Chapter 45
August, filled with trips back home, travel, and all sorts of events, came to an end, and September arrived.
The scorching days still lingered, making it impossible to turn off the air conditioning, but the season was gradually shifting toward autumn. The long university summer break had already passed its halfway point, and the end was now in sight.
This year’s summer vacation had been the most enjoyable of my life so far, so I couldn’t help feeling a little reluctant to let it go. But autumn had its own pleasures, and the thought of experiencing them with Yuu made me look forward to it.
Autumn—the season for appetite, sports, and the arts. There were so many things to enjoy.
For example, what I was watching right now would probably count as one of autumn’s delights.
"You came… for me…?"
"Sorry for making you wait…"
Movie-watching. If I had to categorize it, this would fall under "the art of autumn," I suppose.
I didn’t just enjoy watching movies in theaters—I also liked renting DVDs and watching them at home on the TV. Especially because I could relax and take my time with them.
"Will you stay with me… from now on…?"
"…Yeah."
Onscreen, the story was reaching its climax. The male protagonist and the heroine stood close together—a touching scene where the woman, after years of unspoken feelings, finally confessed, and the man embraced her in acceptance.
Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Yuu sitting beside me. Her expression was serious, completely focused on the screen. Tears welled in her eyes, and she clutched a handkerchief tightly in her hand—she must have been deeply moved by the film.
This movie had gotten great reviews beforehand, and now that I was watching it, I could see why. It was no surprise Yuu was crying.
"……"
…But unfortunately, I couldn’t focus on the movie at all.
No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the story, my attention kept drifting. There was something else that had completely captured my thoughts.
"…Hah."
Letting out a quiet sigh, I stole another glance at the person next to me. Just like before, Yuu was sitting right beside me. The tears had finally spilled over, and she was pressing the handkerchief to her face.
…The thing that had me so distracted was none other than Yuu herself.
Sitting side by side to watch a movie wasn’t unusual. Over the past four months, Yuu and I had spent countless evenings like this—watching TV or reading books after dinner.
We’d watched movies together plenty of times before, so that wasn’t anything to dwell on. Romance films like this weren’t usually my thing, but even that wasn’t the issue.
…The problem was the distance.
…She was too close. Way closer than usual.
I’d noticed it ever since we started the movie—today, Yuu was sitting much nearer to me than she usually did.
The gap between our legs was barely the width of a fist. If I shifted even slightly, our shoulders might brush. Every time she moved, her scent reached me, making it even harder to stay calm.
…What was going on?
To be honest, this wasn’t the first time Yuu had sat this close to me. Tonight was the closest, but even over the past few days, she’d been sitting nearer than usual when we read together.
…Come to think of it, maybe it started after that trip. Looking back, it felt like she’d been gradually inching closer ever since then.
"……"
I peeked at Yuu again. This time, she seemed to notice my gaze and turned toward me.
Her reddened eyes met mine. Her cheeks were flushed, too—probably from crying.
For a moment, Yuu stared at me blankly.
…Then, shyly, she smiled—a small, restrained smile.
"…!"
Suddenly, my heart lurched.
I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t bear to look at her face anymore. I hurriedly turned forward again, but my heart kept pounding loudly in my chest.
…What was this? I really didn’t understand.
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