A Small Moonlit Ball
A Small Moonlit Ball
The group split up after finishing dinner.
The place Canaria and Rosaria headed for was the ballroom they had promised to visit that morning.
"...It's a very quiet ballroom."
The ballroom they arrived at was silent.
Well, that was because it wasn't a ballroom.
Its backdrop was an abandoned building, lit only by moonlight filtering in.
"I didn't want to show Rosaria to anyone else."
Canaria said this as she kissed Rosaria on the cheek.
Then she took both of Rosaria's hands in hers.
At that gesture, so different from her usual self, Canaria's cheeks flushed red.
"...I also... wouldn't want anyone other than Canaria to see me like this, really."
Making selfish requests was Canaria's role.
And indulging them was Rosaria's.
This time as well, in the end, she had gone along with that willfulness.
Rosaria had put on the wedding dress they'd picked up from Angela's shop. Even though it was an abandoned building with only moonlight struggling to enter, she looked so beautiful that the space was elegantly transformed.
Rosaria wore a pure white dress adorned with elegant embroidery. Her pale skin suited it perfectly. With the faint pink flush coloring her shoulders and collarbone, the beauty inherent to the original Rosaria was reflected back squared.
Canaria checked whether her heart was beating properly, whether she was breathing correctly, or, gods forbid, whether she had a nosebleed. And fortunately, with transcendent mental fortitude, she managed to keep all of those things functioning well.
"...This is embarrassing, Canaria."
And Rosaria was still embarrassed to show herself like this. She had played along with the willfulness, but she hadn't completely steeled her heart for it.
Moreover, above all else, it was hard for Rosaria to look at Canaria, too. Even if it wasn't quite a wedding dress, Canaria was also wearing a beautiful gown fit for a ball.
Just as she had been on the day they first met, Canaria with her black hair and golden eyes stood before Rosaria in an elegant dress that looked as though stars had been drawn across the night sky. Canaria's shoulders and collarbone were flushed as well, and so their appearances were fatally devastating to each other.
A night meant only for the two of them,
a small ball enjoyed by no one else.
The city's music, resonating softly, filled the space.
Moonlight took the place of artificial lighting,
and the person more precious than anyone else began to be reflected in each other's eyes, clad in the most beautiful attire.
What filled both their heads was the sound of their heartbeats. An unfamiliar fluttering kept filling them, and the moment the music changed, the ball began.
Canaria moved to the melody of the waltz. Rosaria moved her body earnestly as well, trying her best to follow those movements. Canaria was graceful, but Rosaria was not. Rosaria began to feel embarrassed. But Canaria didn't mind it in the slightest.
"...Don't feel too burdened, Rosaria."
Because it didn't matter whether Rosaria danced well or not. Simply being here in front of her, holding hands, gazing into her eyes, and being connected in the same space was enough to make her happy.
Slowly, Canaria adjusted to her.
For a nocturne in the middle of the night was meant to resonate calmly. In time with the slow yet elegant melody of that nocturne, Canaria gently guided Rosaria's hand, which she held.
Then, slowly stepping, she escorted Rosaria so she could adapt to the flow.
At the same time, the atmosphere began to change.
The abandoned building became a beautiful ballroom. The melody of the music became a single current, leading them on. The moonlight shone brighter than ever, illuminating the pair like a soft, gentle spotlight.
The Idea of that day was right there.
Unlike that day when the bright light Canaria first saw had led her, beautifully adorned before her eyes, now that same light was following her lead and dancing beautifully.
-What's your name?
The girl who had asked her name that day.
The savior who reached out a hand and pulled her from the darkness.
-...In that case, may I give you one right now?
And the one who gave her a name, birthing her into the world. Her first love, who helped Canaria finally exist.
-How is it? It's warm, so isn't it nice?
The one who taught her warmth for the first time.
-I don't want to. I'll keep doing it until Canaria is happy.
The one who helped her feel happiness for the first time.
-...I'll help you.
The one who painted for her what happiness actually was. That was why a smile exactly like the one Rosaria had drawn for her that day began to form on Canaria's lips.
