Prove Your Eternal Love. There Shall Be No Heroine Correction. - Chapter 4 Part 3

“Suguru-senpai. Have you decided on your answer?”

“Yes, I have. I’ve decided. …Though it is the worst answer in the history of Shirase Suguru.”

I and Nagisa were sitting on the pipe chairs waiting for our turn to participate in the 『love fulfillment♡haunted house』. It would be soon. I operated the tablet that Nagisa gave me and answered the “questionnaire”. I answered that I “love” the person I’m dating.

“Suguru-senpai is the worst. Fufu, I’m looking forward to this.”

Nagisa was fidgeting with her legs swinging like a pendulum while being strong like that. She wanted to know the answer. I wanted to tell her as soon as possible as well.

I wanted to tell her the best and the worst of what I had to say.

I hesitated for a moment before submitting the questionnaire and thought back to Aogashima Yuno, who was playing the role of “Okoko” at the exit. I wondered if she really understood the meaning of my answer.

“By the way, did you see Aika-senpai and Onee-chan on stage?”

“I did. It was amazing. It was hard to believe that it was an impromptu performance. Aogashima-san was also surprised—Ah, no, I’m sorry.”

“Fufu, it’s okay. …because in just a few more days, you won’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Nagisa smiled sadly and apologetically. You didn’t do anything wrong.

Soon, our turn came and we were led into the demon’s cave where the grudge of “Okoko” swirled around us.

“I feel like this isn’t the first time I’ve been in a haunted house with Suguru-senpai.”

“Yeah, I know. I feel that way too.”

We were side by side, moving through the orderly paths separated by dark curtains. Nagisa was freaking out at the mere sound of water from the tablet in her hand, and when she heard the thump-thump-thump of it hitting the wall, she completely froze, “Hyah!”

“Are you okay, Nagisa?”

As I was worried about her, she boldly hugged me.

“Um, um, Suguru-senpai, if the real one comes out, will you protect me?”

“Of course, I will protect you even if I have to get down on my knees.”

“I would like you to protect me in a way that would be more effective against ghosts.”

“On the other hand, if I were possessed by a ghost, would you help me?”

“Of course I would. I’ll bring an AED!”

“You’re going to knock me out with an electric shock instead.”

Such a funny conversation echoed in the darkness, and after a short pause, we laughed at our own exchange. Why were we smiling so much in a haunted house? As I was thinking this, suddenly a voice came from my hand and said, “Stop flirting!” We both jumped in surprise. I had forgotten about the specifications.

“I-I’m scared. Where in the world are you looking!?”

“Calm down, Nagisa. This one just got mad at us because we stood still for a certain amount of time. Let’s hold hands. I don’t want you to get lost.”

“I see. Let’s hold hands. I’ll correct that to ‘so that Suguru-senpai doesn’t wander away from me.'”

We intertwined our fingers and held them tightly. Slowly but surely, we went down the dark path.

We passed through the dark curtain at the finish line. Aogashima-san, who had been waiting for us, stared at our joined hands reproachfully, then cleared her throat and faced us.

“I’m so glad you made it this far. The two of you who have escaped my curse… Now, answer my question in at least a hundred words. —Do you like the person next to you?”

I was a little surprised. The answer to the “Okoko” question should normally be “yes” or “no.” However, this was not the case with me and Nagisa. But this was the question from Aogashima-san to test the love between me and Nagisa.

Our feelings, our love, cannot be expressed by “yes” or “no”. Even Aogashima-san would not be satisfied with such a simple answer. I guess that was what it came down to.

Who should answer first? After a pause, Nagisa opened her mouth.

“I love Suguru-senpai. I don’t care about the game or that the world has been rewritten. I believe that this feeling here is the only real thing. I will never, ever let anyone tell me that these are the feelings of Tokiwa Nagisa from another world that I don’t know about.”

Nagisa put all her strength into her hand that was still in my grip. I could feel her heart beating hard.

“Suguru-senpai is a troublesome person. He is a very, very troublesome person. But I love him because he’s cool enough to go through with it. Of course, he has a lot of other things, too. I love his kindness, his shyness, the way he looks out for me, his face, the shape of his hands. But I think I like him because he is Suguru-senpai. I can’t really put it into words, but I love it all.”

Aogashima-san nodded and looked at me this time. I know, it was my turn.

“…Nagisa, I love you, too. But I love Aogashima-san as much as I love you, and there are clearly two loves in my heart.”

