Vol. 2 Chapter 35 – Proposal

The next Sunday, early morning.

“Ahhh… Gotta hurry, gotta hurry~…” (Hikaru)

Hikaru bustled back and forth inside the not-so-spacious room.

“You don’t have to rush so much, your mom probably isn’t here to pick you up yet, right?” (Reiya)

“But if I’m late, she might say I can’t stay out next week…” (Hikaru)

She said this while getting ready to leave, toast in one hand.

It seemed Hikaru had made several agreements with her mother in exchange for permission to stay out almost every week.

I didn’t know the specifics, but I was sure one clause involved dedicating herself seriously to tennis practice except when she was spending time at my place.

“Well then, should I go out and say a quick hello when she arrives, just to be polite?” (Reiya)

“…That’s not necessary!” (Hikaru)

“No, but… still, it’s probably best to handle those formalities properly—” (Reiya)

“It’s fine!! I already told her about you before, so it’s okay!!” (Hikaru)

She stopped eating her breakfast and shot me down with a forceful tone.

Apparently, she really didn’t want her mother drilling any more ideas into my head.

And so, the morning preparations ended, and the time for our weekly, brief farewell arrived.

“Okay, I’m heading out! I’ll message you again when I’m done!” (Hikaru)

“Yeah, see you later. Be careful.” (Reiya)

I went to see Hikaru off at the entrance, where she stood holding her large racquet bag—

“…What’s wrong?” (Reiya)

She just kept looking at my face, her expression tinged with reluctance to leave.

“The car’s probably already here, shouldn’t you hurry or you’ll be in trouble?” (Reiya)

“Yeah, that’s true, but…” (Hikaru)

Despite her words, she showed no sign of leaving, continuing to stare intently at me as if telling me to figure something out.

“But…?” (Reiya)

“I was wondering if there’s no goodbye kiss…” (Hikaru)

Perhaps sensing my utter cluelessness, she stated her request outright, albeit slightly embarrassed.

“Didn’t we do that earlier, after brushing our teeth…?” (Reiya)

“That was the ‘good morning’ kiss. The ‘goodbye’ kiss is separate.” (Hikaru)

“…Alright then, just one last time.” (Reiya)

I took a step forward and placed my hands on Hikaru’s shoulders.

Closing my eyes, I lightly pressed my lips against hers as she stood slightly on tiptoe.

We had repeated this act, which had made me so nervous at first, so many times now that it felt natural.

But even though I’d gotten used to the act itself, each time brought a fresh sense of elation, and each time we parted, an insatiable feeling of longing lingered.

“Ehehe… Doesn’t this kind of feel like we’re newlyweds?” (Hikaru)

The words I had only thought to myself slipped out of her mouth so easily, making my face flush with heat.

“…Is your energy fully recharged now?” (Reiya)

“Yep! 100%!” (Hikaru)

“Alright then, this time for real, see you later.” (Reiya)

I said this, intending to see her off as she finally made to leave the room—

“Actually, can we do it one more time…? Maybe up to about 300%.” (Hikaru)

She turned back and pleaded in a sweet voice.

In the end, we repeated it five times before the message urging her to hurry arrived from Hikaru’s mother.

If, someday in the future, we ended up living together, would every day be like this?

Returning to my room, still savoring the sweetness lingering on my lips, I sat down in my chair and noticed a message had arrived on my own phone too.

“Ah, it’s from Taiju-san…” (Reiya)

The sender was her brother, whom I hadn’t heard from in a while.

Only then did I recall the memory that had been pushed aside by final exams.

I’d forgotten since there had been no word for some time, but several weeks had already passed since I sent that.

Having asked for his professional opinion, I had braced myself for a harsh reaction, but being kept waiting this long had sent my tension skyrocketing past its peak.

Still, knowing I had to check, I steeled myself and opened the message—

Can you come over to my place now? (Taiju)

That was all it said, short and to the point.

