CH 15

I can still remember that day.

I was bored staying at home, so I decided to go play at an arcade game center owned by an old guy I knew. As I was walking along, kicking the ball in the air so as not to disturb others, I suddenly spotted a girl in the park. She was crying all the time with her face down, and I couldn’t ignore her.

[What are you doing out here all alone? You eyes are red….]

She looked up after I said that, and that’s when our time together began.

If someone were to hear about this, they might call me a brat, huh? Well, say what you want. I can say it as much as I want now. I’ve liked her since then, always have.

When I arrived at the park, Ayana was still nowhere to be seen. This was my first visit to the park since I became Towa, but it brought back memories of my first encounter with Ayana as if it were my own. It was here that I met Ayana and our time together began.

I met Ayana, met Shu, played together, and spent time together …….

It’s not all fun and games, there were also hard times.

When I was in an accident and unable to play soccer and my heart was in shambles, Shu asked me to support his relationship with Ayana, and despite my hesitation, he visited me at my house and I had a relationship with Ayana.

As depicted in the fan disc, their feelings for each other certainly developed at this time. However, Towa’s appearance in a corner at this time gave Ayana the final push for revenge.

“….. that’s why I have to settle this”

I called her here today to deny the halfway relationship that continues to this day and the things that Ayana continues to carry on her back.

I’ve been waiting for a while for Ayana to show up, and when she sees me, she rushes over to me, looking very happy.

“Thank you for waiting!”

Ayana stood by my side, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Thank you, Ayana. For coming.”

“I’ll go wherever Towa-kun asks me to go.”

I felt warmth in her heart when she said that with a smile, and at the same time I thought —– yes, I’m going to keep this smile on her face.

I will tell her, that’s why she is here today.

“I wanted to tell Ayana something today. Something important, about our future.”

“Is it …… from now on?　Uhm….Could it be?”

She blushed for a moment as soon as I spoke. With the way I said it, it could be taken as a confession. In a way, that wouldn’t be entirely wrong, but there was something we needed to settle before anything else. Right, Touwa?

I felt the presence of someone nodding inside me, and a smile broke out, but I immediately returned my attention to Ayana.

“I’ve been thinking about something for a long time. Maybe… Ayana is carrying something that you don’t have to carry.”

“Something I don’t have to carry…?”

I nodded at Ayana’s question and voiced my answer.

“The sadness and hatred I was carrying in the hospital that time.”

“!?”

Ayana’s expression changed significantly.

It’s understandable. As someone who played the game, I know that Ayana had been holding onto her hatred without letting Towa notice. And as a result, it would eventually explode somewhere that Towa wouldn’t know.

“Was I not wrong about that?”

“…………”

Ayana didn’t answer my question as she looked down. But she soon opened her mouth with emotion-filled words.

“…It’s not something that I don’t have to carry. They said such terrible things about Towa-kun. It’s not something that can be forgiven… I can’t tolerate being told such things about the person I love, can I?”

Emotional words from Ayana that I probably would never hear otherwise. She was staring at me while breathing with her shoulders. Her eyes looked painful, as if she was about to cry any moment. I had an urge to run up to her and hug her right away, but I managed to stop myself. I knew I shouldn’t be lenient here. Neither Ayana nor I would be able to move forward that way.

“I’m sorry, Ayana.”

“Huh?”

“Until now, I haven’t realized that you were like that. I was just indulging in the happiness of having you by my side, and I didn’t really see you for who you are.”

“T-That’s not true! Towa-kun has always been looking at me!”

It can’t be said that way, seeing how Ayana was making that kind of expression. In the end, I was just relying on her. I was just enjoying the feeling of being the only one happy just because Ayana was by my side. I’m the person who didn’t notice the darkness that Ayana is carrying.

“I was just like Shu. I’ve been relying on your kindness this whole time.”

“It’s not the same! Towa-kun is different from him!!”

I couldn’t bear to see Ayana shaking her head and denying my words. The girl who always smiles by my side couldn’t be found here. She’s just a girl who keeps rejecting the words I’m trying to convey, something I’ve never seen in this world or in the game.

Hey, Towa-kun. It’s okay… Leave those people to me. I will definitely make them regret… That’s why…that’s why…..”

I think that Ayana probably didn’t know what to say herself. She kept repeating the same thing while pressing her forehead against my chest. I will make them regret it for sure. When I heard that, I would say this to her. To save Ayana, to deny her wrong determination that she had been carrying all this time.

“Ayana, there is no need for you to do something like that.”

When Ayana raised her face at my words, her eyes seemed to say, “Why would you say such a thing?” Of course, it was natural. Otherwise, no one would be happy… Especially Ayana wouldn’t be able to be happy.

“Hey, Ayana. Today, I’m going to overcome it. The sadness, the hatred, and all the other things I felt at that time…”

“Huh?”

I moved away from Ayana, who was surprised, and held a soccer ball that I had hidden under the shade of a tree. Ayana was probably surprised to see me holding a ball like this. In fact, I haven’t touched a ball since I was hospitalized. That’s how much I wanted to stay away from soccer. That’s why Ayana was surprised to see me holding a ball now.

“T-Towa-kun…?”

Ignoring Ayana, who was confused, I placed the ball on the ground and started juggling it on the tip of my toe. Although I didn’t have much experience in soccer myself, my body remembered it well and I was able to do it skillfully. I didn’t do anything complicated that required a lot of body movement, just controlled the ball with my foot so it wouldn’t touch the ground.

“….Yotto. Ho! That’s!”