I looked straight ahead and spoke into Aogashima-san’s eyes.

“No matter how exceptional the circumstances may be. This situation is not good. I hurt Nagisa a lot because of it. And Aogashima-san. …but let’s just get this over with.”

I kept my eyes on Nagisa. Instead, I, too, tighten my grip. That was enough. Because this was like a ritual.

“Nagisa. I found it. I found a way to make an ideal a reality. A way to make love eternal.”

“What is that?”

Many things happened to us at this Fuyo Festival. Sometimes our sordid relationships loosened up, and sometimes they became even more entangled. Memories were forgotten and regained. Watching our feelings collided up close.

I realized. In the past, in the present. We kept making mistakes because, in the end, we hadn’t done the most important thing.

“To convey our feelings.”

In the end, the simplest thing was always the most difficult.

It was always the most difficult to convey your feelings, thoughts, and emotions. What you love about the other person, what you don’t love about the other person. The good, the bad, the anxieties, the frustrations, everything. Don’t be afraid to hurt, fight, or be hated.

Because people couldn’t understand each other without doing so. Because if one doesn’t say it, it won’t be understood.

“No matter what, people change day by day. Yet we are unaware of it. Before we know it, we think we understand the other person completely and stop understanding them. We refer to the image we have created in our mind and skip trying to understand the person in front of us, and that is why I—did not get along with Minagi.”

Minagi would think this way, I would say something to her, and she would be satisfied, and the issue would be resolved over time. The result of such a series of gaps in perception led to a fatal disconnection.

“So I will tell you. Nagisa. I’ll tell you everything I’m thinking. I couldn’t reject Aogashima-san. I could have betrayed you, Nagisa. I felt so comfortable with her that I thought I was destined to be with her. So as long as I have this love inside me, I don’t know what will happen if Aogashima-san makes a fierce move on me.”

“…What is that? Aren’t you just reopening the issue?”

Nagisa’s voice was naturally laced with anger. For a moment, I recognized Nagisa at the edge of my vision. The profile that had always been sad was now a little more relaxed.

“I’m going to make an effort. That I can give my full attention to you from now on. I’m going to try not to make you feel anxious. I will think of ways to do that. I will do everything I can. Not by myself, but with you, Nagisa. I will never hide my feelings from you anymore.”

Nagisa nodded quietly and nodded again, urging me to continue.

“I think that still makes you uncomfortable right now. I’m sure I will continue to make you uneasy in many ways. But I still love you.”

“Why? Why do you love me?”

The reason I had been searching for all summer long. The answer was already in my heart.

“I have a lot of them. I love the way you smile when you see me. I love you in a cute outfit. I love the way you cut the hamburger steak first. I love the way you get excited just by making cotton candy. I love the way you tell jokes at the haunted house. And I love the way you refused to bend your principles when I told you I love you. I love you for telling me to bend on my principle when you said you love me.”

It seemed contradictory, yet this thought was still valid. Because.

“The existence of Shirase Suguru does not like the existence of Tokiwa Nagisa. I, who am at this very moment, love you, who are at this very moment.”

“…You’re saying things I don’t understand again, aren’t you?”

Nagisa commented curiously and with a wry smile. Aogashima-san doesn’t change her expression and turned her eyes upward in thought. But it was okay. I’ll keep telling her until she gets the message.

“In other words, I love you just the way you are, not the image I have created of you.”

This time, Nagisa understood me and pulled my hand tightly without saying anything.

“I want to connect the moment when I thought I love you — the dots between the dots — with you forever.”

The dots were the result, and the process was what connected them. Therefore, the result was also a process, and it has meaning and led to the future.

“That is something I could never do alone. It is something that only you and I can do. That’s what I think…but I don’t even know if it’s the right answer yet.”

I turned my body to the side. Nagisa also turned her head this way. Her hand wass still in mine. I held her other hand in the same way. I stared straight into her beautiful, reddish eyes. I would never take these eyes off you again.

“I want to prove it to you. This way our love will last forever.”

Beyond the moist iris of Nagisa’s eyes. I see a future where we are happy together.

“That’s why I fell in love with you, that’s how I love you.”

No matter how much I searched for the past, I can’t find it. The reason was in the future.

“Suguru, senpai—”

“…Yes. Is that the answer Shirase-kun give?”

I heard Aogashima’s voice-san. I replied, “Yes,” as I stared at Nagisa.

