After packing up their luggage, it was free time. The detailed arrangements for the concert had already been discussed in advance between Haru and the manager, and most of the concrete preparations had been handed over to the LiveHouse. His own work was more or less finished.
From this point on, it could already be considered his holiday.
Now that Kessoku Band had gradually grown, even without Haru's constant supervision as their manager, Nijika, as the leader, would still guide everyone through training. That allowed him to carve out more time for himself and rest.
By the time everything was put away, evening had fallen. The dinner prepared at the hot spring inn was nothing short of lavish. The girls eagerly immersed themselves in the delicious food, while Haru too enjoyed a rare, relaxed dinner.
Normally, after dinner came the hot spring. But Haru had no intention of returning to his room just yet. He changed into a pair of light canvas shoes at the entrance of the inn, planning to use this time for something else.
Just as he was about to leave, he happened to bump into Nijika, who was carrying snacks and drinks.
"Eh? Haru-san?"
The blonde girl hugged a bag of snacks to her chest, rising slightly on her toes. She hadn't expected to run into him just as he was heading out. A flicker of panic crossed her face as if something suddenly occurred to her.
"H-Haru-san, are you going out?"
"I'm planning to walk around Lake Suwa. The piece I need to submit to to my manager at the end of the month isn't finished yet… I thought I'd find a quiet, comfortable place and see if I can catch some inspiration."
Noticing the snacks and drinks in Nijika's arms, Haru asked curiously, "Nijika, are you planning some kind of camp-style party tonight?"
"That's because Kita-chan insisted on having a girls' pajama party…
B-but Haru-san, aren't you going to try the hot spring? This inn is famous for it! They say it's perfect for washing away fatigue."
Hot spring?
Haru raised an eyebrow in thought before replying at an unhurried pace. "I'm not in much of a rush. I'll soak later, after I get back from the lake."
"If it gets too late, it's not good for your body! Right now is the best time!"
"You see, if you bathe too late, it's easy for dampness to seep into your body, right? It could even affect your sleep quality. Since we came all the way to Nagano for this camp, Haru-san, you should take the chance to really relax, don't you think?"
A fine layer of sweat formed on Nijika's forehead. She tilted her head up in flustered haste, trying to change Haru's mind. But the more desperate she seemed, the stranger it felt to him.
Why did it look like Nijika really wanted him to go to the hot spring?
Puzzled, Haru's gaze lingered on the blonde girl before him. His eyes immediately turned her delicate face red, and she instinctively lowered her head, shifting her gaze away like a guilty child.
"…?"
Haru's brow lifted in surprise. His sharp instincts told him something was off.
No one shows kindness without a reason.
Could it be that Ryo had whispered some rotten idea and then pressured Nijika into carrying it out?
Not impossible. Ryo certainly was the type to do something like that.
Haru's thoughts spun quickly, then he simply nodded with a knowing smile. "If not today, I can always go tomorrow. Nijika, you should just enjoy the hot spring with everyone. Practice can wait until tomorrow."
"Well then, I'll step out for a walk."
As Haru smiled and prepared to leave, the panicked girl reacted without even thinking. She hurriedly shoved the snacks and drinks into the hands of the elderly innkeeper at the counter, then grabbed hold of Haru's sleeve.
She hadn't even thought it through, her body just moved on its own.
"Nijika?"
Haru turned his head in confusion.
The blonde girl pinched the fabric of his sleeve with small fingers that had gone a little pale, as if afraid he might slip away if she let go. Head lowered, she seemed to be struggling to put something into words.
Just as Haru was about to speak, Nijika finally whispered:
"Um, well!"
"They say Lake Suwa is a really famous spot. Since we rarely get a chance to come to Suwa City, I thought… maybe the lake at night would be beautiful, or something like that…"
Her face felt hot enough to burn, but she mustered all her courage to stand there. Remembering Ryo's words from before, her body moved almost against her will.
If she let this chance pass, she knew she would regret it.
That day, when she saw Haru in that car accident, her heart had been gripped by terror and regret. Terror that he might leave her forever, regret that she never got to say what she wanted to say.
The words buried deep inside her heart had never reached him.
Now that Haru stood here, alive and well, Nijika felt it was nothing short of a miracle.
"I want to go for a walk with you too, Haru-san. To Lake Suwa…"
"Would that be alright?"
A faint blush like dawn spread across her cheeks, her cherry-colored lips pressed together, and her eyes, filled with nervous anticipation, lifted shyly toward him. The sight burned itself into Haru's vision.
His breathing grew unsteady.
