Final Episode ("Somewhere Again")
Final Episode ("Somewhere Again")
In the government office of the royal capital, under a high window where sunlight streamed in softly, the grown-up princess continued to write in silence.
Neatly stacked piles of documents, endless stamps of approval.
The young princess was faster, more precise, and more calm than anyone around her. She moved her hands faster than anyone else, and gave orders more accurately than anyone else.
Her subjects praised her, calling her the "ideal king."
But her back was so lonely.
During a short afternoon break, she left her desk and went to a small table in the corner of the room, where she found a cup of steaming tea and a sprig of white lilies.
The princess quietly picked up her cup and looked out the window.
An empty sky. An empty street.
She moved her lips slightly.
"...'Don't push yourself', huh?"
Talking to myself, not directed at anyone in particular.
Those were the words I once said.
But I still don't know if those words were what I really wanted to convey.
If only I had said something different back then.
If only I could have taken her's hand more strongly at that time.
There is no answer. There never will be.
However, there was a lone, empty chair across from the table.
Now I don't even put tea there anymore.
--If I put it down, I'll just end up waiting for someone who will never come.
And yet, I still dream about it.
If I could say "thank you" to her just one more time.
This time, I hope I can give her a slightly different answer.
Putting her cup down, the princess turned back to face the pile of papers, her expression still perfectly still.
★
Suburban training ground.
Beneath the wide sky bathed in the faint light of evening, the swordsman stood there as a silent instructor.
All the students respected him.
He was a man of few words, but a leader who spoke with his actions. Just one demonstration could completely change the students' mindset. That was the kind of man he was.
Only the sound of swords being swung spread silently.
After the training was over, one boy looked up at the sky without sheathing his sword.
The swordsman quietly approached the boy and called out to him.
"……what's up?"
"Teacher, the sky... is so beautiful."
The swordsman suddenly narrowed his eyes slightly.
A distant memory was reflected in his eyes.
The magically clear sky that night.
The image of that child, shaking her small shoulders, waving her wand and scattering the clouds.
Just a little bit of magic.
But the sky he saw then was more beautiful than anything else.
So the swordsman answered.
"...Yeah. Someone once told me that the sky can sometimes be cleared by someone's magic."
The boy tilted his head in confusion, but the swordsman said nothing more. He simply walked away quietly, his feet crunching through the weeds growing under his feet.
And just before leaving the training ground, he suddenly looked up at the sky one more time.
Then, he muttered in a voice so quiet that no one could hear.
"...Can you show me again?"
The wind blew gently.
The twinkling of stars was beginning to appear faintly in the sky.
★
A small clinic a short distance from the village from which he lived.
The wooden building is by no means impressive, but it exudes a warm light.
There, the former hero appeared.
Now, he no longer wields his sword.
Instead of fighting, he spends his days helping people through medical treatment and care. Sometimes, children ask him to tell them stories of his adventures. When he does, he always tells them the story of "the little wizard who saved the world."
He was sometimes jokingly called "the hero without a sword." The hero would respond with a laugh.
"There's not much left to protect now."
But that smile seemed somehow empty.
Occasionally, at night, he head up the hill where there are remains of a bonfire.
He sit quietly in that place that smells of grass.
He takes out an old map from his pocket.
On the edge of it, in small, trembling letters, was written:
"Here again in 10 years"
This record, which he never showed to anyone, was the only thing that kept him going through life.
"...It's been 10 years already."
As he muttered this, the hero's voice was carried away by the wind and disappeared.
It's like asking a question to the sky.
It was as if whispering to someone who was still unreachable.
★
--That day when she disappeared.
The princess turned the pages of her diary with trembling fingers.
One by one, to another.
The only things written there were the number of times the spell was used and the color. There were almost no words to convey any emotion.
The room is too quiet.
The hero and the swordsman just stared at it in silence.
And--
Suddenly, something small slipped softly from between the pages.
The princess gasped and stretched out her hand.
Lightweight, about the weight of a piece of paper.
But there was a weight that felt like her whole heart was being torn apart.
When she picked it up, it still retained a slight warmth that told her it had been carefully hidden for a long time.
A small piece of paper.
There, written in familiar, round, soft handwriting, were just a few lines.
"Because I'm fine.
Don't worry.
See you all soon!"
It was an innocent touch.
