Chapter 1: Prelude
“...Nnh.”
Morning sunlight filtering through the curtains coaxed me awake.
My body felt sluggish, my eyelids heavy as lead.
Through the haze of half-sleep, I slowly blinked my eyes open.
...Wait.
When did I fall asleep?
The cool brush of the sheets against my bare skin felt strangely vivid, and with my thoughts still foggy, I shifted to push myself upright.
—Squish.
...?
Something warm and soft yielded against my right arm.
Wondering what it was, I turned my gaze to the side.
“...Nnh...”
“...?!”
The instant I saw what was lying beside me, my entire body froze solid.
Glossy black hair spilling across a delicate face. Long eyelashes. Features so exquisitely sculpted they seemed almost otherworldly.
And beneath that... porcelain-white skin peeking out from under the sheets.
...Huh?
My mind ground to a halt.
Breathing softly in her sleep right next to me was my childhood friend—Yukimura Mizuki.
With the sheet slipped down past her shoulders, she lay fast asleep, her expression completely unguarded.
The moment my eyes took in that impossible sight... memories of the night before came rushing back into my mind.
“—I'm never letting you go again.”
“...Ah.”
That's right. Last night, she and I had...
The memory was so vivid, so searingly real, that it made my head spin.
Her peerless beauty pressing close. Her flushed cheeks. The unbelievable softness of her body against mine.
My childhood friend showing me expressions I had never seen before, letting out sounds I had never heard her make.
“...!”
Clutching my head in both hands, I buried my face straight back into the futon.
...Is this actually real?
A first love that never should have come true—something I had long since given up even wishing for.
And yet... how on earth had things turned out like this?
I turned my head to look at my childhood friend again as she let out a soft, adorable breath in her sleep.
Gazing at how utterly peaceful she looked... a memory from long ago drifted back to me.
...How long has it been since I last saw Mizuki's sleeping face like this?
When we were little, she used to sleep over at my house all the time. Once night fell, she would hug her pillow to her chest and patter right into my room after me.
“—Iori. Let's sleep together?”
“Um...”
She would tilt her head in that endearing way of hers and line her pillow up beside mine without even waiting for an answer.
I still remembered how my heart would race as a kid whenever a young Mizuki burrowed under my covers and I climbed into the same bed beside her.
—Back then, that used to be the most natural thing in the world.
Yet as we grew older, as the differences between boy and girl became impossible to ignore and her beauty grew ever more striking... before I knew it, I had started keeping my distance from her.
Not too close, yet not too far. A bare-minimum seawall to keep my feelings in check.
...Even though Mizuki had hated that distance with a passion.
Slowly, I reached a hand out toward her sleeping face, brushing a stray lock of hair aside to touch her cheek.
“...You really have grown breathtaking, haven't you?”
I murmured the words under my breath, half in awe and half in exasperation.
How could anyone possibly grow up to be this gorgeous?
Models, actresses, celebrities—even compared to people in that world, her beauty belonged to another dimension entirely.
Someone destined to go far away where I could never reach her. For years, I had braced myself for that inevitability.
“—I love you too, Iori.”
Yet after having her pour out the full weight of her feelings for me like that last night, there was no denying it anymore.
My unrequited love... had never been unrequited at all.
...And here I was, ready to give up on her for good.
I had intended to confess my feelings one last time and put an end to my first love.
That was the resolve I had poured into every note of 『Moonlight』.
And yet... in the end, this girl hadn't walked away from me at all.
Instead, she had skipped half a dozen steps in a single bound—and was now breathing softly right beside me.
“...Hah.”
Talk about moving way too fast. Massaging my temples, I was just about to slip out of bed when—
“—I hope things work out for you. With her.”
“...!”
A dull ache lanced through my chest.
Into my mind floated the image of a gentle girl with chestnut-brown hair.
The girl who had been my friend—the one who had told me she liked me.
...Ah. That's right.
I remembered the last time I saw her: holding back her tears, forcing a brave smile as she sent me on my way.
Hardworking, beautiful, kindhearted... a girl I respected from the bottom of my heart.
—And even so, I had chosen my first love.
I had no regrets. Even if I could turn back the clock and do it all over again, I would make the exact same choice.
