Chapter 6

After seeing Nanase-san off, we went inside. I felt bad about it, but with Shirasu having pulled an all-nighter for a reason as childish as an elementary schooler before a field trip, she was down for the count. I laid her down on the bed just as she was.

"...Huh? Where... where am I? This can't be Senpai's house, can it?"

Shirasu blinked her eyes. She had still been half-asleep when I carried her on my back, but it seemed she was now fully awake.

"It is my house, whether you thought so or not. Is there a problem?"

"N-No way... I was planning on staying at a hotel with a beautiful night view tonight... I was thinking maybe Senpai would get swept up in the atmosphere and hug me tight. Or that I could sleep while being held again... why...!"

Shirasu bit her lip in frustration. Grrr. If this were a normal situation, I would have gently chopped her on the head to admonish her.

"I even asked Nanase-san to book the hotel and arrange for transportation in anticipation of this, so why are we at home!?"

"For the record, Nanase-san didn't say a single word about a hotel."

"No way!? Did she betray me, Nanase-san!? She said, 'I'll book an exceptional hotel for you, so don't worry'!"

With that, Shirasu pulled the covers over her head like a snail. To think she had been plotting such a thing without my knowledge. For once, I'm grateful to Nanase-san.

"Ugh... Senpai, I'm sorry. It's because I was so useless that we ended up just coming home normally..."

"There's nothing to apologize for. In fact, I'd rather be here where I can talk to you calmly than be suddenly taken to a hotel."

"Talk?"

Shirasu peeked her head out from under the covers. Her small-animal-like cuteness made me smile, and I gently patted her head.

"Yes... An important talk about our future."

Shirasu's body flinched. Jolt. Her pupils dilated, and I could tell at a glance that she was nervous. But I was the same. In fact, I was worried she could hear my heart, which had started to race.

"Um... does that mean... you're going to end the commuting wife arrangement now that your injury is healed?"

All emotion vanished from Shirasu's voice. Then, as if not wanting to hear the answer, she yanked the covers over her head again.

"Before we talk about that, there's something I have to tell you, Shirasu."

"...What is it?"

"Actually... I have a gap in my childhood memories."

"...Huh? What do you mean by that!?"

My sudden confession made Shirasu throw off the covers again, this time sitting up straight on the bed with the momentum. It's no wonder she'd be surprised to be suddenly told about memory loss.

"Senpai, you have amnesia!?"

"It's not that dramatic. It's just a small part, and until recently, I didn't even think about it."

Instead, until recently, I hadn't spoken about it, let alone consulted anyone. But when I talked to my dad on the phone, he just said, "Ah, so that's how it was."

"Is that... because it's not an important memory for you, Senpai?"

Shirasu furrowed her brow, her voice laced with a hint of sadness. I continued to speak while gently stroking her head.

"It's a memory from when I was a kid. It didn't cause any problems not remembering... well, the truth is, I probably didn't want to remember."

"You didn't want to remember?"

"The memories I was missing were from around the time my mom died."

The moment I said that, Shirasu's face went pale. She reacted as if she'd just realized she'd made a terrible mistake. As she started to hyperventilate, ...huff... huff..., I gently pulled her into a hug.

"I think I was still in elementary school... when my mom passed away. I loved my mom so much. But when my dad suddenly told me, 'You can't see your mom anymore,' I couldn't believe it, and I cried every day."

That must be why I lost my memories. It's what they call retrograde amnesia. The intense stress of the final separation from my mom triggered a defense mechanism to keep my mind from breaking from the shock.

As proof, according to my dad, there was a time when I had even forgotten my mom's existence. That part, he said, came back naturally as I grew older.

"I'm sorry, Senpai. I made you remember something so painful because of me..."

I stroked her slender back, trying to soothe the self-blaming Shirasu.

"Don't apologize. In fact, thanks to you, I was able to remember something important."

"Wh-What is... that?"

"It's about a girl who was a year younger than me at the same elementary school. Though she transferred away when I was in the third grade."

In my arms, Shirasu's shoulders trembled. Then, she cautiously peeked up at my face from below, her expression like that of a child hoping to find a lost toy.

"She had blonde hair. It would sparkle so much when the sun hit it... it was so beautiful. Just like you, Shirasu."

"S-Senpai... then, could it be... you mean me—"

"It's a little late to say 'long time no see,' isn't it?"

Before I could say, "Sorry to keep you waiting," Shirasu—no, Yuika-chan—wrapped her arms around my back and pressed her body against mine. ...squeeze...

"Ehehe... You finally remembered, Senpai."

"I never would have imagined that the girl from back then was you, Shirasu. This wasn't a coincidence, was it?"

