"I understand."
Leaning on her bamboo cane, Yukina hesitated for a moment before slowly rising to her feet. Once she was standing, she nodded and spoke.
Then, accompanied by the tapping of her cane, she left.
I'm sorry, Yukina.
What I'm about to say will be different from what I told you yesterday. Until I can be completely sure that you have accepted Nao's death, I can't let you know Nao's true condition.
Watching Yukina vanish into the darkness, the sound of her cane striking the ground growing fainter and fainter until it disappeared, Chiba gently pressed his lips together, his heart full of guilt.
What he had done by sending Yukina away was deeply unfair to her. It was only natural for her to be angry over it.
After all, Hirohiko was not only his closest friend, but also Yukina's. In fact, during the half year he had been gone, Yukina had been the one looking after Hirohiko, forcing him to eat and making him go on living. Compared to himself, Yukina had given far more over these past six months.
Now that he had just returned, he had sent her away to speak with Hirohiko alone and try to save him. It was, in truth, rather excessive.
But Chiba had no choice. Nao's death had not only hurt Hirohiko—it had also dealt Yukina a devastating blow. He had to handle things this way. Otherwise, while persuading Hirohiko, Yukina might also break down.
Right now, he could not bear to deal with one more problem.
He was already at his wits' end.
"Phew..."
Thinking that, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out, suppressing both the guilt in his heart and the unease of facing Hirohiko. Then he turned back toward the confinement room door before him.