“Welcome, Arthur.”
I buried my face in Lily’s neck.
“…What happened to me?”
“You…”
Lily trails off uncertainly.
She’s clearly worried about the shock I might be in.
But then…
“Please tell me everything.”
I want to fully understand the current situation.
After hesitating for a moment, Lily finally says…
“A human stabbed you.”
Though Lily didn’t specify where, I could guess.
The exact spot where I’d felt that emptiness.
“…My heart?”
Lily shudders at just hearing it and nods.
“…Yeah, it was completely pierced through.”
“So how am I still alive?”
In fact, is this darkness actually the afterlife?
Will I wander here forever…
“You were revived through healing magic.”
Phew, that’s a relief.
It seems I didn’t die.
“Then where are we?”
“It’s a dream. In reality, you’re unconscious.”
“…Did you come into my dream just to meet me?”
“Yeah, and I brought you into my dream.”
Lily’s dream?
That explains why the surrounding darkness feels so comforting, like Lily’s embrace.
“What kind of dream were you having? The real you was in serious danger.”
It seems Lily didn’t see the earlier part of the dream.
Just thinking about that deep, dark abyss gives me goosebumps.
“…It was a nightmare.”
As I tightened my grip around Lily’s waist, she gently stroked my head.
“It’s okay now. I’ll be here with you.”
Her comforting touch made my heart feel warm and relaxed.
Despite how comfortable her embrace is, there’s something I need to say.
“I’m sorry, Lily.”
“What for?”
“For making you worry, for forgetting, and for…”
I remember how she looked at me with tears streaming down her face.
That image is etched into my mind, giving me a great shock.
“…And for making you cry. I’m sorry for all of it.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t your fault. I’m just glad you came back.”
Lily truly has a broad heart.
After enjoying her warm embrace for a while, I suddenly realize something and look up.
“What now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Like, how do we get back to reality…”
At this, Lily tilts her head in confusion.
“…Why do you need to go back?”
“WHAT?”
Isn’t that obvious?
“Isn’t this a dream?”
“Yeah.”
“If it’s a dream, we should obviously go back-”
“What I mean is, why should you go back?”
“…?”
What is Lily talking about?
As I stare at her blankly, she continues.
“Let’s just stay here. As long as you’re here, you won’t have to be in pain. This is the safest place for you.”
“You don’t have to worry about other people’s opinions. And I’ll cut off any relationships that might endanger you.”
“…Even if it means living in darkness forever-”
“Is that a problem?”
With that, Lily snaps her finger.
The darkness around us dissipates.
In its place appears a spacious room.
The room looks incredibly familiar. It’s a perfect recreation of my dormitory.
“…My dorm?”
It feels completely authentic, perfectly reproducing every detail of my dorm room.
“How’s it look? Exactly the same, right?”
“…”
“Not to your liking?”
Snap!
With another finger snap, the scenery changes to a refreshing beach.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
A vibrant night street.
A lush Dreamland Magic Forest.
And back to the dorm room.
“You can go anywhere. If you wish, we could even visit other galaxies. Location isn’t an issue.”
It’s definitely an appealing place.
Clearly capable of rendering beautiful and vivid landscapes.
But as these scenes pass by, I notice a chilling fact.
“There aren’t any people.”
The beach, the night streets – places that should be full of people – felt barren and desolate as they passed by.
“Humans are too unstable. There are too many variables to live with them.”
“I’m human too, Lily.”
“You’re different.”
“Lily-”
“You’re different, period.”
Lily’s eyes flash with a reddish glow brighter than before.
Maintaining her embrace, she lays down on the bed, pulling me with her.
It’s exactly how we always go to sleep.
The blanket covers us automatically, and Lily’s scent fills the air.
“We can stay together forever.”
“It’ll be just the two of us.”
“A world where no one can interfere.”
“Imagine this: Every morning we wake each other up with a kiss. Or maybe we alternate every day?”
