Epilogue. Take My Hand

“ Sigh… I’m not a fan of getting played like that, but I guess it was going to happen sometime.”

After Touya had told Masachika to stop by the next day with the paperwork and told Alisa that she was done for the day, Masachika and Alisa walked toward the school gate under the dark night sky. While Masachika was grumbling to himself, Alisa followed closely behind in silence with a slightly downcast expression. But when they were about halfway to the school entrance, Alisa suddenly stopped.

“Hey.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“…”

Masachika looked back at Alisa, but she didn’t say a thing. Her blue eyes held mixed emotions while she stared hard into his eyes, and he quietly stared back into hers.

“Are you really going to join the student council?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that…?”

She paused for a moment before firmly continuing:

“Is that so you can run as vice president alongside Yuki?”

“…What if it was?”

He replied to Alisa’s question with a question.

“Would you give up and drop out of the race if that was the case?”

After briefly closing her eyes as if to smother any dependence she was feeling, Alisa opened her eyes once more, revealing a shimmering glow.

“…No,” she replied to his provocation. “I am going to become the student council president, no matter what…even if that means I’ll be running against you. I’m not going to give up.”

Masachika snorted out a laugh and broke into a smile. That powerful light in her eyes was what he wanted to see—what he wanted to protect. He was attracted to that brilliant glow of her noble soul, and until this point, he had helped her from the shadows to prevent that glow from ever clouding over. But not anymore. From now on…

“…Okay,” Masachika said, nodding with his eyes closed.

“…!”

Alisa pressed her lips together tightly and faintly lowered her gaze until Masachika suddenly opened his eyes wide and declared:

“Then I’m going to make you the president.”

“Huh…?”

Her expression wavered in bewilderment, but Masachika looked her right in the eyes and held out his hand to her.

“I will do everything in my power to make you president if that’s what you wish. You won’t be alone anymore. From now on, I will be by your side to support you. So don’t say a word and just take my hand! Alya!”

Countless questions popped into her head before being replaced by another: Why? Why me? Why not Yuki? But each question melted away before his decisive gaze without ever reaching her lips.

Oh… That’s why…

Alisa suddenly realized what was going on. Masachika saw right through her and knew how stubborn she was. That was why he told her not to say another word and take his hand. She didn’t need to ask him for help this way.

Yeah…

Alisa was always alone. She only saw others as competition and looked down on them. She never thought there would be someone she could trust to be there for her. But if there was someone who would accept every part of her, no matter how hopeless she might be… If there was someone there for her unconditionally…then…

“…!”

Not even Alisa could identify the emotions welling up in her heart. Was she touched? Wishful? Delighted? It was all those things and yet none of them. She was swallowed by the furious waves of emotions, almost to the point of tears, but she didn’t cry. She didn’t want the boy in front of her to see her that way because he probably didn’t want to see her like that, either. Alisa threw back her shoulders and proudly faced forward. I wasn’t looking for help , she thought. She would neither try to suck up to nor cling on to him. She took his hand as an equal.

“Good. I’m looking forward to working with you, Alya,” said Masachika with a smirk, as an equal partner, and his unobtrusive kindness brought a smile to Alisa’s face like a flower in full bloom.

“Thank you.”

The voice of her heart slipped out between her slightly parted lips. And then…

…the words of gratitude that accidentally slipped off Alisa’s tongue and the smile from the bottom of her heart—a smile Masachika had never seen before…

…made his heart race.

And at the same time, it reminded him of a warm memory from long ago: that girl’s smile.

Wh-what is this feeling?

His heart hammered against his chest like a drum. It was the beat of love—something he never expected to feel again after that girl had disappeared.

Ha-ha… Seriously? I didn’t know I still had emotions like this.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the girl in front of him. Her hands were so warm. The heat— The pain…?

“Ow, ow, ow! What the…?!”

Before he realized it, Alisa’s smile had turned into something plastered on her face, and she was tightly squeezing his hand like a vise. He shrieked while curling his body with a pleading, quizzical gaze, but his eyes were met with a subzero glare.