The Precipice of Dawn

***

Itsuki scanned the darkened road ahead of them as they drove, headlights cutting through the early dawn. The cloudy sky was barely lit now as streetlamp after streetlamp passed by, though the brightest stars were still visible if one squinted.

He glanced at the screen on the dashboard through tired eyes, ensuring they were still on time.

October 14th, 4:32 am.

Their destination grew closer with each minute, and it wouldn't be much longer until they arrived. However, they were cutting it close, and sunrise would begin with or without them.

He rolled his shoulders as the lot pulled into view, then the dim horizon of the ocean. There was thankfully ample room to park, and the engine was cut off and dark before he knew it.

"Hey, Kaede." He softly nudged his fiancée in the passenger seat, clutching one of her light novels close to her chest. Her dark hair framed her sleeping face rather nicely despite a bit of drool trailing onto her shirt.

He'd spent a while researching the best places to watch sunrises and sunsets, and this was supposed to be one of the best. However, it would be a little difficult to enjoy the sight while asleep, as cute as she was while doing so.

"Pst, Kaede," he repeated, poking her cheek a little more seriously this time. "We're here. So let's go. We don't have much time if we want to see the view."

This time she stirred to, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she stretched.

"Mm? W-wait, what? We're there already?" She unbuckled her seatbelt, wiping her mouth in bashfully. "T-that was quick."

"It was half an hour, actually, though I don't think that matters much now. Anyways, hurry up please."

He quickly got out, opening the door on her side and guiding her through the lot. There weren't any other sightseers surprisingly, but he didn't mind it. It just made the moment a little more special than it already was, and he wasn't exactly a 'people' person anyway.

A salty breeze ruffled their clothes as they made their way from the lot to the trail. Golden rays began to breach the clouds and into the sky, fading the night away as day began to creep in.

He checked his phone. Almost sunrise, just on the dot.

His heart beat faster as he led Kaede behind him hand in hand. She was beginning to get excited, waking fully to keep pace with him.

"To think that you went through this just for me… you really are a romantic at heart, aren't you, Itsuki?"

He shook his head as the asphalt transitioned to gravel. "Romantic? I don't know about that, though I did want to make today special. Besides it's good to get your mind off things, right?"

Her expression faded slightly at the comment, but she nodded.

"R-right… it's good to get your mind off things."

The dark blues were fading into purples, then oranges and red-yellows. Each second, the sky continued its shift, readying the stage for the main opening act.

The railing along the edge made it into view, and he quickly ushered her over, holding tight as the coastal winds blew up the cliff face. He braced himself, fishing his phone out of his pocket in anticipation of capturing the moment.

"Alright. Just in time." He grabbed it, opening the camera app. "Now then, let's get into position. It'll be the perfect time to take a… picture…"

His stomach dropped slightly once he saw the glowing horizon, slowly realizing he'd made an unforgiveable—and rather idiotic—mistake.

"…This was one of the sunset spots, wasn't it?"

Still, Kaede didn't seem to hear what he'd said. Instead, she drifted toward the railing, leaning against it to get a better view.

"It's beautiful."

"Beautiful?" He raised a brow at her, wondering if they were in the same reality. However, seeing her grey eyes sparkle like diamonds made him pause.

Her black hair billowed behind her gracefully in the wind, her cheeks flushed against the light, and her smile beamed brighter than the sun bleeding in from the opposing side of the sky.

It stirred love in him like all the times he'd seen it before, but this time there was something else. He felt like he was forgetting something, but he didn't quite know what.

"…Yeah," he eventually said, brushing it off. "It'd probably be even more dazzling at sunset though."

He sighed in resignation, bumping Kaede with his shoulder to signal her.

"Anyways. Do you want to take a photo for the album?"

"Hm? O-oh. Sure," she said as she snapped out of her trance. After aligning herself a little better, she shot a peace sign with her free hand.

He showed his teeth for the occasion, framing them on the screen. Then, the shutter clicked, capturing their smiles above the cliffside.

"…This looks nice," she said as she viewed the photo, her eyes watering as she zoomed in on some of the detail.

"Thanks for taking me here by the way. I really… I really appreciate it."

He frowned slightly, noting her lips begin to quiver. "Kaede? Is yesterday still getting to you? I already said that it'll do no good to—"

"N-no. I'm good!" She brightened her smile at him for a moment before it faded again. "It's just… never mind. You're right. I can't hide it."

Itsuki watched as she slumped against the railing and looked out over the view.

Something felt off, though he couldn't quite place it. This wasn't like the other fits of sadness she'd had in the past.

She was still smiling.

"I know that I did this too often, bringing down the mood and everything. It's just… sometimes it's hard to comprehend that you ever loved a failure like me."

"Kaede?" He hugged her, pulling her close. "Please stop calling yourself a failure. You're not one."

Silence drifted in for a long while as that sense of unease came back.

Why was she saying things in past tense?

Itsuki didn't let go though as Kaede continued on with a sniffle.

"You say that, but I left you alone, even after everything you'd done for me. I took the coward's way out. And… I left you with the consequences."

Her eyes dimmed as her voice faded into the ambience, burying her face in shame.

"I'm sorry for leaving you."

He pat her as she mumbled through his jacket, hand moving up and down to soothe her despite his confusion.

"Kaede, just what are you talking about? You're starting to scare me. Y-you know I'll always be here for you, right?"

She swallowed heavily with a nod, wetness seeping into his clothes. It took a few more moments until she'd recovered enough to speak again.

"I know Itsuki… and that's why I'm here. I need to tell you something before you wake—something you have to get through that thick head of yours."

Kaede looked up to him and cupped his face as they shared in the heat of an embrace. Warmth tingled through him—strangely nostalgic—as everything began to fade slowly into the horizon.

"Moving on doesn’t mean letting go of everything, Itsuki."

His heart dropped immediately once he realized what she was saying.

However, before he could so much as respond, she shushed him with her finger pressed against his lips.

"I'll always be with you in some way—nothing will change that. All that I ask is that you keep giving that warm smile to the world."

Itsuki began to shake as tears rolled down his cheek and onto her shoulder. Kaede's own cheeks rose as her lips quirked upward. Her grey eyes sparkled.

A parting kiss as the dreamscape collapsed.

"Moping isn't your style."