Lonely Me And The Lonely Caring Goddess

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I Reincarnated As A Trash Prince

Overflowing Feelings.

Five dolphins leapt out of the water at the same time, touching their noses to the balls hanging from the ceiling before diving back down—

SPLAAAASH!!!

“Waaahhh!!”

“Kyaaa!!”

Cheers of delight and playful screams rose from the audience seated close to the pool. Those seats were clearly marked as splash zones, so everyone sitting there must have been expecting it and was enjoying themselves.

As I watched, the next group of dolphins jumped high into the air, spinning as they crossed paths mid-flight.

“Wow! This is amazing! It’s completely different from the dolphin show I saw with my parents back then!!”

Sara-san was speaking excitedly, passionately explaining how different this show was compared to the one she’d seen before.

The number of dolphins moving simultaneously was on a whole different scale. I had seen a dolphin show once as a child, but this place felt almost like a sports stadium. The pool was massive, and the sheer size of the venue made everything more impressive. The synchronized movements of so many dolphins were truly a sight to behold.

“Ahh, they’re so fast!!”

They looked as if they were standing upright on the water with just their tails, moving backward at incredible speed. As soon as one line finished, the next line would start in quick succession.

The show continued with hoop jumps and ball tricks, progressing rapidly, and before I realized it, it was already time for the finale. Dolphins danced and leapt to the rhythm of the music, and Sara-san watched them with her full attention, completely captivated.

But I… I found myself staring at Sara-san’s profile rather than the dolphins. Just as I was about to reach out my hand to her, she suddenly turned to me.

“…Kazunari-san?”

She gently took my arm and, linking her arm with mine, smiled happily.

“I’m so happy…”

How much emotion was packed into those few words… I couldn’t help but feel the depth of her feelings in them.

“…It’s such an incredible view. And… it’s so beautiful.”

Although there was still time before sunset, with autumn deepening, it felt as if the days were growing shorter and shorter. Even though it wasn’t yet four in the afternoon, it felt as if it were already past five.

After leaving the aquarium, we came to a park right next door. The park faced the ocean, so if we stayed a bit longer, we could watch the sun set into the sea.

Of course, everyone was waiting for us back home, so we couldn’t stay until then.

If I calculated backwards from the time we needed to leave, we probably only had about thirty minutes left here.

Originally, I had planned to give her the present after we arrived home, but considering the location and atmosphere, I decided to give it to her here instead.

“Sara-san… I have something I want to tell you.”

Sara-san stood leaning slightly over the railing, gazing out at the sea. I was so mesmerized by the way her silhouette contrasted with the ocean that I felt almost overwhelmed as I began to speak.

As she turned to me, her long hair fluttered in the breeze, and the sight of her pressing down her bangs made my heart race.

She’s so beautiful… Even now, I sometimes wonder if this is all just a dream—that Sara-san actually became my girlfriend.

Truly, I am so…

“Yes… I’m listening.”

This wasn’t like when I confessed to her. A different kind of nervousness rose in me. But why was I this nervous?

I was just giving Sara-san her birthday present. It’s not like she would refuse it, nor was I waiting for her answer to anything life-changing. All I needed to do was say, “Happy birthday,” and hand it to her.

I should probably explain about the part-time job too. She might say something about that, but even so, this level of nervousness was…

No. This tension wasn’t coming from me.

It was from Sara-san. Something was off with her today. I’d felt it earlier, but now I understood.

This tension was coming from that fleeting, sorrowful expression I’d caught on her face earlier. It was bubbling to the surface now.

Did I… do something wrong? I didn’t know the reason, but I decided to ask her about it after giving her the present.

But first…

“Sara-san, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but I’ve been working a part-time job.”

“…I see.”

So she wasn’t surprised… meaning she had already known.

And now, Sara-san made no effort to hide her feelings. That sorrowful look spread across her face completely.

Honestly, I was taken aback.

I thought she’d be happy. I thought she might scold me a little for keeping it a secret. But seeing her like this… I never imagined it.

“…You knew, didn’t you?”

“…Yes. To be honest, last night I was thinking about how we needed to talk about finances, so I turned back halfway. I’m the one who keeps our living expenses after all… and the ticket money as well…”

“Ah…”

I really do miss the most important things, don’t I?

Of course… given we never really lacked money before, I hadn’t even thought about it.

“It was then that I saw you, Kazunari-san. I saw you working from afar…”

I let out a small, awkward laugh. Of all times for her to see me… it had to be then, at the end of my shift.

“…I see. I really am hopeless at times.”

“No… I’m the one at fault. To tell you the truth, I’ve been worrying about it since the school trip. But I told myself I would wait until you spoke to me. And just as I thought, Kazunari-san, you did tell me. And yet… even though I believed in you…”

Perhaps… by keeping the part-time job a secret, I had caused Sara-san to feel a pressure I hadn’t intended.

