Feeling the dry winter air, I walked along a path that I've come to miss terribly lately.
　

"Kait-sama, today~ I thank you for listening to my selfishness,
No, no, no. This is going to be easy.

　When I moved my gaze to the voice I heard, Illness-san, who held hands with me, was looking up at me and smiling.
　Today's Illness-san is wearing a white turtle knit innerwear, a long black skirt and short brown boots. For her outerwear, she wore a pale shade of...I think it was a duffle coat of sorts, and she was dressed for this world.
　Illness is quite petite, standing at about 120cm tall, but it's amazing how the darker hues of the winter colors don't make her look too heavy, and the detailed gestures in the calm atmosphere give her a mature feel.

　To put it simply, it was because Illness wanted to be here in Japan.
　When I was discussing with Illness about where to go on a few dates with her since we became lovers, I asked her what she wanted, and she said she wanted to go to the world I used to live in if that was possible.
　There is no choice but to not fulfill Irnes-san's unusual wish, and she had come to Japan with him after obtaining permission from Eden-san, the god of this world, as well.

'Irnes-san, even if you say you want to go somewhere.......you don't know anything about the facilities here. Do you have a place like this that you would like to visit?　If not, I can generally take you to a standard place or something.
Well, you see, it's all so fresh and new here, but if I may choose, I'd like you to take me to a place.
'Of course I'll take you wherever you want to go. Don't hesitate to tell me.
Thank you.

　I've got enough money and time to spare. As you might expect, it's difficult for me to do it on my own if I'm suddenly told it's Hokkaido or a foreign country, but... I'll make it happen.
　However, contrary to my enthusiasm, the hope that Illness-san spoke of was a bit surprising.









　Walking hand in hand with Illness-san, we were in a nondescript residential area. It's not a shopping district, nor are there any unusual buildings or hole-in-the-wall famous stores.
　There is a big street if you walk a little bit, and if you go there you can find karaoke and game centers, but it's not the kind of place I'm aiming for.
　I'm taking a leisurely walk along the road I'm used to walking along with Illness, the road I used to use to get to school from my house to the university.

　The reason why I am walking in such a place is because Illness-san wanted me to take her to the road I often went to and the places I often went to when I lived in this world," he said.
　So this is why we are walking together on the road from the house we lived in to the university, but since there is really nothing unusual, I worry that Illness-san might be bored.
　However, Illness-san's emotions, which are conveyed by the sensory magic, seem to be very happy.

''Ah, it's just around here. I was summoned by Trineia.''
That's right.........

　Illness-san stopped in response to my words and continued to look at the empty road, looking somewhat happy.
　Umm, hmmm. I don't really understand it, but she seems to be enjoying it.

'.........uh, Irnes-san?
Yeah?
'Mr. Illness is ... oh, no, I'm sorry. It's nothing.

　Mr. Illness doesn't like noisy places, so he thought he had chosen the quietest place possible, but was this really the right place for him?　I was curious and tried to ask, but I couldn't think of a good way to ask. Although I've seen this scene enough to be bored with it, it must be unusual for Irnes-san, who is a resident of another world, to say that even an ordinary residential area is unusual.
　If you are interested in learning more about the lifestyle of the people of this world, it makes sense why Mr. Illness seems to enjoy it.

　The place I often went to when I lived in this world was definitely the Tokikaze cemetery where my mother and father's graves were located, but I couldn't possibly take them to a cemetery far from the city center for a date.
　I can't go inside the university because I've already dropped out of school voluntarily, and the only other places that come to mind are convenience stores and restaurant chains.
　When I was thinking like that, Illness-san turned to me and told me with a slight bitter smile.

''The reason~ Do you care about it?''
'What?　Oh, um... yes.

　Illness-san's question was whether she was wondering why she put out such a hope for herself......I nodded my head, not actually understanding her intentions.

