Chapter 16 – “Grief and Wish”

Suffering fatal injuries, with no heartbeat or breath, Takumi Asahiro was declared dead. But just before his burial, his body began to heal on its own.

Raizen, shocked by the phenomenon, postponed the burial and instead placed Takumi under the care of Edenfall's head doctor, Reika Morikawa, with life support sustaining him.

Raizen, Reika, Ayato, and Mira remained in Takumi's room.

With a stern expression, Raizen turned to Ayato.

"Ayato, return to your surveillance. Edenfall HQs in other countries have confirmed it—their governments have officially agreed to the Union."

The room went quiet. Ayato, Mira, and Reika all looked stunned.

"So... it's starting," Ayato muttered. "Japan's not too chaotic for now, but if the Union starts... we're affected."

"Our economy is already starting to show cracks," Raizen added grimly. "Based on my projections, it's only a matter of time before our government follows the others—to avoid total collapse."

He then turned to Mira.

"Mira, your mission remains unchanged. You're still our ace. Be ready when Edenfall needs you. Until then… stay close to Takumi. Observe.

"Understood, Takamura-dono. Thank you… for letting me stay by his side," Mira replied, bowing her head.

"Reika," Raizen said, shifting his gaze. "Continue monitoring his condition. I want every change documented."

"Got it, sir," Reika replied, as casually as ever.

"I'll stay in contact with the other HQs for updates on the global situation," Raizen said before turning and leaving the room.

A quiet beat passed before Ayato stepped over to Mira and gently patted her head.

"Alright, I'm heading out. Stay strong, okay?"

"Thank you… brother," Mira said softly, her cheeks turning slightly red as she smiled.

Ayato gave her a quick nod before exiting the room.

Reika stretched, then glanced at Mira.

"You sure you wanna stay here? I'm gonna grab something to eat."

"Yeah… I'll stay. I just want to be here for now."

Reika smirked, stepping toward the door.

"Alright then. Have fun watching over your boyfriend," she teased with a wink.

"Eh—! I-I'm not doing anything weird, Reika-san!" Mira stammered, her face flushed.

"Uh-huh. Sure, sure," Reika said playfully as she walked out, leaving Mira alone with Takumi once more.

That same morning, on the other side, Yuki woke up in bed, clutching the blue and pink cat keychain tightly to her chest.

"Good morning, Takumi-chan…" she whispered softly, smiling at the blue cat charm.

She hugged it again, holding it tightly.

A gentle knock came from the door.

"Yuki, open up, honey. Let's have breakfast," her mother called.

"I'm not hungry, Mom," Yuki replied, her voice muffled.

"I'll just leave it by the door. Eat it when you're ready," her mother said gently.

"…Okay," Yuki murmured.

She got out of bed and reached into her bag, pulling out Takumi's old notebooks.

Page by page, she read the traces of his life, each word deepening the feelings she thought she had buried.

As she flipped through the pages, she giggled at his messy handwriting, running her fingers across the ink like she could still feel him there.

"You're such a funny, Takumi…" she said with a sad smile, talking to him like he was still beside her.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. Her mood dropped instantly—she assumed it was Arisuke again. But when she looked…

Takumi-chan.

Her eyes widened. Confused, hesitant, she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Yuki-chan? It's me, Mira. Sorry—I'm using Takumi's phone. I didn't know how else to reach you," Mira explained gently.

"Mira-san... It's okay. What's going on?" Yuki asked.

"Would you come with me? I'm planning to visit Takumi."

"Yes… I'd like that. I want to see him too," Yuki said, her voice trembling slightly.

"I'll pick you up in thirty minutes. Have you eaten? If not, eat something first, alright? I'm sure Takumi would want to see you healthy when you visit."

"…Okay, Mira-san. I'll eat," Yuki replied, touched by her kindness.

"See you soon, Yuki-chan."

"See you, Mira-san."

After the call ended, Yuki stared at her LINE conversation with Takumi. One of the last stickers he sent her read:

"Hi, it's me!"

She had only replied with:

"Nice to meet you."

A small, bittersweet smile formed as she remembered that day—when they had just exchanged LINE IDs.

She had wanted to talk to him more… but back then, staying at Arisuke's house, she was too scared.

Arisuke would've gotten jealous—or worse, mad—if he knew she was talking to another guy.

