327-295 Aise Below

The party started in the early afternoon and ended when the sun went down.

The children who had eaten so much, as if they were children who had not eaten enough, must have been full after half a day of eating.

There were still some dishes on the table, but by the end of the day, there were hardly any children left to eat.

Ishka said with a smile, "Now I have enough for two meals," so it seems that she really did not eat lunch.

So I gave her the rest of the food and asked her to leave.

The three craftsmen drank all the sake they had prepared and went home with a steady gait, but Diora said she wasn't drunk, but she was still suspicious, so I sent her back with Toya.

Me, Haruka, and Natsuki cleaned up the mess.

Mary and Mitya also offered to help, but they seemed to be too excited or sleepy, so I told them to go to bed and sent them back to their rooms.

In fact, it didn't take much effort to clean up.

All the food that could be eaten had been pushed to Ishka, and once the leftovers were thrown into the compost, all that was left was for Haruka and Natsuki to use the Purify. There was no need to wash the dishes.

Just clear the table and the dishes and you're done.

And when the work was mostly done, I called out to Haruka.

--Can you give me some time tonight?

The sun was setting.

When the sun had completely set.

I was standing in front of the door, waiting for Haruka.

Under the moonlight, I breathed in the cool night air and took a deep breath.

Eventually, the front door opened quietly.

Haruka came out of the door and stood next to me.

"Did I keep you waiting?

"No. No, I was just watching the sky.

There are no clouds in the sky, and the near-full moon is casting its light quietly.

The stars that I've grown accustomed to seeing over the past year are shining, but they're hidden by the bright moonlight.

The moon, it's beautiful.

"...... What?　"What?

It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your time with us.

I also smiled back at her.

"Huh, no. That's just what I thought.

"Not the moon, technically.

Yeah, it is. And there are two of them.

Yes, in fact, our world has a moon - two moons, to be exact.

However, the two satellites are never visible at the same time, and they are almost the same in appearance and size, so I didn't notice them until I was told.

I did not notice them until I was taught. But I never thought that they were really different satellites, because I had experienced the same thing with the moon on the earth: "Today's moon looks bigger.

Today's moon is the bigger one, so it's brighter.

"A little bit. But I feel grateful for that today. --Thanks to it, I can see Haruka's beautiful face.

Haruka's blue eyes twinkled a little unexpectedly in the moonlight.

What's wrong with you?　What's wrong?

I'm in the mood.　I'm in the mood.

Yes, I am. Well, I'm a woman too, so who's to say I'm not happy?

Standing with her shoulder to me, Haruka also looked up at the sky next to me.

It's been a year since we came here.

Yes, it has. Well, we had a party today to celebrate that.

So I thought it would be a good time.

"...... for what?

Before Haruka looks up at me curiously, I hold out a small wooden box and open the lid.

There were two rings lined up inside.

Haruka gasped when she saw the rings shining quietly in the moonlight.

"...... is this an engagement ring, is that correct?

I'm not sure. It's not possible at the moment, but when things settle down and you're able to live a more relaxed life, will you marry ...... me?

"Yes, it's fine.

It took a lot of courage for me to push out the words, but Haruka simply replied.

I forgot my words for a while as she replied without the slightest hesitation.

...... You answered so easily.

"Oh, should I have bothered?

"No, I don't like it when people delay, but ...... my decision was, you know?

I've been thinking about this a lot.

Should I say it now?

What should I say?

In what situation should I say it?

That's why I was kind of disappointed when Haruka answered so normally.

Perhaps understanding my feelings, Haruka smiled kindly.

To be honest, I've been wanting to do that ever since I was in Japan.

Is that right, ......?

You didn't know that?　--No, you didn't, did you?

Well, yeah. ......

In fact, Toya has been his childhood friend since about the same time, but Haruka has never done anything like that.

If I were to say 'I didn't realize it,' I'd be a better hero than the hard-of-hearing ones.

But I would have liked to have heard a more romantic proposal.

That's not something you can expect from me.

Yeah, I know. I don't mind being unpretentious, you know?

Well, thanks for the ....... Thank you for understanding me.

I hadn't thought about it at all, but I thought it would be better to say it honestly than to try to fix it and fail.

That's how much time we've spent together.

"Well, since we're here, will you set me up, Nao?

"Okay.

I picked up the ring and gently placed it on the ring finger of the left hand that Haruka held out to me.

It's a good idea to have a ring that fits your finger.

"Oh, it's not ...... perfect, is it? Is this Yuki?

"Oh. I'm sure you'll be happy with the results. She said it would be nice if I could give it to you today.

