Chapter 83: Seizing a future for just the two of us at the graduation ceremony

Seizing a future for just the two of us at the graduation ceremony

In the pleasant warmth of a spring morning, I sprinted with all my might, cutting through the lukewarm air. My smartphone screen, left wide open, still displayed Aya’s brief message: “Hurry up!”

It had been three weeks since the Valentine’s Day when I stayed over at her place. Today was the school graduation ceremony, a significant day and I was currently setting records for being fashionably late.

Working tirelessly day and night, with yesterday being no exception as I stayed up until dawn reading documents on the bed, I overslept splendidly. I couldn’t even argue back when Aya teased me as “Sleepy Boyan.”

Passing through the main gate, I ran towards the gymnasium, the venue for the graduation ceremony, rather than the usual school building.

Entering, I found that the presentation of graduation certificates was already underway. Students with attendance numbers before mine were receiving their certificates one after another.

I rushed to the backstage just in time, squeezing into the line. Without a moment to catch my breath, my name was called.

“Yes!”

I shouted surprisingly loud and proceeded towards the principal.

Turning around after receiving the certificate, I spotted Aya among the lined-up students. I couldn’t help but almost burst into laughter.

She was crying with large tears streaming down. Her handkerchief seemed no longer useful, so she borrowed one from the girl next to her.

Nevertheless, when our eyes met, she flashed a radiant smile amidst her tears. Watching her skillfully display a teasing expression while shedding tears and smiling, I couldn’t help but want to laugh.

“Sleepy Boyan”, her lips mouthed and seeing her make that teasing expression, I resigned myself to being teased about this forever.

Aya loosened her expression for a moment and softly smiled.

“Congratulations”, I understood as her lips moved.

Her gentle smile was too dazzling, making my head feel hazy.

Descending from the stage a bit unsteadily, I merged into the line of graduates.

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“Huh…”

Strange. Even if Aya was too cute, feeling this unsteady was abnormal.

When I realized something was wrong, my vision flipped and swayed.

“Boyan!”

I heard someone shouting.

Ah, this is it.

As words like sleep deprivation and exhaustion flashed through my mind, my consciousness drifted away.

- - -

Caressed by a pleasant breeze, I wake up. Unfamiliar fluorescent lights adorn the ceiling. This place… it’s the school infirmary.

It seems I was sleeping on the infirmary bed. The window is open, revealing a large cherry blossom tree outside. Pale pink petals dance in the gentle breeze. Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

“Ah, right. I finally made it here”, I say to myself, recalling the dream of the goal I had seen many times before. The same scene is unfolding before my eyes.

This must be the case for Aya too.

“Hmm… Boyan?” A brown head moves around my stomach. She’s rubbing one eye, staring at me.

“Good morning, Aya.”

“Mmm, wrong line… Good morning, Boyan”, she says, lifting herself slightly. Wearing a long-sleeved gray blazer, Aya’s buttons seem to have disappeared. They were probably taken by Kanappe or the juniors.

Her white blouse, with the second button missing, reveals a glimpse of a deep cleavage. My gaze is fixated on her large breasts, which, in the process of sitting up, naturally turn downward due to gravity. This is also just like in the dream.

In the spring breeze, Aya’s beautiful bangs sway. Tears shimmer in her clear double-folded eyes. She must have cried a lot at the graduation ceremony – tear streaks are clearly visible on her cheeks.

“I was so surprised when you suddenly collapsed, Boyan. I thought my heart was going to leap out of my mouth.”

“Yeah, sorry for worrying you.”

“I was really worried, you know. So when I hurried over, Boyan was snoring away. It was a flood of both worry and relief.”

“Really sorry.”

“We all helped carry you, so we have to go thank everyone later.”

“Again, really sorry.”

“…Work?” Aya gazes at me, inquiringly.

“Yeah, I was reading documents for the company I’m involved in launching.”

“I see.”

“But I should have a lot more free time from now on.”

For that, I’ve been working hard. Probably more than any future version of myself.

“Really… Boyan, you’re amazing.”

“It’s all thanks to Aya being cute.”

“What on earth…”

She smiles as if amused.

But it’s true.

“Aya, let’s live together from spring onwards.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s better to be close to the station and your parents’ place, right? How about a condo?”

I’ll never dreamed of living in that apartment again. In fact, intuition is still actively simulating possibilities since that Valentine’s night. The future has been uncertain since then, but it also means infinite possibilities.

“A condo? Boyan, aren’t you moving a bit too fast?”

“It’s quite late if we consider living together from spring onwards.”

I regret not having time to search for a new home due to being too busy. Well, there’s no need to rush. We can carefully look for a place while attending university.

“Oh, I see… Actually, I’ve been casually looking at houses too.”

“Hmm, what kind of places?”

“Well, um… reasonably spacious ones.”

“Spacious, like a 1LDK?”

“Well, a bit more spacious might be better…”

“Huh?”

A gentle spring breeze wafts in, fluttering her blazer.

“Boyan.”

“What?”

“I have something I want to tell you.”

Aya’s strangely formal expression is as gentle as the spring sunlight. There’s none of the awkwardness or hesitation I’ve seen in dreams. Instead, she seems excited, like when giving a surprise present.

“You know…”

“We’re going to have a baby, aren’t we?”

She widens her eyes, surprised. But soon, she smiles softly.