I could almost hear the child's voice as she laughed and wrote it down as if it were nothing.
The hero and the swordsman both froze, staring intently. No one said a word.
However, the place was filled with only a quiet shock.
The princess bit her lip to suppress an inarticulate groan. Her slender shoulders trembled slightly.
The hero clenched his fist on the desk, desperately trying to hold back the trembling until his fingers turned white.
The swordsman bowed his head and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to suppress his emotions.
The piece of paper slipped from the princess's hand and fell softly onto the desk.
Like a feather in the wind.
Those small letters were the child's heart itself.
--Bright, kind, and innocent.
But it was too, almost cruel, a bravado.
"I'm fine"
"See you"
How close to a "goodbye" that was.
Just how far had she really reached the point of no return?
No one could deny it.
There was only silence.
The princess gently closed her eyes and picked up the piece of paper again with trembling hands.
The hero bowed his face to the desk, as if praying to something invisible.
The swordsman simply quietly shed tears that no one could see.
Nevertheless--.
A small, single piece of paper,
The only thing that was undeniable proof was that the child had definitely "been here."
And without anyone saying anything,
Silently, silently, the diary page was closed.
The sound rang painfully in their ears, like a bell announcing the end of someone's journey.
•
•
•
Then, a few months passed.
A small, quiet conference room in a corner of the royal capital.
There, the three people who had once traveled together - the hero, the swordsman, and the princess - were gathered.
Outside, the spring sunshine was shining. But even the light coming through the window felt somehow distant. The faces of the three people were stained with fatigue and unresolved emotions.
The princess placed both hands on the desk and took a deep breath. Her fingertips were trembling slightly.
"The reason I asked you to come today is..."
She began, then immediately became stumped.
Everyone had a vague idea of what was about to be said.
About that girl.
About that little wizard who disappeared.
"...We're looking for her."
The princess continued, biting her lip.
"But I can't help but feel that we won't be able to find her."
Neither the hero nor the swordsman said anything.
However, without nodding, they quietly accepted the words.
It wasn't a gathering to give up.
However, everyone also understood the reality that they had no choice but to give up.
The princess laughed faintly.
It was a helpless smile, a kind of laugh-cry.
"I will return to the royal castle. You will each go your own way... But..."
Although she hesitated, the princess looked straight at the two of them.
"...Ten years from now, if your feelings still haven't changed--"
"Let's meet again!"
Silence filled the room.
But the silence wasn't heavy.
The hero took out an old map from his pocket and wrote something small on the edge.
The swordsman also nodded silently.
Even without saying it out loud, the message was clear enough.
--Even if that child never comes back.
--Even if 10 years pass without them meeting.
Still, the one thing all three of them had in common was that they would never forget her.
Their hands clasped together. Without even exchanging glances, they simply vow to each other.
The hero quietly spoke.
"Then, let's talk about 'that girl' again. And laugh."
No one said it aloud, but--
The thought of "what if that child doesn't come back" was floating around in the air.
Even as time passes, her voice remains unforgettable. Her name, her figure, her laughter remain unfading. Each of them, in their own way, believed that one day they would be able to say "thank you" just one more time.
•
•
•
It's been 10 years since then.
The hero visited a small village with a map in hand.
"Here again in 10 years"
That place was once a place where they had found peace.
Now no one lives there anymore.
A closed-down . Cracked cobblestones. A decaying signboard creaks and sways in the wind.
There is no longer any steam or the laughter of travelers.
All that remained was a faded building and the nostalgic smell of grass. Behind the closed hot spring inn was a small garden. There was a wooden bench, bamboo leaves swaying in the breeze, and a small stone bathtub that no longer even rose steam.
It may have been bustling in the past, but now all that remains is grass brushing the ground. The sign at the gate has long since been removed, and even the name of the inn seems to have been forgotten.
The hero slowly sat down on the bench.
He carefully unfolded the old map he had taken out of his pocket. Towards the edge, in a sun-bleached brown corner, there was something written in faded letters.
"Here again in 10 years"
That day, the three of them made a quiet promise.
They had continued to search for that child, but they still couldn't find her, and yet the feelings of the three of them, who still couldn't forget her, crossed paths just once on one night.
"...Tomorrow will be...10 years since that day."
A voice that was not meant to be spoken to anyone in particular floated along on the quiet wind.
