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“Irohaaa~”

Even though I was using a knife, Inazuki hugged me from behind.

“Inazuki, that’s dangerous. Stop it.”
“Ehh, then stop cooking and hug me back!”
“If I do that, we won’t have lunch. Are you okay with that?”
“If it means you’ll hug me, I’m fine with it.”
“Well, I’m not fine with it.”

Inazuki was the one who suddenly said she wanted tempura for lunch, yet here she was being selfish. I’d already poured the oil into the pot, so stopping now wasn’t an option.

She really could be so careless sometimes.

Not that I disliked it.

“You’re so cold! Iroha, you’re being mean!”
“…Fine. Inazuki, step back a little.”

I set the knife down and turned to her, putting some distance between us. If I let her keep pestering me like this, we’d run out of time to head out later. Rising up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips lightly against hers.

A soft peck, and then I pulled away.

Ever since I confessed my feelings to her, this had become a regular thing—kissing like it was the most natural thing in the world. We hadn’t officially talked about dating or becoming girlfriends, but our interactions felt more and more like those of a couple.

The biggest change since then was our closeness.

I’d become more comfortable being around her, and she’d started leaning on me more, often asking for physical affection. I found those changes endearing.

“There. Now you’re satisfied, right? Be good and stay put.”
“Ah, uh… Yeah.”

Inazuki, now looking like a wilted lettuce leaf, shuffled over to the dining table.

Though kissing her so casually had become normal, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was really okay.

If we kept doing this every day, wouldn’t the meaning of it fade? And what would happen during more important moments if it felt too ordinary?

Wait… Important moments? What am I even thinking?

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I turned my focus back to cooking.

After lunch, we leisurely got ready and headed to the university.

It was Inazuki who had expressed interest in seeing the university festival, and while I was a bit concerned, I agreed to go with her.

The campus was bustling with people on a Sunday, and if I wasn’t careful, I might lose sight of Inazuki in the crowd.

To avoid that, we intertwined our fingers and held hands as we wandered around.

Compared to high school festivals, the scale here was on another level. The variety of stalls was impressive, with everything from caricature-drawing clubs to film screenings. We joined a live event at the hall, watched performances by dance groups, and enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

In two years, would I find myself on the side putting on these events rather than just watching them?

I wondered if Inazuki could believe in such a future.

When I glanced at her, she wore a faintly lonely expression. Naturally, her fears couldn’t be easily dispelled.

Even so, even if we had to face those fears again and again, until the day I graduated, I wanted to stay by her side and keep expressing how I felt.

“Inazuki, is there somewhere you’d like to go next?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure. What should we do?”
“Take your time. I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to decide.”

We sat on a bench, letting time flow gently around us.

Honestly, it didn’t matter to me if she didn’t have a specific place she wanted to visit. Just being here with her was enough. Whether we were in a quiet corner or a noisy crowd, as long as she was by my side, I could enjoy myself.

The people passing by us looked busy, their determination to make the most of the day evident in their hurried movements.

I rested my head on Inazuki’s lap.

It was soft and warm.

Usually, I was the one offering this kind of comfort, so it felt refreshing to be on the receiving end.

“Iroha?”
“…I feel a little sleepy. College seems fun, but it’s also tiring, isn’t it?”
“Ahh, yeah, I get what you mean.”

In the end, the only things I could really offer Inazuki were my honest words and the slow, steady passage of time.

Today, I’d been the one to take her hand and lead her to different places, but that wasn’t my true role. It was Inazuki who was meant to take the lead, while I slowed the pace just a little.

Perhaps the most natural way was the best way.

Her indecision about where to go next at the college festival felt like an answer in itself.

We might go through this cycle again and again.

But that was okay.

There was no point in rushing. Walking at Inazuki’s pace and moving forward together—that was what I needed to do, and what I wanted to do most.

So, I thought this was fine.

For now, I had Inazuki all to myself. At least for this moment, I was happy.

With her gently stroking my head, I closed my eyes.

I’d always avoided napping, thinking it would only make it harder to sleep at night. Nights were already difficult enough for me as they were.

But with Inazuki, I felt like even sleepless nights might be okay. We could stroll through the quiet streets like before, chatting about silly things. Just that would be enough to bring me joy.

As I gave myself over to her warmth, drowsiness began to creep in.

Before I knew it, I had drifted off.

When I woke, the sun had already set. The sky’s amber hues had faded into the distance, and the deep black of night was beginning to envelop the world.

