x
2:00 AM.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu7Yoe9jGt
Kimijima Kouichi received a call from the hospital.
Just one sentence:23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonZe0IHEds
—“Miss Amagi Suzuran is in critical condition.”
He didn’t ask questions.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPhH2zRI3qC
Didn’t grab a coat.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqomXISDEV
Just ran.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3nPPbmfad5
Straight to the hospital.
Outside the ICU, the white fluorescent lights were blindingly bright.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxrDQHg6Qf
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzmp0a4p7b
His steps accelerated, almost beyond control.
The fire in his chest surged up in a wave — of rage, of regret.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhUGE5w7t2
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugvao2zxt8
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBrDpkfzi4
Each step felt like it was landing on his own heart.
She lay there quietly.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVuk0RQVLZ
Her face paler than the sheets.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftjTEjNHpf
An oxygen mask covered her face.
Her chest rose and fell faintly — proof that she was still alive.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO34qKQ5qg
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,23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrmwhDGGUb
the only one he had ever loved —23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL46XfXbLrK
Amagi Suzuran.
Or—Hanazono Suzuran.
He bit his lip, but couldn’t stop the tears.
"Why…"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYsDYnoO3D
His voice was barely audible.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhTaLesieU
"…did you always tell me you were doing fine?"
Why did you lie to me?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg63HEnrdLZ
Why did you carry it all alone?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTd4lL6usmd
Why… didn’t you come to me?
In that moment, time seemed to break.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxemmlwFlmZ
Only the steady, cold rhythm of the heart monitor continued.
And Kimijima — had already crumbled.
4:00 AM.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOiKljiV4H
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTYtka5elp
Sleepy, and yet burdened with exhaustion too deep to hide.
“…Tokinaga.”
“What’s up?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1WxDmU1Wk
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.”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJirlw4PMWW
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?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZtU7Muap2
He frowned and checked the time, sitting upright again.
“Kimijima, are you sick or something?”23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygdxRf2Oe9
“You, of all people, saying something like that?”
There was no immediate response.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsYlHdhtUg
Just silence —23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8xSyeSx3S
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnvrkknHhT
This friend — always calm, always rational —23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbdRN6JrI0
this time, he was shaken. Truly shaken.
Then finally, a whisper came.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuiIvjdMMV
So low, it was almost inaudible.
“…She died.”
Tokinaga’s fingers froze.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmFHjh1pXH
The pen slipped from his hand.
“…She?”
He blinked.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKBLTL1gJa
His voice lost its usual indifference.
“You mean… her…”
He paused.
“…Your lady?”
Silence.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSOUdhjVBk
But that silence was the answer —23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5jP9pcgKH
heavier than any words.
Tokinaga leaned back, exhaled long and deep.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIMXEIJXh1
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.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunkPgnSERx
And murmured:
“…You’re insane, Kimijima.”
A quiet reply came through the line:
“I’ve always been insane for her.”
ns216.73.216.85da2
