What I’m saying is probably outlandishly idealistic and easier said than done. It’s absurdly optimistic; forget one, it’s like two pies in the sky. However, even so, I want to reach for that ideal. I want to fight against reality and make it mine.
“For the two years until I become eighteen, let’s try our best to convince everyone. We’ll do our best to persuade them, and when we get both our families’ approval...let’s get married.”
“...”
“As for kids... Well, I think there’s a proper order for that type of thing, after all. Let’s get married first, and then we can think about it gradually...”
“Waah!” Orihara-san had been listening to me with a dumbfounded expression on her face, but then she started crying again. She hid her face with her hands, and I couldn’t see her expression anymore.
“O-Orihara-san...”
“N-No... I’m fine... It’s just... I’m just so happy,” she said. She slightly lowered her hands, so I could see her face that was made a mess from her tears; she had a wonderfully happy smile. Even though tears were streaming down her face, she was beaming. “How is it that you always, always say the thing that I want to hear the most, Momota-kun? I’m so happy, I’m crying...”
“It’s nothing. I didn’t say anything special.”
“But...are you sure you want me? I’m twelve years older than you, you know?” Orihara-san said after she wiped her tears with her hand.
“Actually, it’s eleven years and ten months, isn’t it?” I joked with her a little. Orihara-san paused for a moment and then burst out laughing.
“Ha ha ha. You stole my line.”
“What about you, Orihara-san? Are you sure you want me? I said a lot of things to try to sound cool just now, but when I turn eighteen, I’m going to be a student with no income. Are you really sure you want someone like that as your husband?”
“I do,” Orihara-san said quickly, with barely a pause. Then, without hesitation, she brought her body close to mine and wrapped her hands around my back, embracing me with her whole body against mine. “I want to be with you, Momota-kun, and nobody else. Even if you are a boy who’s twelve years younger than me... I want to get married and be with you forever, Momota-kun.”
“Orihara-san.” The words she whispered into my ear resonated with what I felt in my heart.
“...It’s only a slight one,” I said. “Our age gap will never be closed. However, if we cherish one another, those twelve years will only be a slight gap.”
Our age difference will never go away no matter what we do; erasing it is impossible. However, how we feel about it is up to us. If we stand firm, even if other people say things about us like “That’s not ‘slight’ at all,” we can make it be “slight.” After all, Orihara-san is my super cute, slightly older girlfriend.
“‘A slight gap,’ huh? You really are amazing, Momota-kun. You’re way younger than me, but I feel like you’re way more mature and more focused on the future than I am.”
“That’s not true. I’m not focused on the future at all. It’s all wishful thinking, and the future I’m looking at is really naive, I think. But...”
“But...?”
“I think that even if it’s naive, if the two of us can see it together, then it will become closer to reality. Not alone, but the two of us, together...”
There’s only so much I can do by myself. No matter how tough I try to be, there’s a limit to what I can do. However, if the two of us are facing the same direction together, then I feel like we can see a better future than if one of us were looking off somewhere on our own.
“You really are amazing, Momota-kun...” Orihara-san once again hugged me tightly. “I like what you just said.”
“What I just said?”
“What you said about working hard to make everyone happy.”
Everyone. Orihara-san’s family, my family, and, more than anyone, us.
“I think that’s really nice. Surely, everyone becoming happy is what’s best.”
“Well, it’s a really idealistic thought.”
“It’s fine if it’s idealistic. It’ll probably be the hardest path to take, but I think it’s the best one. It will probably be way more difficult than if we broke up, though...”
“You’re right.”
“But even if it is difficult, I prefer it that way. If I can walk that path together with you, that’s the path I prefer, no matter how hard it is.”
After holding each other this whole time, we slightly pulled our bodies apart and gazed at each other. Orihara-san was smiling very happily, and I probably had a similar look on my face. The situation hadn’t changed, but just knowing that we were going in the same direction together somehow filled me with a tremendous sense of happiness and invincibility.
“Let’s do our best to make everyone happy, Orihara-san.”
“Yes, let’s do it. Also...”
“Also...”
“L-Let’s get married.”
“...Yes.”
“Ha ha ha.”
“...I’m sorry that my proposal was in a love hotel while we’re half-naked.”
“N-No, don’t worry about that! It made me really happy!”
“One day, when I’m eighteen, I’m going to do it again. I’ll do a proper, serious proposal.”
“S-Serious proposal? O-Okay... I-I’m looking forward to it.”
We both smiled at each other, as it seemed that the only thing that filled our hearts was happiness.
So...yeah... A lot of things just got settled. Anyway...
“O-Orihara-san.” At the end of our various struggles, I hesitated a bit, but I didn’t have any other choice. I still had unfinished business. “Well...things have been settled, huh?”
“What?”
“I mean, like, now that we’ve decided our future plans, things have been settled.”