Volume 4 Epilogue: We Don’t Know Goodbyes

Days after the tricky and eventful school field trip, Haru’s apartment lay quiet, lit only by the sleepy morning sunlight bleeding in through the balcony curtains.

Inside Ayase’s princess castle, or should we say, custom bedroom, laid a delicate and breathtaking pinky rose petal wearing a hoodie several sizes too big for her—arms cradled around the small, curled-up white fluffball she insisted on naming Tofu.

Her big sister, the giant cat plushie, Fuwa-chan, was just behind them.

Ayase and Haru’s baby, the plushie that looks like Haru himself, was between Ayase's knees.

Meanwhile, Haru sprawled on the floor, limbs spread in awkward positions as if to let himself run wild on sleeping positions.

Right, he was finally allowed to sleep in the same bed as hers. But Haru chose not to, but not last night on Ayase’s insistence.

And in this rare moment…everything felt still. Haru’s heart might actually hurt from how stupidly peaceful this was.

Ayase’s pink hair spilled across the pillow like a pale curtain of silk, and her brows twitched slightly, as if dreaming of something warm. Probably food. Or the kitten. Or both.

Tofu made a soft mewl in her arms, stretching one paw against her chest before curling back into sleep.

Ayase’s one arm rummaged at the empty space in front of her, and she groaned in exasperation.

She crawls to Haru with eyes still shut, pulling him up from the floor using her superhuman strength, and lifts him back to the bed.

Haru was still deep asleep, and Ayase stirred, eyelids fluttering half-open.

“Mmm…Haru-san?” she mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

He didn’t react.

So Ayase put a hand on his face, and scrubbed it.

“...Wake uuuuuup~” she drawls. “Time for breakfast…”

When Haru kept static, Ayase had a brilliant idea.

Maybe not, it’s probably nasty. Just the last resort.

She gently clutches one of Haru’s hands and slips it inside her hoodie.

Haru’s eyebrows twitched, probably his body registering the soft, warm and delightful feeling. “B-boo—”

His eyes snapped open. “W-what?!”

Seeing Ayase innocently guide his hand into a place of paradise only him could be in.

“...This is not a breakfast.”

“Yeah?” Ayase raises a brow.

“Melons. Nobody eats melons for breakfast.”

“…But why aren’t you pulling your hand away?”

“Can you blame me?”

Ayase’s lips curled slightly, eyes still closed. “Flirt with me, Haru-san.”

Haru retorts his face in surprise. “F-flirt?! That doesn’t sound like you!”

“Don’t you love me anymore~?”

When Haru didn’t answer on time, she pretended to be breathing heavily and sobbed.

“H-hold up!” Haru pulled his arm out of Ayase’s hoodie and pulled her to a tight embrace.

She exhaled a tiny laugh, “Still not as tight as you held me last night…”

So Haru pulled harder.

“Squeeeeeeze~” Ayase celebrated.

At the same time, Tofu slowly crawled and inserted herself in the tiny space between the couple.

Ayase opened one eye lazily and looked at Haru, soft and sleepy.

“…Your hand is warm,” she whispered. “Touch me again.”

Haru’s ears steamed. “No. Go to sleep.”

Silence stretched between them for a beat. He didn’t say anything.

Instead, Haru leaned forward and kissed her forehead—lightly, carefully, like she was something borrowed from the universe.

Ayase smiled, then closed her eyes again, slowly slipping back into dreams with Tofu safely in her arms.

Haru just laid there, listening to the soft hum of her breathing.

Everything had come a long way, the plot thickened, war was prevented, and he was finally able to confront his feelings and mustered up the courage to choose a girl that he once wished for.

He wonders, was there a way to slow down each second for them to stay like this forever?

Because he knows he’ll throw everything he has in order to have that chance.

And deep inside him, he will never know how he will be able to say goodbye to someone like her.