''Very ~ selfish and selfish reasons........................I wanted to see it.
Yeah?
I've always wanted to see what you were like before you met me, before I knew you. I've always wanted to see the sights you saw before I knew you.
....
I'm so happy to be with Kaito-sama that I regret the past when I didn't meet her. I'm so happy to be with Kaito-sama now. Is that why?　I just wanted to see the scenery I used to see when I was in this world, and I couldn't resist saying it.

　Saying that, Illness-san makes a somewhat apologetic expression.......I don't think that kind of thing falls into the category of selfishness at all.
　If I say so, this is Illness-san's own slightly far-fetched message of "I want to know more about you," and somehow I was just happy.

'I'm not selfish at all, and I'm rather happy to hear you say that... By the way, let's see, when I was in this world, the place I visited the most was the cemetery where my parents' graves were located...' ...Is that where you'll go next?
Yes, Miss Kite, if you don't mind.







　The Tokifu Cemetery, where my mother and father's gravesite used to be, is located just barely in the same prefecture, a bit far from the city center. It's more like a bedroom community than a country town, and if you visit in the afternoon, the area around the nearest station is a bit deserted.
　There's a bit of distance between the station and the cemetery, so you can take a bus or a taxi, but I always walked from the station to the cemetery when I came to visit my parents' grave, so this time I walked the same way with Illness.

　There was a slightly larger supermarket on the way, and I always bought flowers for offerings at the flower shop in the supermarket. The supermarket and florist is still open as before, and we decided to take a peek at it for a while.
　This time it's not a visit to the grave... or rather, my mom and dad are alive and well in Trineer. So instead of flowers for offerings, I saw Irnes-san's gaze move to a certain flower as I looked at the various flowers.

''Well come to think of it, Irnes-san, do you like roses?''

　While asking this question, I lightly touched the scarf that I am currently wearing around my neck, a scarf that Irnes-san gave me for Valentine's Day before.
　This scarf has three red roses embroidered on the lining of it. No, it's not just this scarf, the cape Irnes-san hand-knitted and presented to me as a gift, as well as the knee coverings also have three red roses embroidered on the lining, and I've been meaning to ask her about it someday.
　Hearing my words, Irnes-san, gazing at the roses, calmly told me.

''Well, right now - I'd say it's my favorite flower, without a doubt.
I see........since we're here, would you like to buy one?
No, I won't do that. It's too much luggage and it's not enough.

　After smiling at that, Illness-san moved her gaze to another flower. I don't know, I think that was a bit of a strange thing to say, but looking at Illness-san who seemed to be enjoying herself, I didn't feel like going into it and asking her about it any more.
　After looking at the flowers for a while, Illness and I moved towards the supermarket.

I'm not much of a restaurant around here, Irnes-san, but do you want to buy a bento or something?
I've brought a bento box for you, would you like a bento box?
'What?　Did you make it for me?
Yes.

　How thankful I am that Mr. Illness has made my lunch. To tell the truth, I'm quite happy about this. To tell the truth, it's a little precious to have a home-made meal prepared by Ilunesse.
　The reason is that although Illness-san is a professional-grade cook with excellent housekeeping skills, she basically leaves the cooking served at the house to the head chef, and aside from sweets such as cookies and cakes, we don't have much opportunity to enjoy her homemade food.
　And above all, it's nice to know that your lover has made a homemade lunch for you.

''Thank you. It's very nice of you. Then let's just buy a drink.......there's a large park a short walk away, so let's eat there.
Yes.









　After buying a bottle of tea at the supermarket, we moved to the park with Illness and sat down on a bench in line. I'm sure you'll find that this park is more like a nature park, with little to no playground equipment, but instead a lot of greenery and nice scenery.

I hope it will be to your liking.

　As she said this, Illness-san took out a bento box that wasn't a so-called picnic bento filled with onigiri (rice balls) and sandwiches, but a small, double-layered bento box filled with side dishes and rice. It was something that felt like a homemade bento.
　Since Illness-san is such a good preparer, she may have asked Aoi and Yona in advance to prepare a world-style bento for us.

''Thank you!　It looks so good.
I'm glad to hear that you like it.

