Epilogue

Yuuki Yuusuke woke up a little before his alarm went off, as usual.

As usual, he silently turned off the still-silent alarm, changed into his uniform, and ate breakfast.

For breakfast, he had a convenience store rice ball and vegetable juice he had bought the day before. This was also usual. He didn’t say “thank you for the food” or “that was good.”

Then he grabbed his school bag, which he had packed the night before, and left the house.

He didn’t say “I’m leaving.” There was no one to say it to, and no need.

Today, as usual, he would just silently study toward his dream of becoming a doctor. That was all.

He started walking to school.

“—I had a nostalgic dream like that.”

He said while eating breakfast.

A month had passed since the incident with Shimizu.

Summer vacation was over, and today was the first day of the new semester.

“I see… So that was you before you met me, Yuuki-san.”

Kotori said from across the table, neatly eating her grilled fish.

The wounds Shimizu had inflicted a month ago had completely healed, leaving no scars.

And she was wearing his school’s uniform.

Afterward, the principal, an old friend of Shimizu’s, had helped them out in various ways. He had apologized to her, saying, “I’m sorry I couldn’t notice while I was so close to him.” He had also suggested she transfer to their school from her current all-girls’ school, where bad rumors were already spreading.

She had accepted his offer, passed the entrance exam, and was now attending the same school as him, one year his junior.

“Yeah, that kind of… inorganic feeling… It was only three months ago, but it feels so long ago.”

“Inorganic?”

“Yeah. Like, there was no reason for living. Just a goal, and I was like a machine, just silently working toward it. But now, I have a reason for living: eating the breakfast Kotori made with her like this.”

Incidentally, she was living in the same apartment building as him. In fact, she was in the room next door.

That’s why they were having breakfast together like this. And dinner, and the time before bed where they held hands and snuggled. They didn’t sleep together anymore, but other than that, it was almost the same as when they were living together.

“And also, saying good morning to you, saying I’m home when I get back, walking together, and holding hands and relaxing before bed.”

“Don’t you have a lot of reasons for living?”

“Everything related to you is my reason for living.”

“...”

…Hah. Nailed it.

He thought to himself.

It had been three months since they started dating. He could finally say cheesy lines like that with a straight face—well, it was still a little embarrassing, but at least he wasn't obviously nervous anymore.

Now, Kotori, you may blush adorably.

He thought, but she picked up the glass of homemade milk pudding in front of him, scooped some up with her spoon, and held it out to him.

“Here you go, Yuuki-san.”

“…What is it, Kotori?”

“You said something nice, so I thought I’d feed you.”

…Wh-What?!

The ‘aaahn.’ We’ve never done the ‘aaahn’ before.

“You’re not going to eat it?”

She tilted her head.

…Damn it, she’s cute.

“I’ll eat it.”

“Then here you go, aaahn.”

He opened his mouth and ate the milk pudding from her spoon.

As always, the not-too-sweet, refreshing taste was exquisite. Though, right now, the sweetness had a different meaning.

“Is it delicious?”

He gave a sincere nod.

Ah, damn it, of course it’s delicious, and I’m happy as hell.

He moved his mouth, his face beet red.

“Fufu. Thank you for eating so happily.”

She giggled at the sight of him.

“Well. Let’s clean up and get ready for school, Yuuki-san.”

She said, standing up.

Man. I tried to make her blush, but she turned the tables on me.

Damn you… you’ve gotten good… hm?

“Aren’t your ears red?”

“W-What are you talking about?”

She said, turning away from him and trying to cover her ears with both hands.

“...You were embarrassed too, weren’t you? Look at me.”

“...Mmph.”

When she turned around, her pouting face was just as red as his.

“Alright, now that I know that, I’m gonna feed you, too.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll take the dishes~”

“Hey, don’t run away, Kotori.”

(…Ah, I’m happy.)

This was his new normal.

Every day, exchanging these silly little moments with her.

He thought, The morning, which used to be just about getting ready and leaving, is now so much fun.

That day, a few days before he met her. For some reason, he had desperately wanted a girlfriend. Maybe, he had recently started to think, he had been subconsciously seeking this kind of warmth.

“Huh? By the way, what’s that letter?”

As she was about to take the stacked dishes to the kitchen, she saw a pink letter and envelope on the table. It was clearly not a color he would choose.

“Hm? Oh, this?”

He said, putting the letter in the envelope.

“Well, it’s my regular report.”

◇

A few days later.

A letter from her son arrived at his mother’s house.

Once a month, he was to write a detailed report of his current situation on this letterhead and send it.

That was the condition his mother had given him when he left home.

Until now, the letters had been, just as you’d expect from him, just a businesslike report of his grades, health, and savings. His mother had been getting tired of it, thinking, “That’s not what I meant.”

But. The letter that day was a different story entirely.

It began with these words:

“To Mom.

I got a girlfriend.

The best girlfriend.”

From there, the letter, which filled an entire A4 sheet of paper with praises of how amazing his girlfriend was, made his mother writhe in agony so much she thought her body would twist in two.

How embarrassing. My son, you’ve grown, to make me writhe like this.

That’s what she thought, on a summer afternoon.