R11:CO1 07.txt

こころ「ゆに！」%K%P
Yuni!

私の予感は的中した。やはりゆには生きていたのだ。%K%P
My premonition had been right. As I'd thought, Yuni was alive.

彼はきょとんとして私のことを見ている。%K%P
He looked at me vacantly.

足元には数十本の薪がバラバラに散乱していた。%K%P
Dozens of logs for the stove were scattered at his feet.

ゆに「どうしたの？」%K%P
What's wrong?

平然とした表情を浮かべたまま尋ねてくる。%K%P
He asked with a surprisingly calm face.

私はゆっくりと彼のもとへと近づいていった。%K%P
I slowly moved toward him.

正面に立つ。%K%P
I stopped in front of him.

彼は棒のように直立し、私の顔を見上げていた。%K%P
Standing stiff as a rod, he looked up at me.

ゆに「こころん……」%K%P
Kokoron...

ゆに「こころんなの……？」%K%P
Are you Kokoron...?

大きな瞳をパチクリとさせながら呟く。%K%P
His pupils widened as he blinked, muttering those words.

こころ「ゆに……」%K%P
Yuni...

ゆに「ぼくのこと、覚えててくれたんだね？」%K%P
You... remembered me?

こころ「当たり前でしょ？」%K%P
Of course I do!

こころ「忘れるわけないじゃない」%K%P
There's no way I could forget!

歓喜に包まれた私は、思わず、彼の身体を抱きしめようと……。%K%P
Filled with joy, I embraced him tightly without a second thought....

ゆに「待った！」%K%P
Wait!

こころ「？？？」%K%P
???

ゆに「このままだと、壊れちゃうかも知れないから」%K%P
They might break like this.

そう言って、ゆにはおもむろにメガネをはずした。%K%P
Saying that, Yuni slowly removed his glasses.

はずしたメガネを棚の上に置き……そして……。%K%P
He placed his glasses on the shelf... and then....

ゆに「こころ～ん！」%K%P
Kokoronnn!

いきなり、少女みたいに可憐な声をあげ、私の胸に飛び込んできた。%K%P
Suddenly, with a voice as lovely as a girl's, he leaped into my arms.

ゆに「逢いたかったよぉ～！」%K%P
I missed you!

ゆに「逢いたかったよぉ～！　こころ～ん！」%K%P
I missed you so much! Kokoro～n!

ゆには私の背中をデタラメにまさぐっていた。%K%P
Yuni aimlessly groped at my back.

ぎゅりぎゅりと顔をこすりつけ、甘えるように鼻を鳴らす。%K%P
He rubbed his face against me, snuffling like a spoiled child.

私も彼の身体を抱き返した。きつくきつく両腕に力を込めた。%K%P
I cradled him closely in return. With all the strength in my arms, I squeezed him tighter and tighter.

これで２度目だ、この少年との再会を果たしたのは……。%K%P
This is the second time I've been reunited with this boy....

けれど夢の中とは違って、彼に冷たくあしらわれるようなことはなかった。%K%P
But unlike the Yuni from my dream, this one wasn't cold-hearted at all.

ゆには私を私として認識してくれていた。%K%P
Yuni had recognized me as myself.

私が私であることを受容し、私が私であることを肯定してくれたのだ。%K%P
He greeted me as myself, and confirmed me as myself.

そのことが、私はとても嬉しかった。%K%P
Just that was enough to make me feel very happy.

ゆに「こころ～ん、ぼく、言わなくちゃいけないことがあるんだ」%K%P
Kokoro～n, I have something that I need to say.

こころ「なぁに？」%K%P
What is it?

ゆに「助けてくれて、ありがとう」%K%P
Thank you... for saving me.

こころ「もう、お礼なんて言わなくていいって」%K%P
Aww, you don't have to thank me.

こころ「私は何も、してないもん」%K%P
I didn't do anything at all.

そう、私はあのとき何もしてあげられなかった。%K%P
Yes, I couldn't do anything at that time.

