“S-so… Sister, would you like to go on a date?”
One morning, Lian came to my room, her face flushed bright red, and said those words while frequently averting her gaze.
“A date?”
A date. I mulled over the word. It had been so many years since I’d heard that word that it took me a moment to realize it generally meant “an outing between lovers.”
In my previous life was one thing, but ever since being reborn, I’d been so busy with magic practice and research that I hadn’t had time for such things.
“A date. I’ve never gone out with you, Sister, so I really wanted to go…”
I had no reason to refuse.
“Alright… but what exactly do you do on a date? Unfortunately, I’m not very familiar with it.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve never been on a date either…”
That was surprising. That a lady as beautiful and graceful as Lian had never been on a date with a gentleman. In the game, she was the kind of character many men would vie for.
“…Well, alright. I’ll get ready.”
Feeling a slight lightness deep in my chest, I said that.
The two of us left the academy and headed into town.
In the town, sunlight poured down like faint, white powder, and a warm breeze swept through.
As it was a holiday, the town was bustling with many people, and if you took your eyes off someone for a moment, you might get separated.
“Shall we hold hands?”
I asked Lian. Lian’s eyes sparkled.
“Is that okay!?”
Lian timidly grasped my hand. I could feel her slightly trembling fingertips through my palm.
“Sister, I’m so happy.”
Seeing her so delighted made me feel a little embarrassed, and I averted my gaze.
“Sister, what is that?”
“That’s a roasted salamander. It looks a bit grotesque, but I hear it’s considered delicious among some gourmets.”
“I want to try it!”
It didn’t seem like something a beautiful young lady should eat, but in the end, I decided to buy it for her.
“It’s delicious!”
Lian said with sparkling eyes, so I took a bite too. —It was awful. A bitter and sour taste spread simultaneously, an indescribable flavor.
Come to think of it, I now remembered that in the game, Lian’s sense of taste was a bit unusual.
“Sister, what’s that?”
“Street performance. A performance using magic.”
“Amazing! They breathed fire from their mouth!”
“It’s a basic fire attribute spell. They’re just good at the presentation.”
To put it simply, it was like a simple magic trick, but Lian seemed to be enjoying it, so that was enough.
“By the way, I can do a little magic trick too.”
“Sister’s magic trick? I want to see!”
I took a coin from my pocket.
“Hold this coin… let go, and see!”
“Eh!? The coin disappeared! Amazing!”
This was also just a minor dark attribute spell, but seeing Lian’s happy face, I was glad I did it.
“Is a date supposed to be like this?”
“I don’t know but it’s fun, so isn’t that okay?”
At Lian’s words, I gave a small nod. That must be what it’s like, I suppose.
We walked around town for a while.
We hadn’t set a particular destination. Even without one, it wasn’t a problem. Every time Lian found something, she would stop, so our pace naturally slowed, and that felt just fine.
We stopped in front of a flower shop. Lian was looking at each flower in the shopfront one by one.
“Which do you like?”
When I asked, Lian thought for a moment.
“I like the white ones. Because they don’t assert themselves too much.”
“That’s not like you.”
“Is it?”
“I thought you’d choose something more showy.”
Lian laughed. “What about you, Sister?”
“Me?”
“Which ones do you like, Sister?”
I looked at the flower shop’s display. Flowers of various colors were lined up. In the past, I might not have been interested. But today, standing beside Lian and looking at them, I felt I could choose one.
“I might like the blue ones.”
“They suit you,” Lian said. “You, Sister.”
Feeling embarrassed, I silently started walking.
Lian followed. Our hands remained connected.
When we reached the middle of town, Lian stopped.
It was a small jewelry store. Several stones were lined up in the glass case at the front.
“Sister.”
“What?”
“What is that?”
In the center of the case, two faintly glowing stones were placed as a pair. They were a nearly transparent white, looking blue or purple depending on the angle of the light. Next to the price tag was a small note that read “Lover’s Stones.”
I knew.
It was a custom in this country—stones lovers gave to wish for each other’s safety. Of the paired two, one kept one and gave the other to their partner. It meant staying connected even when apart.
“They’re Lover’s Stones.”
“Lover’s Stones,” Lian repeated. “What do they mean?”
“You give them to wish for the other’s safety. They come in a pair, and each person keeps one.”
Lian was looking at the glass case.
She was silent.
There was a pause, as if she was thinking about something.
I called the shopkeeper.
“Those Lover’s Stones.”
The shopkeeper looked up.
“Two, please.”
The wrapped stones were placed in a small box for us.
Leaving the shop, we entered a quiet alley with few people. Sitting on the edge of a fountain, I opened the box.
The two stones lay side by side.
I took one out. Taking Lian’s hand, I placed the stone on it.
“I’m giving this to you.”
Lian looked at the stone.
“Because I want you to be safe.”
I tried to continue, my words stopping for a moment. But I didn’t stop.
“So that if something happens to you, I’ll know. I’m putting that meaning into it too.”
Lian looked up.
Her ears were red.
The sun was setting. The evening light dyed Lian’s profile orange. Though embarrassed, she didn’t look away. She was looking straight at me.
“Sister.”
“What?”
“I love you.”
Her voice was a bit more serious than before.
“May I keep this stone forever?”
“…Yes.”
“I absolutely won’t lose it.”
“It would be a problem if you did.”
“I won’t lose it,” Lian repeated. “Absolutely.”
She stated it definitively.
Her eyes held the same look as on the night of the Moon-Viewing Stone. Eyes that had decided something. Eyes that wouldn’t bend once decided.
I took the other stone in my hand.
“I’ll keep this one too.”
“…Really?”
“Really. Is that strange?”
“It’s not strange. I’m happy.” Lian’s voice trembled slightly. Though trembling, she was smiling. “So much.”
I rolled the stone with my fingertips.
It looked blue from a certain angle. I thought it resembled the Moon-Viewing Stone. Light within darkness. I remembered Lian saying something like that about my magic.
“Sister.”
“What?”
“I feel the same way. I want you to be safe. No matter what happens, I want to be by your side.”
Lian was looking at me.
“Forever.”
I weighed the heaviness of the word “forever.”
Weighed it and accepted it.
“…I understand.”
That’s all I said. I thought that was enough.
Lian nodded.
On the way back, the setting sun was sinking behind the mountains.
The sky was a mix of orange and purple. A purple close to darkness and an orange close to light melted together at the boundary. A color that was neither light attribute nor dark attribute, yet both at once.
We walked holding hands.
Lian was looking up at the sky.
“Sister.”
“What?”
“Today was fun.”
“I see.”
“So, this is what a date is like.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “But it wasn’t bad.”
Lian laughed.
The stone was in my hand. It was warm. I didn’t know if it was the stone’s temperature or the warmth from Lian’s hand being transmitted.
Either was fine.
The academy gate came into view. Lian squeezed my hand a little tighter.
I understood it meant she didn’t want to go back.
I squeezed back.
We walked just a little slower for a while longer.