--Under the clear blue sky, Subaru squinted his eyes in the sunlight pouring down on him.
I can hear crying.
It was the cry of a little girl. It was a cry filled with all her might, using all her strength and energy with all her small body.
When I see them expressing all of their emotions with all their heart and soul, I wonder how children can be so energetic. Then, I was shocked to realize that this was a thought that I had not yet taken as a youth.
"I've always been aware that I've grown older, but it's depressing to realize that unconsciously, not consciously. I still thought of myself as a young man."
"What's so exciting about that? Can't you just look at yourself objectively for a second?"
Subaru was still in active duty as he gazed down at his empty palm when he heard a curse hurled at him from beside him. Hearing the familiar curse, Subaru sighed and slowly turned his eyes in that direction.
Sitting beside Subaru in a chair was a boy at the same eye height as him. The boy curled his lip as he watched Subaru silently, and continued, "More importantly,"
"Spica is crying so much, do something about it. She's really out of hand."
"I'm hopeless now. My innocent heart was shattered by a thoughtless remark and I'm in tatters. I've gone back to my childhood like Spica and am crying. Please forgive me for being such a failure."
"If a grown adult were to act like that in public, it would be unforgivable!"
The boy shook his body dramatically and retorted energetically to Subaru's childish sulking. The baby in Subaru's hands - the girl he called Spica - took another breath, and the two men uttered useless words like "ah" and "uh", exploding with emotion.
"Ahh――!!"
"Woohoo! She's crying! Spica is crying! Hey Rigel, do something yourself, you're my big brother!"
"If you say that, then you'd better be the one to do something about it!"
In a corner of a busy main street, two men are walking around holding babies, trying to push the responsibility onto each other.
People on the street looked up to see what was going on when they saw the noisy trio, but when they saw the two of them running around, they just ignored them, saying "Oh, that's just the usual."
As a result, the pattern of a crying girl and two men making her cry continues. It's a fine line between being sweet and being disturbing and unpleasant.
"So many girls are crying and pleading with all their heart and soul, and yet no one is willing to help... Damn, what a world we live in! Have people's hearts become this hardened?"
"This is not the time to be lamenting the world! If I can't get Spica to stop crying, I don't know what she'll say when I get back..."
"Who will come back?"
"Of course..."
The boy Subaru called out, "Rigel," folded his arms, nodded and turned around. Then, his face froze in shock, his mouth hanging open in amazement. Subaru followed Rigel's gaze, and when he saw the same person, he raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh."
"Are you done shopping?"
"Yes, without any problems. ...It seems like you're having a hard time."
"No, Spica is super energetic. Once she can walk and run around, she'll grow up to be the type to manipulate men. I'm excited to think she has the potential to become a villain!"
In Subaru's hands as he cracks jokes, Spica opens her eyes, swollen from crying, and when she notices the woman standing in front of her, she opens her small, maple-leaf-like hands and stretches out her arms. Her upper body still doesn't have enough strength, but she tries to raise it up, and it feels like she's distantly telling him to change because it's uncomfortable to be held, which makes his lonely manly heart.
"But even if you ignore her request and she starts crying, it will all come back to square one. Okay, leave it to me."
"I've been entrusted with this."
Though his tone was light-hearted and rough, Subaru's movements were incredibly gentle as he handed over the baby to her. The woman smiled slightly as she handled the delicate treasure with her fingers.
After receiving it, she held Spica tightly to her chest and shook her gently,
"Yes, they are a bad father and brother. Spica, you need to grow up quickly and scold them."
"Hey, let's stop imprinting things on them before they can even understand the language, okay?"
He pictured himself sandwiched between two angry people, hands on hips, after making a stupid remark or doing something stupid. The scene of him and Rigel being scolded together,
"Oh, it's not as bad as I thought. In fact, it's such a happy future that it might bring me to tears."
"I don't want to. If my sister gets angry at me, it will be a total loss of face for my older brother."
"If you're not going crazy with me, you'll lose face. I can see it, I can see it... your future where you love your sister too much, spoil her, and end up being dominated by her."
