The Heroines All Regretted It

"Ugh, so bitter!"

Deciding to just get it over with, Yoru downed the entire bowl in one go and sighed in relief.

But the bitter taste climbed up his throat the next second, and he almost threw up.

Quickly, he covered his mouth and handed the bowl back to Nanami with his other hand.

She accepted the bowl, looking at Yoru and suddenly thinking of Sorata.

'Was that guy pretending to be my boyfriend... Sorata?'

'What's wrong with him?'

'How annoying...'

Frustrated by the thought, Nanami turned to leave.

Yoru stood by the door for a while before finally suppressing the bitterness and closing it.

Dragging his sick body back to bed, he dove into the warm covers.

Homework, training, whatever... forget it.

He didn't even have the strength to stand properly.

Closing his eyes, the warmth of the medicine spread through his stomach. Yoru tried hard to fall asleep.

But his nose was stuffed. His head burned. He kept coughing.

He couldn't fall asleep.

It wasn't until the early morning—around 3 or 4 AM—that he finally slipped into a shallow sleep.

And he didn't wake until the afternoon the next day.

When he opened his eyes, his whole body was sore and weak. He just wanted to stay in bed forever.

But his parched throat felt like it was cut by knives, forcing him to get up for water.

There was a thermos cup on the bedside table. Yoru didn't even care how old the water inside was.

His hand trembled slightly as he unscrewed the lid and took small sips. His throat felt a bit soothed, slightly more comfortable.

"I'm... sick... cough..."

He lifted the blanket, sat up on the bed, and muttered before starting to cough again.

Touching his burning forehead, Yoru sat still for a while, then leaned against the wall and stood up.

After just a few steps, dizziness hit him. It was hard to say if it was because of the fever, high blood pressure, or having not eaten.

Any of those could be contributing.

His legs gave out, the room spun, and his vision blurred. He slumped to the floor and stayed there for several minutes before finally managing to get up again and head to the kitchen.

He grabbed some instant food and milk, forcing something into his stomach to regain a bit of strength before leaving the kitchen.

"Meow meow~"

"Meow~"

A hungry San-san ran to his feet, rubbing affectionately against him while looking up at Yoru, clearly sensing something was wrong.

"You too, huh…"

Yoru held his forehead and smiled bitterly.

Then, he poured some cat food and water for San-san, ordered takeout, and bought some fever medicine.

He had no choice. He felt awful.

After eating the takeout and taking the medicine, Yoru crawled back under the covers and stayed there until evening.

He couldn't sleep, but he did feel better. That's when he remembered what really mattered.

Eriri!

Yoru narrowed his eyes, muttering her name over and over. His expression grew twisted, and his blood pressure spiked.

At this rate, he worried he might pass out from hypertension.

Back in middle school, when he was even fatter, he'd been hospitalized for ten days because of it.

"A diplomat's daughter…"

Yoru forced himself not to think about Eriri and picked up his phone from the bedside table. He intended to check the news.

But his fingers moved on their own and searched up Eriri's father instead.

One of the top results showed the diplomat and his wife on a visit to the Kansai region.

After all, in Japan, diplomats represented the British Empire, and such official trips were unavoidable.

"So that means Sawamura is home alone?"

Still holding on to a sliver of hope, Yoru began trying different ways to search for her home address.

Nothing came up...

He wasn't too surprised. After all, that kind of information was private, especially for a diplomat.

Another day passed. It was Sunday.

Yoru woke up fairly early. The first thing he did was check his forehead. Still warm.

Slightly better than yesterday.

He made a simple breakfast for himself, ate, did some homework, and forced himself to read a bit, all while coughing and blowing his nose.

He didn't dare take too much cold or fever medicine—he was too overweight. Even though the instructions said three times a day, he only took it twice.

"Cough… hiss…"

"If it still doesn't get better in two days, I'll go see a doctor…"

Muttering to himself, Yoru quickly swallowed his medicine and took a warm bath.

He was more anxious than anyone. His precious time was being wasted on this illness.

Just thinking about the two mountains of pressure on his chest made him irritable.

Monday.

Yoru wasn't feeling much better.

Still coughing, runny nose, low-grade fever, body aching.

But he got up early—very early.

