I am the emotional sustenance of your deceased

　"I... I hate myself so much. I don't feel this way about anyone else, but I don't want anyone else to get their hands on you... Now I can't hold it in anymore, Xiaosui."

　"Even if it's Chihaya Aine like this, would you still like her? Even if it's such a selfish Chihaya Aine, an imperfect Chihaya Aine... a Chihaya Aine whose motives are not really very bright, a Chihaya Aine who is arrogant and disgusting... would you like her?"

　After saying that, Aine closed her eyes.

　But soon Qiansui's words startled her and made her open her eyes again.

　"I will choose you as firmly as you chose me, Aine."

　The girl's whisper was not loud at all, but Chihaya Aine could hear every word clearly.

　Those worries, those worries about reality were finally suppressed at this moment.

　"Even if my feelings for you...maybe not actually love?"

　"Just like I told you this day... Even if I'm such a burden, you won't leave me, right? You gave me a positive answer, so my answer to your question now is very clear..."

　The tears in Aine's eyes wet the pillowcase, and she was waiting for an answer.

　And Noshiro Chitose quickly gave the answer she expected.

　"Yes, Aine, even if you just want to possess me... I don't care. I like you, and I want to be with you forever... You don't know whether your feelings for me are like or love, but I know. I love you, even though I'm only fourteen... You can laugh at me for being childish, but I really like you. I love you."

　"I…"

　What is liking? What is love?

　Aiyin was not clear about these concepts at first, after all, she had little experience and had not yet entered society. But now she understands.

　[The feeling in Chitose Noshiro's eyes is love.]

　Then I...Chihaya Aine, do I have this love in my eyes?

　In the reflection of Chitose’s pupils, Aine got the answer.

　"I like you, and I love you... Now I'm sure, old man."

　"If possible, please let me take you to the ends of the earth. I can't guarantee that our "elopement" will last forever... but I swear!"

　The determination in her eyes was unstoppable. For the first time, Aiyin realized that she could declare so seriously.

　誓。

　Her oath at this moment was a thousand times more serious than on the day of the student union election.

　"I swear I will protect you. I will definitely be able to... lead you out of the shadow of the past!"

　"Please look at me carefully! Please look at me, my...favorite year..."

　Ch297. At sunrise, Noshiro Chitose said to her...

　The girl told me that she wanted to protect me and take me away from the haze that I would think of every time I dreamed.

　If you ask me, she's quite the egomaniac.

　But she said she likes me.

　She likes me, who is covered in wounds and full of lies, who has hidden my past from her for a long time and who gets angry with her and blames her.

　Hi, Chitose Noshiro, let me tell you... Have you ever thought about the possibility that this girl might be cheating on you?

　After all, there are not many truths in this world.

　How can you be sure that she is not just pretending to be nice and telling you empty lies?

　You! How do we know that you! Haven’t fallen victim to the other party’s honeypot trap?

　【No…I know.】

　I have absolute faith that Chihaya Aine will not deceive me.

　As for the reason...

　I looked into her eyes, and instantly understood her feelings.

　Shortly after Chitose discovered that Aine's pillowcase was wet from crying, she also discovered that her pillowcase was wet.

　I hate this feeling. It's like being thrown into the water and not being a floating mammal.

　However, the feeling of happiness diluted the disgust.

　Very lucky.

　"I really like this kind of two-way running. Such a... absolutely meaningful life experience is something I can actually have on behalf of Chitose."

　"I like you too, I love you too...Xiao Ai."

　"Please, continue to let me rely on you."

　"I find that I really can't leave you."

　Even if it's an escape filled with instability and invisible fog, please give me... give "Chitose Noshiro" the best experience.

　Please don't make me regret any of my choices, love. Of course, I won't make you regret it either.

　……

　【I won't let you regret it, I swear.】

　They chatted about the past and the future in whispers, the sound of chatter rising and falling but somehow stopped as they hugged each other.

　When Aine's eyelashes trembled and she opened her eyes in confusion, it was already the next morning.

　"Today...is the first day after our elopement, and also the first day I leave home."

　It’s so cold. The mornings in the northern region are different from those in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

　As usual, Aiyin asked for double leave from her teacher, and since her credit was not overdrawn, the teacher believed it.

　She also greeted her parents good morning, which temporarily stabilized the situation there.