"Don't push me just because you're the one being bossed around! I'll never be like that."
Subaru was stirring things up with his fingers in strange and complex ways, and Rigel was arguing with him, his veins rising from the blue. However, it wasn't Subaru who frowned at Rigel's angry voice.
The blue-haired woman had been watching the two of them with a smile. She called out the boy's name, "Rigel," in a calm but clear voice.
"How dare you talk outside like that for a while now. It's getting out of hand."
"Uh, but..."
"But I still hate you. And what you said earlier was wrong."
After mercilessly scolding the stammering Rigel, she smiled at Spica, who had calmed down in her arms, and said,
"Mom doesn't boss Dad around. Dad is always number one to Mom."
A statement that is more embarrassing than blushing in public.
Seeing his mother state this so boldly, Rigel raised both hands in a clear gesture of giving up.
Subaru laughs as he feels an itchy sensation, and as she watches the family with happiness, she gently presses her hair back.
Rem's beautiful long blue hair, which reflected the sky, was caressed by the gentle breeze and swayed gently.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Subaru was sitting on a bench in a corner of the provincial city of Kararagi - a square-like place that left some wondering whether it was appropriate to call it a park.
Right in front of him, Rigel, his short blue hair standing on end, was running around wildly with his friends in a mischievous alliance. He didn't know how to speak to his father, but seeing him like that, it was hard not to find him endearing.
"Now all that's left is to get rid of that nasty look in his eyes that makes him look like he's about to kill someone."
"No you can't. That evil look in his eyes is what makes him Rigel. No matter how much fun he looks like, no matter how happy he is, if someone who doesn't know him sees him for the first time, he will look like he's in a bad mood and plotting something evil. That's Rigel after all."
"I heard you, and I was much more hurt by your mother's response!"
Rigel, who had been captured and frozen by a demon while engrossed in the popular "Ice Demon" that Subaru had taught him, yelled something. Subaru waved his hand casually in response, and Rem also waved her hand so that the sleeping Spica wouldn't notice.
Rigel pouts his lips and his eyes become sharp with dissatisfaction. It's irresistible because it reminds me so much of the image of his younger self that remains in photo albums and such.
"In other words, his future is already set in this way. I shudder to think that I could be him... if I was told that I would become him in twenty years' time."
"She's a good cook and a jack of all trades when it comes to housework. She'll be a dedicated and supportive husband, and you'll be able to get an ideal, wonderful wife... doesn't that mean?"
"What's with that popular guy? Go explode! Ah, it was me!"
Subaru put his hand to his head and stuck out his tongue, causing Rem to let out a small sigh.
She put her hand to her mouth and cleared her throat, glancing sideways at Subaru,
"If you keep praising her and not denying her like that, Rem will get carried away, you know?"
"I wonder what's wrong with praising him so much, the way things are now. I guess he just chose not to deny his own self-praise. Well, it's an undeniable fact that there's nothing to deny."
On the contrary, if Subaru were to talk about Rem without any embarrassment or hesitation, the praise would fly out and things would get crazy. As it was the middle of the day in the park, where children were competing for supremacy, there were many families and neighbors around. Once he started talking about his love for her, she would dig deep and ask him about every detail, and she would monopolise the topic of conversation tomorrow.
That in itself isn't so bad, he thinks, as he is beginning to feel rather poisoned, but Subaru consciously ignores this and immerses himself in the warmth of the family's company.
If you close your eyes and let yourself be immersed in the sunlight, you will have the illusion that your body is floating in the warmth of the sunlight. As your body is swept away by sleepiness from staying up late, your mind is pulled along, and your head feels heavy and swaying.
"Oh."
"If you're sleepy, please rest on Rem's shoulder. Spica has you monopolized in my arms right now."
Opening one eye, Subaru saw Rem's body, who had somehow come to his side and was supporting him. There was a slight difference in their sitting heights, and when Subaru tilted his head, his head was perfectly placed on her shoulder.
