Epilogue -encounter beneath the stars & above the waves-

---Epilogue

Ryota Ueda quietly watched the evening scenery pass by outside of the window. After wrapping things up at his part time job for the day, Ryota boarded a train to head toward a certain hospital. It’d been a few days since he parted with Yui in Myth of Genesis Online, and he was now ready to go check on her in person for the first time.

The entire way there, Ryota couldn’t help feeling anxious. When he wasn’t spacing out he was fidgeting in his seat. He’d wanted to meet Yui in person for a long time, after all. Thanks to what he’d already learned from Rokugo, he knew which hospital to visit, and who to ask for.

After the train arrived at his destination, Ryota departed, still in a daze. The hospital wasn’t far from the station; it was down near the coast. He had arrived before he even knew it. Upon arrival in the hospital lobby, Ryota asked about the patient he wanted to meet. He was told their location, and from there… Ryota left the hospital.

It seems she was outside getting some fresh air right now.

“Let’s see… She’s probably around here somewhere…” he muttered as he checked his surroundings.

There were a handful of patients lingering around the courtyard, but many were heading inside since it was starting to get dark out. Ryota slowly walked out towards a railing overlooking a beach behind the hospital. Far in the distance, he could see the sun sinking behind the horizon as the sky overhead continued to dim.

“Ah…”

It was when he was taking in that view when he noticed.

Ryota moved toward the stairway leading down to the beach, heading down the stairs and stepping into the cool sand.

It was around the end of the year, so the weather was still quite chilly, especially with the sun going down. Most other patients were lingering around the main hospital building, but Ryota noticed someone down on this beach. It was just a feeling, but Ryota chose to approach her.

Before him was a girl seated in a wheelchair gazing out into the sea, and a single nurse by her side. Both wore thick coats due to the temperature. As Ryota approached, the nurse glanced his way.

“Excuse me…” Ryota spoke quietly, facing the girl in the wheelchair. “Are you… Yui?”

The girl in the wheelchair perked up at the sound of his voice, and slowly turned his way. Her skin was pale, and she was rather thin. But her eyes… they were bright, and sparkled like diamonds. Even though Ryota had never seen how Yui looked in real life before, it was as if he was drawn here to this girl. And then, she responded…

“Quartz… is that you?” she asked in a weak voice.

“Yeah… It’s me.” Quartz smiled, his eyes welling up with tears. “Yui, how have things been?”

“Well, having you here certainly helps me feel better.” she smiled in turn.

After some brief greetings, Yui sent the nurse away so she and Ryota could speak privately. The nurse waited for them over by the stairs. Ryota and Yui told each other their real names and made some small talk, mostly about how Yui’s recovery had been going.

“So, what actually happened after that double-KO on Aquaticus?” Ryota asked, feeling curious.

“Basically what we thought would happen. I ended up in the white void again…” Yui answered. “While there, I got the Mermaid’s Tear and the quest was cleared.”

“That’s great! And after that you were able to log out?” Ryota looked her way.

“Well… Not immediately, no…” Yui looked downward.

“Hm?” Ryota tilted his head.

“I guess this isn’t something I’m supposed to talk about… So pretend you didn’t hear this okay?” Yui whispered.

“Huh? O-okay…” Ryota didn’t expect this.

“Some weird statue people showed up in the white void, and told me to wait a bit before logging out…” Yui spoke quietly, glancing around.

“Statue people…?” Ryota had no idea what she meant.

“I dunno either…” Yui frowned. “But I guess employees from the game’s company had to come to the hospital and connect me to a VR headset connected to the game.”

“Seriously…?” Ryota was surprised to hear that, but in a way it did make sense.

“Mm…” Yui glanced to the side. She could see the nurse glaring at the two of them. “I probably shouldn’t say any more… they had me sign a lot of legal stuff once I got used to moving around again…”

“I see…” Ryota couldn’t help but feel soured by the fact that things had probably been a bit rough for Yui since her awakening.

Still, she was awake now, and still recovering. For that, all he could do was remain thankful.

“Hey, doesn’t this remind you of that time?” Yui spoke up, changing the subject with a smile.

Ryota followed her gaze, and looked out at the vast ocean. The sun had fully set, and now a starry sky spread out before the two of them, reflecting beautifully off of the waves of the sea.

“Ah, you’re right…” Ryota realized.

In Myth of Genesis Online, the player characters Quartz12 and YUI-YUI first met at the ocean-top boss arena of the Water Cathedral at night. The pair’s first memory together was there, beneath a starry sky as the sound of the ocean waves splashed against the surface.

Here, a similar atmosphere had formed. On this small beach, under the starry sky, Ryota Ueda and Yui Kawakami were surrounded by the sound of the ocean waves.

“It’s just like the time we first met…” Ryota smiled. “Though this time my first sight of you doesn’t involve punching a giant sea serpent in the face, haha.”

“Hahaha! True.” Yui giggled.

The pair took a moment, staring out at the sea.

“Hey, um…” Ryota spoke quietly. “Do you remember what we were saying the other day, right before your big battle?”

“… Yeah.” Yui blushed just a bit.

“Now that we’re here… I guess we should say it, right?”

“Yes… I think so. I mean, I want to as well!”

The waves in front of them splashed. Droplets of water momentarily danced in the air, before raining back down into the swaying currents of the water. And at that moment, as the water settled, the pair spoke at the same time…

“”I love you.””