If it was originally planned, the ring itself would have been made a little later, but without my knowledge, Yuki rushed the craftsman to shorten the delivery date.

On top of that, he did his best to add "adjustments" and now this ring is ready.

Although Yuki is a bit of a trapper, I can't deny that he's been a great help to me in many ways, and I can't help but hate him.

I'll set Nao up myself then.

Haruka took the other ring and put it on my finger. She grasped my left hand and her left hand as if they were overlapping, and smiled happily when she saw the rings lined up.

He smiled happily at the sight of the rings together. They're matching.

It's a pair of rings.

I'm not sure what to do with it.

"Mmm, would you like to hear a few more nice words?

"You don't mind me being unpretentious, do you?

It's okay. You don't mind me being unpretentious, do you?

"Don't worry. I like Nao when she's on display." Haruka looked into my face as if expecting something.

You will find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it. I hope that it will not lose its shine until the end of our lives, if that is possible.

...... Too cool. But I'm glad. It's going to be a long time, okay?

Yeah. Nice to meet you.

I looked at Haruka, and then...

Ahh!　Sweet and sour, man!

As if to break the ice between us, a voice rang out.

When Haruka and I turned our gazes towards it at the same time, we saw Yuki standing in front of the doorway, looking up at the sky with her hand on her forehead.

And behind him, Natsuki is peeking out from behind the door, looking apologetic.

Yuki, Yuki!　I thought you were asleep!

"Yes, yes, I was asleep!　I was asleep!　I was half asleep!　I was going to sleep until morning!

Then I wish you had stayed asleep!

Then I wanted you to stay asleep! Or I wanted you to close your eyes and fade out!

I'll meditate on you if you're peeping at me!

But if I woke up, you'd have to come and see!　I know!　Of course!　Natsuki!

"No, no, I was invited by Yuki to ........ I was not aware of it in the first place,.......

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and how to get there.

I'm not sure what to say.

I'm sure you've heard of it.

Yuki knows, doesn't she?

It's almost as if Yuki set it up.

I didn't really want to see it!　"I didn't really want to see it, but I'm awake now!　I'm curious!

--"I didn't really want to see it, but it woke me up!

Maybe that's why you've been drinking so much, so that you can sleep through the night without seeing me and Haruka together.

But if that's the case, you should have done it towards the end of the party.

If you think about our various abilities, such as [Robustness], even if we drink too much during the day, we'll recover at night.

I'm so jealous!　I swear to protect you." I want to be told that too!　Right!

You're not just peeking, you're listening!

I did!　Of course I did!　If I had my phone with me, I'd take a picture of it for sure!　It's a permanent record!　We'll show it on the big screen with effects at the wedding.

Ya-me-lo!

I've never been more thankful that Yuki doesn't have a phone in her hand.

And for not having a similar tool.

I'm afraid to say it's impossible because of alchemy.

At least write down what Nao just said...

"Yuki?

I'm not sure what to say, but I'll try.

I think this was one of the most important moments of my life, you know?

Haruka smiles very quietly and takes a step towards Yuki.

"Oh, my?　I'm not sure.　You're actually quite angry?

I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

So, if there is a running lantern at the end of your life, it will always be picked up.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

Well, maybe the peeking was a bit much, but the barging in was a bit much, wasn't it?

Nao is too shy to say anything direct.

"Was it wrong to peek at ......?

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

I'm not sure what to say. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.

I'm not sure if I should apologize or not.　I'm ready to apologize.　I'm a person who can reflect on my actions.

Haruka stands in front of Yuki, who is hunched over, and with a smile on her face, but with a cold expression on her face, she grabs both of Yuki's shoulders tightly.

"Well, do you think I won't be angry?

For Yuki's honor, I won't tell you what happened next.

As I clasped my hands to Yuki's, a smiling Natsuki avoided Haruka and the others, came toward me, and bowed.

I'm sorry, I peeked.

"Oh, it was a little embarrassing, but ...... that's all. Don't worry about it. It was Yuki who ruined it.

But you set up the whole thing, didn't you?

That's right. He's been helping me a lot. ...... Honestly, it's hard for me to be angry.

The reason I was able to give you the ring today, and the reason I was able to fit it on your finger, was because of Yuki.

It was Yuki who pushed me to do it.

When I think about it, .......

I'm sure he couldn't resist. ...... You're loved, Nao.

"Fortunately, .......

I am, too. ......

Hmm?

...... No, not now. I'm going to go back first. I'll leave Yuki and Haruka to you.

...... I don't want to be left in charge.

"Everything is an experience. It's for the future.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bad experience.