Once the commotion involving Fia-sensei and Noin-san had finally settled, I made my way to the bedroom.
It seemed they had only come to use the bath and wouldn't be staying the night. I suppose staying in the same place as three of the Six Kings was probably asking too much of them. Regardless, we had agreed on a meeting time and place for tomorrow, and the two of them had returned to their own lodgings.
In any case, so much had happened today that I was exhausted. Between the general chaos of the festival and the fact that I hadn't been sleeping well lately—mostly due to the sheer embarrassment of having someone sleep beside me—I was feeling incredibly drowsy.
I really wanted to sleep soundly tonight, but... I wondered how that would go.
With those thoughts in mind, I opened the bedroom door and stepped inside.
Isis-san, Alice, and Ein-san were nowhere to be found in the spacious room. Instead, Kuro sat alone on the sofa, nibbling on some Baby Castella.
"Oh, Kaito-kun. Welcome back~"
"...I’m back. Is the meeting over already?"
"Yeah. It was just a quick check-in."
"I see... Where is everyone else?"
After welcoming Kuro back from her talk with Magnawell-san, I asked why the others weren't there.
"Ah, well, I asked everyone else to let me be alone with Kaito-kun today."
"Wait, really?"
"Mhm. So... there."
Kuro explained that Isis-san and the others wouldn't be coming tonight as she moved over to the bed and sat down. Then, looking at me with a gentle smile, she opened her arms wide.
"Come here, Kaito-kun."
"Huh? W-What do you mean?"
I asked, slightly taken aback by her waiting there with such a tender smile.
"Kaito-kun, you went through a lot today, didn't you?"
"I mean... yeah."
"It’s okay. Only I’m here. I’ve put up a barrier, so even Shiro can’t see us right now... So... okay?"
"Kuro..."
I shouldn't have been surprised. She saw right through me. That was why she told me we’d talk later. Drawn in as if by some invisible force, I stepped forward and buried my face in her chest.
Kuro didn't say anything; she just pulled me close, cradling my head in her arms.
She was so warm. The world around us went silent, leaving only the sensation of her heat. It was overwhelmingly comforting, a warmth that seemed to seep into the very depths of my soul.
"I thought I’d accepted it," I murmured.
"Mhm."
"I knew there was a high chance she was someone else. I knew it couldn't be my mother... But I think when I finally confirmed she wasn't her... I was disappointed."
"I see."
A confession of weakness—if that’s what it was—spilled from my lips quite naturally.
"But at the same time, I felt relieved that I hadn't been wrong. I was satisfied with the logic of it."
"So you’ve ended up confused, haven't you?"
"Yeah... I don't know what I actually wanted anymore. Did I want her to be my mother, or did I want her to be a stranger? It’s all so hazy now. I’ve lost track of my own feelings."
I confessed the frustration I felt over my inability to reach a clear conclusion about Luce-san. Kuro kept one hand around my head while the other gently stroked my hair.
"Kaito-kun, it’s all right. There's nothing strange about feeling that way."
"Huh?"
"Your mother died, and you’d settled that in your heart in your own way, right? But then you suddenly see someone who looks exactly like her... It’s only natural to start hoping."
"Kuro..."
"You can't just flip a switch and move on from the death of someone you love, even if you tell yourself you have. If you can't forget, you don't have to. If you don't have an answer, you don't have to find one."
Her words were a gentle blanket of affirmation. Her voice resonated in the center of my heart, just like it did the first time she saved me.
"Because, Kaito-kun, your hesitation only exists because you still love your mother so dearly. I think that’s perfectly fine."
"..."
"But you shouldn't carry it all by yourself, okay? It’s okay to be lost, and it’s okay not to have answers... but don’t try to figure it out alone. Please, talk to me. If you do, I’ll stay by your side for as long as you need me..."
"Okay."
I had never told anyone, but I had always lived with one specific regret. I never got to say goodbye to my mother and father.
Back when the accident happened, while I was trapped in the car shivering with the fear of death... just once, I felt my mother’s hand touch my cheek. In that moment, I wondered if they might still be alive.
Logically, I knew that was impossible given the situation. And yet, because I never got to say "thank you" or "goodbye" to the parents I loved so much... it remained a heavy weight in my heart.
That was why I was hoping. I hoped Luce-san was my mother so that I could finally say the words I missed my chance to say.
"Hey, Kaito-kun? Why don't we just sleep like this?"
"Yeah."
"I’ll keep holding you. That way, you won't be lonely, even in your dreams."
"Thank you."
I knew I was going to be all right. I’ll probably never be able to fully "get over" my parents. If something like this happens again, I’ll likely get my hopes up and then crash back down.
But that was okay. At the very least, as long as I couldn't move on, I never had to worry about forgetting them.
I have people who support me when my heart is weak. That was why I could carry these unresolved feelings... why I could bear the weight of their deaths and still look forward and keep walking. I was certain of it.
Dear Mother, Father—I’ve been worrying about so many things and getting help from so many people, but I think I can face tomorrow with everything I've got. I don't have any real evidence to back it up, but thanks to what happened today, I feel like my heart has grown just a little bit stronger.
Serious-senpai Act 3: "Gu... gununu... It’s sweet... but there’s a serious edge to it... mmm, this is a tough one to judge... Hmph. Gray! I'll hold out for next time!!"
Serious-senpai Act 3: "Wha—!?"