x
2:00 AM.
37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8C9EtRO6hk
Kimijima Kouichi received a call from the hospital.
Just one sentence:37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCO0Mhd9lzq
—“Miss Amagi Suzuran is in critical condition.”
He didn’t ask questions.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc2sMsEznju
Didn’t grab a coat.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL76M6f0uol
Just ran.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡts9gGs6867
Straight to the hospital.
Outside the ICU, the white fluorescent lights were blindingly bright.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxOltUdQX6
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7rAQlXIDZ
His steps accelerated, almost beyond control.
The fire in his chest surged up in a wave — of rage, of regret.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOucUdWqP7
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxn1no9zGy
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkI563r787
Each step felt like it was landing on his own heart.
She lay there quietly.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTw4qU1Fo9K
Her face paler than the sheets.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FMQb5SWxj
An oxygen mask covered her face.
Her chest rose and fell faintly — proof that she was still alive.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1weFzku4q
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,37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqhqsbEjh3X
the only one he had ever loved —37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZ9l2l8tj0
Amagi Suzuran.
Or—Hanazono Suzuran.
He bit his lip, but couldn’t stop the tears.
"Why…"37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqYQtlFe5C
His voice was barely audible.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsusBBmuVRI
"…did you always tell me you were doing fine?"
Why did you lie to me?37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFzLCLzbs6S
Why did you carry it all alone?37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNglxNHRFr1
Why… didn’t you come to me?
In that moment, time seemed to break.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAoAzdeIUh
Only the steady, cold rhythm of the heart monitor continued.
And Kimijima — had already crumbled.
4:00 AM.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCt7PqecpT
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqIN7ksud7
Sleepy, and yet burdened with exhaustion too deep to hide.
“…Tokinaga.”
“What’s up?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLDH2Nsuq6
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.”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgcP4MfzMF
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?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArkZ7JocO3
He frowned and checked the time, sitting upright again.
“Kimijima, are you sick or something?”37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtICrgUQI6w
“You, of all people, saying something like that?”
There was no immediate response.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0Ihjan3Nb
Just silence —37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pb2vv3lai
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ166ZXbeObD
This friend — always calm, always rational —37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUiimDDQ31m
this time, he was shaken. Truly shaken.
Then finally, a whisper came.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDC8YJSm1n4
So low, it was almost inaudible.
“…She died.”
Tokinaga’s fingers froze.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKo6zLj4t8
The pen slipped from his hand.
“…She?”
He blinked.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ep8hFueHd
His voice lost its usual indifference.
“You mean… her…”
He paused.
“…Your lady?”
Silence.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdY6dEjzN08
But that silence was the answer —37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNL8NfncaU
heavier than any words.
Tokinaga leaned back, exhaled long and deep.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgU62IoE6sF
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.37Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPBC2eEYeo
And murmured:
“…You’re insane, Kimijima.”
A quiet reply came through the line:
“I’ve always been insane for her.”
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