その後、僕は星さんの気持ちを受入れた。 僕が星さんに改めて告白した時は、言葉にならないぐらい星さんは泣いた。 泣いて泣いて泣いて、僕を強く抱きしめた。もう離れ離れにならないよう繋ぎ止めるかの様に。 その日から、僕らは今までのすれ違いを埋める様に常に同じ空間を共に居た。 お互いに抱きついて、お互いの体温を確かめあう。 それだけで僕らは良かった。それだけで、傍に相手が居る事が確信できて、安心した。 ただ、すぐには星さんとの関係に慣れなくて、たまに星さんが柄にも無く誘惑してくる。 そういう時は星さんの目にはあせりの色が混じっていて、問いただすと、僕がまだナズの事を考えていないか心配だという。星さんと居る時でも、僕はたまに遠い目をするとか。 その時はお互いが気まずくなった。 僕らとナズは、関係がぎくしゃくし始めた。最早決着のついた話だけれでも、事が始まった以前の様には接しきれなくなっていた。 そのせいもあってか、ナズは寺を抜けた。 寺の外で信仰を集めるという名目で。 「ナズは私に遠慮していました。今回も私たちに遠慮して出て行ったのでしょう。 私はナズから貴方も居場所も取ってしまったのですね」 そう、星さんは落ち込んだ。 星さんとナズは、僕を巡って口論をした事があるという。 その時に星さんはナズにかなり酷い言葉を投げてはたいたのらしい。その事で今の星さんに気に病んでいる。 あの時、星さんが僕に迫っていた時の事を考えると、気持ちに余裕がなかったのだろうと思う。 でも、もう終わった話なのだ。 過ぎ去った事はどうにもならない。 過程がどうであれ、ナズの胸中がどうであれ、僕らは結ばれたのだ。残された道は幸せになる事しかない。 僕らにはその可能性があるのだから。 それからは僕らの中でナズの事は一切口に出さなくなった。 まるで最初からナズが居なくて、僕らは円満に結ばれたかのように。 ナズの事は今は真新しい記憶なのだけれども、時を重ねるにつれ、過去になるだろう。 その時の僕らは、きっとそれ以上の共に居た時間を積み重ねた関係になっていて、昔の話になっているはずだ。 その日まで、それからも、僕は星さんと共にある。何故なら、星さんは僕の大切な存在だから わっふるわっふる。

After that, I accepted Shou-san's feelings. When I formally confessed to Shou-san, she cried so much that she couldn't talk properly. She cried and cried and cried, and held me tightly. As if to make sure we can no longer be separated.
From that day on, we always stayed in each other's company, as if to make up for all the times we've passed each other by. We hold each other, to confirm each other's body heat. We were happy with just that. We were each at peace with the confirmation that the other was by our side.
However, we weren't used to this relationship at first, and sometimes Shou-san would uncharacteristically try to seduce me. When that happened, Shou-san's eyes would show some colors of impatience, and when I asked her, she said she was worried about whether I was still thinking about Naz. She also said that, when I was with her, I would occasionally gaze afar. That awkward was an awkward moment.
Our relationship with Naz started to become strained. Even though things have settled, we could not act the way before the events happened. Maybe because of that, Naz left the temple. Under the pretext of gathering faith outside the temple.
"Naz is being considerate towards me. I'm sure she left in consideration for us. It seems like I took both you, and her place here, away from her." And so, Shou-san became depressed.
She told me that she had an argument with Naz about me before. Apparently, at that time, Shou-san spewed some very harsh words towards Naz. Even now, Shou-san frets over that. When I consider the time Shou-san approached me, I came to the conclusion that she wasn't mentally composed then. But, that was in the past. We can't do anything about the past.
It didn't matter how we got here, or how Naz felt, we are together. There is nothing but happiness in the path ahead of us. Because the possiblities are there for us.
From then on, we never mentioned Naz. It was as if Naz was never there, and we came together perfectly from the start. What happened with Naz might have been the newest memory at that moment, but with time, it will become the past. When that moment arrives, we will have built an even deeper relationship based on the longer period of time we will have spent together, and Naz will become a past story.
Until that day, and also from that day on, I will be with Shou-san. It is because Shou-san is my most important person.