What is Love?
Last time I’m gonna see this! ♪ A lot happened, but this trip was soooo fun!
……
(Was it really…?)
(I always leave things thinking that they were fun or interesting, but…)
(I suppose this experience ended a little differently.)
To me, the sunset represents…the end of a life.
The sunset was just as beautiful when I walked home after hearing my death prophecy.
Death prophecy…? What does that mean?
The chief and Nayuki already know about this, but I was predicted to die at 28.
These prophecies have a 100% accuracy rate, so I’ve always…
I’ve always lived waiting for my own death.
!
I don’t want people to feel sympathy for me, so I’ve never brought it up in the many communities I’ve been part of.
…Then why are you telling us?
……
I’m not sure. I just felt like saying it. Maybe it’s because you were grateful to me, Chihiro.
Huh…?
You said that I was able to help you feel love for our audience at the show. Love is something far out of reach for me…
I was a little surprised that I was able to play a role in someone’s love, even if it was indirectly.
I haven’t experienced the beginning of love, so I’m sure that I won’t experience the end of it when I die, like Kinari expressed…
I want to work hard as an idol with all of you, so I can die with pride, even if it’s just a little bit.
……
(Is he being serious? He’s gonna die?)
(Commencing body scan… Heart rate: no changes. No indications of lying found.)
(Hm, I see. So that’s why he’s filled with lies.)
(This is where his sickening optimism starts to fall apart at the seams.)
(The Naked King is still human, after all… I should do him the favor of breaking him before he dies.)
(I didn’t mean to talk about my death prophecy… Everybody was at a loss for words.)
(I don’t blame them. But I suppose they’ll eventually forget. I’m not even sure how long I’ll stay here…)
*click*
Hmm… This is my report for the trip.
We’re back, everyone!
Welcome back. I missed you. You didn’t burn yourself in the fresh-water onsen,1 didn’t you?
Got any souvenirs for us? Some local sake would be nice.
Did you get a buncha good footage?
Hello, everyone…! The chief sent me a video of your performance!
It was the best of the best of the BEST!!
I, a lowly pauper, ascended, reached enlightenment, and came to know the truths of this world… I am so grateful that all of you were born…
(I kinda missed how loud it was with everyone around… It really feels like we’re home.)
Here’s my weekly report, Chief. I recorded it on the tape, like you asked.
Ah, th-thank you so much!! I knew I could count on you!
Haha, you seem very excited. Really, it’s not much.
(I’m excited because I didn’t even have to remind him to record one… He’s just so reliable!)
Phew. Done unpacking… I need to write a report for Kafka, so I should listen to Raito-san’s recording.
*click*
<We visited Beppu to serve as ambassadors for the Hells of Beppu. They initially made us run errands…>
(Mhm, they really did. I thought that was all we would do.)
<We weren’t able to perform our song at the hotel banquet hall, and we weren’t syncing up very well during practice, but we had the opportunity to put on a show on our last day in the city.>
(Raito-san was so quick on his feet back then! Thanks to him, they were able to show everyone the fruits of their labor!)
(This trip went really well. I’m so glad we went…)
<After the show, we went to watch the sunset together. The conversation we had surprised me. All of us share a special connection with the sunset.>
(Really…? I didn’t know they did that.)
Raito-san…?
There’s a passage in a certain book I read once.
“Mayflies are born in the morning and die in the evening. How will they ever know what the night brings?”
I’ve always likened my life to that of a mayfly.
Mayflies die without knowing of the night, but the night continues to exist.
Similarly, I’m sure that I will die without knowing of love. Because I…can’t love others.
But even so, love continues to exist.
The other members… Even an android like Kinari… They will all love and be loved. They’ll live like that and eventually die like that.
I’m jealous of them, but I’m also proud. I suppose that’s why I told them about my death prophecy.
But I’m sure they’ll all forget about it someday.
They talked to me about so much… About death, about love, about feeling alive… And I’m not sure if I’ll remember any of it until the day my life ends.
Footnotes
-
Yukikaze specifically mentions a densen kakenagashi, which refers to a type of onsen where fresh hot spring water is continuously poured into the tub without being reused or treated. This causes the water in the bath to overflow. ↩