What a beautiful day today…
The sun was bright and its rays were comfortably warm in the clear, blue sky. A few lazy clouds floated in it, carried by the gentle but fresh breeze. It wasn't a hot day; in fact, it was rather frisky for a summer day. The grass was tender, eye-piercingly green and as soft as feathers under his feet. The sunlight shone through the leaves on the trees, creating a slightly green light. Birds were cheerfully chirping.
If only she could be here to see what a beautiful day it is…
Kouta walked faster, but being careful not to slip on the grass. Finally, he saw it from afar. A big, grey rock standing vertically from the ground, a few trees surrounding it protectively. He smiled sadly as the sight reminded him of that day, which seemed so far into the past now…
"Hey… You seem really upset. Are you okay?"
Of course she wasn't okay. How could he have been so stupid? He remembered her pink hair which used to be short, her small, white horns sticking out of her head, her dark eyes filled with hate.
Kouta walked up to the huge grey rock and stood in front of it, staring at it until his eyes watered. "Idiot", he told himself. "As if that could make her come back".
He knew it now, nothing could make Nyu or Kaede come back. She was dead and he had killed her, damn it. She was gone. Into nothingness. Forever. It was over. But that didn't stop him from wanting to cry each time he thought of her. The tiny voice of his sane conscience whispered to him in his ear: "There's no need to cry anymore now. There have been enough tears spilled that day at the lighthouse."
Of course there had been enough tears that day. After that event, Kouta's eyes had felt puffy for a week. However a little part of himself had gone with Nyu, and he felt that there could never be enough tears about her death.
Nyu was dead.
But each year, on the last day of the summer festival, he still came to the big grey rock and waited for her to come. She had promised.
"I will always be waiting".
"Liar", Kouta chuckled dryly as he knelt in front of the block of stone and smiled, imagining Nyu sweetly smiling back at him.
"Kouta?"
He practically jumped up in surprise as he heard a voice calling him. Then, he looked suspiciously around him, feeling shaky and nervous already. The voice sounded familiar, but there was just no way it could be…
"Kouta?" the voice called again.
"Who's there?" Kouta almost shrieked. "Show yourself!"
He'd meant to sound menacing, but his voice was shaky. His hands were trembling. Maybe it would've worked better if he'd had a gun.
"Show yourself!" he repeated, trying to control his voice.
"I'm here", the voice said a bit louder, as if the person was getting closer.
Kouta suddenly caught a glimpse of something before it disappeared behind a pine tree. It was something that looked like… pink… hair….?
Wait a minute. Pink hair?
A pale arm showed itself from behind the pine tree, followed by one shoulder blade, then a neck, a head, a leg. Finally, an entire naked body appeared. Horns stuck out of the person's head, and long, pink hair was hiding her face. She raised a hand to brush the hair out of her eyes and Nyu's face appeared.
Kouta froze.
This can't be. I must be hallucinating. I must have a brain tumor or something…
"Nyu?" a whisper escaped his lips.
The woman nodded, then smiled. The same smile that Kouta had never and could never forget. Tears of joy welled up in her wide, kind eyes.
"I'm back", she said. Her voice sounded sweet in Kouta's ears. "Long time no see, Kouta."