Chapter 777: Chapter 777: Commemorative Extra Chapter (2/2)

After smiling at her peculiar smile, which I now found adorable, Illness-san lightly patted her skirt with her hand before she gently spoke.

[If you waaaaaant, how about getting some reeeeest? I don't know if it's comfortable to sleep ooooon, but I can prepare a simple pillow for youuuuu.]

[That would be……]

[Yeeeeees. That is, if Kaito-san is okay with iiiiiiit.]

Apparently, if I wanted, Illness-san would give me a lap pillow. What a tempting proposal this is…… It's too difficult to resist. Rather, I don't see any reason to resist.

The park was empty, with just the two of us, and the benches were large enough for one to lie down. The weather is fine and beside me is my gentle, motherly lover…… You could say that the situation is perfect.

[Errr…… Then, do you mind if I took you up on your offer?]

[Yeeees, go oooooon.]

In the end, I decided to accept her suggestion and brought my head on her thigh, even though I'm a bit nervous. Her lap has a pleasant aroma and a happy softness to it.

This was a supremely comfortable lap pillow that would make me let go of my consciousness in an instant if I'm not careful…… What a luxurious moment this is.

As I laid down, Illness-san gently reached out her hand and softly stroked my head. Well, I've really been thinking about this for a while, but Illness-san feels accepting, or more like, she's quite motherly…… As expected, she is the Holy Mother, right?

As I was thinking about this, the pleasantness started making me doze off…… when I heard Illness-san's voice.

[Kaito-samaaaa, back in the Six Kings Festivaaaaaal, do you remembeeeer the song I sung back theeeeeen?]

[……It was ”A Small Story”, right?]

Her voice was so gentle that I wanted to listen to it forever, accelerating my sleepiness, but I managed to hold it in as I asked back.

Without stopping her hand from stroking my head, Illness-san continued.

[It didn't go as well as the song huuuuuh.]

[Unnn? What do you mean……]

[It seems that I, toooooo, have become very greedyyyyy. I thought it would be fine if I could just read your storiiiiiiiiies…… but it seemed like it wasn't good enough for me. Right nooooow, I'm thinking that I want to be drawn into your story as weeeeeell, making you smiiiiiile, together with youuuuu.]

[……………….]

She slightly sounded somewhat self-mocking, but I couldn't find regret in her voice…… as if she was enjoying the change, despite the bewilderment she felt, Illness-san spun her words, as if she were singing.

[Compared to the me back theeeeen, I've become selfiiiiiish and greedyyyy…… but you still be alright with iiiiiiit?]

[……Isn't that obvious? I mean, I don't know how many times I told you this, but you're not being selfish or greedy at all, Illness-san. In fact, I think you should request of me a bit more.]

[Kuhihi, a bit more huuuuuh…… That would be troubliiiiiing. When I'm together with Kaito-samaaaaa, I'm immediately filled with happineeeeess, so I can't think of anything else to ask foooooor.]

[Ahaha, when you say it like that, it also makes me happy. But really, you can ask of me more, okay?]

[Yeeeeeees. Theeeeen, when I think of somethiiiiing, I'll let you knoooooow.]

[Yes.]

[Kuhihi.]

After she said that with a happy smile on her face, Illness-san didn't continue to say anything else and just continued to sofly stroke my head. And I, too, wrapped up her comfortable warmth of happiness, didn't say anything else and let my consciousness sink into slumber.

After taking a short nap, I headed to the Tokikaze Cemetery again with Illness-san. Walking up the stairs to the cemetery on top of a small hill, we entered the cemetery.

Probably because it was a weekday, there were no people at all, and we soon reached our destination after a short walk.

[……This is where Mom and Dad's graves used to be.]

[I seeeeeee.]

[Well, this really wasn't the case anymore…… but this is the place I visited the most before I went to Trinia…… and this is the view I saw the most.]

Actually, Mom and Dad's graves are no longer here. They themselves asked for them to be removed…… They said they felt bad asking Uncle and Aunt to take care of their graves when they had already come back to life, so I asked Eden-san to do something about it after I explained the situation to Uncle and Aunt.

