A Promise for Tomorrow
August 31st is the author's birthday.
Rai's gaze lingered on Edrik for a long while. The man who, mere moments ago, had worn an expression brimming with confidence and ease showed a completely different face the instant he spoke of the one person he claimed to respect. There was something in those eyes that went beyond simple admiration.
Rai spoke cautiously, his voice wavering.
"...It really seems like you respect that person."
Edrik studied Rai for a moment. Then he broke into a broad grin.
"But of course!"
The maddened edge from moments ago had vanished as if it had never existed at all.
"Because that person was the most remarkable human being I've ever met—bar none."
With that, Edrik looked down at the coffee cup resting on the table. Outside the café, the sunset had settled in without either of them noticing.
"...It's gotten quite late."
Edrik checked his watch.
"I'm afraid I've stolen far too much of your precious time today. My apologies."
"Not at all."
Rai shook his head.
"I genuinely enjoyed myself as well."
"Then I'm glad."
Scrape.
Edrik rose from his seat and held out a hand to Rai.
"It's been a pleasure meeting you. I look forward to our next encounter."
Rai stood as well and looked at the outstretched hand. He hesitated for a heartbeat—then took it.
"The pleasure was mine."
The two shared a light handshake. Edrik wore that easy smile right up to the very end.
"Next time, we'll talk a little more at our leisure."
"Yes. Until then, Chairman."
"Very good. Though do call me Chairman Ed."
"Heh... that'll be hard to get used to..."
And so, the meeting between Rai and Edrik came to an end. Stepping out of the café, Rai watched Edrik's retreating figure and said,
"What a looong day~!"
Then he stretched his arms to the sky and looked up at the slowly darkening heavens.
By the time he had walked the long road home, the sun had set completely.
Creeeak.
Rai opened the front door.
"I'm ho—"
In that instant, something small came rocketing toward him.
Pitter-patter-pitter--!!!
"Rai!"
"Whoa—?!"
It was Orchi. Waving her awkwardly-made hands in a flurry, she pounced straight at Rai and latched onto his leg.
SHWAAAAASH---!!
"Orchi?"
Rai smiled as he looked down.
"What's got you so excited today?"
Orchi flapped her tentacles, clinging tight to his leg.
"I waited for you!"
"You did?"
Rai crouched down and ruffled Orchi's hair. Clearly pleased, she wiggled this way and that. When he glanced toward the living room, a familiar sight met his eyes—Shalla, half-sunk into the sofa, game console in hand.
"She lunges at you every other day too. Like you can even tell the difference?"
Shalla greeted him without lifting her eyes from the screen.
"...I swear, you'd stay frozen in that exact pose even if I left the house empty for days."
"What's it to you."
"The nerve on this brat..."
Meanwhile, the toys Orchi had been playing with lay scattered all around her. She was having a marvelous time all on her own—snatching up a toy with one tentacle, nudging it with another, then grabbing it all over again.
In the kitchen, Vella was preparing dinner.
"Oh, Rai sunbae! You're back?"
Vella poked her head out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, I'm h— no, hold on. Orchi's guardianship period is over now. Why are you still here?!?!?"
Rai shouted, aghast.
"Aw~! But I'm part of your daily life now, sunbae!"
...........
Rai looked slowly around the house. Shalla, sprawled on the sofa with her game. Orchi, playing with her toys. Vella, making dinner just like always.
It was an utterly ordinary scene. And yet, to Rai, that very ordinariness felt precious to the point of being strange.
His conversation with Edrik from earlier floated back to him. The question about his goal. The answer Rai had given had been painfully ordinary. A peaceful daily life. Simply going on living the way he was now.
Rai stroked Orchi's head, slowly.
(...There's nothing wrong with wanting something like this. Right?)
Pat, pat.
If anything, this alone was more than enough for him.
Just then, Shalla, still sunk into the sofa, glanced over at him.
"Hey."
"Hm?"
"Where's the pudding?"
Rai's expression went blank.
"...I'm sorry, what?"
"Pudding."
Shalla said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I want pudding."
"..."
Rai stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Why don't YOU go out and get—"
"Somebody blew up a black hole and I had to go save them~!!"
"Hey... that was four chapters ago already...?"
"Four chapters? That's barely any time at all!"
"Seriously, how long are you planning to milk that one...?"
"Teaaaacher~!"
"GRAAAAAAH--!!!"
Not even Rai's scream fazed her. Shalla simply turned her eyes back to the game screen.
"Anyway. Pudding."
"Honestly. What am I going to do with this girl..."
Rai let out a hollow laugh. Watching the whole exchange, Vella emerged from the kitchen.
"By the way, sunbae."
"Hm?"
"How was your meeting today?"
"Ah......"
Rai thought for a moment. Then a somewhat complicated expression crossed his face.
"I just met with someone incredible."
