CH 55

“I’m not going anywhere.”

This was Asahi’s feeling and intention in its truest form.

The thoughts and feelings that were put into those short words must have certainly been conveyed to the other person.

As proof of this, Fuyuka’s expression changed.

Her eyes filled with tears opened and a faint glow lit up her caramel eyes.

However, that light in her eyes suddenly disappeared as if she remembered something.

She turned her gaze away from Asahi and looked downward.

The once warm atmosphere was replaced by the cold air again.

Nevertheless, Asahi continued to reach out to her.

“Say, Fuyuka. You said before that you wanted to change the way you interacted with others.”

“…Yes.”

“As a result, you’re surrounded by many people. Hinami, Chiaki, and the other students. Even my parents. There are many people who want to talk to you and get to know you. I’m sure you, yourself, understand that the most.”

“…Yes.”

In response to Asahi’s question, Fuyuka only let out a small voice of affirmation.

Perhaps that slight reaction was her limit now.

But he was sure that his voice had reached her. The things he wanted to say should have reached her.

Fuyuka had taken a small but really, really big step forward.

She had confronted her own cold past and tried her best to interact with others.

And now, Fuyuka was frightened again.

She was afraid that Asahi, Hinami, and Chiaki would… That another person would leave her again.

“Just as you think, some will leave someday. Classes will change, schools will change, and eventually everyone will go their different ways. Of course, not all of us will stay together forever.”

A reality that was too cruel for her to hear.

In elementary school, middle school, high school, and college.

How many dozens or hundreds of friends a person would make in their lifetime?

Even though there were only a handful of people that they would have relationships with in their adult life and beyond, people were still endlessly looking for someone to be involved with.

Where there were encounters, there were also partings.

For her, even such an ordinary parting could be a factor that could gouge out and widen the deeply etched wounds in her heart.

Therefore, in order to heal her wounds as much as possible.

“…That’s why I promise, I’ll never leave you be.”

Asahi faced Fuyuka straight on and leaned in close with a vow.

Even if dozens or hundreds of people left her.

He, alone, would never leave her.

Even if it was just one person.

Believing that it could support her.

Believing that it could heal her wounds.

And reach out to her.

And so, a certain warmth was added to the frozen ice.

“Even after graduation?”

“You live next door. We can meet anytime.”

“I may have to move.”

“In this day and age, we can talk via cell phone.”

“…Asahi-kun, If you start to hate me…”

“That won’t happen.”

Asahi assured her.

He won’t ever hate her.

He had that firm confidence.

“…Do you really promise, you won’t leave?”

“I promise. Well, there’s nothing I can do if you start to hate me.”

“I… won’t ever come to hate you, Asahi-kun.”

“…Then, it should be fine. Don’t worry, I’ll never leave you.”

Fuyuka spoke out forcefully for the first time today, and Asahi stopped thinking.

Still, after a short pause, Asahi said the words that needed to be said the most.

Even if she changed her school, even if she changed where she lived.

As long as he didn’t let go of these feelings, he would continue this relationship.

That promise was not an easy one to make.

That was why it was a sign of mutual trust.

It was also a sign of feelings that did not fit into the frame of friends.

“…I’m glad.”

In a small voice, Fuyuka spilled out words.

Asahi didn’t know how much thought was put into that short word.

He just couldn’t help.

It had been a long time since he had seen Fuyuka’s smile, and he felt it was quite endearing.

“It was tough, right?”

Unconsciously, Asahi reached for Fuyuka.

He gently placed his warm palm on the chilled head of the girl.

For some reason, he felt an irresistible urge to pet her.

As if to reward her hardships she had been through, so that it could heal her wounds as much as possible.

It might seem irrelevant.

His body was moving impulsively, wanting to touch Fuyuka and comfort her.

“…Are you treating me like a child?”

“It’s not like that… Sorry, I got carried away.”

“…You’re not continuing?”

“You don’t like it, right?”

“I didn’t say so.”

“What should I do then?” Asahi’s right hand wandered in the sky, having lost its destination.

Fuyuka’s two small hands wrapped around his hand.

“…I want to stay like this for a little while.”

In the end, Asahi ended up patting Fuyuka on the head.

Slowly and gently, touching her beautiful glazed hair.

A few moments later, he heard a small sob.

The emotions that had been suppressed until now must be overflowing now.

Large tears spilled down onto Asahi’s lap.

He could feel her slender body trembling in small increments through his hand.

Just like that, Asahi continued to silently pat Fuyuka’s head.

Until her tears stopped, until she stopped trembling.

He never let go.

“Have you calmed down?”

“…Yes. But please don’t look at me too much.”

“Why not? It’s fine.”

“It’s not… I don’t want you to see my messed up face like this.”

That being said, he didn’t know where to put his gaze.

Finally, Asahi stared into Fuyuka’s bright red, swollen eyes, and her cheeks, which were even more red, puffed up in a cute way.

At any rate, her tears finally dried up and she stopped trembling.

Then, Fuyuka began to speak calmly and indifferently.

The question that lingered in Asahi’s mind was answered in a calm voice.

“The day before yesterday was the anniversary of my mother’s death, and I went to visit her grave. There, I saw Makoto-san for the first time in half a year. He left without saying a word to me. Because of that, I remember about the past…”

“So that’s why you missed school.”

“I’m afraid to see everyone… I couldn’t face them, thinking that I might get hurt again.”

Another slightly gloomy expression appeared on Fuyuka’s face.

However, it only lasted for a moment.

“But I’m fine now. Because, I have you, Asahi-kun.”

Fuyuka smiled faintly, as if she was making a final confirmation.

“Yeah.”

Asahi smoothly wrote down the answer to the question.

Their relationship was not particularly different from what it was before.

In other words, it was an extension of a heavy and light-hearted promise to be good friends until death, or to stay friends forever.

Still, it meant a lot for both of them.

An unshakable relationship of trust, deepened through short and long exchanges, bound them together.

“…Once again, I am very happy to have met you, Asahi-kun.”

Seeing that big smile on his face, Asahi finally got his feelings in order.

Thinking about it, maybe he had noticed it all along.

The truth was, he pretended to not notice, pretended that he didn’t know.

He must have been confused, troubled, and unconsciously in denial of the feelings that he was experiencing for the first time.

As he did so, his feelings overflowed and he couldn’t control them anymore.

Seeing the various sides of Fuyuka, and her diverse and changing expressions.

The feeling of thinking she was beautiful.

The feeling of thinking she was pretty.

The feeling of thinking she was cute.

Asahi carved Fuyuka’s name into his feelings.

This was the emotion called “love”.

At that moment, Asahi’s world was immediately dyed with the color of love.

“Asahi-kun, aren’t you a little red?”

“…It’s your imagination. You’re also a little red too, you know.”

“That’s just your imagination…”

The time spent staring at each other was very itchy, and Asahi touched his loved one’s head once again.

Fuyuka accepted the large hand without showing any sign of resistance.

“I feel warm when you stroke my head like that, Asahi-kun.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means I feel relaxed.”

“If it’s just this, I’ll do it any day.”

“…Thank you very much.”

The warm heat was soothing.

The cold ice was slowly melting.

The “Ice Lady” was no longer there.