Feeling a little embarrassed, Subaru looks at Spica sleeping peacefully in his arms. She has black hair inherited from her father and a lovely face inherited from her mother. A precious life that knows nothing of the world yet, living each day innocently.
"Mm, Spica. Even though you're my beloved daughter, you're still a naughty girl who occupies my sanctuary. I'll give you a tickling punishment later."
"Please wait until night to monopolise Rem's heart."
"It's lunchtime here in the park, so be careful what you say, okay?!"
Subaru responded to Rem's bold statement by turning his body around. Taking a quick look at her profile, he could see that the person who had spoken was bright red on the cheeks.
"My wife is super cute"
"Because I am loved every day."
Rem responded to Subaru's bragging with her own, and the two exchanged smiles. Rem was smiling and Subaru was smiling in an onomatopoeic way.
Feeling embarrassed just staring at each other like that, Subaru scratched his cheek with his fingers, pulled himself together, and said, "Well, I'll take you up on your offer," as he once again rested his head on Rem's shoulder.
Her smooth blue hair swaying in the wind felt strangely good against my cheek. I sniffed and rubbed my cheek against Rem's shoulder.
"That tickles, my dear."
"Ah, sorry. It felt really good and I got all excited. I'll follow Spica's example and stay calm. I'll leave the restless stuff to Rigel. Wow, kid Rigel."
"I hear you, stupid dad! Stop bringing me up all the time!"
"Rigel. Your sister is sleeping, so please be more considerate."
"It doesn't make sense!"
Rigel, still frozen, screams unreasonably, but no one in his family comes to his aid. In addition, no one comes to help the frozen Rigel. He is always the one being teased.
Subaru thinks that Rigel is more fortunate than him in that he hasn't been ostracized by the other children, despite his personality, speech, and behavior being quite similar to his own. However, he also feels that he was able to be included in the community to a certain extent when he was a child, so Rigel's future is not as bright as he imagined.
"We have to make sure that doesn't happen to Spica. Rigel is such a shame, but you're like your mother so your future is bright. Now all we can do is pray that you don't get caught by a useless man like me."
"There's no one to replace you. You, Rem, are the only one in the world."
He chuckled softly after receiving his wife's stamp of approval, and then a moment of silence fell between the two of them.
As the soft breeze tickles Subaru, he feels Rem's body temperature on his skin and he finds himself drifting into a daze.
I work hard every day and my body is quite tired. I enjoy the occasional time to spend with my family. I doze off in the warm sunshine, snuggling up to my wife who holds our daughter, while watching from a distance our son being teased by his friends.
--What a happy and sweet time it was.
"Subaru-kun――"
Suddenly, hearing his name called, Subaru opened his eyes.
Glancing towards the voice, he saw Rem tilting her head slightly in his direction. Subaru was reflected in her clear, pale blue eyes, and her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something.
"...that's what you call him."
"――――"
"It's been a while. It's always been 'you' or 'Dad' lately."
Subaru closed one eye and relaxed his mouth, but Rem pursed her lips in return.
Her behavior reminded her of a few years ago, something she had done frequently when she had first fled. She was probably trying not to let Subaru notice, but he had been watching her more than she realised.
I close my eyes and feel the breeze.
It was Rem who invited me to go shopping with my family today. I somehow knew what her intentions were. Because,
"It's already been eight years since that day."
"So you noticed..."
"Well, for me... no, for us, it was a turning point, you know? I noticed it, and I remember, or rather, I won't forget. --I can't forget."
The day I gave in to fate. The day I threw everything away and ran away.
The day when I was willing to give up everything, but there was one thing I couldn't give up on.
The decision that day, and her love - it was because of them that Subaru was able to be where he is now.
"Subaru-kun is..."
She had consciously stopped calling him by that nostalgic name some time after they'd fled to Kararagi. I think it was to show them and those around them that they were a married couple, but I also think she wanted to make something, even if just a little bit, different from how they were in the past.
Up until this very day, he had never mentioned it, and Rem had never told Subaru the reason why.