Yet even knowing I had no right to feel this way, a dull, throbbing guilt ached deep within my chest.
...It almost would've been easier if she hadn't been such a wonderful person.
It was a foolish, selfish thought. If she hadn't been the person she was, we probably never would have grown close in the first place.
“...Nnh...”
Just then, a tiny voice like a mewling kitten's reached my ears.
“...Iori?”
Looking beside me, I watched her long lashes flutter open to reveal those luminous eyes. Her slender, pale hand reached out across the sheets as if searching for me.
Without thinking, I took her hand in mine. Instantly, a relieved, dreamy smile melted across my childhood friend's face.
—Ah.
The sight of that expression made my throat tighten. I couldn't even remember the last time she had shown me a smile so completely unguarded.
...I had already resigned myself to never seeing it again.
“Good morning, Iori,” she murmured.
Her voice was clear and crystalline.
Swallowing the tremor that threatened to shake my own voice, I squeezed her hand back.
“...Morning, Mizuki.”
I spoke the same morning greeting we had exchanged thousands of times before, savoring every syllable as if for the very first time.
◇
...Tap, tap, tap.
The rhythmic sound of a kitchen knife against a cutting board—a familiar morning melody I had heard countless times before.
Sitting on a chair at the dining table, I gazed absently at her back as she worked.
“What's wrong?”
“Hm?”
Out of nowhere, Mizuki glanced over her shoulder at me.
“You've been staring at me for a while now,” she said.
“Ah...”
Whoops. I guess I'd been staring a little too hard.
Under Mizuki's curious gaze, I hesitated for a moment over what to say.
“...It just hit me that we're really dating now,” I admitted.
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Mizuki blinked in surprise for a beat, then let out a soft laugh.
“Of course we are. You took forever to finally say it, Iori.”
Hearing the teasing lilt in her voice, I let out a quiet groan.
There was no need to ask what she meant by it. Having essentially been called a spineless coward to my face, I let my shoulders slump.
I couldn't even argue with her. She had been waiting for me all this time.
“...Sorry.”
“It's okay. You finally said it properly, and that made me really happy.”
In high spirits, Mizuki turned back to the stove.
Tap, tap, tap went the knife against the vegetables. Bubble, simmer went the water in the pot.
There was almost a sense of nostalgia to it. Not long ago, this scene had been an everyday given.
“...It really isn't something to take for granted, is it?”
“?”
My thoughts had slipped out aloud. Mizuki glanced back over her shoulder once more.
When her eyes met mine, a soft giggle escaped her lips.
“Were you lonely without me here?”
“...Not really.”
“I'm sorry for running away from home, okay?”
She watched me from across the kitchen counter with an amused sparkle in her eyes. All I could do was turn my face away in a sulk.
Setting her utensils down, Mizuki stepped out of the kitchen and walked right up to my chair.
“Here,” she said.
Stopping right in front of me, she spread both arms wide for some reason.
“Uh... what are you doing?”
“I figured I'd give you a hug.”
“No, I'm... I'm fine.”
“Are you sure?”
She sounded as though she could see right through my stubborn bluffing.
As she stood there waiting with her arms open in a silent Come here, I wavered for several long seconds before finally giving in.
“...”
“Hehe.”
Like a kid seeking comfort, I leaned forward and rested my head against her.
Mizuki wrapped her arms around me, holding me close with a delighted little laugh.
“It's okay. I'm not going anywhere anymore,” she whispered.
Her tone almost sounded as though she were reassuring a child.
“...Yeah.”
“Mm.”
I hope so, I thought as she held me in her arms.
Living under the same roof, sharing the same meals.
Having her right beside me wherever we went and whatever we did.
—With all my heart, I wished that these quiet, ordinary days would last forever.
“Iori.”
“Yeah?”
At the sweet whisper of my name, I lifted my face from where it was buried against her shoulder.
Right in front of me, her breathtakingly familiar face broke into a gentle smile.
“Here's to us from now on, okay?”
“...Yeah.”
“Right back at you,” I murmured under my breath.
◇
After finishing breakfast together, I headed off to school.
Yet the moment I stepped through the classroom door, every pair of eyes in the room snapped toward me at once.
