A Goddess under the Sun

The following day, Kousei had to return to school. Naturally, Mahiru couldn’t just tag along with him, but it would also raise suspicions if she stayed at his place. After discussing their options the night before, they decided the best plan would be for her to leave the house with him and then spend the morning somewhere in the city until Kousei finished his classes. They initially planned to meet in front of the café they’d visited the day before, but after Mahiru insisted on experiencing the bustle of a typical school day, they decided to meet near the schoolyard.

It wasn’t the perfect solution, but it was the best they could come up with on such short notice. Before leaving, Kousei handed her some money, just in case she got hungry and wanted to grab lunch.

Mahiru had been walking for a few hours now, the warmth of the sun bathing her in light as she took in the sights nearby. Everything around her felt so full of life – the vibrant green landscapes stretching out before her, the expansive, open places where people could walk freely, as well as the modern residential areas, their fresh designs a stark contrast to everything she had known.

The sights before her felt like an entirely different world, so Mahiru refused to believe only a few kilometres separated this city from her own. When being confronted with the spectacles in front of her, she could only look back at her old life in disgust. Plazas filled with imposing statues of some long-forgotten historical figures, drab apartments that hadn’t seen renovation in decades, and towering, monotonous buildings she had mockingly dubbed “wedding-cake style” in a derisive attempt to make them seem less dreary – she was glad she wouldn’t have to see any of that for a while.

Standing in the marketplace she’d visited with Kousei yesterday, Mahiru started to feel her stomach grumble. Unlike the day before, the plaza was alive with activity. It seemed a farmer’s market was in full swing, the air rich with the scent of fresh products. Stalls were overflowing with vibrant fruits, vegetables, or other local goods she didn’t quite recognise.

Approaching a stall with fresh fruit, she quietly inspected the prices.

Woah, these are way more expensive than back home. Guess quality comes with a price, huh?

Just as she was about to head back with an empty stomach, an elderly woman got closer to her.

“Hello dear, is there anything I can help you with?” she asked Mahiru with a gentle smile.

“Oh, hello. I was just checking out your products. They all look so delicious.”

“Thank you, dear. My husband and I cultivate them on our farm ourselves.”

Hearing that, Mahiru’s thoughts immediately drifted to her grandparents’ farm she used to play on every day as a kid. She even had a favourite sheep, Molly, which she got to pet daily. Realising she would likely never see it again, a sharp pang tugged at her heart, a heavy ache she hadn’t anticipated.

“Dear, would you like to taste something?”

“Huh?”

Mahiru was taken back to reality by the question of the woman.

“I think this is the first time I see you here, isn’t it? You must be new here, so why don’t you take whatever you want as a welcome gift? It’s on the house.”

“N-no, I couldn’t possibly do that. I have some money with me, so I’ll pay for everything.”

“Don’t worry about the money. Please, take whatever you’d like. If you enjoy it, you’re welcome to come back anytime. My husband and I are here almost every day.”

“B-but–”

Mahiru was nearly moved to tears by this incredible act of kindness from a woman she didn’t even know. And yet, her familiarity was so strong, so gentle, that it made Mahiru feel as though she was wrapped in a comforting embrace.

In the end, she’d decided to take a single apple. With the fruit in her hand, Mahiru set off to meet Kousei in front of his school. As she took a bite, she realised it was the most delicious apple she had ever tasted.

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After the final school bell rang, Kousei walked out of his classroom and engaged in some idle chit-chat with his friend Hayato.

“So it really is true, huh? I wonder what happened to her,” Hayato commented.

“Yeah, she definitely wasn’t there. How often do I have to tell you? It was all over the news as well.”

“I know, but I simply can’t believe it. After all, why would the princess just not show up? Gosh, and I hoped I could finally see her in a picture…”

Hayato was once again letting his thoughts on the “princess” run wild. Of course, Kousei knew the truth behind Mahiru’s “absence,” but there was no way he would tell anyone about it.

“Well, maybe she was sick, or maybe she just wasn’t meant to be there in the first place.” Kousei gave him an ambiguous shrug. “The rumours you hear don’t seem to be too reliable, after all.”

