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"Dude, why did we have to go out? It's freezing outside!"
Ayano simply glanced over and giggled. Shintaro knew that she loved seeing him out of his comfort zone, but this was almost too cruel. He could've been inside playing video games or watching a new episode of anime right now. Who in their right mind would take a walk near midnight?
"It's not my fault that you don't get out enough. Plus, we haven't hung out in forever." With both of her hands, she grabbed his wrist. "Come on, let's go! The night market's going to close soon."
Ah, that's right. This girl is probably the only person in the world who would. Still, as Ayano practically dragged him towards the market, Shintaro thought to himself how lucky he was. It had been a long two years, and an even longer amount of centuries before that, but they'd finally gotten that happy ending they wanted.
He quickly shook the thought out of his head. Ayano had been telling him to forget about that past, that it didn't matter anymore. She'd forgiven him countless times since she came back last year, though he never fully believed it. He just had to remember that those endless days were behind and to focus on the future. A future with her by his side.
One look at the way her hair and scarf intertwined with each other in the wind reminded him that yes, that future was very much real.
The couple raced through the streets together, laughing all the way. It had been a while since Shintaro was physically active, but every time they had to stop for his sake, Ayano waited by his side, her smile never fading. Soon enough, they reached the night market. Warm light flooded the scene, and the smell of fresh food filled the air. Shintaro looked around in awe. "Jeez, I didn't even know they had this here."
Ayano giggled. "Well, first time for everything." She grasped his hand, locking their fingers together. "Let's walk around for a bit. We'll go home whenever you're tired, okay?"
Blushing, Shintaro complied. He still wasn't really used to the dating thing – it was only a year ago that he was a complete hikiNEET – so any sense of physical affection Ayano gave him felt shocking. Yet, as they walked through the market, he wondered to himself what she saw in him. Sighing, Shintaro sidled closer to Ayano's side. He really wasn't the most handsome, nor the smartest, nor the most hardworking, but she still chose him out of everyone else. It was hard for these thoughts to go away, not after they had been festering for years.
Suddenly, Ayano pulled her hand away and looked at him. "Shintaro? Is something wrong?"
Shintaro turned to face her. Her face was filled with a sense of worry, as if he'd gotten sick or something. Of course Ayano would notice, though. She had him down to a science. Shintaro swore it was some sort of magic, a side effect of her Favoring Eyes. Somehow, she always knew how he felt. In all honesty, it made him feel worse; he was always the one that needed help and attention, and their relationship seemed so unbalanced. Ayano had suffered, as well, but it was hard to support her. He knew those years in the Daze were unbearably long. There was just… nothing he could do.
It got worse when Shintaro remembered what he'd done in the other timelines. He'd seen himself leave her behind in an empty classroom to cry, slap her hand away near the end of summer, and stifle her confession in the Daze. So many times, he'd hurt her feelings. Still, she had the courage to hold his hand, to spend time with him, to say that she loved him every single day. He never deserved any of it, but she did it anyway.
"You know I can see your eyes, right?"
Shit. Shintaro quickly blinked the red away. "Wh-what do you mean? My eyes were perfectly normal!"
"I won't take that for an answer." This time, it was Ayano's turn to sigh. "What'd I tell you? You need to stop being so hard on yourself."
"Really, nothing's wrong." Shintaro awkwardly placed his hand on her shoulder. He wasn't really an expert at this comforting thing, but physical touch had to count for something, right? "Trust me. I'm alright."
The worried look on Ayano's face didn't go away. "If you say so. But please, tell me if you're ever feeling bad." She pinched his cheek and gave a slight smile. "I love you, okay?"
Yeah. It really was unbelievable how she hadn't left him already. He retracted his hand and replied, "Okay. I get it."
Ayano gave him one more soft glance before taking out her phone. Her face lit up with shock: "Oh, I almost forgot! We have to go!"
"Don't tell me we're going to have to run around the city again… I'm already gassed from the first time."
Ayano giggled before replying, "No, it's not far. Come with me."
"The pier? It's even colder here!"
Shintaro could practically feel the sea breeze penetrating his jacket, enveloping him in frost. Even in the summer, the chill of the night didn't stop. Why'd she have to choose to go here of all places?
