Side Story – To You, Who Will Be Waiting at the Beginning (End
by Afuhfuihgs
Side Story – To You, Who Will Be Waiting at the Beginning (End)
Personally, I fucking hate endings that are like, ‘It was all a dream!’ I hate it when the story up to that point becomes fake, and the relationships built up mean nothing. As someone who prefers to get invested in the main characters of novels, dramas, and movies, I don’t want to feel that sense of loss even in places that aren’t reality.
But this time it’s different. If you point fingers and say I’m changing my tune now that it’s my turn, I have plenty of excuses. It’s not that I’ve been dreaming all this time, but that I’ve been living for everyone else, so I got a chance to start over.
It’s close to the regression that often appears in the early parts of novels. Even twisting the cliché so that it’s not just me who regressed, but also Luna, whom I love… I kinda like it.
“…Ross, if you’re awake, come eat.”
Huh?
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at the unfamiliar voice. It’s a place I don’t recognize, but I know where it is. Ross’s room. And the middle-aged man with a beard staring at me is Ross’s father.
I remembered. No wonder I felt a sense of déjà vu. What did I say next…? It was so long ago that I can’t easily recall. As I scratched my ear, my father sighed.
“How old are you? Do I still have to tell you to eat?”
Ah, right. That’s what he said. When I nodded, my father looked around the room to see if there was anything else to point out, then turned and left the room. It seems that even if I start over, my relationship with my parents will remain the same. Well, it would be against the flow of the story if they suddenly became affectionate.
I left the room just like before. I headed to the dining table where my parents were sitting and sat in the empty chair. As before, today’s menu was stew. I watched my mother put stew in my father’s bowl first.
Now that I think about it, I haven’t thought about this day much. It wasn’t a day I particularly wanted to remember. I didn’t think there was any need to feel depressed by deliberately recalling my parents giving me cold looks as if they were looking at a stranger.
So, I vaguely remember what we talked about. I didn’t even think there was a need to talk. After all, even if I tried, I wouldn’t be able to have a good relationship with my parents.
“Don’t forget, you’re entering Transcendence Academy in three days, right?”
My mother said, pushing my bowl full of stew forward. Yes, I remembered exactly what would be said next. I remember my parents giving me a stern warning not to cause trouble for Roel after entering the academy.
“…If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
Huh?
It couldn’t be a mistake in my memory. It was the first time I felt Ross’s deep-seated inferiority complex. My mother, noticing my bewildered expression at the changed situation, glanced at me and said curtly.
“You don’t have to follow your brother in everything.”
“…”
The coldness in my mother’s eyes, as if she were looking at a stranger, was different now. I felt awkwardness and reluctance, but… it wasn’t the gaze of someone looking at a stranger.
“Yeah, if you don’t want to go to the academy, come to Dad’s shop starting tomorrow. If you learn a skill, you’ll be able to make a living wherever you go.”
I felt the strength leaving the hand holding the spoon. It was because a thorn that had been stuck in me for a very long time had been removed. It was even more unexpected because I had chosen to ignore it, thinking it was something I could never remove.
“What are you going to do?”
My parents are looking at me. Not with contempt or disgust, but with dissatisfied eyes watching the choice of their incompetent son. But even that made me strangely happy. It felt like an ill-fated relationship that couldn’t be changed had become a relationship that could be changed.
Maybe I, Ross… didn’t I want to have a good relationship with my parents? Something I thought was impossible might be possible this time. Because we can all start anew.
I felt like my voice would crack if I spoke, so I ate a few spoonfuls of stew and opened my mouth.
“…I will enroll as planned. I won’t be a shameful younger brother, so don’t worry.”
There was no coercion or persuasion from my parents based on my choice. Only uncomfortable silence and the sound of bowls and spoons echoed at the table. But I wasn’t uncomfortable.
Because my mother’s stew was very warm.
***
“Roel oppa!”
Roel, who was sitting at the second-year table talking with his friends, looked around at the welcome voice he heard from somewhere and found Ellie waving her hand enthusiastically.
“Ellie! Congratulations on entering Transcendence Academy. And as the top of the Magic Department! Ah, did you come with Ross?”
When Roel asked with a smile, looking around, Ellie pouted her lips at Roel’s lack of focus on her and shook her head.
“No, he suddenly left for the academy without saying a word. Bad guy. So, I thought he would be here first, but no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find him.”
As Ellie answered, tidying her hair with a frustrated gesture, Roel scratched his eyebrow and replied in a worried voice.
“Really? What should I do? The entrance ceremony will start soon. There’s even a strange rumor that if you’re late for the entrance ceremony, you’ll have a pretty difficult academy life… I hope he’s not late?”
“He’s probably lost. Unlike oppa, Ross is seriously stupid. He’s such an idiot that he gets confused even on the way he came.”
