6 Main Heroines Who Absolutely Want to Monopolize Me - Volume 1 Chapter 3.10

Idols, Actresses, and Influencers at the Amusement Park 10

“Awesome! All the characters are looking at me!”

Yuu says, waving her hand and filming a video of the parade.

The additional date was to enjoy the parade together just before the park closed.

We had prime seats directly across from the towering Shangri-La Castle in the center of the park, where we could always have the castle as their backdrop during the parade.

Floats decorated with characters and sparkling decorations pass by.

“Shin, by the way, is your hair dry yet?”

When the floats carrying the characters pass by, and only the illumination and music remain, Yuu puts down her camera and asks me.

“Thanks to you, my hair is dry now. Thanks for the sweatshirt, too”

“Of course, I chose it for you.”

I was wearing a sweatshirt set with small character embroideries on a cream-colored fabric.

My uniform got soaking wet from sweat and the sprinklers, so Yuu gave me the sweatshirt as a present, along with a specially designed set of trunks and a towel.

She’s so carefree and self-centered, yet thoughtful—I can’t help but be impressed by her sincere consideration.

Before I knew it, I genuinely wanted to know more about her.

“Why did you decide to become a YouTuber, Yuu?”

Yuu smiles, a little embarrassed, and says, ‘Why all of a sudden?’

“I just want to leave proof that I existed.”

“Huh…”

She says it as if it’s nothing, but isn’t that an incredibly significant—literally, heavy and substantial—piece of information?

“Yuu… do you have plans to die or something?”

“What? Of course I don’t plan to die?”

“Huh?”

Not understanding the meaning of the question, she asked me again in a surprised tone.

“Are you asking if I’m immortal or something?”

“No, I’m not, but…”

“Just kidding, I know that.”

Yuu sighs with half-closed eyes.

“When I was in elementary school, I underwent surgery with a 70% success rate. I had a slightly serious illness from birth.”

“Is that so…”

“Shin, have you ever had general anesthesia?”

“No, I haven’t.”

I often visited the hospital to see my mother when she was hospitalized, but I myself have always been healthy and haven’t experienced anything like that.

“With general anesthesia, after they insert the IV, they put a mask on your face like an oxygen mask. They tell you to count numbers, like ‘1, 2, 3…’ As you’re counting, the anesthesia takes effect, and when you go silent, they confirm that you’ve lost consciousness.”

“I see.”

Instead of numbers, they might ask you to recite the hiragana characters; that could work too.

“Usually, they say you lose consciousness after counting to 2 or 3. But, for me… I counted to 10 or more. By the time the anesthesia started to work, the doctor seemed to be getting anxious because it wasn’t taking effect, and I finally lost consciousness.”

“Is it because you have a resistance to anesthesia?”

“Probably not.”

Yuu shakes her head.

“At that time, I was desperately trying not to fall asleep. The success rate was 70%, right? In other words, there was a 30% chance that I might never wake up again. When I thought about that, I got scared and wished I had done more things… So, I firmly held on to my consciousness, not letting go.”

“Never wake up again, huh?”

I softly try to imagine it.

Closing your eyes and never waking up again.

A 70% chance of success. But that means a 30% chance of failure.

It’s one thing if it’s a batting average in baseball or a hit rate in a game, but a 70% chance of living or dying is an unsettling probability.

“Well, you don’t have to look so serious, as you can see, I ended up in the 70% group. I’m completely healthy now, both mentally and physically, and the chances of it recurring are almost non-existent.”

“I see.”

Surprisingly, I feel a deep sense of relief.

“But still, not knowing when I’ll die is something that will stay with me from that time on. So, I want to live in a way that I won’t regret at that time. I want to be able to think, ‘Ah, it was a good life.’ To do that, I think I should have as many experiences as possible as soon as possible. Shouldn’t I do everything I want to do?”

“How long do you plan to live?”

“I don’t know, it might be until tomorrow. If that’s the case, there’s no such thing as an experience that’s too early, right?”

Finally, I understood the meaning of what Yuu said when we first met.

I see, she must be living every day as if it were her last.

“So, it’s proof of your life. To leave it in someone’s memory.”

“You’re good at reading between the lines! You didn’t say ‘leaving records,’ and that’s what makes it interesting.”

Yuu smiles happily. Well, I’ve lost my mother too.

“Yeah, memories. Records will end when they can’t be seen anymore, but as long as people who watched my videos hold memories of me, I’ll continue to live on! Besides, there might be someone who takes action because of my videos. And in the results of their actions, I’ll continue to live on.”

She looked at me with sparkling eyes, contrary to her words.

“Isn’t that amazing? That’s why I want to influence as many people as possible! I want them to see the scenery I’ve seen! That’s why I became a YouTuber.”

As the parade passed by and fireworks lit up the sky, she continued speaking.

“I love fireworks. Not just these fireworks, but I especially love the ones at town festivals.”

Her eyes reflected the brilliant and dazzling lights that spread and scattered.

“Fireworks disappear in an instant. But the high school student from that town might invite someone to the fireworks festival and end up marrying them. The young couple who set up a food stall at the festival might use the money they earn for a honeymoon they’ll cherish for a lifetime. A child who came with their parents to watch the fireworks might become a pyrotechnician because they want to give others the same excitement. In that way, even the fireworks that have long vanished continue to live on by influencing various people. That’s what it means to exist.”

With the instant shimmer reflected in her large eyes, she said firmly, ‘That’s the kind of existence I want to be.’

“..I see.”

“Well, even though I say that, sometimes I get scared too. Even if it’s the moment of death, I might think, ‘I wish I had lived a little longer.'”

Her expression changed, and she smiled with a hint of helplessness.

…But.

“I suppose it’s not entirely a bad thing, is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“A life where you want to live more, in other words, a life that’s so fulfilling and enjoyable that you regret it ending… Isn’t that a happy thing?”

“…..!”

Yuu opened her already large eyes even wider and stared at me intently.

“What’s wrong?”

I felt anxious. After all, we were talking about life and death.

I might have said something inappropriate, and I braced myself for that possibility.

“That’s right!”

She exclaimed with newfound enthusiasm.

Yuu brought her face literally close to mine, eyes and nose just inches away.

“That’s a really good way of thinking! It made me completely change my goal!”

She exclaimed loudly.

“My goal used to be ‘living a fulfilling daily life where I’d be okay with dying anytime,’ but I’m correcting it!”

With a smile on her face, she declared:

“I’ll live a life that’s so amazing that no matter when the end comes, I’ll think ‘I want to live even longer!'”

“Can you just change it so easily?”

“It’s not easy at all! It’s because Shin said that!”

“Which is why I said it’s ‘easy’…”

I started to say but stopped.

The wording of her goal is 180 degrees different, but I suppose the essence of what she wants to do is the same.

Yuu, who seemed to be energized, stood up suddenly.

“I think I do want to experience love and marriage! I’m sure that will make me want to live even longer! There’s no way it’s too early for a high school sophomore!”

“And you’re okay with me being that person?”

Yuu could choose anyone she wanted if she wanted to. But she laughed and said,

“Yes, I want you!”

” ….. “

Her straightforward words left me speechless.

“You know, I actually admire you. You’re living for yourself and with your own strength. That’s something not everyone can do.”

She turned to me and continued.

“That’s why I chose you as my ‘first love candidate’! How about it? Quite an honor, isn’t it?”

With fireworks in the background, Yuu smiled, showing her white teeth.

Her face was so radiant that it didn’t seem affected by the backlight.