Chapter 98: The first piece of music, dedicated to life

[In a place you don't know, people you know have started to take action and are planning to seek "justice" for you... Of course, that's what Eden, her parents, and Sister Teresa would do. As for Li and Yin, they'd be more straightforward.]

[They chose a simpler approach to carry out... "revenge", which has nothing to do with justice and fairness, but is simply their "feedback" based on their own ideas and emotions.]

[So many students will find that... in recent days, many students will come to school with bruises on their heads. Although it is obvious that they were beaten, it is surprisingly not serious. They just look particularly... embarrassed.]

[And those students were also cowering, without any complaints. Even if they asked them, they could only get the answer that "they were injured by the fall"... But everyone knew that there were people who were specifically looking for trouble.]

[Because the people who got hurt were all those who had "targeted" you, and they were all those who had "contact" with you physically, so... rumors about you started to spread around the school again, but this time, it was not out of their own malice or imagination, but simply... fear.]

[I'm afraid they didn't expect that there would be someone behind you who would help you, and it seems that he is a very powerful person. After all, few of the students who were beaten dared to say anything and even their parents didn't come to make a fuss... I heard that their family's business was damaged, especially "Hida Koro". you heard that many people were laid off. According to gossip, it seems that someone... is missing. they don't know if it is because of your incident.]

[…No, no, no, it must be that, right? It's already so obvious, it must be related to you, right?!]

[To be honest, some people started to panic, because they really didn't expect that someone as "weak" as you, who usually wouldn't react even if you were "targeted", wouldn't say much, and even didn't care much... actually had someone like them behind you.]

[What's even more frightening is… someone has already transferred to another school.]

[It was Elga and Elena who left first. They left in a panic and very quickly... like they were running away from something.]

[Then several more people left in a hurry. It was not until they did not come to class the next day that everyone realized they had transferred to another school.]

[Finally, there is the school's notice… This is quite simple. The school just seriously stated that some "bad things" had happened in the school recently, so a more systematic education would be conducted, and students were encouraged to get along with each other in a friendly manner, and not to form "small groups" or deliberately "target" certain students.]

[Although it was not specifically stated, everyone vaguely understood... All this is because of you.]

[Many people feel panic and shrink, but many people also feel fortunate... because they did not join the ranks of people "targeting" you.]

[Students, the most important thing is to study, why target them... they just have nothing to do!]

[But these have nothing to do with you in the hospital, and you have no way of knowing.]

[Compared to that, you are more concerned about... Sister Teresa is here, and Eden's parents are here with her.]

[To be honest, you were a little flustered at first... even a little embarrassed, because you made Sister Teresa worried, and even Eden's parents came to visit you... you subconsciously felt that you had caused them trouble.]

[However, they denied your statement and rejected your offer to use singing as an apology gift... According to them, you can't even play a complete song perfectly right now. Even if they accept your singing, they won't be satisfied. It's better for you to express your gratitude to them after you recover.]

[Under Eden's persuasion, you reluctantly agreed to their opinion. The follow-up was mainly to answer some of their questions so that they could understand your situation better.]

[What was special was that Eden's parents, after meeting Sister Teresa, for some reason, both of them seemed a little surprised, and then they started chatting with each other. Most of the topics were about you, and most of the time it was Eden's parents who asked questions and Sister Teresa who answered them.]

[…Why does it feel like a household survey?]

[In addition, there is your own recovery... It was a bit unexpected. After seven days, your condition basically returned to normal. The wounds on your body have healed, and even the scars have become lighter. Your hands can move normally without any tingling sensation. It even feels... more flexible and better looking than before. What's going on?]

[However, even though you have shown signs of full recovery, you were not discharged from the hospital at the request of everyone... because they could not believe that you had recovered to a large extent in just seven days. Isn't your physical condition too good?!]

