At first I thought he was a nuisance.
He interfered in my school life regardless of my intentions. Desperate to twist me, he gave me all kinds of environments, people and events.

I thought he was strange.
He always had a funny way of speaking. His jokes were very unique, strange and funny. He never got bored and always colored my heart with many colors.

I felt we became friends.
I naturally started spending time with him and it became my daily life. He was always by my side, always in my sight. We began to smile together.

I felt like he became someone special.
Knowing my secrets, knowing my past. He tried to understand me and he promised me. That he would solve my problems.

I thought it was a beautiful name.
A beautiful sound. Beautiful Kanji. I practiced it over and over in my mind. Sui, Sui, comet. I whispered it in my heart so that one day I could call her by her proper name. I wanted to call her by her name, not "you" or "you".

I thought I liked it.
I became jealous when he was with someone else. And I wanted to be with him all the time. But I was too proud to be honest.

I thought I loved him.
When I lost his memory, when I lost him, when I remembered him, I loved him consistently. No matter how far away he was, no matter how many times his consciousness melted away in a different world, even if he was gone, my feelings for him would remain constant.




At first I thought he was a pain in the ass.
Every time he opened his mouth, he complained. He was violent. I cursed my fate and wondered why I had to take care of such a problem child.

I thought he was funny.
He had his own philosophy for a problem child. I thought he had an atmosphere that all others were his enemies, but surprisingly he was not so.

I felt sorry for him.
Dual personalities, amnesia, domestic violence. I learned that she was a wreck and had walked a miserable path. Her beauty was almost painful.

I thought we were kindred spirits.
I was a freak, but she was a freak too. She was always talking shit, and I was always joking. Both of us were loud speakers, but I thought we were similar.

I thought she was beautiful.
She was undeniably beautiful. I thought she was beautiful before I met her, but that was all. The more I got to know her, the more the feelings that exceeded the beauty gradually invaded every corner of my body.

I thought she was special.
There was no trigger. It wasn't until I realized it that I became that person. She was always there, always in my thoughts.

I thought she had a very nice voice.
I will never forget how fresh it was when she called my name for the first time. I wondered how she could have such a soothing and charming voice.

I thought it was fate.
To have met her. It's a miracle.
No more miracles will come my way in the rest of my life.





Looking back on it all, I realize how unlucky Alina and I were.
Whenever we tried to come together, one of us would always walk away. Alina forgot me and I closed my eyes. We fell silent at the most crucial moment.
I think that's why we wanted each other so much. We were both desperate not to let go again. Especially Alina. I think she's on a sick level.

I don't know.

She crossed her hands behind her back and with a brilliant smile asked for my opinion of her personal clothing.

'I think it's seven trillion times nicer than Ugin's.'
'You treat Ugin too well, don't you? I'm at a loss for a response.
'Sorry, Ugin ...... brother seems to have betrayed you ......'

Even though it was midsummer and she naturally exposed more, her short shorts were a foul. It was very hard to look at her, but to be honest, I wanted to look at her until my eyes rotted away. I wonder if 3D printers can reproduce human legs? Maybe I'll hang it on my front porch.
I haven't been to this aquarium since high school. It was the time when a certain Mr. M, a coward, was afraid to go on a date and asked me and Alina to keep an eye on him. Mr. M walked around the aquarium with a stiff neck and went on a date with his ex-girlfriend, Mr. R. It was a very innocent moment, I remember. When Mr. Makoto asked for a picture - sorry, I couldn't protect your privacy. Sorry Mr. M, no Makoto.

'Will you hold my hand?'

Alina suggested with a raised eyebrow.
Stop. You're flying right out of the gate, lady. That one word turned my heart into a machine gun. What are you going to do? I'm pouring empty shells (sweat) all over my body.

'It's such an impious thing to touch Alina Hane that day without sterilizing her with alcohol or anything...'
'What are you talking about? Look...''
Oh, no.
'Stop making funny noises.'

My hands were firmly linked, and there was no backing out now.
I wonder if this is a "sweetheart" relationship. I think I saw this in the dictionary. d*mn, I wish I had a Japanese dictionary handy so I could check! Gaddemmmm!
I was so nervous that I couldn't move my joints as much as I wanted to because of the tension of the forbidden lover's connection again. At the same time, I wanted to apologize to Mr. M. Who doesn't get nervous in this situation? Anyone who can say for sure that he or she is not nervous, raise your hand right now. Yes, you're an incinerator.


Tickets purchased, you are ready to embark on your adventure.

It's been a long time. Some things have changed a lot, but it still looks the same as the last time I was here.
'Sigh, yes, yes, yes, yes.
'You're slurring your words. Take a deep breath.
'Oh ......, after all, the air on earth is always good. Titan is the worst. It tastes like piss.

