Chapter 512

Haihara remembers that she used to be someone who could be openly selfish.

"But it all has to end eventually. Those children will eventually leave you, some may even forget you, and one day you will forget them too, and everyone will go on to live their own lives."

Suzuki smiled and said something that Haihara hadn't expected.

Haihara blinked.

It's unbelievable that this teacher, who is most popular with students, would say such cruel things.

Will it?

Forget each other, or something like that.

At this moment, Haihara discovers her unexpected fairytale-like tendencies.

"You're so cruel."

Haihara complained bluntly.

She's actually quite prone to injury.

At this moment, the woman who was slightly shorter than Haihara but very mature and gentle nudged Haihara's arm with her shoulder, and giggled on her pretty face, which didn't quite match her smoking and drinking.

"But our friendship will last forever, just the two of us, Suzuki and Haihara, forever."

"A lifelong friend."

As Suzuki spoke, he raised one arm and made half a heart shape, looking completely shameless and unlike an adult.

That's incredible.

Sometimes, even though we know that "forever" is impossible, some beautiful moments make us want to believe that it can last forever.

But enthusiasm will eventually be extinguished, and even the most dazzling and grand fireworks will eventually come to an end.

Fireworks burned and faded away little by little.

"Forever?"

"Forever."

How is that possible?

"Anything is possible."

"Is this kind of relationship necessary to last forever?"

What's wrong with that?

There's really nothing wrong with it.

However, Haihara discovered that she seemed to be more worried about "nothing lasts forever" than others. She was always afraid that everything she had would be gone in an instant, and felt that nothing could last and would always disappear for various reasons.

If only it could last forever.

Tonight's fireworks, other people's smiles, the Snowman built yesterday, and the aging and frail faces of loved ones.

If only everything could be preserved and become "forever".

Before anyone knew it, snow began to fall again, the white snowflakes drifting like feathers and landing on Haihara's outstretched palm.

A moment of coldness, a fleeting moment of melting.

Haihara felt sad.

"But you'll get married someday, and one day you won't be able to drink as much anymore, and you might not have as many words to say anymore."

Suzuki paused for a moment, then said jokingly:

"It's possible that he'll never get married, or that he'll always enjoy drinking, or that he'll always have something to say to you."

She said it casually, it's unclear whether she was serious or just said it offhand without thinking.

It's also possible that she was just drunk.

Haihara paused for a moment, then seemed to remember something.

Something very distant, so distant that she once thought it didn't belong to her, but it was indeed her past thought, her past memory.

Once upon a time, there was a foolish Witch with insane desires.

She hopes that "forever" exists in the world.

She believed she could achieve "forever".

Her vast embrace and Feather Wing will one day be able to hold onto everything from the ever-flowing days and nights—yesterday, today, tomorrow, connections with others, what we possess, youth, happiness, the fragile and fleeting, all of it, everything.

Perhaps, this world will exist forever.

Maybe? Lin Liusi 6-I@]^? Pull, with miraculous magic, can make everything never wither.

"Then it would be forever."

Suddenly, the woman said.

She gazed at the city she loved, in a winter that wasn't exactly unpleasant.

It seems that two adults no longer need to confirm with each other.

They glanced at each other and then smiled.

The so-called adult is someone who, because they fell and felt pain, is now afraid to crawl on high places without handrails.

However, it is precisely because of hesitation and indecisiveness that one may end up with nothing.

Adults are the ones who won't do it because they know it will hurt.

But sometimes, adults are also the ones who are sad and weak.

The world is getting smaller because we've lost the strength to believe.

"Hehe, right?"

Suzuki made a laugh that Kuroki Yuka.

Haihara smiled slightly and shook her head.

"Um?"

Suzuki's cigarette was almost finished.

"I don't want any of it to end. I want it all to stay with me forever. I want to be happy forever."

The woman's dark, dull pupils, for once, brightened, revealing a rare seriousness.

