I have a life simulator.

She raised her head as if unaware of how ambiguous her actions were, so close that Kitagawa Ryo could even see his own reflection through her pupils. Her voice, like lukewarm syrup, slowly seeped into Kitagawa Ryo's ears, and for a moment, Kitagawa Ryo felt that this was a tenderness she would only show to him.

As if looking at a different person, Kitagawa Ryo clearly realized that he had once again been moved by Ichinose Honami.

It's always the same. Just when she's about to make up her mind, she compromises because she sees her. Ichinose Honami doesn't need any guarantees. As long as she stands in front of Kitagawa Ryo, Kitagawa Ryo won't leave her.

"It's nothing now, just a cold."

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head, a gesture that made him look like a spoiled child.

Honami Ichinose moved even closer, her forehead gently touching Ryo Kitagawa's. Strands of her soft hair brushed against their faces, creating a slightly ticklish sensation. She whispered in Ryo Kitagawa's ear:

"It seems the fever has subsided."

Karuizawa Kei stood at the other end of the room. Although only a few minutes had passed, it felt as if a dozen years had flowed by between the two people whose bodies were almost touching. This sense of weight created by time was like an indestructible city wall, and memories were like bricks, building the two people inside the walled city.

Karuizawa Kei's tears are worthless; she has shed countless tears during the days of bullying. Unfortunately, her tears are no match for the bucket of water poured over her head. But she is good at crying, which at least proves that she is still afraid and fearful. People who are not afraid and fearful will only be treated more brutally.

But now she felt that tears were the most precious thing in the world, as if each drop flowing from her body would take away a part of her life force. So she stood there, pursing her lips until they turned white, shrinking the corners of her eyes, trying her best not to let those crystal-clear tears fall.

"My birthday is the day after tomorrow."

As if only then realizing this, Honami Ichinose removed her right hand from Kitagawa Ryo's hand, extended her index finger, and placed it against Kitagawa Ryo's lips, silencing him before he could speak.

"Then I'll make my birthday wish in advance. I hope Liang can get better soon."

"How about we go see the fireworks display then?"

Kitagawa Ryo felt as if he had been completely outmaneuvered by the other party, like a butterfly caught in a spider web. He could only nod and say yes.

"Since Ryo is alright, I'll head back now. Mom will worry if I go home too late tonight, and I still need to tell Maki about your current situation."

Hearing Kitagawa Ryo's promise, Ichinose Honami stood up. She hadn't let go of your hand yet; she bowed slightly, her smile as always.

"It's a date."

Her thumb pressed against Kitagawa Ryo's thumb, as if stamping her seal on a document.

"Fan Bo."

Kitagawa Ryo called out to her as she let go of his hand to leave. A sense of danger lingered in his heart, like a shipwreck sinking to the deepest seabed. Even though the fresh scent of green citrus still lingered in his nostrils, he could still smell the danger. He realized that Ichinose Honami's condition was definitely not as unaffected as she appeared.

"...I'll have Mr. Izaki take you home."

He ultimately didn't intend to ask any questions. Kitagawa Ryo thought that she could finally lie without batting an eye. It had only been a few days since her last visit to the park, and her acting skills as an actress had improved at an astonishing pace.

"No need, it's not that far anyway, and the rain has subsided a bit, so it's better for Mr. Izaki to stay here and take care of you."

Honami Ichinose, who had stopped walking, started moving again, without even intending to say another word to Megumi Karuizawa.

Don't forget your umbrella.

"How could I possibly forget? Trust my memory, okay?"

After making that joking remark, Honami Ichinose left the hospital room.

After Ichinose Honami had been gone for quite some time, Kitagawa Ryo remained quietly half-lying there, neither closing his eyes nor speaking. The television had finished its evening news and was now showing a family drama—a story about a wife and her mistress, with the two pulling and slapping each other. Karuizawa Megumi went over and turned off the television.

The apple that had been cut earlier had started to oxidize and turn red, so Karuizawa Megumi started peeling a new apple. As if she had found something to do, she busied herself borrowing plates and toothpicks. In the end, what was presented to Kitagawa Ryo was a plate of fruit slices that had been cut fairly neatly.

"Would you like some, senior?"

Kitagawa Ryo would certainly not refuse the girl's efforts over the past twenty minutes. He used his left hand to pick up a toothpick and stick it into pieces of fruit, putting them into his mouth one by one as if completing some kind of mechanical task, chewing and swallowing.

"You've worked hard, Hui, aren't you planning to go back?"

After finishing the entire plate of apples, Kitagawa Ryo finally revealed his usual sunny smile, and he yawned in a mock manner:

"It's already very late."

In fact, the clock's markings only just past eight o'clock.

"I told my family I would be home late."

Karuizawa Kei took the plate somewhat nervously, her careful manner resembling that of a newborn animal cub. Although she and Ichinose Honami both had bright blue eyes, the look in her eyes was never the same as hers; they were never meant to be the same people.

Kitagawa Ryo just stared at Karuizawa Kei, and he felt as if his shadow had miraculously overlapped with the girl's shadow. He suddenly realized that the sincere and admiring feelings Karuizawa Kei held for her were the same feelings he had for Ichinose Honami back then, and even the result was the same: hopelessness.

