Several days passed, and September 25th arrived.
Today was the fifteenth day of the eighth month by the old calendar. In other words, it was the night of the full moon.
In the old era, the country that came before Kyokuto had a long-standing custom of admiring the moon on this night, known as the Mid-Autumn Full Moon.
That tradition still lives on today, and it seemed moon-viewing gatherings were being held all over the city. We had also set up seats in the large garden of the Shinonome family estate. Luna, Nagisa, and the others were happily preparing everything.
The red glow of the bonfire mixed with laughter. Steaming dishes and dumplings were laid out everywhere. The savory aromas drifted on the wind, and the laughter carried real warmth. It was a lively and cheerful atmosphere.
But Shion and I had walked a little distance away from all that.
Our hands were naturally joined, sharing a comfortable warmth. We did not speak much, but the silence was not awkward. Instead, that quiet itself seemed to color this special time.
The night sky was completely clear. A bright full moon shone brilliantly, lighting up the darkness. When we looked up, its silver light gently wrapped around the world. Its radiance, far stronger than the lights of the city, seemed to quietly calm the depths of my heart.
"It is beautiful," Shion murmured softly while gazing at the moon.
"It is," I replied shortly.
She gave a small laugh and squeezed my hand again. We sat down together on the grass.
The night breeze brushed our cheeks and gently stole away the warmth from our bodies. The insects began chirping all at once.
Yet this place felt strangely quiet, as if we had been left alone in our own little world.
"It has been a while since I could just relax and look up at the sky like this," she said.
"Same for me. I have been so busy that I never took the time to enjoy the view. But…"
"…?"
"Just having you beside me makes this scenery feel more than special."
The words felt a little embarrassing even to me, but they were true.
Shion blinked in slight surprise, then lowered her face as if trying to hide her embarrassment.
"It is unfair when you say things like that."
"Sorry. It just slipped out."
"Geez… But I am really happy!"
With those words, she leaned her head on my shoulder.
Her smooth silver hair brushed my cheek and glowed faintly in the moonlight. A gentle heat spread through my chest. There was no reason to refuse. In fact, I wished I could freeze this moment forever.
"…It is okay to have you all to myself sometimes, right?" she whispered. Her voice was warmer than the night breeze.
For a while, only the sound of insects and the night wind reached our ears.
Shion broke the silence again, her voice soft.
"…I wonder if I have gotten a little closer."
"Closer?"
When I asked back, she kept looking at the moon and continued.
"We made a promise when we were little, remember? That I would never leave you alone. That I would become strong enough to stand beside you. Compared to back then, I think I have shortened both the physical distance and the distance in our hearts."
I listened quietly.
She paused for a moment, and her expression clouded slightly.
"But… in the truest sense, I still feel like I have not quite caught up. You see and know so much more than the rest of us, and you look further into the future. I want to be able to share that with you without you having to tell me."
After saying that, Shion closed her mouth and lowered her gaze. In the moonlight, her profile showed both hesitation and a firm resolve to push past it.
Eventually she slowly lifted her head from my shoulder and looked straight at me.
"Not just chasing after your back… I want to stand beside you and see the same view."
"Shion…"
"You tend to rush ahead alone without realizing it. That is why I want to keep chasing after you with everything I have and walk right beside you from now on."
Shion tightened her grip on my hand. Her serious gaze pierced through the quiet night and clearly showed the strength of her feelings.
"I will never let go of this hand again."
Her voice was so steady that her seriousness came through even under the moonlight.
"…So I will not be left behind?"
"No. That is not it."
She shook her head and looked straight into my eyes.
"I want to walk beside you so that you are never alone."
My chest grew warm. It simply made me happy to hear her say that.
"…Thank you, Shion."
"Eh?"
"I know I have a habit of rushing forward alone because I feel I have to keep moving. But… I understand again that I am never truly alone."
I looked at her while slowly choosing my words.
"If I ever start to walk the wrong path, you will pull me back by the hand, right? Like you did in the underworld, if I try to stop… you will make me stand up again, right?"
Her eyes widened for a moment, then her cheeks flushed faintly as she nodded firmly.
"Yes. Absolutely. No matter how many times it takes."
In that moment, words were unnecessary.
Her profile in the moonlight was so dear to me that I found myself leaning closer without thinking.
Shion gently closed her eyes.
Our lips touched.
In the cool night breeze, only her warmth came through vividly.
It was a short but real kiss.
"…If I look like I am about to make a mistake, make sure you pull me back."
"Yes. I will use every bit of my strength if I have to."
Even that half-joking exchange felt like an irreplaceable promise right now.
I engraved that warmth deep in my chest and strongly wished to keep walking beside her from now on.