Chapter 30: Summer Event <Bewitching> / The Opening of Tierra in a Yukata

After the barbecue, we spent our time playing around and doing all sorts of things.

Come to think of it, things got pretty hectic when Pahal-san brought out some sunscreen passed down among the elves. "I hear it's popular to have a man apply this for you. So, Kizuna, I'd like you to do it," she said, but there was no way I could do something that embarrassing.

Still, if that was normal among elves, maybe I should go along with it... I was in the middle of worrying over that when, for some reason, Piska suddenly barged in. She started insisting that I should apply it to her instead. Maybe it really was quite the popular trend, and I was just unaware of it.

In the end, Rene thought it looked fun, stole the sunscreen, and proceeded to smear it all over the two of them. ...While tickling them all over.

...Watching that scene made me feel like things were about to get seriously problematic, so I left the area together with Nanashi and Padron, and the three of us had a swimming race. I got completely crushed, though.

Nanashi came in first, Padron second, and I was third. Ninjas were amazing.

What about Liz-san? She was relaxing on one of those distinctive chairs by the lakeside... the kind called a beach chair. She was wearing pitch-black sunglasses and drinking some kind of fruit juice. If she was enjoying herself, I suppose that's all that mattered, but... was that really fun?

Fun times pass quickly, and before I knew it, the surroundings had grown dark.

By the way, dinner was "Summer Vegetable Keema Curry." According to Tierra-san, "It may not exactly be camping... but curry is still a must." It felt different from our usual meals, but it was incredibly delicious.

As usual, Padron had some strange reaction after eating it.

And then, after dinner, Tierra-san called me out, so I was heading to the place she had designated.

She told me to come alone, but... was there something that important she wanted to talk about?

Ah, but still. I wish she'd stop whispering right next to my ear. She's so close, she smells really nice, and I can feel her breathing... My heart starts pounding like crazy. It's bad for my health.

Tierra-san has a really strange sense of personal space, so I wish she'd be careful. I don't want her getting that close to just anyone.

Ah, no! It's not like I want her to only do it with me or anything! It's not some kind of possessive feeling! Probably! Definitely! I'm just worried about her as a companion, that's all!

...Who exactly am I trying to justify myself to?

Lost in these pointless thoughts as I walked, I eventually arrived at my destination.

And then—

"Kizuna... Is that you? It's a beautiful night."

I was at a loss for words.

The woman quietly turned around when she noticed me.

I couldn't find the words to describe her beautiful figure standing there.

"This is called a 'yukata.' It's cool and perfect for summer."

That's right. Her outfit had changed from what she had been wearing during the day.

It was black clothing. The same color as the black robes she always wore. Yet it was clearly different from her usual attire.

This was clothing meant to "captivate."

Under the moonlight, the black fabric accentuated the beauty of the white skin visible from her collar and sleeves.

There was only one accent: a deep, serene lapis-lazuli-blue obi wrapped around her slender waist. There were no other flashy decorations whatsoever.

But that was precisely why. Her pale young-grass-green hair and blue eyes stood out all the more. Her natural beauty was brought into sharper relief.

Her tied-up hair exposed the nape of her neck, which looked alluring beneath the moonlit sky.

"Mmm. When a girl wears something different from usual, you're supposed to tell her what you think, you know? ...Or does it not suit me?"

"N-no... It's not that it doesn't suit you... It's just, um, well..."

That's not it. That's not what I mean.

I just didn't know what to say. No matter what words I chose, I didn't think I'd be able to convey it properly.

Any description I could come up with would only diminish what I was seeing. All those familiar, clichéd words I knew were utterly powerless.

"Hehe. I'll let you off the hook because of how red your face is."

"U-um... Oh, right! Didn't you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"

If I stayed alone with her like this any longer, I felt like something inside me was going to break.

So I forcibly changed the subject.

Maybe it seemed strange to her, but right now, I wanted to prioritize my heart. It was pounding way too hard, and I was genuinely worried about it.

"I don't have anything in particular to discuss. ...Did you know? Clothes like this are at their most beautiful immediately after you put them on."

"What does that... mean?"

What connection could there possibly be between being at one's most beautiful and the situation right now?

...No. I didn't get it.

"You're rather dense... Well, it doesn't matter. This is something like a lingering attachment, after all."

"A lingering attachment?"

With a graceful turn, Tierra-san turned her back to me and murmured those words.

There was an indescribable sadness... something like that... lingering in her voice.

She had only turned her back to me. The distance between us hadn't changed at all.

And yet, it felt as though she had gone very, very far away. It felt like an illusion.

She was always like this.

She seemed close, yet I could never reach her.

Like a star shining in the night sky.

"Summer is certainly a fun season, but I also think it's a season that makes people carry an indescribable sadness."

Even I, who had no memories, could understand that.

Even today, watching the sun set had left me with a strange feeling of loneliness, something almost melancholy.

The more enjoyable the moment, the faster it seems to end. It was as though I was being reminded that everything, without exception, would eventually come to an end.

"That's the kind of season it is. So, following an old custom, I thought I'd hold a memorial for my... for the dead feelings dwelling within me."

"Dead feelings? A memorial?"

"Everything is fabricated. Fake. Feelings that have no meaning because they can never come true. Wouldn't it be appropriate to describe such emotions as dead? That's all there is to it."

There it was again.

Every now and then, she would push us away like this.

She answered, yet somehow didn't answer at all. From the very beginning, she had no intention of letting us understand.

It was an unspoken warning.

Don't come any closer.

But that—

I didn't like it. I didn't want to accept it.

"That's not true."

"Kizuna-kun...?"

I forcibly grabbed her hand, and she turned around in surprise.

"I don't know what happened in your past, Tierra-san. ...Though I suppose it's more accurate to say I don't remember. But there's one thing I can say."

When we'd first met, I had let things slide because I thought it was her choice.

But not anymore.

If I just left her like this, I'd regret it.

So—

"The Tierra-san who's here right now is real. She's not fake."

If she described herself as fake, then perhaps there really was a "real" one somewhere.

But—

"The Tierra-san who's talking to me, the Tierra-san who makes delicious food for us, the Tierra-san who supports everyone... they're all one and the same person standing right here in front of me. To me, and to all of us, the real one is the person who's here. I don't know anything about anyone else."

That was one truth I would never waver on.

Maybe I was completely missing the point. Maybe I had misunderstood everything.

As for anything deeper than this, all I could do was wait for her to tell me about her circumstances herself.

Even so, I had to tell her this much. I wanted to tell her.

"...I see. You, of all people, are saying that. ...Thank you, Kizuna-kun."

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Then she smiled, like a flower bud slowly beginning to bloom.