Chapter 149: Rather than Lingering in Wretched Survival, Better to Bloom as the Final Firework

In the evening, Anhe stepped out of Serizawa Reina's bedroom, looking refreshed and revitalized.

The door remained half-open, and within the room, the girl's figure could still be faintly seen, her pale shoulders half-exposed as she lay limply across the bed.

A dripping sound echoed from below. Lowering his gaze, he saw a puddle of liquid glistening under the illumination of the lights.

"This much?"

Anhe clicked his tongue slightly. Glancing around, he did not see Serizawa Yui, but from the brightly lit bathroom, soft, suppressed groans drifted out repeatedly.

Clearly, in the recent moments, he was not the only one enjoying supreme bliss.

With a soft chuckle, Anhe decided not to disturb them. He simply ate a little something in the kitchen to replenish his energy, then left the Serizawa residence on tiptoe.

Once outside, the chilly wind in the hallway instantly swept away the last traces of his sleepiness.

Shivering slightly, Anhe pulled out his phone from his pocket to check the time.

Twenty past eleven at night.

Because he had decided to visit Tachibana Shin'i at the hospital, he had no intention of returning home tonight.

Calculating the time, it would take about half a hour to get from here to the hospital where she was staying. Setting off immediately, he figured he could arrive before midnight.

"I just wonder if Tachibana Shin'i is already asleep at this hour."

Muttering to himself, Anhe descended the stairs, successfully located his black-and-green motorcycle, and mounted it directly.

Although nighttime Tokyo remained bustling, fortunately, the roads were not overly congested. In less than twenty minutes, Anhe followed the address provided by Amamiya Sagu to reach his destination.

Tohufu University Medical Department Hospital.

As an affiliated hospital of Tohufu University, funded and constructed by the Amamiya Group, although it could not compare to those world-renowned medical institutions, its greatest advantage was being family-owned, ensuring a high level of security and privacy.

After parking the motorcycle, Anhe first went to the nurse's station in the main lobby.

Pre-notified by Amamiya Sagu, a beautiful nurse wearing a pink nursing uniform warmly led him to a ward on the fourth floor upon learning his purpose.

"Madam Tachibana is inside. Her current condition is quite precarious, and her emotional state is a bit pessimistic. However, with active treatment, there is still a chance to prolong her survival time."

The nurse explained, bowing slightly to Anhe before continuing, "I will leave the rest to Mr. Anhe. If you need any assistance, feel free to notify me at any time."

"Thank you."

Anhe nodded gently, watching the nurse leave before pushing open the ward door.

The moment he entered, a thick, pungent mixture of medicinal odors assaulted his nostrils. Unaccustomed to it as a first-timer, Anhe frowned slightly.

"Doesn't it smell awful?"

A weak yet muffled female voice sounded.

Following the sound, Anhe looked toward the center of the room. On the hospital bed, wearing an oxygen mask and with an IV line inserted into her hand, Tachibana Shin'i turned her head to look in his direction.

At this moment, she lacked the glossy radiance of a few months ago. Not only was her complexion pale and her lips chapped, but even her captivating peach-blossom eyes had lost their former luster, turning dull and dim.

Seeing Anhe looking at her, she gave a faint chuckle, turned her head away, and continued to stare at the ceiling, murmuring to herself.

"I must look really ugly right now, right?"

"Not really. You possess a rather tragic kind of beauty."

Anhe replied as he walked over to the bedside, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Casually picking up an apple from the nightstand, he intended to pop it into his mouth, but suddenly changing his mind, he held it out toward Tachibana Shin'i and asked,

"Would you like some?"

Hearing this, Tachibana Shin'i merely glanced at him without answering.

Unbothered, Anhe shrugged, pulled back the apple, and bit into it.

Silence enveloped the room once more, broken only by the crisp, crunchy sound of Anhe chewing the apple.

A short while later, the apple was finished.

Tossing away the core, just as Anhe reached out to grab a second apple, Tachibana Shin'i's voice sounded again.

"If you only came here to eat fruit, you could easily buy a bunch and keep them at home."

"How could store-bought fruit ever taste as good as someone else's?"

Anhe chuckled, reaching for an apple. This time, however, instead of biting into it immediately, he picked up the fruit knife from the table and began peeling the skin.

His hands were extremely steady, the fruit knife moving like a precise instrument in his grip. In no time at all, a continuous strip of apple peel fell away.

"Have a taste. I've never peeled an apple for anyone else in my entire life."

While speaking, Anhe extended the peeled apple toward Tachibana Shin'i's lips, tossing the apple skin into his own mouth instead.