“—Oh, Amano-kun's here!”
Before I knew it, a whole crowd of classmates came rushing over to my desk.
As I took a half-step back in surprise, one of the girls in class beamed at me with sparkling eyes.
“Congrats on taking third place in the Mr. Shirayanagi Pageant! Your piano performance was incredible!!”
“O-Oh... thanks.”
Third place. Right, that had happened.
My head had been so completely occupied with Mizuki and Kashiwagi-san that the pageant results had barely even registered.
“Who knew you were hiding a talent like that? Good looks, top grades, and you can play the piano like a pro... Maybe we've all been underestimating you?”
“Uh... thank you?”
“Dammit, man! And here I thought you were just a scrawny bookworm who only knew how to study...! You traitor!”
“Hey, who're you calling a scrawny bookworm?”
What a rude thing to say—though the frustrating part was that I couldn't entirely deny the scrawny part. Maybe I should start doing some strength training.
Even after that, one classmate after another came over to talk to me.
I couldn't tell half the time whether they were praising me or roasting me. I suppose I was happy enough about it, but since I'd never been fussed over like this in my entire life, I had no idea how to react.
Finally slipping free of the crowd around the aisle, I made it to my desk and set my bag down.
“Yo, Third Place.”
“...Morning, Second Place.”
Slouching comfortably in the seat next to mine, Renji flashed me a wide, knowing grin.
When I tossed back an equally casual greeting, his mouth twisted into an exaggerated pout for some reason.
“Yeah, that's right... Second place! Because a chunk of the votes that should've gone to me ended up going to you, that third-year senpai walked away with the crown!”
“How is that my fault?”
As Renji kept grumbling and groaning at me, I waved him off with a flick of my wrist.
...Still, thinking back on it now, maybe he really had been taking the competition seriously.
The guitar performance he'd put on onstage definitely wasn't a skill he'd picked up overnight. For all his joking around, he might have genuinely had his sights set on winning first place.
Though honestly... whether he would've beaten that third-year even without me in the running was anybody's guess.
“Go for the win next year,” I told him.
“You bet I will! Wait—why are you talking like it's got nothing to do with you? You're entering next year too!”
“Pass.”
Once in a lifetime was more than enough for an ordeal like that. Honestly, it was a miracle I'd even gone up there once.
Besides, my third-place finish this year was practically a one-hit novelty act. There was no way lightning would strike twice.
Tuning out Renji as he predictably started whining again, I let my gaze drift across the classroom.
And right across the room—
“...!”
“Ah...”
My eyes met those of a girl standing near the windows. The very next instant, she flinched and quickly looked away.
Chestnut-brown hair falling just past her shoulders. A pretty girl with a soft, gentle air about her.
Surrounded by several of her friends, she had been casting hesitant little glances in my direction.
...Kashiwagi-san.
After the cultural festival ended yesterday—
“—I'm sorry... I can't return your feelings, Kashiwagi-san.”
I had given her my honest answer.
However, I hadn't told her anything about what happened after we parted ways.
Maybe there was no need to tell her. I could easily say nothing at all and quietly let distance grow between us.
And yet...
“—Someday, I'd love for you to introduce me to her, too. To the girl you fell in love with, Amano-kun.”
Running away from this wouldn't be right. I was sure of that.
“—Oh, Yukimura-san!”
All of a sudden, the entire classroom erupted into commotion.
Startled, I glanced back toward the doorway—and saw the school's reigning Madonna stepping into the room.
“Y-Yukimura-san! You were amazing yesterday! Seriously, you blew everyone away at the Miss Shirayanagi Pageant!!”
“Back-to-back crowns two years running! You're a literal goddess!!”
Boys and girls alike swarmed around Mizuki all at once.
An unprecedented second consecutive victory in the Miss Shirayanagi Pageant—a feat that had sent not just our classroom, but the entire academy into a frenzy.
“Well, she's in a league of her own, obviously... Dammit, if only I'd taken first place too,” Renji muttered beside me.
He sounded weirdly bitter about it. No, man, I'm pretty sure even if you'd won first place, nobody would be worshipping you like that.
Ignoring his lamentations, I followed Mizuki with my eyes.