In that moment, he felt Nijika's charm more than ever. Faced with this gentle, angelic girl, even though he was no longer who he once was, he found himself losing his ability to resist.
He realized then that maybe, he really couldn't handle Nijika.
…
(OST - Astrum Unicum / Stars, Rebirth, and You[1])
Unlike the bustling chaos of Tokyo, the streets of Suwa City were warm and quiet. The few passersby they met moved with an unhurried leisure, and the border of the streets stretched out into the wide expanse of the lake.
Staying in this city seemed to calm even the most restless of hearts.
Haru narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the distant lake. The endless stretch of deep blue water reached the farthest edge of the horizon. A cold breeze brushed against his cheek, and even the murkiest of thoughts were cleansed by the fresh air.
Huh, this is unexpectedly nice.
"…"
The blonde girl in white sneakers glanced nervously toward him, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Fear made her fingers grip together, yet within her chest a faint anticipation stirred, making her steps grow lighter and livelier without her realizing it.
Did I… actually say it out loud?
Blurting out to Haru, "I want to go with you," no matter how she thought about it, that wasn't normal at all. This was two people alone together, and she had even been the one to invite him.
If she thought about it carefully, it was no different from saying outright, "I have another reason for this," wasn't it?!
"Uu…"
Walking behind Haru, it felt like steam was practically rising from her head, hot enough to fog the air. Usually she could find topics to chat about with ease, but now silence pressed in around her.
I have to say something!
Think, think fast!
"Nijika, come to think of it, I owe you thanks."
"Eh?"
Just as she was about to scramble for a conversation starter, she froze. The black-haired boy ahead of her let his shoulder-length hair sway in the cold wind, his scarf-less profile sharp and handsome, lips curved in the faintest of smiles.
"When I got into that car accident, I must have caused you a lot of trouble."
"Trouble? Not at all, I really didn't do anything…"
Nijika's honey-sweet voice grew slightly stiff. Remembering herself kneeling by Haru's side back then, desperate to help but utterly powerless, the crushing sense of helplessness still lingered in her heart.
Gratitude? She had no reason to deserve his thanks.
Seeing her ashamed expression, Haru's lips curved as he said,
"You held my hand so tightly back then, doing everything you could to help me."
"But… but I couldn't do anything at all."
"For me, that was already enough. Not to mention, you were the one who called the ambulance, you handled the paperwork, and you stayed by my side at the hospital afterward."
Nijika scratched her cheek awkwardly. At the time she hadn't been thinking of anything else at all. Her warm, gentle crimson eyes reflected the glow of the moonlight, and the tips of her ears, hidden beneath golden hair, turned red.
"But I never expected Nijika would cry so hard for me, like a little kitten. That image will probably stay in my mind for the rest of my life."
"Hey! Forget about that already!"
Her whole face burning, Nijika waved her small fists at him, but Haru only laughed and kept dodging.
As he recalled the angelic girl kneeling by his side, pearls of tears falling endlessly, Haru's gaze softened. Ignoring how flustered she had become from his teasing, he continued talking about the details of that day.
The wind in the distance brushed across the calm water, stirring ripples into endless waves.
Exhaling softly, the blonde girl let some of the tension in her chest dissolve. Haru's playful attempt to lighten the mood had scattered her worry and nerves, fading away like passing clouds.
Her lips curved into a tender smile.
He's right, I really did cry horribly that day.
That accident had scared her more than anything. She had always taken it for granted that Haru would be there, always by her side, ordinary and constant. Yet the crash made her truly feel the sorrow and terror of parting forever.
Just a little more, and she might never have seen him again.
Nijika couldn't bear to imagine it.
She couldn't think about a world where Haru wasn't there, couldn't picture what it would mean if he were truly gone. She only knew her heart would shatter into pieces, and that even in death she would never forget that regret.
"…Maybe this is a miracle from the gods."
"Hm? Nijika, did you just say something?"
Haru turned to her in surprise. But the blonde girl only smiled softly to herself, murmuring under her breath. Her angelic face, bathed in pale moonlight, looked pure and radiant, while her golden ponytail shimmered like starlight.
He froze where he stood, unable to pull his gaze away.
"I just thought of something, something very, very… very happy!"
For Nijika, this was the rare miracle she had been given.
To see Haru again, to hear his voice again, to see his warm smile again, to feel the warmth that belonged only to him. To finally have the chance to speak aloud the feelings she had hidden in her heart... her affection, her love, her gratitude.
Nijika no longer wanted to hide, no longer wanted to let regret swallow her.
