Epilogue

The next morning, I woke up realizing the warmth that had been beside me when I fell asleep was gone.

For a moment, I thought it might’ve all been a dream. But the unfamiliar ceiling, the fluffier-than-usual bedding, and above all, the gentle fragrance filling the room told me it wasn’t.

“Shinomiya-san…?”

Rubbing sleepy eyes, I got up and left the room to look for her. Then, from downstairs, I heard a faint, rhythmic tap-tap sound.

Holding the railing to avoid tripping, I descended the stairs and headed to the kitchen. There, a woman in an apron was humming while cooking.

She reminded me so much of my mom from when I was little that, without thinking, I hugged her from behind.

“Oh my, what’s this about?”

Her voice, too, was like my mom’s—soft and a little flustered.

“…Mom, what are you making?”

“—Hehe. I made your favorites as a reward for working so hard on your own. Pick whatever you like.”

“Mmm… Thanks, Mom. I love you.”

“Oh my, thank you. But I’m not your mom, Anno-kun.”

She patted my head with a gentle tone, not resisting my hug, and my brain snapped awake. At the same time, I realized what I’d done.

“S-Sorry, Shinomiya-san! I was half-asleep and just…!”

“Hehe. You’ve got a surprisingly clingy side, Anno-kun. Like I said yesterday, you’re welcome to lean on me anytime, okay?”

I jumped back and bowed so low my head nearly scraped the floor in apology. But far from being upset, Shinomiya-san seemed almost disappointed that I’d let go.

“Anyway, good morning, Anno-kun. I’m glad you slept well.”

“Being brushed off like that is its own kind of confusing… Good morning, Shinomiya-san. It’s been a while since I last slept so soundly.”

“That’s great to hear. I’m happy I got to see your softer side, so it’s all good. Now go wash your face—breakfast will be ready soon.”

Looking at the table, I saw a spread so lavish it could’ve been mistaken for a hotel buffet.

“Did you… make all this yourself, Shinomiya-san? No way, right?”

“No ‘no way’ about it—I made every bit of it!”

She puffed out her chest with a smug grin. I half-wanted to frame a photo of her with a caption: “Producer: Me.”

“You must’ve worked so hard making all this so early… You could’ve woken me up—I’d have helped.”

“Don’t worry about it. I made it because I wanted to. Besides, I couldn’t bring myself to wake you when you were sleeping so peacefully.”

Now I was curious about what kind of face I’d been making—especially with Shinomiya-san smirking at her phone. She didn’t take pictures, did she? I shot her a suspicious look.

“Staring at me like that won’t get you anything, you know?”

“…You didn’t do anything weird, right?”

“Hehe. I’ll leave that to your imagination. Come on, go wash up—let’s eat before it gets cold.”

I felt like she’d smoothly dodged the question, but more than that, part of me wondered if this whole exchange was a dream.

“…Fine. We’ll talk details over food.”

Reluctantly, I went to the bathroom to wash my face, stopping by her room first to grab my camera. I couldn’t let her have the upper hand forever.

“Welcome back. There’s a lot, so pick your favorites.”

I was floored again by the sheer variety—being able to choose my favorite dishes at home, especially for breakfast. I loaded my plate and sat across from Shinomiya-san to eat.

“‘Let’s eat.’”

The taste was impeccable—among the best I’d ever had. From yesterday’s dinner to the bentos she’d made before, Shinomiya-san was an incredible cook.

But it wasn’t just skill that made it so good. It was eating with someone—with her. The happiness welling up naturally softened my expression, and then snap—she took a photo with her phone.

“…I don’t think I’m interesting enough to photograph.”

“Not true. You had such a great look on your face just now, Anno-kun.”

She smiled, and I couldn’t meet her gaze from embarrassment, focusing on my food instead. She giggled, watching me with evident delight.

“Anno-kun, will you keep photographing all the different sides of me—of ‘Rinoa Shinomiya’—from now on?”

“…As much as I’m able, I’d be happy to.”

“Then here’s to a long, long time ahead. I’m counting on you, Anno-kun.”

Her smile was more beautiful than any I’d ever seen. I stopped eating and pressed the shutter.