Surrounded by a throng of classmates, she walked to her desk with her usual cool, unbothered composure and took her seat.
Everyone around her was showering her with praise like courtiers before a queen, though I knew full well she couldn't care less about pageant rankings.
Sure enough, she tuned out the chatter completely and pulled out her phone.
“Seriously though, I took second place, and nobody's fawning over me the way they're fawning over you and Yukimura-san. What gives?” Renji complained.
“Like I said, don't ask me. With you, everyone probably just figures it goes without saying.”
“Oh! So you think so too?! Well, I guess when a guy's as devastatingly handsome as I am, people just take it for—”
I tuned out the rest of his rambling.
The real reason nobody was making a fuss over him was probably because he'd be insufferable if they did. Give the guy an inch of praise and he takes a mile.
...All right.
Cutting off my banter with Renji, I drew in a slow, steadying breath.
It was time to steel my resolve.
Keeping my phone in my hand, I typed out a short message and sent it to the other person across the room who had been glancing my way.
【Can we talk for a bit?】
【Sure.】
A brief, one-word reply. It looked almost coolly distant on the screen—a reflection of where the two of us stood now.
And that was how it should be. It was the outcome I myself had chosen.
Slipping my phone back into my pocket, I gave a puzzled-looking Renji a quick excuse and stepped out of the classroom.
—A few minutes later, I was waiting by a bench at the edge of the school courtyard.
“Sorry for calling you out here so suddenly,” I said.
“No, it's okay.”
As a lone girl walked up to the bench, I gave her a small nod of apology.
Quietly, she sat down on the open space beside me, leaving a modest gap between us.
It was already November, and a chilly autumn breeze brushed against my skin. I didn't want to keep her out in the cold for long.
Sitting next to me was Kashiwagi Kotoha-san.
The girl known throughout our grade as the second cutest girl in the academy—and my friend.
...The girl who had told me she was in love with me.
“Um... listen,” I began.
“Yeah.”
I couldn't bring myself to look straight into Kashiwagi-san's eyes.
I was sure she already knew what I had asked her here to say.
She had come out here knowing full well what was coming—likely because we both knew this was something we needed to do for closure.
Summoning my resolve, I slowly spoke the words.
“...We started dating. My childhood friend and I.”
The instant the words left my mouth, I heard Kashiwagi-san draw in a tiny, sharp breath beside me.
A brief silence hung between us. And then—
“I see... Congratulations. Your first love came true, huh?”
Her voice was gentle as she spoke.
Yet hearing the faint, almost imperceptible tremor in her tone, my hands clenched into fists on my knees.
“Thank you for telling me in person.”
Kashiwagi-san added the words softly, offering me a brave smile.
Honestly, it would have hurt less if she had yelled at me or cursed my name. Instead, she refused to do anything of the sort.
...Though I had known from the very beginning that she was that kind of girl.
“...I'm sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong, Amano-kun.”
“...”
You haven't done anything wrong. Those words made my face twist with a bitter ache.
How could that possibly be true?
I had hurt her. I had been completely oblivious to her feelings for so long.
And above all—I still hadn't told her who my childhood friend actually was.
Even now, at the very end, I lacked the courage to tell her that it was Yukimura Mizuki.
“Well, I guess that makes my heartbreak official, huh? Still, we're only in high school! I'll just take my time and look for my next love.”
Kashiwagi-san let out a light, self-deprecating laugh.
Yet I couldn't bring myself to smile back.
“...Hey, Amano-kun.”
“...Yeah?”
Kashiwagi-san's voice dropped to a quiet murmur.
“Can the two of us... still be friends?”
“...!”
I couldn't answer her right away.
Seeing my silence, Kashiwagi-san gave a lonely little smile.
“S-Sorry! I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that.”
Quickly brushing it off to cover the awkwardness, she stood up from the bench.
“Come on, we should head back inside soon. Homeroom's about to start.”
“...Yeah. You're right.”
Friends. For the briefest fraction of a second when she asked me that, the thought had crossed my mind—
That even if I had a girlfriend now... maybe we could still stay friends.
—Even though deep down, I knew full well it could never be that simple.
◇
“Welcome home.”
