I suddenly opened my eyes at the sound of repeated vibrations.
Before I could think about how long it had been muted, I tentatively reached for my ringing smartphone.
Riku: "Oh, were you sleeping? Sorry for waking you."
Ai: I'm just working in the office. Calling me at this hour, what's the matter?
Riku: "Ah, that’s a bad boy behavior. I'm glad I called."
Riku: "Just a surprise check-up."
"Yuzuru is off today, so I don’t think there’s a situation you need to say something like ‘You go home, I’ll do the same.’ Thus, I figured you might still be there.”
Riku: "After 1 AM on a weekday it’s bedtime for adults, you know? I'm already sleepy here."
Ai: Then don't just go and make random call like this. Please get some rest.
Riku: "I know you’re sleepy too, Ai. Enough to accidentally doze off in the middle of work."
Riku: "Your voice sounded like you'd just woken up, though."
Riku-san laughed as I remained silent. In his voice, I could hear the quiet sound of slippers lightly scraping the floor.
I vaguely felt a sense of relief, realizing that even someone as busy as him was home at this time.
Riku: "Since Ai is still here at this hour, it must be work that can't be done tomorrow. Is it so bad that you can't even get a nap?"
Ai: I'm almost done, so I'll go home once I'm finished.
Riku: "If you're almost done, why don’t you get some sleep before then?"
Ai: Understood. Good night.
Riku: "You don't really mean that, do you? Are you feeling alright?"
Ai: Nothing’s wrong, sir.
Riku: "Are you able to sleep when you really want to?"
Ai: ......What’s this? Medical examination?
Riku: "Like I've said many times, I'm not a doctor. Just someone who’s worried about you."
"The same way Ai cares about Yuzuru, Kou, and everyone in Aporia."
Ai: ……………….And I'm sure I've told you a few times.
If anything happens, I'll consult with Riku-san.
Riku: "So you're okay now?"
Riku: "Good. I'll hang up now, but if you plan to keep going, just take a nap first."
"When I imagined you rubbing your sleepy eyes while working, I got so worried that it’s really hard to sleep soundly.”
Ai: I don't have such delicate nerves, do I?
Riku: "I’m just a cheeky adult who’s concerned about sensitive young people, unlike myself.”
Ai: Need I remind you that we’re only 3 years apart? There's no difference between two people over 20 that warrants such a distinction. There's no need to worry, please just go get some rest.
......Like I said. Understood.
Riku: "Oh. Now that's a response from someone who actually understands."
Riku-san laughed again and wished me a good night as if to seal the deal. That’s when the call ended.
Ai: (That call seriously woke me up to some extent. But if I keep going like this, it will be over by morning...)
(Indeed, continuing to work while efficiency is low is nothing but a waste.)
Ai: (30 minutes... Well, I guess an hour will do.)
The moment I set the timer and lay down on the sofa, my body suddenly felt heavy.
The bracelet on my wrist came into my vision, and before I could even think about taking it off, my eyelids drooped.
Ai: (......Ah. I need to talk to Riku-san about next week's shifts. I should have asked him on the phone earlier.)
(Well, whatever. I'll probably have a chance to talk to him at some point tomorrow. Even if it's not for work, he'll probably call me for some reason...)
A quick-witted, caring, and sociable person. Always concerned about those around him, naturally offering support. He doesn't mind doing things "for someone else" at all.
Even though that’s his nature, there's no denying that he cares about me in a special way.
Ai: (......There's nothing for Riku-san to gain from this at all.)
No matter how many times I think about it, I can't understand.
However, no matter how much I ponder, I don't think I can understand everything about Riku-san.
Ai: (......”That's just how others are”......)
Kosaka’s Father: ......That's why…. Not being able to understand each other isn't a reason to give up.
In the corner of my increasingly uncertain consciousness, I heard a voice that revived without a need to search for it.
I felt relieved that I could still remember.
Kosaka’s Father: Humans cannot live alone. Nothing can be accomplished alone. I believe that individuals are part of what constitutes things.
Therefore, I want to aim to live with other people.
As someone involved in the politics of this country. As someone entrusted with a part of everyone’s future...
I want to be sincere to others, and to myself. That has always been on my mind.
He was full of pride. I wanted to carry on his legacy.