Small garden.
There was a wooden bench and a stone bathtub that was almost buried in grass.
--The place where a young wizard girl once bounced around with a towel wrapped around her head.
The hero slowly sat down on the bench. No one might remember her now.
The name of this place, the smell of the water, and the pitch of the voice.
But there are those who will never forget. Those who could not change will gather here again.
The wind shook the grass.
The hero remained silent as he continued to sit on the veranda. A strong wind blew through, rustling the grass in the garden.
At that moment...
Suddenly, he felt like someone was waving at him.
But even when he squinted his eyes, he couldn't see anything.
"...Is it just my imagination?"
The hero smiled slightly and gently lowered the hand he had instinctively reached out in that direction.
And the night falls quietly.
★
--Same time.
There was no one there, just a wide, gentle hill. The grassland was a golden yellow and the wind was blowing gently.
There were no birds singing in the distance, no trees, just grass, sky, and wind.
There was a small figure at the top of the hill.
It was the figure of a young girl. Slender arms, the hem of her clothes fluttering in the wind, and soft hair that seemed to glimmer in the light.
No one could see her face.
With the setting sun as the background, she stands quietly with her back to everyone.
Under the vast sky.
In a world with nothing.
She was the only one there.
The wind blew through the grass, gently lifting her hair.
Her thin shoulders seemed to tremble slightly.
And--.
The girl slowly raised one hand.
Without turning around or saying anything, she just gently waves, her back to us.
It was as if...
.... as if she's saying "See you later" or "Thank you."
It's beyond words.
However, it was certainly a gesture that conveyed her message.
After waving, the girl gently lowered her hand.
And once again, he gazed into the distance.
The setting sun.
A golden burning sky.
The world slowly and silently turns to night.
The next moment――
Suddenly, her figure vanished.
Like it melts in the wind.
Like melting into the setting sun.
There was no one there anymore.
But the grass is swaying.
The wind passes through.
And all that remains quietly in the world is the fact that girl's back was indeed "here."
★
The screen slowly fades out.
A grassland with no one around.
Only a single ray of blue afterglow drifted across the sky.
The credits roll plays against a black background.
After the scenery of the journey so far is quietly projected...
The cuts change slowly.
It was in a dark forest.
A faint ray of moonlight filters through the trees.
The sounds of insects echo in the distance, and the wind rustles the branches and leaves.
In the center of the scene are the remains of a dying campfire.
Next to it was a small wooden table.
And--.
There was only one cup left on the table.
A small tea cup that she always used.
There is no more steam.
There is no one in sight.
However, there remains a sense that "someone was there" just a short time ago.
Ashes from the bonfire dance gently in the night breeze.
No one appears on the screen.
But it seems as if the world is quietly saying...
"That child was definitely here."
The image slowly moves upwards, as if looking up at the moon.
Then, a blue afterglow flows quietly across the sky above the forest.
There were no words, no music, just the silence of the night and the light.
And then, the screen slowly melts into deep darkness.
•
•
•
[THE END]
★★★★★
[Runaway Wizard] Episode 10 Live Thread [Somewhere Again]
1: Anonymous of the Wind
The final episode starts in an hour...
4: Anonymous of the Wind
Do you believe there's a happy ending here?
Somehow Wizard-chan is back!
Somehow, she can get back the lifespan she lost!
Let's all live happily together
The source? Just trust me
5: Anonymous of the Wind
The important parts are all vague, but that...
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It has begun!
The princess has become the "face of the country"
Why does she look so lonely...
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That government building is very beautiful, but the air is cold.
The warmth she felt when that child was with her is gone
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Only the black tea and white lilies seem to be "left behind" and it really hits home.
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"'Don't push yourself', huh?"
Ruminating on that time is so painful
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She know those words probably didn't and won't reach her.
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Still, it's painful to try to move forward without tea.
Even though she wasn't making any progress, I felt like she had no choice but to leave it behind as is.
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The seat opposite her was empty and it brought me to tears.
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Her face when she returned to the documents was too much like a mask
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"If I could say thank you to her again..."
That means there are still people who haven't said it yet.
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The princess had always "swallowed her words" as she grew up
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The swordsman who became an instructor is too quiet, but it's unfair that you can tell he's trusted.
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I want to say "I've become a swordsman instructor lol" but I can't.
