"Humph! I'm quite amazed by your dirty deeds, Keiichi-san!!"

"......He is a boy, after all."

"Mii-chan, Shii-chan... Keiichi-kun looks confused...... hau..."

"Did you hear that, Sis?

We're not playing tug of war here. Are you trying to tear Kei-chan apart?!"

"I'm not playing tug of war! You're the one who's stretching him.

Go back to Okinomiya, Shion!"

"Okay,

I will.

Oops."

I let go of Keiichi suddenly, so he and Sis flew off like a rubber band.

Keiichi rolled on the ground while Sis was stuck in a bush head-first...

What lively people.

"See you, Kei-chan.

Sis might assault me if I stick around any longer, so I'll get going."

"Oh, Shion...

uh... thanks for today."

"Ah, forget it.

I didn't do much."

"See you, Shion."

His hand landed

on my head......

Rub, rub, rub.

...He stroked my head pretty roughly.

But the warmth reminded me......

"Ah, ahahahahaha...!!

Excuse me, I'm going.

See you, Sis!"

"Don't ever come here again!!!

Rena, keep your eyes on her!

Satoko, set traps!

Rika-chan, purify this area with salt!!"

The warmth remained on the top of my head...... It felt ticklish and... sore.

I had to stop... I got off my moped and pushed that aching spot against a telephone pole.

I'm sorry, Satoshi-kun. I'm sorry!!

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!

I never forgot about you... I still remember you...

I'm worthless without you... I can't stand life without you because it's gray and cold and boring...

It's true... it's true...

I can never smile because you aren't here... I can't...

"See you, Shion."

Keiichi's face appeared in my mind.

...I recalled the touch of his hand stroking my head...

It wasn't warm!!

I wasn't happy!

It was rough and painful!

I hate that insensitive guy!

He's too childish, rude, and cold! He's like a stray dog!!

I wasn't happy! It wasn't warm!!!

I wasn't happy or overjoyed at all...

"Noooooo!!!! ...Oohhh... Satoshi... kun...

Ooohhh... wahhhhhh..."

...............Mmph...

Satoshi-kun mumbled.

...He didn't know what to say in a situation like this.

......But he knew that he had better say something.

...He wanted to say something...

...but he didn't know what to say...

so, he just mumbled...

I'm sorry...... Shion.

Why are you apologizing, Satoshi-kun...?

I'm the one who should apologize.

Even though I said I'd wait for you...... even though I believed my heart wouldn't change......

......My heart is full of holes.

......You're leaking out from the small cracks in my heart, little by little......

......You're leaking out... from me......!

......Are you suffering because I'm here...?

Wh-Why...?!

You're so precious to me...

So, don't say that...!!

...I've been here with you all this time.

.........

But...

I think I'm hurting you

by continuing to exist...

I don't want that.

That's not true...... No, no, no!!!!

Where have you been, Satoshi-kun?!

You weren't with me!!

Tell me where you are!

What's the address? What's the postal code? What's the name of the city? What's the street number?!

Tell me...!!!

.....................There isn't

an address...

............Ahahahahahaha.

......I knew it......

...Telling me you've always been with me, always by my side... That's such a cliche.........

Ahahahahaha.........

Which do you prefer, Shion...?

...If I can give you strength, I'll stay by your side forever......

but if you're suffering because of me, I'll disappear right away.

"......Don't say that......

I want to be with you... always...

I want to be with you... forever..."

Okay...

I'll stay with you then.

A car passed by.

The noise snapped me out of my reverie.

"...Huff...

huff........."

...The sky was turning orange.

I should get home before it gets cold......

I should go home, to Okinomiya.

......You're with me, right...?

Are you with me right now... Satoshi-kun...?

I walked back to my moped.

...My feet sank into the grass...

Crunch crunch crunch...

I stopped when I reached my bike.

...But then I heard

an extra footstep.

I gasped...

I could feel somebody else's presence.

I'm not stupid.

Nobody else was around here.

Nobody had suddenly appeared behind me.

.........So I wasn't surprised to find nobody

when I turned around.

But...

he was definitely

still there.

"...Satoshi-kun........."

I couldn't see him...... but he was there......

He was there for me.

Satoshi-kun never lies.

......He said he'd be with me all the time......

...I'd just been too insensitive to feel his existence until now.

"Satoshi-kun.........

...Satoshi-kun..."

A breeze tickled my hair.

...It felt cold

...but...

to me, it was nothing but the warmth of his hand...

It took me a while to notice that my cheeks were wet with tears...