Chapter 145

It was just an ordinary day in the year.

Haihara paused for a rare moment to observe the expressions of the others.

Some had tired expressions after work, some had loving expressions with their partners, some had slightly dull and lifeless expressions, and some had carefree expressions.

I've had the same expression before.

I might have the same expression in the future.

I may never be able to have that kind of expression.

There are so many different kinds.

Numerous and chaotic sounds of breathing and footsteps.

It was as vast and suffocating as a tidal wave, seemingly capable of engulfing anyone who passed by, leaving them as an insignificant part of it.

And even if someone disappears silently from it, they probably won't be noticed.

Haihara stood on a familiar street, one she had never stopped to pay attention to before, staring blankly at everything in sight. Among the countless breaths and gazes, would any one of them intersect with hers?

Will anyone's gaze inadvertently notice her?

Walking and stopping, Haihara walked along familiar roads, from the sidewalk to the crossroads, then through open spaces and the riverbank, until she reached the bridge over the river.

The setting sun cast its glow on the white bridge, creating a beautiful scene.

That's just how the world is.

When someone is sad, it doesn't rain.

Haihara had never stopped on the bridge to look at the river before, but today she had the time.

For some reason, she felt a little thirsty.

My mind went completely blank; I couldn't remember anything.

I couldn't hear any sound, as if I were cut off from the world.

Perhaps... this world has nothing to do with her.

It wasn't that she hated this place, or that she had no expectations for it; it was just that there was no voice calling out to it, like shouting into an empty tunnel and getting no echo.

Thinking this, she unconsciously leaned over the bridge railing, lowered her gaze slightly, and stared blankly at the river below.

What could be there?

There will definitely be no one I'll meet in the future.

But perhaps there will be people from the past who have already parted ways.

It started as just a thought.

But the dizziness and blankness gradually overwhelmed her, causing her to lean forward slightly.

My mood darkened.

But the thought began to shift to something else.

As dusk settles, the sunlight reaches its zenith, marking the end of the day.

The world remained silent, like a desolate wasteland, with no one else's voice besides one's own.

That was what Haihara thought.

"Big sister, are you very sad?"

A clear, bell-like sound broke the silence in that blank world, suddenly appearing in her world.

Those illusory thoughts faded a little, bringing Haihara back to her senses.

She stared blankly for a moment, then turned her head away.

Beside her was a girl, probably eleven or twelve years old, who had somehow gotten there.

The child had black hair very similar to that of his predecessor, but was even more beautiful. His eyes were bright and clear, like sunlight falling into a barren land.

Haihara blinked sleepily, looking somewhat bewildered.

This child... is the daughter of an elder.

She really resembles her senior.

But here it all happened again.

"... No."

Haihara shook her head and said calmly.

But she still felt a little dazed.

Why is this child here?

Is the senior also around here?

What was I just trying to do? If my senior finds out, how will he react?

They'd definitely care, but they'd also feel like they were being asked this out of nowhere.

"By the way, would you like some water, big sister?"

She took out her water bottle, which she hadn't drunk from yet.

After receiving it, Haihara remained silent, just standing there in silence.

The child in front of her, the child of someone she used to have a crush on, suddenly appeared, breaking the silence and filling the previously blank scene with a sense of bewilderment.

After Haihara took a sip of water, the child smiled.

She kept gazing at Haihara with her bright eyes.

The water soothed Haihara's parched throat, and cleared her previously dazed mind.

Even without saying anything, it seems to have a voice.

She realized that in that cold and lonely world, there were still such dazzling children.

This child will probably have a very happy life from now on.

She will have a smooth life, a happy family and life, many people will like her in the future, and she will eventually marry someone who likes her.

Although life is full of unexpected events.

But Haihara felt that this child deserved such a smooth and wonderful life.

At that time, the child with the gentlest voice, like the wind, said:

See you tomorrow, okay?

Her appearance is somewhat similar to her senior's, yet not quite the same.

It's been a long time since anyone has said "See you tomorrow" to her.

But what does the phrase "See you tomorrow" really mean?

Where will they meet tomorrow...?

For some reason, Haihara didn't want to leave today; she started to worry about what tomorrow would bring.

If it's "see you tomorrow," then I'll hang in there until tomorrow.

Many days later, Haihara learns that her senior has been in a car accident, and the funeral will be held soon.

People are dying every single moment in this world.

This isn't the first time Haihara has faced separation.

But no matter how many times she experienced it, Haihara never imagined that such a thing would happen to someone she knew.

My senior is indeed quite different from me.

When I'm feeling down, the sunlight always seems so bright, even with the curtains drawn.

But on the day of their funeral, the sky was tinged with a gloomy gray by rain, as if many people were grieving for the passing of their predecessors.

Haihara had no choice but to bring an umbrella to her senior's funeral.

The senior and his lover seemed to have had a child before getting married, and then lived a romantic life for a long time before becoming husband and wife.

When she first started working at the company, her seniors naturally didn't change their surnames. Later, everyone got used to calling them by their original surnames, and Haihara followed suit.

In fact, the woman later changed her surname to Kazama after her husband.

This is what Haihara thought of when she looked at the tombstones of her seniors.

People I once knew have become cold, immobile, silent tombstones, recognizable only by the words engraved on them.

What is the significance of a tombstone?

Is it a token of affection when sending flowers?

When people look at a tombstone, do they think of their deceased loved ones, or do they see the deceased as the tombstone itself?

The senior is probably the former.

Haihara might be the latter.

She held up a black umbrella; the weather was still a bit cold, and rain pattered on the top of the umbrella, even wetting the flowers she had laid out to commemorate her ancestors.

Her world was no longer peaceful.

The air was filled with the sound of cold rain.

But whose world has become quiet?

Just then, Haihara heard footsteps in the rain. She turned her head and saw a thin, young figure wearing a raincoat in the rain.

That child is no longer like sunshine.

He was just a bewildered child, soaked to the bone by the rain.

It wasn't quite the same as the image of happiness she had in her memory, the image of someone she thought would last forever.

He's become somewhat similar to her.

"You are... Kato- senpai's daughter?"

Do you have a good relationship with your mother?

This is the child's response.

This was also the beginning between them.

Will you live with your grandparents in the future?

Haihara asked.

My grandparents have passed away.

The girl answered.

That's really troublesome, because Haihara has met her senior's relatives, and as an adult, raising another child that big is a really difficult thing.

It will probably be difficult to decide who will ultimately adopt her.

Haihara was telling the truth.

But the little girl cried for the first time. It was a really novel sight. Haihara had thought that children like that never cried.

"Anyway, nobody wants me..."

He gave up on himself like a child.

"Um..."

Hearing those words, Haihara didn't feel much pity; she just thought of herself, realizing that probably no one would want her either.

This child is just like me now.

For some reason, she subconsciously took a few steps forward, getting a little closer to the child.

They were all left all alone.

Haihara crouched down little by little, using her umbrella to shield the crying child from the rain, and stared at her with her cold, rain-like eyes.

Should I speak?