[And the doctors also suggested that you stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation, fearing that there might be some hidden dangers in your body... There's nothing you can do about it. They more or less recognize the people who came to see you these days. Not to mention Sister Teresa, many people recognized Eden's parents alone. And when Li came to visit you later, he brought some extra people with him. It's easy to tell at a glance that those people are not easy to mess with...]

[Someone from your school also came to visit you and show concern for your condition, which forced the doctors to pay attention to your recovery.]

[However, your personality makes it difficult for you to stay in the ward all day... because it is too boring. Although you can relieve your mood by humming songs, it is still a bit uncomfortable without a musical instrument to play... So you start to ask doctors and nurses for advice, hoping to let you walk around the hospital without disturbing others.]

[In theory, this is nothing. It's normal for patients to feel bored and want to go out for some fresh air. They can walk around the hospital or hang out in the small garden downstairs. As long as they don't run out of the hospital, it's fine. The doctors and nurses all thought so, so they naturally agreed.]

[But your understanding may be a little different from theirs.]

[In the eyes of the doctors and nurses, you were too bored and wanted to go out for some fresh air. In fact... you were indeed very bored, but you didn't go out for some fresh air or to hang out downstairs... you just started running around the hospital's inpatient department, visiting various wards.]

[At first, the doctors and nurses were a little nervous and dissatisfied. After all, it would be bad if you were running around in the wards and disturbed other patients... But soon they found that... it seemed that other patients liked you quite a lot?]

[You don't make too much noise when you go to other people's wards. Instead, you appear to be very polite and quiet, always maintaining a level of "not disturbing others too much". Coupled with your seemingly never-fading smile and handsome face, most patients are willing to accept you, a lively but well-mannered young man.]

[When other patients don't have their families with them, you will go and talk to them. When doctors and nurses come, you won't bother them too much… Your well-behaved and polite behavior quickly won everyone's recognition.]

[When they find out that you are an art student, they will occasionally ask you to sing a few lines... You are happy to do so, humming a cheerful tune, bringing some joy and relaxation to the people around you.]

[Thanks to this, many patients also fell in love with your songs, so much so that in the end, once the nurses and doctors found that you were not in the ward, they could find you by following the sound of your songs... because most patients would be willing to listen to you hum a few lines when they saw you coming.]

[According to them, hearing your voice made them feel less nervous, and even the wounds didn't seem to hurt as much… Although everyone knew that this was just a psychological effect, they had to admit that your songs did help them in some ways. With the patients' slightly joyful introductions, their families also got to know you, and most of them were friendly to you.]

[In the end, doctors and nurses were too lazy to mention that your songs might disturb other patients... because the patients were willing to enjoy your songs, and you would not act on your own after discovering that you might disturb others.]

[So during your stay in the hospital for observation, you quickly became familiar with the other patients, and you also... witnessed their experiences.]

[Here, you have seen a girl with a terminal illness who still smiles; you have seen a middle-aged man wailing and even crying like a child because of his illness; you have seen an old man quarreling with his family in order not to add burden to the family; you have also seen children who are confused about their own illness hugging their crying parents...]

[In the hospital, you can often witness many sad things in the world. Here, you can often clearly feel that life is so fragile.]

[But at the same time, here, you can also witness many... touching things and witness the glory of life.]

[You take all of this in, gain some understanding, and... have some inspiration.]

[You start trying to write about it all, trying to compose music out of everything you feel.]

[Although you only had a vague idea and melody before you left the hospital, you felt that you should finish it. For this reason, you made a promise to some patients in the hospital who you got along well with that as long as you finished the song, you would copy it and bring it back for them to listen to.]

[After returning to school, you still continue to think about this.]

[Even if you notice that the attitudes of the students around you have changed, and even become a little... afraid, you don't care. Your eyes are no longer on them.]

[Whether it is behavior or emotional expression, you don't want to limit yourself too much now, so you no longer keep a distance from Eden in school. You even take the initiative to invite Eden to practice and play together, and invite her to listen to the music you composed in your spare time, hoping to get some suggestions from her.]

