I have always liked quiet places.
Traveling through the infinite worlds spread across the pages of books, quietly surrendering myself to the waves of emotion woven by written words—that ti was the most comforting and precious part of my daily life.
And before I knew it, he had lted naturally into that everyday life of mine.
Aizen Sousuke-kun.
Ever since we t in the library during our first year of middle school, we were never once placed in the sa class. Even so, we would always et during lunch breaks or after school in the library, reading books together and sharing peaceful monts side by side.
He spoke in a rather… no, extrely unique and difficult way, but hidden beneath those poetic words was always an awkward kind of kindness and a careful consideration for the people around him.
To , Sousuke-kun was my most dependable and precious best friend—the person who made feel the calst whenever we were together.
—It was only after entering Advanced Nurturing High School that I clearly realized those feelings were actually love.
---
One day after school.
I had gone to visit Honami-chan's room. As the leader of our class, Ichinose Honami always treated kindly.
While drinking the warm herbal tea she had prepared for , we chatted casually about class matters and books we had read recently.
Then suddenly—
"Hey, Hiyori-chan. I've been wondering for a while… are you dating Aizen-kun?"
At those unexpected words, I nearly spat out my tea.
"Eh!? D-Dating? No, we're not like that…! We're just friends who both like reading books…!"
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry! I surprised you, huh? But the atmosphere between you two feels so natural—kind of special, you know? Actually, everyone in class has been curious too, so I just assud that was the case."
Honami-chan laughed mischievously, but at that mont, my heart gave a loud, unfamiliar thump.
(Dating… Sousuke-kun?)
The instant I repeated those words in my mind, my face grew burning hot.
If he stayed by my side not as "just a best friend," but as soone truly special—
Just imagining it made my chest tighten painfully, yet at the sa ti, a sweet and overwhelming happiness spread through .
The way I would secretly glance at his profile while we sat together in the library.
The way simply hearing him say my na could brighten my entire day.
The way I constantly worried about him getting hurt amid the fierce competition between classes.
And above all—
Shortly after entering high school, we ended up in different classes again, just like in middle school. Yet sohow, in only a single month, he earned the absurd amount of twenty million private points and transferred into his class.
How reassuring and happy I had felt when he naturally reached out his hand to back then.
From that day onward, my world changed color little by little.
The ti I spent with him beca more precious than ever before—and at the sa ti, a little frustrating too.
After becoming aware of my feelings, I even began experiencing emotions unlike myself… such as jealousy.
It happened during the sports festival in the second sester. When they were choosing runners for the mixed three-legged race, I knew painfully well that joining would only burden the class because I wasn't athletic.
But… I absolutely couldn't bear the thought of Sousuke-kun running pressed up against another girl. Before I realized it, I had already raised my hand and volunteered.
Thanks to his perfect lead during the actual race, we managed to take first place. Even now, the warmth of running shoulder-to-shoulder with him and the pounding of my heartbeat at that mont remain one of my dearest treasures.
And then later, after a study session for the Paper Shuffle exam, we went shopping at Keyaki Mall together. There, the beautiful and free-spirited second-year student, Kiryuuin-senpai, suddenly invited Sousuke-kun out to dinner.
At that mont, I felt like he might beco soone else's "special person"…
Without realizing it, I had tightly grabbed his sleeve to stop him out of jealousy.
I didn't want to destroy our comfortable relationship as "best friends."
But in truth, I wanted to grow even closer to him.
I wanted to beco the one and only special girl in his eyes.
Carrying those conflicting feelings inside , I repeatedly sought advice from Honami-chan.
"Hiyori-chan, it'll be okay. Aizen-kun definitely feels the sa way you do!"
One day during the second sester, Honami-chan said that firmly, as if to wipe away all my anxieties.
"Honami-chan… how can you say that so confidently?"
"Because Aizen-kun acts completely differently when he's with Hiyori-chan compared to when he's with the rest of us. Around everyone else, he always feels tense, like he's constantly putting on that incredible aura and difficult speech to protect the class… but whenever he looks at you, his eyes beco really gentle. You can tell he feels completely at ease."
Those words gently—but firmly—pushed forward my cowardly heart.
"You know, Hiyori-chan? Winter break is almost here, right?"
"Yes…"
"I'm planning to hold a Christmas party for the whole class on Christmas Eve, the 24th! Which ans… I've perfectly cleared Aizen-kun's schedule for the real Christmas Day on the 25th!"
