Prologue – Some Day in the Future

There was no answer to be found.  

Iberia’s eyes shimmered, reflecting the light. Soon, a swelling droplet burst and rolled down her cheek.  

“……I don’t know.”  

The emotion she was feeling now was something unknown. It was her own heart, yet she didn’t understand it.  

Iberia staggered and leaned against the wall. Between her trembling lips, traces of her thoughts spilled out.  

“Why, why?”  

Why did she feel betrayed by him?  

Why did she feel an odd unease about him feeling so distant?  

And what was she supposed to do now?  

Even after thinking about it alone and searching through countless books, she couldn’t find the answer.  

Tears soaked both of Iberia’s cheeks. When she lifted her limp arms to bury her face, the dampness endlessly wet her palms.  

That ignorance terrified her. The feelings she couldn’t understand frightened her.  

And yet, the thought of him growing further away was even scarier. Each time she accidentally ran into him, the subtle joy she felt made her feel like a stranger to herself…  

As Iberia lowered her head, unsure of what to do, he appeared before her.  

“Iberia, what are you doing?” 

“……Go away.”  

Even at the sound of his familiar, low voice, Iberia didn’t lift her face. She was sure she looked a mess. She didn’t want to show him this side of herself.  

“Hm? What did you say? I can’t hear you.”  

“Go awa…….”

Iberia’s words were left unfinished.  

Standing in front of her, he cupped her tear-streaked cheeks in both hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. His touch was so gentle that it made her feel sorrowful.  

And when she met his familiar, deep eyes, she felt sorrowful again.  

“Hic…….”  

“Don’t cry.”  

“It’s not something… I can control…….”  

Iberia looked at him with a resentful expression. This was all his fault.  

As he stared into her tear-filled eyes as if he were enchanted, a faint smirk tugged at one corner of his lips.  

“No, it’s fine. You can keep crying.”  

“Stop looking at me…….”  

“You’re beautiful. Don’t worry.”  

He spoke playfully, curling his eyes into a smile again. Tears welled up in Iberia’s gaze.  

Watching her with delighted eyes, he wiped away her tears.  

“You know, sometimes the right answer is to follow your heart.”

He gazed into her eyes, which were filled with his own reflection. Then, he brushed away the strands of hair clinging to her face and gently wiped the corners of her swollen eyes.  

Everything about her pleased him.  

“What I mean is, right now, you can do whatever you want with me.”  

Iberia’s eyes widened. 

To follow her heart…  

She disliked how the tears she’d shed blurred her view of his face. Wiping them away, Iberia looked directly at him—the face that was smiling as always.  

“Can I really do whatever I want?”  

“Yes.”  

“Really? Anything?”  

“Of course.”  

Iberia removed his hands and clasped them tightly with her own. Soon after, his hair brushed against the corner of her eyes, and something soft touched her lips.

When it ended all too quickly, she was left with a faint yearning. He sighed in disbelief.

“……Hah.”  

“I’m sorry.”  

“A kiss on the cheek? That’s all? Not very bold of you.”

He had expected something more dramatic from how serious and desperate she’d looked—and yet it was just a cheek kiss, and a very short one at that.

He slipped his hand free from hers and lightly tapped his own lips, as if to say, ‘Wasn’t it supposed to be here?’

Understanding the meaning behind his action, Iberia’s face turned red.  

When she hesitated, he interlocked their fingers again and gave her hand a playful shake. Their faces drew closer, and their lips met.  

He smiled in satisfaction, but the moment the contact ended, his smile disappeared.  

“……You should do it properly.”  

“What?”  

“Can I do it, then?”

His voice, asking for permission, was thick with emotion.  

When Iberia instinctively nodded, his face filled her vision in an instant. Soon, a soft sensation touched her lips. Without realizing it, Iberia squeezed her eyes shut.  

He chuckled silently and gently nibbled on her lower lip.  

When her lips parted reflexively, a small piece of flesh slipped inside. As Iberia flinched, he released their clasped hands and began tenderly stroking the back of her head.  

Breathing became difficult. Without realizing it, Iberia clutched at the hem of his clothes. The stiff fabric creased beneath her grip.  

Perhaps because of the tears she had shed earlier, there was a faint salty taste. At the same time, it was overwhelmingly sweet.  

The raw sound of their kiss made Iberia’s eyelids tremble. She could feel the heat rising to her ears.  

“Breathe.”  

Slowly, he pulled away from her lips. As he gazed at her flushed face, he planted a noisy kiss on the corner of her eye. The unfamiliar sensation made Iberia’s eyelashes quiver.  

Only after he moved away could she finally exhale. Gasping for breath, Iberia slowly opened her eyes.  

Her legs felt weak. When she nearly collapsed, he wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her up. He pressed a brief kiss to her forehead.  

With his other hand, he played with her hair.  

“Don’t worry. There’s no one around.”  

“……You’re crazy.”

“Yeah. I’ve been crazy about you for a while now.”

Speaking nonchalantly, he smiled sweetly.  

They say first love always ends in failure—but that was a lie. He had become hers, completely and perfectly.