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"The sky is so beautiful"
He never thought he'd hear this line from a student.
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"There was someone who taught me that a long time ago."
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With just one sentence, I feel like I understand "everything" about him
It was a line that made him realize that she was still there and hadn't disappeared.
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The swordsman will never forget that night when she cleared the sky with magic...
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It's also unfair not to mention the name
178: Anonymous of the Wind
As he was leaving, he looked up at the sky and asked, "Can you show me again?"
That was a prayer
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It's painful that it's not a statement, but a "wish" - so swordsman-like.
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Even though it's just a scene of footsteps getting farther away, it quietly wears down your soul.
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The atmosphere of the clinic hero is so different.
But the eyes remained the same...
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Although he's kinder than anyone else, he gives off the vibe of being somewhere far away
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"There's not much left to protect now."
It seems like a joke, but it's so empty it hurts
237: Anonymous of the Wind
It's painful that he was referring to that girl's story as "the wizard's story who saved the world" and that it was in the past tense.
But that's a way of speaking that only someone who's been there all along can do.
It's something only a hero who has been with her from the beginning can say.
245: Anonymous of the Wind
"The morning of the tenth year since that day"
255: Anonymous of the Wind
I cried at the words on the map
The records that you haven't shown to anyone are the most important
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The scene where he takes out the old map brought me to tears.
276: Anonymous of the Wind
The small letters written on the edge looked the heaviest in the world.
"Here again in 10 years"
288: Anonymous of the Wind
This place aaaaaaaaaaaa!
Hot spring episode!
The wizard jumped right into the hot spring inn!
310: Anonymous of the Wind
The hot springs were really deserted.
There's no laughter, no steam, the air in that place is so cold.
325: Anonymous of the Wind
What do you mean, all is gone in 10 years?
I wish everything had stayed!
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I'm glad that bench is still there.
But there's no one there
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Only the memory of "" remains here
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"But just for today," he said, but instead of kindness, it sounded like resignation and fatigue.
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It was cruel to believe in his memories and know she won't come.
408: Anonymous of the Wind
When the wind blew, "I felt like someone was waving."
I think all the viewers felt like they could see it at that moment.
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I'm not mistaken, but there's no one there
It's so painful to have to dismiss it as "just my imagination"
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His smiling face is no longer that of a "traveling hero"
It was the face of someone who had overcome the challenges of everyday life.
452: Anonymous of the Wind
Huh? Where is this? A grassland? Aren't we supposed to be in the site of the old hot spring inn???
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Aa……!
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Wizard-chan!!
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It's Wizard-chan!!!
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Because everyone knows that the silhouette is of the wizard!!!
She is alive!
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I can't see your face, but I know who you are
But I'm scared of not knowing why we're here.
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The way her hair shone through the light was strangely beautiful.
It feels like it's not real anymore
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She just gently waved her hand
Even though that was all, I felt like being told "the whole story is over."
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I'm glad I didn't say anything
I heard her "goodbye"
From what might have been "See you later" that remains forever
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She's saying "See you later"!!!
You heard me!!!
I heard that!!!
633: Anonymous of the Wind
I thought that not looking back was a sign of her kindness, but also a sign of farewell.
647: Anonymous of the Wind
I felt like she was saying "thank you"
No, I felt like she was saying, "I don't want to be noticed."
677: Anonymous of the Wind
That child "never belonged to anyone" until the very end...
698: Anonymous of the Wind
The wind blows, the grass sways, the light shines...
There was only a small figure inside.
Only one person in the world is still standing
712: Anonymous of the Wind
But still, hero! The hero alone must go and get to the little wizard!!! (screams)
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And the ending...
An unusual piano arrangement has arrived...
Scenes from all their travels flow by
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That departure in episode 1
The royal capital in episode 2
The hot spring in episode 3
The royal castle in episode 5
All
All...
It all flows by
790: Anonymous of the Wind
The usual ending scene was of the four of them having a fun chat around a campfire...
They drank tea, shared sweets, and laughed while the princess complained.
The swordsman silently added more logs to the fire, and the wizard watched with a smile, saying "Thanks."
Why is it so quiet? Why is there no one here?
825: Anonymous of the Wind
No more bonfires
Only ashes remain
Is this what it means to be "burned out"?