The crescent moon drawn on her lips shone beautifully, catching the moonlight.
She was glad to be holding this hand right now.
She was glad to be able to gaze at this face right now,
and simply, Canaria was happy in this entire moment.
"...I love you, Rosaria."
She spoke the words that were still insufficient even when said every day.
"...I love you, too."
And Rosaria felt the same way.
-...What is a name?
She had been a child who didn't even know what a name was. A child who had lived through unbearable misfortune, covered only in bruises and scars.
So on that day, she had reached out a hand to her.
Because she thought that it was enough if she alone was unfortunate.
There was a story Canaria didn't know. The greater the light, the darker the shadow behind it, and Rosaria had simply wanted to save that small child in whom she saw a deep shadow cast.
So she gave her the experiences she hoped she would have.
Because she had longed for someone's embrace, she gave her the same.
Because she had longed for someone's touch, she gave her the same,
and because she wanted to smile a clear, flawless smile, she painted it for her.
-......Let me stay like this, just a little longer.
And so she indulged her selfishness.
And before she knew it, she had come to like that child.
Because she liked her, she harbored a wish for her happiness.
In the end, that turned into love.
She must have realized then that she was greedy.
"...You'll stay by my side forever, won't you?"
Because she loved her, she became obsessed with her.
Because she loved her, she clung to her side,
and because she would love her, she promised her an eternity.
"...You're asking something so obvious."
And it was the same for Canaria.
She loved her just the same.
She loved her just the same now,
and she would love her just the same forever.
"I'll protect your side for all my life."
A warmth that made one forget the cold winter air was present there.
A heat born from twisted love bloomed.
The color of love began to stain both their faces.
The proof of red love rose onto their pale faces.
"My first was Rosaria."
She opened her mouth in an infinitely tender voice.
"My present is Rosaria, too."
And it was the moment the melody came to an end.
"...My very last will also be Rosaria."
Canaria laid her lips over Rosaria's.
The sweetness of love filled both their mouths.
"...Will you lead the second act, Rosaria?"
Then, this time, she entrusted the baton to her.
Because she wanted Rosaria to lead her, just as she had that day.
"...I'll try my best."
That was what Rosaria had wished for as well.
Because she had practiced in her own way for today.
And as soon as those words ended, the music changed.
What filled the space after the nocturne was a round dance.
A softly varied waltz resounded, however faintly.
At the same time, starlight began to fill the sky.
A beautiful galaxy illuminated the place even more.
With the night sky at her back, Rosaria was smiling more brightly than ever before.
And Canaria merely realized anew that she had kept living, even through the pain, precisely so she could see this sight.
And so, she entrusted her body to that light.
Because this time, too, it would lead her.
Even if it was clumsy, she didn't care.
First times were always awkward by nature.
Wasn't it right to love even that awkwardness?
The canary followed her North Star.
They moved together to the melody of the waltz.
They kept dancing, matching their hands and feet to the notes.
She was happy.
She was glad beyond compare.
She thought of it as a reward for all her flapping wings until now.
Canaria was holding back her tears with effort.
And Rosaria knew this.
So when the interlude played,
she comforted the girl before her eyes.
She caressed her waist and stole her lips.
"...I won't ever leave you again."
Then she promised her once more.
"...This time, truly, I'll stay with you forever."
As if she could ever forget.
The curse she had cast on herself that day.
Because on that day, she had made a wound that could never be erased.
-...I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to stay with you forever.
Apologizing before her eyes as she took her own life,
the curse uttered while dying in her arms.
Because she had unilaterally inflicted the pain of a parting that could never be forgotten.
She merely covered that curse with a promise.
Resolving that this time, she would absolutely keep it.
"...Please, absolutely do."
That was all she wished for. The only way to cover an indelible wound was to paint happiness over it. Canaria wanted to cover that wound with an eternal happiness that would never peel away.
"...Because the person who taught me the meaning of a promise was Rosaria."
Her golden eyes shimmered.
They looked like stars brimming with a wish.
"...Yes, I promise."