Chapter 278: The Patient

When Lei Yin walked into the hospital room and saw Aikura Ai sitting on the bed, the phrase “emaciated to the bone” immediately came to mind.

The girl before him was entirely different from the introverted but rosy-cheeked young girl he remembered. Her once long hair had been cut into a short, ear-length style. Her complexion was pale, her face haggard, and she had grown alarmingly thin. Her bare arms were so skeletal they resembled those of a drug addict.

Lei Yin’s expression remained calm as he casually placed the fruit he had brought on the table beside her bed. Smiling, he greeted her, “It’s been a while.”

From the moment he entered, Aikura Ai had been carefully watching his expression. Seeing nothing unusual, she subconsciously relaxed and smiled back. “It really has been a while. How have you been, Gennai-san?”

“Not bad. Would you like me to peel an apple for you? Aiko wanted me to bring flowers, but I thought fruit would be better—at least you can eat it. Flowers, no matter how beautiful, are inedible.”

Listening to his casual and lighthearted tone, Aikura Ai suddenly felt much calmer. When she saw him actually take out a small knife and prepare to peel an apple, she quickly said, “There’s no need, Gennai-san. I can do it myself.”

Lei Yin smiled. “It’s no trouble at all.” With that, he picked up an apple and began peeling it.

Aikura Ai didn’t say anything, silently watching him.

At this moment, Aiko walked over and held her hand with concern. “Are you feeling any better today?”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Looking at her sunken, emaciated face, Aiko felt a pang of sadness. But she quickly suppressed her emotions and sat by the bed, chatting with her.

“Do you remember Hiromi Tahara from high school? She was the quiet girl who always wore that outdated yellow hairband. Mami told me yesterday that she won first place in the Tokyo Youth Piano Competition. Who would’ve thought someone so plain-looking could be so amazing?”

“Didn’t you also learn violin before? You should give it a try too.”

“Are you kidding? Competitions like that aren’t for amateurs like me. I heard Hiromi practices five or six hours every day. Just thinking about it is terrifying. If I had that much time, I’d rather go shopping or watch movies.”

Lei Yin chimed in, “So Aiko can play the violin? No wonder I sometimes hear the sound of wood being sawed when I’m near her apartment.”

“Wood being sawed? That’s your ears malfunctioning!” Aiko glared at him.

Lei Yin winked at Aikura Ai. “You see, being too honest doesn’t pay. Here, the apple is ready.”

Aikura Ai chuckled and reached out to take the apple he handed her.

“Aiko, want me to peel one for you too?” Lei Yin asked.

“Who needs your kindness? I never peel my apples.” With that, she picked up an apple and headed to the bathroom to wash it.

Lei Yin smiled and casually picked up a banana, peeling it and taking a bite.

“Is the hospital food terrible?” Lei Yin asked.

“It’s okay. Gennai-san, what are you studying in college?”

“Economics—a very quiet subject.”

“Quiet? Why do you say that?”

“Because most of the students are asleep during class. No one talks, so it’s very quiet.”

Aikura Ai couldn’t help but laugh.

Lei Yin looked at her and said, “Girls look better when they smile. Since some things can’t be avoided, isn’t it better to face them with a light heart rather than wallowing in self-pity? There’s a Chinese saying: ‘Since it’s here, make peace with it.’ Don’t you think so, Aikura-san?”

Aikura Ai understood that he was trying to encourage her, but she still forced a bitter smile. “Thank you, Gennai-san. But there are some things you can’t understand. Do you know? I can’t even bear to look in the mirror anymore.”

“You’re still young. With proper rest and recovery, it won’t take long for you to bounce back. There’s no need to dwell on it.”

Aikura Ai smiled faintly. “Thank you, Gennai-san.”

From her eyes, Lei Yin could tell she hadn’t truly let go. Perhaps, as she said, there were some experiences he simply couldn’t fully understand as an outsider. These were wounds that couldn’t be healed with a few words of comfort.

Lei Yin casually chatted with Aikura Ai about events happening in the outside world. She spoke very little about herself but seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say.

Since his university life mainly involved fighting and skipping classes, he didn’t have much personal experience to share. However, his broad knowledge came in handy. He entertained her with stories of strange and fascinating events, ranging from debates on whether men could get pregnant to the authenticity of the Loch Ness Monster, and even shared urban legends circulating online.

With his vivid storytelling skills and well-reasoned examples, both girls were deeply engrossed in the conversation. It wasn’t until the nurse brought lunch that they realized it was already noon.

Lei Yin stood up and said, “It’s about time. We should be going.”

Though reluctant to see him leave, Aikura Ai didn’t dare to ask him to stay. Instead, she solemnly said goodbye to Lei Yin.

“Gennai-san.” Just as Lei Yin and Aiko were about to step out of the room, Aikura Ai softly called out to him.

“What is it?” Lei Yin turned back to look at her.

“I…” She hesitated, her gaze wavering.

