Himegi-san a Bride from the Future Begs Me to Confess My Love to Her Again - Volume 2 Chapter 6

A Treasure Lies In The Place Where the Princess and I Are Meant to Go

Several days have passed since Natsumi-san passed away.

Since then, I’ve been living my life as usual.

Kanako and Takakyun are also lovey-dovey as always.

My father and mother are carrying out their duties just like any other day.

Yes, they are trying to return to their normal routine.

That’s what she would have wanted.

I had been invited to Himegi-san’s mansion because she said she had something important to discuss with me.

That’s why right now, I was quietly sitting on the large covered bench in the garden, waiting for her to appear.

A gentle breeze blew, making me feel comfortable.

I even felt like humming a tune… Just then, an uninvited man suddenly appeared before me.

“Ah! It’s the old man.”

I made eye contact with the master of the mansion.

We were a bit far apart, but there was no mistake, our eyes met.

Then, Himegi’s father looked at me and gave me a broad smile—raising his middle finger as a form of greeting.

…I see, apparently raising the middle finger is a sign of friendship in the Himegi household.

Following this custom, I also smiled warmly and gave Himegi’s father the middle finger in return.

Of course, Himegi’s father stomped his feet right there, visibly outraged.

His face turned bright red as he approached me.

Oh? He wants to fight me? Is he picking a fight with a magician?

Fine, I’ll take that challenge!

Just as I was about to get into a combat stance, at that moment——

A black cat appeared in front of Himegi’s father and stood in his way.

And then, I witnessed something unbelievable.

“Hmm?”

Himegi’s father suddenly dropped to his knees and began bowing deeply to the black cat.

“Wha? Eh? Huh?”

Wh-why did the old man suddenly start worshiping the black cat?

Why is he scared of a cat?

Is it that, in the Himegi household, cats are the most important?

Are cats on the same level as gods in their home?

Or is this some kind of joke to make me laugh?

Regardless, what an absurd sight this is. A middle-aged man is seriously bowing to a cat.

Well, at least it looks like I can get a funny video out of it, so I’ll record it with my smartphone.

Just as I was about to take out my smartphone from my pocket, at that moment—

“—Huh? It’s coming this way…”

The black cat completely ignores Himegi’s father and slowly approaches me.

Wait? Um, this is kind of scary…

By the way, seizing this opportunity, Himegi’s father dashes away as fast as he can.

What the heck? Wait, isn’t this the same cat I saw at the funeral?

“These distinctive round eyes… Yup, it’s the same black cat from that time.”

And then, the black cat hops onto my lap. It seems this cat has taken a liking to sitting on my lap.

“Are you the household pet here? Or, since you don’t have a collar, are you a stray cat?”

Either way, it’s a pretty friendly cat.

I gently stroke the cat’s back.

Its fur feels really well taken care of; it’s very soft to the touch.

“Good, good… What’s your favorite food? Cheese, fish, or perhaps chicken? Tell Onii-san what you like…”

“….Scallop-flavored Churu….”

…Huh? Huh???

Did I… just hear a voice? I look around cautiously.

The only person-like figure I can see is Himegi-san waving at me from a distance.

It seems that it wasn’t an auditory hallucination; it was Himegi-san’s voice.

I wave back at her, and she smiles warmly at me.

It seems we’ve both come to terms with some things.

“As always, Himegi-san is so cute—”

“…My grandchildren were taken care of. Thank you.”

” …. “

…I feel like the cat just spoke, but it must be my imagination, right??

“Maybe I’m just so tired?”

“I kept you waiting.”

“I haven’t been waiting long. More importantly, this cat doesn’t have a collar, so is it a Himegi family cat?”

“Eh? Cat???”

“Look at this guy…”

I pick up the black cat and bring it close to Himegi-san’s face.

Himegi-san freezes, visibly stiffening as she looks at the black cat.

Wait, could it be that Himegi-san… hates cats???

“Uh, Himegi-san???”

Then, Himegi-san stares intently at the black cat…

“Hissssssssss!”

Unbelievably, Himegi-san makes a terrifying face and fiercely hisses at the black cat.

Naturally, the startled cat runs off somewhere.

“? W-what? What’s going on? What just happened???”

Even I am shaken.

Why is she suddenly treating the cat like an enemy???

What the heck?

What’s going on with the people in the Himegi family???

The father is suddenly bowing his head to the cat, and the daughter is hissing at it; what’s really going on???

There’s such a thing as being emotionally unstable, but this is ridiculous…

Can I really handle the aftercare for these people?

Natsumi-san, I’m sorry. I’m feeling a bit disheartened.

“Scaring a cat like that is something I dislike…”

“It’s because cats are cats. Really, that wretched stray cat is no good…”

While staring in the direction the cat fled, Himegi-san mutters curses.

Apparently, she really dislikes cats.

Even after that, Himegi-san continued to grumble things like, ‘I wish it would go back to its other world already,’ and ‘What do you even mean, saving the world?’

Another world? Saving the world?

Is she talking about some web novel???

She then looked somewhat anxious and asked,

“…Hey, Ouji-kun, if I told you my grandmother was a witch, would you laugh?”

She posed such a question. Of course, I told her my honest feelings.

“I wouldn’t be surprised, nor would I laugh.”

After all, Touka-san had already told me about it.

