SS 11 Fate or Coincidence

Fate or Coincidence

“There are no coincidences in fate. Before encountering a certain destiny, a person has already shaped it themselves.”

As we walked together, I casually quoted a famous saying.

“Whose words are those?”

Ai-san asked with a curious smile.

“If I remember correctly, President Wilson.”

“The one famous for the League of Nations?”

“Yeah, that’s right. But you know, I never actually checked the original text, so I can’t say for sure.”

“Surprisingly, a lot of famous quotes from great figures are only well-known in Japan.”

We both laughed at that.

“Ai-san, do you believe in fate?”

It felt like the kind of conversation one should have on Valentine’s Day, so I decided to go with it.

“I do. After all, I’ve encountered quite a few things that can’t be explained by coincidence alone. But unlike that quote, I didn’t really do anything myself.”

“I see.”

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should ask more, afraid of being wrong. As if she saw right through me, she gave a playful smile.

“I’m talking about meeting you. Why are you phrasing it so formally? Or were you hedging your bets in case you were mistaken?”

“You got me.”

“That encounter might have been a coincidence for me. But Senpai, you worked hard for my sake, didn’t you? I think you were the one who led me to my fate.”

Looking a little embarrassed, she grabbed my arm and rested her head against it. She always gets shy, but since no one else was around, she seemed a bit bolder than usual.

“But Ai-san, you worked hard too.”

Hearing those words, she pressed her head more firmly against my arm.

“I like that about you… how you acknowledge my efforts.”

She’s not good at being affectionate. There’s an awkwardness to the way she expresses it.

But even with that awkwardness, she directs her love toward me with sincerity. And that’s unbearably endearing.

Before I knew it, I reached out and stroked her head.

“Keep doing that for a little longer. I’m about to say something a little embarrassing.”

“Okay.”

Even though my movements were clumsy, she let out a pleased sound.

“Senpai… Thank you for finding me that day.”