After that, about ten minutes passed. Yutsuki finally stopped crying. She wiped her red eyes with her sleeve and got off Shido. Probably because she didn't know what expression to make, she sat on the grass hugging her knees, looking down and staying quiet.
'Leave alone for a bit...' Shido vaguely felt this kind of mood coming from Yutsuki. He scratched his cheek and said, "Then I'll go buy another cup of coffee."
"Mhm..."
The girl's soft response made Shido feel a bit relieved. He jogged over to the vending machine.
"Well... this ti I'll choose coffee with milk and syrup."
After thinking for a mont, Shido pressed the button on the nu.
Bitter coffee is just to wake you up. Shido knew that normally, Yutsuki preferred a milder, smoother taste that could calm her down.
"I brought the coffee, Yutsuki."
"Thanks..."
Taking the coffee from Shido, Yutsuki softly thanked him, opened the can, and took small sips like a little animal.
"Phew..."
Letting out a soft breath, Yutsuki's expression cald down a lot.
"Geez—purposely making soone reopen a scar they tried so hard to hide... Shido, you really love bullying people."
She complained with a bit of resentnt. Even though you could still see the tear marks near her eyes, Yutsuki was slowly going back to her usual self.
"I am truly very sorry..."
Shido lowered his head in guilt.
"Just saying sorry won't make less upset. At a ti like this, as a man, you should show your apology with actual actions."
Normally, Yutsuki would understand Shido's situation and let it go. But this ti, she didn't seem to want to let him off that easily.
"Then, what do you want to do, Yutsuki? I'll do whatever it is."
"Anything?"
Hearing this, Yutsuki's eyes instantly sparkled brightly. Shido suddenly felt like he had fallen into a trap. But since he had already made up his mind when he offered, he nodded without hesitating.
"Mhm, anything."
"Then, Shido... you sit down too."
To Shido's surprise, Yutsuki just patted the empty grass next to her, telling him to sit down as well.
Although confused, Shido obeyed and sat on the lawn.
"Heave-ho!"
Then, Yutsuki stood up, brushed the grass off her pants, and sat down right in front of Shido with her back to him. Leaning back, she rested her soft body in Shido's arms.
Like a stray cat finding a comfortable bed, Yutsuki closed her eyes contentedly.
"Alright! I forgive you."
"Eh? Just like that?"
Dumbfounded for a mont, Shido asked in disbelief.
"What's wrong? You look like you can't accept it. Is this not okay?"
"Well, of course it's okay... It's just that I thought you'd ask to put on won's clothes and shoot a Shiori cosplay photobook for you or sothing."
Hearing Shido's quiet muttering, Yutsuki chuckled.
"As expected of you, Shido. You actually guessed what I was thinking."
So she really thought about it—Suppressing the urge to point that out, Shido asked again.
"Is this really enough?"
"Mhm... this is enough."
Yutsuki nodded gently.
Actually, Yutsuki didn't think Shido had any reason to make up for anything. After all, keeping these mories was her own choice, and bearing the pain was sothing she had prepared for long ago. If anything, Yutsuki felt Shido should compensate Tohka and the others, who had gotten the happiness they wanted but were forced to forget it all.
But... acting a little spoiled shouldn't count as cheating, right...
Leaning her weight into Shido's arms, enjoying that nostalgic warmth and gentleness, a happy smile appeared on Yutsuki's face.
"Shido... actually, when Marina accepted and was willing to beco my family... I felt really happy."
"Well, everyone is safe and sound. There's really nothing better than that."
Hearing Shido's words, for so reason, Yutsuki's expression beca a bit complex. She gave a bitter smile and replied,
"Although that's true, the happiness I'm talking about... is a bit different from what you're saying, Shido."
"Different?"
Under Shido's confused look, Yutsuki slowly breathed out and said,
"Shido, rember on the day you sealed my power, I told you—I was very jealous of you."
"I rember..."
Shido nodded.
He rembered that night, Ryougi Yutsuki confessed one of the reasons she couldn't accept him—jealousy.
She didn't an it was unfair that Shido had a normal, peaceful life while she didn't. It was the guilt and frustration of being powerless to change the fate of her good friends, the Yamai sisters, who were forced to fight each other.
Even though Shido felt Yutsuki's desire to save the Yamais was just as strong as his own, the girl still couldn't let it go.
"Actually, back then... I had pretty much given up. My abilities couldn't change or save anything. I thought only Shido could beco a hero in this world. Only Shido had the power to save others."
Probably because it wasn't sothing she wanted people to hear, Yutsuki lowered her head sadly.
"That's not true at all! I don't have the right to be a hero!"
Hearing such high praise, Shido hurriedly waved his hands to deny it.
"Well, I believe I'm not the only one. In everyone's hearts, you are the hero who saved them, Shido."
Seeing Shido's panicked look, Yutsuki couldn't help but chuckle. Waving her hand, she said, "Don't worry, I know. Itsuka Shido has no intention of becoming a hero, nor is he cut out to be one. You're just a simple idiot."
That's right, the Itsuka Shido that Ryougi Yutsuki knew. He was just a normal high schooler who didn't long for thrilling adventures or beautiful, romantic encounters. He just wanted to live a normal, peaceful life with his family.
Although in her mind, high schoolers in Japan basically couldn't be called "normal."
He had no ans to protect himself, no ability to fight the AST. He just had this boring, even sowhat laughable obsession of not wanting to see others look sad. This boy, who had barely talked to the opposite sex besides his family, stepped into this cruel and restless world without looking back, offering a helping hand to girls he had never t.
