Chapter 999 - Nier love near Spring
"──────────...Hah... haah..."
This must be what they mean by a voice that isn't a voice. As I confessed one of the feelings I'd kept secret for who knows how long, Nia blinked her aquamarine eyes at me.
It wasn't that the tension had faded; she was simply dumbfounded.
Her expression screamed, 'What the hell is this guy suddenly saying?'
...Give me a break. I told you I can't say it over and over again.
"You're... my first... love."
"............You're... my-first-love...?"
"Could you not say it like it's a brand of musical instruments?"
My face was flushed for no one's benefit, my cheeks burning. Fortunately, it seemed I hadn't yet reached the point where I'd need Arcadia's trademark over-the-top emotional expression effects, but still.
It was a wonder that no unknown debuff icon had lit up on my status UI. I could feel my virtual body's temperature rising on its own.
Then, after a few seconds of silence, as if asking me to forgive her for the third instant repeat,
"...Huh, eh............────"
Nia... what kind of emotion was this, I wonder. She wasn't blushing, nor was she flustered. It was as if she'd reached the peak of confusion, circled all the way back around, and settled into a state of calm.
"────Huh?"
"...Phah...!"
Her genuinely bewildered voice, which must have come from the bottom of her heart, struck the scene with an overwhelming contrast. I, who had no room for composure myself, couldn't stop a strange laugh from escaping.
And Nia...──── just looked at me as if she were seeing something bizarre.
"Wh-Why (...)?"
"'Why,' you ask?"
"No, but why...!?"
"It's not about 'why,' you know."
This was either just like her or exactly as I expected. When it came to her self-esteem, whether it was high or low, she was as elusive as ever.
Well, then again──── I had a feeling this is how it would be.
"Nia."
"Y-Yeh... yes."
And... I can only say this now because it's now.
"Somewhere in your heart, you thought you were going to be rejected, didn't you?"
"──────............Huh?"
When I voiced my speculation without a shred of doubt, Nia once again stared at me with a dumbfounded expression. One by one, bewilderment, agitation, surprise, and questions filled her eyes... well, that was also as expected.
Somewhere in her heart.
In other words, she probably wasn't even aware of it herself.
Separate from her level of confidence, she hadn't noticed the vague, drifting anxieties and assumptions────unless I'm mistaken, that's what I think.
"...At the very least, you were thinking this, weren't you?"
And on this point, I don't doubt my own eyes.
"Wh-What────"
I don't doubt the eyes of a boy who's been captivated by his first love all this time.
"────That it was ordinary."
"...Huh, eh............"
"That you alone, weren't... what is it? Fated, or dramatic, or something like that? You thought, 'Nah, nothing like that, it's just ordinary.' You've been thinking that the whole time, haven't you?"
"Uh... umm-..................sooo............"
"You were thinking that, right?"
"...................................................................................................."
And so, the answer came a few seconds later.
Was it because she'd been seen through, or because of what had been seen through? Faintly... finally, so faintly, a charmingly shy crimson blush, so typical of her, colored her cheeks.
"............Yes."
Nia averted her gaze and nodded awkwardly.
...Seriously, this girl. Seriously...
"Well... I get what you're trying to say. My first encounter with Sora was a miracle, and all the adventures that followed were just... something else."
"............That's true."
"And Ashe, well... looking back, all that stuff on that stage was a crazy, wild ride. It sounds weird coming from me, but it was ridiculously dramatic."
"............It was."
"And as for you, Nia-chan..."
"........................"
Alright...──── I'm sorry, but this mysterious, rock-bottom self-esteem of hers is like looking at myself, and it's starting to piss me off. So, I'll tease her a bit, partly to lighten this indescribable mood.
"Introduced by Kagura-san, an artisan and her client?"
"............................................................"
"Is that it?"
"........................................................................................................"
Mmmph────!!! She pursed her lips and fell silent, her gaze still averted.
When Nia gets called out and goes quiet without a decent reaction, it usually means she's been hit right on the mark, can't argue back, and is now sulking.
"............Hah."
Seriously. This girl, seriously...
"You know, Nia-chan."
"...What is it?"
'What is it,' she says. Is that really an appropriate response for a maiden? I thought, laughing again.
"Don't you go forgetting the most important thing of all."
"What is it now...! It's a fact that my meeting wasn't as great────"
"'Love at first sight.'"
Until this very day, this very moment...
I thrust the 'special' feeling at her, one I have never for a single instant forgotten whenever I think of Nia.
"────Tch... ha, eh............ wh-wha... What, what is it?"
"Listen here, Nia-chan. Listen up, girl."
Not fated? Not dramatic? Are you kidding me? Don't be an idiot.
"For a guy, being the subject of a girl's love at first sight is the ultimate fantasy, you know?"
"..........................................Huh???"
Still not getting through to you? Fine, I'll fight you to the bitter end.
"The day of our date."
"Eh, ah, yes...?"
"Ever since you told me you fell for me at first sight and all that, it's been one hell of a ride."
"Wh-What has..."
"Everything. No matter what you did──── whether you did something cute, something cool, something stupid, something idiotic, something clumsy,"
"Hey, wait, is this just a string of insults────"
"────For every! Single! Thing! ────── A filter that went, 'This is the girl who fell for me at first sight!' was slapped over EVERYTHING!!!!"
An outcry of the soul. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it that.
After about half a year of hardship, I finally let it all out.
"Hah.................. Ahh, that's a relief."
"What, huh, ah, p-please don't just find relief all by yourself...?!”
