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“Oh, by the way—Wakaba and Akane are getting married.”
“Wait, married?!”
“Yeah. Sounds like the ceremony won’t be until later, but they’re filing the papers before the end of the year.”

It was a weekday night, just before the weekend of my birthday. We were eating kimchi hot pot because Ibuki had a craving for it, when she suddenly dropped that bombshell like it was nothing special.

“Wakaba-san and Akane-san… They’re your coworkers, right? The ones who visited a little while back?”
“Yup, that’s them.”

Back before Ibuki and I had even started living together, that pair—her coworkers, Wakaba-san and Akane-san—had stopped by our place. I remembered they came over for a collab stream or something like that. After the stream, I’d gotten the chance to chat with them for a bit.

They’d both left a great impression—really friendly, down-to-earth people. I genuinely wanted to congratulate them. But right now, with the looming possibility of Ibuki proposing to me, the word “marriage” hit a little too close to home and stirred up way more emotion than it should have.

“I mean… I didn’t even know they were dating.”
“I didn’t tell you?”
“They mentioned something about cheating once, so in hindsight it makes sense, but I thought they were just joking around.”

They’d seemed close, sure—but dating? I never would’ve guessed.

“Akane started dating her not long after she debuted, so… yeah, it’s been a few years now.”
“R-really. Wow.”

Dating for a few years before tying the knot… I couldn’t help being jealous. Sure, there was a very real chance Ibuki and I might end up married in a few days, but let’s be honest—it’d probably look more like a housekeeper-and-master dynamic than a romantic union. It wouldn’t be some idyllic, love-filled marriage. So the idea of dating for years and then getting married, like a proper couple… It was honestly too perfect. It made me feel a little bitter.

“Must be nice…”

The quiet truth slipped from my lips before I could stop it. If Ibuki proposed to me now, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. But that didn’t mean I was ready to let go of my dream. Ideally, I wanted a relationship that started with love, with us becoming a couple first before stepping into marriage. That said, if I confessed my feelings now, only to be told it wasn’t what she’d wanted or imagined… I’d regret it forever.

Lately, I’d noticed small things in her behavior that made me think maybe, but… even if she did like me, it was probably the sort of affection you feel for a childhood friend—deep familiarity, maybe even a bit of possessiveness born from long history. If I let romantic feelings bleed through too strongly, we might end up completely missing each other’s signals.

“Yukino, you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just spaced out a little.”

There was no point bringing up all the messy thoughts running through my head. Talking to Ibuki about this stuff wouldn’t change anything. If I was going to say anything, it should be something that actually meant something.

“We should get them a wedding gift or something. They’ve always been good to you, and… I kinda want to give them something too.”
“They’d love that. Especially Akane—she seemed really fond of you.”
“Akane-chan did?”

From what I remembered, Akane-chan was head over heels for Wakaba-san. Honestly, I’d have guessed Wakaba-san was the more easily distracted one in the relationship.

“Yeah. She kept going on about how nice your skin was, how soft and shiny your hair looked, and how you smelled really good. She even asked me all about your skincare routine.”
“I don’t even use anything fancy though.”
“Right?”

Ibuki and I shared pretty much all of our everyday essentials—skincare included. So when Akane-chan asked about what I used, Ibuki could answer every question without skipping a beat.

“She was kinda weirded out, like, ‘Why does Ibuki-senpai know so much about this?’”
“Can’t blame her. Most people use different stuff depending on what suits their skin.”
“Ahh, that makes sense. But it’s weird, isn’t it? You and I use all the same products and they work fine for both of us.”
“Hmm…”

Stuff like skin compatibility should come down to individual biology, or maybe daily habits. So the fact that we could use all the same things without any trouble probably came down to pure coincidence. If I had to come up with a reason, maybe it was because we’d eaten the same food since we were kids, lived the same way, and shared the same space all our lives.

“Well, we are childhood friends.”
“You think that really has anything to do with it…?”

Ibuki had clearly said it without much thought, chalking it all up to us being childhood friends—but what surprised me was how it wasn’t that far off from what I’d been thinking myself. Maybe spending that much time together actually does start to align the way we think.

“It totally matters. I mean, it’s fate. We met right after we were born, and we’ve been together ever since. You’re my destined one—of course we can use the same stuff and never have any problems.”
“Wh-What’s with the sudden fairy tale talk…?”

Hearing something that sappy out of nowhere made it hard to know how to respond. And honestly—if I were really her destined one, couldn’t she just go ahead and fall in love with me already?

“I wish the weekend would hurry up and get here.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s your birthday, duh. I’m so looking forward to it.”
“…Right.”

I still told myself Ibuki’s feelings weren’t romantic. I knew that… but lately, there were moments where I couldn’t help but get the wrong idea. She asked me out for my birthday, after all—and the way she’s been acting recently, it’s hard not to dream a little.

Ibuki had always been kind to me in her own way, but now… it felt different. More deliberate. More thoughtful.

When we dry each other’s hair after a bath, she’s so gentle. When we go out, she always makes sure to walk on the street side without saying a word. At meals, she subtly matches my pace as we eat, every time.

Those changes started showing up after she’d thrown that little fit about wanting to get married. It made me wonder—maybe the thought of marriage triggered something in her. Maybe she finally started to understand what romantic feelings were. I’ve caught myself thinking that ridiculous idea more than once.

…Though given how thick-headed she was, it was probably just my imagination.

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