Don’t worry since I only played in the shallow parts. No matter how close I’ve lived to the sea, I have that much crisis awareness.

Small waves rolled under my back. Fortunately, no very big waves came. Sometimes vacationers from cold places would throw off their clothes and play like this even in winter. That’s exactly what I was doing.

Dad taught me to swim.

As all Iota adults do. I also know how to swim like a fish in the sea. But today I didn’t want to cut through the current and move forward.

After spending such leisurely time, I went back to where the piano was. The atmosphere had ripened fully, and the sky that looked like squeezed fruit juice gradually darkened.

I squeezed between the dancing people and tapped the keys.

At some point, people who had been playing at the beach had also come near the bonfire. Songs, music, and alcohol never stopped.

Rosette and Lucio were among them too.

Though they didn’t drink alcohol, they laughed and stamped their feet as if drunk. Even with many people coming and going, they were completely absorbed in their own world, constantly whispering to each other.

Then they kissed. Lucio’s dazed expression then! I wanted to show you that sight so badly.

But even if mirrors were everywhere, Lucio couldn’t have composed his face.

Rosette very skillfully wrapped Lucio around her finger then came to me. Her crimson-painted lips had smeared a little, but even that was charming.

Rosette sat beside me and leaned her head against me. Since I’m smaller than her, I had to scrunch my shoulders completely, but she must have been tired because she sat in that uncomfortable position for quite a while.

I asked ‘Are you going to get married too?’

No special reason, just curiosity. Bash is truly Iota’s best marriage prospect, but Rosette didn’t meet with Bash very often. Even when they were dating.

But with Lucio…… even though they weren’t in a ‘special’ relationship, she visited often. She also came to play in his room—originally Aila’s room—frequently.

Rosette stayed silent, then asked ‘What do you think would happen?’ I said Lucio was a reasonably decent kid and asked if they’d really decided to date.

What do you think Rosette said?

You probably guessed.

Rosette said ‘I think that would be good.’ Lucio’s persistent love was answered! On Iota’s longest day. Since he’s gotten together with someone he likes, he’ll probably be less bothersome now, right?

I’m curious how you’re doing. Are all the wedding gifts finished?

July 7th

Sent by Asha]

[To Carol

Several weeks have passed since my last letter. Since you’re extremely busy—especially bearing the tremendous mission of personally preparing your brother’s wedding gifts—I tried not to rush you.

You waited patiently even when I couldn’t write replies without notice. Are you trying to vent that frustration now?

It’s fine to punish me, but this method is too petty.

Of course I know that’s not it. You wouldn’t take such petty revenge. You’re probably really spending a busy summer without even time to glance at a single letter.

Since Kasoche’s summer isn’t long, you must vigorously enjoy that period all the more.

But Cas, please don’t commit the error of forgetting your anxious friend while enjoying that lively summer.

Lucio has become strangely well-behaved. In front of me, that is. Until now he’d bother me going on about how Rosette was this or that, but after the party ended, he’s been surprisingly quiet.

Has he now extracted everything he could extract from me?

He always hung out more with other kids anyway, but since he’s become less talkative even at home, it’s a bit boring. Grandfather has been lying down most of the time after suffering a severe cold, and I’m not very chatty by nature either.

Even Lucio is busy dating until late then rushing into his room, so the house is quieter than ever.

How precious your letter would be to me in such circumstances—thoughtful you would understand fully.

I’ll wait for your reply.

July 30th

Sent by Asha

P.S. I misspoke. Even if Lucio chattered like before, even if grandfather moved around energetically, your letter would be incomparably precious.

P.P.S. Happy birthday. You’re not doing this because my last gift was worthless, are you? I’ll listen to any amount of blame. So, Cas.

I really—

Why are you—

Happy birthday.]

[To Carol

Still no reply from you.

There was no expression more unsuited to you than ‘heartless.’ Will you quickly appear and tell me my anxiety is a trivial misunderstanding?

