章節 36: I will pay the price in your place
"She's physically weak due to the blood loss." The doctor informs him, "She's not in danger. But..."
"But?" Sei's heart is ready to jump out of his chest. She's going to be alright, right? It's his fault. He should have followed her right after he saw her go inside. No, he should have confronted her when she was lying to him about going to her sister's place.
"We saw a scar on her wrist." The doctor frowns at him. "The scar doesn't look old. Does she has a history of self-harm?"
He glances at Wakana. He has never seen her like this. She looks so pale. He can't imagine what could have happened to her. He lifts her wrist. Did she try to kill herself...
She didn't have the scar earlier when she removed that bracelet. He touches the scar. Does she heal fast? But, it's impossible to heal at this rate for a human.
The doctor leaves when Sei doesn't answer him. He has other patients to check upon. Sei takes a seat beside the bed and holds her hand. It's too cold for his liking. He kisses her fingers. "If you wake up soon, I will tell you that I love you."
Only after seeing her in danger, he has realized how stupid he was. He loves her. He should have realized it a long time ago. If he hadn't been an idiot, he would not have run away from his feelings for so long.
He strokes her head. "Idiot, I don't like seeing the blood of the people I love. But, you are a bad girl. Who told you to do it all alone? You could have told me even if I didn't believe you. I would have been gone with you."
She's sleeping. He leans closer to hear the sound of her breathing. He whispers to her. "I am sorry. Tell me your stories again. I will listen to them all day and night. I will try my best to believe you."
When Wakana opens her eyes again, she finds him sleeping beside her. She touches his hair. "Minami Kun?"
He sits up abruptly when he hears her weak voice. "You are awake."
"Where..." She looks at the ceiling. The familiar smell of disinfectant fills her nose. "Hospital."
"How are you feeling?" He helps her sit up.
"I have been better." She eyes him. "Did you save me from that demon?"
He blinks in confusion. Demon? Phantom artist? "I found you beneath a tree."
She doesn't remember going to a tree. She was lying on the floor. She looks at her wrist. The scar is there. "How long has it been?"
"It's been a few hours." Minami Sei answers her, "Wakana, what happened in the apartment?"
"At that apartment..." Her head is hurting. She grabs her hair. What's this feeling of missing something important? "Morita Aiko fooled me. She slit my wrist. She was going to let that demon..."
Her mouth becomes dry. Did that demon defile her? She can't tell. She turns her heard to Sei with fear in her eyes. "Minami Kun, was I... defiled by that demon? You don't have to lie to me. I want to know if my body has been soiled by that demon."
She doesn't know what she will do when she hears it. She already feels disgusted with herself. She can't forget the rotten feeling when that demon tore her clothes. She was so vulnerable and weak. She couldn't protect herself.
Minami Sei inhales sharply. She covers her face. Her shoulders are shaking. He wraps his arms around her. "When I found you, you were wearing someone's coat and muffler. The doctor examined your body thoroughly. They didn't find anything wrong other than the blood loss and the scar. I don't know who saved you, but that demon didn't get you."
"I thought that I was going to die." She weeps softly in his arms. "Minami Kun, I want these things to happen to me. I don't want to see the other world. I want to be a normal person. I will pay any price to become one."
She's saying these words to a man who doesn't believe her. Despite that fact, she can't help but cry in his arms. Perhaps, it's because he's the only one beside her at the moment. There's one other person who is watching them from afar, but she can't see or feel him. He lights the cigarette. The card changes to the lover again. He puffs out the smoke.
"If there's any way to turn you back to the way you were supposed to be..." The man mumbles, "I will pay the price in your place."
He's already paying the price for his brother's sins. He can't be with the person he loves. He has to watch her fall for someone else and there's nothing he can do.
He stares at the lover's card. "I guess that saving you is also my responsibility if I want her to see happy."
In the ward, Minami Sei sighs. "Stop crying."
She cries harder after hearing him.
"There's no demon here." He rubs her back to calm her down. "If you don't stop crying, I have to find a way to distract you."
She pushes him away. "I want to see my sisters. Why are you here?"
"Because I don't have their contact information." He wipes her face. "Look at you. Your eyes are red and swollen. You look like a ghost."
"Don't call me that." She lightly punches him in the stomach. "I am not a ghost. Even if I die, I won't become a ghost. I will find nirvana."
"If I die, I won't mind staying as a ghost if I can be with you a little while longer." He pinches her cheek. She scared him today. He will ask her the details after she becomes completely calm.
What did he say? "Minami Kun, you are saying vague things that I might misunderstand. You have a girlfriend."
"I don't," He replies with a steady gaze. "Yes, I lied. You told me that you had a boyfriend. So, I was jealous. I never dated anyone because there was someone who always occupied my mind and heart. That woman is sitting in front of me and blaming me for being vague. I don't know how straightforward can I be. I guess that I will just say the words."
Her mouth is wide open. He chuckles to see her bewildered expression. That's a new expression that she's showing him. He would love to see more.
"Nakashima Wakana, I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
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