　To tell you the truth, I've never dared to say anything about it, but I lost my parents early on and was left alone in junior high and high school, so I have a bit of a longing for such a family-style bento.
　And when it was made by my adorable girlfriend, I couldn't help but get excited.
　There are egg rolls, meatballs, potato salad and...oh, and sausage sausage cut into the shape of an octopus. This looks so delicious that it's a waste of time to eat it.

　While thinking about this, I turned to Illness-san, and she was laying a handkerchief on her own thigh with a movement that felt elegant, and then taking out a bento box that was slightly smaller than mine.
　Hmmm, I think it's really amazing how even such a small gesture can be made to look mature.

''Well then, I'll take it.''
Okay. Bon appétit.

　We lightly clasped our hands together and ate our bento using the chopsticks provided..........................yes, it's absurdly delicious. It goes without saying that Illness-san's cooking skills are excellent, but she has also exquisitely adapted the dish to my taste.
　The sweet egg rolls are daringly cooked a little hard, the meatballs are seasoned a little thicker, and the potato salad is seasoned a little lighter......the best.

　 It's a situation that I've always dreamed of being in, and I'm so happy.
　It would be even more wonderful if I could get them to "ah-ha" or something like that, but that would be too greedy. No, maybe, or perhaps if I asked for it, they would definitely do it for me, but as expected, it would be a bit embarrassing to ask for that.

　And as I was thinking like that, Illness-san glanced at me, then smiled and opened her mouth.

''Kite-sama-ah!''
Yes?
I think it was too much for me - if you don't mind, could you have some?
'What?　Oh, yes.

　I nodded, and Ilnes-san dexterously used her chopsticks to pick up a slice of egg roll from her own bento box and held it out to me while holding one hand in front of her to prevent it from falling out.

''Ahhhh,''

　
　Apparently, Irnes-san could see what I was thinking about earlier. I feel embarrassed, but more than that, I'm filled with happiness.
　The egg rolls that Illness fed me seemed strangely much sweeter than the ones I had eaten earlier.








　After finishing lunch, we took a short food break while stretching out our tea. It's winter in season, but today the weather was nice and there was almost no wind, so it was warm and comfortable.
　Our only plan for the rest of the day is to go to the Time Wind Cemetery, so there's still plenty of time to relax here for a while.

''Huh--sorry,''
It's a beautiful day, you know. I can't help it if you get sleepy.

　I felt a little sleepy from the swelling of my belly and a little sleepy and absent, but Mr. Illness didn't seem to mind and seemed rather amused.
　After smiling that characteristic smile that I now find so endearing, Mr. Illness flapped his skirt lightly in his hand and told me kindly, "If you don't mind," he said.

'If you don't mind, can I take a little rest?　I don't know if you're comfortable, but I can make you a simple pillow.
That means....
Yes. Miss Kite, if you don't mind.

　Apparently, if I wanted to, Illness-san would give me a lap pillow. What a tempting proposition it's hard to resist. Or rather, I don't feel the need to resist.
　There are no people within sight in the park, just the two of you, and the benches are big enough to lie on in their own right. And the weather is good, and next to her is her gentle, motherly lover...the situation is perfect, I'd say.

'Well then, may I take you up on your offer?'
Yeah, come in.

　In the end, I decided to take advantage of Illness's generosity and put my head on Illness's thigh, a little nervously. I can smell the pleasant scent and the happy softness.
　It's a luxurious moment in the lap pillow of the ultimate in comfort, one that makes you feel like you'll lose consciousness in an instant if you're not careful.

　As I lay down, Illness gently reaches out and gently pats me on the head. I've been thinking about it for a while now, but Illnes-san has an amazing receptive power or motherly nature....
　As I was thinking about this, feeling a pleasant slumber.......I suddenly heard Illness-san's voice.

''Kaito-sama, do you remember the song I sang at the Sixth King Festival before~?
"...it's a little story, isn't it?

　Illness-san's voice is so gentle that I want to listen to it forever, and it accelerates my sleepiness, but I manage to listen back, holding back.
　Illness-san continues to speak without stopping to stroke my head.

