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

Epilogue

When I opened my eyes, I found out I was in a toilet stall.

It seems I’ve managed to return to my original timeline.

I took my smartphone out of a paper bag.

“April 15th… I’ve managed to get back properly…”

The date displayed on my smartphone was April 15th, six years later.

“Also, my broken smartphone is working normally now.”

Furthermore, the numbers on my chest had disappeared.

Good, I’m glad they’re gone.

If they had stayed, I wouldn’t have been able to go to pools or hot springs.

“For now, let’s head back to the chapel.”

For me, it’s been a month, but only a minute should have passed here.

Therefore, Ha-kun and the others should still be waiting for me in the chapel.

I’ll share the memories of this past month with Harune and Ha-kun…

Before I time-traveled, my heart was filled only with a little hope and anxiety, but now it’s full of joyful memories, hopes, and dreams.

Just for that, going back to the past was worth it.

With those thoughts in my heart, I left the toilet stall.

And when I opened the door to the chapel, as expected, my husband, my sister, and my grandmother were there.

I was relieved to see their faces.

Seeing familiar faces confirmed that I had safely returned.

“Welcome back! You came back so quickly.”

“You really returned in just a minute.”

Both greeted me with smiles.

I was happy. This is indeed the world where I belong…

However, there’s one thing that’s bothering me.

“…Hey? Why are you two sitting in seiza position???”

“That’s harsh!” “It’s terrible!”

For some reason, the two were waiting in a seiza position. What are these two doing…?

“Touka-nee ordered us to do so!”

“That’s right. Did you perhaps forget???”

“Did I do that? For me, it’s been a month after all.”

“Speaking of which, there’s something unusual on your head, Touka.”

“Eh? My head? Ah! A top hat…”

There was a top hat on my head.

This is Ha-kun’s from high school, isn’t it?

When did this top hat, which belonged to high school Ha-kun, end up on my head?

It wasn’t there until just before I disappeared… Well, he is a magician after all; it must be some sleight of hand.

I picked up the top hat. Inside it was a piece of paper.

“Hehehe… here, Ha-kun from the past left a message…”

I stood up and placed the top hat on my husband’s head, handing him the message.

My husband chuckled as he read it.

“I never thought I’d be blessed by my past self.”

The message read, ‘Congratulations on your marriage! Don’t make your bride cry!’ in bubble letters.

“Touka-nee, were you able to meet Natsumi-nee?”

Seemingly anxious for the answer, Harune stood up and ran over to me.

“Yes, I met her. I fulfilled some of her lingering wishes.”

I took out a photo from the paper bag and handed it to Harune.

Harune looked at the photo and began to cry.

“Ah, it’s Natsumi-nee… Natsumi-nee is surrounded by sunflowers…”

“Hold on, isn’t that strange? Sunflowers usually start to bloom around late June, right? It’s mid-April now. Even if two months had passed, the timing doesn’t add up, does it?”

“That’s because, in that world, it wasn’t just me who time-traveled. Natsumi-neesan time-traveled to May 7th during Golden Week.”

“Still, isn’t that odd? Even if Natsumi-san time-traveled to May 7th, her lifespan should be less than a month. How did she extend her lifespan?”

“Perhaps, the bodies of those who time travel only age by a minute? Isn’t that right, Grandma?”

In fact, I had spent a month in the past, but neither my nails nor my hair grew at all.

So, I took a gamble.

I had my anxieties, but I was also confident. And my gamble paid off beautifully.

Natsumi-neesan spent sixty days in the world she time-traveled to and was able to see sunflowers in full bloom on her last day.

“Didn’t I tell you? Just like you said, a time traveler’s physical time only advances by one minute.”

“I see. In that case, the disease would hardly progress.”

Certainly, he must be surprised by Natsumi-neesan’s prank right now…

“Harune, you played the violin at your birthday party.”

“…I see. That’s good to hear.”

“Also, we received a wedding gift from Nee-san.”

“A gift? For us?”

“Yes. It seems she was creating a picture book during her time travels.”

I pull a hardcover-sized picture book from the paper bag.

“Touka, let’s look at it.”

“Sure.”

Ha-kun and I sit down on a bench.

Sensing the atmosphere, Harune and our grandmother discreetly leave the room to give us privacy.

Then, we open Natsumi-neesan’s self-made picture book.

Once upon a time, in a certain country, there were three beautiful princess sisters.

The country was famous for the fact that the king, princess, and all the people always had a smile on their faces.

One day, the eldest of the three sisters unfortunately passed away, causing the people to lose their smiles, as if under a ‘curse.’

Thus, smiles disappeared from the nation.

However, one day, a magician named Ouji appeared from the neighboring country.

With his magic, Ouji-sama made the people smile again, breaking the ‘curse.’

Thanks to this, the king, the remaining princesses, and the citizens regained their smiles and were freed from the ‘curse.’

However, the second daughter still could not smile.

And so, Ouji-sama and the second princess embarked on a long journey to bring her smile back.

Along the way, they encountered Cinderella, who was also under a ‘curse,’ and managed to break it.

They also met Snow White, who was under a similar ‘curse,’ and broke it as well.

The two continued to meet residents of fairy tales under ‘curses’ and broke them.

At the end of their long journey, Ouji-sama and the princess find the magic to heal the ‘curse.’

The magic to regain smiles was ‘love.’

Yes, by the end of their long journey, ‘love’ had blossomed between them.

Thus, the princess regained her smile and married Ouji-sama.

They danced with smiles on their faces and vowed eternal love.

——This was the last story that Nee-san left behind.

“It’s a beautiful story…”

“Yes, it’s the best story ever…”

“By the way, what’s the title of this picture book?”

I close the book and check the cover.

“…Prince’s Quest…”

The title of the picture book is apparently ‘Prince’s Quest.’

It’s a perfect title for this book.

“Touka, shall we dance, just like the ending of this picture book?”

“Yes! Let’s dance!”

And so, we stand up and slowly walk to the center of the chapel, hand in hand.

“Wait a moment, Touka…”

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking… this top hat… something seems off…”

Ha-kun takes off the top hat he had been wearing.

Then, a photograph pops out from inside the hat.

I catch the photo fluttering in the air.

In the photo, Nee-san, in her patient’s gown, and I, dressed as I am now, are both showing peace signs and smiling at each other.

“Thank you, Ouji-kun…”

“What a mechanism… As expected of me…”

Then, a music box melody begins to play from the top hat.

Until the very end, he is blessing us…

We placed what we were holding in our hands on the floor.

You spoke to me of hatred and taught me the wonders of dreams.

You taught me fear and gave me love.

You gave me pain and created unbreakable bonds.

You brought sin and left blessings.

You left me with a gentle smile—and in the end, returned to my heart.

Thank you. Thank you, Natsumi-neesan.

Thank you. Thank you, Ouji-kun.

And, just like my sister’s picture book, we vow eternal love—and dance with smiles.

There is no more ‘curse’ in my world——.

***

TL: Hiraeth