Those dazzling three years I spent with her
After our showdown with the Phantom Thief, Siesta and I stopped by a restaurant instead of heading straight back to our hotel. We'd planned to hold a review eting about our failure to capture Arsene over dinner, but...
"Take it easy, Siesta."
Where in that thin body of hers did all the food she ate go? Siesta cleaned plate after plate with lovely table manners but at dizzying speed. We had no ti to talk about Arsene.
"But, you know, I need to eat while I can."
"What was the 'you know' for? You can eat again whenever you want."
Siesta wasn't listening. She was scanning the nu again. I was slightly exasperated...but it did also strike as sort of nostalgic.
Back when we were together constantly, we'd eaten at the sa table like this all the ti, discussing cases or making plans for future work or talking about nothing in particular... Anyway, the sight I rembered most from those three years might have been Siesta blissfully enjoying her food, the sa way she was doing that now.
"Co to think of it, what's your favorite food, Kimi?" she asked out of nowhere while we were waiting for our next order to arrive.
"Uh, what? Is there a reason you're talking like we just t?"
"No, it just occurred to that we'd never discussed things like that."
I see. Co to think of it, she was right. It felt like we'd never talked about stuff like that or covered any of the basic topics; we'd just bantered.
"Actually, I don't even know your real na or age or where you're from." "If you put it that way, I've practically never heard what you really think,
Kimi."
Yeah, she wasn't wrong about that. Even if we hadn't asked those questions, though, we'd walked together and sotis stood back-to-back, and we'd understood each other. I'd also never considered whether that had been right or wrong.
"Basically, I like anything that has a deep, rich flavor."
That wasn't why I said it, and it seed kind of late, but I answered Siesta's question anyway.
"Deep, rich-tasting foods? That's not even a type."
"The thing is, as long as it has a definite taste, it satisfies ."
Especially during those three years, almost everything I ate had been pizza or so other kind of junk food. ...Maybe that was why. My strong mories with Siesta had been the only ones I'd rembered, as if they were linked to those vivid flavors.
"What about you, Siesta?"
"Mm, that's a tough one. There's nothing I dislike."
As she answered, Siesta paused in the act of reaching for her glass. Thinking back, I did get the feeling she found everything she ate delicious. The only ti she'd grimaced was when I'd made that lousy curry... Maybe she really didn't have any favorites.
"If I were having my very last supper, though..." Siesta responded to my inquiry with a hypothetical. "I think I'd like to eat it with the person I most enjoy spending ti with." Smiling faintly, she gave an answer that didn't quite match the original question.
"...I ate too much."
Still fully dressed, I collapsed onto the hotel bed.
"Heh-heh. Yes, your stomach's definitely sticking out."
Siesta had cleared more plates than I had, but it was like everything she'd eaten had evaporated or sothing. She sat down in a chair by the window, wearing a cool smile. We'd finally finished our long dinner and returned to our hotel. ...Speaking of finally, there was one more thing.
"Still, that wasn't like you. You never back down that easily." On the bed, gazing at the ceiling, I brought up the Arsene incident again. A few hours
ago, surrounded by those n in that office, Siesta and I had ended up letting the Phantom Thief get away.
"I didn't know how Arsene had gotten those n to obey him. I couldn't use force."
...Oh, I see. If we hadn't withdrawn, there was no telling what order he would have given them. To ensure the safety of everyone present, she'd had to pretend she was helpless.
"Besides, even if I lost, the Ace Detective hasn't," Siesta said firmly. "Soday, Nagisa's bound to defeat the Phantom Thief."
"...Yeah. Now we've got another reason we have to wake her up." There was no way she'd let an enemy who plotted to control others' hearts get away.
Nagisa Natsunagi. With her passion, I was sure...
"But as far as you're concerned, Kimi, that's not the biggest reason." I heard the bed creak. Straddling , Siesta peered into my face. "You just want to wake Nagisa up because you want to see her again."
"...Don't just say people's thoughts aloud. At least ask first." "I'm right, though, aren't I?"
The room was dim. The moonlight that filtered in through the curtains made Siesta's smile even more alluring.
"...Dunno." I knew there was no need to put her off. Even so, it was awkward to be seen so thoroughly, and I found myself looking away.
"Male tsunderes aren't popular, you know." "Mind your own business."
Today, though, Siesta wouldn't let up. "Tell one thing you like about her, then."
What's the "then" for, huh? Actually, sothing like this happened just three weeks ago. ...In which case, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't answer this ti, too.
"...Natsunagi, right. Well, you know. She's, uh...cute, isn't she?" "......"
Why did she clam up? Should I have ntioned her personality first or sothing?
"Oh, it's just that hearing the word 'cute' co out of your mouth gave a nasty chill."
"Not fair." That's not a reason to get goosebumps. I plucked up my
courage and said sothing I don't normally say. Praise for it, would ya?