Roel gave a bitter smile at Ellie’s slander, then widened his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth.
“No, you’re wrong this time.”
“What?”
When Ellie asked back with an uncomprehending face, Roel said with a happy smile.
“Look behind you.”
Ellie, who turned around without much thought at Roel’s words, widened her big eyes even more when she saw Ross entering the banquet hall.
“Th-that’s Ross…?!”
The current Ross was so different from the Ross she had last seen. It wasn’t just because of the Transcendence Academy uniform. His appearance and hairstyle were also different. Decisively, the dead eyes full of gloom were shining so brightly that no trace of gloom could be seen.
“My brother has changed a lot… I can feel so much.”
Ellie, who unknowingly nodded in agreement to Roel’s murmur, looked around the banquet hall, looking for someone, and subtly raised her hand. The person Ross was looking for would be no one but her. As expected, Ross, who was looking around, found Ellie raising her hand and approached without hesitation.
Even his gait had changed, and he seemed full of confidence. He wasn’t slouching like before, and his stride wasn’t narrow or staggering. Ellie, feeling her lips moisten with her tongue at her childhood friend’s glamorous transformation, subtly raised the corners of her mouth at Ross, who was approaching.
“Ross, did you put in some effort for your glamorous academy debut? It suits you quite well.”
Ellie, who was thinking about how to tease the changed Ross with a mischievous smile, was surprised that Ross was suddenly looking straight into her eyes, and her thoughts were cut off. It felt very strange that Ross, who always avoided or lowered his gaze as if he were embarrassed when their eyes met, was looking straight at her. Ellie even subtly avoided his gaze without realizing it.
“Ellie.”
“Y-yes…”
What, is Ross about to confess to her? Ellie quickly calculated what would happen if she were confessed to by her brother in front of Roel, whom she had a crush on. If she used this to continue the conversation with Roel under the guise of counseling….
“You’re a really good friend.”
“…Huh?”
Ellie’s calculations were messed up by the out-of-context compliment. Ross, who turned his gaze away from Ellie, who was staring with a blank look, smiled softly as he looked straight at Roel.
“So, hyung-nim. Stop giving my childhood friend a hard time.”
“……”
“You’ve already noticed, haven’t you? That Ellie likes hyung-nim not just as a neighborhood older brother, but as a man.”
Ellie, whose legs gave way at Ross’s words, barely managed to keep from collapsing and shouted urgently.
“W-wait, that’s――!”
Ellie hurriedly tried to make excuses to Roel, but Ross cut her off.
“I hope you two work out.”
Ellie, who clenched her fist so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand were visible, realized that it was already irreversible and bit her lip as she looked at Roel. Roel, who was looking at Ross while touching his lips, said with a slightly surprised expression.
“…You, you’re serious?”
At Roel’s question, Ross smiled brightly, full of sincerity.
“Yeah. I’m serious. I want hyung-nim and Ellie to be happy. Because I like you both.”
Roel nodded with a dazed face. He couldn’t help but be happy that his brother, who had never been able to get close to him, said that he liked him and even supported his love. Still, he was embarrassed, so Roel scratched his head and turned to Ellie, whose face was flushed red with embarrassment.
“…Um, should we get coffee after the entrance ceremony?”
“Yes, yes…! Let’s drink!”
“Uh… what?”
“Let’s eat! Coffee!!!”
Ross burst into laughter at Ellie’s panicked appearance, not even knowing that she was answering strangely, and subtly stepped back to allow the two to talk.
“The entrance ceremony is scheduled to begin soon. Everyone, please sit at your tables and prepare for the start of the entrance ceremony……”
At Leora Vice-Principal’s voice, Ross looked around the banquet hall once more.
“Lakar, Kane, and Aria are here… but Luna isn’t?”
When he couldn’t see Luna, whom he had promised to wait for at the academy, Ross scratched his chin and pondered, then turned around and left the banquet hall as a thought suddenly occurred to him.
***
Ignoring Leora Vice-Principal’s voice calling out to the new student who was leaving the banquet hall without permission, I left the banquet hall and headed straight to the library. To the place where we first met.
The entrance ceremony was in progress, but the library was operating normally because it was open to the general public as well. I looked around the spacious library and walked without hesitation to the section where books on mythology and artifacts were gathered.
And… I passed the bookshelves and found a girl leaning against the window where sunlight was pouring in, as if waiting for someone.
With a book tucked under her overly strained left arm and her beautiful blue eyes shining, she gave a shy smile, and I put on a nonchalant attitude and spoke softly to her.
“…Do you believe in love at first sight?”
I can say for sure.
“Um… yes, I do.”
I will always love you.
“Because….”
Luna struggled to move her left arm, which wouldn’t lift as she willed, and carefully brought it to my cheek, giving me a beautiful smile that I could never forget.
“…Me too.”
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