The sky was not too late. The sun was setting and casting its last light onto the earth.
This light looked like a golden veil on Mahiru Shiina's long hair. It made her hair look like amber gold.
She really looked like an angel who had come down to the human world.
The angel held a Ragdoll cat in her arms. She seemed to have something on her mind. She walked with her head down behind the boy. A black cat stood on the boy's shoulder.
Mahiru wanted to hold Ren's hand many times, but she did not do it.
Because... Ren told her to slap that boy, but she did not do it.
This was the first time Ren asked her to do something and she refused him.
Ren did not feel her take his hand, so he turned around. He looked at the nervous girl behind him.
If they did not talk about this, it would stay in her heart for a long time.
"Ren..."
Ren took Mochi from her arms. Mahiru felt very worried.
She felt like she was being left behind again.
She did not grab his hand to stop him from leaving. She did not beg him or say she would listen better next time.
Mahiru stood there like a child who did something wrong. She waited for Ren to give his final decision.
In her relationship with Ren, she always felt lower than him.
A person who feels lower does not think about fighting back.
Mahiru felt a weight on her head. Ren had taken Mochi and placed the cat on top of her head.
Ren knelt down to look up at her. He took her small hand and placed it on his cheek. "My Lady Fiancé, what are you afraid of?"
Love should be equal. Ren wanted to change the way she viewed herself.
The weight on her head and the feel of his face made her worry go away like a tide.
She, Mahiru Shiina, was not being left behind.
"Ren... don't you blame me?"
Mahiru's voice was shaky. It sounded like she would cry at any moment.
Her strong emotions could easily push her to an extreme.
The result depended only on what Ren said right now.
"No. My Lady Fiancé did nothing wrong."
"I only wanted to tell you that it is okay if you don't want to be a good girl. I am quite a bad person too."
"You should live your life how you want. Just live in the way that makes you feel most comfortable."
Ren did not call her Mahiru for a moment. He used the name he used when they first met.
This was a sign and a confirmation.
It was a sign that she was still his fiancé. It was a confirmation that her status had not changed.
He wanted to be an anchor in her heart so she would stop worrying.
"It is okay not to be a good girl?" Mahiru asked.
She put her other hand on Ren's face. She looked at him and spoke softly to herself.
No one had ever told her this before.
People told her that only good girls are liked. Only good girls can have friends. Only good girls can be useful.
Even when looking for a wife, most men like gentle and perfect women.
No one would tell a perfect "good girl" to become a bad one.
Mahiru had been hiding her true feelings. She thought Ren only liked the "Angel" side she showed at school.
Now things felt different.
Did Ren know everything?
"Ren, can Mahiru be a bad girl?"
She held his face and looked down at him. She spoke in a very soft voice.
"Of course. I am a bad boy too. I cannot ask you to be a good girl."
Ren gave her his answer. Mahiru leaned down and kissed him.
At that moment, the chains of being a "good girl" broke completely.
All the love she had for Ren came out at once.
Good girls hide their feelings. They only test the lines and move slowly.
Bad girls are different. They are free. They do not care about what others think. They only care about the person they love.
Since Ren loved her, Mahiru could do whatever she wanted as a "bad girl."
Meow?
Mochi had to jump to the ground when Mahiru leaned down. The cat tilted its head and looked at Candy on Ren's shoulder. It did not understand why Candy was still there.
Mochi ran to Ren's feet. It bit his pants and pulled gently. It wanted Ren to put it on his other shoulder.
It wanted a spot on his shoulder too!
Sadly, Ren was busy right now.
Meow!
Candy stood on Ren's shoulder and looked down at Mochi. It seemed to be laughing at the cat.
It was like Candy was calling Mochi a loser.
The white tiger and Candy were always loyal to Ren. Only Mochi followed the person with food. Ren often let Mahiru hold Mochi to make her feel better.
Over time, Mochi had become like Mahiru's toy.
She was bold, active, and warm.
Mahiru never thought she could be like this, but it was happening now.
In this battle of love, Mahiru was attacking and Ren was fighting back hard.
Until...
"Mom, look! What are that guy and that girl doing?"
A little boy was holding his mother's hand. He pointed at Ren and Mahiru and asked.
The mother saw them and smiled. She rubbed the boy's head. "Those kids are telling each other how much they love each other."
"Oh. Will I do that too one day?" the boy asked.
"Yes, when you grow up. When you find a girl you like, you will do that too."
"Let's go. We should not bother them."
Mahiru heard the boy's voice and woke up. She hid her head in Ren's chest so the people could not see her face.
When love is deep, it is hard to control.
Now that she was thinking clearly again, her face turned very red.
It was... so embarrassing...
Ren held Mahiru's head and kept her in his arms. He laughed as he looked at the mother and son.
The mother bowed and put her hands together to apologize for the boy.
Ren shook his head to say it was okay. Then he looked at the boy who was staring at them.
"I found the girl I like. How long will it take for you to find yours?"
The boy felt a strange need to compete.
He raised his head like a proud bird. "Me? Mimi from the next class always likes me. I will tell her on Monday!"
Thump!
"Mom, why did you hit me!" the boy asked. He held his head and looked sad.
The gentle mother did not answer. She just looked at her son with a smile.
Ren and Mahiru were university students. It was normal for them to date.
But how old was her son? He was only in elementary school. He was talking about Mimi and confessions.
It seemed the teacher did not give him enough homework