I Just Want A Single Ending!

"Then, are you really sure you want to bring my sister a souvenir?"

Instead of answering, Nijika glanced down at the teddy bear in her hand and then looked back up at Saku, returning his question with another.

[Be Honest]

[Lie]

The system's options popped up right on cue, prompting Saku to make a choice.

'Seriously…'

He could only sigh.

He was supposed to be taking the day off, but this galgame system clearly had no plans to do the same.

"Alright, then—do you want to hear the truth, or should I make something up?"

Nijika blinked, a bit surprised. "You're letting me choose?"

Saku nodded. "Of course."

On his day off, he was free to say what he wanted without worrying about which choice would raise his relationship score the most or lead to the best scenario. He could just say whatever felt right.

"Then I'd definitely like the truth," Nijika replied with a small smile. "No one would want to hear something fake right now, would they?"

"Though, either way, I'd probably guess the truth from the lie, or the lie from the truth."

"Only if you're sure I'd actually tell the truth," he countered.

"What, are you planning on lying, then?"

His teasing left her a little confused.

"No, you asked for the truth, so I'll give it to you."

After a short pause, he spoke honestly, "To be honest, I didn't really have any plans to get a souvenir for your sister. I just offered because I thought it'd help with the cost and make buying this bear a little easier for you."

After all, he'd already figured Nijika's sister might take the offer to split the cost as some sort of provocation. Adding even half the cost of this plushie might cross that line. So, considering that risk and offering to pay anyway was solely for Nijika's sake.

Ijichi Seika? He could barely care less about her opinion.

[Stamina +15]

"Then, let's skip the splitting idea," Nijika said, not questioning his honesty for a second.

The reason behind his offer, as she'd guessed, was out of kindness to her, not her sister.

"Why?" he protested. "I was telling the truth, you know."

"If you really wanted to give my sister a gift, then of course I wouldn't refuse your offer. It'd actually make me happy to accept since we chose this together," Nijika explained softly.

"But that reason isn't enough. Even if you wanted to help with the cost to make things easier for me, I can afford this bear on my own. Besides, I've saved up quite a bit working at STARRY.

"So, thank you for the thought, but I really can buy this myself."

Saku let out a sigh. "I was hoping being honest might make you happy enough to let me pay for half of it."

"I am happy you were honest—I told you that already," Nijika murmured, her cheeks tinged slightly pink, likely from the sunset outside or the store's lighting.

"But I don't want you to do something you don't really want to."

"So, what you're saying is, the only way I get to pay half for this bear is if I genuinely wanted to bring your sister a gift?"

"Exactly."

With that, Nijika turned and walked over to the register.

"Wait for me outside. I'll catch up as soon as I finish paying."

Watching her walk off, Saku didn't head out just yet. Instead, he picked up a pink teddy bear from a nearby shelf and joined her in line.

"Hmm?"

Nijika noticed him standing behind her, holding the bear. She glanced between him and the plush, raising an eyebrow.

"So, you're getting a gift for my sister after all?"

She'd refused his offer to help her buy a gift, but if he wanted to get a separate one for her sister, she didn't have a reason to refuse it.

"You did just say pink isn't her style, though," she added with a smirk.

"Why do you think this bear is for your sister?" Saku replied, feigning confusion. "I don't remember ever saying that."

"Oh, sorry, that was just my assumption," she apologized quickly, realizing her mistake.

Of course, she could pick a gift for her sister, and there was no reason he couldn't get a gift for… a friend.

"I'm giving it to you," Saku said simply.

"Wha—wait, for me?" Nijika asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"This place doesn't have a rule saying I can't buy a souvenir for an 'Ijichi Nijika,' does it?" Saku replied matter-of-factly. "So, yes, this one's for you."

"But…"

Before she could protest further, he interrupted.

"Or think of it as a thank-you gift for inviting me out here today. Does that make it easier?"

"But you're the one who gave me the amusement park tickets," she countered.

"Yes, and those tickets were a birthday gift for you," he confirmed. "But once they were yours, you could do whatever you wanted with them, and out of all the people you could have invited, you chose me. Shouldn't I thank you for that?"

"It's only because I didn't want to look like I was playing favorites with the others, so I picked you this time," Nijika replied, looking away shyly.