He couldn't wait. He had to find Eriri and confront her!

The storm had passed, and the warm sunlight shone down on him.

"You sure you're okay? You still look sick. Want to take the day off?"

Gabriel looked at Yoru with concern.

He didn't want to talk and just shook his head slowly.

After they parted, Yoru headed straight to the classroom building, walking with a bit more spring in his step.

At that moment—

Eriri was sitting by the window, chatting with a few girls at the desks around her.

Yoru suddenly appeared at the window, startling them all.

"Sawamura! Tell me… why didn't you bring back my umbrella?!"

Yoru was panting, his voice breaking from the strain, almost gasping for breath.

But anyone could hear the suppressed rage in his voice. Something was off.

Like a bomber plane carrying a nuclear payload…

"You…"

Eriri snapped out of it, glancing nervously between Yoru and the other girls.

She didn't want anyone to know she had borrowed an umbrella from him.

Borrowing from a gross fat otaku—how humiliating would that be?

She always maintained a cold, flawless image at school. She didn't even entertain Tomoya, someone she actually liked. So why would she be seen acknowledging someone like him?

After Yoru finished speaking, he didn't say another word. He bit his lip and stared daggers at her.

"What's the rush? It's just an umbrella. Go away already…"

Eriri acted indifferent and waved her hand at Yoru as if shooing away a fly.

She didn't know that Yoru hadn't come for the umbrella.

She just wanted him gone.

"…Just an umbrella?!"

Yoru nearly exploded. His bloodshot eyes were filled with rage.

Because he lacked that one umbrella, he suffered so much. He was still burning with fever!

It was unbearable!

"Why are you making such a big deal?"

Eriri puffed out her chest and looked at her bag.

She had brought both the umbrella and the money.

But in front of the whole class, giving money to this otaku? No way.

She just couldn't do it...

"Do you know how I got home without an umbrella?"

Yoru couldn't contain his anger anymore and reached out toward Eriri.

Eriri, her nerves already taut, dodged quickly and stood up.

Her sudden movement drew the attention of everyone in class.

"Huh? What's going on?"

"Isn't that the fat creep from the other class?"

"Why did he pull his hand back?"

"Is he harassing Eriri?"

Whispers spread through the classroom.

Feeling all eyes on him, Yoru pulled his hand back.

Too many people...

"Eriri, what's going on? Why's he bothering you? What's this about an umbrella?"

One of the girls talking to Eriri asked curiously.

"It's… it's nothing, just an umbrella…"

Eriri cursed under her breath. Why hadn't this creep left yet? What was he trying to do?

But on the surface, she kept up the act. No one could tell.

Everyone ignored the umbrella after that.

Yoru stood at the window, forcing himself to calm down.

He could feel his blood pressure spiking. His heart was pounding out of his chest.

Too many people right now. He'd wait until after school when fewer people were around.

Seeing how everyone was glaring at Yoru, Eriri's courage suddenly grew. Afraid people might think she had something to do with him, she put on a disgusted expression and snapped:

"Hey, get away from me already! Don't come near me! You're disgusting!"

And she meant some of it, too.

"Sure, I didn't come back, but didn't the rain turn into a drizzle later?"

"Was that really such a big deal?"

Eriri muttered to herself, annoyed that Yoru came looking for her.

She was scared of losing face.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to harass her? If you don't leave, I'm telling the teacher…"

"Stay away from Eriri!"

The other girls who had been talking to Eriri also stepped in, trying to drive Yoru away.

The boys in the class were also glaring at him.

Yoru clenched his fists. He'd get her after school. He gave Eriri one last cold glance before walking off.

"Eriri, how could you be connected to that disgusting fat creep?"

"I've got nothing to do with him! He's just some gross fatty. Just seeing him makes me sick~"

…

Yoru had only walked a few steps when he heard Eriri's voice again, full of disdain.

This time, he had proof.

He wasn't letting Eriri off.

She was the one responsible for everything he'd suffered.

She had deceived him, showed no remorse, and even continued insulting him, calling him a disgusting fat otaku...

Enraged, Yoru entered the classroom through the back door.

Just like usual, he put down his schoolbag.

Yumiko glanced at him sideways, a strange chill creeping up her back. Yoru's presence today was terrifying—more intense than the day in the alleyway.