“Really? Because it’s a witch, you know? A witch! Normally, you’d laugh because you think I’m joking, right?”

“I want you to know that I believe you. If you say it, I will definitely believe you.”

“…Thank you. Someday, I want you to listen to me talk about my grandmother.”

“I’d like that. I’d like to meet your grandmother someday, Himegi-san.”

Since they’re a family of good looks, I bet her grandmother must be quite beautiful too.

Does she wear a pointy hat since she’s a witch?

Or is she like the witches I’d imagine from fairy tales?

Or could she surprisingly be a ‘loli-baba’ type of witch?

Personally, I’d love it if she’s a bombshell witch like Himegi-san.

Ahh… I’d love to meet her someday. To meet her and properly greet her…

“Before we get into that, there’s something I want to show you, Ouji-kun.”

Himegi-san held a hardcover book in her hands.

“For me?”

“Yes, this came from Natsumi-neesan’s room, but…”

Saying so, she flips through the book and, as if to use it as a bookmark, shows me something resembling a photo stuck in the middle of the pages.

I take it from her.

——It indeed was a photo. To me, it was just a normal photo.

But for the Himegi family, it’s like a magical photo.

I have understood the future Touka Himegi’s true plan.

『— This is in return for the sunflower you gave me yesterday!』

『—Ha-kun, while you’re at it, take a picture of this sunflower too.』

I had thought that flower was either imported or grown in a greenhouse, but I was wrong.

Probably, even the beef we ate at that time was from a year ago…

“Is this photo some kind of trick, Ouji-kun? Or is it a composite photo???”

“…No, this isn’t a trick, nor is it a composite photo…”

The photo shows a woman with white hair.

She looks beautiful with a smile that suits her well.

Wearing a white dress and a straw hat, she seemed to be enjoying herself under the sun.

As her name suggests, she fits well with summer, surrounded by yellow flowers—smiling.

On her right chest was the number ‘1.’

In her left hand, she held a pocket watch I recognized.

That number is evidence that she time-traveled.

I see… she had gone back to the past.

“Hehehe…. hahaha… ahahaha!”

I laughed. I laughed out loud.

How could I not? I had a big misunderstanding.

Touka-san had said that the watch couldn’t be reused until the number turned to “0,” but that only applies to the person who time-traveled.

There’s no issue if a different person uses the pocket watch.

Touka-san’s aim was to show Natsumi-san the sunflower field once again.

Was that her plan from the beginning?

Or perhaps she thought of it later, but either way, this was her ultimate goal.

“But last summer, she was in surgery and couldn’t leave the hospital, and in May, the sunflowers weren’t in bloom, you know?”

“Even so, I can say with certainty that this is real. Absolutely real.”

Ah, I’m glad she made it.

She passed through the horrible cave and found the dormant treasure.

I’m really glad she did.

She saw the sunflower field in full bloom with her own eyes.

She made her wish come true, and that made me incredibly happy.

“Ahahaha… hehehe… ah, aha, hehe… ughhh…”

Tears spilled down my cheeks.

I wanted to tell Natsumi-san, “How dare you trick me!’, but she’s no longer in this world…

…That made me overwhelmingly lonely and sad.

“…Here.”

Himegi-san offered me a handkerchief. I took it and wiped away my tears.

“Thank you…”

“Well, I don’t understand, but I’ll assume for now that Nee-san made it to this place.”

“I’ll tell you someday, when you’ve come to really like me.”

“What? That day might never come.”

“I’ll work hard to make sure it does.”

Through my encounters with Touka-san and Natsumi-san, I’ve learned countless things.

I’m neither smart enough nor strong enough to make use of all of it.

I’m sure I’ll face numerous difficulties ahead, and I’ll want to run away many times.

Even so, I want to keep moving forward.

Because at the end of that terrifying cave lies a treasure worth seeking… I’ve seen that ‘what if’ with my own eyes.

——It was a happy story for both her and me.

That’s why…I hope we can continue that story, even if it takes a different form.

“Your confidence… it’s kind of irritating.”

“I’m not confident at all, actually.”

I don’t think I need to be responsible for falling in love.

But if I want what lies beyond that…if I choose to walk that path, then I do need to face responsibility.

This experience taught me that painfully well.

I’m still immature and powerless.

People might laugh if I say I’m taking on this responsibility so casually, but even so, I want to face Touka Himegi till the very end.

I looked at her with a serious gaze.

Her face turned slightly red.

“W-What? Why are you staring at my face like that?”

The wind blows.

A wind that can neither be called a spring wind nor a summer wind blew.

About two months have passed since that painful rejection.

Since then, I think I’ve been able to understand her a bit more.

She’s timid, surprisingly a crybaby, stubborn, selfish, and flawed in many ways… but even so, I really like her.

The one who must be by my side is Touka Himegi.

I can’t think of anyone else.

So let’s move time forward. Let’s start a story they don’t know about from here.

“Himegi-san, about our romantic relationship…”

“Ah! About that—”

“——Hey, Himegi-san, I want you to listen to a story about someone I like——”

Let’s sow the seeds. Seeds that will make everyone smile.

And if permitted, let’s water those seeds, just the two of us.

It’s alright, because other seeds and mechanisms that will move forward in the future have been properly entrusted to her…