“If that’s the case. Shirase-kun, who is so shifty, can’t break the curse of Okoko. …So forget about me and have a long and happy life.

—Stamp. Aogashima-san stamped on my cheek with all her might. This unexpected action made me unintentionally squealed.

“Fufu, hahaha, ahahaha…”

Perhaps amused by my reaction, Aogashima-san clutched her stomach and said, “That’s funny…” It was a funny aspect that was so unlike her that both Nagisa and I let out a contagious giggle.

But that was not the end of it.

“Nagisa. Do you think we are over with this now?”

“I think so. I understand what you are thinking, Suguru-senpai. I also want to make our love eternal. With Suguru-senpai, together.”

Finally. Now, finally, we were ready to go.

I choose Nagisa. So I was going to bend my principles and throw away the memory of Aogashima-san.

Nagisa would naturally think so. But I decided otherwise.

“So what if I don’t want to throw away my memories of Aogashima-san?”

“…Eh?”

Nagisa’s eyes stopped. She couldn’t believe it.

“The answer I’m giving now is one that I couldn’t have come up with if it weren’t for my love for Aogashima-san. So I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt by giving you this answer. I must not lose any of my memories, I must not erase any of them. No matter how easy it is.”

At this moment. The memory of Aogashima-san took on an important meaning. To erase it would be to deny the answer I gave.

“Nagisa, it’s your turn to choose. Do you really think you should erase my memory? I don’t think so, because we were able to get over it with everything included.”

Nagisa. Let’s fight each other in this way. Let’s love each other while keeping non-negotiable things non-negotiable.

Nagisa opened her mouth wide and looked blank. But soon she understood my request. She let go of our joined hands in disbelief.

“…Really, you’re a very troublesome senpai. You’re not fair. You don’t compromise, you try to get everything. It’s not fair.”

“I told you. That’s the worst answer.”

Despite the words of condemnation, Nagisa was smiling as if she was refreshed.

“Haaaa. Why did I fall in love with such a troublesome person? …I understand. I lost this time, you’re the worst, Suguru-senpai!”

Nagisa then opened her own stamp book and thrust it out to Aogashima-san. Nagisa get my memories first, then I get Nagisa’s memories and we exchange. That was the procedure.

“So you don’t have to forget your memories of Aogashima Senpai. No, remember it. It’s to connect this moment forever.”

Her hands were shaking for some reason.

Then I realized.

It was always the same. I was always slow to notice.

Yeah, I made the wrong choice again.

That was why my body moved on its own.

What the hell, Shirase Suguru. You can do it. You were able to fix it right away.

I blocked Nagisa’s stamp book with the back of my hand and caught the second stamp on my body.

“Nagisa. I knew it! I can’t ask you to play this role. I couldn’t ask you to retrieve these memories for me. There was no way I could.”

How does Nagisa feel when she was shown the memories of me and Aogashima-san?　Because Akikusa Yuuhi seemed to have such a hard time.

The time between me and Aogashima-san was still short. We were not even lovers.

Still, I would rather have Nagisa felt like that, even just a little bit.

I don’t need memories. I would bend my principles as much as I want.

I was surprised at my own reaction, but for some reason, I felt funny thinking, “What, that’s my real intention after all?” I then told Nagisa.

“Let’s think of a different way, Nagisa. There is still time. So—”

Nagisa took my hand away and shook her head.

“That’s exactly wrong, Suguru-senpai. Please trust me. Please let me carry it on my back. Please let me carry your precious thing, Suguru-senpai.

Nagisa was already prepared. She was getting stronger and stronger like that. She was changing. She was no longer the Nagisa I know, and that made me love her even more.

“Or did you do something that you couldn’t show me?”

“Nah, I think, maybe. …Right?”

I asked Aogashima-san, and she cowered her shoulders meanly, “Well, I don’t remember.”

“It’s alright. Suguru-senpai, please go get the memories on my end. I’m really not very good at that baseball team’s exhibition, so I could only ask Suguru-senpai to do it for me.”

Nagisa waved her hand cheerfully and stoutly at me. I hesitated and waved back the same way. I was still worried and my face was distorted, but Nagisa continued to cheer me up.

“I’m fine. I can do anything for Suguru-senpai. I will show that my feelings are stronger than Suguru-senpai’s feelings. This puts me one step ahead in the game!”

—In the end, the one who has stronger feelings for the other wins.

I would like to continue such a game with Nagisa for the rest of my life.