Glancing at the apple offered to her lips, Tachibana Shin'i turned her head away, sighed helplessly, and murmured,

"Do you really think I can eat on my own looking like this?"

"Huh?"

Anhe paused, only then remembering that Tachibana Shin'i was still wearing an oxygen mask. He hurriedly slapped his forehead.

"Look at me, what a fool I am."

With that, Anhe leaned forward, intending to remove the mask for her. But before his hand touched her, he froze mid-air, uncertain, and asked,

"By the way, are you even allowed to take this mask off?"

Hearing this, Tachibana Shin'i turned her head back, fixing her gaze on Anhe with a plea in her eyes.

"Take it off. Wearing it is suffocating anyway. Since I don't have much time left to live, you might as well let me breathe some fresh air."

"This..."

Anhe fell into a brief internal struggle.

Reason told him that doing so would only accelerate the fading of her life, but meeting those expectant eyes, Anhe found himself completely unable to utter a refusal.

Just as he hesitated, the narration in his mind abruptly sounded.

[Life will eventually fade away. Rather than lingering in prolonged agony, it is better to bloom like a final fireworks display.]

...

Accompanied by a soft beep, Anhe ultimately reached out and removed the oxygen mask from Tachibana Shin'i's face.

With the constraint removed from her face, a fleeting spark of brilliance instantly flashed across Tachibana Shin'i's previously dim eyes, and a smile returned to her face.

"Thank you."

She whispered softly. Although she remained frail, she appeared far more spirited than before.

Witnessing this transformation, the corners of Anhe's mouth curved upward.

Perhaps, just as the narration suggested, instead of lingering in agony, it was better to bloom into a final display before movement became impossible.

With this thought, Anhe suddenly proposed,

"Would you like to go out for a walk?"

Hearing this, Tachibana Shin'i instantly turned her head toward him.

Though she said nothing, the anticipation brimming in her eyes already conveyed her answer.

...

Late at night.

A motorcycle sped across the deserted streets carrying two figures.

Spreading her arms wide, feeling the wind brush past her fingertips, even though her voice remained very faint, Tachibana Shin'i could not help cheering aloud.

"Why didn't I ever realize the night streets of Tokyo were this refreshing?"

"That's because you never quieted your mind to properly enjoy the night before."

Anhe replied offhandedly, then quickly warned,

"Hold on tight. I don't want to end up in prison tomorrow because my passenger flew off the bike."

"You're the only one with a glib tongue~"

Tachibana Shin'i rolled her eyes at him, though she obediently lowered her arms, wrapped them tightly around his waist from behind, and rested her head against his back.

The motorcycle continued moving, passing through the bustling streets, and soon stopped in front of a cafe.

Getting off the vehicle, Anhe took off his jacket and draped it over Tachibana Shin'i's shoulders. She did not refuse, instead fixing her gaze on the cafe's signboard with a nostalgic sigh.

"I had no idea it had been closed for so long."

"Probably over two months now."

Anhe chimed in, supporting Tachibana Shin'i to the entrance as he asked softly,

"Want to go inside and sit for a bit?"

"You have the keys?"

Tachibana Shin'i asked, her face filled with astonishment.

In response, Anhe merely offered a mysterious smile, then pulled a key from his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole. Turning it, he explained,

"I came back once before and happened to keep a spare key just in case."

With that, the door swung open under his touch.

Looking at the familiar arrangement within the dim hall and inhaling the stale scent lingering in the air, Tachibana Shin'i covered her mouth with a light chuckle.

"What you're doing is trespassing."

"Are you still going in, then?"

Anhe raised a hand and asked with a smile.

Tachibana Shin'i raised an eyebrow without replying, simply resting her hand on Anhe's arm.

Her intention was self-evident.

Entering the cafe, Anhe first found a chair for Tachibana Shin'i to sit on, then utilized the faint glow of his phone screen to locate the main electrical switchbox.

With a sharp click, he flipped the switch, instantly flooding the pitch-black cafe with brilliant light.

Returning to the main hall, Tachibana Shin'i sat obediently on her chair, her burning gaze fixed entirely on the piano in the center of the room.

At this moment, she wore a hospital patient gown, her long hair, usually coiled neatly at the nape of her neck, draped freely over her shoulders. The exquisite makeup on her face was gone, stripping away the dignified nobility Anhe had first seen in her. In its place was the pure elegance of a girl next door.

As if sensing his gaze, Tachibana Shin'i suddenly turned her head.

"What is it? You've been staring at me."

"Nothing, just wondering why you insisted on coming here."