He's an adult, yet he says such things.

That seems really stupid.

But what's wrong with that?

It's just a wish.

She had always hoped for this, hoping to touch that happiness even a little bit, and longing for the world to be a little more lenient with her willfulness.

"Suzuki, let's go back and have a drink. The food looks like it's getting cold."

Haihara remembered the important matter.

"Yeah, really, I think I'm sobering up a bit. Tonight can't end like this; you have to stay with me until later."

Suzuki didn't want the night to end too soon either.

After a hard day's work, this is the only moment worth looking forward to.

It's another morning.

Suzuki is the kind of person who doesn't get hangovers, so even though he drank late last night, he was only a little sleepy and didn't have a bad headache.

I had a great time last night, but when I woke up this morning, I still had to go to work.

The campus was unexpectedly beautiful in the snow, which put me in a good mood.

Suzuki hummed a song, picked up her briefcase, and walked into her workplace, which she did every day. However, today was still the School Festival, so there wasn't much for her to do. At most, she could give some guidance to the students in the literature and light music clubs and take some photos as souvenirs.

Along the way, the snow was thick and white, and the students were much more lively than usual.

Many students greeted Suzuki along the way.

"Good morning, Teacher Suzuki."

"Good morning."

Good morning, teacher! You look beautiful today too.

"Thank you, good morning. Hmm? Is that for today's performance...?"

After entering the teaching building, Suzuki first stepped on the carpet to shake off the snow from his shoes, and then brushed the snowflakes off his shoulders and hair.

She arrived very early today, so she didn't see many students or colleagues in the teaching building.

Back in his office, Suzuki patted his face to make sure he was completely sober from last night's drunkenness, and before getting anything done, he reminisced about the relaxing and enjoyable time of the previous night.

As she thought about it, she raised one arm above her head, grabbed it with her other hand, straightened her body, and stretched to loosen her muscles.

---Knock knock.

Suddenly, a light and careful knock came from the office door, which surprised Suzuki, who was still stretching. He wondered who could be looking for him so early.

Did something happen to the light music club?

Suzuki blinked:

"Please come in?"

She didn't know what was going on.

Until the door was opened, she saw two familiar yet unexpected faces.

One is Kirishima Ai, the top student in Haihara's class, and the other is her little niece Kuroki Yuka.

What brings these two children to see her so early in the morning?

Come to think of it, when I got off work yesterday, they and a few other kids seemed to be saying something to me.

She scratched her head, unsure of what to say, waiting to see what the two children would say to her.

Then, with an awkward smile on her face, Kuroki Yuka and Kirishima Ai walked to Suzuki's desk.

"Aunt, it's like this, I don't know if you've noticed, but you have a ring on your hand?"

"Ring?"

Suzuki was quite puzzled, but he still glanced at his hand and discovered that he was indeed wearing a ring he had never seen before.

Is there really a ring?

When? She didn't remember having a habit of wearing rings, and no one had touched her finger, had they?

Wait a minute... was she drunk last night?

Ah?

Could it be that Haihara actually thought she already...?

Just as Suzuki was in a state of confusion, Kuroki Yuka seemed to realize something and quickly explained:

"Please don't overthink it. Could you just try taking this ring off and take a look? It looks like... the arm-wrestling prize that our Kirishima lost."

"Good?"

Suzuki was still a little confused, but she subconsciously agreed and tried to take off the ring she wasn't used to wearing, feeling inexplicably complicated.

As a result, it was picked right away.

Two students asked Suzuki to take off his ring, but once it was off, they seemed confused, and Suzuki saw them looking at each other in bewilderment.

It's as if this ring shouldn't have been taken off so easily in the first place.

"Teacher Suzuki, didn't you see any particularly beautiful or blissful visions yesterday?"

Unsure, Kirishima and the others checked again.

"Huh? What illusion?"

Suzuki, of course, knew nothing about this; she certainly wasn't that drunk.