The gentle breeze brushed through Ino's loose hair, revealing her flushed face to Mirai for the first time.
Mirai gently made a call to Inoue.
"Hm? What is it?"
"You're beautiful."
That line might have sounded cliché now, but such straightforward words—especially spoken by Mirai with such seriousness—made the heart of the teenage girl race for no reason at all.
After speaking, Mirai took a deep breath without looking at Inoue. Then he raised his head to look at the sky, at the stars and the bright moon. Something stirred in his heart, and he looked at Inoue. Softly, he said, "I have a poem. Do you want to hear it?"
"Hm?" The girl's heart pounded wildly. Hearing Mirai's words, she could not help but grow curious. Her face was still red as she said, "All right."
"At least once in your life, you should forget yourself for someone.
Do not ask about the outcome, do not ask about companionship, do not ask even once.
I do not even ask that you love me—only that I may meet you in the most beautiful years of my life."
Inoue listened to the modern poem Mirai recited. Although she did not understand much about the concept of "poetry," she understood what it meant.
For a moment, Ino could not help but become lost in a daze...
Mirai and Inoue walked around for a while longer, and the night grew deeper.
"Let's go home."
Mirai felt it was already very late. If he did not escort the girl home, he would feel a little crazy.
"Ah, okay... okay."
Inoue's face was still red. When she heard Mirai speak, she agreed without hesitation. As for what Mirai had said, she had not heard it clearly.
Seeing Inoue in such a state, Mirai felt a