re:Happiness | Cell Phone Novel

tiring smile | xxi - xxiv

・・・ xxi ・・・

The world was stirring awake.

Thin streaks of clouds were silhouetted on the pale-colored canvas of the sky.

Slowly,

gradually,

the sun crawled beneath the horizon just like any other tiring day.

But somehow, this one was different.

It was the first sunrise of the year, after all.

He did not really care, however.

"Brrr... It's cold, isn't it, Ao-kun?"

He looked at the person who spoke.

Beside him, Hashimoto Rie rubbed her arms. Her teeth chattered slightly.

After a moment, he nodded to her.

She was right, of course.

It was still early dawn, so the cold was understandable.

Both of them were leaning on the metal barrier by the side of the road.

A couple of meters away, the sand and the sea stretched out before them.

A large crowd of people was already gathered by the beach,
each one of them eagerly awaiting the first sunrise of the year.

・・・ xxii ・・・

Normally, he would never have considered coming to such a place.

It was all Rie's fault.

She had been the one who invited him here.

Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.

As every second passed between them, he yearned to return to his apartment.

Yet, whenever he looked at Hashimoto Rie's bright expression,
something stopped him from walking away and leaving her behind.

Not yet.

Not yet, at least.

He stared down at his frosted fingers.

Slowly, he sighed.

By that time, the snow had already disappeared.

・・・ xxiii ・・・

He was still uncertain about a lot of things.

For the past few days, his world still felt unsure. Unreal.

"Doesn't it always feel that way?"

One thing was clear, however.

I... don't want this to end yet.

A cold breeze blew by. Rie's hair fluttered.

She frowned, looking at her phone.

"That's strange... Leo-kun still hasn't arrived yet," she murmured.

Slightly, he tilted his head.

That was true. Leo still hadn't arrived.

He checked the time.

5:47 a.m.

It had been over an hour since they last saw each other.

He frowned.

A strange unsettling feeling rose somewhere inside of him.

・・・ xxiv ・・・

It was unusual.

An hour ago, it was Leo who had told him to go and meet Rie first.

He could still recall what happened.

"I need to go somewhere before this, so you should meet up with her... It'd be bad to let a girl wait alone on during New Year," Leo had explained in a quiet tone.

Ao remembered how he had refused to look at his face.

"... Alright," had been his only answer.

When Ao opened the door,
Leo suddenly stopped him.

"Ah—Ao, wait."

He did.

Slowly, he turned around.

When he did, he was startled at Leo's expression.

A look of pain was etched on his face.

Leo whispered his next words.

"Ah... Ao... um... I..." he trailed off.

A few moments passed.

He tried opening his mouth again.

"Ah... I—"

He cut himself off abruptly.
Leo's voice had suddenly cracked.

Ao flinched.

He... almost sounded like he was about to cry.

Leo looked at him.

In the end, he finally shook his head.

"No... It's nothing," he laughed weakly. "You... should go already."

Leo made a strained smile.

"... See you later, Ao."