Side Story 3: Crossroads C-1

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one’s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

Couples laughed and bumped into each other, trying not to let the cold sting of winter get the better of them. Blue lights, flickering in the night, made me forget the loneliness of a year that’ll be over in a month. Rubbing my hands together, I let a white huff soar into the skies as I watch the countless people walking around. The city bustled with more activity it ever had this year.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Yuu!”

About ten minutes past the scheduled time, the person I waited for arrived. Her beautiful, straight black hair almost touched her back, and it swayed with the cold winds of night.

“Yumi, you’re late.”

“Sorry, sorry. It took me ages to choose these clothes.”

She wore a light brown knit, black skinny pants, and a leather jacket to tie it all up. Even though she wore high-heeled boots, her height easily surpassed the average man’s, and that, paired with her fashion sense, made it easy to tell she was a model. Her makeup, consisting of an eye shadow and lipstick within the color palette, further unified her whole look, and she surpassed even the concept of art. What brought her down to humanity, however, was her steamy cheeks and reddish face, all due to her running here.

“Ah, it’s fine. Let’s go.”

“Mkay, thanks.”

Seeing such beauty would make it hard for anyone to get angry. Without hesitating for even a second, I held out my hand and she took it in hers. Her thin, beautiful fingers seemed frail enough to break at any moment but were warm enough to make me think she really exists.

“You look so beautiful today, Yumi.”

“Really? That makes me happy! You also look so cool that I’m falling for you all over again. The coat I got for you the other day looks amazing on you, just as I thought it would.”

As you can tell from our conversation, we’re actually dating. It may seem like this beautiful girl and I have no connection at all, but we’ve known each other ever since I could remember, and have spent most of our lives together. At first, we were like brother and sister, but after my parents died, she stood by my side and supported me through those hellish times. My love for her only grew from then on.

It seemed back then she felt the same way for me, and as soon as we entered high school, she confessed her love for me and we tied the dating knot. When I’d lose sight and the meaning of kindness, she did her best to wake me up, and thanks to her efforts, I’m still able to live my life happily without going astray.

Today, we’re here on an illumination date I’ve been looking forward to for some time. (TL: Light festivals happen in Japan over the Christmas period. They are often extravagant and breathtaking and take place as early as October until as late as February.)

“I was surprised to see all the lights from the venue. Amazing…”

“True, we don’t have such a light show in our hometown.”

“Mhm. It’s not even Christmas, but there are so many people here. I guess this is how beautiful the real thing is.”

Numerous people headed to the venue, almost walking in a line. On the other side of the sidewalk, we saw people returning from the spectacle, all boasting bright grins, and happy smiles.

“Still, it’s cold,” the wind stung our faces.

“Yeah, it started freezing all at once,” she nodded.

“I should’ve brought some hand warmers. My bad.”

“Hmm, in that case…” Yumi took our intertwined hands and shoved it into my coat pocket. “Here you go, it’s even warmer~!”

“…Sure is.”

Thanks to the fact our hands were joined in my pocket, the distance between us naturally closed in. I could feel her touch my arm through the jacket, and even though it wasn’t direct, it made my own body temperature rise.

“Yuu, are you blushing?”

“You’re imagining stuff… Oh, look, we can see the illumination from here.”

“…Yeah, we can. It’s really on a whole another level.”

Crossing the streets, we gradually approached the glistening lights. The two of us finally arrived at the park where the event was being held, and the overwhelming blue sprawled all over the trees, from corner to corner of what I could see. I felt as if I was in a fantasy forest, even though I was just in Japan.

“Amazing… It’s blue all the way to the other side.”

“It’s like we’re in the ocean…”

We walked around the park for a bit while gazing at all the lights looming above us, and after a bit, we found a less crowded place. Her usually mature and straightforward eyes were wide open, brimming with the excitement of a little girl. The blue flickered against her beautiful face, and she almost felt as if from another world: untouchable, unreachable.

I wonder if she’s happy with me. She’s so pretty I’m sure she could snatch men far better than me, and I’m sure many will approach her during her work as a model. So, is there a point in being with me—?

“Of course there is.”

There was a pause, and I looked at her in shock. I haven’t said a word, yet she answered my very thoughts as if I had.

“…How did you know?”

“How many years do you think we’ve been together for, Yuu? I know you like the back of my hand, including what you feel. I’m with you because I love you. I love everything about you. Your sweetness, your coolness, your kindness, and the fact I feel most at home when I’m with you.”

I notice her kind eyes glisten as she spoke. I see… Just as I chose her, she chose me. After all the choices I’ve made, I’m now sure of it. I’m the only one who can make Yumi happy in this world.

“…I’m happy to be with you too, Yumi.”

“Same here. That’s because I always think of you first.”

She giggled and clutched my hand tighter. Not to be behind, I put my heart into it as well.

“Ah, it’s snowing…”

“Yeah… It’s so beautiful…”

It was like the timing of a movie. However, I only took notice of the falling snow for a moment, and my gaze was locked on the person next to me instead. The pristine white of the falling flakes accentuated the luster of her black hair. I could only wonder what her fragile, shimmering eyes were thinking.

If there were a different world, if there were a different future, I might not be laughing with her as I am now. In fact, we may be strangers and have nothing to do with each other. If that’s the case, at least in this world, I want to make her the happiest girl ever. I want to know more about the person who understands me the best.

Ah, please…

May this happiness last forever.

T/L: Holy… This is sad in comparison to the main, canon universe. If only she didn’t second guess his feelings and stayed there by his side… I wish for their happiness in this universe where she didn’t mess it all up.