'Nakaka, it's not like a song ~ it's not like a song, is it?
Yeah?　How is that...?
I guess I'm getting greedy, too. I thought it would be good enough to be a reader of your stories, but it's no good.... Now I want to be drawn together with you in a story that will make you smile.
....

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're doing.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you want to do.
''........It's obvious. Or rather, let me tell you, Irnes-san is not selfish or greedy at all. As far as I'm concerned, I think it's fine for you to demand more things from me.
It's not a good idea. When I'm with Kaito-sama, my heart is immediately filled with happiness, so I can't think of anything else to say.
'Haha, I'm glad to hear that too. But you can really ask me for more things, you know?
Okay. Well, if you ever think of anything else, I'd appreciate it.
Yes, sir.
"A baboon.

　After saying that and smiling happily, Irnes-san continued to gently stroke my head without further words. I, too, was enveloped in the warmth of that pleasant and happy feeling, and my consciousness sank into a slumber.










　After taking a short nap, we went to the Tokikaze Cemetery with Illness again. We walked up the stairs to enter the cemetery on top of a small hill.
　Because it was a weekday, after all, there were no people in sight at all, and after a short walk, we soon arrived at our destination.

'....Here was my mother and father's grave.
I see.
Well, I don't have it now, but... this is the place I visited the most and the view I saw the most before I went to Trineer...

　In fact, there is no longer a grave for Mom and Dad here now. They didn't want to do it... or rather, they said they didn't want their uncle and aunt to take care of the grave when they were already alive again, so I asked Eden-san to take care of it after I explained the situation to their uncle and aunt.
　I'm not sure of the details, but Eden is an omniscient and omnipotent God, so he moved quickly to make that level of adjustment, and the place where Mom and Dad's grave used to be is now vacant. One of these days, someone else's grave will be built in this place too.

　That's not a bad thing. Mom and Dad are living with me in another world, and it's not like I have any good memories of this place.

It's a shameful story, but I came here to a point where I was truly appalled. In retrospect, I'm not able to accept the death of my parents, I was just looking for their faces. I didn't realize that for a long time.
....
Well, now I'm glad it made me realize how important it was for me to realize the kindness of the important people around me who supported me, so I'm glad it took a detour.

　I crouch down in an empty clearing and lightly clasp my hands together as I once did. What is this feeling?　It's not the same as loneliness, it's not the same as sadness, it's not that I don't like the fact that the grave is gone.
　But still, maybe I feel a little melancholy about the fact that the view I've seen so many times has changed.

　When you are staring at the empty space with such feelings that are difficult to explain, a shadow suddenly appears. I looked up and saw that before I knew it, Irnes-san, who had moved, was standing in front of me.
　And Irnes-san bent down a little and held my head, which was squatting down... gently hugging me.

'Miss Illness?'
"I'm not taking pity on you. And moreover - I'm not trying to comfort you.

　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of this article.

"I just wanted to hug you. My ~ selfishness, isn't it?
...I see.
I've just been given permission to ask for more, so... do you mind if we continue like this for a while?
Yes.

　This is so unfair and selfish. I couldn't explain the emotions I was feeling inside myself. Not sad, not lonely, not sad....just a feeling of being a little, just a little bit hungry for the warmth of others.
　Illness-san must have sensed that. So I told her that I wasn't pitying her or comforting her. He asked me to go along with his own selfishness, and he gives me warmth like this while saying so.
　This gentle selfishness is really unfair.......this kind of thing is bound to make me want to spoil it.









　How much time has passed?　When Mr. Illness gently removed his hand from my head, the haze in my chest that I had felt earlier had vanished completely.
　When I thought about it in a calm and collected manner, that feeling of security was quite dangerous. Since Illness-san's motherhood is not half bad, I feel that if I'm not careful, I might get into the habit of spoiling her.

