“Hey! You gotta try this!”
“Everyone else is having fun, and we’re just sitting here doing nothing!”
“Come on, we have to eat pancakes today! Just have one bite and then we can play!”
“Sigh… Alright. Let’s eat quickly.”
“Hehe.”
Kyle and I were out enjoying the festival, just like always.
Including the couple in front of us, there were people enjoying the festivities.
We were sitting at a small food stall, which was sheltered by a tiny tent to block the wind so we could eat comfortably.
“Kyle, ah.”
“You can eat too, Sophia. I’ve had plenty.”
“…”
I was trying to feed him like the girl from that couple, but I stopped myself.
Actually, it might have been better that I didn’t.
I realized I’ve been acting really weird with Kyle lately.
It was strange.
We were just pretending to be a couple, but our actions were crossing the line of what a couple usually does.
It wasn’t dangerously inappropriate, but it wasn’t exactly normal either.
I finally understood Louise’s feelings.
“Sophia, are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah? I’m fine!”
“I just thought you seemed a bit distracted.”
It’s true, I was distracted.
I couldn’t focus at all while thinking about Kyle, myself, and our relationship.
I couldn’t even taste this ridiculously sweet pancake.
I was only able to concentrate on Kyle, sitting across from me; everything else faded away.
I worried I might make a fool of myself.
Of course, if that happened, Kyle would probably handle it for me, but it was bad enough to make me worry!
Kyle looked calm and ordinary, but I wasn’t.
His expression was always plain but tinted with worry.
Even if he tried to hide it, I’d already noticed, so I felt it.
Unlike me, maybe Kyle just wasn’t good at hiding his feelings.
Or maybe I just knew him that well.
“Kyle, want to go somewhere together in a bit?”
“If Sophia wants to go, of course.”
Suddenly, I remembered I hadn’t done anything nice for him.
Kyle had done so much for me, yet I had never really given him anything.
All I did was kiss him sometimes or snuggle when we were sleeping.
To be honest, those actions felt off for a temporary couple.
In any case, he always paid for dates, and he’d done plenty for me.
Was this really how things should be, even if we were just temporary lovers?
More importantly, was it right for people in general?
*
We left the pancake stall and walked with Kyle.
It was spring in Eristirol, but it was still chilly.
Not too cold though, since I wore the coat Kyle had given me.
“…”
This coat was also from Kyle.
I had bought my long skirt and blouse with my own money, but the ring and coat were gifts from him.
“Where are we going?”
“You don’t need to know. It’s just a short walk.”
I responded casually.
I felt a bit disappointed that the festival, which lasted seven days, was suddenly taking this turn, yet at the same time, I thought it was good timing.
I could finally do something nice for Kyle.
Everything felt a bit chaotic, but the joyous atmosphere helped hide my inner turmoil.
“Hmm…”
The shop I brought Kyle to wasn’t selling anything overly expensive.
If it had been, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it on my salary.
Although my spending hadn’t been outrageous over the last few years, I certainly wasn’t living it up like a noble.
It was just that… Eristirol’s wages weren’t that high.
All my pay came from Eristirol.
“Kyle, do you like ties or shirts more?”
I asked him about two options.
Even though there were several shops, I chose this one.
Instead of buying him something weird, I thought a practical gift would be better.
I passed up on valuable items like rings or bracelets.
After all, Kyle probably had much better stuff than whatever I’d give him.
Plus, his financial situation was…
“Let’s go with a tie.”
“Okay, got it.”
I began to look for a nice tie for Kyle as a gift.
It felt nice to get him something since I had always received from him.
I wasn’t quite sure what I was feeling, but it was pleasant.
“How about this? It seems like you like black a lot.”
“It looks good.”
“I-I mean, really? Should I buy it then…?”
“Buy whatever you want, Sophia.”
“Okay!”
I ended up buying a black tie that would suit Kyle.
He often wore black, so I thought a white shirt with the black tie would look great.
There was no reason a tie wouldn’t suit him; he looked good in just about anything.
“Here, gift for you. Since you always give, this time I’m giving.”
Honestly, I should’ve done this a long time ago.
I should have treated Kyle better.
But I hadn’t.
“Next time you wear it, you better show me.”
“Thanks! I think this is my first time getting a gift like this.”
“…”
I felt pretty pathetic.
It was all thanks to Kyle that today turned out this way.
Besides, being his temporary partner was only because I asked him to be.
And here I was, just taking from him.
Wasn’t I supposed to be the older one?
It felt like our roles had flipped somehow.
“Kyle, let’s head out now.”
I grabbed his hand and pulled him outside.
Or rather, Kyle willingly followed me, so I guess we just left together.
I set a goal.
This festival, I would come to a conclusion.
I realized while wandering around that I had treated Kyle poorly.
I hadn’t really decided how I felt; in fact, I didn’t even think about it seriously. I just enjoyed my time with him.
Kyle liked me enough to allow this strange relationship, yet I spent my days casually, without a care.
“Kyle.”
“Yes?”
“…Nothing. What do you want to do now?”
“If there’s nothing specific, how about we just wander around together?”
“Sounds good.”
Yeah, this is nice.
Spending time like this felt good.
But maybe I was the only one feeling this way.
Even now, I could sense something hidden in Kyle’s expression—worry, and some indescribable emotion.
I wondered if Kyle was satisfied with this situation, like me?
No, no way.
If I were Kyle, I’d probably feel an even stronger urge and desire being in this kind of situation with someone I loved.
Yeah, that had to be it.
There was no way it wouldn’t be.
As I walked through the snow-covered streets with Kyle, these thoughts kept circling my mind.
Why was I only thinking of this now?
Why, suddenly, and especially since yesterday?
“Kyle, thank you.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Yeah, just. The weather’s nice today.”
It was a bit late, but at least I was glad.
I was relieved to be having these thoughts now.
It was something that had popped into my head when I drank yesterday.
Sudden, absurd, and ridiculous—but it had to come to me eventually.
“Isn’t today the second day?”
“Yep. We’ve still got five more days left.”
“Right…”
There were still five days left in the festival after today.
I felt like time was on my side.
Even without the festival, there had always been time.
It was just that I was too foolish to continue this relationship that should’ve ended long ago.
Or was it?
That was a relationship that should end quickly, wouldn’t be wrong to say.
After all, it had been created to reach a decision.
“Sophia?”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t have any other plans during the festival, do you?”
“Of course not. You’re my only plan.”
I knew I had to come to a conclusion about this situation, this relationship, and my feelings by the end of the festival.
That would definitely be best for both Kyle and me.
I’m sure of it.
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