What Kousei had meant as a light-hearted joke apparently came across as harsh criticism. Hayato’s eyes flared up in anger, as if Kousei had just questioned his entire existence.

“Hey, no bad-mouthing my sources! I will defend them with my life!”

“Oh, uhm, if you say so. Sorry.”

As the uncomfortable silence stretched on, another boy suddenly approached them, running toward them. Kousei recognised him – Takahiro, if he remembered correctly – but they had barely spoken before. The unexpected approach caught Kousei off guard.

“H-hey, you’re K-Kousei, right? S-someone’s waiting for you outside,” Takahiro said as he gasped for air.

“Man, are you okay?” Kousei asked. “You look pale as a ghost.”

“Sh-shut up. She’s just so c-cute, s-so I started running as f-fast as I could when she asked m-me to get you. I mean, who w-wouldn’t do that for such a perfect girl as her?”

“Oh, a cute, perfect girl waiting for Kousei? Is the goddess of sunshine Yuuna finally paying us a visit again? God, Christmas has come early this year! Come on, Kousei, I want to see her too.”

Hayato took off at the speed of sound, demonstrating his impressive athleticism and pulling Kousei along with him. Kousei could barely keep up with a super-human like Hayato, so when they arrived at the schoolyard, he felt on the verge of collapse.

“K-Kousei…? Who is she?”

In a scene that could have come straight from a romance visual novel, Mahiru basked in the warm sunlight, flicking her hair back with a serene smile. That simple, seemingly innocent gesture sent the boys around her into a state of utter admiration, their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.

"U-uuuuh, d-did you see that?! H-h-how does she look like that?!"

"She's… She's like an angel! No, a goddess!"

"Why… Why is she so perfect?!"

“Kousei? That’s not…Yuuna.”

What sounded like four voices brimming with sheer adoration was, in fact, just the chaotic reaction of Hayato finally getting to see his beloved “princess.” Although, naturally, he couldn’t know it was really her.

“Y-yeah. That’s–”

“Oh, Kousei, there you are,” Mahiru said with a beaming smile as she spotted him.

She approached him with an elegant skip in her step, her movements light and graceful. When she reached him, she stood on tiptoe, cupping his face with both hands, and gently pushed a kiss to his cheek.

The boys around them all dropped their jaws to the floor, their eyes blazing with jealousy. Kousei couldn’t see inside their minds, but he was sure they were filled with the famous “It should have been me!” line.

“Wh– Who are you?” Hayato spilled the words out.

“Me? I’m Mahiru, Kousei’s girlfriend.”

“G-g-g-girlfriend?”

Kousei sighed at the absurdity of this scene. Was this what it felt like unlocking the main heroine’s true route?

“Yeah, sorry, Hayato. I wanted to tell you about it…at some point.”

“We’ve been dating for a few weeks!” Mahiru proudly exclaimed before starting to sway bashfully. “Come on, Kousei, we should head home. You promised…we’d finally do it today.”

“What?” Hayato and Kousei blurted out in unison.

Without offering any further explanation, Mahiru latched onto Kousei’s arm and started walking out of the schoolyard.

“S-sorry, Hayato! You’ll have to walk home by yourself today,” Kousei called out, his voice trailing as he was dragged away.

Once they were out of earshot, Mahiru turned to Kousei with a playful grin.

“Geez, your schoolmates act like they haven’t seen a girl in their lives. They were gawking at me like a bunch of primates.”

“Well, what do you expect when you make such sexual comments? Was that and the kiss really necessary?” Kousei reprimanded her.

Shrugging with a mischievous glint in her eyes, Mahiru said, “I just wanted to have some fun. Besides, don’t tell me you didn’t like it.”

Kousei laughed, reaching for her hand and entwining his fingers with hers.

“Well, I can’t say I don’t enjoy being spoiled by you.”

As they walked home hand in hand, Hayato stood frozen in the schoolyard, his mind racing.

That girl… Isn’t she…?