Who exactly is he?
As they walked along the road, that question remained in Reine's heart the entire ti, impossible to shake off.
Using the alias Murasa Reine, joining Ratatoskr, and coming to Itsuka Shido's side as a stranger, Reine had maintained a suitable distance while quietly watching over him.
He had left her arms when he was still a baby, grown up slowly as a child in the Itsuka household, and now, as Shido had entered high school, whether in physique or appearance, he was no different from the Shinji in Mio's mories.
However, Reine had never once treated "Itsuka Shido" as "Takamiya Shinji."
His way of speaking was different.
His habits in life were different.
His attitude toward things was different.
Perhaps in the eyes of strangers, the sa appearance and a few similar impression labels were enough to classify the two as the sa person. But for soone intimate, those tiny details accumulated from a person's unconscious behavior were the most valuable standards of judgnt.
Shido was undoubtedly a gentle and kind child. But for Takamiya Mio, that did not constitute a reason to love him as "Takamiya Shinji."
And yet now, Reine had begun to feel confused about her own understanding.
In her mories until now, the gaze Shido directed at her had always been that of soone looking at a reliable companion or an elder. But starting from yesterday, his gaze had beco filled with emotion, as though he were looking at an important mber of the opposite sex.
Without warning, he had invited her on a date, saying that he wanted to hear about her past because he did not understand Reine. Yet in every word and action, it was as though he understood her very well.
(My current asurents are 95/63/89.)
When Shido confidently declared the data of her body, Reine silently said that in her heart. But she did not refute him, because from Takamiya Mio's perspective, his answer was not wrong.
"Reine-san?"
Shido's voice brought Reine back from her thoughts.
"It is nothing… Where are we going next?"
"Haha… You'll know when we get there."
Apparently intending to keep her in suspense, Shido chuckled.
"I'll pull you along, and until I say it's okay, you can't open your eyes."
"Mm… I understand."
Lightly nodding, Reine followed the force guiding her and slowly moved forward with her eyes closed.
What was strange was that even though her vision was completely dark, Reine did not feel the slightest panic or unease. The hand holding hers was very gentle and firm, making her feel reassured, while also feeling incredibly familiar.
(Who exactly are you?)
Reine could not help asking that silently in her heart once again.
She could clearly see Shinji's shadow on him from ti to ti, yet in many places, he naturally maintained the impression of Shido. This disordered feeling made Reine's heart sowhat at a loss, and also made it beat faintly faster.
(And I… who should I be?)
Like that, the two walked for more than ten minutes. Although she could not observe with her vision, Reine still sensed a slight change in the environnt.
(The floor beneath my feet seems to have beco sand… The sound of the wind is louder, and the air is a little damp. This is…)
"Shin… are we not there yet?"
"Mm, almost. Just wait a little longer…All right, you can open your eyes."
Finally receiving Shido's permission, Reine slowly opened her eyes.
"This is…"
After gradually adapting to the change in light, everything before her slowly beca clear. Reine's lips parted slightly, and astonishnt appeared in her eyes without her realizing it.
The pale blue sky and the glittering surface of the water stretched endlessly, drawing a boundless line in the distance.
Waves continuously struck the beach with the breeze, producing rhythmic sounds. Several black tailed gulls, like accompanying musicians, circled in the sky while letting out strange cries.
The sun scattered gentle sunlight, robbing the whistling east wind of its chill.
Looking at the boundless sea before her, Reine lost her words.
"Surprised? I only learned from the inn staff that there was a beach nearby. Most people probably wouldn't expect to see the sea in the mountains, right?"
Seeing Reine's reaction, Shido explained with a sowhat proud expression. But in truth, what surprised Reine was not rely that.
This was the beach she and Shinji had visited thirty years ago. It was also the place of their first date. Although the city from back then had vanished, and many things along the road were completely different from thirty years ago, the instant she arrived, Reine recognized it.
(Is this coincidence, or intentional…)
Looking at Shido's proud smile, Reine could not help thinking.
"How is it? You didn't expect this, right, Reine-san?"
"Mm… I am very surprised."
Lightly nodding, Reine brushed back the hair blown ssy by the wind, her eyes filled with deep nostalgia.
"This place… really is beautiful."
"Then, Reine-san, would you walk with for a bit?"
Taking off his shoes and rolling up his trouser legs, Shido took the first step onto the beach, then turned around and invited Reine.
That sowhat childlike action made Reine smile faintly.
"Mm… gladly."
Lightly nodding, Reine imitated Shido and took off her shoes, stepping barefoot onto the sand.
And so, the two walked over the soft white sand while bathing in the sea breeze.
"This really is a beautiful place… Although it sounds a little cliché, it feels like my heart is being washed clean."
"Ahaha, that's too exaggerated. But if you like it, that's better than anything."
"…But why did you bring here?"
"I just wanted to give you a surprise. I vaguely felt that Reine would like this kind of place."
"Indeed… Your intuition is very sharp."
"Of course—ngh! So cold!"
Suddenly, a wave rushed in without warning, and the cold seawater instantly washed over their ankles, making Shido shiver.
"Shin… are you all right?"
"Ah—I'm fine. I just soaked in the hot spring, so the contrast is a little big. What about you, Reine-san? Are you cold?"
Reine smiled and shook her head.
"No… I am not particularly cold. Rather… it feels warm."
"I see…"
Walking aimlessly along the beach, Shido and Reine chatted about all sorts of topics.
Starting with topics related to the sea, then the inn, things about the others, school, friends, the shopping district, and then limited edition new flavors of cream puffs in front of the station cafe—these were all ordinary, insignificant topics.
But this kind of conversation made Reine feel extrely relaxed and comfortable. The countless doubts and troubles hidden in her heart seed to beco unimportant at this mont.
Gradually, the sun tilted westward. Ti passed silently, leaving a quiet orange hue by the sea.
Reine and Shido sat side by side on the breakwater, listening to the waves rising and falling at a steady rhythm.
—It's about ti. We should go back to the inn.
Mm… all right.
—Reine-san?
Mm… What is it, Shin…?
—Did you fall asleep?
Eh… asleep… Did I fall asleep…?
What would be the best way to describe this feeling… sleepiness…? My head feels so heavy… My eyelids feel so heavy… It's so dark…
But… it does not feel bad…
…Sorry… Wait a little while for … just a little while…
—Mm… Rest well.
And so, for the first ti without dreaming of a nightmare, Mio welcod this rest that had been absent for thirty years.
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