Amane was waiting for Miss Koyuki to speak, trying to ignore the feeling of his heart beating painfully fast. Then Miss Koyuki broke into a soft, tender smile, like a flower beginning to open. She suddenly loosened up, and the intimidating atmosphere that had hung over them so far, the one that made him feel like he had to sit up straight, suddenly abated. It was like her earnest, gentle smile was finally peeking out. “Once again, I can see there is no problem with the partner Miss Mahiru has chosen.” Amane couldn’t tell whether she was telling him or talking to herself. He couldn’t tell, but he could at least be sure he had gotten her approval. “I always had faith in her good judgment but went ahead and asked just in case… I’m sorry for sounding you out, young man. If it had seemed like there was anything bad about you, I thought I might whip this old body into shape and go tear you away from her, though.” He now realized that if he had made a single misstep, this might have developed into quite the dispute, so he was relieved he had met her expectations but didn’t dare to let that show on his face. It would be unbearable to be torn away from Mahiru, since he wanted to spend the rest of his life making her happy. But supposing he hadn’t secured her approval, his own inadequacy at failing to stand up to Miss Koyuki’s judgment would have been even more unbearable. “Y-you don’t have to do anything like that! Amane is a good person, and his parents are really wonderful people, too…!” “Oh my, you’ve already met his parents?” Amane found himself thinking this woman really was the type to pick up on the words she most wanted to hear, just like his mother. Of course, her personality was different, but he could tell she was a tenacious person in her own right. “That’s wonderful. It’s very important to find people who will treasure you and clear away any obstacles that may come between you. Because these days, people like that are worth more than gold.” “Uh… Oh, Miss Koyuki, you’re too forward about that sort of thing, or, I mean, the way you said it isn’t good. That wasn’t my intention…” “Excuse me, but if anything, I’d have to say I’m probably the one who laid the foundation.” “Amane?!” “Or maybe my mother did half of the work… I feel like she really got fired up and refused to give up her chance to have such a cute, polite, and incredibly good girl as her daughter-in-law.” Thinking back on it, he couldn’t help but feel like his mother had been working diligently to build a solid foundation for him, even before he ever fell for Mahiru. He wasn’t sure whether she had astonishingly good intuition or whether she was just audacious. He couldn’t say he had never found her overbearing, but his parents’ influence was one of the factors that had helped him get together with Mahiru, so he also couldn’t say they were just a nuisance. Even so, Amane, who hadn’t been able to move things along on his own, still felt like he wanted to say it was none of their business. “…Hearing you say that, I feel like I might have given her a lot of help for the second half of the work.” “Huh?” “Never mind, nothing.” Mahiru had quietly said something that sounded like an addition to Amane’s words, but he was too busy complaining about his mother in his head, so he missed it and asked her to repeat herself. However, Mahiru didn’t seem inclined to say it again and abruptly turned away. This was something Mahiru did when she wanted to hide something, but he wasn’t going to force it out of her, so he had no option but to wait for another time when she wanted to tell him. Apparently, the microphone had picked up Mahiru’s words, because Miss Koyuki, who seemed to have heard her perfectly well, responded to Mahiru with a pleasant smile that nonetheless exuded an elegance that could not be hidden. “My goodness.” Then continuing, “As far as I can see, there was never any need for me to worry. Maybe I’m getting old… It seems I’ve been needlessly cautious and meddlesome.” Miss Koyuki had repentant, downcast eyes, and her look alone was enough to stop Mahiru, who had been on the verge of panic. “This has relieved me of a concern that has weighed on my chest for a long time. I’d been worried about you, since I could no longer indiscreetly poke my nose into your affairs. I worried about where you were headed, Miss Mahiru.” Amane heard a quiet gasp from beside him. “But everything’s all right now, isn’t it? As things stand now, I can see that I can entrust her to you. You’re probably wondering who I think I am to say that, as an outsider who has already left her life, but as one of the adults who watched over Miss Mahiru up until now, that’s what I believe…” On every point, Miss Koyuki had been testing Amane, always thinking of Mahiru’s well-being. That much was obvious. She had been by Mahiru’s side since she was little, keeping her company. She had given Mahiru a good education, so she would not be hurt by others. She had helped polish Mahiru’s persona, so she would not run into trouble in the future. She had treated Mahiru with plenty of affection, so she would not lose faith in people and would one day be able to give her heart to someone. She cared about Mahiru enough to make sure she could entrust the girl she’d taken