Prologue: Yuuki, Kotori, and Ultimate Happiness

“...Phew. That was a long day.”

The sigh escaped Yuusuke Yuuki, a second-year in high school, on his way home from work.

It was already past ten p.m., and the world around him was shrouded in darkness.

Today, Yuuki had been helping out at a factory owned by a relative. During busy seasons, it wasn't unusual for him to get home this late. But considering the hourly wage was something you’d never see at a normal part-time job, he was grateful for the opportunity.

And so, despite the bone-deep weariness of a corporate drone settling into his entire body, Yuuki’s steps were surprisingly light.

(After all, I’ve got a girl waiting for me!)

A grin spread across his face. He continued down the road home, occasionally throwing in a mysterious, jaunty step. Before long, he arrived in front of his apartment building.

He bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and stopped in front of his door.

Just as he pulled the key from his pocket to unlock it…

...Huh?

Yuuki saw an unfamiliar girl coming up the stairs he’d just climbed.

Was there a kid like that in this building?

Her appearance was incredibly striking. She looked to be less than ten years old, with vibrant golden hair and translucent blue eyes.

What’s more, she walked right past his door, past his neighbor Kotori’s door, and to the one next to that, unlocking it herself and letting herself in.

“And she’s a super-close neighbor, too…”

He’d never noticed her before.

“Well, she’s probably in elementary school, so our schedules wouldn’t line up… Anyway, that’s beside the point.”

Yuuki once again inserted his key into the lock and threw the door open with gusto.

“I’m home!”

A warm, lit entryway greeted him. Something smelled wonderful.

“Welcome home, Yuuki-san.”

The girl who appeared was Shimizu Kotori, her black hair framing her face. She was his girlfriend and lived in the room next door. She wore an apron over her school uniform. It was her habit to come over and cook breakfast and dinner for him like this.

The sight of her in an apron, combined with her gentle, lovely features, seemed to wrap Yuuki in a warmth that melted his fatigue away.

...Ah, this is it. This is the life.

He’d been greeted at the door like this countless times after coming home from work, but the sheer joy of it still made his lips curl into a smile.

“Hey, Kotori.”

“What is it?”

“What do you think happiness is?”

What’s with the sudden question? Kotori tilted her head. Cute.

“Well, the first thing that comes to mind is ‘being able to live comfortably without working.’ I mean, it’d be awesome to just play around and live it up without a job. But is that really happiness?”

Yuuki continued, his expression dead serious.

“Take my grandpa, for example. He was a farmer. When I was ten, he got cancer, was hospitalized, and died without ever going back to work. But you know what he always used to say from his hospital bed? ‘If I get better, I wanna get my hands back in the dirt.’ And when you think about it, all those millionaires out there don’t have to work, but they study harder than anyone and are super active. It’s like humans are just wired to feel unfulfilled if they’re not working.”

“I see.”

“But then, is just working enough? That’s not right, either, is it? Even if you love what you do, work is tiring. And if you do nothing but work and neglect the person you love until you’re all alone, that defeats the whole purpose.”

“That’s true.”

“So, I think happiness is this: ‘Working hard, and when the day is done, spending a peaceful time with the person you love.’ And right now, I’m busting my ass with studying and my job until I’m exhausted, and when I come home, the cutest, kindest girl in the world has made me dinner and is waiting to welcome me.”

Then, with a look that practically screamed Ta-da!, Yuuki declared:

“In other words, I think I’m at ‘peak happiness’ right now. What do you think, Kotori?”

“I think today we’re having vegetable stir-fry and ginger pork,” she said with a smile, masterfully ignoring him.

Hmm…

“What’s wrong? Were you not in the mood for ginger pork?”

“No, not at all. Your ginger pork is the best in the world! If I ever had a last supper, it’d be on the menu for sure. Thanks, as always!”

“Thank you. Please remember to empty your pockets before you put your clothes out.”

Kotori, still smiling, said this smoothly and padded off toward the living room.

For the record, that smile was adorable.

Extremely adorable. (I said it twice because it’s important.)

“Hmm. Still…”

Yuuki crossed his arms and grumbled.

She’s gotten tough, that Kotori.

Not too long ago, saying something like that would have made her blush beet-red every single time.

And that was what was so cute about it.

Extremely cute.

Unbelievably cute. (I’m prepared to say it as many times as necessary.)

