As the sun was setting, I walked beside Alyssa along the street lit by the streetlights. It's a residential area a little off the main street, so there's hardly any people around. It's so quiet that I can't believe we're in the city.
[Geez, I'm much stronger than you, and I'm even always carrying an extremely powerful stun gun for self-defense and other legally dangerous weapons, so you don't have to send me home or anything like that.]
[I have many things I'd like to throw a tsukkomi at but... Well, I think I still should send you home just in case.]
Already back to her usual self, Alyssa relaxedly spoke with a smile on her face.
[By the way, Kaito-san, don't you feel thirsty? Coz I am.]
[...Speaking of which, I still haven't repaid you for the delicious dinner huh.]
[As expected of Kaito-san! You know what I have in mind~~]
Alyssa indirectly asked me to buy her a drink, but that was a cheap price to pay for the meal... or rather, in a sense, this was just a standard flow between us.
Whenever Alyssa came to my home and helped us with dinner, I would see her home. On the way, Alyssa would say she was thirsty, so we would buy a drink from a vending machine and chat at a nearby park.
Buying a café au lait for Alyssa and a can of low-sugar coffee for myself from the vending machine as usual, we moved to a small park with a bench and a slide.
Sitting side by side on an old wooden bench, we looked at the night sky together.
The skies above a city, where no stars could be seen... Looking at this familiar, yet slightly lonely scene, I felt the cool night breeze gently caress my face as I sipped at the warm can of coffee.
The bustle of the main street could only be heard faintly in the distance, but other than that, the silent atmosphere was great. At that moment, Alyssa whispered.
[...This is kind of great, isn't it?]
[Unnn?]
[No, I was just thinking... that every day is fun. Talking about unimportant things for a long time, getting angry about trivial things, some little events happening, but we are still surrounded by our good friends... I think this kind of thing is happiness.]
[...I guess so?]
Indeed, as Alyssa said, every day is really fulfilling. Going to school while talking about trivial stuff with Alyssa, clamorously chatting with everyone in the lab... even when we're just planning for the fun events we could have, I think these are really happy days.
[...Next year, Riri-senpai and Liddy-senpai will be looking for jobs, and even us won't be college students forever either. Our environment will surely change, and our paths may diverge. You never know what the future holds... It would be great though... if happy days like this will continue in the future.]
[...You're going to be a journalist, right, Alyssa?]
[Whoa there, you just left out the super. I'm going to be a Super Journalist. Well, becoming a journalist really is a dream of mine, and I've been preparing to fulfill that dream. However, I don't know why. But lately, I've been having a different dream.]
[...A different dream?]
Hearing what Alyssa calmly said, I tilted my head. Thereupon, looked at me and shyly smiled, before looking back at the night sky and spoke.
[...When I look at Akari-san, I sometimes think that being a housewife isn't so bad. Well, you see, I'm a transcendental cutie who can cook perfectly, so I can cook delicious food while waiting for my husband to come home. On his days off, I would make us bento and go on a date with my beloved husband, a date filled with smiles... I've recently come to think that such a thing would be wonderful.]
[...I see.]
[Well, let's get going.]
Looking at Alyssa's smile as she stood up from the bench and threw the empty can into the trash can, I couldn't help but admire her. How should I say this... I'm feeling strangely embarrassed... or rather, I'm feeling quite conscious of Alyssa.
Following Alyssa's lead, I threw my empty can in the trash can and headed for the exit of the park... when I suddenly felt a soft shock behind my back.
[...Kaito-san, please listen to me without looking back.]
[....]
My heart jumped as I heard Alyssa's words as she held unto my clothes and her face buried in my back.
[...I'm not in a hurry for an answer. Or rather, I don't have the courage to ask for an answer right now, so I'd appreciate it if you could give me your answer later.]
[...Alyssa?]
[Well, just think of it as me applying for work. I'm not going to rush you, nor am I setting some sort of deadline... It's just, someday, ummm, if Kaito-san... is willing to give me a "permanent job offer"... Please tell me. At that time... I'll choose that career path.]
It was a quiet murmur, but her words clearly reached my ears. Of course, I also know what those words meant...
[...I'm really happy to have met you, Kaito-san.]
[Alyssa...]
[A- Ahaha, I said something strange. My bad. Now, now, let's go!]
[Ahh, oi!]
[Come on already~~ I'm leaving you behind~~]
Ending the conversation somewhat hurriedly, Alyssa's tension was unnecessarily raised as she started walking fast in front of me. As I looked at her small back, what came to my mind... was an inexplicable sadness.
I wonder why? The words she said... was supposed to make me happy...but why do I feel like crying instead?
When Alyssa said earlier that "she wished days like this could go on forever", I couldn't agree more. However, the words "I feel the same way" wouldn't come out of my mouth.
I felt as if the other me within my heart was shouting "No".
However, what is this? Somehow... I have this sad certainty within my heart... that the future with her... "the future where Alyssa's new dream comes true" will never come. That thought makes me inexplicably sad.
Suddenly, as if my eyes were being led by something, I looked behind me. Of course, I found no one there... but I felt like there had always been someone, always there behind my back.
Helping me in troubling times, laughing with me in fun times... There should have been... someone important... over there...
I felt an inexplicable amount of anxiousness, as if there's something really out of place. Shaking these thoughts off my mind, I followed Alyssa as she walked in front of me.