＊＊＊＊＊

‘It’s a surprisingly normal apartment building…’ (Reiya)

I muttered to myself as I looked up at the building I’d arrived at using the map Taiju-san had sent.

It was a five-story building with bicycle parking on the ground floor.

Perhaps many university students lived here; people around his age were coming and going from the entrance.

Judging by the spacing of the balconies visible from outside, it seemed to be composed of studio apartments aimed at students.

Given his personality, I’d expected him to live somewhere more unusual, but it seemed my prejudice had gone too far.

It didn’t look like it had an auto-lock system, so I went straight through the entrance and climbed the stairs.

Reaching the corner room on the second floor, I confirmed it matched the specified room number and pressed the intercom button.

Immediately after the light chime faintly echoed from beyond the door, a sound like things being pushed aside approached from within.

“Oh… Glad you could make it.” (Taiju)

Taiju-san opened the door and greeted me.

Perhaps he’d just woken up; his hair was messy, and his eyes looked a bit vacant.

Still, the fact that he was leagues more handsome than me felt unfair.

“Hello, it’s been a while.” (Reiya)

“Yeah, long time no see. Well, no point standing around talking here, let’s talk inside.” (Taiju)

“O-Okay… Excuse me…” (Reiya)

Should I say it was expected, or perhaps more than expected…?

The room I stepped into was overflowing with stuff.

First, several full garbage bags were left abandoned in the entryway, and the kitchen showed absolutely no signs of use.

Instead, boxes of unopened instant noodles, water, and energy drinks were stacked high.

My own living situation wasn’t exactly something to brag about, but I had to admit this was terrible.

Ichiru-san, with her love for cleanliness, would probably faint if she saw this.

Feeling like I was heading deeper into a demon’s realm, I stepped further into the room, and a different sight jumped out at me.

A bank of monitors, three wide, arranged in two tiers like those of a seasoned stock trader.

The computer outputting to them looked intimidatingly powerful, its performance obvious even at a glance.

Other expensive-looking creator-type devices like a graphics tablet and a synthesizer were also set up.

The computer Hikaru had bought was amazing, but this setup looked like it cost several times more.

“Wow, this room is really something…” (Reiya)

I expressed the multitude of feelings packed into that impression with the fewest possible words.

“I tried to be selective about what I brought from home, but… Anyway, that’s not why I asked you here.” (Taiju)

Taiju-san walked over, avoiding the numerous books scattered at his feet, and sat down in his chair.

“The reason I asked you here today is none other than… that thing you showed me before.” (Taiju)

“‘That thing’… you mean… that?” (Reiya)

“Yeah, the thing you asked me to look at as a pro. Sorry it took so long. Took some time getting various things ready.” (Taiju)

“That’s fine, but… how was it? I wanted your unreserved opinion, so I’m prepared for whatever you have to say, but…” (Reiya)

Even as I said it, I was already trembling with fear.

Being summoned all the way to his house like this…

Maybe it was so bad he had to lecture me face-to-face.

“Hmm… Well, there’s a lot I want to say, but… For now, it’s probably faster if you just look at this.” (Taiju)

Taiju-san operated his mouse, and something appeared on the central screen.

Images flowed one after another in a slideshow format.

Concept art like image boards, character design sheets showing three views.

I should have been seeing them for the first time, yet the world depicted felt very familiar.

“Eh? Th-This is…” (Reiya)

“Reiya. Are you prepared to dedicate your summer vacation?” (Taiju)

He asked, staring intently at my face as if confirming my resolve.

Perhaps due to lack of sleep, dark circles stood out under his eyes.

But I also thought it was the most serious expression I had ever seen on Taiju-san’s face.

“Dedicate my summer vacation… Um… I’m still a bit confused, I don’t quite grasp the meaning or the situation…” (Reiya)

Why had that thing I was making turned into something that looked like it was made by a professional?

As I reeled in confusion from the completely incomprehensible situation, Taiju-san pressed further.

“So, to put it simply… The plan is for our studio to finish this game you made as a commercial product.” (Taiju)