We step out of the car after arriving at the cemetery.
I reach for the box of pastries I bought that day from the back seat.
“Oh, this shop…”
“Yeah, it’s the store where I bought the cookies I gave you.”
It seems Ippei remembers even the cookies I sent him. Despite not being fond of sweets, he accepted the cookies I gave him.
“Those cookies were delicious! They weren’t too sweet, and even someone like me who doesn’t like sweets couldn’t resist eating them right away!”
“Right? Since you mentioned that you’re not into sweets, I bought them with that in mind.”
“Y-Yuta-san…”
It might have been the first time I saw Ippei blush so deeply. It was different from the pleasure-induced flush—a genuinely embarrassed, bright red face. A blush was released from the usually cool, refreshing, yet sometimes sweet Ippei.
Even such expressions exist. Even your embarrassed and cute face becomes a precious treasure to me.
“Oh, come on, your face is all red!”
“S-Shut up! I-It’s not your fault, Y-Yuta-san!”
“I didn’t do anything wrong, though?”
“B-But… I didn’t properly thank you. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done. It was incredibly delicious…”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
Seeing you blush while trying to express your gratitude calmly and desperately made me feel even more in love with you.
As a return for that moment, I took Ippei’s lips gently in the empty parking lot, just like I did that time.
“Y-Yuta-san…”
“…It’s my way of saying thank you.”
As our lips part, every time we exchange this kiss, your warmth and freshness always feel new and irresistible. I wish I could make these lips mine someday, but that’s an unattainable desire.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“I-I got caught off guard…”
“Prc’a atlr xlcv bo atlcu clmf bcmf lc j ktlif?”
“P-P vbc’a… vlrilxf la… qooa…”
Pa rffwr fnfc atf erejiis ragjlutaobgkjgv Pqqfl mbeivc’a yf rb ragjlutaobgkjgv ja atlr wbwfca. Cmalcu ilxf la kjr j ybatfg. Ktja wera tjnf yffc atf offilcu.
“Ljtj! Rbk, klii sbe jmmbwqjcs wf ab nlrla atf ugjnfr?”
“Yes! O-Of course! I-I’ll go with you!”
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the nervous Ippei, whom I saw for the first time. Even though he seems perfect, there are parts of him that aren’t, and I love him for showing me those unexpected sides.
* * *
We walk among numerous lined tombstones.
“Is this…?”
Shinonome: “Shinonome…”
“Yeah, that’s my surname. My surname is Shinonome.”
“I finally learned your surname, Yuta-san.”
Although I knew Ippei’s surname, I couldn’t bring myself to tell mine. No, I had simply overlooked the timing to do so. I was too downhearted at that time.
“I’m sorry for not telling you properly.”
“No, I’m in the same boat.”
“Haha! So, my name is Shinonome Yuta.”
“I’m Kisaragi Ippei.”
We met on a bulletin board using aliases, and on our seventh encounter, we finally shared our real names. Now, everything that seemed impossible before is laid bare, and we can honestly share everything about each other. This is the miracle of our connection.
“Kisaragi… It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
“Shinonome-san… It sounds cool!”
For you, I’m willing to disclose everything. Even if you never become mine in any form, my heart tells me to be honest with you.
Even if someday you drift away from me, as long as my true presence remains in your heart, I’ll be content…
Having shared our names once again, we were enveloped by the warmth of summer and a gentle breeze as we wrapped ourselves in genuine smiles.
* * *
After the reintroduction was over, I lit a candle, prepared some incense, and took out a set of Western sweets from my bag, placing them gently in front of the Shinonome family’s grave.
“You bought the same ones as me.”
“Yeah, he also hated sweet things.”
“…Huh?”
Ippei tilted his head slightly at my response.
I had sworn to myself to be honest and open with you, so there’s something I want to ask and tell you. It might be a heavy conversation. It might make you upset or uncomfortable. But on this day, with this rare chance, I want to share a secret with you that I’ve been wanting to share since we came here together.
Ippei’s reaction pricked at my ears, but I continued to pray silently in front of the grave. And beside me, Ippei also clasped his hands together firmly and bowed.
“…? This year, I’m not alone, you know?”
“Eh… Y-Yuta-san…?”
“Ippei is beside me. He’s the same age as you.”
“…”
“It’s not sweet, but even if he dislikes sweet things, he can eat these cookies. Ippei proved their deliciousness, right? If they’re no good, I’ll eat them.”
Ippei beside me was starting to look exasperated as he was facing the grave, with false names and sweet treats being mentioned without my consent.
“Y-Yuta-san…!”
“…You remember the name Ryo, don’t you?”
“O-Of course!!”
“…Ryo is my younger brother, two years younger than me.”
“…Eh…?”
“The alias I’ve been using is the unforgettable name of my brother… That’s Ryo.”
This is my secret. The reason why I’ve always been alone. It’s a family secret I never wanted to share with anyone.
“Hey, Ippei? Can I tell you about Ryo?”
“…M-Me? Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I want you… No, I’ll only tell you.”
“Yuta-san… I understand. Please go ahead.”
With Ippei’s consent, I decided to finally reveal the true reason why I’ve been alone all this time, without any lies or deception.
“I don’t have a family anymore. There’s no one left for me.”
“…I see.”
“Ryo, two years younger than me, was nothing like me. Our hobbies were opposite, and he even disliked sweet things. But still, Ryo and I got along well. Whenever we did something, we did it together.”
“…”
“Even when I left home to be independent, Ryo would come to visit, worrying about me, cooking meals for me, and playing games together. He was like a parent, yet also my best friend.”
“But somehow, for some reason… the person I loved dearly drifted away from me… Even Ryo disappeared from my sight…”
“…”
I wanted to convey all these hidden feelings to you to make you understand everything about me… But my body won’t stop trembling; I can’t control it…
Despite my shaking body and trembling voice, Ippei continued to listen to my story, gently embracing me. It was thanks to your warmth at that moment that I was able to pour out everything.
“My parents died in a car accident… That alone was enough to bear, but then Ryo also… He also disappeared in an accident… Why, why did Ryo have to…?”
“…Since then, I’ve been alone… and I’ll always be… I’ll always be alone…!”
Was it right to tell you something like this? Was it right to confess to you, “I’ll always be alone”? I have no excuses. Falling in love with you, doing unforgivable things, knowing that even you, who I love, have a place to return to… It’s unbearable to tell you the truth that I’ll end up alone.
I want to cherish only this moment. That alone would be enough, but my feelings have longed for something beyond this moment. I want you to know the reason why I long for you, why my heart screams that I want you to be mine, to be by my side forever.
Yet, despite revealing such a cruel truth, trembling, and shedding tears, Ippei continued to gently embrace me, enveloping me in his familiar warmth and unchanged scent.
