You Came with the First Spring Breeze... - Episode 1 – Side Tomoya: The Life I Won

Final Chapter – Side Tomoya & Aki

Episode 1 – Side Tomoya: The Life I Won

“Welcome home,” I said as I opened the door, greeted by a gentle cool breeze and the comforting aroma of home-cooked food.

“Welcome back,” Aki’s voice came from the living room door as it opened. She had changed into her loungewear and had loosely tied her hair up, looking relaxed.

“It smells great. Is it hamburg steak?”

“That’s right! You got it!”

Hearing that, my body instinctively reacted with a growl from my stomach.

But the truth was, I was completely drained—both physically and mentally. My stomach likely felt torn apart, the pain already turning into nausea.

But it was over now.

Mita had crushed the enemy with solid evidence. It was a total victory.

Tonight, I would drink good sake, tell Aki everything about the conversation with Mita, and we would toast to it.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, my stomach growled even louder.

“Go ahead and take a bath. It’ll take a bit longer to finish cooking,” Aki said, her voice light and cheerful.

In the living room, Haru was playing with a toy, batting it with his paws and wagging his tail with excitement.

The cat was tough and brave. I sat down next to him, smiling, and pulled out the IC recorder from my shirt pocket, placing it on the table.

I had been talking with Mita for a long time, but the audio file was barely ten minutes long.

“Aki, when you get a chance, listen to this,” I said.

“Huh? What’s that?” she asked, peeking over the counter.

I showed her the recorder and set it back on the table before heading toward the bathroom.

Aki, looking confused and unaware, made me smile as I rushed to the bathroom.

The bathroom smelled of fresh fabric softener, and a towel and a fresh change of clothes were ready in a white basket. I couldn’t help but feel impressed.

I’d been living with Nao for three years, but she had never done something like this for me.

Nao and Aki were the same age.

I shouldn’t compare them, but the thought crossed my mind as I undressed.

When I took off my Apple Watch, I noticed a notification from Nao.

It was a message:

“I have something to tell you.”

What could that be? Something to tell me?

Well, whatever. If it’s important, I’ll hear from her again.

I placed my phone in the basket and slipped into the bath. The water was the perfect temperature, and I felt the day’s fatigue melting away. A cold beer would’ve made it perfect.

I washed off all the sweat and dust, then dried myself with a fluffy towel and changed into clean loungewear.

When I returned to the living room, Aki, holding the IC recorder, hugged me tightly.

“Thank you, Tomoya…” she said.

“Did you listen to it?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you understand?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she nodded twice, hugging me even tighter.

I rubbed her back, feeling a sense of relief.

“You don’t have to worry about anything anymore,” I said.

Aki’s face softened, filled with happiness.

“There’s beer in the fridge.”

“Thanks.”

Aki went back to finishing the meal preparations, while I grabbed a chilled can of beer from the fridge and sat at the dining table.

The taste of Super Dry beer, going down my throat, was something I would never forget.

That night, Aki went to sleep without taking any sleeping pills.

A few days passed.

On a Sunday, Aki and I had the same day off, so we went to buy yukata for the upcoming fireworks festival next Saturday.

We headed to the Ion Mall, where everything we needed was available. Aki tried on various yukata in the traditional wear section.

“How about this one?” she asked after trying on yet another one.

I was getting a bit tired of the question, but I casually replied, “I think the one from earlier looked better,” trying to gauge her mood.

“Then I’ll go with that one,” she said.

They all looked good on her, and I didn’t mind which one she chose. In a good way, of course.

“This one might suit you. You have such a cute face, I think it’ll look great on you…” the clerk said, bringing over a cream-colored yukata with psychedelic morning glories.

It was a more mature color, but the pattern was cute and unique.

“I think it would look great on you. Go ahead and try it on,” I encouraged her.

Aki seemed to like the design and smiled brightly.

“Please pack this one up,” she told the clerk before heading to the fitting room.

A few minutes later, Aki emerged from behind the curtain, and I couldn’t help but catch my breath.

“Wow! You look amazing! It suits you better than any of the others,” I exclaimed.

The yukata seemed like it was made just for Aki, and I immediately liked it.

“Really? Then I’ll take it,” Aki said, her smile wide and sparkling.

I felt a sense of relief, glad she had chosen one that made her so happy.

While Aki changed back into her everyday clothes, I went to pay for the yukata.

“That’ll be 18,300 yen,” the clerk said.

I was taken aback for a second, as I hadn’t even thought about the price.

But it didn’t matter. It was a present for my beloved girlfriend, and this amount was nothing.

I quickly took out my credit card and paid.

As I looked at the receipt, I realized something.

There were only two days left until the day Mita and I had agreed upon.

I hadn’t heard anything from him yet, and that nagging feeling in the back of my mind wouldn’t go away.

“Aki, I’m ready,” she said, emerging in her everyday clothes and wrapping her arm around mine.

With that, I put my worries aside and handed her the beautifully wrapped yukata.

The smile I had earned from Aki was right there in my hands.

There were still two days left. I was sure everything would be fine. I believed it without a doubt.