All day long, Yoru was in an awful mood. He kept coughing and his nose was stuffy. Whenever he stood up, he felt dizzy. He didn't pay attention in class at all.

Every break, he just lay on his desk and didn't move.

He waited until school was over in the afternoon. He was the first to dash out the back door to find Eriri.

"Where is she?"

The classrooms were only separated by a wall. As soon as he stepped out, he saw that Eriri's classroom was already locked. Not a single person inside.

"P.E. class?"

He paused for a moment and then realized it might be P.E. class.

Quickly grabbing his bag, he rushed downstairs.

He was feeling anxious and uneasy, afraid he might miss her again.

Once P.E. ended, the students often went home directly. Sometimes they were even dismissed five or ten minutes early.

Yoru ran down from the classroom building, heading straight to the club complex.

If Eriri had gone to her club, he could intercept her there.

He was early and fast. He even knew where the art club was located.

He had seen it before while looking for cardboard to shield himself from the rain.

He dashed all the way.

When he reached the second-floor stairwell landing, Yoru had to lean against the wall. A wave of dizziness hit him hard and he nearly fell. He could barely breathe.

"Cough cough… cough cough…"

After a violent fit of coughing, he touched his burning forehead. Still running a low-grade fever.

Clenching his teeth, he continued upward.

He was really early.

The art club hadn't even opened yet.

Yoru stood on that floor, waiting for Eriri to arrive.

Several minutes later—

Yukino and Yui came up and saw Yoru leaning against the railing, letting the wind blow past him.

"Kitakami-kun," Yui greeted in surprise.

"Huh? Oh, it's you guys." Yoru had been deep in thought and got startled.

"You don't look too well. If you're sick, there's no need to come to the Service Club," Yukino said flatly.

"Yeah, yeah, did you catch a cold?" Yui added, nodding.

"…Got it," Yoru replied quietly. He planned to deal with Eriri first before heading to the club.

After that, Yukino and Yui left.

Yoru continued waiting a few more minutes. The breeze brushed past him as he stood there, fists clenched tightly.

He had mentally prepared himself. Eriri must have left early after P.E. and didn't come to the art club.

"Tomorrow… I'll get here early and wait for her at the school gate."

Yoru coughed all the way down the stairs, leaning against the walls, dragging his sick, exhausted body home.

Meanwhile—

Near Shuchiin's soccer field.

Nanami had tracked down Sorata, who had come to attend his club activities.

"Aoyama-san…"

Sorata swallowed nervously as he looked at the beautiful girl he secretly had a crush on.

Aoyama-san came to find me?

Did she realize she was wrong, realize how bad that fat otaku is?

Good thing I didn't give up…

Sorata fantasized happily.

But the next second, Nanami's face turned cold. Her expression burned with anger as she spoke.

She called out his full name harshly—not friendly at all. In fact, it was clearly full of disgust.

"Kanda Sorata, you went around saying you were my boyfriend?"

"You told Kitakami-kun that you were my boyfriend and told him to stay away from me?"

"…!"

Thump.

A jolt ran through Sorata. His fantasy was shattered, his face full of disbelief.

What hurt most was that the girl he liked was standing up for that fat otaku, and she was upset with him—calling him by name, not even politely.

"Kanda Sorata, didn't you hear what I just asked you?"

Nanami was trembling with anger, trying to contain her fury.

"Aoyama-san… please, let me explain…"

Sorata's face turned pale.

"Just answer the question!"

Nanami narrowed her eyes and stared directly at him.

She had once thought he was a good classmate, someone who could become a friend.

The first misunderstanding she let slide. He had said a lot of awful things about Yoru and misled her, which made her wary.

The second time, even after she explained the truth, he still didn't believe it and kept attacking her friend. He imposed his own assumptions onto her and even tried to intimidate her before leaving.

She thought that would be the end of it.

But then, he had the nerve to pretend to be her boyfriend and say those things to Yoru…

This crossed her bottom line.

"Yes! It was me!"

Sorata was stunned by the questions and blurted it out.

He didn't understand why Nanami was reacting so harshly.

And why did he admit it so easily?

"Why did you say that? Why pretend to be my boyfriend?"

