White Album 2 Omake/Story03/Epilogue 2

Epilogue 2

"Setsuna..."
"......... eh?"

Though she had sworn to do her best...

"Happy birthday."
"Haruki-kun..."

Even so, that one great regret she had...

The friends that were late to her party...

There was one person who she couldn't come to invite, yet he had come nosing his way in.

"Well, somehow I managed to make it, didn't I?"
"Eh, w-w... why?"

Even though they shouldn't have known.

Not even Haruki, and not even her other best friend.

"I'm sorry for coming late... it just took me a bit of time to get this."
"A-Ah..."

A basket swung from inside a large bag that Haruki had in his hand.

"Having said that, this was something someone in the store recommended, you can decide if it's good or bad."

"T-Thank you..."

Setsuna held out her hands as he passed her the basket.

"Thump."

"...!"

It'd been a while since she'd felt his hands, and at that moment...

It was as if Setsuna's heart had jumped.

"Umm, Setsuna..."
"... a-ah... that's right! Kazusa... congratulation for your admission!"

And, as if to keep him from noticing her miserable reaction, indeed Setsuna's voice jumped, adding more to her shame.

"... yeah, thanks. But, tell her that in person."
"It's okay now. Because, if I tell you, Haruki-kun, you'll definitely tell Kazusa!"
"Eh...?"
"You're going to be going to see Kazusa, right? You're going to congratulate her for her admission, right?"
"Ah, well... I guess."
"T-T-Then, see you later! Thanks for the present, bye!"

She wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Even if it was just a step sooner, she wanted to run away.

Because it was so cold, and so hot.

Because her behavior was so suspicious, it was miserable.

And, because it was still painful.

To be with both of them, and to be with one of them.

... and to be aware of the time that those two had spent.

"Wait, Setsuna!"
"...!"

Even so...

Why was it that him calling her name would sew her feet into the ground?

"Umm, you know..."
"I-I have to go and clean up... we'll talk tomorrow."
"We have to talk today, it can't be any other day."
"W-Why..."
"Because your birthday... there's only two hours left until it's finished..."
"My birthday?"
"I want the three of us to celebrate."
"~~~!?"

She had predicted.

That Haruki would surely bring up this "taboo" word.

"What......... are you talking about, Haruki-kun?"

But, no one could guarantee that there wouldn't be a shock from hearing that word, even if it were predicted.

"You're going to be celebrating Kazusa's admission, right? Today's a day you have to be with her, right!?"
"Yeah, together."
"T-T-Then...!"
"Right now, we'll go to her house together, okay?"
"To Kazusa's...?"
"To her underground studio, where the three of us'll have a party together.

And, the moment Haruki spoke of those "sacred grounds" meant for the three of them...

Setsuna's mind indulged itself with vivid memories of the past half year.

"Let's celebrate your birthday, and Kazusa's admission, okay?"

The incomplete band made up of only a vocalist, guitarist, a keyboard, and no drummer.

Where they had no skilled players and so few days, where the majority was optimistic and relied on the genius in the minority.

They'd practice individually, put their music together, eat together, consult each other, get into fights, stay overnight, get out of bed, practice individually, put their music together...

The three laughed, got angry, and run with such high tension through sleepless nights...

All of this happened in that room.

During those entrancing days.

In those treasured memories.

"You... you can't do that..."
"Why...?"

However, Setsuna used as much reasoning as she had, cutting away those memories.

"Kazusa'll get hurt..."

If she doesn't, the sadness and tears she had for the past several days will be all for naught.

"Kazusa always wants to be with Haruki-kun, right? Especially on an important day like this, right? It can't be good for me to be with you two..."

Because, she had already given up...

"Kazusa won't get hurt! I won't get hurt any longer..."

And because she did, nothing would make her waver any longer.

"What do you... mean by that...?"

She'd given Kazusa and Haruki her blessing, and move on to a new path of her own.

"Well... you see..."

Maybe they might cross paths, but it wouldn't be on such a deep level.

Yes, that would be enough. Because, she no longer has any regrets...

"Because, there's nothing at all that can get between me and Kazusa... you see..."
"Eh...?"

Nothing, at all?

Not even what ties Haruki and Setsuna?

And, that wouldn't go between Haruki and Kazusa...?

"Tha... that's..."
"......... yeah..."
"...!"

She understood through his embarrassment far more than his words.

That Haruki and Kazusa were so strongly bound together.

... or, that they already were.

"You see, I actually do like Kazusa."
"........."
"But, I also want you to be with us, Setsuna."

She knew.

That Kazusa and Haruki were already "those kind of lovers" from long ago.

"It's cowardly, and maybe it's something cruel to do but... Setsuna is an important friend to me, a best friend. Is that fine with you?"

But, the moment Haruki himself made that declaration...

"And Kazusa you see... she really does things on a whim, gets rather violent, and selfish. There are particular things about her, and it's difficult for her to be with others, too."

The heat within Setsuna's body gradually faded away.

"Even so, she likes you, Setsuna. She really likes you. Just like me."

The chills spread throughout her, even eroding her heart.

"So you know, it might be a bit clumsy but... could the three of us be together from now on?"

It desperately spread throughout her, as if to freeze her emotions. Emotions that, if she spat them out now, she wouldn't know what tone they would take on.

"You'll be Kazusa's best friend from now on too, right, Setsuna?"

However...

Setsuna could no longer tell whether she'd quieted down, or if she'd been all fired up.

"Maybe, maybe what I've decided is wrong as well."

――Yup, it certainly is...

"But you know, let's just try first, okay? If it doesn't work out, we can always try again, right?"

――You can't, Haruki-kun.

You're mistaking me for someone else.

Setsuna knew.

That from the bottom of his heart, Haruki believed in friendship.

"Is it okay?"
"........."

And Setsuna learned.

That Haruki hadn't understood a single thing.

About how much she had cried, about how much she had suffered.

About how much she had decided to cut everything down, just about everything...

"Setsuna, umm..."
"Hey, Haruki-kun..."
"Eh...?"

Then, Setsuna took a light step forward with a smile on her face.

"Hold this, okay?"
"O-Okay...?"

And she once again handed over the potted plant that he had just given her.

"Be sure to hold it well. Don't drop it, okay?"
"Setsuna, what are you doing...?"

Of course, as Setsuna told him to, Haruki held that potted plant with both of his hands, so as to not drop it.

Because, the moment he used both of his hands...

"Mmm..."
"~!?"

He couldn't stop both of Setsuna's hands as they reached for his cheeks.

Nor Setsuna's body as it leaned forward.

... nor the fact her lips touched his, nothing at all.

"Mm, mm..."
"Mmm, mmm, ah...!"

――I'm sorry, Haruki-kun.

I'm a liar. The worst woman you could meet.

I'm a traitor who's bad at giving up.

Setsuna knew her chances of winning were low.

I'll go down in flames.

I'll erase our friendship, the three of us, and that you rejected me.

I'll erase the two of you as you are.

She knew she'd destroy the three of them as they were.

She knew everyone would get hurt.

She knew that, probably, she'd become the most miserable in all of this.

――But, but you know?

Say it's one in a million chance, and that was also divided by a million...

It's an almost zero percent chance, and an almost zero possibility, but if it's there...

And then, for just a bit...

She hoped that Haruki would make the worst decision possible...

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