Episode 21: The Promise with You Hasn’t Become a Song Yet
The harbor town at dusk was quiet‚ as if the world had taken a single deep breath.
The observation deck—a high place near the lighthouse—offered a panoramic view of the sea and the townscape.
The setting sun painted a golden band across the water’s surface‚ and the sea breeze stirred their hair. In the distance‚ the lights of food stalls began to flicker on one by one‚ while the sound of the waves slowly advanced and retreated.
I—Aria—leaned lightly against the railing‚ tapping my fingertips gently.
(...Am I nervous?)
Even I didn’t fully understand the reason. Yet the presence of the girl beside me made something restless stir deep in my chest.
Iris stood a little ahead of me‚ looking down at the sea.
Her pale hair swayed in the wind‚ her profile illuminated by the setting sun.
She spread both arms wide and took a deep breath‚ as if catching the sea breeze.
“Hey Aria‚ the sea... it makes a kind of ‘salty sound‚’ doesn’t it!”
...A salty sound?
(No‚ I don’t think sounds have a taste... but yeah‚ that’s something Iris would say.)
“...What kind of sound is a ‘salty sound’?”
“Hmm... like‚ sparkly‚ and it makes you feel like you might cry a little?”
“That’s not a taste‚ that’s an emotion‚ isn’t it...?”
“Huh‚ is it?”
She tilted her head with genuine puzzlement.
At that gesture‚ I almost laughed.
My tension eased just a little.
The distance between us was close enough that I could reach out and touch her.
But I didn’t touch her.
I couldn’t touch her.
That delicate distance felt strangely comforting.
The sun was nearly set‚ and the sky began to turn purple.
This quiet time felt just a little special.
As the sun sank and the sky began shifting to ultramarine‚
Iris leaned against the railing and let out a small breath while gazing at the sea.
“Hey‚ Aria. ...Lately‚ I’ve been a little scared.”
Her voice carried a soft wavering‚ just a touch dimmer than her usual brightness.
I instinctively tapped my fingertips.
(...Here it comes. How am I supposed to respond at times like this? Logic? Emotion? No‚ neither feels right.)
“Scared... of what?”
When I carefully asked back‚ Iris smiled.
Her usual innocent smile. But there was a shadow behind it.
“I can’t really put it into words‚ but... deep inside my body‚ sometimes it feels like it’s ‘about to stop.’ Like the sound cuts out.”
Something clenched tight in my chest.
(...Foreshadowing of a short life. So this is how she feels it.)
Iris continued.
“But strangely‚ it doesn’t feel like despair. Rather... I think‚ ‘There’s still things I want to do.’ So even though I’m scared‚ I want to keep moving forward.”
Her voice wasn’t trembling.
That only made me feel both her strength and her fragility at the same time.
“Maybe because you’re here‚ Aria.”
“...Huh?”
A weird sound slipped out of me.
(Wait a second‚ what does that mean? Am I overthinking it? But still...)
Iris turned around and looked straight into my eyes.
“You know‚ Aria... you kind of have the ‘sound of the future.’”
“The sound of... the future?”
“Yeah. It hasn’t taken shape yet‚ but it’s a really beautiful sound. That’s why I want to go there too.”
Something grew warm deep in my chest.
A sensation that theory couldn’t explain.
But my heart had definitely stirred.
“...I’m not that big of a deal.”
“Ehh? Then will you bring me my favorite foods every day?”
“Where did the conversation go!?”
“Well‚ the sound of the future makes you hungry‚ right?”
“I’ve never heard of that theory!”
At her natural airheadedness‚ I couldn’t help but laugh.
But deep within that laughter‚ there was definitely “hope.”
(...Iris doesn’t hide her unease‚ yet she still faces forward. How should I respond...?)
The evening wind gently passed between us.
With Iris’s words still lingering in my chest‚ we gazed at the sea for a while.
The presence of night slowly descended‚ and the sky shifted from ultramarine to a deep indigo.
The lights of the food stalls twinkled in the distance‚ and the sound of the waves quietly advanced and retreated.
(...The sound of the future‚ huh. I never thought I had something like that.)
I tapped my fingertips.
The rhythm was a little softer than before.
“Hey Aria.”
Iris peered at my profile.
“You don’t have to overthink what I said earlier‚ okay? It’s not that I wanted to talk about something dark... I just wanted you to hear it.”
“...Yeah. I’m glad I got to hear it.”
As I said that‚ something moved deep in my chest.
An emotion I couldn’t put into words.
But I wanted to try carrying it on magic.
“Iris‚ can I try a little... experiment?”
“Huh‚ another one that’s gonna explode?”
