—One week later.
We were back to our usual school life, as if nothing had happened. The students, too, were enjoying their days as though the tragedy of the other day had never occurred.
But—this was only natural.
In the end, everything about the Void Lord, as well as the battle between Hera, Arthur, and me, was erased from everyone’s memory by the power of the Akashic Record, which had returned to its original form after the Void Lord disappeared.
Such overwhelming power, even if not hostile, would terrify others and could lead to my elimination. Especially since, unlike Hera and Arthur, my origins and status are unclear. To the nobles, someone like me, whose loyalties are uncertain, would be nothing but a nuisance. If such trouble were to arise, it would be better to erase everyone’s memories.
Because of that, no one remembers what happened the other day, and I was able to move to the courtyard without anyone speaking to me.
“Phew… This is bad… I’m so nervous…”
‘You’re trembling… No, your whole body is shaking like crazy.’
“Of course, I’m nervous! I mean—I’m about to confess to Hera! Who wouldn’t be nervous?”
Yes—I was waiting for Hera on a bench in the school courtyard, to confess my feelings. It’s a secret that I’ve already been here waiting for about an hour before our scheduled meeting.
This morning, I left her a note saying, ‘Please meet me at the courtyard bench after school. I have something I want to tell you.’ I even made sure to include my name.
I chose the courtyard because it’s the place where the fewest people pass by, and it’s less conspicuous.
She’s the daughter of a well-known duke’s family. For someone like me, a commoner, to even think about dating her is almost unthinkable. That’s why I chose a place where rumors wouldn’t easily spread.
“Well, it’s not like I even know if someone like me could ever date her.”
“—Shin?”
“?!”
As I was half-laughing at my own self-deprecation, I suddenly heard the voice of the person I’d been waiting for—Hera, the girl I love, from behind me.
My body started shaking uncontrollably, but after taking a few deep breaths, I braced myself and turned around.
“He-Hera…”
“Shin, what is it you wanted to tell me…?”
Hera stood just a meter or two away from me, her face faintly tinged with pink, her eyes nervously darting around, fidgeting.
Seeing her like that both soothed me and made me feel even more embarrassed, and I could feel the heat rushing to my face. At the same time, I became acutely aware that I was standing at a major crossroads in my life.
…Once I say it, there’s no turning back. Things will never go back to the way they were. We probably won’t be able to talk like we used to, out of awkwardness. But—I had already made my decision.
Today, I would confess to Hera and tell her how I truly feel.
With my hands drenched in sweat, I gripped my pants to wipe them off, took a step forward, and met Hera’s eyes. Her beautiful, strong crimson gaze eased my nerves just a little and gave me the courage to continue.
Without looking away, I began to speak from the heart.
“I—I like you, Hera. I love seeing you smile. I love seeing you blush and fidget in embarrassment. I love the proud expression you make when you’re feeling smug, and I love the way you seriously listen to your seniors when you’re training.”
These were all expressions that I would never have been able to see had I not come to this world. All of them were fresh, charming, and incredibly beautiful.
“But—I didn’t fall in love with you just for your looks. It’s how you secretly want to lean on someone, how you never let your talent go to your head, and how you work so hard behind the scenes where no one can see. I love how you quietly help those in need, all of it.”
“…”
“I promise I’ll make you happy. I’ll make sure you’re always smiling. I’ll give you all the love I have so you never feel lonely again. I’ll be someone you can always rely on. So—”
I stretched my hand out toward Hera and bowed my head.
“So—please go out with me!”
When I arrived at school in the morning, a letter fell out of my shoe locker.
I had occasionally seen other girls squeal with excitement when they found letters in their lockers, but I never imagined that someone would put one in mine.
Seeing the letter left me a little surprised.
However, it didn’t feel appropriate to read it right there, so I decided to head to the restroom and open it. But as soon as I saw the name on the letter, I regretted reading it first thing in the morning. Because—
“Please meet me at the bench in the courtyard after school. I have something I want to tell you. —Shin.”
At the end of the letter, Shin’s name was written, and it was clear that this was a love letter.
The moment I saw the letter, my body heated up as if it were on fire, and my heart began to pound so loudly that it was almost deafening.
And that wasn’t all.
Sweat started to form on the hand holding the letter, and no matter how many times I wiped it with a handkerchief, it kept getting damp again. On top of that, my body stopped moving the way I wanted it to, almost as if it weren’t my own.