As I was juggling the ball, the scene of when I first met Ayuna came back to my mind. I desperately tried to do what I could to cheer her up when she was feeling down. Ayuna’s smile at that time, the smile that became the reason why I fell in love with her, I want to see that smile again.

“….Aah, damn it”

While I was frantically handling the ball, I saw Ayana crying on the side …… but I saw it.

“…..Fufu”

Ayana laughed at me.

“Hey, Ayana!　Do you remember?　I tried to make you smile like this!”

Ayana nodded and answered.

“Of course I do. ……!　　I can’t forget …… it’s a precious memory. It’s a precious memory because it’s where my time with Towa-kun began……!”

Yes, our time began there. And it will continue for a long time to come. I’m going to let it continue,……, the future that I will walk with her, my beloved!

I put the ball down and stood in front of the soccer goal.

“When I think back to it, I was sad and even felt resentment at that time. Why did I have to go through all that?”

The anger and sadness that Towa felt is still smoldering in my heart as my thoughts. But that’s okay. The past can’t be changed, but the future can be changed as much as I want. I’m going to show the world that it’s easy to change Ayana’s future, even if it’s going to be broken.

“That’s why I’m going to overcome it. So, Ayana, let’s stop being trapped by the past. I’m already fine. You don’t need to bear my burden.”

It’s not just me who says that, it’s Towa too, right? With this shot, let’s end everything. Then we can put the past behind us.

I swung my leg and kicked the ball with all my might towards the goal. The ball flew straight and landed in the net with a satisfying sound.

This feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time was refreshing, as if something that had been clinging onto me for a long time had been blown away.

“…Phew. That was a good shot.”

As I nodded to myself, I felt a sudden impact on my back. Someone hugged me from behind and put their arms around my stomach. I was surprised by the suddenness of it, but I knew who it was…my beloved.

“I never thought I’d see Towa-kun playing soccer again…I’m so happy to see it now. I really…loved seeing you play soccer, Towa-kun.”

…I remember that too.

Ayana holding a megaphone next to my mother and cheering for me.

“Ayana.”

I gently removed her hands from around me and turned to face her. Then I hugged her tightly. It was such a happy feeling to have the person I love in my arms, and I never thought it would feel this good.

“As I said before, I’m already fine. I’ve said goodbye to all the sadness. From now on, I want to walk towards the future.”

“…The future?”

“Ah, that’s right… I mean…”

Why do I feel so embarrassed now?

I was hugging Ayana, and I said so many embarrassing things that I wanted to forget earlier!　Then don’t be embarrassed anymore!

I took a deep breath, looked up into Ayana’s eyes, and let my feelings flow into my words. I wanted to tell her the words I had always wanted to say to her, to end the halfway relationship and move forward again.

“I want Ayana to walk with me in that future. I love you–Ayana.”

“……Ah”

I had a relationship with Ayana at that time, but in the end it just drifted away and I didn’t tell her how I felt about her. I told her that I liked her, and Ayana put her forehead on my chest like before.

“Towa-kun, you are a mysterious person. You noticed the things I’ve been holding onto for so long,…… you showed me the way I wanted to see you again,…… and you gave me the words I wanted most.”

Ayana then looked up at me.

“Towa-kun, I am a terrible woman. I am a woman who wanted to make those people regret it for a long time, and even thought of using their goodwill as a foothold for revenge after I found out about my childhood friend’s feelings for me. I’m a lightweight woman who can be swayed by a single word from Towa-kun. Even if I am like that, Towa-kun–“

“I love you. Any you are the one I fell in love with. So I’ll say it again and again…… I love Ayana.”

I have no doubts about my feelings and there is no need to hide them anymore.

I love Ayana. I don’t have to be …… reserved anymore.

“……Ah, really, Towa-kun, can I …… tell you too?　Once again, this feeling.”

Then Ayana smiled at me. It was the most beautiful smile I have ever seen, and it was so wonderful that I will always remember it.

“I love you, too, Towa-kun. I love you so much that I can’t help it. I don’t want to leave you no matter what, that’s how much I love you. I don’t care if you think I’m a burden, I love you that much.”

It was the first time I had heard those straightforward words, and what flew into my heart was unparalleled joy. Almost reflexively, I brought my face close to hers and touched those soft lips.

We kissed for only a few seconds, and we smiled at each other as we parted our faces, regretting our lingering kisses.

“I just thought about it again, but kissing is… kinda happy, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I’m really happy.”

Once our bodies were separated, Ayana and I faced each other.

I know the order is a little bit different, but I have to tell her this too.

“Ayana, will you go out with me?　Forever and ever.”

Ayana responded to my words with…

“Yes. I will always and forever be by your side, Towa-kun.”

……At long last, I guess our feelings have finally truly come through.

I feel relieved, and I also think that what’s coming up next will be tough, but it’s strange that I don’t feel anxious at all. I think it’s all because she’s here with me… If Ayana is here with me, everything will be okay.

“…… Um, Towa-kun?”

“?　What’s wrong?”

“Uhm…… I want to kiss you again. Is that no good?”

“……So cute”

Nothing should be insurmountable.

Hey, Towa. This is the answer I’ve chosen. There’s no need to leave sad words like that anymore, right? Of course, the future may not be smooth sailing, but I don’t think it will be a future that will break the hearts of you or me.

“Ayana, I want you to continue supporting me from now on. I’ll support you too.”

“Yes…of course!”

Let’s make a vow with this smile. I will definitely protect this from now on.

This is where we have arrived, and the true story that continues our future begins here.