Calling out to Subaru in the same way she had called him in the days she had left behind, Rem's eyes were filled with a swirl of complicated emotions.
"Do you have any regrets?"
"regret?"
"Yes. That I ran away. That I gave up. That I threw away Rem..."
"If I say it was a choice, she'll get super angry. I'll take Rigel and Spica and go back to my parents' house! Ah, I don't need Rigel after all. I'll leave him behind."
Subaru could see Rigel's face turning fierce, but he pretended not to notice, saying, "I'm telling you something important right now," and knocked his son into the Valley of the Thunder. He turned to Rem once more, and continued, "You see,"
"It's been eight years, so it's too late now, and to be honest, I've said this dozens, hundreds of times, so I don't know how effective it will be."
"yes"
"I love you more than anything in the world. You are my only wife, and I am your only man. You're not some cheap woman that a man like me can compromise to get."
Subaru raised his body and lightly tapped Rem's forehead with his fingertips. With his hand on her forehead, Subaru moved closer to Rem, who had a shocked look on her face.
"Just as I promised that day, everything I own belongs to you. I will devote myself to you, I will devote myself to you, I will live only for you. ーーNow, I also do it for the sake of me and your child."
He placed his lips on her nose and captured her lips as she closed her eyes.
They kissed, barely touching each other, and Subaru's breath was so close that he smiled like a mischievous boy, a smile that hadn't changed even as he grew older.
"So you don't feel relieved?"
"...I'm sorry. Rem is always anxious. Because, I'm falling more and more in love with Subaru-kun. Even though I think there couldn't be a happier time than this, he just makes me happier and happier. I'm happy, I love him, and that's why I'm anxious."
With tears in her eyes, Rem declared that she was happy, but shook her head slightly. Shaking her head, she rested her forehead against Subaru's, exchanging warmth with him.
"It feels like one day I'll lose you while we're touching each other like this."
「Don't worry. I won't leave you, and I won't disappear. As long as you don't get fed up with me, we won't be separated.」
"Rem will never lose patience with Subaru-kun--"
"Then we'll always be together. I love you, Rem."
Subaru kissed Rem again, as she was overwhelmed with her own emotions.
I pressed my teeth against her soft lips, and penetrated her even deeper as she stiffened in surprise. Our soft organs entangled, and I felt her hot saliva on the tip of my tongue.
Their lips parted after that. Rem took a deep, long sigh. Subaru pointed his finger at her and said, "But anyway."
"Don't say stupid things like compromise. So what? You think Rigel and Spica were born out of sympathy and not love? Spica is the fruit of our love, which was full of planning, and Rigel is the result of our youthful, burning love going out of control."
"...It was a difficult time when Rigel was born."
Subaru stood preaching, his hands on his hips, and Rem replied, her lips forming a smile.
As she reminisces, she lovingly traces her past memories with her fingertips.
"I had to move to Kararagi, find a place to live and a job, and take my time to slowly establish a life."
"Well, you see, I was young and impatient."
"Even though Subaru-kun must be tired after work, he becomes really energetic just before going to bed."
"Well, you see, I was young and had plenty of energy."
"The time I was officially hired and the time I fell pregnant were almost the same. Even Rem's face turned white at the time."
"I don't want to admit it, the mistakes of my youth..."
Subaru looked off into the distance as he muttered to himself in response to Rem's furious attack. Over there, Rigel, who had been treated as if he'd made a mistake by Subaru, had a sour look on his face as if he wanted to say something, but he seemed to read the mood and somehow managed to control himself. What a good son.
Subaru nodded at the growth of his son. Next to him, Rem was also looking at her son, frozen and grim, and took a small breath, "But,"
"Rem was truly happy when she conceived Rigel."
"Well, I was happy too. When I first heard it, my nose was running and I had to pee a little, and Rem had to punch me to see if it was a dream, so I ended up bleeding."
Rem may have been nervous as well, but she was hit with a full swing and slammed into the wall with enough force to tilt the temporary residence. If she hadn't been able to quickly take a defensive stance, it wouldn't have been surprising if she had been killed.
