Epilogue Yuuki and Kotori

A week had passed since Yui and Mina left the apartment.

Yuuki’s life had returned to normal.

He would wake up early, go to school and study, work late into the night, and then come home to spend time with Kotori before bed. Sometimes he would remember that golden hair and small body and feel a little lonely, but for the most part, it was back to how it was before Yui came. But… there was one thing that hadn’t gone back to normal.

“…Hey, you!!”

During lunch break, Yuuki was stopped in the school hallway by a voice he vaguely recognized.

“Hm? Oh, you’re one of Kotori’s classmates.”

“It’s Yoshida! Sayuri Yoshida. But my name doesn’t matter.”

This trendy girl with dyed, permed hair was, he recalled, one of Kotori’s classmates and friends.

“You didn’t do something to Kotori, did you?”

“Eh?”

“She’s been down lately. Even when I talk to her, she seems out of it…”

“Ah.”

Yuuki had a feeling he knew what she was talking about.

“I see. So that’s it…”

“‘So that’s it’ means you did do something, didn’t you!!”

Yoshida said, glaring at him.

“She’s a kind girl. The type to hold it in even if something is wrong… so if you’re taking advantage of that because you’re her boyfriend and making her suffer, I’ll never forgive you.”

Yoshida cornered him, looking like she was about to growl.

With her good looks and strong-willed face, she was quite intimidating.

But Yuuki was more relieved than anything.

“…You’re a good person.”

“Pardon?”

Yoshida looked at him with a blank expression.

“Please continue to be Kotori’s friend.”

“Of course I will. She’s my best friend for life!!”

“It’s only been about two months since Kotori transferred here…”

Yuuki said, a little exasperated. Well, in any case, he was glad she was liked.

“But yeah, I have to do something about this.”

Yuuki muttered.

◇

That night. After Yuuki got home from his part-time job and took a bath, he was studying at his desk while Kotori prepared dinner.

Crash.

A loud noise came from the kitchen.

Yuuki stood up, wondering what had happened, and hurried to the kitchen.

“Kotori, are you okay?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry for the noise. And for the plate.”

Where Kotori was looking, the plate Yuuki always used was on the floor, broken in half.

“That’s fine, more importantly, are you hurt?”

“Ah, yes… I’m fine.”

She usually did her housework with a meticulousness that was almost too careful for him, but lately, things like this have been happening a lot.

He knew the reason well. It was because Yui was gone.

Since Yui had left, Kotori had been absent-minded at times, even while doing housework.

Well, he thought it couldn’t be helped. Kotori had doted on Yui so much.

He had thought she would get back to her old self eventually, but it seemed she was still hung up on Yui more than he had expected.

“Hmm.”

Watching her pick up the broken plate, he worried and wondered what to do.

(…Ah, come to think of it.)

Yuuki remembered something.

He hadn’t slept with Kotori since the three of them had slept together with Yui.

“Hey, Kotori.”

“What is it?”

“Why don’t we sleep together tonight, for the first time in a while?”

If she was lonely because someone was gone, maybe it would be a little better if he stayed by her side a little longer. It was a simple idea, but it was all Yuuki could think of.

◇

After getting ready for bed, Yuuki turned on a small light and lay down on the bed.

“Come on, Kotori.”

He beckoned her to his side.

“…Um.”

Kotori was fidgeting shyly.

“W-what’s wrong? We’ve slept together a few times already.”

When she reacted like that in her light pink pajamas, it was so cute it was a problem.

“But, um… it’s embarrassing to be invited by you again, Yuuki-san.”

“You invited me yourself last time.”

“Ah, that was in the heat of the moment, and it wasn’t just the two of us, Yui-chan was there too.”

Kotori gasped and looked down.

“That’s right, Yui-chan was there too…”

“…Kotori.”

This was pretty serious, he thought.

In that case, as her boyfriend, he had to reassure her now.

Yuuki gently took Kotori’s hand and slowly pulled her towards him.