“Well, I guess you get used to it… Can’t have your heart pounding every single time.”

It couldn’t be helped, he supposed, but Yuuki still felt a little like pouting.

◇

The ginger pork and vegetable stir-fry were incredibly delicious.

As expected, Kotori’s cooking was the best. It wasn’t that the flavors were particularly strong or unconventional, but eating it just felt…calming.

Kotori efficiently cleared the empty plates and retrieved a homemade milk pudding from the refrigerator for dessert.

“Here you go, Yuuki-san.”

“Ah, thanks.”

This treat, not too sweet and refreshingly light, was Yuuki’s favorite.

After placing the dessert in front of him, Kotori immediately started washing the dishes. This was their usual routine.

He’d tried to help once, but Yuuki—who had subsisted almost entirely on convenience store bento and instant noodles before Kotori came along—promptly let a dish slip and shatter (twice, in fact).

“Um…Yuuki-san, you can just rest. You must be tired from work…ahaha.”

She’d said it with such genuine pity in her voice that he’d decided to fully delegate this particular matter to Minister of Dishwashing Kotori.

He was pretty sure he’d never forget the look she gave him—the kind you give to a pathetic creature—for the rest of his life, and probably the next one, too.

“~♪”

Kotori cleared the dishes away, humming a lovely tune.

She was so efficient. The skill gap between them was honestly enough to make Yuuki want to sulk.

In no time at all, the dishes were done, and Kotori returned to the table.

“Hm? Yuuki-san, you haven’t even touched your dessert. What’s wrong?”

“Nah… I was just thinking about how much I rely on you for everything.”

Honestly, he probably couldn’t survive if Kotori were to disappear. He was grateful, but it also made him feel a little bad.

“You pay for my share of the food, Yuuki-san. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“You think so?”

Well, I guess I’ll just savor this feeling of gratitude for all it’s worth…

With that thought, Yuuki picked up his spoon.

And that’s when he noticed something.

“Huh, there’s more pudding than usual.”

“Is there?”

The amount of pudding served in the clear glass dish was about twice the normal portion. Kotori was usually the one to control the serving size, saying it wasn’t good to have too many sweets.

“Oh, yeah, you’ve been in a pretty good mood for a bit now. When you were washing dishes, you were humming that song from the anime Ootani and I were watching the other day.”

“I-I don’t think I was…”

Kotori turned away and started fiddling with her hair.

Ah, she’s embarrassed and trying to cover it up.

“...Is it because of that? Were you happy about what I said at the door earlier?”

It had felt like she’d brushed him off, but maybe she was actually so happy that she was too shy to react.

The proof was right there: when Kotori turned back to him, her face was flushed with a bashful red.

“Heh, I see, I see. Still, to think you’d get in such a good mood so obviously. I’m glad I said it.”

What an adorable girl.

“...Hmph.”

Kotori puffed out her soft-looking cheeks.

Yep, adorable.

“...You’re such an idiot, Yuuki-san.”

With that, Kotori pressed her reddened face into Yuuki’s shoulder, rubbing it back and forth.

“Hey, stop that, it tickles.”

Though he told her to stop, the warmth of her body against his shoulder was comforting, and Yuuki made no move to push her away.

In fact, she could stay like that for another hour, and he wouldn’t mind one bit.

For Yuuki, these moments of simple, playful affection with Kotori were more precious than anything.

“...Hey, Yuuki-san.”

“What is it, Kotori?”

Her voice was muffled as she spoke, her face still buried in his arm.

“I’m…happy right now, too.”

“...I see.”

“...Yes.”

A comfortable silence settled between them.

The only sounds were the occasional cars passing by the apartment. It made Kotori’s breathing, and the slightly quickened beat of his own heart, feel so much more immediate.

…Seriously.

I wish this moment could last forever…

Yuuki thought that in all sincerity.

But the clock on the table, though slow, was steadily ticking forward.

A glance showed it was exactly midnight. The day had just ended.

“Ah, summer vacation’s over.”

That’s right. The day that had just ended was the last day of summer break.

A lot…a whole lot had happened before the vacation, but things had finally settled down over the break, and his daily life of busting his ass at work and school while spending time with Kotori had returned.

Tomorrow was the opening ceremony, the start of the second semester.

And it was also the first day Kotori would be attending his school as a transfer student.