I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile.

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A Promise.

Tsubame murmured, “That was interesting,” and I let out a quiet breath of relief.

Movies, like anime and manga, can be hit-or-miss depending on the person.

For now, I was simply glad that Tsubame had enjoyed it.

“It was really good.”

I wanted to ask which scene she liked the most, but I held back. I didn’t want her to feel like she had to come up with an answer just for my sake. That wouldn’t be right.

Tsubame nodded deeply at my words and turned to face me.

“I think I understand now why you like it so much, Shigure-kun. It was such a warm and gentle movie.”

“…! Yeah, exactly! It’s incredibly kindhearted, isn’t it?”

Even though I had just decided to keep my enthusiasm in check, I found myself leaning forward in excitement. That was how much her words meant to me.

Because they echoed the exact feelings I had when I first watched the movie.

“Alex was adorable. And the part where he caught the thief—”

“Oh, that scene was great! And then afterward, when everyone praises Alex, and he gets all the head pats and a big bone to eat…”

How should I put it? That scene was overflowing with love. You could feel the warmth of the family, all centered around Alex. He wagged his tail so hard, his joy completely unrestrained.

“The way he expresses his happiness with his whole body is so cute.”

“Yeah. It really shows how much he loves them.”

The way he poured his whole heart into showing his affection was just too adorable. Almost unfairly so.

“I liked that scene too. When Alex, Angela, and their friend go to the park together.”

“I know, right? It was so nice seeing them play like they used to.”

Tsubame nodded enthusiastically, and I felt my heart warm. I hadn’t expected her to enjoy the movie this much.

As I was thinking about that, she suddenly gazed at me intently.

“Movies are really fun. This was my first time watching one, and it was amazing.”

“…Hearing you say that makes me really happy. I’ve loved this movie since I was a kid.”

There’s something special about sharing something you love with someone else and seeing them enjoy it just as much.

“And watching it made me want to do some things, too.”

“…Like what?”

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. I forced myself to sound normal as I asked.

“I want to visit the park we used to play in when we were little. It’s still there, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Let’s go. It should still be there.”

For the first time, Tsubame had told me something she wanted to do.

A shiver ran down my spine, and my chest swelled with excitement.

If possible, I wanted to go right this moment, but…

“How about next week? We could go now, but it’ll get dark soon.”

“Yeah, next week sounds good.”

“Alright. Then it’s a promise.”

“Mm, a promise.”

Tsubame held out her pinky, and a wave of nostalgia hit me as I linked mine with hers.

“Pinky promise.”

“…Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done this.”

“Same. The last time was… with you, Shigure-kun.”

Oh, right…

“When you moved away.”

I remembered it clearly—our promise back then was, ‘I’ll definitely come visit you again.’

We both cried so much that day. The memory made me squint slightly, lost in nostalgia.

“…You really kept that promise.”

“Yeah. I worked hard to find you.”

“Huh?”

Her words pulled me back to reality.

Wait… what?

“You looked for me?”

“Yeah. I asked my mom to contact your dad.”

“…First time I’m hearing about this.”

“I never told you. And I guess your dad didn’t either?”

“So that’s why my mom reacted so strongly, but my dad barely seemed surprised…”

Last week, my mom had nearly fainted in shock, but my dad had taken it rather calmly.

So that’s why.

Knowing him, it wasn’t some grand surprise—he probably just forgot to mention it. He might not have even been sure if Tsubame would really come.

“…Wait, so you chose this high school because of that?”

“Yeah. Our financial situation is better now, so it was possible. Mom and I had wanted to visit sooner, but things were just too busy.”

“…I see.”

Still, didn’t she have other schools she wanted to go to? If her modeling work was keeping her busy, wouldn’t a correspondence school have been an option?

Just as I was wondering that, she continued.

“I didn’t really care about which high school I went to. My modeling schedule is busy, but I worked things out with the principal. The most important thing for me was whether or not I could see you again.”

“…What if I had forgotten about you?”

“Then that’s just how it would’ve been. Nothing would’ve changed.”

Nothing would’ve changed… huh.

I wondered what her life had been like in middle school, but I quickly stopped myself. If I thought too much about it, I’d end up asking—despite her rejecting that question just last week. It was still too soon.

“So, once again… thank you. For spending time with me on our day off. No, even at school, for staying by my side.”

“H-huh? Where’s this coming from?”

“They said it in the movie, too. That you have to put things into words, or they won’t get across. And people always say my face looks like a ‘work of art’… Which is just a polite way of saying I don’t show much emotion.”

“I mean, yeah, your expressions don’t change much, but… Oh, so that’s why. The movie influenced you.”

Whatever the case, I was genuinely happy that she was putting her feelings into words.

Stories—movies, manga, everything—can be great opportunities to change how you see things. I know I’ve been shaped by the things I watched growing up.

“I should thank you too. I’m really happy to be with you again.”

“…Yeah. I’m glad to hear that.”

If she was trying to express herself more, then I should do the same.

I learned the hard way in middle school—if you don’t say things out loud, they won’t be understood.

“And I’m really happy we could watch a movie together. I’ve wanted to see this one with you for a long time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was a little worried since movies take up a lot of time, but I’m so glad we did.”

Back in middle school, most people were more into manga and anime than movies. For quick entertainment, short videos and social media were the norm.

It was hard for people to set aside an hour or two just for a movie.

And honestly, I understood that. But movies have their own unique appeal.

That’s why I was a bit nervous about whether Tsubame would enjoy it.

“Do you have other movies you like, Shigure-kun?”