As if guided by him, Kotori fell onto the bed, and Yuuki caught her.

The delicate but soft feel of Kotori’s body and the nice smell of her shampoo filled his arms.

“…Are you still lonely now that Yui is gone?”

“…Yes.”

Kotori answered, leaning her body against his chest on the bed.

“That’s why I think you were amazing, Kotori. Even though you really wanted Yui to stay, you helped me clear up Mina-san’s misunderstanding, and you saw her off with a smile on the day she moved.”

That’s right, Kotori had, as she had said herself, seen Yui off with a smile.

So that Yui wouldn’t be conscious of the fact that Kotori was sad because she was leaving.

“But, you know. I thought you would cry after Yui left and it was just the two of us. But you didn’t.”

Yuuki gently stroked Kotori’s hair.

“It’s okay to cry if it’s painful. Yui isn’t here anymore.”

“Yuuki-san… thank you. But it’s a little different.”

Kotori shook her head slightly.

“It’s true that I’m lonely now that Yui-chan is gone. But I think it was for the best, and I have no regrets. It’s just… I’ve been a little scared since Yui-chan left.”

“Scared?”

“Yes.”

And Kotori said in a trembling voice, on the verge of tears.

“My mother, my father, and Yui-chan… I’m afraid that everyone I care about will leave me…”

“Ah…”

I see. It was probably no wonder that Kotori would think that, Yuuki thought.

She had lost her beloved mother when she was little, and she blamed herself for it.

Her father, with whom she had lived for so long despite everything, was now in prison, and Yui had gone to America.

“My mother, my father, and Yui-chan, they’re all gone.”

It was true that all the intimate people Kotori had spent time with had, one by one, left her side.

“If, just if, you were to leave me too, Yuuki-san… I’ve been thinking about that. If that happened, I…”

Kotori wrapped her arms around his back and clung to him tightly.

Her body and voice were trembling.

“You’ll stay by my side, won’t you, Yuuki-san? You won’t leave me, will you?”

“…Of course not.”

“I’m scared… I’m scared.”

Kotori… was crying. Large tears were streaming down her face.

(…No matter what I say to Kotori now, her anxiety probably won’t go away.)

Yuuki thought.

Even if he said he would always be with her, everyone had left her side so far. Besides, there was no guarantee that they would be together forever. After all, something like an accident, like with Kotori’s mother, could happen suddenly.

But… even if he could never prove or guarantee it.

“Kotori, look up.”

At his words, Kotori slowly looked up.

Her eyes were red from crying, but even so, he thought again how cute his girlfriend was.

“Close your eyes.”

“Eh? Yes, I understand.”

Kotori closed her eyes as she was told.

“I love you, Kotori.”

Yuuki said, and pressed his lips to hers.

“…Nn.”

At first, Kotori’s body twitched in surprise, but then, as if she understood what was happening, she relaxed and let herself be held by him.

The feel of his beloved girlfriend’s lips was soft, and the feeling of the distance between them disappearing was pleasant.

He savored the pleasant sensation for a few seconds, then they slowly pulled their faces apart.

“Yuuki-san…”

Kotori was looking at him with a surprised expression.

“Hey, Kotori. I don’t think anyone knows what will happen in the future. So I can’t guarantee that I’ll always be by your side.”

Kotori nodded. She knew that, and that’s why she was anxious.

“But.”

Yuuki looked straight into Kotori’s eyes and said.

“Even without a guarantee, I swear, I’ll always be by your side. I won’t go anywhere. If you wish, I’ll live even one day longer than you.”

Yuuki said in a clear, strong voice.

Because there was no guarantee or basis, it was all the more clear and strong.

“Stay with me forever, Kotori.”

“…”

Hearing his words, Kotori fell silent for a while with a blank expression.

Seeing her like that, Yuuki…

(Oh, crap. Did I go a little too far?)

He thought.

Come to think of it, weren’t the words he had just so boldly declared almost a proposal?

And a pretty serious one at that.

