A Depressed Kendo Player Possesses a Reckless Aristocrat

Side Story – What it means to be peaceful.

22 years in my past life.

And 18 years in this life.

I pride myself on having lived through quite an intense period of time.

I’ve realized and learned a lot from life because of it.

Like how life is just a repetition of shitty things.

Or how the people I love always end up leaving my side.

Guess it’s all just dark stuff…

But since my life was always soaked in loneliness and sadness, it can’t be helped.

“Care for a drink?”

“Ah, of course, Father.”

But the realizations I’ve come to lately are quite different from those of the past.

I took a sip from the cup Father had given me, letting out a contented sigh.

“Hooo…”

“The boy’s a good drinker.”

“Father, have a drink too.”

These days, I’ve been sharing drinks with Father often.

We’re drinking almost three or four times a week, so you could say the time I spend with Father has increased.

“Oppa and Dad… alcohol again?”

“Master… I’m worried about your health.”

“What if Raiden ends up with a drinking problem…?”

I could hear Ariel, Rachel, Lucy, and the others whispering, but Father and I didn’t let go of our glasses.

I smiled, savoring the potent scent of alcohol that grazed my nose.

This was it.

The realization I’d come to lately.

A comfortable space, loved ones, and a strong drink.

I’ve come to understand the pleasure given by this beautiful combination.

“What’s with you all? It’s not like this is much compared to before.”

“That’s right, back then there wasn’t a day you didn’t touch alcohol.”

“Haha, that’s right.”

Back then, I drank to forget the loneliness rather than for enjoyment, of course.

Who would have known?

That I could drink with such a light heart,

smiling so brightly.

-Naroo! Your older brother’s got something amazing today…?!

-Naru hasn’t tried alcohol yet, right? You’re sixteen, it’s about time to take a taste!

-You’ve never been on a school trip, so you wouldn’t have drank with your friends or anything!

-Your brother’s gonna show you! But you absolutely can’t get caught, okay?

Come to think of it, something like that happened before too.

Back then, I really didn’t know anything, I just followed Changho hyung around like a puppy.

I miss it a little. I wonder how he’s doing.

-Alright, repeat after me. Cheers!!

-……!!

-Pffft, Pwahaha…!! Good job! That’s exactly it!

Intoxication is like magic.

It vividly paints memories that felt like they were about to be forgotten.

And it tints stories we’ve carefully kept, into memories with an even more nostalgic hue.

I liked this time.

Even though I was quite unhappy.

But my yesterday wasn’t entirely unhappy either.

I liked this time when I could reminisce about those I loved.

After being like this for a while, I realized once again how important love is to me.

And I was able to nurture my affection for the people around me even more.

“Ariel, do you want to try some? You haven’t even taken a sip yet.”

“Hmph, no thanks. I like lemonade, okay?”

The girl with the red hair glared at the glass I was holding for a moment.

Then, with a snort, she turned her head away.

Ah, I think she’s sulking.

Is it because I didn’t pay her enough attention?

“Does it really bother you that much when your oppa drinks?”

“Yes! It smells like alcohol!”

Oh my, our Ariel has gotten old enough to say these heart-wrenching things…

I looked at the girl with slightly wounded eyes.

The gaze of an older brother watching his younger sister, who seemed to have finally hit puberty, was incredibly wistful.

Hmm, still, I feel a bit wronged.

The reason I drink isn’t always just for fun, you know.

If I lie down in bed completely drunk, I can fall asleep instantly without any dark thoughts.

It’s kind of like a sleep remedy that I prescribe for myself… but I don’t need to bring up stuff like this, do I?

I don’t want to ruin this vibe for no reason.

I shook off the stray thoughts, nestling myself closer to Ariel.

“Alright, alright, I’ll cut back on the drinking then.”

“…Really?”

I said, while gently stroking her hair.

A glare, a pouty glance in my direction.

…Seriously, how can someone be so cute?

Is Ariel really even the same species as me?

“Promise! Pinky promise!”

“Pff, pfft… Ah, y-yes. I promise! Here, a promise!”

Her cheeks puffed out, her little finger extended toward me, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was endearing.

Not just the girl in front of me.

But everything surrounding us.

The cozy atmosphere, people with smiles on their faces.

Beyond the blurred landscape painting, the lingering scent of colorful paints tickled my nose.

“What! Why are you laughing…! Are you treating me like a child right now?!”

“Ariel, you’re really… You haven’t changed since the first time I met you. That’s why I like you.”

“Even you are teasing me, Sir…?!”

It was perhaps a manifestation of emotions I’d had to bury for so long.

A loving kiss carefully erasing the current contradiction, a mix of smiles and tears.

I couldn’t contain the ticklish feeling in my heart, and I ended up opening my arms wide to pull both girls before me into a hug.

“Hyat…!?”

“Raiden?!”

“Master…?”

For a moment, they seemed flustered, but then they let out a familiar sigh and leaned into me.

Two warm presences melted into my chest.

Before I knew it, the corners of my mouth curved into a soft smile.

“Don’t you think you’ve been hugging too much lately?”

“Is that so?”

“Right, right! You’ve been hugging practically everyone you see lately, Oppa?”

“I, I mean, I do like it… but sometimes it’s a bit, uh, sudden, you know…?”

Hmm.

But who have I even hugged? Just Dad, Gilbert, Ariel, Lucy, and Rachel…

Okay, maybe that’s a bit much.

Still, what am I supposed to do?

This feeling is just so good.

To you all, the people I love.

I want you to know just how much I love you all.

But I don’t know how to express it.

I want to lean into your warmth even more.

This feeling, this sense of my old void being filled by you, I want to relish it, even just a little more.

“So, do you hate it?”

“……It’s not that I hate it.”

“I didn’t say I hated it either!”

“I, I like it too…!!”

Yeah, right now, it’s just…

I want to sear this overflowing heartbeat into my memory, even just a little more.

Even if time passes and this warmth fades,

even if nights filled with obsession and loneliness come back to my world,

I want to be able to pull out the memory of this moment.

I want to leave an indelible scar of the second hand on my heart.

“How about we all do a toast?”

“……You know, Oppa, you’re really acting strange lately? It’s like you’re trying too hard to be cheerful.”

“That doesn’t matter! Everyone, raise your glasses! Up high!”

“Heh heh, and what would our little princess like for her children’s cocktail?”

“Aish! Even you, Grandpa…!”

A boisterous cheer of a toast, filling the air.

Each of us emptying our glasses, singing to a happy day.

I hid the past loss and lack deep in my heart, pasting a joyous smile on my lips.

It’s okay.

I’m okay.

I have to be okay, so I will be.

Let’s just empty our glasses.

So I can promise you all a future.

“AHAHAHAHA!!”

“Eeeek…!! Everyone’s so mean!”

So, let’s pinky swear.

And then whisper in each other’s ears.

Promise, we’ll see each other again.

Like that.