“...I'm back.”
The day had finally come to a close.
Classmates had kept coming up to talk to me after school as well, so I had ended up getting home a little later than usual.
When I stepped through the front door, Mizuki—who had already gotten back ahead of me—was there to greet me.
Strictly speaking, her actual house was the detached home right next door... yet with my parents working overseas, one thing had led to another, and for all intents and purposes she practically lived here now.
It had been that way for years, as if it were the most natural arrangement in the world.
“Is Shizuka-san not coming home tonight either?” I asked.
“No. Probably not.”
Her reply was brief and matter-of-fact, as though it weren't even worth dwelling on anymore.
Her mother was a complete workaholic; it was far rarer to actually find her at home.
...And Mizuki never seemed particularly lonely about it, either.
Did she genuinely not care anymore? Or was I the only one who wished her mother would spend more time facing her properly?
“I'll get dinner started, okay? Anything you're in the mood for?”
“How about... hamburg steak?”
“Mm... Hehe, you really do still have a kid's palate.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Our usual banter. Our usual, comfortable rhythm.
And yet just having this made me happy.
I had come within a hair's breadth of losing it all. If I had done nothing and let things drift on the way they were, these everyday moments would have vanished for good.
The mere thought of that sent a sudden chill through my chest.
“...Iori?”
“Hm?”
Blinking out of my daze, I looked up to find Mizuki standing right in front of me, her head tilted in quiet concern.
“What's the matter? You spaced out on me.”
She was wearing a cute cat-patterned apron—something that looked almost endearingly out of place against her mature, statuesque beauty.
Come to think of it, that apron was a birthday present I had given her back in middle school.
Even now, she kept mending the frayed seams by hand here and there so she could keep using it.
...She could easily replace it with something that suited her better whenever she wanted.
“No, it's nothing.”
“Liar.”
When I shook my head, the corners of Mizuki's brows drooped sadly.
“Even now that we're dating, you still won't lean on me honestly, will you?”
I had never been able to stand seeing her make a face like that.
And worst of all, she knew it too. That was the one part of her that really didn't play fair.
“I lean on you all the time. ...Seriously, it's nothing big, I promise.”
When I tried to brush it off with a reassuring smile, Mizuki gazed steadily into my eyes for a long moment.
“I'll go make the hamburg steak, then.”
Saying that softly, she turned and headed into the kitchen.
Watching her back, I let out a quiet breath.
Pulling out a chair at the dining table just as I had that morning, I sat down and watched Mizuki cook.
Nothing about this sight had changed since middle school. A scene that felt completely ordinary—and yet utterly extraordinary at the same time.
“Mizuki-chan! Please marry me when we grow up!”
“Hey, no fair! Mizuki, marry me instead!”
Even when we were little kids, her beauty had stood out like a beacon.
There wasn't a single boy around us who wasn't drawn to her. Every last one of them had tried desperately to win her attention.
And yet...
“I'm sorry. I want to stay with Iori-kun.”
For some reason, she had always chosen to stay right beside me.
It had made me happy, of course—but just as much as that, it had baffled me.
Why on earth had she chosen someone like me?
“—Iori. Stay with me forever, okay?”
A promise like that was supposed to be nothing more than childhood make-believe.
After ten years, anyone would normally forget all about it. That was what I had always assumed, anyway.
“...Honestly, I figured you would've gone and found yourself another boyfriend long ago,” I murmured under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
I had muttered it under my breath, and having her ask me to repeat it flustered me a little.
I quickly shook my head to play it off, while Mizuki kept her back turned to me.
“I've only ever looked at you this whole time, Iori.”
As she skillfully plated the seared hamburg steaks, she murmured the words almost as if speaking to herself.
...So she heard every word.
Letting my shoulders drop in defeat, I reached up and scratched the back of my head.
—After that, we ate dinner together, took turns in the bath, and brushed our teeth.
Right now, Mizuki was in the bathroom taking her shower. Up until yesterday, she would have already headed back to her own house next door by this hour.
Going back to our separate houses and sleeping in our separate beds—that had always been the rule.
Now, though—everything between us had changed.
There was no longer any reason for us to sleep apart.