She winked and gave the perfect opportunity.
Even though she must have been unbelievably busy every day as class leader, Honami-chan always supported my love life as if it were her own.
"Honami-chan… thank you so much for always listening to ."
"No problem! I just really want Hiyori-chan to be happy! Do your best!"
With her warm encouragent in my heart, I resolved to confess my feelings on Christmas.
Night after night, while thinking of him, I knitted a dark blue scarf. I rehearsed over and over in my head what I should say and how I should tell him.
---
And then Christmas Day, December 25th, finally arrived.
Sousuke-kun's room was warm enough to make the freezing cold outside feel like a lie, and as always, it was filled with the sweet scent of Darjeeling tea.
We ate lunch together, then spent a peaceful ti reading while drinking tea.
Normally, I would quickly lose myself in the world of books.
But this day was different.
My eyes followed the words on the page, yet none of the content entered my head.
(When should I say it? How do I begin? If he rejects … will this gentle ti disappear forever too…?)
My fingertips trembled slightly as I held my book.
Then he lifted his eyes from his own book and looked out the window at the faint snowfall beginning outside before speaking softly to .
"—Would you entrust your ti to until darkness covers the heavens? I would like us to share tonight's festive dinner together as well."
At his invitation asking to stay for dinner, warmth spread softly through my chest.
"Yes. I'd love to."
After we finished the delicious dinner he cooked and sat down for tea afterward—
He suddenly pulled a small box from his pocket and held it out to .
"—I want you to accept this. A fragnt ant to further enhance your silver radiance."
Inside the box was a beautiful silver accessory shaped like a snowflake.
"Wah…! It's so beautiful…! Is this for ?"
"Yes. A token of gratitude for always supporting ."
His first present to .
The sparkling accessory he had likely chosen to match my hair color made so happy that I hugged it tightly to my chest, blushing as I said, "I'll treasure it forever."
Then I also took out a neatly wrapped paper bag from my own bag.
"I have a present for you too, Sousuke-kun. Um… it's handmade, though."
The mont he opened the bag and saw the dark blue hand-knitted scarf inside, he sharply inhaled.
"…Magnificent. The threads you spun are more than enough to warm my neck."
His grand, poetic complint made laugh bashfully.
More than anything, I was happy he liked it.
But rcilessly, ti continued to pass, and eventually curfew approached.
"—Moonlight illuminates the path ho. Allow to escort you to the gates of your castle."
"Yes. Thank you."
I stood up and slipped on my white coat.
Then, just as I turned toward the door—
I rembered Honami-chan's smile and encouragent and clenched my fists tightly.
(…If I run away now, I'll regret it forever!)
"S-Sou… Sousuke-kun!"
I turned around and looked up at him.
He gazed down at gently with a slightly puzzled expression.
My heart felt like it would leap from my chest, but with a trembling voice, I finally put into words the feelings I had hidden for so long.
"…I really love the ti I spend reading books and talking with you, Sousuke-kun. You're always so confident, and you have the strength to protect everyone… but you're also incredibly gentle and warm with …"
I tightly clasped my hands against my chest and looked straight into his eyes.
"Before I realized it, I had stopped seeing you as just a best friend… and started looking at you with much more special feelings. I… love you, Sousuke-kun."
I said it.
I finally told him.
Holding my breath, I waited for his response.
"..."
But—
After hearing my confession, Sousuke-kun simply froze with wide eyes like stone.
He said nothing.
The longer that silence continued, the colder my heart beca.
(…Ah. …It was no good after all…)
To , his silence felt like nothing but rejection.
He only saw as a friend.
My selfish feelings had destroyed the comfortable relationship we had built together all this ti.
The mont I understood that, my vision went dark and a crushing sense of despair swallowed whole.
"A-Ah, um…"
Trying desperately to hold back the tears threatening to spill over, I felt all the blood drain from my face.
But once my emotions broke free, I could no longer stop them.
"I-I'm sorry…! I suddenly said sothing weird…! I made things awkward, didn't I? Please forget it… goodnight!"
Feeling a tear slide down my cheek, I turned my back to him and grabbed the doorknob as if fleeing.
I couldn't bear to look at his face anymore.
I probably would never co to this room again.
Thinking that, I tried to open the door—
And then—
"Ah… Sousuke-kun…?"
Suddenly, strong arms wrapped around from behind.
He grabbed my arm, pulled close, and embraced tightly.