After a moment, she gave him a deep look and then smiled. “It’s nothing. Please take care of yourself.”

“Thanks. If you need help, you can call me anytime.”

“I know. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit me today.”

At that moment, Aiko said, “Ai-chan, I’ll come with Mami to visit you tomorrow.”

Aikura Ai looked at her friend warmly. “Aiko, I hope you find happiness. Goodbye.”

Though Aiko found her words a little odd, she didn’t think much of it. After saying goodbye, she turned and left.

After they were gone, Aikura Ai rested her forehead on her knees.

In the end, she still didn’t have the courage to say it. But perhaps it was better this way.

Unknowingly, tears began to flow slowly from her eyes.

※※※

“By substituting this formula here, you can derive the tangent equation of this curve at the corresponding point T.O as Y – 1 = -1/2(X – 2). Got it?”

“Hmm, I think I understand, but university math problems are so hard—way harder than high school ones. And there are still so many questions to go through. I wonder when I’ll ever finish!” the girl said, her face scrunched in frustration.

“Well, how about asking Kazumi to teach you? She’s better at this than I am.”

“But she’s busy preparing for exams too!” Rumi quickly countered, refusing to let him off the hook.

Lei Yin sighed in exasperation. “You seem to forget that technically, I’m also a student with exams to prepare for.”

Rumi smiled mischievously. “I know you’ll be fine, Senpai. I’ve never seen you study, but you always pass your exams with ease. Kazumi says you’re an exam genius, so I don’t need to worry about you at all.”

Lei Yin pinched her cheek lightly. “Since you all seem so confident in me, what else can I say? Go grab me a cold beer.”

Rumi cheerfully dashed out of the room to fetch the beer.

Thankfully, it was just math tutoring. If there were any more subjects to cover, he wouldn’t need to leave this apartment. Lei Yin got up and walked over to Rumi’s bookshelf, picking up a random novel to flip through.

Not long after, he heard soft footsteps approaching from behind. Lei Yin’s lips twitched slightly, but he pretended not to notice and continued reading.

When the footsteps got closer, he suddenly swung the book backward, hitting the girl on the head.

“Ouch!” Rumi cried out, rubbing her head. “Kazumi was absolutely right—Senpai must have been a cat in his past life.” As she spoke, she pressed the cold beer can against his neck with a grin, trying to startle him.

Taking the beer from her hand, Lei Yin said, “Silly girl. A true expert wouldn’t let anyone get close without noticing. No matter how light your steps or careful your movements, subtle air currents will shift. Plus, the human body radiates heat, and there are involuntary sounds like breathing and heartbeats. It’s almost impossible not to be detected by a skilled person.”

Rumi tilted her head curiously. “So, are you saying there’s absolutely no way to avoid being noticed?”

Lei Yin smirked, then returned to his seat.

Once she sat down, he suddenly said, “Put your hand on my chest.”

Although Rumi found it strange, she obediently placed her hand on Lei Yin’s chest. However, as soon as her hand touched the warmth of his skin through the thin T-shirt, her face flushed red.

Lei Yin then asked, “Can you feel my heartbeat?”

Quickly clearing her thoughts, Rumi concentrated and after a moment said, “Yes, I can feel it.”

“Don’t take your hand away.”

After saying this, Lei Yin fell silent, closing his eyes as he sat quietly.

Confused, Rumi followed his instructions and continued to keep her hand pressed to his chest.

After about two minutes, her expression suddenly changed to one of shock. She seemed unable to believe what she was feeling and placed her other hand on his chest to confirm it.

Another three minutes passed, and she was utterly astonished. Lei Yin had no heartbeat or breathing, and even his body temperature was dropping rapidly. It no longer felt like she was touching a living person.

Alarmed, she looked nervously at his face.

“S-senpai…” she stammered, fearfully calling out when she saw no change in his expression.

A few seconds later, she noticed that his body had gone completely cold, as if he were a lifeless corpse. Panicking, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him desperately. “Senpai! Senpai, don’t scare me! Please wake up!”

At that moment, Lei Yin suddenly opened his eyes and smiled. “Relax, I’m fine.”

Rumi froze, then threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly.

She could hear it again—his heartbeat. He was breathing again, and his body temperature was gradually returning to normal.

For the first time, Rumi realized how precious these ordinary signs of life—his heartbeat, his breathing, and his warmth—truly were.

Lei Yin hadn’t expected such a strong reaction but continued explaining, “What you just experienced is a special breathing technique that temporarily halts the heartbeat and respiration. With these primary metabolic functions paused, body temperature also drops. Using this method, one can hide in an ambush spot and approach even a highly skilled target without them noticing. My… master once demonstrated this technique to your grandfather, and it gave him quite a scare at the time.”

After finishing, Lei Yin noticed that Rumi was still clinging to him. Gently, he lifted her up.

When he saw her face, he was taken aback. “Why are you crying?”

The girl wiped her tears and, in a choked voice, whispered, “Senpai, please don’t scare me like that again. I was really frightened.”