such great pains with and treasured so much to Amane. “Next time, I want the two of you to come visit me together, okay? I want to introduce you to my son and his wife. I’ll introduce you as another of my sweet children and her boyfriend. Oh, my son won’t get jealous or anything if I acquire one or two more children, so don’t worry about that, please.” Mahiru didn’t seem to be able to hold it together anymore when she heard the word children, and the tears, which she had managed to hold at bay, overflowed again. Sobbing weakly, Mahiru didn’t hold back and wept as if she were letting her frail parts crumble away. It seemed likely she would shed more tears that evening than she had in her entire life. When she saw Mahiru like that, Miss Koyuki put on a warm, enveloping smile filled with earnest affection, and together with Amane, quietly waited for Mahiru to ride out the wave of her emotions on her own. “Oh-ho-ho, I haven’t approved of your marriage just yet, kids. I can’t possibly approve until I see what kind of gentleman he is with my own eyes, rather than over a phone call.” Miss Koyuki waited for Mahiru to calm down, then made that playful announcement, sending Amane into an intense coughing fit. He had been about to respond, his lips trembling in fear, when she shot him a knowing look. Amane couldn’t refute it, and all he could do was pout. I knew it! At her core, she’s just like my mother! If Miss Koyuki teamed up with his mother, the already-dangerous twosome would become a threesome (the other member being Chitose). Imagining that, Amane shuddered with fear. Though Miss Koyuki didn’t launch a follow-up attack, which showed she was kinder than his mother or Chitose. Miss Koyuki seemed to pick up on the fact that Amane had trouble asserting himself—at least that’s what he understood from her quiet laugh. She straightened up, turning to face Mahiru again, looking at her with an expression that anyone would have recognized as a mother looking at her beloved child. “So don’t be shy, both of you. Come see me. I’ll be glad to welcome you.” “…Okay!” “Thank you very much.” It felt like they were making a promise to go pay their respects at Mahiru’s parents’ home. Miss Koyuki welcomed them with a beautiful smile, both Amane, who was beaming with delight and relief as well as embarrassment, and Mahiru, who let one more joyful tear trickle from her eye. “Oh, and I won’t give my blessing if you make her cry, so be careful.” “…I’m not the one who made her cry just now, am I?” “Oh my, that’s… Ho-ho, well, just be careful.” Miss Koyuki smiled mischievously, and Amane and Mahiru both looked at each other, wearing smiles they couldn’t hide. “So long as they’re happy tears, you go right ahead and make her cry. It seems like she isn’t very used to happiness, so I ask that you make up for all the joy she’s missed so far.” “Well then, I won’t hold back. My intention from here on out is to do my best to make her cry tears of joy.” “Wait, Amane—” Mahiru looked flustered, like she was going to ask him what he was talking about, but Amane didn’t have the slightest intention of taking back what he said. Making her cry from sadness or anger would be inexcusable, but happy tears were a different story. Tears were emotions that overflowed from the heart, and if it was something positive, if the tears were born from happiness, then they were nothing to balk at. No one could blame Amane for wanting to show Mahiru all the delights she had been deprived of before. No one would complain about him hogging those tears to himself, either. “Well then, I’ll leave you to it… You get lots of satisfaction from that boy, and the next time we meet, I want to hear all about it. I’m looking forward to it!” Amane’s answer must have been sufficient to satisfy Miss Koyuki, because with a cheerful expression, she smiled pleasantly and looked the two of them over with a deeply gentle, affectionate gaze. It was the same kind of look they had gotten from Amane’s mother in the past. “I’ll see you then. I hope you continue to live a happy and healthy life, Miss Mahiru.” Miss Koyuki wished Mahiru the best in a clear voice without the slightest bit of cloudiness, then with her eyes, she offered one last reassuring look to Mahiru, who was trembling with emotion and obviously a little reluctant to say good-bye. Then she finally ended the call. The silent, empty screen reflected Amane and Mahiru and the decorated room. Their parting with Miss Koyuki was quick, but it was sure to remain in Amane’s heart, which was filled with its warm afterglow. He was sure Mahiru felt the same way, because she kept staring for a little while at the screen that had projected such joy for her, as if basking in the afterglow, as if absorbed in it, but…eventually, she slowly leaned over toward Amane. She leaned against him, sweetly snuggling up against his upper arm and shoulder, and stayed like that as she quietly took one deep breath. As he looked at her glossy hair flowing down from her shoulders and smoothly following the curves of her chest, Amane waited for Mahiru to silently finish putting her words in order. “…Amane.” “Yeah?” She called his name quietly. “…I don’t really know what to say, I guess… I’m so happy, I feel like I’m going