The light novel doesn’t end.
Well, that’s just a joke, right? Honestly, at this point, claiming that this is “just a story” would make even less sense.
A story is merely text, and naturally, it doesn’t describe everything in the world. Those unmentioned parts can only be considered as ‘empty spaces’ in the story.
Readers can only imagine those empty spaces as they read.
But the world I live in doesn’t follow that logic.
News constantly flows about global affairs, there are over 6 billion people on Earth that I don’t know, and each grain of sand on the beach has its own existence.
The only part reminiscent of a light novel is the character relationships.
In that sense, even if the fundamental conditions of this world were exactly the same as in a light novel, I can’t know if it would have unfolded just like the original story.
When something that was indicated by numbers in a game becomes reality, the story changes entirely. The same goes for a novel.
However, despite everything, that first encounter felt light novel-like, and because of that, even after several years, I’m still living a light novel-esque life.
This situation now feels strangely familiar, like I’ve read about it somewhere before. It could have been in a light novel, or a manga, or maybe even just an original anime.
Ah, or perhaps it’s a sitcom?
The notion that all my friends live in the same apartment and interact sounds just like the setup of a youth drama.
Knock knock.
With about three hours left until dinner time, someone tapped cheerily on the door.
I had a sense of who it might be as I opened the door, and there stood Harumi.
Even after becoming a college student, Harumi still maintained her playful personality, and her usual mischievous aura was unchanged, though her hairstyle had shifted.
It seemed she had graduated from tying one side of her hair up, and these days, she just wore it long and flowing.
Instead of a sailor uniform, she donned tight jeans and a slightly belly-revealing white t-shirt.
While it could easily pass as “early 2000s fashion,” thinking back, it felt like there were plenty of such outfits in mid-2020s Seoul too. Whether this outfit is a timeless classic or just a trend circling back around, I couldn’t quite say.
One thing was certain: no matter how it is, that outfit looked like it was in style and suited her well.
Indeed, she’s a beauty.
Considering how she’s been longing for a boyfriend but hasn’t found one yet, she’s probably just saying that while being genuinely uninterested or perhaps her standards are extraordinarily high.
“Koto Ne!”
Harumi recognized me immediately.
“How did you know?”
“You get to know after seeing someone for a few years. I’d recognize your friends too!”
Even Sota? Hmm, I think that might be true.
Speaking of, while I meet Shii periodically, I hardly ever see Sota. They went to the same university as Nanami, and I’m curious about how their relationship is progressing.
If Hagiwara is still meeting up occasionally… could it be that she still hasn’t found a boyfriend? It can’t be that she’s playing both sides.
“They have a somewhat… different atmosphere. Even when they’re quiet, there’s a subtle difference between them. I’m not sure what that difference is, though.”
As Harumi explained, Koko peeked her head around me.
“Koko!”
“Whoa!”
When Harumi extended both hands towards Koko, Koko mirrored that and high-fived back.
“See? You don’t immediately cheer like this when you see me. That’s the difference.”
Even when she’s quiet, that’s visible.
I think I understand what she means. Koko generally has a cheerful demeanor, while when I’m expressionless, people often think I’m a ghost.
I nodded and said,
“So?”
“So what do you mean?”
“…Aren’t you here to say something?”
“Do I have to have something to say to come over? We’re friends, you know? I’m hurt!”
Harumi said that with an expression that didn’t seem hurt at all.
Mako was still the same even after coming here. She managed everything calmly and collectedly, even knowing how to cook. We meet occasionally for meals, but basically, there was nothing we needed to help with.
Yuuki and Harumi lived independently but didn’t know much, so they needed help here and there. Thinking about it, Mako’s standard of living was likely similar, I wonder if she had studied on her own before coming here.
Ah, right, Mako’s father seems to be doing well now.
Though the scars from that time remain, and her physical abilities can’t return to what they were before the accident, it seems she can live fairly naturally without a cane now.
