READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 39
The dislocated joints had been reset, but the swelling persisted, causing a dull, throbbing pain. Any slight adjustment in posture brought a stinging sensation from the bruises and cuts all over his body. The worst part was the fingers, now devoid of anesthesia, throbbing with acute pain.
Some of this pain was inflicted by the Kamiya shrine personnel at Genji’s request, and the rest was self-inflicted when he felt they weren’t harsh enough.
Genji had no time for self-pity; his mind was preoccupied with something else —
Airi, in the end, hadn’t been able to see him off. On the day of the school opening, Genji had to say goodbye to her in the lab, holding her hand.
Nagasaka kept apologizing, but Genji just shook his head: “It’s okay, regrets are a part of life. I’m thankful to you, Nagasaka. These days with Airi have been truly happy.”
After being forgiven, Nagasaka still looked downcast: “But I promised you and Shingo that I would wake her up soon. I’ve been working on it all night, but there’s no progress in the adjustments. Seems like I can’t just tweak the code; I need to start over, which will take a lot of effort…”
“Thank you for your hard work, Nagasaka. Sleeping isn’t bad; this way, Airi won’t know what I have to do next and won’t hear the rumors outside.”
Despite saying this, Genji still wished his fiancée could open her eyes.
He was deeply regretful: Why didn’t he stop her from practicing archery that day? If he had been a bit more assertive, even at the risk of upsetting Airi, it would have been better than the current situation.
Genji felt her fingers twitch as if to respond, but logic told him it was impossible since her energy core had been removed for adjustments.
“I’ll be waiting for you to welcome me back.”
He leaned down and gently kissed her cheek.
2.
An IV drip was supplying nutrients into Genji’s veins.
He hadn’t eaten properly in days and now had to rely on the IV for energy. Suddenly switching to a heavy diet would be too much for his stomach.
Genji, bored, watched the liquid drip down the IV tube, missing Airi’s cooking —
Pickled cucumber, fish roe kelp rolls, salt-grilled aobana fish, karaage chicken, chawanmushi, miso soup, salmon ochazuke, mixed natto…
He never felt homesick for Tokyo or Yokohama, but now, because of his fiancée and her food, he felt a strange sense of home in Kamiyamachi.
Ah, I kind of regret it. Maybe I should have listened to Minagawa-senpai and stayed by her side.
But it was too late for regrets. He had promised to do this; now wasn’t the time for second thoughts.
Since he had been deprived of sleep, he might as well sleep now. Maybe he could even dream of his fiancée’s cooking.
Just as Genji was about to drift off, a faint voice called out:
“Excuse me, may I come in?”
Although he couldn’t see through the curtain, Genji recognized the voice immediately.
“Is that you, Kasahara-san? Please, come in.”
The short-haired girl entered, carrying a small gift box. After permission, she opened the curtain.
“Sorry, I didn’t know what you liked, so I brought some comfort gifts. Please accept them.”
After placing the gifts down, Sana, somewhat embarrassed, explained:
“I’m not good at giving gifts, so don’t judge. I wanted to bring flowers, but was worried about allergies and infections. Fruit needs thorough washing, which isn’t practical for an unattended patient. Knowing you’ve been starving, I brought some dry confections from Endoki-kan. They last a month, so you can eat them once your stomach adjusts.”
Then she pulled several books from her bag.
“You’ll need to rest for a while and can’t go back to school, right? Someone asked me to bring you some textbooks and magazines for when you’re bored. You’re smart, Genji-san, so you can catch up on your own.”
Someone? Who? Is it the students sheltered by the Kasahara family, or…
Genji couldn’t quite grasp Kasahara-san’s position. After all, she joined the Godslayers organization, kidnapped Airi, and almost caused innocent people to lose their lives.
Not long ago, the shrine tried to arrange a meeting between her and her “missing” brother, but she didn’t respond. Was it because she was deeply brainwashed by the organization, or was there some untold difficulty?
Did Kasahara-san talk properly with Rin and others when she went to Endoki-kan to buy sweets?
Despite his doubts
, Genji still expressed his gratitude: “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
“The hospital allows only 15 minutes for visiting. I have to go, sorry. Be sure to read the books, or you’ll fall behind.”
After this odd advice and a meaningful glance, she left, pulling the curtain behind her.
Was she worried about surveillance in the room?
Genji covertly read a book and found a note inside: “I’m aware. Some things can’t be discussed in the hospital. You’re welcome to talk at Endoki-kan after recovery. Destroy after reading.”
Why Endoki-kan, not the Kasahara residence? Was the Kasahara residence no longer safe?
Thinking further, Genji realized the choice of Endoki-kan might be because Sana was familiar with the Endoki family, the surveillance equipment was cleared out, and it was a public place, making it difficult for “certain people” to act.
For now, he decided not to overthink it. Airi had said that Kasahara-san wasn’t a bad person, just a bit impulsive.
Genji followed the instructions, soaking the note in water, making the ink run. He pretended to take medication, then discreetly flushed the now illegible note down the sink.