Chapter 43

Happy Ending. 2007/++/++ 00:00 The stroke of midnight—the date changes. Today is my girlfriend’s long-awaited birthday. The present is paid for and prepared; the only question is when to hand it over. I started by congratulating her on her lucky day. But it’s not like that’s my bag, y’know? I would have fallen in love with Y-ko even if she was younger than me. —Of course, I don’t say this stuff out loud. But enough about that. … Busted. Laundry is one thing, but when it comes to food, sometimes I just like to give her a bit of a hard time. At some point in time, I realized that having someone wholeheartedly enjoy my cooking was a greater pleasure than I ever could have imagined. Plus, Sebas is bad enough, but Big Brother Sebas is just ludicrous. There has to be a less surreal nickname to use. And in the end, it’s always me doing everything! …… Of course. She would do this. She’s a little sister with a Gundam otaku for a brother. Your boyfriend and your older brother in love with each other. … Why the hell am I thinking about this? If there’s a real problem, it’s Y-ko’s fundamental fujoshi nature… Why are we even talking about this? I’m in my girlfriend’s room on her birthday, and we’re talking about possibly the most inappropriate topic imaginable for such an occasion. Of course, it’s not like I haven’t grown completely used to this by now. I’m used to it, I enjoy it, and I’m happy with it. No matter what the topic is, when I’m with my girlfriend, I’m happy. The days that pass by are all incredibly precious to me. Equivalent exchange. It’s a phrase I’ve heard from Y-ko’s lips countless times since I began dating her, but I never imagined it would be used in such a serious context… And I pulled out the present I had hidden for this moment. I put the little case into Y-ko’s hand. —The case that held a ring fitted to her finger size. And with a devilish little grin, she opened the case up in front of me. —Oh, come on. The answer should be obvious. I silently pulled the ring out of the case and took her left hand. And I slipped it on her left ring finger. And I pulled her close to me. —Since the day I met her… I’ve been exasperated by the amount of manga she buys. I’ve been shocked at the BL she smuggles into my apartment. I’ve been impressed by her expansive knowledge of anime. I’ve been aroused by the maid uniform she wears. I’m sure that in the future, I’ll continue to be manipulated by her fujoshi hobbies. And I’m sure that slowly but surely, her tastes will rub off on me. Day by eccentric, precious day. I’m sure I’ll always be by her side as her Sebas. After all, even in my arms, she said— “Here’s looking at a long life ahead, Sebas.” —And her head finally raised again, I answered, “As you say, Y-ko.”