"Heh-heh. Still, this is getting entertaining."
"Don't tease for your own amusent. Whatever it is, it's obviously not going to be any fun for ."
"Well, it ans that even when Nagisa called you nas or brushed you off, in your heart, you were thinking, My partner is way too cute, right?"
"Quit analyzing it so calmly! And I didn't make that 'cool guy' face!"
...Dammit, Natsunagi. Thanks to you, I'm getting humiliated here.
"Yes, right there, that's the one I ant." "Like I said, quit reading my mind."
And you. Hurry up and get off already. I pointed at the bed next to mine, instructing Siesta to move. Man, I'm glad we reserved a twin room.
"...Uh, you're interpreting that gesture wrong." For so reason, instead of going to the next bed, the ace detective had stretched out next to . Had she always been this slow on the uptake?
"Oh, of course. I didn't realize."
Yeah, right. She'd clearly done it on purpose.
Speaking in a nonchalant monotone, Siesta gazed at my profile. Her face softened.
"What are you after?" I asked.
"You wouldn't stop talking about Nagisa, so I got jealous... Would that do?"
"If you'd put more emotion into it, I might have hugged you out of nowhere."
"You didn't put any emotion into that either, Kimi." We argued a little, then laughed.
"We haven't changed, have we?"
"Nope. We're just like we were a year ago."
The lights in the room were out. On the narrow bed, Siesta and I gazed at each other.
"Well, your drive for sleep and food have been satisfied, so if we're being honest, I'm concerned you might hit up for the last one."
"I told you, I've only got two great motivations. And what do you an, 'concerned'?" Siesta narrowed her eyes as if she had a bone to pick with .
"You say that now, but that's not what you said before." "When?"
It had been a month ago already. When we fought Chaleon on that cruise ship, and Siesta had borrowed Natsunagi's body, she'd told ...
"You said, 'To tell you the truth, I might have slept with you once. I considered it, at least.'"
"......" For a mont, Siesta looked rather guilty. "...Well, you said to tell you that sooner, didn't you? Really, it sounded as if you were the one who was interested."
She hit with an impossible instant retort.
Well, back then, I had no idea I'd get to see you again like this.
"And so, if I had to say, I thought you might not be able to control your emotions seeing again after a year apart, and you'd throw your arms around or sothing." Sohow having gotten the upper hand, Siesta reproached . ...Sheesh.
"Get over yourself." She was lying next to , and I geared up to flick her forehead.
"Well, I an..." Suddenly, Siesta's expression turned lonely. "You pushed yourself much too hard for my sake." She gently touched my cheek.
...Oh. So she had known about that seed, huh?
"Even if the seed's been extracted, you might still end up suffering side effects from it one of these days." Was it my imagination? Siesta's eyes seed wet. "You may lose the ability to see your beloved Nagisa or hear your cherished Yui sing. You may lose your voice; you might not be able to fight with your rival Charlie. Even so, you—"
"I don't care," I said, hugging her tightly. "I knew I wouldn't. That's why I chose the future that might have you in it." No matter what I lost because of it, I'd wanted to see Siesta again. "Sorry. I just said I hadn't changed, but I've learned how to be honest about stuff like that."
I'd failed to do it twice, and I had regretted it both tis.
"...Are you stupid, Kimi?" I could hear Siesta's weak voice from the vicinity of my chest. "That almost sounds as if you..."
But she didn't say the rest of it. She just squird a little in my arms...then heaved a big sigh. "I suspect sobody's going to stab you one day."
"Where the heck did that co from?" Even if I am a trouble magnet, I never want to get dragged into that kind of ss.
"Listen." Siesta poked her head up out of my arms. There was no sadness in her face now. "Co to think of it, I didn't ask you last ti. I think you'd
probably tell now." With that preface, Siesta asked , "What did you think of those three years?"
That was another thing that had happened on the cruise ship a month ago. While Siesta was protecting from the enemy's attacks, she'd told , "Those unforgettable three years I spent with you are the best mories I have."
At the ti, I hadn't been able to respond. Since she'd asked again, I had a chance to tell her. In that case...
"Do you even need to ask?"
Knowing it was too dark for her to really see it anyway, I gave her my biggest smile.
"I had so much fun, it's kind of frustrating."
When she heard that, Siesta murmured, "I see." She sounded sowhat relieved. She put her arms around , hugging back. "Thank you."
Yeah, that's right.
That was the promise we'd made a year ago: If we survived and t again, I'd take her up on that hug.
Right now, one year later, that wish had co true.
"What's that 'Thank you' supposed to an?" But as I joked around with her like usual, Siesta's warmth enfolded . My eyelids grew heavy, and I didn't fight them. I fell into a deep sleep.
—The next morning...
When I woke up, I was alone.
Reviews
All reviews (0)