Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094088809262/episodes/16818093094552934356
◇? ? ? Day
I absentmindedly let my eyes rest on the light of the TV.
The evening sun leaking through the living room window casts an amber band on the floor, giving the room a quiet warmth. The feel of the old sofa is familiar on my back, and the sound of commercials playing in the background echoes distantly in my ears.
The time passed casually, and my mind was wrapped in a hazy fog.
Then, suddenly, a soft force envelops me from behind.
Someone hugged me vigorously, and my body jumped in surprise.
A voice saying “Yuto saaaan” sounded sweetly in my ear, and a warm breath tickled my neck.
[Illustration.]
I turned around and saw a familiar face standing there, but looking somewhat different.
Taller than the Yua chan I saw in my last dream, her uniform fits nicely with her slender body.
Her hair swung lightly over her shoulders, and a golden border floated in the setting sun.
“…..Yua…..chan…”
My voice trailed off as she smiled, her eyes narrowing.
“What’s wrong? Looking at me blankly. Did you perhaps fall in love with Yua in her school uniform? Aaaaah, you’re so dirty, Yuto san. You love it, don’t you, high schooler?” She made a gesture of hiding her body with her hands, and her laughter sounded like a bell.
The brightness of his voice catches my attention for a moment.
Looking around the house, I see that it is different from my current apartment.
The old wallpaper is peeling in the small space, and rust is floating on the window frames.
It looks nostalgic, like an old apartment building.
I wonder what happened to me in my life…no, I convince myself, this is just a dream, so it doesn’t matter.
But my heart softly lightens at the sight of Yua chan attending high school.
She has grown up properly and is smiling in her school uniform.
This fact spreads a wave of warmth deep in my heart.
Just seeing her, out of her dark past and living as a normal girl, makes me feel as if I have been saved.
“What are you grinning at? Well, it can’t be help but admire me. I’m cute, aren’t I? Of course.”
“….It’s not like that. I’m just glad you’re growing up.”
“What growth are you talking about? You’re talking about your breasts, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not.”
Chuckling at her mischievous voice, Yua chan began to talk happily about the events at school.
“So…Yuka ! She tells me ! Her boyfriend is super cool, she says. Well, he does have a cool face, but he’s not the type of guy I like……are you listening to me?”
“…..I’m listening, I’m listening. If Yua chan is having a good time, that’s fine with me.”
“What? You’ve been saying ‘chan’ for a while now, I’m not a child anymore.”
“S-sorry….. So?
Yua got a boyfriend or something?”
As soon as I said those words, her hand snapped to a stop.
The air became heavy for a moment.
I had thought lightly that she could have a boyfriend, given her happy chatting with her friends and her adorable appearance.
But her reaction made my heart flutter.
“….Boyfriend? What do you mean? Are you dumping me?”
Her eyes turn black as if she is sinking to the darkest depths, just as Yua chan is now.
Her sharp gaze pierces through me, and my heart tightens.
“Eh? N-no…eh?”
“…You were yearning for me yesterday too…” she murmured, rubbing her stomach.
…You’re lying? I, no way…did I do it?
My head is in turmoil, and I frantically search my memory, but nothing comes to mind.
Even though it happened in my dream, a cold sweat runs down my spine.
“…..Did you have another woman? Hey? Are you leaving me? What was wrong with me? What should I do?”
She approaches me exuding a mentally unstable vibe.
The anxiety in her voice makes the air in the room heavy.
“N-no ! It’s not true…! // You may think I’m lying, but…I…I…don’t…remember…. No, to be precise, this is a dream for me…how can I explain it? For now, my impression of Yua chan is that she is a gloomy girl of about 10 years old with a blank expression on her face.”
“I don’t understand what you are saying at all. Do you think you can get away with it like that?”
Her angry voice made me even more impatient.
How could I get her to believe me?
With my head spinning at full speed, I spent nearly an hour clumsily explaining the situation.
It was difficult to spin the boundary between my past and present selves, between dreams and reality, into words, but somehow she seemed to get the message.
“…..In other words, the Yuto san of today is the Yuto san of about seven years ago, when he first met me. Hmmm. And you think it’s a dream. Well, it’s not very believable, but I believe you.”
“Yeah. Is this really a dream?”
“If you ask me, no, it’s not a dream. I mean…hmmm? That’s why you asked me about boyfriends and such. That is certainly strange. Well then, let me give you a piece of good information. My birthday is April 15. If you don’t know my birthday, that’s all the proof you need.”
Her innocent smile shines in the evening sun.
As I gazed at her smile as if drawn into it, the next moment I was struck by the sensation of floating in and out of consciousness.
An anemic, dizzying tremor enveloped my body.
I tried to hold on, but my resistance was futile and I woke up.
◇
It was my familiar home.
Oh, I must have fallen asleep on the couch.
I picked up my phone and the date came up.
April 14….
It was the day before her birthday.
My heart jumps lightly as I learn of that date in my dream.
Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to give her.
A magical item that connects with anyone and spreads smiles…a smartphone.
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