Chapter 64: Nightfall

"Brother, are you still picking up that girl from school this afternoon?" Kazumi suddenly asked.

"Yes."

"For how many more days?"

This question also caught Rumi's eager attention.

"For another day or two. I think it should be about time."

"I'm afraid you might not want to stop; after all, she's Miss Naoko's sister. How could she be anything less?" Kazumi said, neither cold nor warm.

"Hey, don't make it sound like I'm selling goldfish, okay?" Masashi didn't understand why she was upset.

"Do you really have no ulterior motives towards that girl?" Kazumi stared at him.

This was getting serious, even using words like "ulterior motives." "To be honest, I'm not interested in kids."

"Then what kind of girl are you interested in? Someone like Miss Naoko?" Kazumi pressed on.

"Do I look desperate? Why are kids asking this?" Masashi rolled his eyes.

"Can't I just be curious? Tell me, brother." Kazumi used both soft and hard tactics. Rumi also joined in with a persuasive gaze.

"Kazumi, you're going to corrupt Rumi." Masashi chuckled bitterly.

"Don't change the subject, tell us."

"I don't know what kind of woman I'd like, at least not yet. Maybe one day, I'll meet someone I'd want to be buried with after death; that would mean I've found her." Masashi said nonchalantly.

"What kind of answer is that?" Kazumi was dissatisfied.

"Alright, I'm heading back to the classroom; you should hurry too." He stretched and walked towards the door.

Kazumi began packing up the bento boxes, noticing Rumi still in a daze, she patted her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I feel like senpai has something on his mind today." Rumi snapped back to reality.

"That's just how he is; if he doesn't want to talk, no one can guess what he's thinking."

"But you should feel relieved; it seems he really has no interest in that girl." Kazumi suddenly changed her tone, smiling at her.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about; I... I'm going back..." The kendo girl, blushing furiously, stood up in a hurry and left.

"Little fool, let me remind you, he can be quite dense in some ways. Sometimes, you need to take the initiative, or he'll never get it." Kazumi added from behind.

Hearing this, Rumi paused involuntarily before rushing downstairs.

After she left, Kazumi sighed lightly and continued cleaning up.

"You must be quite pleased, Gennai Masashi." In the hallway, Masashi encountered a gloomy-looking Nagasaki Meiichi.

"Just you today? That's rare. Where are your fans?"

"Thanks to you." Nagasaki looked at him coldly.

Masashi looked at him and suddenly laughed, "I wasn't feeling anything about this, but seeing you like this, I suddenly feel it's something to be happy about. I told you, this was a terrible play. Especially casting an idiot like Mizota as the lead; that was your biggest mistake."

"You're right, that was my blunder. But what can you do? If I deny everything, they can't do anything to me." Nagasaki smirked.

"You misunderstand; I never thought this would affect you. It's just that an idiot presented himself, and I took the opportunity to clear my name. Our score, we haven't even started settling that." Masashi glanced at him lightly at the last sentence.

"You..."

"One must take responsibility for their actions; I told Mizota that, and now I'm telling you." Masashi walked past him towards the classroom.

Watching him walk away, Nagasaki felt for a moment that he had made a grave mistake by crossing someone he shouldn't have.

Just before entering the classroom, Masashi changed his mind, turned around, and headed downstairs.

As he stepped out of the school gate, a blue BMW approached him.

"Mr. Gennai, would you mind getting in?" The window rolled down, revealing a stunning face.

Masashi looked at her, then opened the front door and got in.

"Where would you like to go?" Sakurai Mion asked gently.

"Anywhere, just drive." He casually turned on the radio.

Sakurai didn't say more, quietly starting the car.

"I forgot to thank you earlier, thanks for handling the Ikeda matter for me." After nearly half an hour of silence in the moving car, Masashi spoke.

"You're too kind; it's what we should do."

"Do you know what today is?" Masashi suddenly asked an unrelated question.

Sakurai thought for a moment, "I'm sorry, I can't recall."

"Today isn't any special day, but it's the anniversary of a friend's passing." Masashi said casually.

"I'm sorry."

Masashi smiled, "It's not your fault; you don't need to apologize. Every year around this time, I would visit her. But this year, I didn't."

"Were you busy this year?" Sakurai's voice was as gentle as water.

"No, I had plenty of time. It's just a mental thing." Masashi stared blankly at the scenery flying by outside the window.

Sakurai was silent for a moment, then softly said, "My father once said, life is but a few decades long, and if by the end, you have fewer regrets, that's already a kind of happiness."

Masashi didn't respond, just quietly looked out the window.

After what seemed like an eternity, he turned to Sakurai with a smile, "Thank you. Maybe you're right; some things, if you want to do them, you should just do them. Overthinking only brings more trouble. Could you take me home first?"

"Of course." Sakurai smiled at him, turning the car around.

Five minutes later, Masashi, now in casual clothes, walked out of his house.

"Sorry for the wait." He opened the car door and got in again.

"Where would you like to go now?" Sakurai looked at him.

"Could you go to the airport? I hope it's not too late."

"Certainly." Sakurai started the car, heading towards the airport.

Late at night, in a mountainous area in southern Nepal, a young man sat quietly in front of a white tombstone.

Looking at the upright stone, the young man suddenly remembered an old song he heard in church.

"Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die."

"Avi, it's me, Lei Yin," the young man's voice was rough.

"It's been ten years; I haven't come to see you in a decade. I've been unsure if I should return, because I'm not the same Lei Yin you once knew. I hope you're not here either. Otherwise, my ashes should be below this stone, and it's unfair for me to be here alone." He fell silent for a long time.

"No matter what, I'm here. Tonight, I'll stay with you, just like before, and watch tomorrow's sunrise." After speaking, the young man leaned against the stone and quietly drank.

Tonight, the night was as gentle as water.