“—I'm out of the shower.”
“...!”
Hearing her voice right behind me made my shoulders jump. Turning around, I found Mizuki standing there in a light cotton shirt and sweatpants.
...Honestly, she looked like a painting no matter what she wore.
At over 170 centimeters tall, she had proportions that would put professional runway models to shame.
And to think she didn't even follow any strict diet or fitness routine to maintain it. God really wasn't fair.
“...Um, you're staying over tonight, right?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I couldn't help double-checking, and Mizuki nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
At a loss for words, I stood there stiffly as she walked over and sat down on the edge of my bed with a soft plop.
“...”
“...”
Neither of us said a word as I sat down beside her.
Mizuki simply leaned quietly against my shoulder.
The pounding of my heart was deafening in my ears. For all I knew, Mizuki could hear it right next to me too.
What Mizuki wanted. What I wanted.
We both understood without having to say it out loud. All I had to do now was reach out my hand.
...And yet, even knowing that—
“Iori.”
Softly, Mizuki's hand slipped over mine, her slender fingers wrapping around my hand.
“It's okay. You don't have to be scared.”
With her fingers still laced with mine, she leaned her weight gently against my side.
“We're lovers now, after all.”
The sweet, clean scent of shampoo drifted up from her damp hair, tickling my nose.
Against my arm, I felt the unmistakable warmth and softness of her body.
“...Yeah.”
“Mm.”
Her gentle words and warmth coaxed the tension right out of my shoulders.
Turning my head, I found her already gazing back at me.
Her eyes gleamed like polished rubies in the soft light of the bedroom.
Drawn in by that gaze, I leaned closer until our lips naturally met.
“Nnh...”
Soft, warm, and sweet.
Even after everything we had shared the night before, there was no way I could get used to this so easily.
We stayed like that with our lips pressed together for several quiet seconds... until Mizuki tilted her chin and deepened the kiss.
“...Nnh...?!”
Startled, I instinctively started to pull back, only for her fingers to slide around the back of my neck.
A warm, insistent touch parted my lips, tangling with mine as if to melt my very thoughts away.
“...Mm...”
Pressing close, savoring each other, losing track of where one breath ended and the next began.
Whether it lasted tens of seconds or several minutes, I couldn't even tell anymore.
“...Hah.”
When we finally parted, sitting right before my eyes was a peerless beauty gazing back at me with a dreamy, half-lidded expression.
The sheer allure of her flushed face made my head swim.
“...Kissing feels really nice, doesn't it?” she whispered.
“...Yeah.”
“I think I could get addicted to this.”
As she let out a soft, breathless giggle, I gathered my nerve and gently eased her back onto the mattress.
Looking down from above as she let me guide her onto her back without resistance, my breath caught anew.
Wide, luminous eyes; a face so small and delicate it almost seemed unreal; flawless porcelain skin.
The girl I had grown up alongside for as long as I could remember... and the girl I had been in love with for just as long.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
“...Nothing. Just thinking how unfairly gorgeous you are.”
“Mm... Hehe, you're only realizing that now?”
“...I've thought so for a long time.”
“I know.”
“Why, you...”
When I tried to put on a grumpy frown in response to her smug little smile, I knew I wasn't fooling anyone.
She could see right through my stubborn bluffing.
As if to say There, there, she lifted her chin and pressed another quick, affectionate kiss to my lips.
“Come here,” she whispered.
Opening her arms wide, she welcomed me in.
Gazing down into eyes brimming with unmistakable affection—
“...Mizuki.”
“Mm?”
“I love you. I have for a long time.”
“...Yeah, me too. Though if I'm being honest, I wish I could've heard you say it a little sooner.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It's okay. I forgive you.”
Seeing her smile as she whispered those words made my heart ache with how dear she was to me.
Pressing my lips to hers once more, I sank into her embrace.
◇
“...Hey, Iori.”
“What is it?”
It was a memory from a long, long time ago.
A young Mizuki and I were walking hand in hand.
We were in a neighborhood park. The night around us was pitch-black, without a single other soul in sight.
It was far too late at night for children to be out by themselves. Yet back then, the two of us often walked through the dark like this.