If two people can truly find happiness together, they should be equal from the start, at least for each other. For the first sixteen years of his life, he held this view on love. He was like a child like her, playing with the same toys, eating the same cheap popsicles, and raising a cat he picked up from outside. But it was no use; he still failed to confess his feelings.

But now, he has been pushed into the same position that Ichinose Honami was in back then, becoming the dominant party in the relationship.

"Can we go for a walk together?"

Kitagawa Ryo couldn't even decide for a moment whether to address the girl in front of him as "Karuizawa-kun" or "Megumi." He abandoned the form of address, as if saying it would be a betrayal of someone.

"Yeah, but just take a short walk around the hospital, it's still raining outside."

Karuizawa Kei agreed without hesitation. She took the IV bag off the body, moved it to a portable IV stand, found a pair of cotton shoes for Kitagawa Ryo to wear, and walked side by side with him.

There wasn't much to see in the hospital at night. Apart from the doctors in white coats and the nurses coming and going, the area, which consisted of luxurious wards, had surprisingly spacious corridors. Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Megumi wandered around for quite a while before finally passing through a courtyard and entering another building.

Unlike the more spacious area over there, here even the corridors were lined with a row of blue chairs for patients to receive IV drips, and the flow of people suddenly increased. Various shouts mixed with the high-pitched voices of children made Kitagawa Ryo's previously drowsy mind suddenly perk up again. It was only then that you noticed that your left hand had been tightly held by Karuizawa Megumi without you even realizing it.

"It's better to hold hands, there are quite a lot of people here."

Karuizawa Kei was like a solemn guardian, firmly protecting Kitagawa Ryo behind her, even though she was much shorter than the patient behind her.

"Would you like to sit down for a while, senior? It seems Mr. Izaki bought you some hot cocoa. I'll go get it for you."

Upon receiving the message on her phone, Karuizawa Megumi looked around, found a corner in the corridor for Kitagawa Ryo, secured the frame, and then jogged away.

She returned very quickly; Kitagawa Ryo felt it was less than three minutes before Karuizawa Megumi came back with two steaming cups of cocoa.

"I was worried that your mouth might not taste good right now, so I added extra sugar cubes!"

She handed the cup in her right hand to Kitagawa Ryo. Karuizawa Megumi had already inserted a straw for Kitagawa Ryo before she came over. Just as she was about to insert a straw into her own cup of cocoa, a child running in the corridor suddenly bumped into her right hand.

So the unopened cup of cocoa fell to the ground. Fortunately, the packaging was intact, and the liquid inside did not splash out, but only gushed out after it fell.

"Please keep an eye on the children; there are also patients who need to rest in the corridor."

Karuizawa Kei frowned and called out to the child, but no one seemed inclined to apologize. She could only sigh and go to the nurse to borrow a broom and mop to clean up the marks on the floor.

A woman holding a child receiving an IV drip came over to comfort her:

"It's a miracle no one got burned, otherwise I might have had to ask you for compensation."

"Hmph, that's his fault too. Anyway, there are surveillance cameras everywhere in the hospital."

After Karuizawa finished speaking, she returned to Kitagawa Ryo's side and said:

"It's alright, it's alright. If I want to drink it, I'll go out and buy some later. You drink it first."

Kitagawa Ryo hadn't really intended to drink cocoa, and before he'd even had a chance to take a sip, he was about to hand his cup to Karuizawa Megumi.

"What's wrong with young couples sharing a drink?"

The woman overheard their conversation and laughed as she spoke.

"We're not in that kind of relationship yet, but I guess it counts?"

Karuizawa Kei blushed instantly and quickly waved her hand in denial.

"Hey, anyway, you kids have been hiding like this lately. Dating isn't anything shameful."

Having found a topic of conversation, the woman began to talk incessantly about her love history, which inadvertently attracted the attention of the bored Karuizawa Megumi and Kitagawa Ryo.

"Goodbye."

It took a full half hour for the woman to finish her story. Just then, the baby in her arms finished its IV drip, and Karuizawa Kei said goodbye to the woman as she got up.

As Karuizawa was speaking, she noticed that Kitagawa Ryo, who was sitting next to her, had rested his head on her shoulder. As if he had noticed her move, he moved closer to her.

"You feel cold when you're getting an IV drip, and you might even shiver."

The woman handed the small blanket that had been covering her daughter to Karuizawa Megumi:

"You weren't originally getting your IVs in the hallway, were you? This is what the nurse gave out at the beginning. Let him wear it; the air conditioning is so strong."

Karuizawa Megumi thanked her and accepted the gift. She should have taken the sleeping Kitagawa Ryo back to his ward, but for some inexplicable reason, she wanted to stay a little longer.

She wrapped him and herself in the blanket.

Half a cocoa was left on the chair next to her. Karuizawa took a sip through the straw. It was cold, but still very sweet.

After a while, Karuizawa Megumi saw Mr. Izaki return with the large black umbrella. Judging from his somewhat speechless look, Ichinose Honami seemed to have really forgotten to take the umbrella. If no one had come to pick her up, she might have gone home in the rain.