Nanami's chest rose and fell. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"I did it for your sake!"

"That fat otaku… he's disgusting!"

Sorata pounded his chest, trying to sound passionate.

"Shut up!"

Before he could finish, Nanami snapped at him, raising her eyebrows in fury.

There he goes insulting her friend again.

"I…"

Sorata looked like he had just swallowed something rotten.

"I'll say it one last time. Kitakami-kun is a good person. None of the things you're imagining are true. Don't insult my friend or say things about him behind his back."

"And you and I have nothing to do with each other. I don't need your useless concern. What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Nanami kept speaking, and by the end, she was so angry she let out a bitter laugh.

"I… I did it for you!"

"I like you, Aoyama-san!"

Sorata's brain had turned to mush, and he blurted it out in panic.

Suddenly, the air froze.

Three black lines practically appeared on Nanami's forehead as she gave him a disgusted look.

"You're the disgusting one, Kanda Sorata. Take your so-called 'feelings' and shove them. You make me want to puke."

"Ugh!"

As if to drive it home, she even mimed gagging. Then she shot him one last repulsed glance before turning and walking away.

Claiming to like someone and using that as an excuse to fake being their boyfriend—revolting.

Sorata stood frozen, her final words echoing in his ears like a curse.

And each word crushed his heart a little more…

After she was gone, Sorata drifted aimlessly toward the school gate, still unwilling to give up, still looking for Nanami.

At the gate, he spotted her.

She had run into Yoru.

"Kitakami-kun, are you still not better?"

"Cough… not yet…"

Yoru turned around, coughing as he answered.

"If you're still not better by tomorrow, go to the hospital," Nanami said softly.

…

After parting with Nanami, Yoru returned home.

He made a simple meal, took his meds, played with Sansan a little, handled a few chores, then lay back down to rest.

Still coughing, still congested, still running a low fever. Even his chest felt tight from time to time.

After a long night—

He got up and touched his forehead. Still the same as yesterday.

The fever hadn't gone down. His chest felt a little worse.

He didn't think much of it. He'd go to the hospital after school if it persisted.

His health had never been good. His immune system was weaker than normal.

He made breakfast, then sent a message to Gabriel, letting her know he had something to do and was heading out early.

After eating, taking his medicine, cleaning San-san's litter box, and refilling her food and water, Yoru took out the trash and headed for school.

It was still before 7:00 AM.

Yoru took the bus and arrived near the school gate around 7:30.

At that time, it was still quite early.

There were only a few students scattered along the way.

"Cough... cough..."

Yoru sniffled and took a sip of warm water from his thermos.

He quietly waited for Eriri to arrive.

After ten or so minutes, more students began to appear on the road.

Yoru endured his discomfort, trying to stand in the sunlight to stay warm, squinting as he carefully scanned the passing students.

Before long, a flash of dazzling blonde caught his eye.

"Finally... cough... she's here..."

Coughing, Yoru quickly walked toward Eriri.

Eriri also spotted the conspicuous Yoru right away. She reached into her bag to make sure the umbrella and a stack of cash were still there, then nervously looked around.

She didn't want anyone seeing her talking to a disgusting fat otaku like Yoru.

"Eriri Sawamura..."

Yoru walked over and called her full name.

"What are you yelling for? Come with me."

Eriri was startled, then angrily glared at Yoru.

"Heh~ Yelling?"

Yoru gave a cold chuckle, his expression growing darker.

"What do you want?"

Eriri's eyelid twitched. Something felt off.

Yoru was clearly acting strange.

"What do you think, Eriri? I'm like this because of you!"

Yoru's face twisted with fury.

"Hah, you..."

"What are you trying to do?"

"I brought the money and the umbrella. Take them and stay the hell away from me you..!"

Eriri flinched, almost blurting something out, then quickly changed her words.

"Stay away from you? Do you know what I went through going home without an umbrella?"

Yoru's lips curled into a sneer, his voice burning with rage.

"So what, you got a little wet. I'll give you more money to make up for it, okay?"

Eriri lifted her chin, her face full of indifference and a touch of reluctance in her eyes.

"Enough already, I don't want anyone to see me talking to you..."

She waved her hand dismissively, completely different from the pitiful tone she had when borrowing the umbrella.