"Yeah, you mentioned that earlier." Saku knew that wasn't an excuse. "So, with all that aside, the fact remains that we spent the whole day here together."

"But…"

She hesitated, still feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Didn't you just tell me that if I'd truly wanted to help get a gift for your sister, you wouldn't have refused?"

Nijika's eyes widened as he repeated her own words.

"That's true…" she admitted.

Saku's gaze held hers firmly, his tone light. "So, this is a genuine gift for you. Why would you refuse it?"

"I... Thank you."

Nijika wanted to say more but found herself at a loss for words, settling instead for a heartfelt thanks.

Just like she'd said herself, there was no reason to turn down a gift that he genuinely wanted to give her.

But she couldn't keep her gaze steady, her eyes shifting slightly away from him.

Whether it was the sunset or the lighting, her cheeks looked even redder now, making her seem all the more adorable.

"You're welcome."

Honestly, his reason for giving her a gift was just as he'd explained: he felt it was only right to thank her for inviting him out.

Besides, she'd turned down his offer to split the cost of her sister's bear.

But this? This was different.

If she could stop him from buying a gift for her sister, she couldn't stop him from getting her something. His wallet, after all, was his own.

So there.

In the end, Nijika paid for the brown bear she planned to give her sister, and Saku paid for the pink one he had chosen for her.

"Here."

As they stepped out of the store, Saku handed Nijika the pink bear he'd just bought.

"…Thank you."

Even though she'd already said it, she repeated her thanks as she accepted the gift.

"Let me carry one of those," he offered, reaching for one of the bears. "You can't go lugging both around by yourself."

Nijika handed him her sister's brown bear.

"So, do we have time for one last ride?" Saku asked, noting that souvenirs usually marked the end of a trip.

"There's one more ride—the Ferris wheel!" Nijika announced cheerfully.

"Oh, right."

He'd almost forgotten about it.

"This is the best time to ride it," Nijika continued, glancing toward the sunset. "The view's supposed to be especially beautiful... and, well… it's really fun."

The word "romantic" had almost slipped out, but she quickly corrected herself, sneaking a glance at Saku to check his reaction.

"Let's go, then."

Saku noticed her choice of words but decided not to comment. The fact that she'd quickly rephrased herself meant she was just as conscious of avoiding misunderstandings.

There was nothing to make a fuss over.

"Okay."

---

"This really is the best time to ride the Ferris wheel."

Sitting across from Saku, Nijika stared out the window, taking in the view.

"Yeah, it is."

Saku looked out as well.

The last time he'd been on a Ferris wheel, he hadn't dared to look down because of his fear of heights, spending the entire ride counting down to the end.

But now that he was older, he could finally take in the view without worry—

How boring.

After just a few minutes, he realized the Ferris wheel wasn't quite as interesting as he'd expected.

The scenery wasn't much—just city buildings and the other rides scattered across the amusement park.

It wasn't the breathtaking view he'd anticipated.

Nijika pulled her gaze from the window, turning her attention back to him.

"Saku, it seems like you're not too impressed with the Ferris wheel," she observed, noticing his lack of interest.

"Not really. I guess it just feels… bland," he admitted, sharing his honest thoughts with her.

"True." Nijika nodded in agreement, then suggested, "Why don't we take the chance to chat?"

"I'd like that."

Honestly, they'd been talking all day—especially during the wait times for each ride.

It wasn't like they'd had anything better to do. After all, spending time on your phone while out with someone wasn't just rude; it missed the whole point of being there together.

"Although… I'm not sure what to talk about now," Nijika said with a small laugh, a little embarrassed.

When you spent an entire day with someone, it was easy to run out of topics by the end.

"Don't worry about it. Anything is fine," Saku replied with a soft chuckle. "Even if we don't have a particular topic in mind, we can just talk about whatever pops up."

"In that case, there's something I'd like to ask. Do you mind?" Nijika asked shyly.

"Go ahead."

Saku nodded.

"This morning, at the very beginning, I told you that we'd have a fun day today, right?" Nijika recalled.

"You did."

Saku remembered perfectly.

"So, I wanted to ask… Did you have fun today?"

The question seemed to make Nijika self-conscious; she turned back to the window, avoiding his gaze.

"I had an amazing time. Today was a lot of fun."

There was no hesitation in his answer.

---

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and… well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