Putting those memories aside, he remembers in detail the time when Rem told Subaru she was pregnant, and all the warm feelings that welled up in his heart at that time.
However, Rem shook her head at Subaru's answer. When Subaru tilted his head, not understanding the meaning of her reaction, her smile darkened slightly,
"Rem's happiness is surely different from Subaru's pure happiness. The happiness Rem felt was… the joy of knowing that she would no longer have to lose Subaru."
"..."
"Rigel is a bond that was born in a definite form between Rem and Subaru. I know this sounds harsh, but the birth of a baby created a definite bond between Rem and Subaru that could never be separated. …And that made Rem happy."
Perhaps the days of anxiety had been weighing on her mind all this time.
They had abandoned everything they had built up up until then and fled to a new world, just the two of them. With only the other person to cling to, Rem could no longer bear the fear of losing Subaru again.
Her lack of confidence is at a level that would give Subaru a very good fight.
To Rem, who was so severely underestimated, life with Subaru was like a time constantly being worn down by extreme happiness and extreme fear.
What put an end to that time was the new life that was born between the two of them.
"You didn't believe it?"
"No. Rem believes in Subaru-kun more than anyone else in the world."
"That's not it. It's not that you couldn't trust me... you couldn't trust yourself?"
Rem took a small breath at Subaru's words of denial, then nodded.
Subaru's presence in her mind is disproportionately large, and the fact that her own shadow seems especially small in comparison makes her feel uneasy.
--Doesn't she realise that Subaru has always had the same feelings for her? Even though Subaru has always thought that Rem was too perfect for him.
She couldn't help but laugh. Seeing Subaru smile and show his teeth, Rem puffed out her cheeks in disappointment,
"It's fine. Rem was being stupid. I can't help it if people laugh at me..."
"No, not that. I was just thinking about it. You and I have similar personalities, and my wife is the cutest in the world after all."
Subaru's words took Rem by surprise, and she froze for a moment, then her face turned red. Seeing her reaction, he realized that he really did love her.
I love Rem more than anything in the world. I love her. I can shout it out loud. Actually, I do sometimes. We are a passionate couple, famous in the neighborhood.
"-- Rigel, Spica."
"yeah?"
Suddenly, Rem lovingly calls out the name of their child. Subaru tilts his head, and Rem replies, "No," and looks up at him,
"Both were names of stars, right? That's how the stars were called in the place where you lived, Subaru-kun."
"That's right. My dad was basically a crazy guy who pronounced common sense as "tokoshiki", but I think naming me Subaru was a good decision. I like the name. Subaru is also the name of a star."
When Subaru was in elementary school, he was given an assignment to find out the origin of his name, and he learned the history of his name. When he found out that one of the stars that lit up the night sky was his name, he was overjoyed and excited, which was unusual for him.
Since then, I have never been one to stick with any hobby for long, but looking at star encyclopedias has been a long-lasting habit for me. I know the names of all the stars, and if I had the chance to give something a name, my choice would naturally be,
"It's taken from the name of a star, you say. My online handle name is also the name of a star, so even if I were to use a pseudonym, I'd probably take it from a star too. In a way, this is also a sparkly name!?"
"I don't know what it means, but I think it's a nice name to be named after a star. I'll definitely do the same thing when our third child is born."
"Isn't it a bit premature to start talking about a third child? Spica is still an infant."
"I think it'll be fine if we leave it to Rigel except when he's nursing. Why do you think I warned her not to have another child until Rigel is older?"
"Although you don't stand out in my shadow, Rem is pretty aggressive towards Rigel, isn't she?!"
Grinning wryly at the way his son was usually treated, Subaru shook her off and stood up. As Rem looked up at him, Subaru turned his back and twisted his waist,
"It's about time to put away the shopping and go home. If we're outside, I'll be worried about people looking at me and I won't be able to cuddle as much as I want."
"That's true. Right now, Rem, I feel like going all out and getting cozy for the first time in a while."
"I wonder if my current libido is enough to keep up with the demon's stamina..."
