Chapter 22: The Original Me
[June 15, Day Three of the Vacation]
[On the final day of the vacation, the two of them both tried to restrain themselves a little, behaving cautiously like a pair of newlyweds who respected each other.]
[They set an alarm and woke up early, sitting together on the balcony chairs of the sea-facing room to watch the sun rise, gazing at the dawn light dyeing the clouds into an enchanting rose-pink color.]
[They dined together at an elegant seaside restaurant, then played lightly together in the shallow waters.]
[When returning from the beach, you recalled the guitar techniques that Tristan had taught you, and used the guitar to play a love song for Morgan to hear.]
[It was a love song that carried misfortune and heartbreak.]
...
"Tell me why you did it
Every dream falling apart
Tell me why you did it
After the promise
Still aching still aching
Oh baby I need your love
Looking so different
Glaring street light"
(Note: Heartbeat, Heartbreak – Shoji Meguro, Persona 4 OST)
Eikou's fingers glided over the guitar strings, his tone gentle, the melody bright and lively, yet what was sung was undeniably a sorrowful love song.
Brilliant sunlight, a clear blue sky, scorching hot winds, white paper-like seagulls circling above their heads, all harmonizing with that pleasant melody.
Morgan listened quietly to him sing, and only after the song ended did she slowly open her mouth to ask:
"My husband, why did you sing a song like that?"
Hearing that question, Eikou merely scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sorry, my wife. At first I planned to play you a more beautiful piece, something more fitting for the atmosphere here… at that time I thought for a long while, about what kind of song would be the most appropriate to give you on a date, and a love song full of blessings would probably have been the best choice."
"But then, I ended up wanting you to remember the truest version of me. By nature, I'm a somewhat gloomy person, pessimistic at heart, and that's exactly the kind of music I like. I can treat others well unconditionally, but toward the person I care about, I become selfish, unable to restrain the desire for the other person to remember me… ah, um, what I mean is…"
Eikou showed the gentlest smile he had ever worn.
"The person who sings songs like this in front of you is the most original version of me. I want you to remember me like this on this precious day."
"…I see."
"So, how is it, I'm very selfish, right? What I want to leave you with is a memory like this, rather than a beautiful love song, and not the image of me being kind and gentle."
"No."
Morgan gently shook her head, then immediately showed him a faint, peaceful smile.
"…I really like that version of you, my husband."
[Morgan really likes the honest answer you gave, perhaps because she is also that kind of person.]
[Whether Rain Witch, Savior, or Fairy Queen, beneath her radiant and beautiful exterior there still exist selfish obsessions, flaws that she would absolutely never let others see, failures that are hard to put into words—yet in the end, she laid all of them bare before you.]
[And you also want to give it your all to make her remember that you, too, are a person full of flaws.]
[These three romantic days off allowed the two of you to understand each other more deeply, gaining a precious memory that cannot be replaced by anything else.]
[You sense the supreme emotional bond between the two of you!]
[From Caster Aesc the Savior, you have learned a completely new skill!]
[You have learned Charisma of Adversity A!]
[Charisma of Adversity A: You possess leadership ability far beyond that of ordinary people, and this leaderly bearing allows you to exert greater effectiveness in adversity. The more unfavorable the situation you and your companions are in, the stronger your leadership effectiveness becomes.]
[This skill partially overlaps with your Dreamlike Charisma; normally, within a short period of time, only one of the two can be used.]
[...]
[After that, you played a few more pleasant and romantic love songs for her, as compensation for the first song being a sorrowful love song.]
[Morgan really liked your answer; the two of you exchanged loving gazes. And before you even realized it, you were directly pulled back to the hotel room by Morgan, where she indulged you to the fullest in joy overflowing with love.]
[In this situation, another one of your skills was clearly honed and raised to the highest level.]
[Your My Love Is Eternal A+ has increased to My Love Is Eternal EX!]
No!!!
Damn it, this skill can actually be trained in this kind of way?!
Eikou immediately felt a headache coming on.
It had already reached EX rank—just how powerful its effects would be, he didn't even dare to imagine.
It felt as if he had just plunged headfirst into the abyss of temptation of a mature woman with a full bosom, and would never be able to climb out again.
[...Just like that, time passed until seven in the evening.]
[The two of you finally finished packing your clothes and luggage, bought souvenirs by the seaside, and contentedly brought this sweet three-day vacation to an end.]
[The two of you took Chaldea Academy's truck back to Academy City.]
[Morgan's and Aesc's reactions were very similar—both were completely captivated by those small, cute, small-form Nemo, it was just that the proud bearing of a Queen did not allow her to show it too openly.]
[And after that, it was the moment when the two of you had to part ways.]
[She would return to the Orkney Group to continue her busy business affairs, while you also had to go back to Chaldea Academy to begin your intense school life, but the two of you still agreed to meet frequently.]
["How about I also go to Chaldea Academy and take up a position..." You heard Morgan mutter softly like that.]
[Although this was actually quite a dangerous decision for you, so you didn't really approve.]
[But thinking about it another way, if Morgan really did go there, would the girls who frequently bothered you learn to restrain themselves a little?]
...
"Then… goodbye..."
In front of the gates of the Chaldea Academy campus, Morgan gently placed a light, dragonfly-like kiss on Eikou's cheek.
"My husband, when I'm not by your side, don't let yourself be tricked away by those bitches in Chaldea. You look rather lacking in vigilance, which makes me a little worried."
"Y-yes..."
Eikou broke out in a sweat and hurriedly nodded.
"And then, when we have time next time..."
Morgan smiled, gently yet full of reluctance, softly stroking his cheek.
"At that time, let us once again enjoy a world that belongs only to the two of us. I had a lot of fun this time—without needing to say it, you know that next time you will definitely make me even happier, right?"
"Yeah, next time I'll also carefully prepare a thorough travel plan for you."
"Very good, truly my husband."
The two pressed their lips together, holding each other tightly.
[The two of you exchanged a farewell kiss.]
[The three days and two nights spent with Morgan brought her joyful and happy moments.]
[After that, came the period when you returned to your school life.]
The pages of the calendar flipped forward.