Episode 12: “Like the Two of Them”
“Morning, Fiine.”
She opened her eyes to a familiar ceiling. Sitting up in a hurry, her gaze met Yuria’s, already dressed for bed.
“…Are we home?”
“Yep. You fell asleep in the carriage, so I just carried you in like that.”
“Wha—?! Oh, th-thank you… actually, sorry.”
“It’s fine. You’re light, Fiine.”
Though it was a bit of a struggle, Yuria muttered under her breath, then let out a huge yawn. Looking outside, the sun had already fully set.
“I made dinner. Want some?”
“Ah, yeah… thanks.”
Between one thing and another, she’d been relying entirely on Yuria’s care. If Yuria hadn’t been there, she probably would have gone the whole day without eating.
She got out of bed and headed for the living room. Tonight’s dinner was veal cutlet, onion soup, bread, and fruit.
“I’m off to bed. Night, Fiine.”
The fruit on the plate was fresh — she’d probably gone to the market for it while Fiine was asleep. Yuria had to be just as exhausted, and yet she still did that.
“…Yeah, night, Yuria.”
Yuria gave a light wave and disappeared into the bedroom.
Fiine reached for her fork and brought a bite of the freshly fried cutlet to her mouth. The crisp breading and tender meat struck the perfect balance, and before she knew it she was two bites in, three bites in, completely absorbed.
Every meal Yuria made for her was delicious.
“Wha—?! You mean this is what you normally eat?! It’s basically livestock feed!!”
She still remembered Yuria saying that to her, years ago.
The first day she’d ever invited Yuria over, she’d put real effort into cooking something lavish — only for Yuria to recoil in horror at the sight of it.
(She said I mixed too many things together, but honestly, I thought it was efficient to eat that way…)
When she’d argued that point, Yuria had just sighed at her. Ever since that day, Yuria had never let her near the kitchen again.
So instead, Fiine had tried throwing herself into cleaning and laundry — but she’d never managed to earn a passing grade from Yuria on those either.
According to her, everything Fiine did around the house was sloppy. The time she’d proudly demonstrated washing all the dishes at once with water magic, Yuria had scolded her: “Look, you chipped the plates!”
A little chipping never got in the way of holding food, though.
“…That apartment’s finally getting torn down soon, huh.”
Back during their academy days, their life together had started with Yuria more or less moving herself into Fiine’s apartment.
The single-person unit had been cramped, and shabby in exact proportion to what the rent had actually been worth — not the kind of living situation anyone could honestly call good.
The roof leaked badly, and it was freezing in winter, sweltering in summer.
She never wanted to live somewhere like that again — and yet at the same time, she missed it unbearably.
She’d heard secondhand, not too long ago, that the building was finally being demolished due to age.
It was lonely, but there was nothing Fiine could do about it.
(I wonder if it’s going to keep happening like this. Little by little, the places I remember just disappearing.)
“Hah…”
She sighed and shoveled the last of her food into her mouth. Once she finished eating, she carried the dishes to the kitchen, then headed back to the bedroom.
Two beds sat side by side in the room. The one on the right was Yuria’s; the one on the left, Fiine’s.
She’d slept a long stretch in the carriage already, but her body still ached with leftover fatigue. And there wasn’t anything in particular to do even if she stayed awake.
She flopped onto the bed and pulled the fluffy blanket up over her head.
Closing her eyes, what came to mind was Heinz and Claudia.
(I wonder if a day will ever come when I can be strong like them too…)
Accepting the death of someone precious, and walking forward toward the future. Would a day like that ever come for her too?
“Mmnh… Fiine, no, don’t push yourself so hard, you’ll collapse…!”
She lifted the blanket and checked on Yuria’s sleeping face beside her. Just her usual sleep-talking.
“…Yuria.”
She was asleep, of course, so there was no answer. Gently stroking her head, Fiine closed her eyes once more.