The campus, once teeming with people, was now nearly deserted. A peculiar sense of solitude filled the air.

Raising my head, I spotted students busy packing up. The festival was coming to an end.

Maybe it would continue tomorrow, but for today, it was over.

Stretching, I turned to look at Inazuki. She was sound asleep, her peaceful expression as innocent as ever. Feeling a playful impulse, I leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

I didn’t expect her to wake up from something so light, but to my surprise, her eyes began to flutter open.

The surprise she felt was evident in the way her lips moved against mine.

I smiled, intending to pull away, but before I could, she wrapped her arms around my waist and drew me closer.

In the cool breeze of early autumn, we held each other and shared a brief, tender kiss.

I felt relieved that it was dark enough to hide us. No one seemed to be paying attention, but still, lingering too long felt out of place. Almost instinctively, we separated, as if on cue.

“Good morning, Inazuki.”
“Mm, morning, Iroha.”

I stood up and held out my hand to her.

“Shall we head home? Looks like the festival’s over.”
“Yeah… Sorry.”
“For what?”
“I couldn’t think of anywhere to go. Even though I was the one who invited you.”
“There’s no need to apologize. I had a great time, so don’t worry about it.”

She took my hand and stood up.

I wondered if the distance between our hearts was really shrinking.

I didn’t know for sure, but the warmth I felt from her was undeniably real.

“I had fun too. I always do when I’m with you.”
“Same here.”

We strolled leisurely across the campus, lit dimly by scattered lights. Our shadows on the ground were faint and fragile, as though they might disappear at any moment.

I glanced at my phone to check the time.

Five-thirty.

The chapel should still be open.

“Mind if we stop by one more place?”

I smiled at her, and she responded with a faint smile of her own.

“Sure. Where to?”
“The chapel.”
“Huh?”

Taking her hand, I led her toward the chapel.

There wasn’t anything in particular I wanted to do there.

I just wanted to correct a single lie I’d told before.

I always imagined chapels used for weddings would have stained-glass windows, but this one didn’t.

It was simple, almost plain. A few glass windows lined the walls, numerous rows of seating stretched before us, and the space was bathed in the soft glow of warm lighting.

I wondered what thoughts filled the minds of alumni who had returned here for their weddings. Were they reminiscing about the past? Looking forward with hope for the future? Or perhaps something else entirely?

I took a seat near the front, gazing at the pipe organ towering above.

I didn’t know how to pray, or even which god to pray to.

Yet, places like this always seemed to have a sacred, inviolable air. As if drawn into that atmosphere, I glanced at Inazuki’s eyes.

There I was, reflected clearly in her gaze.

I smiled and placed my hand gently atop hers.

“Do you remember when we talked about what we wanted to be in the future?”
“Yeah, I think you joked about wanting to be a bride or something.”
“Haha. Actually, that wasn’t a joke.”

I laughed softly and looked up at the ceiling.

It wasn’t like I’d ever hold a wedding here, but soaking in the atmosphere for a moment seemed acceptable.

“Loving someone and being loved by someone… I think that’s the greatest happiness there is. More than anything else. Maybe it’s because I’m still a child that I feel this way.”

I was aware that the world placed countless things above love in importance.

You couldn’t survive without money. Life felt stifling without some degree of social standing.

Even so, to me, there didn’t seem to be anything more important than love—not right now.

“When someone says they like you, and you can say you like them back… that tiny exchange feels like the greatest happiness in the world. I’m sure things get hectic once you’re a bride though.”
“Iroha…”

Inazuki gently took my hand, her grip softer and more tender than it had ever been.

“I’m way more of a child than you think, Inazuki. Probably. I want to hear you say you love me. I want you to stroke my hair, to hold me. I don’t want anything else but that.”

It was what I had always longed for from my parents.

But now… now, I wanted it from Inazuki. From her and no one else.

I couldn’t imagine the me of this timeline loving anyone but her.

“So, if you really do love me, remember this—I’m selfish, and I get jealous easily.”
“I’m no better. I’ve lived through high school longer than anyone else, but I’m still the most cowardly, the most childlike. …But I want to make you happy, Iroha.”

She looked at me with a seriousness that left no room for doubt.

As always, Inazuki was unflinchingly earnest at moments like these.

That sincerity felt so comforting that I couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah. It’d be nice if we could make each other happy.”

For a while, we just sat there, gazing at each other in silence.

I wished that this moment, this time we were sharing, could last forever.

I wanted Inazuki to find happiness in this timeline.

I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but that didn’t stop me from wishing for it.

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