Sugawa Ginnosuke - Animate Story

“Summer and Water Lilies”

I always thought a happy ending was the best way to end a story.

One summer.

"Hey, are you awake?"

Hearing a voice close to my ear, I suddenly lifted my eyes, which had been closed without realizing it. I saw Gin peering at me, and was taken aback when I noticed his eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"Sorry, I was spacing out for a bit."

"It's fine. I just thought it was pretty skillful to sleep while standing."

Instead of scolding me, he gently held my hand, and I felt like apologizing again.

"Oh, that's right. I think I left something in the car. I'll go get it, so can you wait on that bench over there? It's in the shade, right?"

"Yeah. Understood."

I watched as he returned to the parking lot, and sat down on a nearby bench as I had told him. It was only July, but the air was already hot even in the morning. The cicadas began to chirp, raising the temperature.

It had been a long time since the two of us had talked about going to see the water lilies in the summer. If it wasn't for Gin, I would never have thought of getting up early to coincide with the flowers blooming. He even suggested a drive after seeing the water lilies, as if it had already been planned, so I asked him why, but he stubbornly dodged the question.

Later, when I stopped by Fill Flower, Ichige told me about the time when the male staff went out for drinks, and it was Touri who had come up with the idea and discussed their date plans, and it all made sense. I was thinking that there was nothing to be embarrassed about...

I also heard that Gin, who had had a little bit of alcohol in him, was happily telling them an episode from his date with me, so it makes sense that he was trying to avoid the question.

Not that it's because of that, but I also really enjoyed today's date.

(And yet I find myself dozing off...)

The day before our date, Gin told me in the afternoon, "You have to get up early tomorrow, so make sure you go to bed early. Actually, let’s sleep now." but I was unable to follow his orders.

I don't want to make excuses. But in the evening I was suddenly busy dealing with a client, and although it can't be helped due to the nature of my job, I was frustrated by the bad timing. By the time I collapsed onto my bed, it was past 1am. I'd like to think that I was lucky enough to not miss the last train.

My body felt heavy like lead, but when I saw the clothes I'd picked out a few days ago hanging on a hanger, I naturally moved. If I told him about my situation, he would definitely say, "We can do it another day." Because it's Gin. It's been a while since we've last met. I want him to know, even if just a little, that he’s not the only one looking forward to it.

And when Gin came to pick me up at 7am as promised, he was dressed to the nines as always. The sunglasses he wore while driving, the way he turned the steering wheel, everything looked so perfect that I was almost jealous. Time has no bearing on how good-looking this guy is.

At that moment, I praised myself for not neglecting my skincare routine, even while rubbing my sleepy eyes in the middle of the night. I resolved to be someone he would not be ashamed of, so that I could always be next to Gin, who looked better than anyone else, both inside and out.

A water lily pond spread out before me.

The sounds of cicadas could still be heard from the surrounding trees, but the usual hustle and bustle could not be heard from the city, which had not yet fully woken up. There was a quiet space filled with the sounds of waterfowl wings and water, and it felt like this was the only place cut off from everyday life.

The deep green leaves and white lotus flowers with pale pink petals look even more fantastical in the morning mist. The time flowing in my body seemed to keep pace with the comfortable, slow-moving air.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Hyaaa!"

At the same time as a voice came down from above, something cold touched my cheek, making my shoulders jump. I turned around in a panic, and saw a mischievous child smiling with narrowed eyes.

Gin stood there holding a cup filled with ice and a drink with lemon floating in it.

"It was about time for the nearby cafe to open. They had a bagel breakfast set. Let's eat together."

With that, Gin came over and sat down on the bench next to me, and took out his own coffee and individually wrapped bagels from the paper bag hanging from his arm.

"This one is a bagel with sun-dried tomatoes, prosciutto, and lettuce. And this one is abri cotto jam and cream cheese."

"Thanks. Looks so delicious!"

"Good. Are you awake a bit?"

This time, he poked my cheek with his long fingertips and in a spiteful voice.

"You couldn't get to bed early last night. Maybe you had some trouble at work."

"...Did you notice?"

"If I didn't notice it, I must be blind. Your tension was strange even in the car."

"Ahaha..."

My efforts to stay energetic and ward off sleepiness seemed to have the opposite effect. Urged by Gin's knowing gaze, I took a sip of the cold drink I was given, and the aroma of lemon and spices spread throughout my mouth.

"Lemonade?"

"Yeah. Coffee makes you go into work mode. It's okay to have a drink like this every once in a while."

Indeed, the refreshing sweetness was perfect for a holiday morning, and combined with the tranquil water lily pond, it felt really special.

"I'm really bad at switching gears."

After taking a breath, Gin shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, that's been the case for a while. Especially when you have a job like yours that you can bring home with you, it can't be helped."

He gently stroked my head in a comforting manner, and then his hand fell to gently pinch my cheek.

"Remember what I told you before?"

He asked as if to confirm, and I placed my hand on his as I cupped my cheek and nodded.

"Yeah. I'll go to Gin's place before it gets too painful."

When I answered, Gin smiled softly and then kissed me. A lemon-flavored kiss is what they call it, and the taste of his coffee and my lemonade mixed together made it taste bitter and sweet, just like our love.

I love the look on his face when he smiles happily after our lips part.

Even though he's teasing me, I like the kindness I can sense deep down.

He is older than me, but he has more experience in love than the age difference, and he has more knowledge about how to make compromises within yourself in order to get through society. Even now, after we have gone from being "the flower shop guy I admired" to being "my lover," he is still someone I respect.

"After this, we're going to drive to Yokohama, right? It's been a while since I've been to Chinatown. What should we eat?

"Now that you're talking about lunch over breakfast, you must be feeling better."

"That's fine right? Hey, Gin, what do you want to eat?"

"If you want Chinese food, you have to have Peking duck."

"That's good, but the Xiaolongbao are a must. And the peach buns too!"

"If it's a lunch course, isn't that usually served?"

"But, it might be fun to get takeout."

"Takeout... I usually just go into a restaurant, so I've never done anything like that before."

"Really? The weather is nice today, so it'll be fun to see the cityscape!"

"Okay, but let me decide on the night activity. I'll take you somewhere you'll definitely enjoy."

"Do you realize you're setting the bar too high for yourself?"

"I'm the one who easily surpasses that. You know that, right?"

We have different ideas and ways of thinking, but we can still enjoy those differences.

I thought a happy ending would be the best ending for a story. But we are still on the way. There may be many more sadness and hardships waiting for us. The end of that journey may not necessarily be a happy one.

That's why I want to be with you. I want to walk with you.

I tightened my grip on his fingers, and Gin noticed and gave me another kiss. A fresh breeze rustled the shade of the trees, and the summer sunlight made Gin's sun-colored hair shine even more. I narrowed my eyes at his dazzling beauty and loveliness.

No matter how happy our ending was, it was meaningless if you weren't there.

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