Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Mirai Meets the Love of Her Life.
Mirai Hoshino didn’t consider herself an envious person, or at least that’s what she tried to tell herself.
She was a responsible student, had good grades, helped out at home, and could proudly say she didn’t depend on anyone to solve her own problems.
However, that day while she was sitting with her friends at a table in a café, she heard something that immediately soured her mood.
"Did you guys hear about Reika?"
One of her friends asked as she opened a drink.
Mirai looked up.
"What about her?"
The girl lowered her voice a little.
"They say she already has a fiancé."
Another one of the girls stopped eating.
"A fiancé? A male fiancé?"
"That’s what they’re saying."
The table fell silent for a few seconds.
Mirai felt the atmosphere change immediately.
In this world, a girl could have a female partner, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone, just as she could get engaged to a woman and start a family without it drawing too much attention.
But a male fiancé was different, because men were few.
Having a relationship with one was difficult. Simply getting a date was already complicated, but securing an engagement was something many girls didn’t even dare to seriously imagine.
Mirai crossed her arms.
"Reika, the one from the classroom next door?"
"Yeah."
"Impossible."
"That’s what I thought, but a bunch of people are saying it."
One of her friends gripped her chopsticks in annoyance.
"She definitely cheated."
Mirai looked at her.
"Cheated?"
"Her mom works in a government office, right? She probably used connections to get her a guy."
Another friend nodded energetically.
"That would be so unfair, because some of us haven’t even talked to a boy."
"I once asked one for the time at a station."
Said another, and everyone looked at her.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"He answered me."
The table fell silent again.
"What luck."
Mirai sighed.
"I can’t believe we’re envying someone just for getting the time."
"It’s not something normal."
"That’s the sad part."
One of the girls rested her cheek on her hand.
"I want a fiancé too."
"We all do."
"But wanting one and actually getting one to show up are two different things."
Mirai looked out toward the courtyard.
There were many students walking, chatting, and laughing, but not a single boy in sight.
"If Reika really has a fiancé, then she had help."
"Definitely."
"Her mom got her one."
"That counts as cheating."
Mirai didn’t answer right away.
She didn’t like admitting it, but she also felt jealous of the opportunity and of another girl having something close that seemed so far away to her that she didn’t even know how to begin looking for it.
"I wish I had that same luck."
Her friends looked at her.
Mirai rested her cheek on her hand.
"To meet a guy, talk to him, have him not run away, not think I’m weird... you know, something like that."
"That already sounds way too ambitious."
"I know."
"Maybe you should ask Reika’s mom for help."
"I don’t want to owe Reika anything."
"Then pray for a miracle."
Mirai let out a tired laugh.
"Maybe I will."
The conversation continued for several minutes. They talked about Reika’s supposed fiancé, whether he was handsome, whether he was older, whether they had already signed some family agreement, and how many girls would try to approach him once his name got out.
Mirai participated at first, but little by little she grew quieter.
’A male fiancé.’
The idea seemed absurd and tempting at the same time.
When it was time to say goodbye, her friends stood up one by one.
"See you tomorrow."
"If I find out anything else about Reika, I’ll let you know."
"Ask if her mom accepts applications."
"Don’t joke about that, she might actually do it."
Mirai headed home.
The walk home wasn’t long and she normally did it without thinking too much, but that afternoon she walked slower than usual.
’To meet a guy.’
She sighed.
’I don’t even need a fiancé. I just want a chance.’
Thinking that made her feel a little pathetic, so she shook her head and kept walking. But then she heard a voice behind her.
"Excuse me."
Mirai stopped and, when she turned, saw a boy just a few steps away, holding something in his hand.
Mirai froze, her body stopping its functions for an instant.
The boy had a somewhat awkward but kind expression. He wore a familiar high school uniform and was holding a wallet.
"I think this fell from you."
Mirai looked down and saw it was her wallet, which she hadn’t realized she had lost.
’A boy...?’
The thought arrived before anything else.
’A boy is talking to me!?’
Noah, without knowing who the girl in front of him was, extended the wallet.
"I saw it fall while you were walking, so I hurried to give it back. Sorry if that was weird."
Mirai took the wallet with both hands.
"It wasn’t weird."
Her voice came out quieter than she expected, and Noah nodded.
"Good. Be more careful, because losing it could cause problems."
Mirai looked at him.
’He’s worried about me.’
Noah had only given a normal warning, but Mirai was in no condition to interpret it normally.
’He’s kind.’
The noise of the street seemed to fade into the background.
’He returned my wallet.’
Noah gave a slight bow.
"Well, I’ll be going."
"Wait!"
Noah stopped and Mirai realized she had spoken too quickly.
"I mean... thank you, really."
"No problem."
"Do you study around here?"
Noah blinked.
"Yeah."
"At the high school nearby?"
"Yeah."
Mirai felt her mind begin working at a dangerous speed.
’High school student, responsible, kind, returns wallets, doesn’t seem scared, and has a nice voice.’
Her imagination moved forward without permission.
She saw herself walking beside him, then having coffee, introducing him to her mother, hearing her friends scream with envy, signing engagement papers, entering a house where he waited for her with a smile, holding a baby, then another, and then a third little girl asking if Daddy could read her a bedtime story.
Mirai almost lost her balance.
’No, stop. I don’t even know his name yet.’
She refocused on him.
"Then maybe we have similar routes."
Noah started to look more uncomfortable.
"Maybe."
"I live around this area, you know?"
"Ah."
"And you?"
Noah took a small step back.
"A bit farther."
"How far?"
"Far enough."
Mirai noticed he was trying to leave.
’Don’t let him escape!’
"It’s just that I’d like to thank you properly, so I wanted to invite you for something like coffee, a drink, dessert, you know, something simple."
"There’s no need."
"It wouldn’t be any trouble."
"Really, it’s fine."
"I insist."
Noah tightened the strap of his bag.
"I don’t."
Mirai felt she was losing ground.
"At least tell me your name."
Noah hesitated, and that second of hesitation was enough for Mirai to feel hope.
"I’m Mirai Hoshino."
Noah reacted slightly to the surname.
"Hoshino...?"
Mirai noticed.
"Do you know someone from my family?"
Noah opened his mouth, but before he could answer, a cold voice spoke from the side.
"Noah."
Mirai turned and saw a black-haired girl approaching from the opposite sidewalk.
And so, Luna faces Mirai.
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