I was cleaning the front of the LycoReco café when I heard an obnoxiously loud voice. Although it was quite irritating to be startled by it, it felt really familiar.

"Takinaaaa!"

When I headed towards the origin of the voice, I saw a young pretty girl with a bright smile, yellow dazzling hair wearing a red dress, looking at me with the bewitching scarlet eyes. I spent so many days thinking about that pair of eyes, I get the feeling that they can melt anyone's hearts. Maybe I was also affected?

This girl is Chisato. In a series of stunning events, I and she worked together at this café, somehow it got closed forever, and somehow it got opened again. Now I still can't believe all the things that happened, and how we are here. But here we are.

"Takina! Why do you always wear that poker face? Smile! Waratte!"

It was a casual day, nothing really happy happened and nothing really sad happened either. Chisato is still Chisato, she is always so noisy.

"I thought you are having a special training in DA."

To ensure that her new heart works as expected, Chisato was put through some tests and trainings. I'm not really happy that she was put into it like a test subject of some sorts, and I tried to come with her, but she insisted that she was ok. I came anyway and got kicked out. Sigh.

"It was done! I was waiting for so long for this day so that I can go on a holiday with Takina-chan!"

I grabbed her shoulders.

"Eh? Takina...?"

"You are alright? Does it hurt somewhere? Your movements are ok? Any trouble breathing?"

I'm so worried that it's hard to sleep these days. The training is finally done, and I hope we can enjoy normal life again. I don't even know why I worry that much. I guess I don't even understand myself that well.

"Well... I'm perfectly fine! No problem at all!"

"Really?"

I still can't believe this girl who tends to lie about her own health.

"Really!"

But when I look at Chisato's eyes, somehow I can believe her this time. She is genuinely fine.

"Okay. That's good".

I put my hands off her shoulders and then I kept cleaning the front of the café.

"Takina! Are you listening to me?"

"I do."

"Vacation! Come with me on a vacation!"

"Eh? You mean right now?"

"Of course! I'm only free from today to tomorrow morning! Come, come with me!"

Chisato is wearing such a bright smile that reminds me of the sun. I guess if she insists that much, then it's true that she doesn't have a lot of free time.

"But I have to clean..."

I really hate to stop my work when I'm still at it. I'm the type that gets super irritated when the job is not going as planned.

"Anyone can do this, right?"

She said that and stole the broom in my hands, swiftly threw it to Kurumi who was holding her smartphone. It hit her forehead and caused her to let out a cute "Ahhh!"

"Kurumi, please do it! Please!"

"What? Why do I have to clean up behind your mess, Chisato?"

Kurumi is clearly annoyed, still holding her forehead.

"I'll buy your favorite walnuts, ok?"

Chisato is clasping her hands together, really hoping her to help.

"... Well, fine."

Kurumi let out a sigh and started cleaning. Huh, she is unexpectedly obedient today.

Before I had the time to think about anything, my hands were already dragged out by Chisato.

"Ittekimasu!"

O

I really want to ask Chisato about her plans today, but I guess it's useless to ask. She never has any plan. Every single time I asked before, she just said "I dunno, let's go somewhere fun" or something along those lines. Sigh. How can this girl live like that without any plan at all?

Before I realized, we already visited a coffee shop, and a fashion shop. It was quite fun, I haven't had so much fun in a long time. Now I'm getting dragged into a cinema.

"Which kind of movie do you like, Takina? Ah, I guess I don't have to ask, you always choose horror."

"It's not like that, sometimes I like action too."

"If it's action, you always complain that this gun is unrealistic, that plot makes no sense, blah blah." Chisato frowns.

I have too much real experience in combat that I basically find all the action to be fake, and all the plots have so many plot holes that it basically looks like Swiss cheese. And the romantic movies are not for me, they are too long and it's annoying how indecisive the characters are. So we almost always watch horror.

We ended up choosing a random post-apocalyptic movie about robots, I looked at the plot online and it actually makes a lot of sense, and there is very little combat. I think the name is Heart-Gear or something.

The movie is actually good, it explains the unreasonable feelings of robots quite well. It would be better if I wasn't caressed by Chisato the whole time.

"Chisato, cut that off."

I tried to remove the hand of Chisato off my thigh.

"Just a little bit more... we are both girls so it's okay right?" Chisato smirked. Ah, this girl is so annoying.

The hand was moving to my chest when she said that.

It's enough.

I grabbed Chisato's hands and looked into her eyes.

"Chisato."

"Eh...?"

Chisato is a little flustered. Although she is quite shameless, holding hands in the middle of all the people in a cinema is still a little embarrassing, I guess. But I'm about to say something ten times more embarrassing.

"If you want to do those things, return home and we will do it for real, all the way. We are watching a movie right now."

I look at Chisato who is now beet red like a cute, delicious strawberry.

It's not like I don't enjoy it, but it's frustrating to be turned on and turned off and turned on and turned off again like that.

"Ta...Takina, I appreciate your feelings but everyone is looking at us..."

It's true, everyone is not watching the movie anymore and looking at us with so many different expressions. Anger. Envy. Embarrassment. Surprise.

I don't care.

O

We are at the aquarium.

Actually we have visited this aquarium before. I can still remember that moment when I went with the flow and did the fish stance. Now I feel so embarrassed because of it.

I watch the dancing fishes together with Chisato. We are in a trance, and everything is so silent. If Chisato has heartbeats, I'm pretty sure I can hear it right now if I try. It's a shame that Chisato doesn't have a biological normal heart like me. Her artificial heart can only give off some mechanical metallic sounds, and I'm not very happy about that.

