Chapter 48: University Entrance Exam Success
One day in March, as the snowmelt season arrived, Hayato’s smartphone rang.
“Hayato! I passed! I got in!”
Riri’s cheerful voice burst into his ears. Hayato instinctively stood up. He knew it was the day she would find out her exam results, and for the past few days, he had been secretly restless.
“Congratulations! It’s your first-choice university, right?”
“That’s right! The one for computer science.”
Riri’s voice trembled with excitement and joy. From her voice, he could sense the fulfillment of realizing the fruits of her hard work. Hayato, with a relieved expression, felt her joy as if it were his own.
“This university is at the forefront of research in artificial intelligence and VR technology. It has an environment where I can learn more deeply about programming.”
Riri had chosen a university that suited her well. Her voice had become fast-paced from sheer happiness. He could clearly imagine her, even over the phone, speaking with such passion. Hayato listened with a smile.
“Truly, congratulations. Your hard work has paid off.”
“Thank you so much! It’s thanks to you, Hayato, that I was able to pass. Because you worked hard on the streaming activities in my place, I was able to concentrate on my studies.”
Riri’s voice was filled with heartfelt gratitude. Hayato felt a little embarrassed by her words.
“I was just cheering you on. You passed because of your own abilities.”
After hanging up, Hayato immediately contacted Josuke. He wanted to share this news with his companions quickly.
“Riri passed.”
“Is that so! That’s great.”
Joy could be heard in Josuke’s voice as well. He, too, must have been eagerly awaiting this result.
“Let’s have a celebration. How about at my apartment? After her graduation ceremony.”
“Good idea. Leave the preparations to me. I’ll contact Seika and Tsuyoshi too.”
He immediately agreed and started making arrangements. It was always like this, but Hayato thought his proactiveness was reliable.
Three weeks later, Riri’s high school graduation ceremony was held. Cherry blossoms had begun to bloom, and amidst the cheerful weather heralding the arrival of spring proper, she reached a milestone in her student life.
From that evening, a party to celebrate her university acceptance and high school graduation was scheduled to be held at Hayato’s apartment.
The doorbell rang, and when Hayato opened it, Riri was standing there. She was carefully holding a tube containing her graduation certificate, her expression radiant.
“Congratulations on your high school graduation, Riri.”
When Hayato said this gently, she nodded happily.
“Thank you. Today, I feel really strange. It’s sad to end my high school life, but I’m excited to take a new step forward.”
When they entered the living room, Josuke, Seika, and Tsuyoshi were waiting. The room was decorated with a banner that read “Congratulations,” and the table was laden with food and cake. Josuke and the others had put a lot of effort into preparing for today.
“Riri, congratulations!”
As everyone offered their congratulations, Seika approached her and gave her a gentle hug.
“You came, Seika.”
“Of course. I couldn’t miss such an important day.”
Seika gently embraced her. Riri happily accepted it.
“The university Riri got into is one of the toughest to get into, right? That’s amazing.”
Tsuyoshi said with admiration. His voice was filled with genuine respect.
“This is a special celebratory occasion, after all.”
Josuke took out a bottle of high-quality champagne. Golden bubbles burst in tall, slender flute glasses, creating a festive atmosphere.
“Of course, I’ve also prepared non-alcoholic drinks for the minors.”
Everyone gave her congratulatory gifts. Hayato gave a new bag, Josuke a set of the latest programming books, Seika an aroma set and a small air purifier for a healthy university life, and from Tsuyoshi’s family, a card with handwritten messages from Kaede, Riku, and Aoi. And from Sawa, the illustrator, a special illustration board featuring Lilia’s Avatar had arrived.
“Everyone, thank you so truly much.”
Overjoyed by the various celebrations, tears welled up in Riri’s eyes. Taking each present in her hands, she expressed her deep gratitude.
As they all cut the cake and lively conversation continued, Riri turned a warm gaze towards Hayato.
“Whether I wanted to immerse myself in game development or concentrate on my entrance exam studies, you always supported me. I’m truly grateful.”
Her words were filled with heartfelt emotion.
“If anything, Riri, we’re the ones who are grateful to you.”
“That’s right. We’re truly grateful to Riri.”
Seika agreed with Hayato’s answer and said gently.
“Thanks to your game, our memories from the other world took form,” Hayato continued. “It became quite a topic, and we were very happy.”
“That’s right,” Tsuyoshi chimed in.
Josuke also nodded.
“That game is a fragment of our memories. It’s because it gave form to our bonds,” Hayato concluded.
Riri reminisced about her streaming activities and the game. Various memories came flooding back.
“Well then,” Hayato said, raising his glass. Illuminated by the room’s light, the glass sparkled.
“To Riri’s success in her exams and her graduation, and to her new departure—cheers!”
“Cheers!”
The sound of everyone clinking their glasses together resonated. That sound was filled with their strong bond and blessings for her new beginning.