“It won’t!”
(...Well‚ probably not. No‚ it shouldn’t.)
I raised my hand lightly and gathered mana at my fingertips.
Theoretically‚ it was a simple light spell.
But this time‚ I mixed in a little “emotion.”
(...The sound of the future. The words Iris gave me.
If I were to give it form...)
My fingertips glowed faintly‚ and a small ring of light was born‚ floating gently.
The ring of light swayed on the sea breeze‚ drifting like a musical note.
“Wow...”
Iris caught her breath.
The light reflected in her eyes tickled my chest.
“This... is Aria’s ‘sound‚’ isn’t it?”
“It’s light‚ not sound‚ but...”
“No‚ I can hear it properly. See‚ sparkle-sparkle.”
(...The way she explains with onomatopoeia somehow makes it more convincing—that’s Iris’s amazing part.)
The ring of light slowly rose and melted into the night sky.
In that moment‚ something lightened deep in my chest.
“...Maybe I’ll try making one more.”
Getting carried away‚ I folded a scrap of paper into a simple paper airplane‚ gave it a little magical buoyancy‚ and sent it flying.
—But.
“Not that way!?”
The paper airplane flew in an unexpected direction‚ skimmed over Iris’s head‚ and slammed into the lighthouse wall.
“...Aria‚ that wasn’t the sound of the future—it was the ‘sound of getting lost.’”
“Shut up!”
We both burst out laughing without meaning to.
It was clumsy‚ but it was definitely a moment when our hearts drew closer.
After the ring of light melted into the night sky‚ a quiet afterglow remained on the observation deck.
The sea breeze drifted gently through‚ and the lighthouse light stretched our shadows long.
Iris leaned against the railing and narrowed her eyes a little.
“Hey Aria. That light earlier... it was really beautiful.”
“It was just a small spell. Theoretically simple...”
“No. That one had ‘Aria’s feelings’ in it.”
My chest jumped.
I hadn’t expected her to say something like that.
Iris continued.
“You know‚ when I think about the future... I get a little anxious.
But when I’m with you‚ Aria‚ somehow I can think‚ ‘It’s still okay.’”
Her voice was soft‚ as if dissolving into the wind.
It wasn’t forced cheerfulness or a strained smile.
Just honest feelings.
(...Is it really okay for someone like me to be thought of that way?)
I tapped my fingertips.
But the sound was quieter than before‚ with less hesitation.
“Aria.”
Iris gently turned toward me.
Her eyes were clearer and deeper than the night sky.
“If... if I ever seem like I’m about to stop midway.
At that time‚ will you let me hear the ‘sound of the future’?”
My chest grew hot.
Words didn’t come out right away.
But I slowly reached out and gently placed my hand over hers.
“...Yeah. As many times as it takes.
I’ll deliver every sound I can... to you.”
Iris blinked in surprise‚ then smiled softly.
“Then it’s a promise.”
That smile was warmer than any magic.
Silence continued for a while.
But it wasn’t awkwardness—it was the quiet of hearts drawing close.
And then—
“...Ah‚ but Aria.”
“Yeah?”
“The sound of the future makes me hungry‚ so... treat me to something when we get back‚ okay?”
“It really did come back to food!?”
Our laughter melted into the night sea.
The curtain of night slowly descended.
On the observation deck‚ only the lighthouse light and the twinkling of stars remained‚ and the sea sank into a deep indigo.
The sea breeze had grown a little cold‚ but strangely‚ my heart felt warm.
“Shall we head back soon?”
Iris said‚ turning around.
Her smile was much softer than before.
“Yeah. ...Let’s go home.”
I started walking too.
But after a few steps‚ Iris stopped and looked back at me.
“Aria.”
“Hm?”
“That light earlier... show it to me again. And the sound of the future too.”
Her voice was small‚ but it reached me clearly.
“...Yeah. As many times as you want.”
I answered naturally.
My feelings moved ahead of the words.
Iris smiled contentedly and began walking beside me.
Two sets of footsteps melted into the quiet night path.
In the distance‚ Rinne and Cross were arguing about something in front of a food stall.
Their lively voices felt strangely comforting.
(...I wish this time could last forever.)
Just before leaving the observation deck‚ Iris suddenly looked up at the sky.
Was it just my imagination that her profile seemed clouded for an instant?
—At that moment.
From far away in the harbor town‚ in the direction of the barrier lights‚ a faint alarm sounded.
Softly‚ yet unmistakably.
We looked at each other.
A slight tension returned to the quiet night.
(...But I’m not scared anymore.
Hope is definitely here.)
Thinking that‚ we slowly began to walk.
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