[And Eden was happy about this. After she found that your music was no longer as "standard" as before and the emotions contained in it became clearer, she became happier and happier. Every time she was alone with you, she would smile with joy.]

[And now, no one will come to interfere between the two of you. No matter how happy Eden appears to be, others will not show any "jealousy" towards you - because they know that you are actually someone who should not be provoked. As for the "targeting" in secret, it will naturally disappear without a trace.]

[However, even so, you did not return to the school dormitory, but chose to return to the building where Li was staying overnight, and played for the friends there and played with them.]

[In addition, in order to repay the medical expenses paid by Li, you bought your own cello and started going out in your spare time, playing music on the street and making money by performing.]

[And surprisingly, your performances seem to be quite popular. There are often people sitting around to listen, and many people are willing to pay to order songs. Counting the jobs that Li occasionally introduces to you, for a while... your income is actually quite considerable?]

[At the same time, your friends also prepared various gifts for you, such as a guitar, some video equipment... According to them, they originally intended to use them to celebrate your winning the competition, but later simply changed them to congratulate you on your recovery and discharge from the hospital.]

[At the same time, they also told you that they wanted to record your performance and put it online, and you didn't mind, so every time you went out to play on the street, you would bring a simple video recording device to record your performance, and then upload the video to the Internet according to their instructions.]

[For a while, you actually gained a lot of "fans".]

[Faced with such a fulfilling and joyful daily life, you are also extremely happy, and the joy surrounding you has almost never dissipated.]

[But you didn't forget to perfect the song… You promised to bring it back to the hospital for everyone to listen to after you finished writing it.]

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In Eden's home, in a dedicated recording studio, fingertips lightly dance on the keys, and notes float out and reverberate around the body.

At the beginning, it was a soft, ethereal and clear sound, like a heartbeat, very weak, yet very strong.

As the melody changes, it becomes rich and colorful, with a little bit of upliftment and a little bit of sadness, like the regret for the passing of life and the expectation for the brilliance of life.

Eden sat beside him with her parents, quietly watching him immersed in the music. Her golden eyes stayed on him, never moving away, nor wanting to move away.

Against the backdrop of the song, Eden seemed to see again his persistence and his happy smile... No, he was smiling and it had never changed.

Driven by emotion, Eden seemed to see his "dazzling" appearance again, as bright as the stars, making people unconsciously want to focus their attention on him.

The melody echoing here carries with it a slightly dull and depressing feeling, as if it is telling about his past, and as if it is telling about the sorrows in life, but one can also feel the little light hidden in it, the beauty that has always been preserved, the emotions that continue to rise from the bottom of the valley, that faint, but still shining... "hope".

Eden could feel the emotions in Nozomi's song, and could sense more clearly what he wanted to convey, so... she focused her gaze and her thoughts on his song, on him who seemed to be shining, and the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously.

'Um, yeah…'

'Life... it is as bitter as a song.'

'Life... it is as bright as a song.'

As the melody converges, the music becomes clear and ethereal again, like a beating heart, sounding one after another, fragile and firm, but gradually at the end of the music, it inevitably becomes weak and finally interrupted, as if representing the passing of a life.

But... Eden did not feel sad in her heart. The expectation for life and the hidden hope in the music... were truly conveyed.

This may be the end of a song, but it is also... the beginning of hope.

When Nozomi withdrew his hands from the piano keys, Eden and her parents applauded generously and praised him.

"The song is already very well done... Congratulations, kid."

Eden's parents looked at their daughter who quickly ran to Nozomi, but they were not annoyed. They just smiled and nodded to Nozomi... This was indeed something to be thankful for, so let the two young people be happy.

"So kid... have you thought of a name for this piece?"

"Of course, its name was decided from the beginning~"

Nozomi's voice was still as cheerful as ever. He and Eden tidied up the music score in front of them, then carefully held it in his arms. He then turned his head and looked at Eden, then he smiled and said.

"Lifeline, this is the name I thought of from the beginning~"