“I’ll cook your favorite Old One Grill for breakfast. Here, we won’t even need to hunt. You’ll have plenty to eat.”
“You won’t need to go to school. We’ll just be together always.”
“How about lunch out? Let’s go on a date like last time. We could recreate Sweet Love. No waitstaff will disturb us this time.”
“We’ll have dinner at home under soft lighting. We can eat leisurely together. Hey, what do you think about feeding each other? Wouldn’t you like to try?”
“Together we’ll brush our teeth, bathe together, and sleep together. It’s nice to cuddle under the same blanket and chat softly before sleep, isn’t it?”
“And if you wish… we could make love every day… hotly… passionately…”
Squeezing tightly…
Lily whispers by my ear.
“Love…”
Her eyes meet mine, glowing intensely red.
Her crimson eyes have a captivating power.
The lifestyle Lily described is certainly appealing. It’s perfect.
I can guarantee it would definitely be a happy life.
Even just hearing about it makes me feel happy…
…But.
“Lily.”
As if reading my expression, Lily’s face distorts.
“Why.”
“Let’s not do this.”
For a moment, the red light in Lily’s eyes flickers.
‘Good. She hasn’t completely made up her mind yet. There’s still a chance.’
“I understand how you feel, Lily. You’re worried… that I might disappear.”
“…”
“I’m sorry for making you feel this way. It’s my fault.”
“…I already said it’s not your fault. The person who stabbed you – they’re to blame.”
“Still, I should apologize for making you worry.”
Lily still hasn’t turned to look at me.
This can’t continue like this.
Though Lily hasn’t fully decided, in practice she’s already implementing this plan. This hesitation is likely about respecting my wishes while already having made all the preparations.
“…You really are impossible, Miss Outsider.”
And in that impossible way, she’s also incredibly lovable.
The solution to changing Lily’s mind is simple yet difficult.
“Lily.”
As she turns away, creating some distance, I close the gap and embrace her again.
“I haven’t given my answer yet, have I?”
At my words, Lily’s ears twitch and react.
“I should have said it sooner. Sorry for being late.”
It’s been well over a week since our agreed deadline, I imagine.
“My answer is…”
Taking a deep breath, I continue.
“I can’t give up on you as family yet, Lily.”
Lily’s head snaps toward me.
“What?”
Yeah, I know it sounds crazy.
For someone who asked for time to think, this conclusion – that I haven’t finished thinking – is absurd, right?
But what can I do?
“I still like Lily as family. I can’t give you up.”
Lily’s eyes turn redder.
If this continues, I’ll end up living forever in this dream.
But my answer isn’t complete yet.
That was just the premise.
“However, I also like Lily romantically. I can’t give that up either.”
“…Then what do you plan to do?”
“That’s why…”
I take a deep breath.
The way to change Lily’s mind…
Is simply…
“I love you, Lily. Will you marry me?”
Communicating my sincerity.
The moment she hears my words, Lily’s focus wavers.
The commonly known “space out” expression appears on her face.
“…Wha..?”
A small voice like the wind.
She didn’t hear properly it seems.
Then…
Extending my neck like Lily did, I press my lips to her ear.
“Will you marry me?”
“AAAAAAHHHH!!!”
Lily screams incoherently and pushes away from me, kicking off the blanket.
“W-What?! W-Where did that come from?!”
At this, I tilt my head.
“Hmm… I’ve been thinking about it. In the end, I didn’t want to give up either my family Lily or the woman I love. So I thought about how I could have both…”
The first family created through the genuine love between a man and a woman.
“Wouldn’t it be possible as husband and wife?”
“…Uuuuugh…”
She’s flustered.
Clearly anyone can see she’s flustered.
The red glow in Lily’s eyes has noticeably dimmed.
“A-Aren’t you rushing things…p-p-p-pose..”
“What do you mean rushing? We’ve already passed the dating stage.”
Honestly, isn’t this timing a bit late already?
