Chapter 116: Farewell Waltz and Only for this moment (1/2)

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Suddenly…

*Pah!*

A small light ball suddenly was shot into the sky, and the garden was illuminated.

“Found you!”

A voice my ear is used to hearing came from far in the party venue, and the owner of that voice was walking rapidly here.

“Hikaru! Why did you leave?! I was searching for you, you know?!” (Rifreya)

“Rifreya…” (Hikaru)

That was unexpected.

I even thought that we wouldn’t be seeing each other today.

“Eh…Hikaru…? Were you crying?” (Rifreya)

Rifreya closes her face on me. I moved my face away because I didn’t want to be looked at.

“Haha, no way. I was simply getting some night wind.” (Hikaru)

“But…you are making a terrible face.” (Rifreya)

“Might be because I drank a bit too much.” (Hikaru)

I couldn’t even see the face of Rifreya and just gave a halfhearted answer.

“Hikaru…that’s no good… Even I have been holding it back, you know…” (Rifreya)

“What…?” (Hikaru)

“Even though I had already decided to smile till the end…to separate with a smile…” (Rifreya)

Rifreya hung her head down and her shoulders shook.

I didn’t even think for one second that she was thinking like that, so I didn’t know what to do here.

In the garden where the curtains of the night had fallen, only the sobbing of Rifreya silently rang.

“Hikaru… I will be leaving tomorrow…” (Rifreya)

Those words squeezed my heart.

Even though I already knew that’s what would happen.

Even though that’s what I wished for.

“I decided at the time when you were unconscious. If your decision didn’t change even when you woke up…I would be leaving before my own resolve wavered. If I didn’t…I won’t be able to leave you anymore after all.” (Rifreya)

“I see…” (Hikaru)

Rifreya hasn’t spoken about this since the time I woke up today, so I didn’t do it either.

Our relationship had ended at the stairs to the 4th Floor when we were waiting for the Demon Lord.

I rejected her and she cried.

And at the moment she used Photon Ray, it was cemented.

Rifreya placed her forehead onto my chest while I was stock still.

I felt the uncomfortable feeling of the several millions of viewers watching me even in a moment like this, and I hated myself for being bothered by that.

Even though I want to face her properly at least at our last moments.

“…The race where you were competing against others for the number of viewers that you told me about before, what happened with that?” (Rifreya)

An hesitant question while still looking down.

“I couldn’t do it. I was doing well, but there’s always a better one out there.” (Hikaru)

“…I see… Then, the matter of reviving your childhood friend…” (Rifreya)

“Yeah…it is a shame.” (Hikaru)

I thought that putting each word out there didn’t bring about anything good, but that wasn’t the case.

It was good.

“But I think it is good that you can now use Photon Ray, Rifreya. I can feel as if I have repaid my debt with you a bit for accompanying me in my exploration…” (Hikaru)

“I didn’t want to learn Photon Ray.” (Rifreya)

“Rifreya…” (Hikaru)

“I…! I didn’t want to leave you, Hikaru!” (Rifreya)

Rifreya says this as if she was spitting out what was accumulated inside of her, and she grabs my wrist while still looking down.

“All this time…All this time, I thought that I would be fine with living as an explorer forever if possible, and there’s no need to go back to my home anymore… I am horrible, aren’t I? I…am only thinking about myself. And even now, even though my little sister is suffering from a disease, I am finding the person I love…and am getting all riled up about myself…” (Rifreya)

I don’t know how big her dream of becoming a templar is.

However, her feelings of wanting to stay with me even if she had to kick that away are most likely not a lie.

Even me, if I weren’t an otherworlder but a native of this world…no, if I had just been an individual that had been coincidentally thrown into this world, I would have most likely chosen to be together with Rifreya.

But……it simply isn’t the case.

“Rifreya, I am a terrible man for saying this, but…I loved you. I don’t know how many times you have saved me, having come to this world I knew nothing about. You saved not only my life, but also my heart. That’s why…thank you.” (Hikaru)

The words I planned on not saying…I told them to her.

I couldn’t not tell her. That was my last sign of sincerity towards her.