I don't really know the details, but since Eden-san is an omniscient and omnipotent God, she was able to adjust the situation easily and quickly, and the place where Mom and Dad's graves used to be is now vacant. I think someone's grave will be built here soon.

That's not a bad thing. Mom and Dad are living with me in another world, and I don't have any good memories of this place.

[……Embarrassing it may be to say this, but I've spent an astounding amount of time in this place. Looking back on it now, I realize that in the end, I couldn't accept the death of my parents and was just looking for a reminder of them. I didn't realize it for a long time though.]

[………………..]

[Well, now that I have…… I realized the kindness of the important people around me, and even though I might have walked through an indirect path, I'm glad that it happened.]

Crouching in the empty lot, I lightly clasped my hands together just like back then. I wonder what this feeling is? It's not loneliness, nor is it sadness. It's not that I don't like the fact that my parents' graves were gone either.

But even so, perhaps, I may be feeling a little melancholic at the fact that the scenery I have seen so many times has changed.

As I was staring at the empty space with this inexplicable feeling budding within my heart, a shadow suddenly appeared. When I looked up, I saw Illness-san standing right in front of me, walking nearby before I knew it.

Thereupon, Illness-san bent down a bit and crouching down, she held my head closer…… and gently embraced me.

[Illness-san?]

[I'm not trying to be sympathetiiiiiic. I'm also not trying to comfort youuuuu.]

Feeling her soft and comforting touch, her gentle scent tickles my nostrils and her warmth that envelops me…… I felt helplessly reassured.

[All I wanted was just to hug youuuuu. You could saaaay that it's just my selfishneeeeess.]

[……I see.]

[Since you've given me permission to ask of you moooooore, can we stay like this for a whiiiiile?]

[……Yes.]

This is a very unfair selfishness. I couldn't fully explain the emotions I was feeling within me. I wasn't feeling lonely, nor am I feeling sad…… However, I may just be feeling slightly hungry for human warmth.

Illness-san must have sensed that. That must be why she told me that she wasn't being sympathetic or trying to comfort me. Asking me to go along with her selfishness, she held me within her warmth.

This kind of gentle selfishness is really unfair…… and of course, I wouldn't have any choice but let myself be spoiled by her.

How much time had passed? When Illness-san gently let go of my head, the fuzzy feeling in my chest from earlier had completely disappeared.

In fact, when I thought about it after I calmed down, that feeling of security I felt earlier was quite dangerous. Since Illness-san's motherly nature is tremendous, I feel that if I'm not careful, I might get into the habit of getting spoiled by her.

Feeling a little embarrassed, I left the cemetery holding hands with Illness-san again. It was winter now, and even though it isn't night yet, the sky started getting dyed in the reddish tinge of sunset.

The cemetery is located on a hill, so we could see the view of the city just before it changed from day to evening. Seeing such a scene, I couldn't help but stop in the middle of the stairs from the cemetery and take in the view.

I've been to this cemetery countless times before…… but I never thought that the scenery here would be so beautiful. No, I wasn't able to notice it.

Just by having a different mindset, the scenery that I was used to seeing looks different. I feel like being able to notice it…… was something I consider really fortunate.

Thereupon, at that moment, Illness-san suddenly let go of my hand, and before I could turn around, she walked up the stairs again.

[Illness-san?]

[Speaking of whiiiiich~~ There's something impooooooortant I forgot to tell Kaito-samaaaa.]

[Something important?]

As she moved to a position directly in front of me, Illness-san nodded her head. The difference in height between Illness-san and me is almost 50 cm, so even after she went up the stairs, she was still looking up at me.

[Didn't Kaito-samaaaa ask me earlier if I like roseeeees?]

[Eh? Ah, yes. I did ask you that.]

[I do like roseeeees. Especially red roseeeees…… Did you knooooow? Roses have different words depending on their coloooooor, and red roses, in particulaaaaaar, have different meanings depending on the number of roses you give to someoneeeee.]

