“Thinking back to it now it was quite strange. While claiming that you knew how it felt to be stolen from and be hurt, you claimed you would be mass producing weapons like those haniwas to invade... I should have put more thought into it back then”
”I'm sorry for deceiving you. But because of that I was able to silence the radical faction for a while. And most of all... I was able to reunite with the person I love”
Kiriha smiled as she spoke and put her hand on top of her chest. Past her hand was that card. It was the card she had gotten as a present from the person she loved back when she was a child.
“I'm not angry. I know you were in a tough spot”
“Thank you, Koutarou”
To Koutarou, Kiriha's smile overlapped with the smile of the girl he had met eleven years ago. The girl whose eyes had sparkled upon seeing the surface world for the first time, and who had gotten disappointed because she hadn't been able to ride the roller coaster. Because of that, a certain wish grew inside of Koutarou.
“Hey, Kiriha-san”
“Hm?”
“Once all of this is over... let's go ride the roller coaster again”
Kiriha kept herself from being selfish, ever since she was a child. She might be holding something in even now. But once the battle was over, there was no need for that, and Koutarou felt like the roller coaster was the perfect first step to let her do as she pleased.
“...Koutarou...”
But that was when something unexpected happened. Still smiling, tears streamed down from Kiriha's eyes.
“H-Hey, what's wrong?”
Not having expected Kiriha to cry, Koutarou looked at her with worry in his face. Kiriha looked up at Koutarou with her eyes full of tears.
“You just said something that can never be taken back... are you aware of that...?”
Kiriha put her hands in front of her chest, holding back the feelings that were on the verge of bursting out.
“Kiriha-san...”
”You... shouldn't be dense enough to not understand what saying that means to Kiriha and Kii...”
Inside of Kiriha were two girls. They were Kiriha herself, and the lonely little Kii who rarely showed herself. The two of them each had their own feelings regarding that roller coaster. So they couldn't help but expect something special upon being asked to go ride on the roller coaster after everything was through and done.
“I know. But... I couldn't find any more suitable words”
Koutarou was well aware. Well aware, yet he couldn't find any other words. Considering the relationship they had built up, there weren't any words more suitable than these .
“Then... there's something I want to ask”
“What?”
”Would you mind if I hugged you right now...?”
“...Is that something you even have to ask?”
Koutarou smiled wryly at Kiriha's question and spread open his arms.
“Koutarou!!”
Kiriha sprung of her seat and leaped into Koutarou's arms, embracing him. Koutarou responded by hugging her back. Kiriha then continued crying, with her shoulders trembling.
“There you have it, so let's go solve these problems”
Koutarou patted Kiriha on the back. Kiriha continued crying inside of Koutarou's arms for a while.
“Yeah... I love you, Onii-chan...”
Kiriha had gotten another goal. For its sake, she would give it her all.
While she continued to cry, strong positive emotions filled her chest.