{At a Café Together 2}

It would have been different if there were other reasons to come, but…

“That’s why I’m so glad you came with me, Atsushi.”

“I’ll go with you anytime.”

“Thank you.”

Miyu smiled at my offer and continued as she cut into her hotcake.

“Visiting the grave alone was a little scary.”

“Scary?”

“Yeah. It’s been a long time, but it doesn’t mean I don’t still feel sad. I worried about what would happen if I wanted to cry while I was there alone.”

So, that’s the kind of fear she meant.

But today, even though she visited the grave, she didn’t cry. She didn’t even seem on the verge of tears. In fact, she appeared to be holding herself together.

“Even now, I still dream about him sometimes.”

Miyu was still smiling.

“I dream about my dad. Not of him doing something or going somewhere, but of the three of us just living together in the house where we used to live in this town. I’m just with my dad like it’s the most natural thing in the world. But then I wake up, and I slowly realize, ‘Oh, that was just a dream. I can’t see my dad anymore.'”

The grief of losing someone important is, of course, immense and deep.

And that grief never truly disappears. Like in Miyu’s dreams, it surfaces from time to time, reminding you of what’s gone.

When she has nightmares, I can be there to comfort her, to hold her. But when she dreams something sad, what can I do for her?

“But maybe that’s what mourning is.”

Unlike me, who was left speechless, her profile looked calm from where I was sitting beside her.

Mourning.

It was something distant to me, a concept I had never really thought about.

But she already understood it.

“Dreaming about him and remembering is important, I think,” she continued.

“If I completely forget the sadness, I might not remember my dad anymore. That’s why, even if it makes me sad or lonely sometimes, I want to hold onto the memories I have of him.”

“…I see.”

I nodded.

I felt frustrated that I couldn’t say more, but I knew that someday I would understand her words on a deeper level. And when that day comes, I’ll probably realize once again how glad I am that Miyu is by my side.

Today, she taught me something I hadn’t known before.

“I’m glad you’re here, Atsushi.”

Miyu suddenly said that.

I was a bit surprised since it was the exact thought I had just been having. Of course, she didn’t notice my surprise as she gazed steadily at me.

“I always wondered if I’d ever come to this town with someone. I wasn’t confident I’d ever meet someone like that. And even if I did, I was afraid they might be put off if I talked about my dad.”

Had she been carrying those feelings all this time?

Even though there’s someone right here who’s head over heels for her.

“I’d never be put off by that. I’m really glad you told me and brought me here.”

When I said that, she looked relieved.

“I’m so happy to hear you say that, Atsushi.”

She put her fork down and murmured, placing a hand on her chest.

“I really have met someone wonderful…”

Miyu’s expression, with her eyes lowered, looked like she was either praying or deeply at peace.

Having someone say that to me made me blush—though, of course, it didn’t feel bad. Not at all.

“I’ll keep working hard so you’ll always feel that way.”

I puffed out my chest.

“And when you have nightmares or sad dreams, don’t hesitate to wake me up.”

Surprisingly, she nodded right away.

“Yeah, when that happens, I’ll cling to you, Atsushi.”

Then, she resumed eating her hotcake with delight.

Watching Miyu smile as she ate another small piece, I savored my own hotcake and took my time admiring her.

Meeting someone wonderful—that’s exactly how I feel too.

I’m sure I’ll think it again and again in the future.

I’m so glad that Miyu is by my side.