Falling in love with him, wasn't that only natural?
"Oh? And what kind of happy thing is that?"
With a faint smile, Haru asked curiously.
"It's a dream."
But Nijika didn't hide anything. She only grinned brightly, showing small white teeth. Her moist crimson eyes narrowed into gentle curves, becoming like the round silver moon that hung in the sky.
"A dream that's very happy, and belongs only to me."
Her lips carried a quiet smile, her hands still clasped behind her back as though holding onto a tape of precious memories. The dreamlike fragments replayed vividly in her mind, and she closed her eyes as they washed over her.
In that dream, her mother was still smiling. She had turned toward Nijika, lips moving as if speaking with gentle expectation. Even though Nijika could not hear the words, she immediately understood what her mother meant.
[When you meet someone you love, don't let yourself regret it.]
The moment she opened her eyes again, they were filled with determination.
"In my dream, I was a selfish, spoiled child."
"I was always clinging too much to the boy beside me. Whenever I stumbled, I was too weak to stand up on my own. I would bask in the affection of those around me, but I could never find the courage to move forward."
"But even someone like me was never abandoned. That boy… even if he had to throw everything else away, he would still desperately hold on to my hand."
Haru froze, his dark eyes narrowing.
The blonde girl clasped her hands behind her back and took a step forward. Pride and tenderness shone so strongly in her gaze that they seemed almost tangible. Her golden ponytail swayed under the moonlight, and a radiant, gentle smile spread across her face.
"The boy in my dream… was you, Haru."
Haru's breath caught, his chest tightening as everything fell into place.
So that's how it is.
Of course...
Closing his eyes, he pictured the frozen simulator panel in his mind. The gears of thought finally locked into place, answering questions he had buried long ago.
He remembered the memories of that "simulation." A faint smile crept onto his lips.
"To think I'd show up in your dreams… Seems I hold a pretty important place in your heart, Nijika."
"W-well, of course you do! Haru has helped me so much, you've become someone really important to me… That's only natural, isn't it?"
Her tender smile instantly turned into a deep blush. She waved her hands frantically as if trying to explain herself, but she knew exactly what she had just confessed, what meaning her words carried.
It had nothing to do with anything else. Somewhere along the way, without realizing it, she had fallen completely in love with Haru.
Nijika knew exactly what she was saying. She was too shy to voice a straightforward "confession," so as a pure-hearted and reserved girl, she wanted to be a little selfish. To speak her feelings indirectly, with restraint.
All she wanted was for Haru to understand how very, very much she liked him.
This was no longer a hint. This was a declaration.
If you've realized how I feel, then don't pretend not to know anymore!
"Yes, it really is only natural."
Haru looked at the blushing blonde with an amused smile, savoring the way she hinted and fumbled, yet still pushed her feelings out into the open. The emotions she had hidden so deeply were spilling over uncontrollably.
The Nijika standing before him shared the same "memories" as he did.
The boy and girl here were, in truth, a married couple who had already lived a lifetime together, until death did them part. Even if Haru had never realized it before, his feelings for her had never wavered, nor had he ever let go of her hand.
And now that he truly understood, he could never let that hand slip away again.
Haru decided, no matter what, he would take responsibility for her.
"…Uu!"
Seeing Haru's maddeningly calm expression, Nijika began to wonder if her hints hadn't been obvious enough. Her cheeks burned as she stared resentfully at the wooden block of a boy before her, anxious and frustrated, but unable to do more.
She had already laid herself bare this much.
If Haru still didn't get it, then she would have no choice but to show him with her actions!
Determined, Nijika hid behind him where he couldn't see. She patted her flushed cheeks with both hands, then clenched her fists in resolve. She would keep confessing, in her own way, until he finally understood what she meant.
"Haru, um..."
"Nijika, come over here a second."
Haru waved her over with a grin he tried to suppress. Though puzzled, she instinctively walked up to him, blinking curiously. She couldn't tell what he wanted her to see.
Then, Haru lifted his gaze to the sky.
The brilliant galaxy stretched out in a dreamlike glow, countless stars crowding around the one and only moon. His eyes lingered on that beautiful moon for a moment, then shifted to lock firmly onto the radiant side profile of the girl beside him.
"Tonight, the moon is beautiful."
"…Eh?"
Nijika froze for a few seconds, then her eyes went wide, her face blooming into a furious red.
"Would you… make miso soup for me, for the rest of my life?"
[1] https://youtu.be/xQXG2qdOjtg?si=tuBhKaRcv3pCJJJF