シートベルトを締めて、手のひらを握ってやっただけだ。%K%P
I had only fastened his seatbelt and taken his hand in mine.

もしも私達が助かったのが誰かのせいだとするならば、それは神様のおかげだとしか言いようがない。%K%P
If there was anyone to thank for our rescue, it could only be God.

運命というよりも、神がかり的な奇蹟だと思った。%K%P
Rather than fate, it seemed more appropriate to call this a miracle from God.

ゆに「でも、とにかくありがとう」%K%P
But still, thank you.

ゆには私の身体にぴたりと貼り付いたまま、決して離れようとはしなかった。%K%P
I clung to Yuni's body as though I'd never let him go.

私は彼の髪に鼻先を埋ずめ、胸いっぱいに匂いを吸い込んだ。%K%P
I put his head under my nose and filled my lungs with his scent.

私達は生きている……。%K%P
We're alive....

彼の幼い髪の香りや、燃えるような肌の温もりが、そのことを教えてくれた。%K%P
The smell of his hair, the burning warmth of his skin.

生きている……生きている……。%K%P
Alive... alive....

何度も何度も心の中で呟いた。%K%P
Over and over again, I repeated it in my mind.

奇蹟を目の当たりにしたことの喜びに震える。%K%P
I trembled in joy as I stood witness to this miracle.

いつしか私の頬は濡れていた。%K%P
After a while, I realized that my cheeks were wet.

唇についた小さなしずくは、カモミールティよりも熱かった。%K%P
The small drops clinging to my lips were warmer than the chamomile tea I had just drunk.

その後しばらくの間、私達は時間を忘れて抱きあい続けた。%K%P
We stayed in our embrace for quite a while, long enough to lose track of time.

原因とか経緯とか夢の中の出来事とか、難しいことは何ひとつとして思い浮かばなかった。%K%P
Right then, my mind was completely void of the memories from my strange dream, with its grotesque script and frighteningly detailed scenery.

けれどひとつだけ、気になることがないわけでもなかった。%K%p
But still, there was one thing bothering me.

どうしてゆにがこんな所にいるのか気になる
I wanted to know why Yuni was here

ゆにの言ったことが気になる
What Yuni had said bothered me

どうしてゆにがこんな所にいるのだろう？%K%P
Why was Yuni in a place like this?

気にはなったが、まあ、取るに足らない瑣末なことだ。%K%P
It bothered me, but, well, it felt rather trifling and insignificant.

彼は無事だった。それだけで今は充分だった。%K%P
He was safe. That was all that mattered now.

心の片隅に芽生えた小さな疑問は、長い抱擁の末に跡形もなく消え失せてしまった。%K%P
With the end of the long hug nowhere in sight, the small doubt that had sprouted in the corner of my mind slowly faded away.

私はすべてを忘れ、温もりに酔い痴れ、ひたすら再会の喜びに浸り続けたのだった。%K%P
I forgot everything, becoming intoxicated with his warmth, as I continued to soak in the happiness of our reunion.

ゆに「逢いたかったよぉ～！」%K%P
I missed you!

ゆに「逢いたかったよぉ～！　こころ～ん！」%K%P
I missed you! Kokoro～n!

ゆにの唇からもれたこの言葉……。%K%P
The words that had come from Yuni's lips....

何かが引っかかる。どこか釈然としない想いを抱いた。%K%P
It was as though something felt out of place. A suspicious feeling of dissatisfaction stirred my mind.

とは言え、そんな些細なことなんて本当はどうでもよかった。%K%P
But even so, something as trifling as that didn't matter much now.

心の片隅に芽生えた小さな疑問は、長い抱擁の末に跡形もなく消え失せてしまった。%K%P
With the end of the hug nowhere in sight, the little doubt that had sprouted in the corner of my mind slowly faded away.

私はすべてを忘れ、温もりに酔い痴れ、ひたすら再会の喜びに浸り続けたのだった。%K%P
I had forgotten everything, becoming intoxicated with his warmth, as I continued to soak in the happiness of our reunion.