"No, me becoming your fiancée was completely, probably, maybe, surely, maybe, a coincidence."

A wry smile escaped me at Shirasu's completely untrustworthy declaration. Well, if it had all been her doing, she probably wouldn't have almost gotten hit by a car.

"If everything had been in the palm of my hand, you wouldn't have injured your arm, Senpai."

"Well, I guess you're right. If it had been planned to that extent, I'd be too scared to sleep at night."

"Just think about it. You suddenly get a message from your dad, and it says, 'Do you remember Midou Tomoya-kun? He's become Yuika's fiancé!' What would you think?"

"I'd be shocked, of course. I had a similar reaction when my dad told me."

"That's normal. But what if your fiancé was your first love? What would you do if it was the boy you first fell for, who suddenly disappeared from your life nearly ten years ago?"

Shirasu looked at me with slightly moist eyes. I couldn't immediately come back with a lighthearted retort like "you've got to be kidding," as I usually would. Perhaps sensing my inner turmoil, or maybe knowing I'd be confused, Shirasu gave a small smile and rested her head against my chest. ...thump...

"I was bullied back in elementary school."

"...Shirasu."

As if returning the favor for just a moment ago, Shirasu's confession took me by surprise—or not. The reason lay within my missing memories.

"Kids... especially around elementary school age... don't they find people who look different from them creepy? Their hair color, their eye color. Even if it's something they were born with, they become exclusionary because it's different from the majority..."

"Everyone has their own individuality. It's a simple concept, but it's a difficult one for children to understand."

"Yes," Shirasu murmured, a hint of sadness in her voice, before continuing.

"This hair and these eyes are the same color as my beloved mom's. I was so happy when Dad and everyone else would praise them, saying they were beautiful, just like Mom's..."

But when she started elementary school, that beautiful hair was seen as creepy by those around her, making her a perfect target for bullying.

"I still remember it clearly. 'Creepy.' 'Child of the devil.' I was told things like that every day, so I always wore a hat."

"Shirasu..."

"I couldn't take it anymore, so I asked my mom, 'Why isn't my hair black?' and she looked so sad and said... 'I'm sorry.'"

Even something that brought joy can be reversed into pain if you're spoken to cruelly about it every day. It's not strange at all. It's not Shirasu's fault, nor her mother's. It's the fault of childish ignorance and the adults who failed to explain that it was individuality.

"But then. One day, when I was crouched down in the park after my hat was taken, a boy came over and complimented my hair, saying, 'It's beautiful, like a jewel.' He said he liked it because it was so sparkly."

"..."

I could feel my entire body, not just my face, growing hot with embarrassment. I wanted to crawl into a hole. To think that the dream I had just the other day wasn't a dream at all... I was mortified when I remembered.

"And then I found out that boy lived nearby and was a year older than me..."

"Before I knew it, we were playing together at the park," I finished.

The next day, I saw her playing alone on the swings at the park, and we started playing together. It was only for a short time until the sun went down, but back then, I loved seeing her smile.

"School was still painful, but once it was over, I could see him. That time was so fun and happy, and I started to wish we could be together forever. Fufu. Kids are so simple, aren't they?"

"...That's just how kids are."

I had wanted to be with my mom forever, too.

"That's why I was so confused when you suddenly disappeared. Mom and Dad said they didn't know anything... I was sad and a little angry that you didn't say anything."

"I'm sorry..."

"I knew I'd see you again someday. And when that time came, I'd thank you properly. I've been working hard for that. Though, it was a shock that you didn't remember me when we met again."

With that, Shirasu puffed out her cheeks. Pout. Her point was so valid I couldn't argue, but I wanted to make one excuse.

"No, even if I hadn't lost my memory, I don't think I would have recognized you."

If she had suddenly shown up like the crane from the folktale, saying, "I'm the elementary schooler you saved back then!", my confusion would have outweighed any sense of being moved.

"Muu... why not?"

"That's obvious, isn't it? Because you've become unbelievably cute since you were in elementary school."

In the short time I hadn't seen her, her appearance had matured, and her body had transformed from a girl's to a woman's, like a chrysalis emerging as a butterfly. She had turned into a beauty who could captivate you at first glance. I could see a faint resemblance in her blonde hair and blue eyes, but I never would have thought that the little girl would come back to repay a favor.

"You've become quite the charmer in the short time I haven't seen you, Senpai. You don't just go around calling any old girl cute, do you?"

"I only say it to people I truly mean it for. And I don't just carelessly hug girls like this, either."

"So that means you only do these things with me, right?"

"...Don't make me say it, you idiot."

