kun. However, her mind, under extraordinary strain, miraculously maintained a normal balance. Any further manipulation of her memories would risk leading to a mental breakdown. In the end, I couldn't do anything.

I decided to go back to the person I was a little while ago. I would travel around Japan alone, occasionally eating out. I wouldn't talk to anyone, and I would live secretly so as not to be found by exorcists.

I feel sad and lonely, but I can't bring myself to make new friends to replace Tamaki-kun. And I don't think it'll be that easy.

So I gave up and thought, "It can't be helped." I have no choice but to accept loneliness.

And so I left the town where Tamaki-kun lived.　

About three months later, I visited Tamaki's grave.

Perhaps because it was out of season to visit the graves, there was no one in the cemetery, and since I was in the countryside, I let my guard down, which led to me being found by a bird-shaped Shikigami near the ruins of an amusement park near the cemetery - the entrance to which was labeled "Ghost Paradise.''

Although it was destroyed immediately, the information must have reached the caster. I sighed and thought I had failed, and started to move on, thinking I should stay in Western Japan for a while.

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August 23rd is the anniversary of my mother's death. I visit her grave every year on this day.

It's been six years since my mother passed away, but the memory of her remains vivid in my mind. I've always had a good memory. Perhaps it's related to the mutation - the ability to manipulate memories.　

I stand before a black grave with the words "Koto Family Grave" carved into it. I am alone in the cemetery.

It's not raining, but it's not sunny either. The gloomy, lead-colored clouds are keeping the heat down, making it comfortable.　

"..." As I watched the ants crawling around on the tombstone, I suddenly realized that the only time I ever went back to my hometown was to visit the grave. "...It doesn't really matter," I quickly realized, and since that was the only reason I ever went back, it didn't really matter.　

The wind blows, blowing her long silver hair. Her mother said she liked it, so she keeps it long, but recently she's starting to think that maybe she should cut it after all.　

"Hmm...?" I let out a voice as I sensed three presences in the distance.

The demonic powers and spiritual powers that I know about - Mizuki-kun and Hitotose-san, but there is one spiritual power that I don't know about. It's approaching at a reasonable speed, so it must be a car. In other words, the unknown spiritual power is thought to belong to the person driving.

Their movement stopped near the entrance to the cemetery. After a while, the unknown spiritual being headed back the way they came, leaving Mizuki-kun and Hitotose-san behind. Meanwhile, the other two began to move forward.

My heart is beating louder than ever. My body trembles with each beat. But I mustn't run away. I think. Even though I'm scared.　

As I fixed my gaze on the grave, like a wax doll, the footsteps grew louder and then stopped.　

"It's been a while,"

"Hey, how have you been?"

Mizuki said calmly, while Hitotose-san said lightly. 

I turned my body towards the two of them.　

"Mizuki-kun...right?"　

"Yes, that's right." His voice had changed, but the tone deep inside it was the same as before. "I came to see Shizuku-san. There are something we want to talk about with you. Is that okay?"　

I nod.

If I could read their memories, I could understand what they were saying without listening to them. But I have no intention of doing that. I want to treasure their words.　

Hitotose-san takes a half step forward. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise."　

A promise? I searched my memory, wondering what it was. It didn't take me long to remember. It must be a promise to hang out.

I was surprised that he was worried about such a thing. He was killed, so there was really nothing that could be done. Hitotose-san, No -- It's Tamaki-kun, there was no need for him to apologize.　

I'm the one who should apologize. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I stumbled. "I put your memories into her without permission from you both..." As I was about to say it, the thought of how much Hitotose-san knew crossed my mind, and my words trailed off.　

"It's okay, she understand everything," Mizuki replied as if soothing a baby. It was as if he had read my mind.

"I see..." I managed to say, and then asked Hitotose-san, "Are you not angry...?"

"I'm not angry."

"I messed with your memories and your mind without your permission! I distorted your true self! So why--"

She let out a small laugh. "Well, think about it calmly. I, as Sora, was almost killed, but Tamaki saved me, and as a result, I, as Tamaki, died. From myperspective as Sora, Tamaki saved my life. I think it's Sora's--, no, it's my duty to accept Tamaki's memories and remember him forever. I don't think you were in the wrong. As Sora, I was one of the reasons for Tamaki's death. Am I wrong?"

It seems wrong, but maybe not. I'm not sure. As I was struggling for a response, she asked me, "You're still eating memories, aren't you?"　

I nod.　

"I see," she said in a whisper-like voice, before continuing, "Then from now on, as Sora and Tamaki, you'll eat my memories." 

Come to think of it, I remembered Tamaki's words. "If you eat a little of the memories of the time I spend with Shizuku inside me, then spend some more time together and create more memories, then eat some more memories, and repeat this cycle, there won't be any casualties and the exorcist won't get mad at you, right?" He'd said something incomprehensible about cooking his own memories, and burst out laughing at his own words.　

"Thank you," but I couldn't do that. "If I were to manipulate Hitotose-san's memories any further, there's a high chance that your mind would fall apart. So I can't. I'm sorry."　

"Seriously?" Hitotose-san frowned slightly, her neatly trimmed eyebrows. Then, turning around, she said to Mizuki-kun, "What should I do? My guess was wrong. Is there anything Mizuki can do?"

Seeing her sweet, honest voice and Mizuki-kun's kind eyes watching her, I realized that it was natural for the two of them to rely on each other and be relied on.