Perhaps due to our connection, she continues working there.
Mako likely had no immediate plans to become independent, but she probably couldn’t resist the temptation of living in the same apartment as her high school friends. Mako also has a decisive personality when she’s fixated on wanting to do something.
“We saw each other just thirty minutes ago.”
That’s true.
Kagami had stepped out for a brief household errand. I had asked if I should help, but following Kagami’s advice to rest during the break, I opted to stay home with Koko.
With little to do, Koko and I visited each room of the kids in the apartment, and somehow ended up hanging out in Mako’s room with Yuuki, Harumi, and Yuka.
And we just returned thirty minutes ago.
Since Yuka had gone back to her room too, the three of them must have been chatting in there and came up with some idea.
Thinking back, I had heard fun, cheerful sounds rushing to the door before the knock. That was probably Harumi running excitedly.
“Yeah, that’s right. We had a quick chat in that thirty minutes.”
Harumi said with a bright smile.
“I heard Kagami-san would be coming late. She said we could eat first. So, how about we go have some meat?”
“Meat!”
Koko’s eyes sparkled.
It feels a bit wrong to say this to Kagami, but no matter how much she acts like she’s in the same age group as us, a mom is still a mom. Whenever we go out to eat, it would almost always be Kagami footing the bill. To be honest, I’m kind of in that position just because of that.
My friends often feel burdensome to be around all the time, and by the time Kagami felt enough nostalgia having spent with me in high school, she gradually started to become more of a “mom.”
We’re at the same university, but going to different departments… well, I might think it was entirely Kagami’s choice, but I just assumed there was some consideration involved too.
She wouldn’t say anything about us going out to eat without her being around.
The truth is, although we live together in the same apartment because of our individual lifestyles, this was a common occurrence from the beginning. Days where we’d leave a note saying, “I’ll be going out to play” and meet up with friends.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Yeah, I’m getting ready. Oh, I’ll let Yuka know.”
With that comment, Harumi dashed towards the room at the end of the hallway.
“Koko, let’s get ready.”
“Okay!”
In response to my words, Koko nodded energetically.
Meow.
I wondered if she understood the word “meat.” Regardless, Kuro seemed to have reacted to my words, but I responded by pulling out a chewy treat instead.
*
After finishing the meal and returning, Kagami’s car was just parking perfectly in time.
After greeting the kids, I approached Kagami as she completed her parking and got out of the car.
“Did you eat something delicious?”
“Yeah.”
“Meat!”
As Koko raised her arms and shouted, Kagami smiled.
Kagami’s smile was incredibly natural now. It was entirely different from the somewhat artificial smile I saw at first.
Clonk.
Kagami shut the door and turned back towards us.
It was summer, and even the nights weren’t too chilly. It was actually on the humid and warm side.
“Did work go well?”
“Yes, it went well. I’ll still need periodic management, though.”
For a moment, we just stared at each other.
I’m not sure why we didn’t go straight home.
Just… just looking at each other.
Kagami was the first to turn her gaze to the apartment.
The apartment where I’ve been staying ever since coming to this world.
“… Are you having fun?”
“Yeah. It’s fun. Very much.”
“Uh-oh?”
With the suddenly shifted atmosphere, Koko tilted her head. Seeing that made Kagami and me burst into simultaneous laughter.
“Is mom enjoying herself?”
“Very happily.”
Kagami smiled at me.
“I might just be enjoying life more leisurely than ever. I’m doing all the things I want to do.”
“… I see.”
Her words made my chest tighten for no reason. It wasn’t bad. It felt like an embrace through words. A bit embarrassing.
“Shall we go in?”
“Yeah. Let’s go in.”
Kagami, Koko, and I turned our feet around, still wearing our slightly smiling faces.
Always, and probably forever, we will be here.
Our home, where we can return anytime.
Packed full of things we can’t give up right now, a precious place.
The slow advancing footsteps felt warm.
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