After all the chaos—Kagami nearly drowning me (we don't talk about that), and Kumiko grabbing my feet from underwater—I finally collapse onto our beach towel.
Who knew having fun with others could actually be…fun?
Well, everyone but me, probably.
As I'm about to crack open a Dr. Pepper I've brought as a refreshment, I hear a pop before I can twist my fingers.
I'm checking my ears for water when a pair of hands covers my eyes.
"Guess who—"
"My vision! It's gone! This is what I get for touching the ocean, isn't it?!"
Whack.
"It's me, idiot," says Olympia.
I knew I hadn't lost my vision, but I didn't tell Olympia that.
"Can a man enjoy a soda in peace?"
"A man can. But you, Kiyo, don't qualify."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Four requirements," she says, counting on her fingers. "Plant a tree. Fight a bull. Have a son. Write a book."
"Wow, I guess I'm not a man. The only thing I've done is plant a tree."
"What a shame. I'm close to becoming a man myself. All I need to do is write a book, but that'll happen in a future volume."
"Wait, you've fought a bull!?"
I don't dare to question whether or not she's had a son.
"Anyways, Kiyo, tell me about that tree you've planted. C'mon, don't leaf me hanging.
Yes, I left some space just so she can reflect on her horrendous tree jokes.
"I'm sorry… Maybe that was a bit too corny for you," Olympia says.
"The only reason I won't give you more time to reflect is that the readers are probably already annoyed!"
Also, that one was somewhat funny, but I won't tell her that.
"When I was younger," I begin, "I planted a seed. I don't remember what kind. Or where. And after that day… I never looked after it. Maybe it wasn't even real planting—maybe I just tossed it into some patch of grass and called it kindness."
She doesn't say anything about what I've shared. She just stares into my eyes. Silence. I don't hear any waves crashing. I don't hear Kumiko and Kagami chatting with each other. I don't even hear noise coming from the other people who chose to come to the beach today.
"Sometimes I feel bad that I did that. Often, people would consider this an act of goodness. But I don't think so. I didn't plant a seed out of the goodness of my heart. The seed was probably just trash for me. I most likely didn't even properly plant it. I might've just tossed the seed into some grass. Perhaps it wasn't even grass where it landed."
"…"
"After having 'planted' the seed, I left it to fend for itself. I hadn't thought about having planted it until today. I tossed it away because I could've. I didn't take responsibility and care for it because I didn't want to. Does this make me a bad person?"
"Sometimes we do bad things," Olympia says softly, "but that doesn't make us bad people. If you can recognize your wrongs now, that means you've changed. The old you didn't know better—but the fact that you do now? That's proof you've grown.
"You don't have to carry every old mistake like a punishment, Kiyomi. You're allowed to love yourself. You're allowed to feel loved."
I don't give her an answer. Well, I don't give her a verbal answer. But I smile. Without forcing it, I smile.
She places her hand above mine.
She grabs my hand.
She looks deeply into my eyes.
She says:
"You don't have to put up with misfortune because of mistakes made in the past. Putting up with misfortune is not the same as putting forth a good effort. You don't have to distance yourself from others because you think you deserve some sort of punishment. You don't have to hate yourself because you've hurt others. You know you're allowed to love yourself, right?
"Kiyomi Otonashi, you are allowed to love yourself. You are allowed to feel loved."
Her face gets closer to mine.
She slowly closes her eyes.
I slowly close my eyes.
Our lips meet—soft, uncertain, real.
For that moment, the world stops.
Olympia Ventura loves Kiyomi Otonashi.
And Kiyomi Otonashi loves Olympia Ventura.
After a short while, she pulls her lips away from mine.
"That was my first kiss, you know," Olympia shares with me.
"Mine's too."
"Liar. Don't lie to me, Kiyo."
She's right.
"Since you lied to me, I won't share with you my tragic backstory."
"Okay."
A fist hits my head out of nowhere.
"I mean, please, oh please, let me hear your tragic backstory. It will serve to further strengthen our relationship. We must become closer. We must become one."
"Jeez, you are a disgusting pervert! All you've been after is my body! I'm out!"
She gets up and begins to head to the bathroom.
"I have to powder my nose," she shamelessly shares.
"What?"
"I have to use the restroom…"
"More detail"
She gives me a look of disgust.
"Kimochi warui… I'll talk to you more once I'm done. Or perhaps on another day. Maybe in another volume."
"Please don't insinuate that we've reached the end of this volume. The readers might believe you and stop reading…"
"As if any people are reading this junk."
She throws a peace sign my way and blows a kiss.
"Ciao ciao—for now."
She vanishes toward the restroom, leaving a trail of wet footprints in the sand.
I look down.
My soda's still unopened.
Figures.
As I'm about to open it for a sip, I hear a voice.
"Yo, yo! Kiyomi!"