　Feeling a little embarrassed, we left the cemetery, holding hands with Illness again. Since it's winter now, the sky seemed to have a faint reddish tinge to it, though not so much as dusk.
　Since the cemetery is located on high ground, I could see the city's scenery just before the changeover from afternoon to evening. I couldn't help but stop on the stairs from the cemetery and take in the view.
　I've been to this cemetery more times than I can really count... but I didn't expect the view to be this beautiful. No, I hadn't noticed it.
　Just by having a different mind, the scenery that I should have been used to seeing looks different. And I felt very happy to be able to notice it....

　And then suddenly, at the right moment, Illness-san let go of the hand she was holding and went up the stairs she had just descended in front of me, who turned around and saw her.

''Mr. Illness?''
Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell Miss Kite something very important.
Is it important?

　Mr. Illness moves to a position in front of me, who cranes his neck, and smiles. The difference in height between Illness-san and me is nearly 50 cm, and even after Illness-san goes up one flight of stairs, she still looks up at me.

''Kite-sama, just now~you asked me if I like roses~, right?
'What?　Oh, yes. You heard it.
I love roses. I especially like red roses.....　Roses have different flower words depending on their color, especially a red rose, and the number of roses you give to someone will change depending on the number of roses you give them.
'I see. I didn't know that.

　It is a continuation of the words we exchanged in the flower shop before coming here, and as he spoke, Irnes-san gently extended his hand towards me... "Excuse me," he said one word, and then unfastened the scarf I had around my neck.
　Then, pointing slowly to the three red roses embroidered on its lining, he explained in a calm voice.

If it's one, it's 'love at first sight'. If it's two, it's 'love at first sight'. And so on... When you give that to someone, depending on the number of roses, it has a different meaning.
I see... uh, well, what about three, then?

　The first thing that came to mind when I listened to Illness's explanation was the language of flowers when giving the three roses as a gift. The three roses are embroidered on many of the gifts I've received from Illness-san.
　When I visit, Illness-san smiles kindly and opens her mouth while focusing her eyes clearly on me.

"Red roses - when I give you three roses, the language of flowers is........
'What?　Ah........
... hmmm.

　So Illness-san lightly tugged on the scarf in her hand. It was never too strong, but a gentle pull that could be done if you wanted to resist.......
　Guided by the sensation of being pulled downward, I bent down just slightly and Irnes-san stretched out at about the same time.
　And then, as if drawn in, our lips met.

　The first thing I felt was an amazing softness and faint warmth, and the second was a strangely sweet sensation and... great affection.
　The kiss was gentle and yet deep and continued, with a sensation that made my head numb and I couldn't think of anything else.

　I don't know how long they were kissing, but when Illness-san slowly pulled her face away, I thought I could see the silver thread that connected their lips to each other's, as if they were reluctant to leave each other's in the light of the sunset.
　While my head gradually regained its composure along with such a faint sadness that I wanted to enjoy that happy feeling more, Illness-san told me with a dazzling smile.

''........I love you.''

　That is the language of flowers caged in the three red roses, and at the same time, the words filled with thoughts that the modest girl had been communicating to me in a distant form until now.
　The face of Illness-san who smiled while being illuminated by the setting sun, among the many expressions I have seen of her until now..............I thought that way.

''........Irnes-san, can I ask you one question?''
Yeah?
Why did you say earlier that you didn't have enough at the flower shop?　Three red roses, I think there were three, but...

　Hearing my words, Illnes-san replied with a smile of happiness from the bottom of her heart.

It's a good thing that you've got a good idea of what you want to do.
'....One hundred and one.......what would be the language of the flower?
'I love you more than ever', sir.
Well if that's the case I'd like to give Mr. Illness a hundred and one red roses.
Well, in that case, maybe someday we could send each other gifts?
That's great, by all means.

　Looking at Illness-san, who was smiling adorably while looking straight at us, somehow we were sharing happiness with each other... I felt like I understood the feeling of 'wanting to see the same view' that she wanted to come here.
　So I'm sure it was inevitable.

　After we laughed at each other.......I bent down again and Illness-san stretched out once more.......