crazy… I never even imagined this day would come.” Certainly, she must have wished for it from the bottom of her heart. She must have wished to have a family-like connection to Miss Koyuki. However, she’d lacked the will to pursue it and make it a reality. Mahiru had a tendency to always prioritize other people, or to put it even more strongly, she was a coward at heart. Ways to contact Miss Koyuki, ways to hear her voice, ways to see her—she must have thought of countless ways, and yet she hadn’t pursued any of them. She hadn’t been able to because Mahiru feared being rejected by Miss Koyuki and had unconsciously kept herself safe from that possibility. That was what Amane thought. Though he still felt sorry for stirring up that fear and anxiety in her, Amane did not regret getting in contact with Miss Koyuki one single bit. Because now that everything was done, Mahiru looked incredibly satisfied. “…Do you feel at least a little bit happier?” He knew asking a question he already knew the answer to was kind of rude, but he wanted to hear her answer no matter what. Even if it was just for his own satisfaction, he wanted to verify that had made his darling girlfriend happy. “Of course. I’m so happy, I can hardly stand it. I’m overjoyed, my head is floating, and my heart is pounding…but it’s painful to know the day is over. And I know my emotions are all over the place.” “Mm, a lot happened, so you’ll have to process it bit by bit.” Mahiru mumbled haltingly in a childish voice, not necessarily for Amane to hear but as a way to sort out her turbulent emotions. Amane just acknowledged Mahiru without rushing her. Mahiru still seemed to be riding the wave of emotion that had crashed over her. As she leaned against his shoulder, she entwined her arm with his so she could cling closer to Amane and rest her face against his upper arm. Amane chuckled a little as Mahiru rubbed her cheek against him, satisfying the desire that had apparently been building up inside her, then reached out with his free hand and smoothed down the disheveled flaxen river of her hair. “…It’s all right. The joy you’re feeling is never going to disappear, and you can savor it slowly. You felt happy today, Mahiru. Let’s lock that into our memories together.” “…Yes.” “I just hope that today was a day you’ll be able to look back on and smile at how happy you were, anytime you remember it.” His greatest wish was for this to become one of many joyful memories. Amane wanted to go on experiencing many joys with Mahiru, and he did intend to make Mahiru happy in the future, so if she ended up remembering this day, not as the only day she was happy but as one among many happy days, he would be glad. “…Come on, your birthday isn’t over yet, is it?” “It’s been so gratifying already. I’m getting full.” “Oh, that’s too bad. There’s still so much cake left…” He knew what she meant, but he purposely joked around, mumbling with a disappointed look on his face, and Mahiru fidgeted bashfully and pressed her forehead into his arm pleadingly. “…If you’ll feed it to me, I’ll eat a little bit more.” “Sure, I’ll do anything you want me to, Mahiru.” Although she was being reserved about it, Mahiru looked up at him with expectation in her eyes, and Amane knew she was going to presume upon him in various ways, as only his girlfriend could. Amane felt he could endure it and gently stroked her head, ready to grant any wish she made, and Mahiru relaxed and broke into a smile. “No matter how much I try, I won’t be able to eat it all, so I’ll feed some to you, too.” “Sure, thanks… Next year, I think I’ll try to make one a bit smaller than this. Then we won’t have any trouble polishing it off with just the two of us.” “‘Next year’…” Those words seemed to give her something to think about as she repeated them in a low whisper. Amane was certain she was imagining the two of them together the following year, which was not far away. A faint but distinct color tinted her cheeks, like a burst of light emerging out of the darkness, and Mahiru looked up at him searchingly. Her eyes were filled with anticipation she could not hide. From her expression, Amane could see she was looking forward to what was to come, that she didn’t seem to dislike her birthday anymore, and that she was eagerly anticipating her next one. He went right ahead and let the happiness that welled up from deep within his heart show on his face. “That’s right, next year. Looking forward to it already?” “Yes.” “That’s great. So am I.” The idea of spending all the days ahead with Mahiru, the idea that he could be the one to make her happy, the emotional uplift he felt knowing Mahiru trusted him and was anticipating great things from him: all these were Amane’s pleasure, his joy, his happiness. He was certain, at that moment, they meant the same to Mahiru. “…Really, thank you for being you. And thank you for falling in love with me. I swear I’m going to make you happy.” He hadn’t planned to say those words to Mahiru. They had spilled out on their own, and she listened closely. After she lowered her eyes, bewitching beads of amber, and opened them wide, Mahiru’s face seemed to melt into a sappy, broad grin. She relaxed her whole body and sank into Amane’s embrace.
Chapter 206
15 min read