Final Chapter - Our Future Starts Now
"Hey, Els."
"What is it, Lu?"
Without we know it, 1 year already passed.
We're looking at the score and our ranking in the browser at home.
"Do you think you will win?"
"I need to win, because it's our promise, right?"
About 8 months ago, we made a promise.
I will be a great noble.
I will surpass Lu.
So that she doesn't have to worry about me when she's gone.
She's quite excited to see the result.
However, I'm really sure that I can win. Hence, I clicked on the score board.
...
I'm...
The second rank.
Lu's still unshakable, she's really awesome.
"Too bad, I still win over you, but you're so close, Els. Look at our score."
I look at the score, and it's like what she said, our score's so close.
Its difference is only 2 points out of 100.
She scored 97,5 points and I scored 95,5 points
If we're still continuing this, I'm sure at the next year I will get the first rank.
But, this is the third year.
She needed to head back to Ranox.
"Tomorrow, I will head back to Ranox."
"Yes, I'm going to miss you, Lu."
I hugged her.
She hugged me back.
"I actually don't want to head back, but I already promised mom..."
"Me too, I said to her that I will endure it."
After waiting for a moment...
We head toward the bathroom.
Like usual we took a bath together.
Of course with towel on.
I sit next to her, she lay her head on my shoulder.
"Els..."
"Lu..."
We need to savor every last moment that we can.
Because we will not able to do it again for 1 year.
1 year without Lu is surely will be so lonely.
"Don't... Look at other girls okay? Don't you dare to flirt with other girls!"
"Where did that come from! Of course I won't. Only you that can stay in my heart!"
I hugged her shoulder.
She cuddles to me.
She's really soft.
I remembered the day when we first met.
"Geez! Are you dumb!? This is a cross road! you're lucky that I didn't ride a car or motorcycle! What if I ride one!? You might've been a goner now!"
I chuckled when I recalled that scene.
"Lu, remember our first encounter?"
She think for awhile and she giggles.
"I did, we collided into each other, I'm very angry back then because I'm in a hurry."
"Yeah, and I who's facing your anger also can't hold back my anger. It's really funny."
"Also, the time when we're arguing about the engagement."
She said it while smiling.
"To think that my dad arranged an engagement with you... I give up."
"... What?"
"LIKE I SAID! WE ARE GOING TO GET MARRIED! BECAUSE OF OUR PARENTS!"
"YOU WHAT!?"
"NOT YOU BUT WE! I DON'T WANT TO MARRY YOU NO MATTER WHAT!"
"LIKE HELL I WANT TO MARRY YOU!"
"OH THAT'S GREAT, THEN WHY DON'T YOU TELL YOUR PARENTS TO CANCEL THE ENGAGEMENT?"
"That's WHAT I want to DO."
I broke into a laugh.
"That one was very dumb too! Also, when we're having a fight and I left the house."
"You're too weak, you're bad at almost everything. And you consider yourself human?"
"If you don't like me, it's fine! I never ask you to like me! About this engagement, I will cancel it by myself, I don't care about others, what they think about me, etc. I'm sick of you."
"That one's quite a memory, I'm really lonely you know when you left that day."
She pouted.
"Hahaha, I'm sorry, I also felt that the room I'm staying at was very empty."
We smiled as we recall those funny memories.
"But I'm really pissed when I heard you sleep at Aisha's place, I'm very jealous back then."
She admitted she's jealous, I really want to pinch her cheeks.
"Say, plebeian, where were you last night?"
"I'm sleeping at Aisha's place, since a certain noble pissed me off."
"I'm sorry!"
*Slap*
"Ouch! What kind of person apologized and then she slapped others with a slapping fan!? Not to mention where did it came from!?"
"That time you apologized and hit me right away, that's very ridiculous, hahaha."
"It's your fault!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry."
I smiled as I caressed her head.
"Especially the day you confessed to me, I still found your confession's so lame and really not at the right time."
"Don't remind me of that embarrassing scene!"
"But... Besides from that hate, slowly but sure. My feelings began to change. This 1 year, I've always been by your side, and you are always by my side, when you're away, I'm feeling really lonely... But... When you're around I felt like I really want to hug you. More importantly, you cared for me. No one ever be so caring to me before, because I always rebelled against them, but you're different, no matter how many times I rebelled against you, you always able to endure it and still care with me. Even when I ran out from home, you still able to forgive me, I'm really happy! Maybe I don't show my gratitude too often, but studying with you is really fun. You taught me many things. Now, when we're together, I can't hold my urge to hug you anymore... And I realized, that I'm actually in love with you, Lu."
She giggles again.
She's really a playful girl.
If I imagine her old self, I would never expect her to be so kind to me and so gentle like this.
"I'm still curious, how did you get to my house back then, Els?"
"Oh that..."
I explained how I get the note and how I met the me in the future.
She's surprised.
"Really? Actually, I also met with me in the future."
"For real!?"