Then I’ll playfully beg ‘Send long ones from now on’ or ‘Even if it’s short, write at least a palm’s worth.’

Nothing special happened. Except that you haven’t sent me a letter.

My composition teacher read the piece I submitted to the magazine. She was quite surprised and mentioned ‘talent’ and ‘gift’ more than five times.

That praise made me very happy, but, um, yes, I was happy. I was happy but…… my heart didn’t swell with joy. Because I don’t know your reaction.

When good things happened to me, you’d congratulate me enthusiastically, your neat handwriting flying diagonally. Then I felt like your voice I’d never heard was echoing beside me.

Sometimes soft, sometimes clear and bright, sometimes heavy.

Imagining voices all distant from the real you. Vaguely, seriously, lonely, joyfully.

Iota is still hot. I write more often than before—though I don’t show it to anyone—and hurt less than before, yes.

Since the two people I was relatively close to started dating, I’m spending lonely days like before.

Lonely—is this description correct? A bit bored, maybe lonely. But I don’t know if that’s ‘lonely.’ It’s difficult to borrow expressions I haven’t fully internalized.

The two are much closer than before they started dating. They often flirt at school too, and Lucio leaves the house day and night saying he’ll meet his beloved.

I watch the tall boy hopping away through my room window. When the sun disappears, the wind becomes quite cool.

Sometimes.

It’s a really trite idiom, but—

I wait for you with the heart of someone waiting for family who went to war and lost contact. For your reply.

Is saying this too burdensome?

Once, you said it was hard to gauge distance with someone. Like how I couldn’t refreshingly call Rosette a ‘friend’ even though she came to our house more than anyone to see my sister.

I don’t know how much I can reproach you, who heartlessly gives no answer.

Please quickly remove my suspicions.

I’ll wait for your reply.

August 22nd

Sent by Asha]

[You’re really annoying. How can you do this?

I promised at first. That I’d absolutely never stop letters arbitrarily. Though you didn’t make the same promise to me, there was tacit trust between us.

You’ve now destroyed that trust. You’ve smashed with your own hands the buoy that was bobbing on calm water.

I wish your fingers had broken instead.

I wish you who never got hurt once, you who never caught even a fever, had been sick. So terribly sick you had no strength to write a single letter!

Then I wouldn’t be this miserable.

D*mn Carol. My terrible and only friend.

If your fingers really broke, couldn’t you at least send blank paper?]

[To Carol

Sorry. Will you burn my last letter? In Kasoche, the coldest place in the kingdom, you’re probably already lighting fires in the fireplace.

Dry firewood will make the flames burn even brighter. I hope my letter wasn’t among that firewood.

Though it sounds like an excuse, I was bedridden again these past few days.

I stood guard in front of the painting for days wondering if a reply would come or not—yes, I’m saying this so kind you will feel guilty—leaning against the narrow corridor wall, staring endlessly.

If Lucio hadn’t taken me to the bedroom when he couldn’t watch anymore, I would have collapsed right there.

You don’t know this, Cas, but ‘where you collapse’ is an extremely important matter. If there’s a bed or sofa, nothing could be better, and if there’s even a winter carpet laid out, that’s fortunate enough.

The most dangerous thing is sloped stairs.

When consciousness cuts out, you have no choice but to fall, so if you see signs of that happening, you need to fall nimbly and safely. If there’s something to support your body, that’s lucky.

It’s not a story that only applies when collapsing.

If there’s something to support you, it would hurt less. Because I have your letters, I can handle the things surrounding me, the things I hate……

I just wanted to say that you’re precious to me.

I’ll wait for your reply.

September 17th

Sent by Asha]

[To Carol

Are my letters even reaching you? Haven’t the fierce northern winds torn my letters to shreds? Hasn’t a giant hawk snatched them and dropped them beyond the kingdom?

Or is a nineteen-year-old boy living at the kingdom’s northernmost point personally tearing them up and throwing them in the fireplace?