I feel envious. My heart aches as I think about how I wish I had someone like that.　

"Shizuku-san, are you okay with being told what memories to eat?" Mizuki-kun asked.　

"It's okay, but..."　

"May I ask an exorcist I know to help with Shizuku-san's meals?"　

"What do you mean?"　

"Exorcists aren't enemies of us youkai, they act as mediators to ensure that humans and youkai can coexist. So, if there's a way for you to avoid having to steal memories from unrelated humans, Shizuku-san, I think they would probably be willing to cooperate."　

"Is that so...?" Was it true?

"It's true. The leader of those people is a half-demon, after all."

"..." I thought for a few seconds, then said, "I understand."

"Okay, that's settled," Hitotose-san said in a refreshing voice reminiscent of a clear summer day. Then, she briskly moved to stand next to me, in fact, in front of the Koto family grave. She clasped her hands together and closed her large eyes.　

Silence enveloped the cemetery. Her skin, shining in the summer sun, was covered in sweat. Sweat trickled down her temples and chin.

After a moment, she opened her eyes, turned towards me, and spoke, "Well, let's go out and play."　

A question mark arose in my head and almost unconsciously I asked, "Are you talking to me?"

"Who else is there?" Hitotose-san looks annoyed.

"..." Not knowing how to respond, I remained silent.

Perhaps feeling sorry for me, Mizuki-kun added to what Hitotose-san had said. "Sora seems to think of you as a friend. If you don't mind, please can you hang out with her."　

"Eh... ah, yeah," I nodded vaguely, not really understanding what he meant.

"Come on, let's go," she said, taking my hand. "Or should I give you a piggyback ride again?"

"Stop!" Remembering my embarrassment from that one time, my tone became unexpectedly sharp.

Laughing, "Fufu," Hitotose-san continued, "I was just kidding."

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Mizuki immediately consulted an exorcist about Shizuku. He apparently simply asked if he could get some of that exorcist memories to feed Shizuku.

When I explained the situation to the bewildered exorcist, who asked me what had happened, she was apparently very surprised, but ultimately agreed, with some conditions.

The condition was that Shizuku would help the exorcist. Basically, she would work as an assistant to the exorcist, and as a reward, the exorcist would give her memories that she wouldn't be troubled by even if they were lost.

As September begins, we're seeing a mix of hot and cool days. There's also a big difference in temperature between morning and evening. I don't want my children to get sick during this season, so recently I've been cooking meals with nutritional balance in mind. I don't know if youkai can catch colds, though.

My winning formula is to go shopping with Mizuki after school on Fridays and then stay at the apartment. I hope the Silver Phoenix relief pitchers will follow our example and find a winning formula as soon as possible.

As we walked along our usual route, side by side with Mizuki, we came across a beautiful woman named Shizuku at a crossroads near his apartment, carrying a paper bag in her hand.

"Ah, hello," Shizuku greeted in a modest voice, her expression looking brighter than before.　

"Hey there," Mizuki and I replied, and Shizuku lifted the paper bag and said, "I bought some souvenirs."

Until yesterday, she had been out of the prefecture working as an exorcist. I now remembered that before she left, I had asked her to bring me a souvenir.

Of course, I had no intention of confessing it honestly. "Thanks," I said nonchalantly, and suggested, "Since you've come all this way, why don't you come up?"

"How dare you forget, even though you asked her to?" Mizuki blurted out something he shouldn't have, so I slapped him on the butt. I heard him say "Ouch."

Shizuku laughed. "You're like a married couple."

"Yeah." Heat rises in my face.

Recently, I often imagine what married life would be like with Mizuki. I naturally find myself thinking about things like, "How should we divide the housework?", "What kind of work will we do?", and "What should we name our children?"

Mizuki must know everything, but he never says anything specific. I sometimes worry about what he's thinking. But I believe Mizuki feels the same way.　

Mizuki let out a sigh and began, "At weddings," my heart skipped a beat. "Apparently, it's common for the bride and groom to reveal how they met."

Perhaps sensing what was coming, Shizuku frowned and hesitantly said, "I'm sorry."

"I'm grateful, so please don't apologize," Mizuki said quietly. "Our situation is so unique, so I was wondering how to get through it. It'd be boring to just play it safe and cover it with a lie," he said, glancing at me for a moment. Then he asked Shizuku, "Do you have any ideas?"

"Hmm... well..." Shizuku pondered, but concluded, "Sorry. I can't think of anything right away."

"I see. Well, let me know if you come up with any ideas."

"Yeah. I'll think about it."

Mizuki has a twisted nature, so maybe he's just teasing me, tickling my heart. But my love for Mizuki washes away my anxiety and doubt. 

My heart feels warm deep inside. If Mizuki is willing to do that, then I can devote myself to him without any worries. I can give him my all. Feelings of love well up inside me, filling my heart and still not stopping, overflowing, my mouth curling up. I feel an urge to hug him.　

"Can I really come in...?" Shizuku asked happily.

"It's fine/Of course it's fine," Mizuki and I said in unison.

The big fly that gave us the opportunity turned out to be a girl as beautiful as a goddess.

The autumn sunset paints us, the sky, and the world orange. Not bad, not bad. That's what I thought from the bottom of my heart.

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Satori na Boku, TS na Kimi

[Complete]

Author's Note:

This is really the end. It was a story that I didn't really understand, but thank you so much for reading this far!

I'd appreciate it if you could tell me your thoughts on the good and bad points. If you feel like it, please do so.