"It's so beautiful."

As usual, Chisato is the one who broke the silence between us.

"Takina, I..."

I just kept silence and waited for her to finish her words.

"I have always wanted to try another life. I wanna become a fish, and try swimming around! I wonder how different life is being a fish and being an octopus, like that one?"

Chisato is saying something quite deep with her usual cheerful tone.

"It must feel refreshing and cool being in the water all the time! Right? Right? Takina?"

"I bet it's so cold that your bones can feel it, and you're so directionless that you'll hit a rock while swimming."

I don't have a lot of confidence in Chisato's directional sense. Last time she dragged me to a nice café that she heard of. We ended up touring the whole city to ask for directions, and when we finally were there, it's closed. What a day.

"You're so mean, Takina! I'm not that bad at all! I bet I can swim around the oceans in no time!"

Chisato frowned and said this.

I held her hands again.

Chisato clearly looks surprised. Her eyes are telling me "Why are you doing that now?"

"And I won't be there with you. You'll be lonely, and have no one to go sightseeing with."

I look at her with a serious expression. I'm pretty sure time stopped right now, and I can feel my heart beating faster.

Chisato just stood there, wordlessly.

Then I finally asked a question that I have always wanted to ask.

"Chisato."

Chisato blinked.

"At that time, did you really intend to leave me alone and go?"

Chisato blinked again, but in her eyes, it shows no difficulty in understanding my question. She knows what I'm talking about. This girl is basically an airhead, but she's not dumb at all. She is super perceptive, she just doesn't normally show off that trait.

I was talking about when she decided to close down LycoReco.

Closing down our memories.

Left everyone and waited for her fate.

"Takina, I..."

"I know how selfish you are, Chisato. You wanted to leave alone, don't you? Without thinking about how sad everyone would be?"

"Takina..."

"I tried to save you on my own accords. It was my decision. Because you just didn't care."

"Takina..."

"It's selfish to make everyone love you, and then just leave like that. It's selfish, you know."

I don't even know why I'm saying these words so painfully. I never planned to speak them out. I guess it would be better if I didn't say anything. But sometimes it's just unbearable. And the mood is right.

"Takina, ne, but I got over it thanks to you! See? I'm now healthy! I'm healthier than ever! We can now enjoy everyday life together! Isn't it just the best? Takina?"

Chisato just let out an awkward smile.

"So Takina, please forgive me, okay?"

Chisato smiles very gently, with a small hint of slyness in her eyes.

"Ha."

I sighed.

And I turned my back towards her.

"Takina?"

I can hear Chisato's voice, but I temporarily can't see her.

"Accepted for now."

"Huh?"

I bet Chisato is confused right now.

"I temporarily accept your answer for now."

Chisato jumped to face me like a rabbit and looked me into my eyes. I just turned away.

"Takina?"

She leans to me, being super close right now. Our chests are touching each other.

I pushed her away.

After ten seconds, she laughed.

"So Takina already forgived me, right?"

"Who knows?"

"I know it! You forgived me, right? Right?"

Chisato is clinging to me like a magnet. Urrgh... annoying.

I gently pushed her away. She clinged to me again. This repeated for around fifteen minutes.

O

I don't know why, but we're at the beach.

The dazzling sunset is embracing us with its warmth, while the endless waves touch each other as they caressed our foot.

"Takina."

"Mm?"

"This is so relaxing. I hope this can continue forever!"

Chisato looks so comfortable as she stretches her arms. Her pretty eyes look at the sky, while her thin, charming neck shows the sunset's reflections.

At that moment, my body moved on its own.

I held Chisato wrists and pushed them down.

"... Takina?"

She is a little flustered when I look into her eyes.

I gently leaned down and put a sweet kiss on her mouth.

She didn't resist.

The waves are still echoing their never-ending sounds.

"Why?"

She whispered.

"Because I'm worried."

"Worried?"

"If I don't do this right now, maybe I'll have no other chance."

"Because maybe you'll leave me someday."

I savored the taste of Chisato's lips while I whispered these words.

The waves are still rushing.

I expected that Chisato would say something like "Don't worry, I'll never leave your side."

But no.

Chisato just gently touched my hair and smiled.

"Takina is such a worrywart."

We stayed like that for around half a minute.

And...

The back of my head was hit by something hard.

I instantly turned around and took out my gun. There is a familiar metallic flying object with yellow stripes. I instantly realized it was Walnut's drone.

But I still shot.

The drone turned around and evaded my bullet beautifully.

"As expected of Takina, such fast reflexes!"

I heard a familiar voice coming out of the drone.

"Walnut, you are quite brave for interrupting me."

I'm a little angry.

"It's just annoying to see how much shamelessness you are showing in a public space."

I bet the drone followed us all the way in our holiday. Tch, this girl is also annoying, that girl is also annoying.

Before I was able to shoot again, I see a faintly red silhouette flying in the sky, with a leg kicking the drone.

Chisato also joined the fray.

"I thought I asked the walnut seller to deliver walnuts to you! Why are you messing with us?"

On the way to the aquarium, we bought some walnuts for Kurumi. It was not convenient to carry it around, so we just asked for delivery. Kurumi should have received it.

"Ha Ha Ha."

We can hear her voice from the drone, she is clearly having fun. Then the drone just flew away to the sunset.

"Wait! You are not getting away!"

Chisato chased the drone.

What is this?

Why has my romantic moment come to this?

I don't know why, but I just laughed. These days I laugh a lot more than the time I was still in DA.

I guess it's not a bad thing.

That day, visitors to the beach could see two pretty girls chasing a strange drone around under the dazzling sunset.