We already share the same room, the same bed, the same blanket, and sleep together.
“Lily, come here.”
I open my arms and wait.
Lily, who has kept some distance from me (though it’s just the corner of the bed), looks at me with trembling eyes.
“Lily.”
Seeing that she won’t come over even when called, I decide to go to her.
“W-Wait… Don’t come any closer!”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to stay together forever? Isn’t this essentially a marriage proposal?”
In that sense, wasn’t the lifestyle you described essentially newlywed life?
“T-That wasn’t… Umm…”
As I slowly move beside her, I pull her slender waist into an embrace.
Holding her tightly in both arms as if declaring I’ll never let go.
“Ahhh…”
I can feel Lily trembling against my skin.
“…You’re so cute.”
Just moments ago, she was the one holding me tightly, but now it’s me who’s holding her.
The sudden reversal of positions.
“Of course, we’ll have the wedding ceremony later.”
“…”
“I still want to attend the academy a bit longer. I’d like to build more relationships. It’s thanks to you that I avoided expulsion – but I’d feel awkward about voluntarily withdrawing so soon.”
At that moment, Lily’s eyes started to glow red again.
“We could have the wedding ceremony right now right here…”
“Lily.”
I gently interrupt.
“You know… I have a dream. Want to take a guess?”
“…I don’t know. I can’t comprehend what you’re thinking at all right now.”
“How about our honeymoon destination? These days, islands on the western continent are very popular, right?”
“Wait…”
“Where should we settle down? In the glamorous capital? Or a quiet countryside? Ah, the seaside would be nice too.”
“Wait…”
“How about waking each other up with kisses every morning? We can take turns alternately.”
“!!!”
Lily stops talking as if realizing something.
“Sometimes I’d like to cook breakfast for you. Though I should probably practice cooking first.”
“When we graduate, we truly won’t need to go to school anymore. We can be together always.”
“How about lunch? Shall we dine out? How about dating like last time? Visiting Sweet Love occasionally wouldn’t be bad either.”
“Wait…”
“We’ll eat dinner at home. Under soft lighting. Hey, what do you think about feeding each other? It could be sweet.”
“And brushing our teeth together, bathing together, sleeping together. Maybe we could sit side by side like this before sleeping, holding each other and chatting like now.”
“And if you want… perhaps… I’ll try my best every day, though I’m not sure if it’s possible…”
As I finish my last sentence, I lift my head to meet Lily’s gaze.
In Lily’s eyes, there’s not a trace of the red glow left.
Her eyelashes are trembling delicately.
“Do you like it? If not…”
“And most importantly…”
I reach out my hand, intertwining Lily’s delicate fingers with mine.
“I’d like to get married while receiving blessings from many people.”
As I hold her hand tightly and look into Lily’s deep eyes…
“…This is my dream.”
“…”
“The life you described is all possible in reality too. Receiving blessings in marriage is something that can only happen in reality. So Lily…”
I bring our foreheads together, exchanging gazes.
“Let’s go back to reality, okay?”
Lily is staring at me blankly.
Her eyes continue to tremble pitifully.
Then…
“…Sniff…Sniff…”
Were you crying? Did something upset you?
Surprising you like this?
“…Sniff…Thank you…Arthur…”
“What?”
“…For being alive…and…sniff…for creating such a future with me…”
“…”
“I…sniff…when I saw you…covered in blood…falling down…I…I was so…so anxious…sniff…so anxious…”
Of course.
Lily must have witnessed my death firsthand.
She must have been incredibly anxious, thinking that having barely survived once means there could be a second time.
If I had seen Lily die…
I would likely be thinking about following her immediately.
I embrace her shaking form from the front, gently patting her head.
“I understand too.”
“Sniff…I love you…I love you so much… Arthur…Too much…”
“…I love you too, Lily.”
Ah, it feels like dust got in my eyes.
For some reason, my eyes are getting wet.
There’s no dust in the world Lily created?
…
Shut up.
“The End”