"Someone incredible?"
"Yeah."
Rai said it as though marveling at it himself.
"You probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
Vella's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Who was it?"
"The chairman of Argentium."
...........
Vella's eyes went round.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Younger than I expected, too."
"Wow......"
Vella marveled.
"I signed up for that career counseling program this time too... I wonder if I'll ever get the chance to meet someone like that."
"You signed up?"
"Yes."
Vella smiled faintly.
"It'd be nice, if the opportunity came up."
Just then, Shalla tossed out a remark without taking her eyes off the game.
"What was that? You met someone how amazing? Didn't catch that."
"Hm?"
Rai turned his head at her words.
"We were talking about someone who makes way more money than you."
"HAAAAAH~?!?!?"
Shalla scrunched up her face, utterly incredulous.
"Great as that person may be, there's an S-Rank Awakener right here."
She pointed at herself with her chin.
"Why would you even bother meeting someone like that?"
Rai stared at her, flabbergasted.
"Then how about acting like an S-Rank Awakener for once?"
"What?"
"Instead of lying on the sofa all day freeloading pudding."
..........
Shalla's fingers stopped.
"Why would I?"
"Exactly."
"This is my daily life."
"Don't announce that so proudly."
Vella covered her mouth and giggled.
"Hehe......"
She laughed quietly, as though Shalla were simply too ridiculous for words.
SHWASH--!!!
Just then, Orchi suddenly thrust a tentacle high into the air.
"Oh! Right!"
Rai ducked his head.
"What?"
Orchi looked up at him and asked.
"Rai, what do you want for your birthday present?"
"...Birthday present?"
Rai blinked.
"Why ask that all of a sudden?"
"Bat told me!"
Orchi answered excitedly.
"Said your birthday's coming up soon!"
"..."
Rai stopped for a moment.
"Ah... now that you mention it..."
Living such a rowdy daily life, Rai's sense of the calendar had long gone hazy. Only now did the date finally surface in his mind.
"It's tomorrow..."
At that moment, the movement of Shalla on the sofa stopped dead. Vella, on her way back to the kitchen, halted mid-step as well.
"...Tomorrow?"
Shalla lifted her head.
"Yeah. The day the master of the house was born."
Rai answered casually.
"..."
A peculiar silence drifted through the room for a moment. But Rai himself paid it no mind.
"Well, I don't really bother with birthdays."
Orchi tilted her head.
"Why?"
"Just because."
Rai smiled and stroked Orchi's head.
"Didn't seem like it needed any grand celebration."
"Then you don't take presents either?"
"Nope."
Rai looked at Orchi.
"Just seeing you smile like this is more than enough."
"...!"
Orchi's eyes grew wide and round.
"Rai......!"
With her tentacles, Orchi squeezed his legs even tighter.
SHWAAAAAASH---!!!
"Ahaha...... that tickles."
"Hehe!"
Watching them, Shalla gave a small snort.
"Hmph. I'm not doing presents either."
"Yeah?"
"I'll repay you with actions instead."
With that, Shalla swiveled around on the sofa.
"Actions speak louder than words, after all."
"...Somehow that's unsettling."
"What's unsettling about it?"
"Never mind..."
Rai smiled awkwardly.
Vella watched Rai and Orchi without a word. And then, very quietly, she smiled.
"Hehe......"
"Vella?"
"It's nothing, Rai sunbae."
"...?"
Vella simply smiled and returned to the kitchen. Rai watched her back for a moment, then tilted his head.
"What was that about?"
Just then, Orchi tugged at his sleeve again.
"Rai!"
"Hm?"
"What about the cake?"
"Cake?"
"You eat cake on birthdays, duh!"
Orchi's tentacles swayed, brimming with anticipation. Rai chuckled.
"Well......"
He mulled it over, his gaze sweeping the living room. Now that the date had come out anyway, a cake or two wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Alright. I'll pick up a cake, then?"
"Cake!"
Orchi bounced to her feet.
"I wanna eat it!"
"You like it that much?"
"Yeah!"
Orchi cried out, bubbling with excitement.
"A huuuuge cake!"
"Okay, okay."
Rai laughed.
"I'll definitely buy one tomorrow."
"Promise!"
Orchi held out a tentacle, and Rai took hold of it lightly.
"Promise."
Shalla was still sprawled across the sofa, and Vella was busy with dinner in the kitchen. That night, the house looked no different from any other. Noisy. A little chaotic. But warm.
It was exactly the daily life Rai had wished for.
And in that moment, there was no way Rai could have known. That the promise he had made so carelessly—to buy a cake tomorrow—was heralding the beginning of exactly what kind of day. That his birthday, which he'd expected to slip past like any ordinary one, already had things being prepared for it. And just how colossal the wildly eventful birthday presents waiting for him would turn out to be.
To Rai, none of it was visible yet.