That look pushed Yoru over the edge. He lashed out with a big hand, reaching toward Eriri.

He admitted, it was impulsive.

But Eriri had been having nightmares because of him. She was on guard.

Yoru was fat, sluggish, and sick. Eriri easily dodged.

...

"What... do you think you're doing?"

Eriri backed up several steps, glaring at Yoru in shock.

"What? I feel like beating you up would finally make me feel better!"

"Looking at that smug face of yours makes me sick, you damn bitch..."

Yoru gasped for air, his breathing ragged.

"You bastard, disgusting. It's just—"

Eriri snapped back at him, about to finish her sentence.

It was just a missing umbrella, right?

But halfway through, she suddenly stopped.

"You damn bitch!" Yoru shouted again.

"You're disgusting! Get away from me, you fat freak..."

Eriri fired back quickly, then ran away in fear.

She didn't understand at all—was it really that serious?

It was just some light rain, a drizzle. Was it really worth this?

She even said she would pay him back!

And now he showed up again, trying to attack her?

Yoru didn't chase after her.

He knew he couldn't catch up.

He clenched his fists and swung them furiously. His chest felt tight, his breathing labored, and his blood pressure skyrocketed.

His head was spinning, and he felt awful.

After standing still to rest for a while, Yoru still didn't feel better. He quickly found a roadside concrete pillar, gently touched it to steady himself, and slowly sat down.

Meanwhile, his other hand was busy checking his forehead, patting his chest—it was hard to breathe.

His breathing was labored. He felt like he was about to pass out.

At that moment, Yoru realized he had let his emotions get the better of him. He was sick, had high blood pressure, and now felt dizzy...

He finally sat down, holding his head, lightly swaying and pinching his philtrum.

The sudden discomfort made him anxious.

From a distance—

Fujiwara Chika, on her way to school, noticed everything. She recognized Yoru and saw something wasn't right.

"Isn't that Kitakami-kun… that guy…"

"He doesn't look too good…"

As the student council secretary, Fujiwara was well-informed.

She hesitated, unsure of what to do, and kept watching Yoru from afar.

A few students passed by during that time, but they only gave curious glances and moved on.

"Ahh…"

Fujiwara finally couldn't hold back and quickly walked over.

Yoru, feeling dizzy, tried to drink some water to ease the feeling, but his trembling hands dropped the lid at Fujiwara's feet.

"Are you okay?" Fujiwara picked up the lid and cautiously handed it back.

Yoru's vision was blurry. He looked up with difficulty, the discomfort too strong to recognize her at first.

"Let me help."

After checking his condition, Fujiwara decisively took the thermos and poured a lid-full of water, feeding it to him.

"How are you? Do you need an ambulance?"

She kept asking while helping him drink.

"Cough… cough…"

"Yes…"

Yoru coughed the water back out and gave a weak nod.

Severe hypertension could be fatal!

"Okay, just wait a bit."

Fujiwara, hearing that he needed an ambulance, fumbled for her phone and dialed the nearby hospital's number.

"Th-thank you…"

Yoru finally recognized her.

"How bad is it?" Fujiwara quickly gave the address over the phone and asked again.

"Tell the doctor to bring antihypertensive meds…"

Yoru held back his dizziness and responded.

"Don't worry, it'll be okay…"

Fujiwara, seeing that he still hadn't improved, kept reassuring him while nervously talking on the phone.

She didn't dare take her eyes off him.

Once the call ended, she looked at Yoru, whose breathing was still shallow.

She wanted to pat his chest to help but pulled her hand back halfway. You couldn't just touch a patient.

Given Yoru's condition, she didn't dare leave either.

She could only stay beside him, constantly offering words of encouragement, telling him to hang in there and that the ambulance was on the way…

Yoru was almost unconscious by this point. He had no energy to think about Fujiwara.

The ambulance arrived quickly—within ten minutes.

Fujiwara watched the medical staff load Yoru into the vehicle.

He was all alone. What if something happened?

She didn't hesitate and got on too.

"Antihypertensive meds, IV, oral meds, oxygen…"

Lying in the ambulance, Yoru rattled off a list fluently.

The doctors sprang into action.

After the injections and oxygen were administered, Yoru finally felt some relief.