I read the letter over and over, checking for anything else that might have been written. I even wondered if some kind of magic had been used on it. But there was nothing more written than what I’d already seen.
“…”
Could I really allow myself to hope for this? If it turned out not to be a confession, I’d be so embarrassed I wouldn’t be able to come to school again.
A mix of emotions swirled inside me—joy, embarrassment, doubt over whether it was truly from Shin. Everything was a confusing jumble. Because of that, for the first time in my life, I couldn’t focus on a single thing during class. People talked to me as usual, but I don’t remember how I responded.
And then, time passed in the blink of an eye, and it was after school.
After quickly shaking off the annoying group of hangers-on, I headed toward the bench in the courtyard, feeling my heart race faster with each step.
What was Shin going to say to me?
Just thinking about it made my mind shut down, overwhelmed, even though I still didn’t know what would happen.
“…There he is…”
Shin wasn’t sitting on the bench. He was pacing back and forth in the same spot, clearly nervous. Seeing him like that reassured me that I wasn’t the only one feeling anxious.
He was so tense that he didn’t even notice me approaching. As the distance between us closed, my eyes became fixed on Shin, and only Shin.
When I was just a few meters away, I happened to overhear him mutter something.
“…Well, it’s not like I know if someone like me could ever date her.”
His voice was uncharacteristically uncertain and cold. The broad, dependable back I always admired now seemed so small.
In that moment, my heart screamed.
—Don’t say “someone like me”!!
You’ve saved me countless times!
That’s right.
The person I am today is because of him.
I had given up on being loved by anyone, trapped in a deep, dark place. But he rescued me as gallantly as a hero from a fairy tale. From that moment, my gray world began to fill with vibrant colors.
After that, he gave me so many first experiences.
—So much joy.
—So much happiness.
And he also showed me how hard and painful it is to love someone.
All of it, everything, are precious memories that he gave me—pieces of myself that make up who I am today.
But now—I can no longer be satisfied with just that.
“—Shin?”
“?!”
When I called out to him, Shin jumped in surprise, his body trembling slightly. That sight was unexpectedly adorable.
However, the moment he turned toward me, I felt too embarrassed to look directly at him, my eyes darting everywhere. The more I tried to meet his gaze, the harder it became.
“He-Hera…”
“Shin, what is it you wanted to tell me…?”
Shin called my name and stared directly into my eyes.
Just that was enough to make me tremble with happiness, both in my heart and body.
I felt my cheeks heat up. Even though just a moment ago I couldn’t bear to look at him, now I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. His dark eyes, usually calm, were now filled with nervousness, affection, and love.
What was he going to say? If it wasn’t a confession, maybe I should just shut him up myself.
Yes, that’s what I’ll do. He’s the one who’s oblivious to my feelings, after all.
But—I didn’t need to do anything like that.
Shin opened his mouth and spoke.
“I—I like you, Hera. I love seeing you smile. I love seeing you blush and fidget in embarrassment. I love the smug expression you make when you’re feeling proud.”
I could see how tense Shin’s face was, which was usually calm and smiling.
But—I didn’t even care about that anymore. I was completely captivated by him.
At this moment, all I could hear was his voice. It was as if the world had stopped, leaving just the two of us.
But he wasn’t finished speaking yet.
“But—I didn’t fall in love with you just for your looks. It’s how you secretly want to lean on someone, how you don’t let your talent get to your head and keep working hard where no one can see. I love how you quietly help people in need, all of it.”
“…”
Was he trying to kill me with happiness? I felt like I might die from joy.
“I promise I’ll make you happy. I’ll make sure you’re always smiling. I’ll give you all the love I have so you never feel lonely again. I’ll be someone you can always rely on. So—”
He stretched out his hand and bowed his head.
“So—please go out with me!”
Ah… I think I finally understand what people mean when they talk about feeling “happiness.”
Just looking at him filled me with love. Just having him nearby made me feel like I didn’t need anything else.
As tears blurred my vision, I savored the happiness and gently took his hand.
“—Yes, with pleasure.”
Overcome with emotion, I hugged him tightly. And, for the first time, Shin cried tears of joy and held me close.
I’m sure I’ll never forget this day.
It was, without a doubt, the first moment in my life where I truly felt happiness from the bottom of my heart.
