[Yuri Novel] The Girl Next Door Knows the Secret <15> [Creative Award 2025]
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<Epilogue>
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Final Chapter: The Chapter of the Two of Us
1 Mika's Perspective
I suppressed my trembling hands and, steeling myself, opened the door.
The nostalgic sound of the door chime rang out, clanging away. I scanned the shop and found her—Nana—sitting in the same corner seat as that time, someone I hadn't seen in a while.
She was gazing out the window, holding a cup that likely contained tea. Perhaps she hadn't noticed the door chime from a moment ago, but I could see her gaze waver every time a woman passed by on the street.
—She's beautiful.
Even though we've been together for years, she is still breathtakingly beautiful. Perhaps because it had been a while, she seemed to shine even more than usual.
The door chime rang behind me to announce the next customer, and I snapped back to reality. At the same time, Nana noticed me, and her entire expression lit up.
"Mika! Welcome back!"
Her innocent smile bloomed, revealing a charming side of Nana that was different from the beauty I had just been admiring. I, who had been stiff with tension until just a moment ago, couldn't help but relax.
"I'm home... Thank you for coming."
The moment I said those words, my memories with Nana flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.
The radiance I saw from that special seat in the classroom, so bright I couldn't look away.
The small sound of her sipping hot tea that I heard for the first time in this coffee shop.
The tears she shed on the cheap table at the izakaya, and the heat in my heart.
And that one sentence on the train station platform that mercilessly shattered my world.
Joy, regret, affection, despair. All of my emotions had always been thrown into chaos by this person in front of me.
With the words I was about to tell her, this smile might turn into deep sadness. Perhaps she and I would never be able to sit in these seats together again. That would surely be the most painful and unbearable thing in my life.
—Even so.
I gripped my bag tighter.
I could no longer imagine staying by her side without saying anything. The lid on the emotions I had forcibly suppressed was already starting to break, and the shards might hurt myself, and perhaps even her, when it shattered. I had to remove this lid before that happened.
I walked straight toward the table where Nana was. Keeping my back straight, I sat down in the seat opposite her.
"Thank you... but I'm the one who invited you. Thank you, too."
Nana said that and smiled at me.
Looking at the table, there was already a firm yet flavorful pudding and a melon soda poured into a retro-style glass, just like in the old days.
"This is..."
"Ah, it's so nostalgic, I couldn't help it. We always used to order pudding and melon soda at coffee shops, didn't we?"
Nana said in a lively voice. Honestly, I wasn't in the mood to drink melon soda, but the fact that Nana remembered that warmed the depths of my heart. I gently picked up the melon soda and took a sip.
"This shop, right? The first place where I told you I wanted to be your best friend... Thinking about it now, it's no wonder you thought I was a suspicious person."
Nana couldn't hold it back, her shoulders shaking as she giggled.
It was undoubtedly the same Nana as always, but there seemed to be something definitively different about her compared to how she had been lately. An atmosphere that seemed to overflow with happiness and joy from her entire body.
There was only one reason I could think of for that.
"...Marriage."
"Eh?"
My thoughts had turned directly into sound. I hadn't intended to say it yet, so I hurriedly covered my mouth. Nana stared at me with wide eyes, as if urging me to continue.
What was said could not be taken back. I resigned myself and talked about that matter.
"I heard you're... getting married. I heard it from Sasamoto. Congratulations."
I was surprised myself that the words "Congratulations" slipped out of my mouth without any resistance. I see, I really have accepted it. It was a strange sensation, as if the ice thorn that had been stuck deep in my chest for so long was quietly melting away.
Nana was frozen in place, perhaps from surprise. Maybe she was thinking about what to say, or perhaps she was wondering why Sasamoto and I were in contact. The moment I opened my mouth to make sure I didn't cause a misunderstanding, her lips moved.
"...Is 'congratulations' really okay?"
Her voice was trembling slightly, if only a little. Her eyes were fixed straight on me, but the joy and happiness that should have been there just a moment ago were gone.
Unable to gauge the true meaning of her words, I pondered for a moment.
"Well, it's a marriage... so isn't it congratulations?"
The moment she heard my words, the tension left Nana's entire body. She leaned back softly against the sofa.
"...Mika..."
"Eh?"
The words that fell from Nana's lips were small and raspy, and I couldn't hear what she was saying. I leaned in to ask her to repeat it.
Nana looked at me with a more lonely expression than I had ever seen before and asked.
"Mika, what... do you think of me?"
At that question, my whole body stiffened, as if even my breathing had stopped.
I had indeed come here today to convey the feelings I had been harboring. But I never imagined I would be conveying them in response to a question from her. The words I had prepared didn't fit this situation, and I desperately tried to weave words in my head, but it didn't go well.
When I remained silent, she shook her head and covered her face with her right hand.
"No, I'm sorry. I haven't even told you anything yet, so it was wrong of me to ask that."
With a heavy sigh, Nana remained motionless, her gaze cast downward.
As I thought, she was different today.
From her demeanor, I was convinced. Surely she, too, had made some great resolution and arrived here, just like me.
I held my breath and waited for her to continue.
After a brief moment where our words were cut off, she slowly opened her mouth.
"...I broke up with Ryota. Because I finally understood where my... true feelings lie."
Nana stared into the depths of my eyes, as if to confirm my true intentions.
—True feelings.
I knew.
That Nana didn't actually love Sasamoto.
Even so, I felt from her words and actions that she truly respected him and cared for him. That was why I thought there might be such a form of love, and I intended to bless the two of them.
But the love Nana was seeking wasn't that kind of form. Surely, that must be it.
"...I see."
I lowered my eyes. I don't know what to say at times like this.
It was a fact that deep down, there was a part of me that was a little happy. But just because Nana broke up with Sasamoto didn't mean there was any relationship between Nana and me.
As I struggled for words, Nana said in a serious voice.
"Mika, I think this is going to be a long story from here on. ...Will you listen to me?"
I was taken aback for a moment by her expression, which looked as if she had made up her mind. What on earth was she going to talk about? But it must have been something incredibly important and significant to her life.
"Yeah, sure. ...Or rather, I want you to let me hear it."
I also met Nana's gaze and nodded firmly.
Seeing my reaction, Nana relaxed her stiff expression and showed a relieved smile.
"Thank you. ...I think I've been pretending not to notice for a long time."
"First, I'll tell you this."
Nana closed her eyes tightly for a moment and took a deep breath filled with resolve, different from the sigh she had let out earlier. For a moment, she pressed her lips together firmly, as if to solidify her determination.
And when she slowly opened her eyes, she stared at me as if to pierce through my eyes and told me this.
"...Mika. I finally understand. My 'special' wasn't Ryota. It was always you, Mika—only you, from the very beginning."
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