“Yeah, we do.”

“I see… Thank you.”

My eyes well up and my vision blurs. Even though I should have been emotionally prepared since the time I held her on the school trip, the inside of my body is filled with a tingling joy.

It seems I’ve created an eternal bond to completely have her. As I gently hold Aya’s hand, her slender fingers tightly grip back. Her face looks happier than in any dream I’ve had.

—This is our goal.

Speaking to intuition.

The power of God always tried to guide us to happiness.

Even that vision in Chiharu-san’s car… Intuition must have thought that showing it to me would lead to the best outcome, reducing Aya’s jealousy.

Did God bet on our future, on our potential in this future?

I slowly close my eyes and pray.

From here on, we will create the future.

It’s alright now, thank you.

—No issues.

The usual mechanical response resonates in my mind.

—, —, —, —.

Countless visions pop up in my head.

Each memory of the future diverges and expands further. The possibilities eventually turn into a dazzling light, covering and disappearing in front of my eyes.

At the very end, I felt like it said, “It’ll be fine if it’s you two.”

My vision clears and the scene in the infirmary room returns.

There’s Aya, slightly furrowing her brows.

“Boyan, are you okay? Still spacing out?”

“Sorry, just savoring the happiness a bit.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Her bangs float gently. Pink petals from the window fall on her brown head.

“Oh right, Aya. I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Her smile, as if enveloping me, makes my heart pound. Has she already awakened to motherhood?

No, Aya has been like this from the beginning.

“Shall we go outside for a moment?”

We’ve crossed the finish line. From here, it’s an unknown future for the two of us.

Yet, strangely, there’s no anxiety. I’m sure Aya and I will be fine. There’s that confidence.

I gaze absentmindedly at the cherry blossom tree outside.

In the slightly brisk spring breeze, cherry blossoms flutter down.

Behind the school building, just under the cherry blossom tree visible from the infirmary room window, Aya and I stand.

Every time the wind blows, her skirt seems about to flip up and she delicately holds down the fabric with one hand. I should probably get to the point.

“Aya, do you have the ring?”

“Yeah.”

She takes out a ring attached to a chain from around her neck.

“Let me borrow this for a moment.”

“Sure.”

I receive the ring and unhook the chain.

“Aya, give me your hand.”

“Okay.”

With a slightly reproachful expression, Aya extends both hands.

Even at this point, she doesn’t understand my intentions… Despite her strangely keen instincts, she can be surprisingly oblivious at times. That’s one of her many charms.

Well, she just revealed her pregnancy to me, so her mind might be preoccupied with that right now. But just for this moment, I want her to focus on me.

“So, once again.”

“Hmm?”

“Aya, will you marry me?”

I propose with the most serious expression I’ve ever worn in my life.

Her eyes widen, her expression akin to a dove that’s swallowed a firecracker.

But soon, her cheeks loosen. She’s torn between crying and laughing and ultimately settles for a mixed expression.

“Yes.”

Aya lowers only her right hand.

On her left ring finger, the engagement ring is slid into place.

“Let’s choose the wedding rings together.”

“Yeah, that sounds good…”

Despite shedding a considerable amount of tears at the graduation ceremony, transparent droplets begin to spill from Aya’s eyes.

Just then, a gust of wind rushes through.

“Waah!”

I quickly approach her, pressing against her to prevent her skirt from flipping up. She, too, holds down her skirt with one hand. That was a close call.

“That was close.”

“I held it down properly.”

“Yeah, you did.”

I pat her short hair and the three petals that were resting on it increase to six.

As I’m about to burst into laughter, Aya smiles.

“Boyan, there’s a cherry blossom petal on your head.”

“Can you take it off?”

“Sure, just lower your head.”

Her palm cups my cheek as if inviting me and as I bow my head, Aya kisses me.

“Mmm…”

The lips met for just a few seconds, a gentle kiss. The soft touch broke and the beautiful face in front of me dropped slightly – it seemed she was on tiptoes.

I decide to go for another kiss, gripping her small chin. As I bring my face closer, she furrows her brows slightly, seeming a bit uneasy.

“Not into it?”

“No… it’s not that, but, you know, there are a lot of people.”

Aya glances briefly at what’s behind me. Turning around, I notice that a considerable number of students have gathered behind the school building, seemingly drawn by the unusual situation. Some are peering down from the windows.

There’s a low murmur and cheers, but it doesn’t matter. Right now, all I see is Aya.

“We’ve already graduated.”

“Well, yeah…”

“It’s fine now.”

With a gentle smile, she also smiled, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

Nodding, she looks at me.

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

She tilts her small chin upward. To taste the flavor of the new lipstick she recently bought, I press my lips against hers.

“Mmm… Mwah, Ah… Boyan, Mm… Nn… Ahh…”

It’s quite an intense kiss for a public setting. But Aya is also getting involved, so there’s no helping it.

In harmony with the closeness of our lips, we embrace each other. Filling each other’s gaps with warmth, the voices around us and the sound of the wind gradually fade away.

I make it clear that Aya is mine.

Aya makes it clear that I am hers.

Lost in the kiss, we continue.

- - -

TLN: With this chapter, both the web novel and this translation are now complete.

There is a final arc that serves as an epilogue or continuation of the story, but it will only be released as an extra light novel volume and will not appear in the web novel format.

So the next chapters are an afterstory...