Vol. 5 Throwback SS: What Shall Not Stay a Fantasy

After observing the bright blues of summer peeking between a cluster of nearby sunflowers, coupled with the fluttering of flaxen-colored hair through the wind, Amane found himself likening it to a scene straight out of a painting.

The tinge of blue reflected in his eyes was noticeably different from the subdued, paler hues of spring skies; the refreshing, yet nostalgia-inducing hues of autumn skies; or even the deep, crisp, and clear hues of winter skies. Amane looked around. Those very shades of azure, enveloped within a dazzling veil of sunlight, somehow made him feel as if he were dreaming. The clear skies overhead still felt unreal despite the blazing sun shining down directly onto his body, bathing him in its warmth.

Beneath such a sky was a cluster of blooming sunflowers, which only served to make the scene seem all the more dream-like.

"What's wrong, Amane-kun, spacing out like that? Are you not feeling well?"

Above all else, what made it all the more difficult to accept this as reality was the presence of his girlfriend, whose figure synergized exceptionally with the vibrancy of the summer sky above and the sunflowers below; yet, she did not fully blend in with them. Amane had brought Mahiru outside for a stroll and they ventured to a sunflower field not too far from his parents' house. But Mahiru, dressed beautifully in a blue and white sailor one-piece dress, suited the scenery so remarkably well that Amane had forgotten this was real life.

Mahiru approached Amane, her braids swaying as she did so, and she peered up at him with a worried look. Her appearance was vividly emblazoned upon the scenery, yet it seemed almost fleetingly impermanent. Amane slowly shook his head, agog at the spectacle, trying to convince himself of its actuality.

"...Ah, it's nothing. I'm not sick or anything like that. Everything's just so incredibly pretty, so much so that I was wondering if it's all actually real."

"Fufu, I know it's all very pretty, but it's reality. You see? It's cold to the touch, isn't it?"

Mahiru giggled, touching Amane's cheek with the tip of her finger, letting out a clear yet adorable laugh, akin to a tolling bell. The delicate touch of her hand was slightly chillier than Amane's own body temperature. Mahiru's cool, slender fingertips nudged and pinched at his cheeks, as if to awaken him from his sleep, imparting Amane with a soothing and brisk sensation. She was tender with her actions, not hurting him in the slightest.

"If you're so captivated by the scenery, it seems you have taken a liking to it as I have, Amane-kun."

"Ah… You're right about that. I'm glad I was able to come here with you, Mahiru."

It was all fitting to such a degree it didn't feel real, but Mahiru gently smiled next to him and withdrew her chilly hand from his cheek, now entwining it with Amane's unoccupied hand.

That seemingly unreliable yet undeniable sensation slowly brought Amane back to reality.

"Fufu. I'm glad that I was able to come here with you, too, Amane-kun. Thank you for bringing me to see such stunning scenery. Let's come here together next year as well."

Holding onto his hand tightly, Mahiru smiled with as much—no, even more—refreshing exuberance than the lush sunflowers, the glittering rays of sunshine, or even the deep, clear blue skies that surrounded them. Amane felt the haze draped over his thoughts rapidly evaporate.

Amane couldn't consider their intertwined hands a fantasy. This was the blessed reality Amane had obtained, a reality with a future he would now gladly embark upon.

At that moment, the background seemed to fade. Yet, with Mahiru as the centerpiece, a view so beatific and picturesque emerged, which only served to accentuate Mahiru's beauty.

"...Yeah," Amane replied slowly and thoughtfully. "Next year, too."

Mahiru beamed with more joy and life than any sunflower as Amane conveyed each and every word with exquisite effort, confirming their future plans.