“I began to hate myself for feeling this way. But more than that… I was so happy. Knowing you worked so hard just for today’s date… even hurt yourself… I do feel sorry. But… I am truly happy. To be loved that much… it makes me so happy. Kazunari-san… please, show me your right hand…”

At this point, there was no point in hiding it.

She had specifically asked for my right hand. She had already noticed everything.

I steeled myself and held out my right hand to her.

With trembling fingers, as if handling something fragile, Sara-san gently lifted my hand.

“…Ah…! T-This… it must hurt so much… I’m sorry… I held it earlier without realizing…”

So that was why she had suddenly switched to linking arms… she must have noticed then.

“To be honest, it does hurt. But… this was the result of me working hard for you, Sara-san. So I’m satisfied.”

“…Yes. Seeing that you even hurt yourself for me… it breaks my heart. But… more than that, I’m happy. So happy. That’s why, to honour your feelings, I told myself I would enjoy today to the fullest, keep smiling, and act as if I didn’t know anything… and when you finally told me, that would be when I shared my true feelings too.”

That sorrowful expression… so this was the reason behind it.

“I am… such a blessed woman. To have someone love me so deeply… the happiness of that outweighed my guilt… Kazunari-san’s feelings made me so happy…”

She must have been torn between the guilt of finding out about my surprise and the overwhelming happiness it brought her.

Even now, she looked as if she were caught between those two emotions.

But…

“Sara-san, I’ll just say this—my surprise isn’t over yet.”

“…Eh?”

“It’s true that I kept the part-time job secret, but I didn’t work just to pay for today’s date. So, you haven’t ruined anything.”

“R-Really…? I… I thought I had ruined everything… wasted all of your feelings…”

Sara-san’s shoulders began to tremble.

I needed to put her at ease. Now wasn’t the time to be dramatic.

I opened my bag and took out a cloth-wrapped box. Thankfully, the wrapping was still perfectly intact.

Sara-san’s gaze was fixed on it.

“Sara-san… happy birthday. I may be speaking for myself here, but… this is your birthday present, and also the first gift I’m giving you as your boyfriend… so I really did my best.”

“…Ah…”

No words came out. It looked like she was in shock.

Taking her trembling hands in mine, I placed the small box on her palm.

“If you’d like… please open it.”

“…Yes.”

With delicate care, she untied the ribbon and slowly unwrapped the paper, making sure not to tear it.

She opened the box… and then, her hands stopped moving as she gazed down.

…Huh?

Why isn’t she taking it out…?

Drip… drip…

Like a gentle rain falling in one spot, droplets began to gather by her feet.

Panicking, I looked at her face—she was staring down in surprise, tears streaming from her eyes.

“Ah… ah… I-I’m so sorry… today… today… I… I wanted to… today… I… uu…”

At first she seemed bewildered by her own tears, but soon—

“Hic… sob… I-I… I promised myself I wouldn’t cry today… but… but… I can’t… I can’t hold it back… ugh… uwaaaahh…”

Just as her knees began to give out, I quickly caught her in my arms, and then—

“Hic… I-I… I told myself… I wouldn’t cry… but… I’m so happy… Kazunari-san’s feelings… they make me… so happy… so happy… uwaaaaahh…”

I had never seen Sara-san cry like this before.

She must have been holding herself together all day, and finally reached her limit. And it was all my fault… I was the one who pushed her to this point.

I embraced her tightly as she leaned heavily against me, unable to stand.

“I love you!!! I love you so much!!! Kazunari-san… Kazunari-saaan!!! I love you… so much… uwaaaahhhh!!!”

“I-I love you too, Sara-san… I really… hic… love you… love you so much!!”

It felt as if her tears were flowing from my own eyes as well…

In the empty park, only the sound of our sobs echoed as we clung to each other, desperately trying not to fall…

“Uwaaaaahhh!!!!”

For a long time, neither of us could move.

Who knows how long we stayed like that?

Eventually, Sara-san calmed down enough to gently pull away. She took the locket pendant from the box and carefully placed the box into her bag as if it were a precious treasure.

Though her face was still tear-stained, I was sure mine was no different. Even so, we were able to talk again, albeit softly.

“…Hic… Kazunari-san… please… will you… put this pendant… on me?”

She held out the pendant with both hands, cupping it tenderly.

Of course, I understood what she meant.

I took it from her, undid the clasp, and, pulling her close to me, fastened it around her neck from behind.

“…There. It’s on properly.”

“Kazunari-san… I…”

That was all either of us could manage to say.

She was still tearful, but her tears were so beautiful… like jewels shimmering on her cheeks.

Unable to look away, I gazed at her as she stared back into my eyes.

“Sara-san…”

“Kazunari-san…”