2:00 AM.
35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ibV8XX0uL
Kimijima Kouichi received a call from the hospital.
Just one sentence:35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UlZIUPbYA
—“Miss Amagi Suzuran is in critical condition.”
He didn’t ask questions.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcSFp4v2kh
Didn’t grab a coat.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxTdyWQfxc
Just ran.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdkTUPAeFE
Straight to the hospital.
Outside the ICU, the white fluorescent lights were blindingly bright.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vxSVKjiQr
One end of the hallway was deserted, the bench completely empty.
In the corner on the other side, a lone figure stood — Amagi Yuuji.
Yuuji had his head down, hands in his pockets, shoulders trembling faintly.
Kimijima recognized that silhouette instantly.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59jEwW2fu3
His steps accelerated, almost beyond control.
The fire in his chest surged up in a wave — of rage, of regret.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjQMfvtihD
He stormed forward, grabbed the other man by the collar, and shouted with a voice torn open:
"Why didn’t you take care of her?! You knew how fragile she was—!"
His throat was dry, but the words came out like blades, slicing the air.
Yuuji lifted his head. His face was pale, eyes rimmed red.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcMSDCu99s
Dark circles sunken under his eyes made him look nothing like the usual golden boy.
“…I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely, his voice cracked. “I… I didn’t think it would…”
“Move.” Kimijima cut him off coldly, his tone low, like the air before a storm.
“I want to see her.”
Yuuji silently stepped aside.
Kimijima entered the room, approaching the bed one step at a time.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIx25tCUiIO
Each step felt like it was landing on his own heart.
She lay there quietly.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1v47ZcHwh
Her face paler than the sheets.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyorRSZql1L
An oxygen mask covered her face.
Her chest rose and fell faintly — proof that she was still alive.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RfkAL1hsg
At least, the machines said she was still alive.
Kimijima sank to his knees, trembling hands reaching for her cold fingers.
This was the girl he had cherished more than anyone,35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYXvAOdmcI
the only one he had ever loved —35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfed5VtdlF
Amagi Suzuran.
Or—Hanazono Suzuran.
He bit his lip, but couldn’t stop the tears.
"Why…"35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGKLDJvt6d
His voice was barely audible.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHyBvacy1hv
"…did you always tell me you were doing fine?"
Why did you lie to me?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurcdbEuocP
Why did you carry it all alone?35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kh5UJ1yZ8
Why… didn’t you come to me?
In that moment, time seemed to break.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡog2P9J0H1R
Only the steady, cold rhythm of the heart monitor continued.
And Kimijima — had already crumbled.
4:00 AM.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7iNadChUCd
Tokinaga Tomohisa’s phone lit up.
He frowned and reached through the pile of documents on his desk to grab it.
“…Kimijima?”
He squinted at the name glowing on the screen, lips curling faintly.
“Kimijima, calling this late? That’s rare.”
He answered the call. On the other end came a voice — hoarse, low, like it had been scraped raw.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GjKqIE8Yi
Sleepy, and yet burdened with exhaustion too deep to hide.
“…Tokinaga.”
“What’s up?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiedeLzD5t
Tokinaga leaned back in his chair, voice casual, like he was still mid-data analysis.
“…Didn’t you say that human trial you were working on still needed a volunteer?”
“Yeah.”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWUGXZRaHy
He pulled open a drawer and took out a form.
“But I submitted it to the government. They’re worried about butterfly effects or whatever — still haven’t approved it.”
A pause on the other end.
“…Then do it off the record. Can you send me back?”
Tokinaga’s pen stopped mid-air.
“…Huh?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Z0D7dAVVb
He frowned and checked the time, sitting upright again.
“Kimijima, are you sick or something?”35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5PLL0UZvU
“You, of all people, saying something like that?”
There was no immediate response.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRzgIcRljO
Just silence —35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zmoQNcZaD
and the sound of someone breathing unevenly, like trying hard to hold back something.
“…What happened?”
As soon as he asked, a chill of foreboding passed through him.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLu6JEuUEDO
This friend — always calm, always rational —35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PnzPkGyUe
this time, he was shaken. Truly shaken.
Then finally, a whisper came.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlj2FI06ytO
So low, it was almost inaudible.
“…She died.”
Tokinaga’s fingers froze.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00v6J3Z6QY
The pen slipped from his hand.
“…She?”
He blinked.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1qLXv96h7
His voice lost its usual indifference.
“You mean… her…”
He paused.
“…Your lady?”
Silence.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcuR4jndEq
But that silence was the answer —35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8d0RKwnoLx
heavier than any words.
Tokinaga leaned back, exhaled long and deep.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cmrhod7g4
Pressed his thumb against his brow, as if to hold back a wave of emotion.
“…You realize activating the system could create thousands of new variables?”
“I know.”
“You might not be able to save her, even if you go back.”
“…Then I’ll go back again.”
“There’s no guarantee you’ll retain all your memories either.”
“…Then I’ll fall in love with her again, every time.”
Tokinaga opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling.35Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmkPah4pgZ
And murmured:
“…You’re insane, Kimijima.”
A quiet reply came through the line:
“I’ve always been insane for her.”
ns216.73.216.70da2
and then Add to home screen.