"Yes, she said that I need to wait at the place where I caught you before. At first I don't believe it... But I think I need to do it."
So ourselves in the future came back to the past to help us out?
I need to remember this for the rest of my life.
After that we head back to our room.
"I really don't want today to end like this... It's too fast..."
Lu said as she hug me on the bed.
I hug her body so that she can cuddles to me.
"I also don't want it... But time will not wait for us."
"You're right..."
She closes her eyes.
I kiss her lips.
She broke the kiss slowly as she buried her face in my chest.
She's embarrassed.
Well we rarely kiss each other due to her being embarrassed after all, I can understand it, it's not like I need to always able to kiss her.
"When will you set off to Ranox?"
I look at Lu's belongings.
They're already packed and she's ready to go anytime.
"Tomorrow at 6, so I need to wake up earlier."
"I see... Have a safe flight there, Lu."
"Um, don't worry..."
I know, she will set off without waking me up, so I pray for her safety now.
Knowing her, she won't be able to leave if I'm still there watching her, so she need to set off while I'm sleeping.
"Good night, Els."
"Good night, Lu. I love you."
"... I love you too."
She's embarrassed, so cute.
I hug her tightly, remembering her warmth, so that when she's gone I can still imagine her being with me.
...
-The Next Day-
Lu and Ciel are already went back to Ranox.
When I woke up, Lu's belongings are already gone.
"It seems like she's back already."
I stretched my body and I took a book from the bookshelf.
Thanks to the room expansion and these bookshelves, I have 8000 books to read.
My house became really huge due to sir Alexander's help.
He seemed to agree that I need to keep studying.
My room's more like a library now.
A Mega Library.
I want to throw out some of this, but I'm sure Lu will be angry.
She's the one who arranged those books.
So I need to treasure them all.
"Ring*
A mail?
I read the mail, it's from Lu.
I'm already at Ranox, I'm going to miss you so much, Els.
I smiled, I can imagine her teary eyes.
That's good to hear, don't worry, we will meet each other again in 1 year.
sending that I lay down on my bed to read the book.
I used to just skim them so I don't really get to enjoy reading them, now I will read them slowly, to enjoy the feeling of reading.
But...
This book seemed weird.
From the cover, I can't tell what book is this.
But when I opened it...
"This is..."
Lu's diary.
I looked at the date and time.
It's all written at 4.30AM.
So she always write this when I'm asleep?
This plebeian here's really annoying. I hope he will just die.
He left the house, that's great! But... Why I'm so lonely?
I'm starting to think that he's not all that bad... Is it just my feeling?
My chest felt really tight... What's happening to me?
Oh no... I'm starting to feel weird, why I felt like I want to hug him?
So that girl's Lisa? But... That plebeian seemed to like her...
He confessed to me! I thought she love Lisa, but I'm really happy! However, that confession's just too lame!
I thought I can't stay with him anymore, but I'm really happy that I can still stay with him!
I chuckled as I read her diary.
She's just too cute.
But then I read the last part which is today.
Today I need to head back to Ranox, I'm very unwilling to do it... But I must go, Elsword, I bet you will found this diary sooner or later, I left it here on purpose, so that you won't forget about me, I love you, Elsword. See you again next year.
With all of my love, Lu.
I smiled gently.
How could I forget about you, Lu? You're my precious fianceé, I will always remember you even when I died. Let's meet again next year.
Thinking that I stood and got out of the house for a walk.
"Hey, Els."
"Oh, Aisha. Ciel left already, right?"
"Yes, but I will wait for him."
She smiled.
I smiled back at her.
We will wait for them to come back.
No matter how long it may seemed to us.
Because we just love them that much.
...
1 year passed like that.
I've been enduring my loneliness all this time.
Finally, it's time for her to come back.
"I can't wait anymore!"
"Hey, Aisha! You can't climb through the waiting border!"
I pulled her back before she get through.
Raven and Rena giggles.
"You two haven't changed, huh?"
"Raven, they're really our cutest friends after all."
We've graduated from our school 3 weeks ago.
I scored the highest score in the final test, of course I'm the first rank in the school.
But now we're a grown-up.
We need to keep our cool, but Aisha seemed to be still a childish girl.
Add's still chasing Eve for 3 years! I'm amazed by you, Add!
Add and Eve are not coming because they're busy with helping their parents, but that's not a problem for us.
And finally the main guest we've waited came out from the arrival gate.
I can see Lu and Ciel walked side by side.
Lu's definitely different than 1 year ago, she looked way more lady-like.
She's just like a princess from a fairy tale.
She wear a pretty white dress, it's compatible with her white hair and skin.
While Ciel's wearing a white tuxedo, they really looked like a twin.
"Lu!"
I waved at her.
She noticed me and broke into a run.
I'm amazed she can leapt through the border and hugged me!
"Els! I'm back!"
There we go.
This is a short story.
of an immature noble and a NEET.
Who were finally re-united after 1 year of waiting.
Our Future starts now.
Final Chapter – Our Future Starts Now End
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