Precisely because I hoped so…..
???: "......I can imagine you're confused by the sudden news. I'm really sorry to say this at a time like this, but..."
"A note from Kosaka sensei and his wife was found at their home after their passing."
"I am deeply ashamed to leave like this without fulfilling my responsibility to explain."
"Kosaka Ai has absolutely no involvement in this matter."
"--Ai. I'm really sorry."
Riku: It's okay to have doubt, Ai. To make up for that, I will believe.
Riku: Your father isn't the kind of person who would do something that would make you lose your pride. No matter what Ai thinks, that's what I believe.
Riku: If you think, "I'm the only one who has to believe," I advise you to stop.
"I want to believe" is enough.
The words I heard with my own ears. The facts I've seen with my own eyes. I don’t believe what I've been proud of was a lie.
I want to believe. That’s why I'll ascertain it.
I won't entrust it to anyone. I won't give in.
Even if the day comes when I'm betrayed by the consequences of this choice, I don't care.
Rather than doubting my own pride and regretting not being able to fully believe—
I'd much rather be ridiculed and told, "You were a fool to believe."
The scent was different from both the bedroom and the living room, reminding me that this was the office.
Just as I was about to check the time, I felt something running down my cheek as I reached out my hand.
I wiped it off like nothing before turning off the timer, which had 5 minutes remaining. Just when I stood up……
I noticed something was wrong.
Ai: (......Is anyone there?)
Riku: Oh. Rise and shine.
Ai: What exactly are you doing?
Riku: Call it two-factor authentication.
Riku: I just happened to be near Shibuya when I called earlier, so I dropped by just to see Ai completely asleep.
Since I had come all this way, I thought I might as well make a quick visit and go home. So I waited while doing some work.
Ai: No matter how I listened to it, that definitely sounded like a call from home.
Riku: Did I lie? It's still nearby, right? Just one train stop away.
Ai: Haaah... The trains have already stopped operating, don’t tell me you came all the way here by taxi?
Riku: Nope, it was the car I borrowed from Kiho. I was actually planning to return it tomorrow.
Ai: If you're coming, please let me know next time. What would you have gained if I had already left?
Riku: Then it wouldn't be a surprise inspection, would it? I mean, if you weren't here, I would probably be like, "Alright, he's not here."
Ah. I already replied to the questions Mika had on the core members' channel. Also, the meeting scheduling Yuzuru had been checking on, and a few other things—I answered what I could.
I've mentioned Ai too, but let me take over anyway. Only speak up when you have something to say, okay?
Ai: (......So you've pretty much cleared everything.)
Ai: I have a contract-related matter I want to finish by tonight. It can be done in an hour.
Riku: Okay. Can I do some completely unrelated work here until that's finished?
Ai: I'll really go home in an hour even without you supervising me.
Riku: It’s more like for the sake of having you keep an eye on me. I tend to slack off at home, you see.
Ai: ......Do whatever you want.
Riku: Were you dreaming about something?
Riku: When I peeked in, you were mumbling something unusual in your sleep.
Riku: I just asked because I was worried. Don't lie now. You’re going to make this even more confusing.
Riku: That's good to hear.
Well, even if you didn't say anything, I’d meddle anyway if it looked like it wasn't okay to me.
Either way is fine. Do what you feel like.
Riku: That's not a very understanding tone.
Ai: I understood that I was told I could do whatever I want and relied on you if I must. And that’s exactly what I'm doing.
Other than that, I still don't understand.
Riku: What do you mean by "other than that"?
Ai: I don't know what you were thinking when you made that promise.
Riku: ......You think I have ulterior motive?
Ai: I'm saying this because that very possibility seems unlikely.
Well, it goes both ways. There are plenty of times when I don't know what Ai is thinking either.
Ai: You’re the last person I want to hear that from.
Riku: I said what I said. I really don't understand people at all.
There's no way a person who desperately wants to understand everything can possibly understand everything, right?
Riku: That's why it's okay.
After that one unclear comment, a person sitting diagonally across from me began to type in a relaxed manner.
Listening to it, I picked up the cup I'd forgotten to put away and headed to the sink.
The stain remaining at the bottom of the empty cup wouldn't come off even after rinsing.