"What happened to you, kid?"

The doctor asked.

"Emotional agitation… history of hypertension… fever, cold, labored breathing…"

Yoru slowly explained, then turned his head to look at Fujiwara.

The pink-haired student council secretary with a black butterfly ribbon in her bangs.

"Thank you…"

Yoru said weakly.

"Ah… don't mention it…"

Fujiwara was momentarily at a loss, waving her hand awkwardly.

Soon, the ambulance arrived at the hospital.

Several nurses wheeled Yoru into the emergency room.

There was a free healthcare policy—completely free.

Fujiwara stayed by his side.

The emergency doctor came to ask about his medical history and cause of symptoms.

Then came blood tests, chest X-rays, CT scans, urine tests...

Fujiwara stayed busy the whole time—fetching films, running between departments, bringing water...

After all, since she was already there, she couldn't just walk away.

It lasted until noon.

In a general ward.

Yoru lay in bed, weak, breathing in the unpleasant smell of disinfectant, waiting for the doctor to arrive.

"Um... Kitakami-kun, since you've contacted your family, I'll get going now?"

Fujiwara handed him a cup of warm water and placed it by the bedside.

"Thanks, Fujiwara-san..."

Yoru had been watching her run around for him the whole time and was deeply grateful.

...

Just then, a cardiovascular doctor walked in.

She held a medical file in one hand and a bunch of scan results and test reports in the other.

"It's okay, just rest. Don't be nervous."

The doctor was a woman in her fifties, speaking gently.

Yoru nodded quietly, watching her.

Fujiwara sat nearby, listening attentively.

"You've caught a cold and have had a persistent low-grade fever. You're significantly overweight, have a history of high blood pressure, and are emotionally unstable..."

"That caused your blood pressure to spike, but once it settles, you'll be fine."

"However, you have mild inflammation in your heart—likely caused by low immunity due to the cold and fever. There's also a slight issue with the left atrial narrowing..."

The doctor flipped through the file calmly as she explained.

Nearby, Fujiwara sat upright, her face turning pale.

The heart? That sounded serious! So scary...

Even though she was healthy, she couldn't help but tremble.

"I already knew about the left atrium. Isn't that something I didn't need to worry about?"

Yoru was fairly familiar with his condition and didn't seem particularly alarmed.

"That was before. Now, with your high blood pressure, we recommend surgery—a minimally invasive one, with virtually no risk."

"As for the mild heart inflammation, that's not a big deal either."

"But your high blood pressure and obesity-prone body type... this will take time."

The doctor had long been used to life and death. Her expression showed no signs of concern.

Besides, Yoru wasn't in any real danger.

Death wasn't even on the table.

"How long do I need to stay in the hospital? How long will the treatment take?"

Yoru asked the question he cared about most. It was the most important one.

He had limited time—he needed to lose weight, catch up on studies...

It concerned whether he could stay at Shuchiin.

"Depends on the situation. Given your condition, at least two weeks in the hospital, possibly longer. The treatment will take one and a half to two months."

"Of course, since your high blood pressure is mainly emotional, you can choose to stay home if you prefer."

The doctor looked directly at Yoru as she spoke.

Yoru showed no reaction on his face, but his heart was filled with despair.

Only after a long while did he nod.

The doctor left. Fujiwara stood up and forced a complex smile.

"Then I'll get going. I hope you recover soon, Kitakami-kun."

"Yeah."

Yoru nodded, trying not to think about anything depressing. He took out his phone.

He messaged Gabriel and Megumi and requested leave from Hiratsuka, then started scrolling through news.

He couldn't allow himself to dwell on anything stressful or frustrating—at least not for now.

A while later, Yoru's father and mother, Toyotani and Megumi, came to visit.

They paid extra to upgrade him to a VIP room.

When asked about what happened, Yoru simply shook his head and mentioned the recent rainstorm.

The doctor reassured his parents that it wasn't anything serious.

The couple stayed until nightfall before leaving.

Yoru just wanted some quiet.

The next day, he cooperated with the doctor—took his medicine and got injections.

He spent most of the day lying in bed.

After school in the afternoon, Gabriel and Nanami came to visit.

Gabriel asked several times to make sure he was okay before leaving.

