[Extra 5] One last sappy ending
I admit I had been down for months.
The system leaving me had been a hard hit. Not as a guide, but as my beloved and precious family. As someone who had helped me a lot, who was always present, and who I liked a lot.
The silence was stifling.
Mizuki had, after helplessly watching for months, finally made some sort of decision, since he held my hand and dragged me out of the train. His eyebrows were scrunched a bit, ever since a while.
“So, where are we going again?”, I tried for the n-th time today but still didn’t get my answer. Four hours by train was a lot, but he refused to tell me where we were going. And if he didn't want to tell you, then he wouldn't.
“I wanna mentally prepare myself. It’d be kinda helpful if I knew where we are going”, I complained, watching Mizuki’s back view.
My boyfriend is the best. Absolutely. Just look at how charming he looks in casual clothes.
...I half expected a snarky remark in my sight and depressed myself again.
Gloomy, I lowered my head and heard Mizuki sigh. I wanted to do things so that he wouldn't sigh, but I couldn't even stop myself from constantly sighing - let alone someone else.
“What, you prepare yourself. I am the one who has to prepare himself. I don’t know whether this is a good idea or not”, he grumbled, the uncertainty in his voice surprisingly obvious. I didn't sound like it was fully intended for me to hear.
I blinked at him, though he couldn’t see. “I always like what you do, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
He stopped in the middle of the street to look at me. His brows were furrowed and lips pressed a bit tight, which made me nervous in turn. I could get through troublesome times with him even if I didn't have help, but I really wished to have my reassurance back.
“If you think it’s a bad idea, then say it openly”, he said, then continued to drag me.
I let myself be dragged and looked around. I hadn’t been to this city before; it was quite large, though we appeared to be closer to the outskirts. Not overly many cars around, mostly houses with larger gardens.
As far as I could tell, we were approaching a rather large building that didn’t give me the slightest idea as to what it could be. It looked kinda stern, but still friendly, and quite huge.
I restrained my curiosity and chewed on my lip, watching Mizuki as he rung the bell and was greeted by a gentle-looking, older woman.
With how familiar they were with each other, it couldn’t be Mizuki’s first time here, so I was kinda suspicious. I didn't always ask him where he went, even if he was gone for a whole day, but this was confusing.
I trailed behind as the two of them walked before me, down a long hallway. It felt like a horror movie.
“Just sit down”, she said with a huge smile, pointing at two chairs in the office room. I sat down in slow-motion, staring at my beloved-slash-kinda-husband. How about now information on this place?
He kept quiet and put his hands on his lap, avoiding my eyes.
Helpless, I turned to the woman, who just stared at the door for a few seconds until someone knocked. Then, she looked at me.
“Taizou said it’s going to be your decision. Well, I truly hope you’ll get along.”
The door opened and someone stepped in.
She was five, six years at most, with platinum blonde hair and overly blue, huge eyes. Dressed in a white skirt and blue blouse, she held a little puppy plushie in her arms, her other hand was held by a younger woman who carefully led her in. Her steps were tiny and careful, as if walking was a bit unusual for her and her eyes skitted around everywhere.
I stared.
The little girl let go of the hand and then walked before me, tilting her head into her neck so she could look up to my eyes.
Then she smiled. All mischievous and proud, incredibly loving.
“She’s one of the orphans we are taking care of. Until recently, she hardly reacted to her surroundings, but she got suddenly better. Now she’s a bright little girl, but she rejected everyone who wanted to take her along until Taizou appeared. That's why-”, I heard the woman’s voice a bit mutely in my ear, slightly nervous, as if I might reject the little girl that only wanted to go with us.
I reached out, swooping her into my arms. She squeaked lightly, an overwhelmingly beautiful sound due to her angelic voice, and then laughed lightly.
I cuddled her to my chest, where she reached out her tiny arms to hug me.
“Take!”, I almost shouted. “Take her along! We’ll take care of her! Definitely!”
Mizuki gaped as if he couldn’t understand my overwhelmed reaction, but he probably really couldn’t.
I had told him I liked children and had mentioned I wanted to adopt one day. The rules were strict, but once you were screened, it wasn’t hard to adopt a child - even as a gay couple. Since we could prove having been together for so long, it really shouldn't be a problem.
Mizuki had come by, met the little girl, and decided to try his luck and see if I would like her as well.
I did.
How could I not?
I absolutely loved her.
The woman that had led her in looked incredibly panicked for a few moments at seeing me hug the little girl so tightly, then relaxed with a confused expression when she saw the girl so relaxed and happy.
Tiny hands reached out for my cheeks, pulling lightly at them.
I looked down at her.
“Vacation”, she chirped with her beautiful voice, something that made sense to no one but me.
“That’s one really great employer”, I whispered, rubbing my cheek against her.
I absolutely refused to let go of her, even as we went to sign the documents and fetched the small amount of things she had.
Hinata - as was her name - was still in my arms and played with my hair as we left.
Mizuki slowly got out of his daze when we were on the way back, sitting in a separate cabin in the train. My new daughter was sitting on my lap, looking out of the window and watching the landscape go by.
“It’s good that you get along”, Mizuki said in a voice laced with confusion.
I beamed at him.
“You brought me the best person possible, on top of making me happy with the fact that you actually want to raise a child with me.”
Hinata looked over, twisting on my lap to look at Mizuki and then smiling in a way that just didn’t suit a child.
“It’s nice to officially meet you now, Mizuki”, she said, ignoring his dumbfounded gaze. “I’m happy that Riku chose you. I didn’t really like the other people he was interested in; you suit him best. I was honestly unhappy to leave.”
“So you just got, what, a vacation for coming down here?”, I asked her.
“Hm”, she nodded. “This body had been intended for a colleague, actually, but they decided that I can take it. So, like this, I’m your family now! Raise me well, okay?”
“Riku”, Mizuki said bluntly. “Should any of this make sense to me?”
I laughed and hugged Hinata closer.
“Well, we got a long train ride ahead. You see, it was before we met. I had drunk, like, five or six or maybe ten energy drinks…”
...And that was the day that my boyfriend loved me so much, he even believed the story of a system guiding me to him.