Chapter 33

Chapter 33

[You’ve taken a long vacation, confined to Asano’s home. As usual, you often pull back the curtains in the living room, lying on the soft sofa, feeling the warmth and dizziness brought by the sunlight.]

[You read music theory books and practice instruments. Your fingers flip through the thin pages filled with crowded text, and amidst the clutter, you seem to catch a glimpse of her name. You search for it, hoping to find a single letter from her name, but sometimes find nothing. Your lips press against the instrument, gleaming with a steady metallic sheen, and in the interval between the last note fading and the next note emerging, you seem to hear her voice. You pause playing, listening intently, only hearing the wind and the footsteps of pedestrians outside the window.]

[A week later, the doorbell rings.]

[Though you know it’s impossible for her to be outside the door, a hint of hope still flickers in your heart. You hastily set aside your book and stride to the entrance, opening the door.]

[Outside stands Chitose Kazumi.]

[Her gaze is filled with guilt and anxiety as she avoids eye contact and remains silent. In that moment, you indeed see the shadow of Asano Nao in her.]

[The declining sun fails to dispel the autumn chill, and the wind tugs at the clothes of passersby. You invite Chitose Kazumi inside.]

[You don’t ask about Asano Nao’s whereabouts or any conspiracy between them. You only ask one thing: why Chitose Kazumi, who had lost contact a year ago, appeared at Asano’s home.]

[Chitose Kazumi tells you that Asano Nao found her new LINE account online and contacted her through her friends.]

[Her hands tremble, fearing your words will bring her sadness.]

[You end the conversation and apologize for mocking her long ago.]

[Recalling the simulated future where Asano Nao died in despair, recalling the documents where Asano Nao predicted her own future with sorrow, you think, perhaps leaving her alone would be the best choice.]

[In this life, you unreservedly devote all your energy and talent to pursue music, making Asano Nao feel even more keenly the decay and death within herself. She loves you, you are her beloved moon, but the moonlight is too bright, revealing her decay and bringing unbearable torment.]

“Sigh...”

As he looked at the simulated text, Minami Yuuki sighed.

Alongside his sadness, a sense of frustration surged within him. He lifted his head, gazing in the direction of Asano Nao’s room.

That mentally twisted shut-in girl was just too troublesome!

He knew that one couldn’t control their own mind, but that didn’t stop him from venting his emotions.

Why can’t you just focus on having a proper relationship instead of dwelling on pointless things!

Guilt, sadness, the moon, deathly aura, tombstones, a miserable future -what’s the point of thinking about all that!

[Using your savings from working odd jobs, you bought a villa near the campus and lived there with Chitose Kazumi.]

[Teaching days were leisurely, giving you ample free time. You started practicing other musical instruments and resumed composing, picking up where you left off. Your handsome appearance and exceptional abilities won the admiration of many students, with female students often slipping love letters into your lecture notes or desk. You collected them and handed them to Chitose Kazumi to deal with.]

[Chitose Kazumi delighted in your honesty and grew angry at the frivolity of these newly adult girls. She dressy up herself and accompanied you on campus, intentionally linking arms with you and being affectionate. The love letters gradually decreased.]

[At the age of thirty-six, you and Chitose Kazumi had a child, a girl named Touka. You hoped she would be a strong child.]

[Another year, during enrollment season, you noticed a female student in your class who caught your attention.]

[With her raven-like long hair and eyes that shimmered with anticipation, she reminded you of a long-forgotten figure from your past.]

[Her name was Yumemi Miu, a solitary child.]

[You attempted to approach her, but each time, she would startle and shy away.]

[You persisted, never giving up, until finally, you became friends with her.]

[In the second semester, she dropped out.]

[You dialed the contact number on the registration form, but no one answered. You went to the address listed on the form, but no one lived there.]

[Like a white feather caught in a spring breeze, Yumemi Miu disappeared beneath the warm sunshine of spring.]

[Your child with Chitose Kazumi grew up healthy, resembling her mother in her lack of words but strong inner strength. What left you somewhat regretful was her lack of interest in music; she chose to become a chef instead. She inherited your vast talent and made a name for herself in the culinary world.]

[At the age of fifty-five, you retired from the university and entered retirement life.]

[Perhaps due to having too much free time, you often thought of her from your memories. You retrieved the key kept in the safe and went to that familiar place, opening the familiar door.]

[Aside from the marks left by time, the interior remained unchanged.]

[On your sixtieth birthday, you received a letter.]



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