Now, looking at that old sticker and chat, her heart ached with regret.

A cloudy, drizzling morning cast a soft gray hue over the cemetery. The air was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of wind brushing through the trees. The place was nearly empty—peaceful, but heavy.

Yuki walked ahead, gently placing a bouquet of flowers at the base of Takumi's gravestone. Mira stood beside her, silent. Neither spoke for a long moment, letting the weight of their shared loss settle between them.

Then Yuki's voice trembled, breaking the silence.

"That night… he smiled at me. Told me to don't worry, he was strong."

Mira's heart tightened. Watching Yuki break down reignited her own grief.

She knew something that Yuki didn't—the faint, miraculous hope that Takumi might still be alive, regenerating in silence back at Edenfall.

But she couldn't say that now… not yet. Not until they knew for sure.

Yuki leaned forward, gently placing the blue cat keychain on the gravestone.

"Takumi-chan… I found this on your desk. So, you did buy a couple keychain."

She let out a teary laugh.

"But you were too shy to tell me it was for both of us, huh?"

Mira gave a soft smile, kneeling beside her.

They sat quietly together by the grave, surrounded by memories. The conversation slowly turned from sorrow to fondness.

"Oh—your handwriting," Yuki chuckled softly, wiping her tears. "It was awful. I tried reading your notes and nearly gave up."

They both giggled, the laughter brief but genuine. In the midst of grief, they found comfort—not just in memories of Takumi, but in each other.

Two girls, bonded by the same boy who left an unforgettable mark on both their hearts.

Memories takes her.

As their visit to Takumi's grave came to an end, Yuki gave the headstone a small wave and a bittersweet smile—something she used to do when saying goodbye to him after meet him.

But the sadness still lingered in her eyes.

Mira noticed it, but didn't speak. Some grief needed silence.

They walked out of the cemetery side by side. Their bond had quietly deepened through shared loss, and for the first time, Mira didn't feel like she was carrying the pain alone.

When daylight, the city still relatively peaceful despite the larger unrest building in the world.

By evening, Mira pulled up in front of Yuki's parents' house.

"Bye, Yuki. See you around," Mira said with a gentle smile.

"Bye, Mira-san. Thank you… for today," Yuki replied, waving as she stepped out of the car.

But as she opened the door to her home, her smile faded. There he was—Arisuke Kirishima—sitting stiffly on the living room sofa, clearly waiting for her.

"Yuki-chan!" he called, his voice uncertain but hopeful.

She didn't respond. Her eyes passed over him like he wasn't even there, and without a word, she walked straight to her room.

Arisuke rose slightly, instinctively reaching out—but stopped. His father's words echoed in his mind, "Arisuke, Give her space."

He slumped back down, watching her door close behind her.

She was still mourning.

And for once, Arisuke realized… maybe he really should step back.

"I think I'll head home… Yuki-chan still doesn't want to see me," Arisuke said, asking Yuki's parents for permission to leave.

As Mira drove back from Yuki's house, her phone buzzed. It was Reika Morikawa.

"Mira-chaaaan, where are you? Can you come over?" Reika's teasing voice chimed through the speaker. "I've got an update about your boyfriend~."

Mira sighed with a small smile. "I'm on my way, Reika-san. Be there soon."

"Great~! See you in a bit." Click.

Moments later, Mira arrived at Edenfall HQ and stepped into the medical room. Reika stood alone beside Takumi's bed, her arms crossed and eyes focused on the monitor.

"Look, Mira-chan," she said, gesturing toward Takumi's body. "His left hand—it's regenerated up to the palm. Fingers haven't grown in yet, but still…"

Mira's eyes widened. A wave of warmth and relief washed over her. She rushed to Takumi's side, gently cupping his face with trembling hands.

"Takumi… I knew you'd come back…" she whispered, her voice cracking as tears welled in her eyes.

Reika, despite her usual playfulness, kept her tone grounded. "Just to be clear—his heart still isn't beating. He's not breathing either. There's no sign of consciousness yet."

"I know," Mira said, brushing his cheek with her thumb. "But I believe in him. Even now… I know he's still fighting."

Even as Takumi's body slowly regenerating by unknown, his heart had stopped and he showed no signs of life—yet Mira still believed he would return.