The message on the card was clear: I had to stop stalling and finally face Fia-sensei. I understood exactly what that meant.
It was a fundamental issue, really. Fia-sensei had already confessed that she loved me as a woman, and she had been actively pursuing me ever since the Six Kings Festival.
In contrast, how had I behaved? I had taken advantage of her kindness when she told me, "You don't have to give me an answer right away; I'll work hard so that you'll come to like me, Miyama-kun." I had used those words as an excuse to avoid giving her a proper response.
In a way, I had been spoiled by her gentleness, choosing to look away rather than address her feelings.
Depending on how one counted the time I had spent back on Earth, it wasn't an exaggeration to say I had kept Fia-sensei waiting for over two years.
I knew she would never rush me. In fact, given her personality, she would likely wait for years, or even decades, without complaint.
But I couldn't keep taking her kindness for granted and putting this off forever. It was a choice I had to make eventually, and in truth, the fact that it had taken Tre-san's message card to finally push me into action meant I was already being far too slow.
So, I had to think seriously now. I had to decide what I truly thought of Fia-sensei and what answer I would give to her feelings.
I shifted my gaze slightly. A short distance away, Fia-sensei was staring at her own message card with a look of intense concentration.
Our meeting had been a matter of chance. I had happened to help Noah-san, and we had met through that connection. Yet, for some reason, it felt like she was someone I was destined to find regardless of how it happened.
My first impression of her was that she was a kind and respectable person, and that view had never wavered, even after I learned about her complicated circumstances.
She was a gentle, dependable doctor with a charming, airheaded side. She was also someone with a heavy, complex past.
Because our personalities were similar in some ways, we often found ourselves getting excited over topics that would leave others exasperated. While she appeared tranquil, she was quite proactive when it came to romance, showing her straightforward affection for me without hesitation.
To be honest, I probably didn't even need to think about it anymore. I could list countless reasons why I was fond of her, and I couldn't find a single reason to dislike her.
Fia-sensei might have her own regrets about her past, but none of that changed how I felt about her.
I really had just been procrastinating. When I sat down to actually consider it, the answer was right there. All that remained was to put it into words.
With my mind made up, I remembered the instruction to open Envelope Number 9 once I had gathered my thoughts.
"Now, go and tell Fie exactly how you feel! *Open 10 once you've finished telling her and things have settled down."
The card offered a final push. Tre-san was strangely sharp—or perhaps she just saw through to the heart of things. She must have sensed the dynamic between Fia-sensei and me when we met at the clinic, realizing that I was the one averting my eyes.
She had given me the opportunity to face her and the strength to move forward. I would have to thank her properly later.
I steeled my resolve and started walking toward Fia-sensei. She seemed to have finished reading her card as well, and she looked up at me with a trace of anxiety in her eyes.
"Fia-sensei."
"Ah, Miyama-kun... Um..."
"Do you remember what you said here once? About how you would continue to make atonement for as long as you lived?"
"Eh? Ye- Yes. Ultimately, it’s just my own way of finding peace, I suppose."
Those were the words she had spoken back then, after the trouble surrounding her had been resolved and she had reconciled with Kuro.
"You also said that while you continued to atone, you wanted to find happiness for yourself too, right?"
"Yes. I have to reflect on my past and make amends, but you taught me that I can do that while still seeking happiness, Miyama-kun."
"To be honest, I don't think I can help you with the atonement part. That's something that depends on when you can finally forgive yourself. But as for being happy... I think I can help with that. Or rather, I think we can aim for it together."
"Eh? Wh- What does that mean...?"
She likely sensed what I was trying to say. Her expression shifted into a fragile mix of fear and hope.
I looked Fia-sensei straight in the eye and spoke the words I had just confirmed in my heart.
"I’m truly sorry for keeping you waiting so long. I... No, I love you, Fia-sensei. I love you as a woman."
"——!?"
It was a coincidence almost too perfect to believe. Here on Hero's Hill—the very place where she had reconciled with Kuro and where she had first confessed to me—it had taken me over two years to finally give Fia-sensei my answer.
Serious-senpai: "I liked how he corrected himself from 'I also' to 'I do.' That was good. But man, this is rough. The Sugar Presence is getting so thick I can barely breathe. Is it finally happening next time? I feel like a prisoner awaiting execution... Someone save me..."