In those days, Mizuki had a habit of slipping out of her house late at night. She would vanish without a word in the dead of night, and I would go out searching until I found her and brought her back home.
My mom and dad always worried themselves sick and scolded me afterwards, of course. Even so, whenever Mizuki disappeared, I would run out into the night and search everywhere for her like my life depended on it.
For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that she might simply vanish into thin air... that if I didn't find her right away, it would be too late.
So I would run through the streets until I found her, take her by the hand, and lead her back home.
Why did Mizuki keep wandering off like that? What was she looking for out there in the dark? I didn't know.
Still... none of that mattered to me, so long as I could find her safe and sound and bring her home.
“Iori, why do you always come looking for me?”
With her small hand still tucked in mine, young Mizuki tilted her head in genuine puzzlement.
Caught off guard by the question, I fumbled for an answer.
“What do you mean, why...? Because it's dangerous out here.”
“Dangerous?”
“It's dark outside. And Mom and Dad always say kids shouldn't walk around alone at night.”
“Why?”
“W-Why...?”
Pressed for a reason, I found myself tongue-tied.
To me, it was simply basic common sense that every adult taught you: the night is dangerous, so don't go outside alone after dark. Every kid knew that.
Yet when she asked me why that was—
I racked my brains, desperately searching for the warnings my parents and teachers had given us.
“Um... because a bad person might take you away, or you might get hit by a car...?”
My voice trailed upward into a question at the end, yet I did my absolute best to impress upon her how dangerous it was.
So please stop doing this, I silently pleaded. Don't just disappear on your own anymore.
And yet—
“...What happens if someone takes me away, or if I get hit by a car?”
Mizuki asked the question in a flat, weightless voice devoid of any warmth.
I froze in my tracks. What happens? What do you mean, what happens...?
Words failed me all over again. Still, I forced my mouth open and squeezed out an answer.
“...Y-You could... die.”
Even speaking the word out loud terrified me.
I didn't want to say it. I didn't even want to picture it. Just imagining something like that happening to Mizuki was enough to bring tears stinging to my eyes.
My grip tightened around her small hand. Yet Mizuki didn't even glance my way.
“Would it be bad if I died?”
She murmured the words softly, as if talking to herself. My heart lurched in shock.
“...Of course it'd be bad! I'd be super sad, and I'd hate it!”
When I blurted that out with everything I had, Mizuki blinked up at me with a blank, bewildered look on her face.
Her expression seemed to say she genuinely didn't understand what I meant. Just as I was agonizing over how I could possibly get through to her—
“—I see.”
“I'm sorry,” she whispered, and offered me a faint smile.
“...!”
My eyes snapped open.
Cold sweat clung unpleasantly to my skin, and my heart was hammering against my ribs.
A lingering unease told me I had just been having an unsettling dream.
“...Nnh...”
At the sound of a soft sigh beside me, I turned my head.
Lying right next to me was my childhood friend, her bare shoulders peeking out from the blanket.
With her fingers still loosely curled around my hand, she was breathing quietly in her sleep.
“...!”
On pure impulse, I pulled her close into my arms.
The sudden movement made her long eyelashes flutter, and her eyes slowly opened.
“...Iori?”
Her voice was still thick with sleep. Shoot, I winced inwardly—I'd woken her up.
Yet when she saw the way I was clinging to her like a lifeline, Mizuki's eyes softened.
“What's wrong...? Did you have a bad dream?”
“...”
When I couldn't find the words to answer, Mizuki gently raised a hand.
Stroking the back of my head with tender fingers, she drew my face softly against her chest.
“There. Does this help you calm down?”
Thump, thump. With my face resting against her, I could hear the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.
Listening to that quiet, reassuring sound, the rigid tension gradually ebbed out of my body.
“...Sorry.”
“Don't be.”
Even I wasn't entirely sure what I was apologizing for.
Was it for waking her up in the middle of the night—or for something else entirely?
“It's okay, Iori.”
Mizuki whispered the words into my hair.
Her voice was so soothingly sweet that my heavy eyelids slowly began to drift shut once more.
At the very edge of my fading consciousness, one last whisper reached my ears.
—Because I'll be right here with you forever.
It was a quiet, solitary promise in the dark.
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