His warmth, his size, his comforting scent completely enveloped .
Then he slowly released his arms from around , gently turned by the shoulders, and faced directly.
My tear-stained eyes t his serious, endlessly gentle gaze.
"—If you desired to preserve our peaceful relationship as it was, then certainly there would have been no fear. But in a world without the fear of being hurt, people would never reject that safety and search for new hope."
His words echoed quietly through the room.
They were grand and poetic, just like the words he always spoke.
"—People continue walking rely by living. But continuing to walk while rejecting fear is sothing entirely different. That is why people give such a path a special na… 'Courage.'"
He gently took my trembling hand in his.
"You overca the fear of destroying our current relationship and conveyed your feelings to . I must answer the precious courage you showed ."
Hearing those words, realization struck .
He hadn't rejected my confession at all.
He was praising my courage for overcoming the fear of losing what we had.
"—I had convinced myself that you were like Kyoka Suigetsu to —a being too beautiful to do anything but admire from afar, one I must never touch. But… by crossing the boundary between us, the pure courage you showed shattered my cowardly illusion and brought the light that is you into my hands as undeniable reality."
"…I can no longer continue writing this beloved story alone. From now on, let us write every page of my life together."
Those beautiful and passionate words sank gently into my heart.
His "Kyoka Suigetsu"—
It ant that, just like , he had feared destroying our comfortable friendship and had deliberately kept himself from stepping closer.
Because I had gathered the courage to cross that boundary, he had broken free from his own cowardice as well.
And "let us write the rest of this beloved story together"—
For book lovers like us, there could not have been sweeter words.
He was accepting my feelings.
He was telling he wanted to stay by his side as his lover from now on.
He was calling beloved.
The mont I fully understood the aning behind his words, the despair filling my heart transford into overwhelming happiness.
All the strength left my body, and in relief and joy, I buried my face against his warm chest.
"Yes… gladly. Please let remain by your side, Sousuke-kun."
He had accepted .
He felt the sa way.
That fact alone filled my world with dazzling light.
After that, we spent ti talking sweetly by the entrance until just before curfew—our usual conversations, yet sohow slightly different now.
Finally, when it was truly ti to part and he opened the door to walk back to my room—
"Um… Sousuke-kun."
Blushing slightly, I held out my right hand.
"Would it be okay… if we held hands on the way back to my room…?"
"—Of course. If my hand is enough for you, then allow to guide you."
He firmly clasped my small hand in his.
Together, we walked down the quiet hallway toward my floor.
In the cold winter corridor, the warmth passing through our joined hands alone told this was not a dream.
---
And then, the next day—December 26th.
Unable to contain my excitent, I visited Honami-chan's room early in the morning.
"Honami-chan…!"
"Hiyori-chan! How did it go!? Christmas yesterday…!"
Still in her pajamas, Honami-chan welcod with an expression as nervous as if this were happening to her.
As soon as I entered her room, I began telling her everything that happened, trying to calm my pounding heart.
"I… managed to tell Sousuke-kun how I feel. At first I surprised him, and I thought it was hopeless… but then he praised my courage. He told he wants to stay by his side forever…"
As I rembered his words and warmth from yesterday, tears naturally welled up in my eyes once again.
"I… started dating Sousuke-kun…!"
The instant she heard those words, huge tears spilled from Honami-chan's eyes.
"Reallyyy!? Waaaahhh, Hiyori-chaaaan!! That's wonderful! I'm so, so happy for youuu…!!"
As though her own confession had succeeded, Honami-chan burst into tears and hugged tightly.
Feeling her warmth and kindness, I started crying too.
"It's because you encouraged , Honami-chan…! If you hadn't been there, I never would've found the courage to tell him. Thank you so, so much…!"
"No, it's because you worked hard, Hiyori-chan! Your courage reached Aizen-kun! Ahh, I'm really so happy…! You two absolutely have to be happy together!"
Still embracing each other, we cried tears of joy for quite so ti.
The citrus scent filling Honami-chan's room and the warmth of her tears—
I felt deeply grateful for having such a wonderful best friend, and for the miracle that allowed to stand beside the person I loved.
From now on, not rely as his best friend—
But as his girlfriend.
No matter how difficult the path ahead beca for him, I wanted to stay beside him and gently illuminate that path.
Rembering the feeling of his large, warm hand, I quietly carried an unwavering determination toward the future within my heart.
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