Smiling, Lei Yin lightly knocked her on the head. “Scaredy-cat.”

“It’s your fault,” she muttered softly, still holding tightly onto his hands.

Lei Yin cleared his throat awkwardly. “Alright, let’s get back to studying. Take your seat.”

Reluctantly, the kendo girl let go of his hands and returned to her seat.

※※※

At 11 PM, most of the nurses had gone home, leaving only a few on duty at the nurses’ station.

As usual, a young nurse made her rounds, checking each room to ensure that the patients were in bed.

Once she had inspected every room, she returned to the nurses’ station and resumed reading her novel.

But after she left, a door to one of the rooms quietly opened.

A shadowy figure slowly emerged, moving silently through the dimly lit hallway.

When they reached the stairwell, the figure gently ascended the stairs.

By this time, most of the patients were asleep, and the nurses were occupied at the station. No one noticed the figure’s movements.

Eventually, the figure reached the rooftop.

Opening the rooftop door, they walked forward slowly until they reached the edge of the building.

Climbing over the railing, the figure looked out at the endless sea of city lights in the distance and sighed softly.

“Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. I hope you won’t be too sad after I’m gone,” the person murmured.

“Since you know they’ll be sad, why are you doing this?” A sudden male voice interrupted from behind, catching the person completely off guard.

Startled, they turned around hastily to see who had spoken.

As the man approached, emerging from behind the rooftop water tank, his figure became clear.  

When he was about five or six meters away, Aikura Ai could finally see his face.  

“Gennai-kun?” she exclaimed in surprise.  

Lei Yin looked at her calmly, then asked in a deep voice, “Why are you doing this?”  

Aikura Ai lowered her head and asked, “How did you know I would come here?”  

“When you said goodbye to us earlier, it didn’t feel like a normal goodbye—it felt more like a farewell for good. After leaving, I had someone discreetly observe your actions. At 10 PM, I came here and waited to see if you’d actually show up. Unfortunately, my suspicion was correct.”  

Aikura Ai gazed at him deeply before saying softly, “Gennai-kun, you’re really clever. Did you know? I’ve always had a good impression of you. There’s something special about you. That’s why, before I left, I wanted to see you one last time.”  

“There’s no problem in this world that can’t be solved. Tell me—why are you doing something so foolish? Do you think it’s worth it?”  

Aikura Ai gave a faint, bitter smile. “You’re not me, so you wouldn’t understand.”  

“Is it because of the intermittent headaches you’ve been suffering from?” Lei Yin asked.  

Aikura Ai was silent for a moment, then said, “I overheard the doctors telling my father that my brain injury is very difficult to treat, and even surgery has an extremely low chance of success. I’ve had enough of this pain. If I could endure it, I wouldn’t have chosen this path. Gennai-kun, please don’t try to talk me out of it. You’re not me—you can’t understand how unbearable it is.”  

Seeing the mixture of pain and calm resolve in her eyes, Lei Yin realized this wasn’t a momentary impulse. She had truly made up her mind.  

After thinking for a moment, Lei Yin said, “Perhaps I can help you.”  

Shaking her head gently, Aikura Ai began to cry. “No one can help me. I’m sorry, Gennai-kun, for letting you see me like this. Please tell Aiko, Mami, and Ryoko that I’m sorry.” She gave him one last deep look before turning and jumping off the building.  

As he saw her leap, Lei Yin scratched his head, a bit exasperated.  

※※※

When Aikura Ai opened her eyes, she saw a sky full of stars.  

She wasn’t sure if this was heaven, but since she could see the stars, it couldn’t be hell. That thought made her smile.  

Just then, a male voice spoke beside her. “This isn’t heaven, nor is it hell. Welcome back to the world of the living, Aikura Ai-san.”  

Startled, she turned her head quickly and saw a young man with a faint smile in his eyes sitting beside her.  

“Gennai-kun, you…” She sat up immediately and looked around, realizing she was still on the hospital rooftop.  

“I jumped, didn’t I? Why am I still here?” she asked, staring in disbelief at her hands, then touching her face.  

Lei Yin waved his hand. “Did you think I’d just come up here to talk? At dusk, I had people set up a simple net around the building. So, you didn’t actually fall—you landed on the net.”  

Aikura Ai sighed softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. “Gennai-kun, you shouldn’t have done that. For someone determined to die, this just makes things harder.”  

Lei Yin walked over and helped her up. “I’ll try to help you. If there’s truly no other way, I’ll offer you a better method to die—one that’s less painful and won’t scare others. Jumping from a building is hardly a dignified way to go. How about it? Are you willing to accept my proposal?”  

Looking at him, Aikura Ai sighed helplessly. “Do I even have a choice? Fine, I’ll agree.”  

Lei Yin dusted off his hands and said, “First, tell me everything you’ve experienced in as much detail as possible. The more specific, the better.”  

Aikura Ai nodded lightly.