Yoru asked her to look after San-san.

The next afternoon after school, Megumi came by and sat by his bed.

"Would you like some fruit?" she brought some along.

"No need..."

Yoru looked at the treasure chest progress bar above her head—already more than halfway full—and rolled over.

But he had been lying down too long. His arm was numb, and he couldn't turn properly.

"What's wrong?" Megumi asked.

"Arm's gone numb..."

Yoru shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Want me to give you a massage?" Megumi sat closer.

"Eh... sure... sure..."

Yoru's eyes widened slightly.

This was physical contact.

Megumi, ever pure, didn't think much of it—just a simple massage.

Her hands were so soft.

Of course, Yoru couldn't help feeling happy, chatting with her...

Soon, he noticed something odd—or rather, something delightful.

When Megumi massaged him, the progress bar for the golden treasure chest filled several times faster!

Half an hour later, Megumi had to leave.

"Kato-san, can you come and talk with me from time to time?" Yoru couldn't help but ask.

He was desperate to open that chest.

"Sure."

Megumi only had Yoru as a friend, so of course she agreed.

By day eight, his blood pressure had stabilized.

Yoru spent his days either lying in bed playing on his phone or reviewing his studies.

Yui and Yukino came to visit.

Yoru hadn't expected that.

"Ehehe, I heard from Hiratsuka-sensei."

"Everyone at school is saying you were in a car accident or had a mental breakdown. I was so shocked when I heard!"

Yui said.

Yukino didn't speak.

They stayed for a bit before preparing to leave.

"Here are some review notes. Don't fall behind," Yukino handed over a notebook silently as they left.

On day twenty-three, Yoru was discharged.

Next came scheduling minimally invasive surgery on the left atrium, done in two stages.

During this period, Gabriel and Nanami came twice more, and Shizuka Hiratsuka once.

Yui and Yukino didn't return.

While packing to leave the hospital, Yoru weighed himself.

He hadn't exercised for over two weeks, but had been eating his mother's low-fat meals. He had lost around 7–8 pounds.

"I guess the moment I'm discharged, it'll be time for final exams..."

Yoru sat in the back of his father's Lexus, murmuring as he looked out the window.

All of this... was Eriri's fault!

Damn her!

Yoru nearly let his emotions spiral again, but he fought to stay calm.

On day twenty-nine, it was time for surgery in the now-familiar ward.

The operation was minimally invasive, with only a small incision made in his chest.

On day thirty-one, Yoru had recovered. Under general anesthesia, he'd slept soundly.

On day thirty-three, Megumi came to visit. The golden treasure chest was nearly full—ready to open.

On day thirty-eight, he underwent the second surgery, getting one more scar.

Yoru's body had finally recovered.

Summer was coming. The weather was getting hot.

One more checkup next week, and he'd be discharged.

On day forty-one, Megumi came to visit. The treasure chest was just a sliver away from opening.

Just ten more minutes.

At that moment, Yoru was filled with excitement.

...

Yoru's hair was long.

If Eriri were here, she'd instantly recognize him as the protagonist of her nightmares.

"I'm being discharged next week. I'm fine."

"Thanks, Kato-san..."

Yoru was both excited and nervous.

"That's great to hear. But Yoru-kun, how did you end up with high blood pressure?"

Megumi had been wanting to ask for a while.

But she held back, worried it might upset him.

"Because of Sawamura Eriri. Heh..."

Yoru's expression immediately turned cold.

If he had the power, he definitely wouldn't let Eriri off.

"Sawamura Eriri?" Megumi asked.

"Yeah. I didn't really like her to begin with. But after seeing her argue with Utaha, she started looking down on me often..."

"I even suspected she was the culprit."

A vivid image of a cute little bitch with white thigh-highs popped into Yoru's mind.

"Did Sawamura-san and Kasumigaoka-senpai not get along? A culprit..."

Megumi seemed to recall something. Her expression slowly turned blank.

"Who knows what a rich girl like her is really thinking?"

"Who knows what kind of person she really is? What kind of relationship she had with Kasumigaoka Utaha?"

"Yeah, I mean, it'd be low of her to steal someone's personal item just out of spite, but... it's not impossible."