If not an idiot, what is he?
Imagining the depressed look on Shido's face behind her, a bright smile appeared on Yutsuki's face.
"So—when I saved Marina, I felt really happy!"
It wasn't that she wanted to be an idiot like Itsuka Shido. It was just that she wasn't completely powerless. Her slender hands could also hold onto important family mbers.
Just confirming this made Yutsuki fully satisfied.
Staring at the girl's smiling profile, Shido was a bit srized.
"Say... Shido, why did you go out of your way to tell you got your mories back?"
Yutsuki asked curiously.
"Well... why, indeed?"
Shido fell into silence.
Co to think of it, he just felt he had to say it. Then a rush of hot blood went to his head, and when he snapped out of it, things were already like this.
Why? Shido couldn't help but ask himself.
Was it because he felt guilty for doing sothing wrong, so he wanted to express his apology to Yutsuki?
—No.
Or was it because he felt sinful for his actions, so he wanted to hear words of forgiveness from Yutsuki to make himself feel better?
—No.
Shido couldn't deny that feelings of apology and guilt had appeared in his heart. But if Shido made the girl in front of him cry like that just for those reasons, it would be too irresponsible.
Looking up at the sky, Shido realized the night sky had turned into a dazzling, beautiful starry sky. Without him noticing, countless bright stars appeared around the clear crescent moon, shining with a touching light.
Yes... isn't the answer obvious?
"Because I am Yutsuki's family. Sharing joy and bearing pain together, isn't that what family is?"
Shido said in a steady and firm voice.
"Even if you get mad at for making you rember bad things, I still want to tell you—you are no longer alone."
He gently held Yutsuki's hand. The girl seed startled by the unexpected action, but she didn't struggle. Her ears turned a cute shade of pink.
"Shido... you really are an unbelievable playboy."
After a mont of silence, Yutsuki looked up at the sky and let out this strange sigh.
"Shido, can I ask you one last weird question?"
"What is it?"
"What do you want to do in the future? Have you thought about it?"
"That really is a weird question."
Shido said, feeling a bit surprised.
"It's not that weird. It's pretty normal for high schoolers your age to think about these things."
"Now that you ntion it..." Shido scratched his head in trouble. "I haven't thought about it. After all, with DEM and the issues with Tohka and the others, I haven't considered it at all."
"But you can't make saving Spirits your main job. Or do you plan to let everyone support you and live as a kept man?"
Yutsuki's sharp and realistic words left Shido speechless instantly.
"I don't know what Raizen High School's rules are, but they'll probably hand out career surveys soon. What are you going to write, Shido?"
"That..."
Having never considered this question, awkward cold sweat broke out on Shido's forehead.
"...A stay at ho husband?"
"You really do plan to be a kept man!"
Yutsuki retorted speechlessly.
"Haha... What about you, Yutsuki? Is there anything you want to do?" Shido gave a few awkward laughs and decisively chose to change the subject.
"I do!" Surprisingly, Yutsuki nodded without hesitation. "I have two things I want to do. The first one is a secret for now. The second one... I want to beco a ga designer."
"A ga designer?"
Yutsuki nodded excitedly.
"Mhm. Like 'Fall in Love, MY☆LITTLE☆SHIDO ②', a virtual ga that you can fully dive into. A ga world just like the real world."
Although the Realizer technology at its core is a secret, Yutsuki believed that as ti goes on, this tech will eventually be shown to the world.
"Just like reality, is it for Marina?"
To Shido's question, Yutsuki didn't deny it.
"Mhm, that's part of it. As information gets richer, the feelings you can get in a virtual world will beco more and more real. This also fulfills a wish of Marina's. Plus, I want to try it myself. And on the day the ga successfully launches, as the ga admin, I'll tell the players—'If you die in this ga, you will die in the real world too.'"
"That's just a death ga!"
"Of course, I just wanted to say it."
"What bad taste!"
Even though he said that, seeing Yutsuki excitedly describing her dream, a smile couldn't help but form on Shido's face.
Unlike Shido, who only wanted to protect the present, Yutsuki's eyes were truly looking at the future.
"I'm looking forward to it—" Yutsuki looked at Shido with a bright smile, "The day Shido can give his own answer."
Shido suddenly realized. Even if he sealed the Spirits's powers so they wouldn't have to worry about being hunted by Wizards, it didn't an they could live a truly ordinary life. The reality is, even a seemingly harmless ga like this could pull them into troubleso events. He hadn't even thought about a normal question that a regular high schooler should think about.
Yutsuki was probably reminding him of this.
"Mhm... I promise you. I will work hard to make the day co when all the problems are over. And then, I will find..."
Shido made a firm promise.
"...Zzz~"
"Yutsuki?"
Shido looked down in confusion, only to find a funny sight. Yutsuki had curled up in his arms and fallen fast asleep like a kitten, breathing steadily.
"Co to think of it... Yutsuki hasn't rested at all since she ca back. At least I slept for a little while." Shido gently shook Yutsuki's shoulder and called out, "Yutsuki, let's go back and sleep. You'll catch a cold sleeping here."
"...Shi... Zzz... do.."
No good, she's completely out.
I feel like sothing like this happened in the virtual world before too. Looking at Yutsuki's peaceful and happy sleeping face, Shido scratched his hair and let out a helpless sigh.
Heave-ho—!
Lifting Yutsuki's light body, Shido walked out of the park. Under the soft moonlight, he took steps towards ho.
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