"Ehehe. That makes me happy, Senpai."

Like a kitten seeking affection, Shirasu nuzzled her face against my chest. ...nuzzle... Saying it out loud would be embarrassing and might make her sulk, so I won't, but when she does this, it really stirs my protective instincts.

"Senpai... if it's okay... I'd like to continue this... is that alright?"

"...Ngh!?"

She looked at me with a serious gaze as she spoke. Given the atmosphere and the flow of the conversation, could I assume that "continuing" meant that? Would it be normal for a fiancée? No, even so, I feel like we're skipping a few steps.

"Your injury is healed, but can I continue being your commuting wife? I don't want our relationship to end here."

Oh, she meant that, I thought to myself. A complex mix of relief, disappointment, and anticlimax settled in my chest.

"Is that... not okay?"

"...It's fine. For my part... it's lively and fun having you around, Shirasu."

I had never felt lonely or pained being alone in this empty, cavernous house without my parents.

But since Shirasu started coming over, the scenery of my home has completely changed. It's like a black-and-white picture was suddenly splashed with vibrant color. I could do without her trying to seduce me with knowledge from her maid, Nanase-san, or her attempts to barge into the bath or sleep beside me.

But the thought of that disappearing and returning to a colorless life is terrifying. I'd rather die than say that to her face, though. It's only been less than a month, but I've been thoroughly poisoned.

"Ehehe... Thank you, Senpai! I may be unworthy, but I look forward to being with you for a long, long time!"

"The pleasure is all mine, please be gentle with me."

This went beyond a confession; it was practically a proposal. But if you asked if I had any choice but to agree, the answer would be no. It was already too late.

"By the way, Senpai. What should we do tonight?"

"Hm? Tonight?"

"Oh... don't make me say it. It's our first night! The commemorative night where a joined man and woman share their firsts, right? We're supposed to do something special, aren't we?"

She looked at me with expectant eyes as she spoke. In response, I looked up at the heavens and clicked my tongue at Nanase-san, who was probably giving a thumbs-up with a huge grin on her face right about now.

"Nanase-san told me, 'If you and your beloved Senpai-kun become one today, you must have him hold you tight at night.' That means... that, right?"

Her cheeks flushed crimson, Shirasu put her weight on me, pushing me down and straddling me. CREAK... The bed groaned.

A quiet night. As the clear moonlight streamed in through the window, a curtain of silence fell over the bedroom, occupied by just the two of us. The sound of my heart was deafeningly loud. I couldn't tell if it was mine or Shirasu's.

"Sh-Shirasu-san...? Are you being serious?"

"Yes. I'm serious. I want you to hold me tonight. Is that okay?"

With a melted, entranced expression, Shirasu slowly lowered her body onto mine. I could feel her scent, her warmth, her softness with my entire being. And perhaps because my senses were heightened, it was all far more vivid, more raw than ever before.

"I-If you're okay with it, Shirasu..."

"Really? I'm so happy you're finally in your 'dere' phase, Senpai. Then let's sleep in the same bed tonight!"

"Y-Yeah... okay."

"Ehehe... The day I can finally sleep with you as my body pillow has come. You can use me as a body pillow, too, Senpai!"

"O-Oh? Huh? Body pillow?"

What is this? This sense of disconnect. It feels like we've gotten our wires crossed, or like there's a fatal gap in our understanding.

"Oh, but we have to tell the stork not to come, right? We're still in high school, so it's too early for us to have a baby."

"...Huh? Stork? Baby? Wait a minute. Shirasu, what on earth are you talking about?"

My heart started pounding for a different reason. One thing I could say for sure was that her earlier statement, "please hold me," was not a metaphor but meant literally.

"Eh? You don't know, Senpai? When a man and a woman who love each other sleep in the same bed, the stork comes and brings them a baby."

"...Shirasu. Who did you hear that from?"

To think a high school student would still believe the old wives' tale that storks bring babies. In a way, it was pure and innocent, just like her, but if they were going to send her to my house as my fiancée, I wish they'd at least taught her the basics. If it hadn't been me, this could have turned into a huge mess.

"From Nanase-san... is there something wrong with that?"

As Shirasu tilted her head cutely in confusion, I let out a huge sigh and held my head in my hands. I really need to have a knee-to-knee talk with that useless maid.

"Hey, Senpai. Did I, by any chance, say something strange? If I did, please tell me. I'll study properly!"

"Ah... yeah, you're right. Now, where should I begin...?"

I sat up, had Shirasu sit properly, and desperately tried to figure out the best way to explain things to this young lady in order to build a healthy relationship going forward.

The End