"But on the flip side, no one would ever suspect her. Not even Kasumigaoka Utaha, right?"

Yoru muttered under his breath as he stared at the golden treasure chest above Megumi's head.

The next second, the chest suddenly opened.

Click—

Only Yoru could hear that sound.

Once the golden chest opened, a radiant light poured out, blinding him momentarily.

Two shimmering golden streaks of light shot out from inside and entered Yoru's body.

It all happened in a flash.

Yoru froze, and two lines of information surfaced in his mind.

"Yoru-kun, I just remembered something really important!"

"Do you remember that time you told me you saw the light from a phone shining inside a tent while you were on your way to shower?"

Megumi suddenly stood up and grabbed Yoru's hand with a serious, solemn expression.

"Wh-what is it?"

Yoru didn't even have time to check what he'd received.

"I couldn't sleep that night. I was awake in the second half. When I saw a light outside, I lifted my head and took a look."

"I was sleeping right across from Sawamura-san's tent. There was light coming from inside."

"I didn't know she and Kasumigaoka-senpai had a bad relationship back then. I didn't see what you did, so I thought someone just got up in the middle of the night..."

"But now that you've said this, it came back to me!"

Megumi's face turned serious, though she still looked uncertain.

"Kato-san, are you serious?!"

Yoru, who had been suspecting Eriri all along, finally had another piece of evidence. He couldn't sit still.

He jumped out of bed on the spot.

His eyes widened as adrenaline flooded his system, and he began pacing the room.

"Yoru-kun... try not to get too worked up..."

"This still doesn't prove Sawamura-san did it. What if it's a misunderstanding? There's no real evidence..."

Megumi said with concern.

"No, you don't understand!"

Yoru stopped, overwhelmed with excitement.

[Mind Reading]: Sense emotional states and read inner thoughts. Consumes mental energy when used.

[Time Rewind]: Return to any moment within the past month. Activates automatically upon death. (One-time use)

These were the abilities Yoru had obtained from the golden treasure chest.

Mind reading was obviously useful in countless ways.

He could use it one by one on each student from the school trip—he'd easily find the culprit.

Time rewind was an active skill.

Unfortunately, it could only be used once.

After activation, he could rewind time to any point up to a month ago, carrying all his memories.

But he'd spent most of the past month in the hospital, so it wasn't worth using yet.

This time rewind skill had truly astonishing potential...

"Whew…"

Yoru took several deep breaths before sitting back down.

He had just undergone heart surgery—he couldn't be reckless.

"Stay calm."

Megumi's face remained calm as she began doing deep breathing herself.

"Got it. Thank you, Kato-san."

Yoru decided not to use Time Rewind yet.

He'd first try Mind Reading on Eriri.

If Eriri really was the culprit...

The fat NEET lying in bed began replaying everything from before the school trip to now...

He was on the verge of breaking down.

Stay calm. Breathe...

Regaining his composure, Yoru looked gratefully at Megumi.

"Just call me Megumi," she said with a smile.

"Eh?"

Yoru blinked.

"Aren't we friends?" Megumi asked, resting her chin on her hand.

"Th-then... Megumi?" Yoru gulped.

Of course, he didn't delude himself into thinking Megumi liked him—a fat, miserable shut-in.

"Well then, Yoru-kun, I'll be heading out."

It wasn't the weekend, so Megumi had to go.

"See you."

Yoru didn't stop her. He needed quiet time too.

The room returned to silence.

Yoru lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Time Rewind—a miraculous ability.

He could use it to get rich—stocks, lottery...

He could use it to save lives.

For example, if he died in an accident or became disabled from a fall, it would activate automatically and send him back with his memories.

If he were diagnosed with cancer, maybe going back a month could make a difference...

In short, it was amazing.

Yoru thought about getting revenge on Kaguya Shinomiya and Kasumigaoka Utaha first, venting his anger with the ability.

But it felt like a waste...

Using it for temporary satisfaction.

Time Rewind would stay the same.

The golden chest could only be opened once. Mind Reading wouldn't be affected.

"Let's find the culprit first."

Yoru told himself.

If Eriri really was the culprit and everything was her doing...

He was willing to gamble.

He might not use it at all.

It was a gamble...

Yoru touched the camera lens on his phone.