Mr. Izaki seemed to want to tell Kitagawa Ryo about this, but he saw Karuizawa Megumi put a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, and she gave him a disapproving look:

"Hey, he's asleep."

"Don't wake him up."

Chapter Nineteen: Fireworks Fade Easily (Part Three)

Kitagawa Ryo felt as if he were in a warm nest, like snuggling up in a cozy kotatsu in winter. He always craved the unique tranquility and sluggishness of the kotatsu. Even peeling an orange seemed to be done slowly. Time in the kotatsu was still and independent, like a segment cut off from the long river of time.

He nudged in a little further. At this moment, Kitagawa Ryo's heart was as quiet as an abandoned manor that had been abandoned for many years. There were no human voices or traces of people. The lush plants grew and died on their own, and time flowed slowly along the veins of the leaves.

A tremendous sense of freedom and security enveloped Kitagawa Ryo. In this vast, empty, and comfortable illusion, he could think of anything or nothing at all. But as soon as he lay there, the memories piled up in his heart unfolded like layers of oil paper, and after reading them, he would put them back in, layer by layer, like a farmer turning over his wheat to dry, with a faint sense of satisfaction.

Karuizawa Kei stroked Kitagawa Ryo's forehead with her hand, looking at his peaceful sleeping face like a child. For some reason, she moved her face closer and looked at him little by little, starting from his eyebrows and eyes.

Although we knew that Kitagawa Ryo was very handsome, upon closer inspection, we were still amazed by the boy's appearance.

The hospital bed was large; even though Kitagawa Ryo was lying in the middle, there was still plenty of space on both sides. Karuizawa Kei slowly lay down on her side at the very edge, about twenty centimeters away from Kitagawa Ryo, but she didn't seem inclined to get any closer.

Karuizawa Kei quietly closed her eyes and adjusted her breathing to the same rhythm as the boy.

That's it.

It was 10 p.m.

Meanwhile, Honami Ichinose had just finished another argument with her mother. She dragged herself back to her room and collapsed onto the bed. Her mind seemed empty, yet also too full. A strange feeling welled up from the bottom of her heart and got stuck in her throat, unable to be spat out or swallowed. She tossed and turned restlessly on the bed like a fish. There was no moonlight outside the window; it was all dark. Honami Ichinose resignedly pulled the covers over her head.

Half an hour later, Honami Ichinose realized she had insomnia. She got out of bed, quietly opened the bedroom door, and then carefully opened the front door.

When she felt uneasy, she would go to "his" room, or rather, the front room.

Using the spare key to open the door, I stepped into the quiet room where no one was making a sound. Ichinose Honami was lying on the cold, hard floor.

Looking up at the low ceiling, I curled up my arms and legs, letting my consciousness slowly drift into sleep.

This behavior is completely meaningless, because after Kitagawa Ryo moved away, the house where he lived was completely empty, with no furniture left behind.

As far as home furnishings go, this room was absolutely terrible. There were no blankets, no sheets, and no pillows. Apart from the advantage of being inside a house, it seemed no different from sleeping outdoors, although she did come to clean it often, so it wasn't too dirty.

It looks nothing like sleeping in a bed at home. In fairy tales, princesses might toss and turn over because of a single pea under a hundred layers of bedding. Most people probably can't imagine a girl sleeping on such a cold, hard floor.

But for Honami Ichinose, it was simply because this place used to be Ryo Kitagawa's room.

But even so... if she was attracted to his scent, why didn't she just stay at the hospital? She clearly had the right to do so.

You should know that sleeping here is by no means comfortable. I remember the first morning I woke up here, my whole body felt like it was falling apart and ached.

Because...why?

Honami Ichinose couldn't find the answer.

This feeling has been born since that time.

When I went out, I saw him and Karuizawa Kei holding hands in a coffee shop, or rather, in an ambiguous scene with their fingers intertwined.

No, perhaps even earlier.

It probably started when she first learned that Kitagawa Ryo had accepted someone else's confession. Even though it was a "fake love" that she knew all too well, she still couldn't help but show off her knowledge of him to Karuizawa Megumi that day, something that would have been unimaginable in the past.

When the emotions conveyed by his gaze seeped into her body, when his lips touched the other end of the straw that had drawn a heart, perhaps it had already changed Ichinose Honami's perception of something, as if someone had invaded her territory.

Since then, the impulse deep in my chest has never disappeared.

Whether I'm sleeping or eating, this feeling always fills my chest, and it gets stronger every day.

However, Honami Ichinose did not yet know the name of that impulse.

A powerful, nameless force, like a magnet, propelled all her thoughts and actions in the same direction.

In this empty room, there was only the girl sleeping quietly, and a neatly stacked pile of origami cranes in the corner.

It was folded by Honami Ichinose a few days ago when she learned that Ryo Kitagawa was going abroad, and she planned to give it to him on the day of his departure.

The current number is... 698.

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The next morning, Kitagawa Ryo felt much better than the day before. He remembered Ichinose Honami's birthday wish from the previous night, which made him want to be discharged from the hospital before Honami's birthday the next day.