2:00 AM.
31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaiKuf8VQM
Kimijima Kouichi received a call from the hospital.
Just one sentence:31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SELNqS3NG
—“Miss Amagi Suzuran is in critical condition.”
He didn’t ask questions.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7nPCWRWHT
Didn’t grab a coat.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3X4yIfYYR
Just ran.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPdJk7nWLjv
Straight to the hospital.
Outside the ICU, the white fluorescent lights were blindingly bright.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHIPNZrNFe
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyx61hLJaRm
His steps accelerated, almost beyond control.
The fire in his chest surged up in a wave — of rage, of regret.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8snGZlpasF
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6paUqsJcg
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YFs07ppHP
Each step felt like it was landing on his own heart.
She lay there quietly.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3QpXr3jXb
Her face paler than the sheets.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbJB0PqWfG
An oxygen mask covered her face.
Her chest rose and fell faintly — proof that she was still alive.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZM863BW977
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,31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqZ0K14yvEw
the only one he had ever loved —31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYs0l5oBtua
Amagi Suzuran.
Or—Hanazono Suzuran.
He bit his lip, but couldn’t stop the tears.
"Why…"31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3gjmJjOlJ
His voice was barely audible.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBm9rDZNoP
"…did you always tell me you were doing fine?"
Why did you lie to me?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMYvoljcOe
Why did you carry it all alone?31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxGVWHIT0a
Why… didn’t you come to me?
In that moment, time seemed to break.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUIOUsxyBL
Only the steady, cold rhythm of the heart monitor continued.
And Kimijima — had already crumbled.
4:00 AM.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdc75Elndg7
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkcF9bC5vbz
Sleepy, and yet burdened with exhaustion too deep to hide.
“…Tokinaga.”
“What’s up?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGby1so5F0
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.”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAS6YIY0Xj
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?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8SVn038jcy
He frowned and checked the time, sitting upright again.
“Kimijima, are you sick or something?”31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85gPkHMVCv
“You, of all people, saying something like that?”
There was no immediate response.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5CYPLwJQT
Just silence —31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtEP3RllGS
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYmU6SU6QQ
This friend — always calm, always rational —31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZ230pdtZN
this time, he was shaken. Truly shaken.
Then finally, a whisper came.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡED3WjLSRRQ
So low, it was almost inaudible.
“…She died.”
Tokinaga’s fingers froze.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVX0V1GBhf
The pen slipped from his hand.
“…She?”
He blinked.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRvbG52gSR
His voice lost its usual indifference.
“You mean… her…”
He paused.
“…Your lady?”
Silence.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUOvfHfATr
But that silence was the answer —31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vYaFD2CH6
heavier than any words.
Tokinaga leaned back, exhaled long and deep.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjRILu1gnJp
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.31Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThnKz52blw
And murmured:
“…You’re insane, Kimijima.”
A quiet reply came through the line:
“I’ve always been insane for her.”
ns216.73.216.150da2
and then Add to home screen.