　"Things are moving in the right direction!"

　That’s great, that’s great.

　One day longer is better than being discovered, one day longer is better.

　Waking up in the morning is the time when a person's mind is the clearest in the day. Chihaya Aine half-sat on the bed, thinking about everything that had happened.

　She had a quarrel with the girl she liked one afternoon, and then she kissed him and eloped.

　That's the thing... What the hell!

　"How did things turn out like this! I was so embarrassed yesterday. I shouldn't have said those things!"

　Her focus was not on the elopement trip, which seemed unrealistic, but on sharing her feelings with each other late at night.

　"Ahhh! What did I say... It must be what Sui Sui said at noon yesterday that irritated me... It definitely did! It made me become... weird."

　Chitose Noshiro, you are truly guilty of a heinous crime, letting her, the student council president, accompany you in your mischief!

　You know, this is your honor! This is something many people would never have the chance to do!

　"Humph."

　When Aine thought about the scene yesterday when Chitose looked into her tearful eyes again, she felt sweetness overflowing in her heart.

　【very nice!】

　I also found... the legendary lover? Is it really a lover? Even though we haven't said anything, it feels like it!

　"Sui Sui, Sui Sui, please stop sleeping. You're just like Piglet."

　Aine first checked on Chitose's wounds, and touched those places that should have healed but were now broken again with heartache. Her heart was filled with bitterness.

　Really annoying.

　It was clearly a girl that she was reluctant to even touch, so why could someone else just go up and hit her?

　Really annoying.

　After carefully checking the wound, she carefully poked Qiansui's pretty face.

　"Pig, Pig, I like you, why don't you talk? Why do you sleep like a pig?"

　I can't even hear my first little confession in the morning.

　"Look at you, how can you be so cute and still say you're ugly? Really... And how come you're so well developed? I'm so envious... But now you're mine, right?"

　Doesn’t that mean... that I, Chihaya Aine, have fully grown!

　"You said you didn't have anything to confess or anything like that, and you didn't even tell me last night. You're so mean. You can't be expecting me to bring it up, right?"

　If they were dating, wouldn’t it be just like in the TV dramas?

　Holding hands and kissing each other every day, having a sweet and sour life?

　"So, what is our relationship now?

　clear."

　Chihaya Aine now understood the bitter feeling of ambiguity.

　She couldn't even empathize with herself for not explaining herself clearly in front of Sui yesterday.

　Is this considered being hit in the face by a boomerang?

　"What relationship... Of course..."

　Qiansui suddenly opened his eyes, and his red pupils with gold in them were particularly captivating today.

　She held Aine's hand and pressed her tightly into her arms.

　"Hey, Xiao Ai, come date me. It's all your fault that I have friends and relationships. I was thinking I'd probably end up somewhere in a few years... You ruined my plan to die alone. How do you want to compensate me?"

　“Huh? I know what you mean, it’s just too early… But if you want…” Aine didn’t dare to look directly into Chitose’s eyes, “It’s not impossible to give it a try, okay?”

　"Yeah! Please take care of me, love."

　"Please take care of me, Sui."

　The girls fell into a brief silence, but this silence was not awkward but rather warm.

　At the very end, Chitose Noshiro, who was not yet fully awake, mumbled incoherently.

　"It feels like this is all a dream. Chihaya Aine, after living this miserable life with me, let's go to the underworld together."

　"Uh-huh!"

　Anyway, we have come this far, so it doesn’t matter if we do anything more.

　Chihaya Aine's gaze was fixed on the sun outside the window.

　It has just risen, symbolizing that everything is full of hope.

　[But, this journey of Xiao Sui and I...]

　When...will it be destroyed? And in what form will it be destroyed?

　I always feel that the beauty of the sunrise is a little pale.

　[Yes! Who cares!]

　The sun is not cold, and the warmth is on my body.

　Just live one day at a time.

　That's the way it is.

　-

　Ch298. Like a dream, a bubble about to burst

　The ticket was soaked with tears.

　"What bad luck."

　When did it escape from under the pillow? Was it wet last night or this morning?

　Noshiro Chitose didn't know.

　On the way to their destination, she leaned against the window, holding the ticket in her hand and looking at the sun.

　"It's almost here! I've been here before and I know some of the places have delicious food."

　"Ohhh... is it coming? It's really dazzling."

　"A blur?"