[So that's how it is. I didn't know that.]

Talking about the conversation we had at the flower shop before coming here, Illness-san gently held out her hand towards me…… and saying ”Excuse me”, she unwrapped the scarf off my neck.

Slowly showing me the three red roses embroidered on the scarf's lining, she calmly explained.

[One rose means ”love at first siiiiiight”. Two roses means that ”there's only you two people in their wooooorld”. When you give them to someoneeeeee, depending on the number of pieceeeees, the meanings would chaaaaaange.]

[I see…… Err, then, what about three roses?]

The first thing that came to mind when I heard Illness-san's explanation was what giving three roses mean in the flower language. This is because many of the gifts I have received from Illness-san have had three roses embroidered on them……

When I asked her about it, she gently smiled and her eyes clearly focusing on me, she spoke.

[When you give three red roseeeees, in the flower languaaaaaage……]

[Eh? Ahh……]

[……Hnnn.]

Thereupon, Illness-san lightly pulled on my scarf that she was still holding on. She didn't do it very forcefully, but a gentle enough pull that I could resist if I wanted to……

Led by the sensation of being pulled downward and slightly bent over, Illness-san reached closer almost at the same time.

Then, as if drawn together, my lips and Illness-san's overlapped.

The first thing I felt was the amazing softness of her lips and the faint warmth of her body, and the next thing I felt was the strangely sweet taste…… and great affection.

In an instant, my head became numb and I couldn't think of anything else. Our kiss continued gently, but deeply.

I don't know how long we had been kissing, but when Illness-san slowly pulled her face away, I thought I could see the silver thread connecting our lips, as if to hold dear upon the last vestige of our connection, illuminated by the setting sun.

As my head gradually regained its composure with a faint feeling of loneliness, wishing that I could have tasted more of that happiness, Illness-san told me with a dazzling smile.

[……”I love you.”]

It was the meaning held by three roses in the flower language, and at the same time, they were words filled with the feelings that my reserved girlfriend was conveying to me in a roundabout way.

The expression on Illness-san's face, illuminated by the reddish hue of the setting sun…… among the expressions I had seen after being together with her, I think this was the most beautiful I've ever seen.

[……Illness-san, do you mind if I ask something?]

[Yeeees?]

[Why did you say earlier that the flower shop doesn't have enough? I think they had more than three red roses though……]

Hearing my words, with a heartfelt smile on her face, Illness-san responded.

[Until Kaito-sama and I became loveeeeers, three roses would have been enouuuuugh…… but nooooow, I feel like I want to give Kaito-sama ”101 roses”, so they didn't have enough.]

[……101 huh…… What does that mean in the flower language?]

[……”I couldn't love you mooooore”.]

[I see…… In that case, I'd like to give Illness-san 101 roses too.]

[Kuhihi, in that case, shall we exchange roses someday?]

[That sounds great, let's do that.]

When I saw Illness-san looking straight at me and smiling adorably, I felt as if we were sharing happiness with each other…… and I felt like I understood why she asked me to come here, and the feeling of ”wanting to see the same scenery”.

That's why, it might have been inevitable.

After the both of us chuckled…… I bent down again, and Illness-san reached closer once more……

<Afterword>

【The scheduled released date and cover of the Light Novel Volume 9 are now available in the Activity Report】

Serious-senpai : [Uwaaaaaaaahhhhhh!? Gyaaaaaaaahhhhh!?!?]

? ? ? : [……Since the swimsuit chapters would lead into a sweet development, you let your guard down, thinking that there should still be a few more gag developments. After giving Senpai the carrot of making her appear in the Main Story…… A surprise sweetness attack brought an extremely high sugar wave…… Ahh, I can feel Author-san's passionate will to coat Senpai in sugar no matter what.]

Serious-senpai : [No one asked for this! This is too muuuuuuuch!!! Of all the things, you hit me with a full-on heroine power!? What the heck did I do to you!?]