The holiday was a big hit with visitors. There were many couples as well as students and children. I wonder if we are a couple in the eyes of others.
As soon as we passed through the entrance gate, we came to a huge aquarium tunnel. Overhead, brightly colored fish swam around, shining in the sunlight like a chandelier. Sea turtles swam gracefully around the tube, and the school of fish that had almost collided with it dispersed.

This sea tunnel is really beautiful.

She pulled my hand away and looked up.
The light shone on her as if leaking from behind a tree, and her eyes shone like jewels. I looked at her without words and our eyes met.

'What are you doing? You stare too much. You're making it hard to concentrate.
Sorry, sorry. I just feel like I'm on the verge of realizing the truth of the universe...''
'Think of me instead of the truth of the universe.
'Wow! What a Wonderful thing to say!
'Translate it into Japanese properly.'

Akan. Uncle, I can't stop my heart from pounding!
We went through a tunnel and entered a dimly lit area. Many aquariums glowing blue-white are filled with deep-sea creatures and other dark-loving creatures. In other words, residents of the dark. Dark Residents. Sounds like the title of a movie.

'I wonder what they're doing for fun.
Hey, hey, hey, lady, you're being a little harsh all of a sudden. Where is the excitement of the aquarium tunnel?
'Because don't you think so? I wonder why they are still alive.
'It's the same for humans. It's life that searches for what it was born for.
'Hmm. I found it.
'Look, don't say anything that will raise my heart rate any more.
'To be by your side'.
'Ngghhhh! I'm going to burst! Mamma!

With a laugh, he pulled his hand again and headed for the next area. Mother, thank you for giving birth to me. I am very happy now.

There are so many creatures in the aquarium.
They range from pint-sized creatures to ship-like behemoths. But no matter how big or small they are, they give us an impression. They may be alive, but they are still living things. The forms they have acquired over the years are the living history of the earth itself.
I have reflected on many things while spinning with Alina. Everything from the day we met in the library to today. I have seen and experienced many painful things, but I am glad that I am here with Alina, holding her hand.
If I had not escaped from Mr. Akakusa and gone to the library.
If I had not agreed to Tsuru's persuasion and given up on Alina who lost her memory.
If it had been the world in which I died instead of the world in which I survived (Alive).
I shudder to think of that.
Maybe the person holding my hand now is not Alina. It might have been Shirana. We might have had a wonderful time together.
But that world doesn't exist. And I don't want to start over. Every little thing is connected to the future.

When I stood in front of the giant tank, I was overwhelmed by its grandeur.
We were so intoxicated by the blue world that stretched horizontally and vertically that we were reminded of how small we are.

It's really amazing to see it up close.
Oh, my God. I'm going to lose my neck.

My eyes follow the fish as they gracefully fly through the water.
Alina's shoulder touched me. We reflexively pulled away from each other a little as if we were touching something hot, but soon we were snuggled up together. I can feel how vulnerable she is. At the same time, a sense of security spreads like a flower.
I guess this is the feeling one is looking for. No words are needed.
The boundaries of our joined hands were no longer clear.

I didn't want to go to the aquarium. Anywhere was fine.
It just popped into my head... the aquarium of my memories. But in fact, I am glad I came. Because reminiscing is the best way to fill the void between her and me.





He was a bit absent-minded.
I craned my neck to look at him and wondered why.

'Your face is so close.

He protested, but I didn't stop. I wanted to know what he was thinking. I wanted to know everything about the person I loved.

'Are you sick?'
'No, it's not. I'm just nervous about going on a date with a super beautiful girl.
'Oh, my goodness. Wipe your mouth.



He smeared his mouth with the sauce from the Neapolitan. He is a surprisingly elegant eater.
After leaving the aquarium, we dine at a fancy restaurant. I had planned to go to an all-you-can-eat sweet store, but he refused, saying that he was on a tomato juice restraining order. I suspected psychosis, but he seems to be quite serious. His sister was very angry with him.

He said, 'You really like it, don't you?

He did so with a look of dismay on his face as he pointed at the mound of cream pancakes I was stuffing my cheeks with.

'I'll keep eating them when I'm old.
'I envy you ...... I wish I could go back to being able to drink unlimited tomato juice ......'
'You'll have to be patient. Or explore new drinks.
You'll run out of life before you find it. There is no substitute for tomato juice.

His shoulders slump and he puts the Neapolitan in his mouth.
Or perhaps all you need is a tomato.





Well, it's time to settle this.
I decide as I leave the restaurant, facing the sun that is beginning to tilt. If this were a shounen manga, the word 'continue' would have appeared in the lower right corner of the screen.