The aquamarine form still buried in the sofa is writhing from my earnest and extremely foolish additional confession. ────For about half a year, I've been suffering and writhing because of the dramatic boost applied to every single one of her words and actions, and now I'm finally sharing a piece of that feeling.
...And so, that's how it is.
"You can treat that however you want, that's up to you."
But for me, that was, without a doubt...
"For me, it doesn't lose to my meeting with Sora, or my meeting with Ashe."
It was a 'fated encounter' that I only learned about later, one that left me completely stunned.
"........................Uu............ uuu, eeehhhheeeehh...?”
And I wonder just what emotion that is. Similar to before, but with a clearly different air, Nia covered her face with both hands and sank into the cushion.
Watching her, I thought for about two seconds what to do, and...
"To be blunt, I was constantly aware of you."
"Tch..."
Smoothly.
"I couldn't help but think everything you did was cute, and I was wondering what the hell I was supposed to do about it."
"Tch...!"
Smoothly.
"The girl who likes me, the girl who fell for me at first sight, the girl whose face and everything else was apparently an unbelievable dead ringer for my type... I was panicking, thinking, 'This is seriously bad.'"
"Tch...!!"
Smoothly, smoothly.
With no need for pretenses, my confession flowed without end.
"And then, you...──── It's frustrating, but you really are an 'older sister.'"
"............Hmm? Huh?"
"Each time, I shot back with a 'Says who?' though."
"..................You were smirking, weren't you...?"
Yeah, I was. All of that was,
"Honestly, one hundred percent just me trying to hide my embarrassment."
"........................"
Her mouth hung open, as if she were at a loss for words. It was amusing to see Nia looking at me as if she had no idea what to say or what kind of face to make.
Ahh, seriously, this girl is always, always so lively, and...
"The gap is just too unfair. ────You're exactly my type, you little..."
At some point, that gentle face she showed when she wrapped me in her warmth...
──── It had become so dear, so longed for, that I couldn't help myself.
"........................Heh, ugh, eh..."
And now, finally, a simple, honest crimson blush filled her cheeks.
"............Y-You..."
"What is it?"
"................You had, like, a type of woman you're into?"
"What are you saying now, after teasing me about the whole long black hair thing?"
Of course I do.
Apparently, I do.
"...You like older women?"
"...Well, yeah. That's right."
"...Gap moe?"
"I guess so, yeah."
"............Do you like being pampered?"
"........................"
She's getting carried away. What should I do with her?
...This is what I'll do.
"...During the last Four Pillar selections."
"Ngh? Ah, yeah..."
"After my crushing defeat to Irori."
"A crushing... defeat, I don't... think it was, though. Based on the archives..."
Shut up, this is what I'll do.
"...────I... was the one... who went to you... for comfort."
"──────Tch!"
I can't. This is the most embarrassing confession I could possibly make. The massive cannonball I fired, intending for us both to go down in flames, found its mark perfectly, and at last, her aquamarine face turned bright red.
And then,
"That was it."
"Eh, huh?"
"That was probably it."
"It..."
This is the end.
"I think that's when... I completely fell for you."
"............"
"It was a little while later when I looked back and realized it. But that's when you dealt the final blow."
".................."
"...And, that's the story."
".................."
"Nia-chan."
"............Ha, hah, hff..."
"Have I made myself... understood?"
"Ha............................................................────"
We couldn't look at each other's faces anymore.
Together, we stared at the floor.
"────............I'm... your first love..."
"...Yes. That's right."
My hand had been holding Nia's all this time, exchanging heat.
A few seconds.
Ten-odd seconds.
A few minutes... or so it felt, though maybe it hadn't been that long.
"............'Wooing' me, you said."
"Hm? Yeah."
Nia let out a heat-tinged whisper,
"..................────Don't try to go for the kill right from the start...!"
"What are you talking about? It's all about hitting them with your maximum firepower first."
Finally.
...Finally, she squeezed my hand back, hard.
"────...I love you."
One.
"────...Tch, I love you."
One more.
"────...I... I...!!"
And another.
"I can't anymore...──── I can't see anyone but you...!"
With her feelings, warmth fell upon our joined hands.
""..................""
When I squeezed, she squeezed back. Our feelings must be connected too.
And so, for a little while longer...
we spent time together.
"────...Give it to me."
With her free left hand, Nia gently released mine.
"Tch...! Give it to me!"
She thrust her freed right hand at me with enough force to slug the fool before her.
"────I'll take everything! Everything you have to give!!!"
With tears scattered and her aquamarine gems cleared, she stared me down and shouted resolutely.
"Even if I can't have everything, I'll take everything I can get from you, you hear me!!"
"...Yeah."
"And I'm not giving you my 'answer' yet! Even if I get tired of you in the future! I'm never, ever giving back the 'special' things you gave me!"
"Okay."
"So, you...────!"
Less like a man she'd fallen for, and more like she was scolding a foolish little brother.
"J-Just keep wooing me with all your might, just like that!"
"............"
"I-Idiot!!!!!"
Well, in that case...
"...Hah, haha............!"
I couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at?! ────Come on, hurry up...!"
"Yeah... Yeah, I know. I got it."
I took her outstretched...──her offered hand.
Palm up, I placed mine on top of hers and set down the bracelet I'd been clutching.
"D-Do your best not to get rejected by your first love────... Haru-kun!"
"...Yeah──── I'll bet my life on it."
Now, once more, for this once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Shall I weave a gift for the one and only, irreplaceable person in the world?
This girl called him by his name for the first time.
She called him by his name for the first time.