856: Anonymous of the Wind
The only tea cup left on the table
That's the one she bought to match the hero, right???
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I know it belongs to her, but no one can touch it.
888: Anonymous of the Wind
Stop reminding me how cute the cup was, so tiny.
912: Anonymous of the Wind
It's really hard when there's no steam.
That means no one will warm it up anymore...
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The four of them have finished their journey...
972: Anonymous of the Wind
When the camera pointed to the moon and blue light flowed
I know it's not magic, but I wanted to think of it as her "magic."
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"She was definitely here."
That alone makes a person a story.
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Goodbye, Wizard-chan
Thank you
987: Anonymous of the Wind
Thank you
And, good job
991: Anonymous of the Wind
But in the end, what we were watching wasn't just a story of meeting and parting...
The journey to defeat the Demon King is just a small part of that world...
998: Anonymous of the Wind
Hmm? What do you mean?
999: Anonymous of the Wind
So even after that, in that world, the story continues... without anyone knowing.
I'm sure Wizard-chan will be reunited with her friends there and live happily ever after.
I just know it
★★★★★
[Runaway Wizard] A thread to remember someone who's gone
1: Anonymous of the Wind
This thread is a place to remember that girl whose name was never mentioned.
4: Anonymous of the Wind
She was good at starting fires
She gathered some twigs and quickly made a fire.
She also baked bread for them.
9: Anonymous of the Wind
When she was baking bread, she burned it and laughed.
Even though they said it was "grilled," it was only burnt on the outside and raw inside.
15: Anonymous of the Wind
I'm sure I remember that girl's voice, but when I try to recall it, it starts to blur a little.
22: Anonymous of the Wind
I want to believe that she's alive somewhere
But I know she won't be coming back
31: Anonymous of the Wind
I'm sure she would say things like "Thank you" or "I'm sorry"
But I guess she thought those words weren't even necessary.
38: Anonymous of the Wind
The final scene where she waved was like a dream
47: Anonymous of the Wind
Actually, how old was she again?
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She was laughing until the end
That's the hardest part
61: Anonymous of the Wind
Since she left, I've started to dislike the smell of bonfires a little.
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Her voice was too kind
She spoke in a way that seemed to encompass everything.
84: Anonymous of the Wind
Even though I know she's not here anymore,
I feel like somewhere, she's still waving at me
★★★★★
[Favorite Couple Hell Thread] Wizard-chan Favorite Person, Ascension Today [Misinterpretation and Emotional Outburst]
2: Anonymous of the Wind
Hero x wizard faction, just being alive today is a great thing
When the hero muttered, "I couldn't say thank you," and that was definitely it...
9: Anonymous of the Wind
The swordsman x wizard faction is fatally wounded in the scene where he look up at the sky
"Can you show me again?" he whispered, and even though it was just unrequited love, it was so precious that I cried.
17: Anonymous of the Wind
Princess x wizard fan here, instantly got killed by the white lily part
When I looked up the meaning of the flower, I found "pure white," "dignity," and "eternal farewell," and my heart died once more.
22: Anonymous of the Wind
I believed that each of our favorite couples were the ones we cared about the most,
The fact that nothing confirmed is hellish.
28: Anonymous of the Wind
Even so, the feelings of "I loved you" and "You were important to me"
It was all real.
33: Anonymous of the Wind
Even if the wizard doesn't accept it
Still, it wasn't a lie
41: Anonymous of the Wind
The hero, the princess, and the swordsman
They really did care about that girl.
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But the child herself...
I think she was standing in a place that was "out of reach" from the start.
52: Anonymous of the Wind
Not to be loved by anyone
She only existed to help someone
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"Thank you" and "I love you"
She didn't want to receive it from the beginning
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That palm in the final episode
Oh, she wasn't waving it at anyone.
"That's it~"
She waved to herself
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Belongs to no one
Not part of anyone's story
But was lost in the wind
85: Anonymous of the Wind
That's why
It was so warm
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But!!!!
Nevertheless!!!!
I will never give up on !!! (crying)
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At that moment, when the hero finally reached out his hand, not knowing who he would reach,
I absolutely believe that the wizard noticed!!!
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Absolutely!!!!
I believe that move was not in vain!!!
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So I...
I'm glad I fell in love with this girl
117: Anonymous of the Wind
Because...
That smile... was definitely not a lie
Author's Note
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