
2:00 AM.
24Please respect copyright.PENANAQPZ5CNLabS
Kimijima Kouichi received a call from the hospital.
Just one sentence:24Please respect copyright.PENANAkeoR7i0zbI
—“Miss Amagi Suzuran is in critical condition.”
He didn’t ask questions.24Please respect copyright.PENANAtAiolyH3Cx
Didn’t grab a coat.24Please respect copyright.PENANAvq74NKxy1a
Just ran.24Please respect copyright.PENANAV5Zu0rtQ3k
Straight to the hospital.
Outside the ICU, the white fluorescent lights were blindingly bright.24Please respect copyright.PENANAtiBnPMhz1N
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.24Please respect copyright.PENANAOiTUMEDnOf
His steps accelerated, almost beyond control.
The fire in his chest surged up in a wave — of rage, of regret.24Please respect copyright.PENANAy5R1Tf4M0J
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.24Please respect copyright.PENANAAIDYk76Xl3
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.24Please respect copyright.PENANASH5sfku99G
Each step felt like it was landing on his own heart.
She lay there quietly.24Please respect copyright.PENANAIJd352yTMI
Her face paler than the sheets.24Please respect copyright.PENANAQWeyU1mZhr
An oxygen mask covered her face.
Her chest rose and fell faintly — proof that she was still alive.24Please respect copyright.PENANAy8wS8M4JmC
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,24Please respect copyright.PENANAFBXRR6Mk8Y
the only one he had ever loved —24Please respect copyright.PENANATYp9Ct6Uf1
Amagi Suzuran.
Or—Hanazono Suzuran.
He bit his lip, but couldn’t stop the tears.
"Why…"24Please respect copyright.PENANA0leUF0Fui4
His voice was barely audible.24Please respect copyright.PENANAkm75urT0tA
"…did you always tell me you were doing fine?"
Why did you lie to me?24Please respect copyright.PENANAlD51utrdVz
Why did you carry it all alone?24Please respect copyright.PENANAI8RSeugl1i
Why… didn’t you come to me?
In that moment, time seemed to break.24Please respect copyright.PENANA1mAyAnymee
Only the steady, cold rhythm of the heart monitor continued.
And Kimijima — had already crumbled.
4:00 AM.24Please respect copyright.PENANAGKf4oryQ55
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.24Please respect copyright.PENANAKDOaGG3IqW
Sleepy, and yet burdened with exhaustion too deep to hide.
“…Tokinaga.”
“What’s up?”24Please respect copyright.PENANAZkFhmginD4
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.”24Please respect copyright.PENANAKk7VkTaL5b
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?”24Please respect copyright.PENANA9qf85QNsX4
He frowned and checked the time, sitting upright again.
“Kimijima, are you sick or something?”24Please respect copyright.PENANA1xmtVDA98D
“You, of all people, saying something like that?”
There was no immediate response.24Please respect copyright.PENANAM5Odkc9QBl
Just silence —24Please respect copyright.PENANAVKqofVuR5M
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.24Please respect copyright.PENANATeqW5nfugm
This friend — always calm, always rational —24Please respect copyright.PENANAWUJE4iG14n
this time, he was shaken. Truly shaken.
Then finally, a whisper came.24Please respect copyright.PENANAYmzjwgN11u
So low, it was almost inaudible.
“…She died.”
Tokinaga’s fingers froze.24Please respect copyright.PENANA68vldtsgjt
The pen slipped from his hand.
“…She?”
He blinked.24Please respect copyright.PENANA3tVCybFAKQ
His voice lost its usual indifference.
“You mean… her…”
He paused.
“…Your lady?”
Silence.24Please respect copyright.PENANALz41pWetC5
But that silence was the answer —24Please respect copyright.PENANAQJvBAnleHx
heavier than any words.
Tokinaga leaned back, exhaled long and deep.24Please respect copyright.PENANAcHOUelkJHx
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.24Please respect copyright.PENANAYiWvOak564
And murmured:
“…You’re insane, Kimijima.”
A quiet reply came through the line:
“I’ve always been insane for her.”
ns216.73.216.85da2