“Saika.”
“Yeah… ah.”
When getting off the boat, Saika lost her balance.
My body moved faster than I could think in my head that nothing must happen to Saika.
I extended my arm to support Saika’s body and rather forcefully pulled her to my chest.
“You okay?”
“Y-yeah… ugh.”
The receptionist hurried over looking flustered, but we immediately told them we were fine and left the spot, sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree.
Just in case, I carefully watched Saika’s condition on the way here, but she didn’t seem to have injured anything in particular, so that’s a relief.
“Well, it was something I wasn’t used to, but it was fun.”
“Really? I’m happy if you think so.”
“Seriously, I’m glad we came. Thank you, Saika… for inviting me.”
“No, thank you too, Kai-kun. I absolutely didn’t want to lose.”
“Didn’t want to lose?”
What’s that about?
Curious, I stared at Saika, and she told me while looking embarrassed.
“Um… you stayed at Matsuri-san’s house, right, Kai-kun?”
“…Huh?”
“I heard during a phone call with Matsuri-san. That it was really fun, that you showed her a cool side of you, she sounded so happy.”
“………………”
I-I see… Matsuri told Saika.
It’s not like I said not to tell her, and Matsuri and Saika are now close enough to call each other best friends, so it’s not strange that she talked about it.
“Hearing that, I wanted to do something with Kai-kun too. It’s summer break, and we can’t meet at school… so that’s why I invited you like this.”
“I see.”
“Yeah… hey, Kai-kun. We passed under that bridge earlier, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you saw the heart mark, right? Actually, that bridge has a bit of a legend.”
“A legend?”
“Two people who pass under that bridge in a boat will be bound together… that’s the legend.”
“Huh!”
At those unexpected words, I involuntarily looked at Saika.
She gazed at the bridge for a while, then turned her eyes toward me with a smile.
“I love you, Kai-kun.”
“………………”
“I love you as a man… I want to always be with you from now on, Kai-kun. I want to share time with you endlessly.”
Saika’s words entered my head smoothly.
When you hear something unbelievable, you sometimes unintentionally ask again, but… I didn’t do that with those words because I knew Saika’s words weren’t surprising or anything.
“Sorry for suddenly telling you this? But considering our exchanges so far, I think it’s also kind of late.”
“That’s… true.”
“So I thought it was okay. Staying together in our current relationship isn’t bad either, and Kai-kun also said you want to always be together… so I know we’ll always be together from now on. But I still wanted to convey my feelings.”
“………………”
That was truly a straightforward confession.
I closed my eyes as if to savor the words conveyed from Saika, felt my throat dry, so I poured some juice I’d bought beforehand down my throat.
“…Phew.”
Then I took several deep breaths and spoke again.
“Thank you, Saika. I’m really happy… incredibly happy.”
Yes… I’m really happy.
I’m happy, but pathetically right now, there’s definitely a part of me that can’t honestly nod to those words.
Really, why do I have such troubles?
Calling it troubles is too luxurious, but when I’m actually in this position, it’s difficult and gives me a headache.
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“In Kai-kun’s position, it’s difficult, right? I understand that well looking at your expression… because Matsuri-san and I, and Emu-chan all love you, Kai-kun. We were all saved by you… both body and soul.”
“………………”
“If you hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t be here… you did that much for us. So I’m sorry, Kai-kun.”
“Huh?”
“I’m going to say something that’ll trouble you more, okay? Including me, Matsuri-san and the others probably can’t manage without you, Kai-kun. We don’t want to leave you anymore.”
Can’t manage without me… huh.
This probably isn’t a simple meaning taken literally… now, what words would be the correct answer for me to return?
Honestly, I’ve thought about various things.
Still, I couldn’t come up with a clear answer and have reached this point, but… that’s right… staying silent forever is pathetic too, and what I’m about to say is pathetic, but at this point, it might be good to have her listen.
“Hey, Saika… can I tell you something?”
“Sure.”
“I… love everyone.”
I love everyone… in the end, that’s the only answer I could derive.
My feelings when I told them I wanted to be with them weren’t a lie, I really want to be together forever… if that’s a special relationship, then I’m wishing for that with all three of them.
“I’ve come to… love everyone.”
“…Hehe, I see.”
Our relationship is already far too close to call normal friends.
It’s true that I wanted to use my partner’s power to do whatever I wanted with them, wanting to reach the end result of desire.
I was even excited thinking if I could have that kind of relationship with all three, it would be a harem, and I wished for it.
But in reality… even so, I didn’t cross the minimum line, and I probably wanted to continue the relationship with the three of them as it had been.
Unchanged from before, not going further than this, so I wouldn’t have to think about unnecessary things… that’s why I just hoped the current relationship value would continue.
“I’m happy if you don’t hate me.”
“As if I could hate you… not just Saika, but I’ve really become close with Matsuri and Emu too… I thought I didn’t want to be apart from the three of you either, so I conveyed that straightforwardly when we went to the pool.”
“Yeah. And we also responded straightforwardly to those words… I was so happy that you felt the same way, Kai-kun, that I couldn’t sleep for a while that day.”
I was pretty much the same with that.
“…The answer is decided… I think. But this is difficult… damn it.”
One answer has already come out… there’s no other answer besides that.
But the reason I don’t voice that answer is because of the rationality remaining in me and the scary feeling of wondering if that’s really okay.
“I can wait forever. Because we love you, Kai-kun—I’m sure we can accept whatever answer you give.”
“…Really, you all are far too good for me.”
“That means we have enough charm to make you say that. And Kai-kun, you have that same kind of charm too.”
“I see… haha, I’m happy when you say that.”
Partner… seriously, we’ve come to an incredible place.
I’ve said this many times, but at first I was a scoundrel aiming for debauchery using my partner.
“Saika.”
“What?”
“I’ll give you an answer soon… because I want to.”
“Okay.”
And so this conversation came to a temporary end, and we resumed walking.
Right after we started walking, we held hands.
At times like this, having her link arms with me would be nice too, but perhaps Saika held back considering the summer heat making us sweaty.
“I’m troubling Kai-kun, but I’m in the lead for now, right? Because being the first to clearly convey my feelings will remain in your memory.”
“…So that’s why?”
“Huh?”
“Um… I feel like you’re even closer than before.”
“Yeah. There’s no need to hold back anymore.”
I thought the distance had gotten obviously closer after we talked, and I wasn’t wrong.
For the rest of the date time, I forgot about the difficult things for now and just enjoyed it.
And so time passed, and on the train ride home, perhaps tired, Saika fell asleep leaning against me, and I gazed at her cute sleeping face while reflecting on today.
“I need to… talk with everyone.”
While holding the sleeping Saika’s hand, I resolved that.
I won’t say something half-hearted and gloss over it… even if it’s not the correct answer for the world, I’ll give an answer with words I’ve thought through carefully.
That’s my resolution and the form of my wish.
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