Muttering timidly, Subaru held out his hand to Rem, who was sitting on the couch. Rem slowly took his hand, and pulled her to her feet, as she cried out "Waah," and he took her into his arms.
I embraced her and Spica, thoroughly enjoying her warmth,
"Well, let's go home. To our house."
"Yes, sir."
Holding a shopping bag in one hand, he grasps Rem's outstretched hand with the other. Subaru walks ahead of him, half a step behind, as Rem holds his hand, walking close to him.
So I went to the center of the square, next to my son, who was still frozen.
"Hey, my son, we're in the middle of the Sapporo Snow Festival. There's been so little progress with the Ice Oni that it's really boring to watch, so my mother, daughter and I are going home. You can stay at a friend's house."
"They were blatantly trying to kick me out! I mean, my parents were openly kissing and making out in the middle of the park in the middle of the day."
"Serves you right, you're jealous. Sorry, Rigel. This Rem is mine only."
"How annoying!!"
Rigel yelled at Subaru, his nose puffed up as he laughed loudly. However, the more Subaru said this, the happier he looked, and Rigel shook his head, letting out a long, deep sigh.
"Calm down, calm down, me. Don't let yourself be swayed by dad's pace. Calm down, calm down. Okay, calm down. So, what did you and mom talk about?"
"Oh? The story goes that your name comes from the name of a star. The first name candidate for you was actually Vega..."
"You look strong! Why did you stop?"
"No, he looks strong, right? I thought he'd grow up to be strong, and when he gets into a rebellious phase, it'll be tough, so I decided not to. Even though I knew he'd eventually surpass me, my fatherly instincts of not wanting to lose to his son told me that."
"You can't expect that much of a future from an infant who's only a few days old?!"
Rigel jumped up and made a retort to Subaru's silly joke. And,
"Hey, Rigel's on the move! Don't break the rules of the Ice Demon!"
"a!"
The demon, who had seemed to have been intentionally omitting Rigel up until that point, took this opportunity to denounce him when he made a move. Rigel choked and froze. Subaru tapped him on the shoulder,
"Anyone who breaks the rules of the Ice Demon will have a punishment game. The demon will tickle you until you can't laugh or cry anymore. -- Do your best."
「What outrageous thing are you saying with a serious look on your face… Hey, what is it, you guys?! Wait a moment! Don't take this man's words seriously! Wait, waaaaa――!!」
Rigel was chased by the children who appeared in droves. Rigel tried to run away, but they got around him. They grabbed his limbs and pinned him to the ground, and his resistance was futile as numerous white fingertips attacked his body.
"Farewell, my son. You were a good son. Your father is to blame."
"Rigel, Mom and Dad have an important discussion, so you're staying over at a friend's house tonight. Also, please note that you are not allowed to use your horns. Be careful not to tear your clothes."
"Remember, you cold-hearted parents――!!"
With his body being toyed with by the mountain of demonic hands, Rigel burst into forced laughter. Looking half-eyed at his brother's disgraceful state, Spica could be seen letting out an amused voice.
She has quite a promising sensibility. I'm sure her progress will make Rigel's position in the Natsuki family even more solid.
Showing his affection for his beloved son in a slightly twisted way, Subaru took Rem's hand and began walking.
A home filled with peace and happiness where your precious family lives.
"Subaru-kun."
"yeah?"
Subaru stopped in his tracks as he was pulled by the hand and turned around.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew between the two of them. I instinctively closed my eyes, and when the sound of the wind stopped, I slowly opened them.
Rem's long blue hair was blown wildly by the wind, sparkling and blending into the sunlight.
Rem had started to grow her hair long. Subaru now somehow understood who it was in reaction to. And when he thought of a girl with long hair, the first thing that came to mind was the most important woman in the world to him.
Rem, with her blue hair flowing softly, holding her beloved daughter in her arms, smiles at Subaru.
It was the smile of a beloved one, one that evoked in Subaru the greatest feelings of love.
"Rem is the happiest person in the world right now."