Episode 26: Being Together Forever Is Just Too Convenient.
“Hey, Yotsuka.”
“Haah… haah… wh-what?”
Still sitting in the chair, we stayed wrapped tightly around each other.
Our breathing slowly, slowly settled.
The only sound was the crackle of the campfire in the distance, oddly loud in the quiet.
Outside the window it had gone fully dark, only the campfire’s light still flickering.
The cheering had died down; the after-party sounded like it was winding toward its end.
“The after-party’s probably almost over… want to go?”
“No more… I’m done for today…”
“…So, what now?”
“I’m— going home… I can’t breathe…”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Makina continued.
“This means we’re dating now, right?”
I lifted my head without meaning to.
“Ah… yeah. I guess… that’s what it means, right?”
“You’re the one who confessed, and now you’re this flustered? After you thought it through and gave your answer and everything.”
“S-sorry.”
“But, dating… what exactly changes, concretely?”
“I mean, that’s…”
Now that she says it, I really don’t know.
I mean, up until now, we’ve basically already been living at girlfriend-level distance anyway.
“We already hold hands normally.”
“Yeah.”
“We already sleep together too.”
“…In a quiet, understated way, sure.”
“We’re already hugging right now, too.”
“…Yep.”
“Huh. Maybe nothing actually changes at all.”
“No, I think there are things that’ll change.”
I buried my face against Makina’s shoulder.
“Like what?”
“Um… going forward, I want to be able to say I love you, openly.”
“Feels like you kind of already were?”
“…Not as a childhood friend. As… your girlfriend.”
“…Heh, that matters, doesn’t it.”
“And also, maybe it’s okay if we get a little closer, even in front of other people?”
“Closer than we already are? Sounds like we’ll have to start kissing in public.”
“Th-that’s, well, true, I guess…”
Makina laughed, looking delighted.
“By the way, when are you telling Ia-chan? Feels like she’d figure it out immediately even if we kept quiet.”
“Ah…”
Ia’s known I liked Makina for ages now.
…Well, more accurately, I accidentally blew it myself.
“I guess I really do need to tell her properly, huh.”
“She’s definitely going to be thrilled!”
“Nah, I feel like she’ll just brush it off completely.”
“You think?”
“She’ll probably say something like, ‘Oh? Finally?’”
“Wait, Yotsuka, you already told Ia-chan?”
“Y-yeah, a while back…”
We both laughed a little.
“So, when do we tell Dad and your mom?”
At that question, I fell quiet for a moment, thinking it over.
“…They’re getting remarried next year, and we’re becoming sisters.”
“Right.”
“Kind of… hard to find the right timing for this.”
Makina’s expression shifted slightly.
“There’s one thing I want to decide on, actually.”
“…What?”
“If — and this is just hypothetical, okay? — if anything ever happened between us…”
“S-something like what…”
The oddly serious tone in her voice sent a small chill through my chest.
Why bring this up now, of all times?
“Hypothetically. Just a hypothetical, okay? Even if something like that ever happened, let’s not make Dad and your mom worry over it unnecessarily. So, I want us to keep quiet about it until the wedding, no matter what.”
“…………”
“If that ever happened, I still want to properly become sisters with you, Yotsuka.”
“…Ha, that’s not really something you say right after we start dating, is it.”
“Maybe not, but…”
Makina looked straight at me.
“We can’t put that kind of burden on them. If we ever got awkward with each other, they’d both worry themselves sick, since they’re both so kind…”
“…Got it. If anything ever happens, I’ll make sure we still become sisters properly. I promise.”
“Thank you, Yotsuka.”
Makina smiled, looking relieved.
“But, hopefully nothing happens…”
“Yeah, I don’t think anything will.”
Outside the window, the noise of the after-party had fully died down, and everything had settled into quiet.
“Yotsuka, let’s head home. Someone might come in.”
“…Yeah. I mean, what are we even doing, in a classroom, of all places…”
Makina smiled and stood up.
“Well then, starting today, we get to sleep together not as childhood friends, not as sisters, but as girlfriends!”
“Wh— wait?! Y-yeah, I guess that’s how it works now?!”
“Oh? Not happy about it?”
“It’s not that I’m not happy! I mean, I am, but— there’s just, like, a different kind of nervousness than before—!”
“Ehe, cute.”
“Don’t tease me!”
“Or, should we take a bath?”
“Ngh… that’s also…”
“…Ahh, I get it now!”
Makina looked like she’d just realized something.
“So that’s why you turned me down that one time~! Guess we should start with the big public bathhouse after all?”
“I— I’ll do my best…”
◇◆◇◆◇
Among the adults dressed in black, there was one girl crying alone.
I crouched down in front of her.
“I’m going to be right by your side, Yotsuka-chan. Always.”
“Really? You won’t disappear, like Papa did?”
“Really.”
“You’re not lying?”
“No. Forever, forever, we’ll be together.”
“I’m glad. Thank you, Makina-chan.”
◇◆◇◆◇
“Looks like I’ll be able to keep that promise, forever, after all, Yotsuka.”
“Wh— what are you even talking about…?”
“…Ehe, secret!”
Makina pulled me into a tight hug.
My heartbeat… was louder than it had ever been in my entire life.
…Should I just go straight to a cardiac surgeon first thing tomorrow morning or something?!