May it last forever.

That was in the late autumn of my freshman year of college.

Around that time, I had—
just gotten my first girlfriend.

She was in the same sports club, and I had liked her for a while. I thought I was being subtle... but it was obvious to my peers, the upperclassmen, and even the coach.

I had confessed to her just last week. She gave a small nod.
That alone changed my world completely.

But it was still awkward.
Even though we could talk happily over feature phone emails or Skype chats... I didn't know how to talk to her in person.

There was that kind of delicate 'space' between us.

The following weekend, after finishing helping out at a club tournament, I ended up taking a highway bus home from the Yaesu Exit of Tokyo Station.

A cold wind was blowing through.
The colors of the city were gradually changing from evening to night.

We had secretly booked seats next to each other, and before our peers could catch us and tease us with, 'Hey, you two—', we scrambled onto the bus as if escaping.

She sat by the window.
'Aren't you cold?'
'Yeah. I think I'm okay.'

At first, we made small talk, but
the silence gradually increased.

It was the first time we had spent time alone together.
I was happy just with that.

At that moment,
she suddenly leaned her head against my left shoulder.
...For a second, my body froze.

I could feel her heartbeat from where we touched.
There was a faint, sweet scent from her hair.

'...Aren't you cold?'

The moment I said that, she took off her cardigan and
gently draped it over my lap.
It was warm. Her warmth still lingered on it.

But, I had made her worry—
...No, in truth, I didn't have the composure for that.

—What am I doing, even at my age as a college student?
...My body wouldn't listen to me.
I felt like if I moved, she would find out.


The swaying of the highway bus made even the 'space' between us feel ambiguous. Outside the window, streetlights flowed by one after another.

Only I was standing still.
May this last forever—.
I closed my eyes.

Before long, the bus approached our destination, and
the announcement,
'We will be arriving shortly,' played.

She slowly sat up.
...Outside the window, the familiar scenery spread out.

Even though it had only been a few dozen minutes.
Even after getting off the bus, I felt like the scent of her hair still lingered somewhere.

──At that time, I was praying with all my heart.
That moment was, truly, eternal.

“I’ll be home a little late today.”
I received a LINE message from my wife while she was at work.

That night, my wife came home a little later than usual,
sat down right next to me on the sofa,
and leaned her head on my shoulder.

“Ah, I’m exhausted. It’s freezing outside. Oh, by the way, something hilarious happened today—”

Then, suddenly, our four-year-old daughter,
“Me too!”
she said, smiling as she squeezed in between us.

It ended in an instant.

“...Well then, let’s all have a group hug!”
──That is happiness in its own way.

......I want to hear the rest of that story later.
I want to hear it properly.

These are days spent trying to get the kids to sleep five or ten minutes earlier, in search of that “eternity.”

However, to be honest──

......Sometimes,
I suddenly find myself missing that “eternity” from back then.

(End)
(1185 characters)

※Monoka Kingdom 2025 Entry