part2 · 104-ep104
Episode 104: A Day Off Together
The next morning.
Ren woke early, as usual.
A quiet room. Morning light streamed in through the window.
He got up from the bed and left the room. When he headed for the living room—
"...Morning, Ren."
Mizuki was there.
"...Morning."
Ren returned it.
Until yesterday. This was where the conversation would have ended.
But—
"...Today?"
"Hm?"
"...Work."
Ren asked.
"Today's my day off."
"...Is that so."
"Yeah."
Mizuki smiled.
"There aren't any 《Astra》 requests today either."
"...A day off."
"Right. A day I can take it easy for once."
"...I see."
Ren thought for a moment.
"...What do you do?"
"Huh?"
"...On a day off."
Mizuki was a little surprised. She hadn't expected Ren to ask something like that himself.
"Hmm..."
Mizuki thought.
"On a normal day, I guess I'd go shopping, or relax at home."
"...I see."
"And you, Ren?"
"...I don't know."
"I see."
Mizuki smiled just a little.
"Then—"
She looked at Ren.
"Shall we go out together today?"
"...Go out?"
"Yeah."
"...Where to?"
"I haven't decided in particular."
"...?"
"You don't decide on a destination, you just wander around town."
"...Is that really okay?"
"It's fine, it's fine."
Mizuki stood up.
"It's a day off today, after all."
"...Got it."
◇
After getting ready, the two left the house.
Outside was the usual town. People were walking. Cars were driving. Store signs lined up.
Things that hadn't existed ten years ago. Things that had changed over ten years.
Ren looked at his surroundings as he walked.
"...Lots of people."
"You think so?"
"...Yeah."
"This area's always been pretty crowded."
"...Is that so."
"Yeah."
Mizuki matched Ren's walking pace.
Ren had started looking at his surroundings a little more than before. Before, he had barely turned his eyes to anything other than what he needed.
But now it was different.
Stores. Signs. People. Cars.
Even the most ordinary things entered his eyes, little by little.
"...Oh."
Ren stopped walking.
"Hm?"
Mizuki stopped too.
Where Ren was looking—
there was a game center.
"...Games."
"Ah."
Mizuki smiled.
"It's a game center."
"...I want to go in."
"Huh?"
Mizuki's eyes went round.
"You suggested it, Ren?"
"...Yeah."
"Heheh."
Mizuki smiled happily.
"Of course. Let's go in."
"...Yeah."
◇
The game center.
All sorts of sounds rang out. Big screens. Glowing cabinets. Game sounds.
Ren's eyes widened a little.
"......"
"How is it?"
"...Amazing."
"Want to try?"
"...Yeah."
Mizuki picked a game.
"This one should be easy."
Ren sat in the chair. He looked at the screen.
"......"
The game began.
Enemies appeared. Ren operated. Attack. Dodge. Attack again.
"...Ah."
Mizuki was surprised.
"Ren, aren't you good at this?"
"...You think so?"
"Yeah."
Ren answered without taking his eyes off the screen.
"...It's easy."
"Easy, he says..."
Mizuki gave a wry smile.
The game was cleared in the blink of an eye.
"...It's over."
"It really is over..."
"...One more."
"Just as I thought."
Mizuki smiled.
"Go ahead."
"...Yeah."
Once more. And then again. And then once more.
"Ren."
"...Hm?"
"This is already the third time, you know?"
"...Is it?"
"It is."
"...One more."
"Heheh."
Mizuki laughed.
"Alright."
◇
After a while.
The two left the game center.
"Was it fun?"
"...Yeah."
"Good."
Mizuki looked at Ren walking beside her.
"Where to next?"
"...I don't know."
"Then shall we try a bookstore or something?"
"...Bookstore."
"Yeah. There might be something you're interested in, Ren."
"...Let's go."
The two headed for the bookstore.
◇
The bookstore.
Ren walked slowly through the store. All sorts of books were lined up.
Cooking. Travel. Games. Novels. Manga.
"...There are this many."
"Yeah."
"...What about before?"
"There were before too, but now there are e-books and things."
"...Is that so."
Ren picked up one of the books.
On the cover—
a photo of food.
"...Cooking."
"A cookbook?"
"...Yeah."
"Interested?"
"...A little."
Mizuki smiled.
"Then shall we buy it?"
"...Is that okay?"
"Of course."
"...Then."
Ren took the book.
◇
Noon.
The two ate lunch at a nearby place.
"What do you want to eat?"
"...I'll have the same as you, Mizuki."
"Then let's go with this."
"...Yeah."
The food was brought out.
"Thanks for the food."
"...Thanks for the food."
The two ate together.
While eating, Ren suddenly raised his head.
"...Mizuki."
"Hm?"
"...Yesterday."
"Yeah."
"...Thank you."
Mizuki's movement stopped.
"...Huh?"
"...For listening to me."
"......"
Mizuki narrowed her eyes just slightly.
"Not at all."
And she smiled.
"Same to you—thank you for telling me."
"...Yeah."
Ren brought the food to his mouth.
"...It's delicious."
"Good."
◇
Lunch finished.
The two walked the town again.
No particular destination. Looking at stores. Walking the town. Buying drinks along the way.
Just that.
But—
To Ren, that was fresh.
Ten years. There had been no such time.
There was always a purpose. To survive. To eat. To get stronger. To move forward.
He had always had to be doing something.
But today—
he didn't have to do anything.
Just walk. Look at what he liked. Go to places that caught his interest. Talk with Mizuki.
That was all.
◇
Evening.
The two returned home.
"How was today?"
Mizuki asked. Ren thought for a moment.
"...It was fun."
"I see."
"...Yeah."
After a slight pause.
"...Because I was with you, Mizuki."
"......"
Mizuki's face turned a little red.
"R-really?"
"...Yeah."
Ren truly thought so.
Ten years. He had been alone.
That was exactly why—
he hadn't known that time spent with someone could be so peaceful.
"...I want to go again."
"Yeah."
Mizuki smiled.
"Let's go again, okay?"
"...Yeah."
The two went into the house.
They hadn't done anything special. Just walked the town. Played games. Bought a book. Ate together.
That was all.
But—
For Ren—
it was an ordinary day off, spent with someone for the first time in ten years.