Ayano looked at him and grinned. "Well, Shintaro, if it's cold, then we could always… well, we could always…"
Shintaro looked back. Ayano's face was practically burning up from embarrassment, and when he tried to make eye contact, she looked away and pulled her scarf up to her nose to hide her cheeks. Jeez, for all of that confidence earlier, she really did get nervous around him. But, if she really wanted him to do it, then…
Shintaro gently tugged at the ends of her scarf, quietly asking to grab hold of them. She complied and loosened her grip on it. Delicately, Shintaro tried to rewrap the scarf to fit both of them. He honestly didn't have a damn clue how to tie a scarf, though; it kept falling down and coming undone, eliciting giggles from Ayano. Eventually, with a red face, she rewrapped the scarf for him.
Being this close to Ayano made his own face start to blush, causing Shintaro to face the pier instead of his partner. "Sorry for not knowing how to tie a scarf. This… this feels better, though."
He could practically hear the smile in her voice when she said, "It's not a problem at all! I'm just happy that you got my cue, hehe…" Really, this girl would be the end of him. A cute end, sure, with lots of happy memories, but still.
"Why did you want to come here, anyways?"
Wistfully, Ayano replied, "You'll see soon enough."
"See wha- oh!"
Just then, a barrage of fireworks filled the sky. Lights of all colors – yellow, orange, green, turquoise – shot into the air and exploded into vibrant streams. The last time Shintaro had seen fireworks had to have been before the accident. He remembers his dad lifting him onto his shoulders to watch the fireworks from above. That day, Momo complained that it was unfair that Shintaro got a better view than her, forcing their mom to start carrying Momo on her shoulders.
Those times with his dad were long gone, and yet, this current scene felt so much more nostalgic. Perhaps it was because he had waited so many years wallowing in guilt, desperately praying for a chance to apologize and make amends with Ayano. The feeling of her finally being by his side, watching the fireworks with him, was oddly cathartic. It was the feeling of all of those years of guilt being washed away, replaced with a new, happy memory.
"Your eyes, Shintaro."
"Gah! I wasn't remembering anything bad, I promise!"
"Even then, Shintaro…" Ayano faced him, eyes filled with a sense of… longing? Was that it? "Remember what I told you. You can't change what happened already, but we can change what happens next."
She swept her hand out to the view of the fireworks. "Each of those fireworks were made weeks, maybe even months ago. They spent a long time in storage doing nothing. But here they are, putting on a show for all of us. It's just like you. You didn't waste a second in that room; you were just waiting for your time to shine, to show the world who you really are."
Ayano smiled at him. "I always knew you were a hero. If you're feeling down, I'll be here for you, okay?"
Shintaro was in a state of shock. "Ayano, I…I'm s-"
She hugged him tight. "Don't say that you're sorry. You've apologized enough. It's okay."
Through tears, he asked, "...why? Why do you care about me so much? I don't… I don't deserve it." He focused his eyes on the ground, too shameful to look at her face.
"Shintaro," Ayano said as she softly placed her hands on his face. "Look at me."
With wet eyes, he focused his gaze once again on Ayano. Her eyes shone with determination. Suddenly, they turned a deep shade of crimson red.
"Ayano, what're you-"
"Just…wait a second." She smiled at Shintaro and, while standing on her tiptoes, planted a kiss on his cheek. With that, a rush of emotions flew through his head.
The sense of joy seeing your best friend walk into the classroom to tutor you.
The overwhelming happiness from talking to your friends at lunch, gaze fixated at one person in particular.
The rush of adrenaline you feel walking home with him every day, internally debating whether or not to confess your feelings to him. And the subsequent fluttering of your heart when you decide, "I'll do it tomorrow."
The despair that creeps in once your plan is set in stone and you realize that you won't be able to have the future you'd always wanted with him.
The melancholy and boredom of the Daze, made better by spending your time fantasizing about the boy you left behind.
The pounding of your heart and the fight to keep tears from falling out when you finally see him again after all of those lonely years.
The impossible high you reach when he tells you that he feels the same way, that he's felt the same way for so long, and the warmth of his body when you embrace him.
Ayano wiped a tear off of Shintaro's cheek. "I've always loved you. And I always will. So please, Shintaro, don't be so hard on yourself. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
Through his tears, Shintaro managed a smile. Right. She would always be there for him. They had been through so much already; now, they had all the time in the world to be happy with each other. He pulled her in for a kiss as the last of the fireworks fired off in the distance.