Where are we going next?
'It's an observatory.'
'What? Is it nearby?'
It's in the mountains. I used to go to this observatory when I was little. I've always loved space, and I used to read a lot of picture books and stuff when I was a kid. I really grew up with the name.
'And your sister? It's a name that combines space and galaxy, isn't it?'
No, Ugin is not so much. But I remember she seemed to enjoy listening to me talking about the universe.
'Don't talk about other women.'
'No, no, no, you brought it up, didn't you?'

We boarded a bus bound for the observatory.
As time went by, there were more and more trees. As we approached the mountains, the bus tilted backward and the sound of the engine echoed through the bus, as if in agony. Alina and I sat together in the very back seat and waited quietly for our destination.
After more than 30 minutes of rocking, we finally arrived at the top of the mountain. It was already getting dark and the stars were beginning to appear in the eastern sky.

I didn't know there was an observatory there.
It's a pretty nice place. It's not as nice as the countryside, but you can see beautiful stars here too.

I took Alina by the hand and followed the arrows on the sign.

'Hey, aren't we going into the observatory?
'You see that sign over there? There's a spot where you can look at the stars. That's what most of the visitors come here for, you know. Of course, the exhibits and telescopes in the facility are wonderful, so please visit. We look forward to seeing you again.
It's true. The passenger is going that way too.
'Okay, let's go.'

The path was cut through the forest, but there were sometimes stones the size of a fist, so I took Alina's hand carefully. It was a little dark before the path broke off, so I pulled Alina as close as I could so she would not be frightened.




I was relieved to see that there were other guests, but I asked myself, 'What are you going to do to me by bringing me here in the dark like this? I was going to say. Well, I know he wouldn't do that. JORDAN.
After walking for a while, I saw people at a break in the road. They all looked up.

"We're here.

The lawn was completely devoid of trees. From above, it would appear to be hollowed out in a circle. There were many other people there besides us, stargazing.

'Alina. Look at the sky.

I followed his lead and looked up at the sky.

The Milky Way was streaming across the sky. It was so beautiful that I wanted to caress it with my hand, and I opened my eyes as wide as I could, capturing the stars' brilliance one by one on my retinas. I thought that all of these stars were the stars. Hikoboshi and Orihime are often mentioned, but I was not even aware of it. Because they were all so beautiful. Perhaps because I looked at them so much, my sense of perspective became distorted, and I felt as if the stars were right in front of me.

The universe takes us back to our childhood. It reminds us of our childhood. It's really strange. I always remember my childhood when I come here.
'Yes, it is. I think I understand.
'And every time I come here, I feel like something starts. Something new is born. Maybe other people feel the same way.

He said this in my ear. I thought his tone was serious, which was unlike him.

I brought Alina here partly because it's a place I like, but also because I wanted her to be genuinely moved. If I could have, I would have brought her here while she was still in high school.
'If I had known it was such a beautiful place, I would have gone as often as I could.'
'Then I'm glad.'







'Alina.'

I called her name. The name I will call her most of my life.
She slowly turned her head toward me. Her eyes, wet with starlight, were the stuff of art.
Why was she so perfect?
That day.
I didn't think so the day I met her. She had a hundred points for looks, but zero for personality. That's what I thought.



Alina.

He called my name. From the person who will call me most in my lifetime.
He looked straight at me and I looked deep into his eyes. He was my ideal, my dream.


Why is he so perfect?
That day.
I didn't think so the day I met him. He was always meddling, always joking. That's what I thought.





I love you more than anyone.
'I love you more than anyone'.

We will grow old together, raise our children together, live together.
We will hold hands together, we will walk together, we will make love together.

We may never die together.
We may not shed tears together.

One or the other will die, and one or the other will tell you 'I love you' in their fading consciousness. Hold their wrinkled hands.
Still, I want to be with you until this life is over.
I truly believe that.

This is our story.






















A few years from now, or in the near future.
Or--



I'm home.
Welcome home

......

'I bought it, sir.
'I'm not good enough to be called that yet. But I'm glad you bought it for me.

......

'Oh no, I can finally read it. Why didn't you let me read it? I was so curious, I even guessed the password.'
'You'll know it when you read it.'
'?
'I was embarrassed because it's like a love letter to you, ......'.

......

'Well, I'm looking forward to it. Good thing it's on sale today. I'll spend the weekend reading it.

......

'You should read it all the way to the end and then give your impressions in summary. Its ...... embarrassing to ask you over and over again. ......'

I plopped down on the couch. I stroked my wife's name on the spine before opening the book.
I realized that this was her story, that I was a part of her.

'Then I will read it, Ms. Alina Sakakiki.

Please pray that this is a story that will save everyone.
With this wish, I turned the page.