Anhe spoke the truth. Hearing this, Tachibana Shin'i pressed her lips together and shifted her gaze back to the piano. After a long silence, she murmured an explanation as if talking to herself.

"You know what? My dream used to be to become a pianist, but because of my mother's profession, that dream remained unfulfilled even after I reached adulthood."

"Later on, when I finally acquired power and wanted to reclaim that dream, I found myself bound by that very power."

"Countless people were waiting for me to provide for them. The moment I stopped, they would starve, so I had no choice but to fulfill my duties as a ruler."

"Sometimes, actually, I quite envy that Amamiya girl. Even though her parents passed away and a mountain of corporate messes awaited her, because she has an older sister, she doesn't have to worry about anything, spending every day carefree, eating, drinking, and being happy."

"And now, freed from the responsibilities of power, I can finally eat, drink, and play without a care like Amamiya Saori, yet I'm struck by this bizarre illness with hardly any days left to live."

At this, Tachibana Shin'i lowered her head, looking at her calloused hands, and shook her head with a bitter smile.

"Perhaps this is just retribution, given how many people died by my hands."

With that, Tachibana Shin'i took a deep breath, lifted her head, and cast aside her previous depression. Beaming radiantly at Anhe, she asked softly,

"Anhe-kun, would you play that song again—the one you played the first time we met?"

"Of course."

Anhe nodded, walking slowly toward the piano in the center of the hall.

Lifting the dust cover, a cloud of dust fluttered into the air, yet he acted as though he didn't notice, sweeping his hand across the stark black-and-white keys.

Tachibana Shin'i instinctively straightened her posture, closing her eyes to listen intently.

Crisp and melodious piano notes filled the air.

In a trance, Tachibana Shin'i felt as though she had returned to the age of fifteen or sixteen.

Back then, she was still in junior high school, waking up in the morning from her warm bed, rubbing her stomach as she wandered lazily into the living room.

After finishing the delicious breakfast prepared by her mother, she would change into her school uniform and head out.

A gentle breeze blew past, causing the wind chimes on the windowsill to emit a pleasant tinkling sound.

Not far away, a classmate was waving at her with a beaming smile.

Everything was so wonderfully idyllic.

Yet, every illusion eventually comes to an end.

When the final note faded away, Tachibana Shin'i was pulled back from her fantasy into reality.

Opening her eyes, she looked at the familiar yet foreign layout of the cafe and the young man sitting before the piano not far away, a look of serene acceptance washing over her.

"Thank you. I love this piece."

Without answering, Anhe stood up, walked slowly over to Tachibana Shin'i, and extended his hand. Seeing the puzzled look on her face, he smiled and explained,

"Didn't you dream of becoming a pianist? I'll teach you."

This sudden invitation left Tachibana Shin'i frozen in place. She stared at the hand held out before her for a long moment before finally reacting, shaking her head with a helpless, bitter smile.

"There's no need. I don't know how to play the piano."

"That's precisely why I need to teach you."

Anhe said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Without waiting for her reply, he pulled her up by the hand and hurried over to the piano.

"Sit on my lap. I'll guide your hands, step by step."

As he spoke, Anhe pressed Tachibana Shin'i down onto his lap.

At first, she offered a slight resistance, but as Anhe enclosed her hands in his and pressed the first key, she stopped struggling.

"Such a scoundrel. Now I finally understand why all those girls are so fond of you."

Muttering inwardly, Tachibana Shin'i curved her lips into a smile, closed her eyes, and quietly yielded to Anhe's rhythm.

Time slipped away. The sound of the piano echoed through the empty cafe—shifting from initial awkwardness to fluid mastery.

Clearly, Tachibana Shin'i possessed a remarkable talent for the piano, so much so that even when Anhe eventually released her hands, the music continued uninterrupted.

After a long while.

The melody ended.

Silence reclaimed the cafe.

Anhe could distinctly feel the breathing of the beauty in his arms becoming rapid; clearly, that last piece of music had exhausted a great deal of her energy.

"Let's rest for a bit."

Anhe attempted to remind her. Hearing this, however, Tachibana Shin'i abruptly turned her head, her face flushed with excitement as she exclaimed passionately,

"Can we do it one more time?"

Shaking his head, Anhe turned her face back, placed his hands gently on her shoulders, and massaged them soothingly while smiling,

"The night is still young. I can teach you all night long if you want; there's no need to rush."

She offered no resistance to his touch. Instead, she leaned her entire body against Anhe's chest, tilting her head back with closed eyes. The corners of her upturned lips gradually relaxed, and she murmured as if talking to herself,

"I'm just worried I won't have the chance to play ever again..."