For the next few hours, they talked about old memories and future dreams while eating. Riri spoke enthusiastically about what she wanted to learn at university and her return to streaming. Josuke offered advice from a business perspective, Seika gave professional advice on health management during university life, and Tsuyoshi talked about how to engage with society from now on. Their conversation, a natural blend of their experiences in the other world and their knowledge in the modern world, became valuable guidance for Riri.
Gradually, the night deepened. First, Tsuyoshi left to return to his family, then Seika also excused herself, citing an early morning shift at the hospital. Finally, as Josuke was leaving, he gave Hayato a meaningful look.
“Well then, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
His words seemed to carry some hidden meaning. When the door closed, only Riri and Hayato remained in the living room.
“It was a fun party. I was so happy to have everyone celebrate with me.”
She said with a gentle smile. However, Hayato could tell that another emotion was hidden in her expression. He could see a hint of nervousness, and something like determination.
After cleaning up, the two of them sat down on the sofa. Outside the window, stars twinkled in the night sky, and a quiet atmosphere enveloped the room.
“Um, Hayato-san…”
Riri’s expression turned serious. She sat on the edge of the sofa, her hands clasped on her lap.
“…There’s something I want to tell you.”
A look of determination was in her eyes. She took a shallow breath, about to continue speaking. Hayato understood her intention. He quietly raised his hand, interrupting Riri’s words.
“Wait, Riri.”
Hayato took a deep breath and faced Riri. His heart was filled with resolve. He felt that he had to convey his feelings tonight, at this moment, in this place.
“There’s something I want to tell you first, Riri.”
Riri’s eyes widened. Seeing Hayato’s serious expression, she gasped as if she had a premonition.
“Riri… and Lilia. In the other world, and in this world, meeting you has greatly changed my life.”
Hayato’s voice was quiet but filled with unwavering determination. His eyes looked straight at Riri, and within them floated the certain feelings he had found at the end of a long journey.
“In the other world, we fought together as Hero and Sage, and in this world, we’ve supported each other as companions. But my feelings now are not just that.”
Riri’s face turned red, and an expression full of anticipation appeared. Her breathing quickened slightly, and her body seemed a little tense on the sofa. Looking straight at her, Hayato continued.
“No matter which world, I want to be with you. Would you go out with me, with marriage in mind?”
Tears overflowed from Riri’s eyes. With an expression full of joy, she nodded repeatedly. Her face was overflowing with all the emotions she held for the beloved person she had risked her life to protect, from the other world to the present day.
“Yes! Yes, with pleasure!”
Riri couldn’t hold back her emotions and shot up from her seat. Then, she threw her arms around Hayato’s neck, who was sitting next to her, and hugged him tightly. A warmth flowed between their close bodies. After a while, Riri lifted her face and said shyly.
“Actually, I was going to say the same thing.”
She took out a small piece of paper from her pocket. On it, words conveying her feelings were carefully written. The multitude of thoughts, spelled out in fine script, spoke volumes of how much she had contemplated this moment.
“Hayato, you beat me to it.”
She laughed brightly. It was an expression of pure joy, as if Lilia’s smile from the other world and Riri’s smile from the modern world had completely become one.
“That’s what I thought, so I decided to say it first.”
“As expected of the Honored Hero, you’re quick to decide.”
At Riri’s words, the two of them laughed together. Then, in a natural flow, they slowly brought their faces closer. Their first kiss was gentle, warm, like a solace finally found at the end of a long journey.
After a while, they sat nestled together on the sofa and talked about their feelings for each other. Since when had they been aware of each other? In what moments did those special feelings blossom? Their conversation blossomed with such topics.
“In the other world, honestly, I don’t think I had the luxury for that. I was giving my all in the fight against the Demon King…”
“That’s true. Same for me.”
Hayato recalled that amidst life-or-death battles, he hadn’t had the leeway to think about such feelings.
“But, when I regained my memories in this world and searched for you, I myself wondered why I was so desperate,” she continued quietly. “I gradually realized that it was a feeling beyond just ‘being comrades.’ As the time we spent together increased, that feeling turned into conviction.”
“I guess it was similar for me. The time I spent with my companions in this world was truly enjoyable. It was very… precious.”
Hayato gently squeezed her hand.
“Because you were still a student, I consciously suppressed these feelings. But now that you’ve graduated from high school, I thought it would be okay to tell you honestly.”
“You waited for me, didn’t you?”
Riri gazed at him with eyes full of gratitude.
“Thank you. But, since I’m a reincarnation, my actual age is…”
Hayato gently cut her off.
“I love you as both ‘Lilia’ and ‘Takahashi Riri’.”
Hayato said with a serious expression. And then, they smiled at each other.
“What should we do from now on?” Riri asked.
“First, I’d like to formally greet your parents.”
“That’s right. There are various other things we need to do, aren’t there? I also have my university life, and I want to resume my streaming activities.”
“There’s no need to rush. Let’s move forward together, one step at a time.”