She was still in high school, so she would probably be confused if he suddenly said something like that.

“Uh, Kotori, you don’t have to take what I just said so seriously, it’s more like a declaration of intent, or a page from our youth, or… whoa!!”

Kotori hugged him again.

And this time, her hug was much stronger than before. If the last one was a “squeeze,” this one was a “SQUEEEEEZE.”

“No, I will take it seriously.”

Kotori said in a tone that brooked no argument.

“I heard you, you promised. You’ll be by my side forever, right? You’ll live even one day longer than me, right?”

“O-oh. Of course.”

Yuuki hadn’t been lying, nor had he said it lightly.

“But, are you sure? Forever, I mean, I’m happy, but.”

“Of course. We can even go and submit our marriage registration tomorrow.”

“No, no, I’m still only seventeen!!”

“Didn’t you say you’d listen to my selfish requests!!”

“It’s a legal issue!!”

The night they slept together for the first time in a long while passed with such embarrassing exchanges.

“Man, I’m glad Kotori is feeling better.”

“Yes, that’s good.”

A few days had passed since then.

During lunch break, Yuuki was eating the bento Kotori had made as usual, and talking to Ootani, who was sitting in the seat behind him.

“It’s true that around last week, she seemed out of it even when I talked to her. But then, when I saw her on the way to second period today, she came up to me and started talking with a strange amount of energy.”

Since that night, Kotori had completely returned to her old self.

In fact, she seemed to have a hundred times more energy than before.

Yuuki’s bento today was also unusually elaborate and luxurious.

“I was so surprised at how suddenly she got better. What on earth did you do, Yuuki?”

“Eh? Ah, well, you know.”

I kissed her and swore my eternal love.

If he said that, she would definitely look at him like he was an idiot.

(…But, you know.)

Come to think of it, he had finally kissed her.

Last month, he had been saying he didn’t know how to get to the point of kissing, but when it happens, it happens.

Kotori’s lips were so soft, and her face with her eyes closed while waiting for the kiss was so cute.

“…Fufufufu.”

Just thinking about it made him grin.

“What’s with the creepy look?”

Ootani said with an exasperated look.

Just then.

“Shouka-chan.”

A very refreshing voice was heard.

Ryota Fujii came into the classroom.

He was a very high-spec classmate—handsome, over 190 cm tall, with excellent grades, great communication skills, and to top it off, the ace of the baseball team—but for some reason, he was a weirdo who was head over heels for Ootani.

Come to think of it, he had been seeing him a lot lately, but he hadn’t seen the usual ritual of him confessing to Ootani during lunch break and getting rejected.

Fujii waved to Ootani.

“See you after club activities today.”

“Yeah, yeah. If you’re going to be late, let me know.”

“I’ll send you a message filled with my love for you, Shouka-chan.”

Fujii said with a wink.

“Stop it, it’s a pain to delete the history.”

She was as harsh as ever.

But Fujii was used to it, so he didn’t seem to mind, and after hearing Ootani’s reply, he smiled happily and said, “Well then, see you later,” and left the classroom.

I don’t know if I want to learn from that mentality or not, Yuuki thought.

“Hey, Ootani, are you meeting Fujii after school today?”

“Yeah, well, we’ve been walking home together a lot lately.”

“Huh, that’s rare. Are you getting him to help you study for the upcoming exams?”

Ootani’s grades were generally above average, but her math was so bad that she had to take a makeup exam every time.

“Not really. Oh, come to think of it, did I not tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“I decided to go out with Fujii.”

“Hmm, oh, I got a message from Kotori.”

The message said, ‘Yui-chan sent me a picture!!’ and there was a picture of Yui and Mina traveling together in America, standing side by side happily.

It seemed that mother and daughter were doing well.

I’m glad, Yui.

He muttered in his heart to the girl in a faraway place.

“…Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ootani, sorry, but could you say what you just said again?”

“I decided to go out with Fujii.”

“Oh, I see.”

“That’s right.”

“I see…”

“…”

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!”