I Will Do Everything In My Power To Bring Happiness To The Enchanting Beauty Who Can No Longer Smile. - Chapter 15: The Promised Park.

The Promised Park.

“The warm days are becoming more frequent.”

“Yeah, they are.”

It was the third Monday of April. Recently, the cold days had been decreasing, and warm days had become more common.

That said, it wasn’t quite hot yet.

On the way home from school, though our direction led toward my house, that wasn’t our destination.

Of course, we were heading to the park where Tsubame and I used to play.

“Thank you for today, Shigure-kun. For keeping your promise.”

“Keeping a promise is just natural… but I also wanted to visit this place with you someday.”

That park held many memories. It was where I first met Tsubame—and where we spent years playing together.

As I walked, lost in nostalgia, memories flooded back one after another.

“It’s nostalgic. We used to take walks along this path together, didn’t we?”

“I loved taking walks. Feeling the sunlight on my skin while strolling with you, Shigure-kun.”

“I liked it too.”

It was peaceful. Occasionally, an elderly woman passing by would greet us. I never knew how to respond when they said, “Welcome home.”

But even those moments had their charm.

Before long, as we reminisced, we arrived.

“…It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah. I’ve passed by a few times, but I haven’t actually come here in ages.”

Pentagon Park. As the name suggested, it was shaped like a pentagon. What was its official name again? The sign at the entrance was so faded that I couldn’t read it anymore. Oh well.

The park had changed significantly since those days.

“There aren’t any kids here at all.”

“…Probably because of this sign.”

A sign was posted on the wall near the entrance.

“No ball games. No loitering. No gaming.”

“…Why?”

“Apparently, kids playing here had their games taken by older students, which became an issue. And then, more restrictions got added over time.”

Because of that, children had all but disappeared. Some of the playground equipment from back then was also gone.

“The jungle gym was removed. They said it had rusted and become unsafe.”

“I see.”

“It’s strange that the swings are still here, though. …Want to sit on the bench?”

“Yeah.”

We sat down together on a bench. The only children in the park were a few preschoolers playing in the sandbox. The people sitting on the benches further away were probably their parents.

“It’s really empty now.”

“Yeah. Even before I started middle school, it wasn’t this deserted… but with so many restrictions, I guess it’s no surprise. Plus, there are more entertainment options nowadays.”

I wasn’t really into them, but PC and mobile games had become more popular. Even back when I was in elementary school, some kids played them. Most had voice chat features, so there was no real need to gather in person anymore.

“I see. But still, the park feels… smaller now. No, actually, we’ve grown bigger.”

“That’s true. Back then, we used to sit on this bench and—whenever one of us got tired—take turns using each other’s lap as a pillow.”

“We probably couldn’t do that now. What a shame.”

I nearly asked why that was a shame but decided to keep my mouth shut. Now wasn’t the time for that.

Instead, I turned to the past.

“This is where I first met you, Tsubame. It’s nostalgic.”

“I was so shy back then. But thanks to you, Shigure-kun, I got to play outside a lot.”

Tsubame gazed absentmindedly at the sky. Since we were under the shade of a tree, the sunlight wouldn’t hurt her eyes.

“Back then and even now, I have fun because you’re here, Shigure-kun.”

“…Are you having fun?”

“Yeah, I am. I get to learn new things, and I get to stay by your side.”

“Then I’m glad.”

She was probably referring to the movie we watched last week. Words have to be spoken to be understood, huh?

“I’m glad I met you too, Tsubame. Back then and now. It’s been fun.”

“I’m glad.”

Her gaze shifted from the sky to me. Her expression remained neutral, but her voice seemed to carry more emotion than before.

Maybe it was because we had been spending more time together, or maybe—

“It’s such a nice day. The breeze feels great.”

A gentle wind brushed against my cheek and played with my hair. The temperature was perfect, and stretching eased the tension in my body.

“Yeah. It’s nice to relax like this.”

“Mhm. Hey, Shigure-kun.”

“What is it?”

As I finished stretching and looked beside me, she was staring straight at me.

“I want to come here again.”

“Me too. We can come anytime, as often as we want. Together.”

“…Yeah. Together.”

Tsubame nodded and continued gazing at me. Her dark eyes, a stark contrast to the sunlight, held a glimmer akin to stars.

“Let’s visit the other places we played at, too. And let’s go to new places—like the movie theater.”

“Yeah. I want to go to lots of places.”

Along with cherishing our old memories, we would create new, happy ones.

That would surely help ease her burdens.

***

After returning home, we sat together on the couch in the living room.

Neither of us spoke. Normally, I would have started the conversation, but today, I didn’t.

“What should we do today?”

“…Good question.”

My response was sluggish because I was unsure.

I had been thinking a lot—about what we should do today.

But was this really the right approach? That doubt had been swirling in my mind for a while.

“We could watch a movie like last week…”

I trailed off and let out a sigh. That wasn’t like me.

I touched my cheek—then gave it a sharp slap. A crisp sound echoed.

“Shigure-kun?”

“Sorry, just needed to clear my head.”

I turned toward Tsubame, who had called my name.

Her deep, unreadable gaze locked onto mine. Somehow, they seemed darker than usual.

I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but I doubted that her insomnia had been resolved in just a few days.

“Tsubame.”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

As I stood up and asked, she met my eyes and nodded firmly.

“I do. I always have.”

“…Thank you.”

I had known she would say that. The fact that I still needed to ask—it was a sign of my own weakness.

“I need to prepare something in my room. In the meantime, why don’t you watch some animal videos?”

“What are you going to do?”

As I operated the remote, pulling up a video site, she asked me that.

“Something that might help you sleep.”