After rebirth, I became Tokyo Sentimental

Chapter 234, Page 233: How can I live without you?
The windshield wipers struggled to clear the snow particles covering the windshield as a Boeing passenger plane slowly landed at Shin-Mae-Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, finally freeing the passengers from the nightmare of turbulence.

As the cabin door opened, some disembarking passengers complained about the flight delay, while others looked excitedly at the heavy snow falling from the sky outside.

Unlike the passengers who traveled in groups of two or three, Haruno Tsukasa, who disembarked early in business class, was followed by more than a dozen people of all ages. They had to take two shuttle buses before finally sitting down. People around them thought it was the whole family traveling together.

It's almost the same.

Those people just thought they were brothers, sisters, and family traveling together, but they really were a family.

Because there were too many people, and half of them were children, it would be quite troublesome to get around by tram or taxi. So, Yuan Ye Si had made arrangements in advance and contacted someone he knew locally to buy three Alphard minivans. Since it was a family trip plus the Chinese New Year, they didn't hire a driver. So, apart from Yuan Ye Si driving one car, the others took turns driving to avoid making the trip too tiring.

Compared to Tokyo, which is often hot and humid and usually doesn't see its first snow until February or March, Sapporo in Hokkaido is now covered in snow as far as the eye can see.

However, it wasn't as cold to the touch as I had imagined.

On the contrary, the air was exceptionally crisp and clean.

It's also very easy to breathe.

If you stand outdoors, you can see the light snow flowing into the air as one. Whether it lands on your hair, eyelashes, or shoulders, the snow remains in its original form, falling off with a shake, and only melting when touched.

Here, one can clearly feel that the sense of life is amplified infinitely, even on a snowy night, and the dark wilderness is no longer so frightening.

Sapporo Haruno has been here more than once. Sato Mie and Shimizu Yuko have also come here many times to discuss cooperation due to work reasons. Even Suzumiya Saka has visited the site quite a few times after she jumped from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's administrative system to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. But the children don't have the opportunity. Apart from playing around Tokyo with their mothers, they have only been to more distant places on school trips organized by their schools.

But I've never been to Hokkaido before.

So even though it's only been two days since they decided to set off, these clever kids have already made plans overnight to go somewhere. Therefore, they split up and went to explore different places in Sapporo in the first two days.

On the third day, Haruno Tsukasa did not accompany Suzumiya Saka or Sato Mie, nor did he go anywhere with the children. Instead, he went to a sea cliff in the countryside.

The sea appears even whiter in winter.

Especially when it intersects with the boundary line of snow.

Standing on the black reef, the biting sea wind, carrying snowflakes like salt, stung his face slightly. Yuan Ye Si gazed at the white waves that kept surging towards the shore below, and felt a sense of emotion.

A full ten years have passed.

The spots where the waves crashed against the reef remained unchanged.

But his hair had already turned gray.

Kurosaki Orizuki stood there, her usually calm expression stirred. She pursed her lips slightly, and memories surfaced in her eyes. After a long while, she murmured softly, "It's been so long since I've been back."

"Yeah, I remember when you jumped off the cliff, you lost the game right after you were rescued."

Haruno Tsukasa turned his head and teased.

"I did that on purpose." She didn't turn around.

"Deliberately falling in love with me?"

"Does Haruno-kun think I've fallen in love with you?"

"I don't really know if I'm in love with her, but I definitely love using the ventilator with her at night."

"cut."

Even now, Haruno Tsukasa knows that Kurosaki Orizuki doesn't love him that much, or rather, she loves him very little. The reason she gave herself to him was because she lost her support back then, and her worldview almost collapsed.

In addition, the two of them had very little time to spend together.

In reality, the physical distance is greater than the spiritual distance.

However, after so many years of being close together, feelings had inevitably developed over time. Haruno Tsukasa reached out and pulled her into his arms, feeling her cool cheek pressed against his neck, just like back then, and asked:

"Still not working?"

"It's not possible; my body won't allow it."

As the cold wind subsided, Kurosaki Orizuki's heart, which had been chilled by the memories, warmed up again, but her eyelids drooped. She whispered in his ear, "I don't like children, but you're so enthusiastic."

"I'm rather greedy; I want to have more children."

"Then you can keep trying with Saka. After all, she only had one daughter. As far as I know, she really likes sons. If you hadn't been in a cold war for the past few years, your child might be in kindergarten by now."

"It's not too late to ask now."

"Then don't force me to do it."

"Let's see. I've made an appointment for you with a traditional Chinese medicine doctor at the University of Tokyo. We'll fly over there to get a checkup after we get back this time."

“The traditional Chinese medicine is effective, but not much. I don’t want to keep drinking such bitter soup.” Kurosaki Orizuki is a doctor herself, and she clearly didn’t have much hope.

"Lets see."

"Of course I'll go with you."

"..."

Over the years, she has been the only one who has not had children due to health reasons. It's not that she can't get pregnant, but that she doesn't dare to. After all, even ordinary people experience a surge in heart rate and shortness of breath during childbirth. For her, it wasn't just a trip to the gates of hell, but a constant struggle with the edge of death.

Even if you choose to have a cesarean section, it's not safe.

If you lose your life just to have a child, it's never worth it.

But children exist.

Especially for a woman.

It is almost an indispensable or incomplete role.

Haruno Tsukasa didn't have a good solution either. His wish list couldn't conjure up any magic pills. Although he had developed medical skills over the years, they were still quite rudimentary and not in his exact field. There was too much uncertainty in this matter. Haruno Tsukasa, an internationally renowned respiratory physician, used his financial power to examine him. Although he effectively curbed and even improved Kurosaki Orizuki's condition, no doctor dared to guarantee that she would have a child with absolute certainty.

Seemingly unwilling to continue the topic, Kurosaki Orizuki suddenly said, "They are all going to the Water Church."

"What's so interesting about that place?"

Haruno Tsukasa snapped out of his daze and said something.

"After all, it's one of the three parts of the church series, the highest hall of marriage. It's hard for a woman not to want to see it."

"You want to go too?"

"It's good to take a look."

"Aren't you going back to your hometown for a visit?"

"I have no intention of seeing people I don't want to see again."

"Then let's go and meet up with them."

The Chapel of the Water is nestled among the mountains of the northeastern part of the Yubari Mountains in Hokkaido. It was originally a very remote place, but since artist Tadao Ando completed his masterpiece, the Chapel Trilogy, it has become a popular tourist attraction and a dream wedding venue for countless people.

When Haruno Tsukasa and Kurosaki Orizuki arrived at the Church of the Water, music was playing inside.

Kurosaki Orizuki stood outside, fiddling with her phone.

Haruno Tsukasa looked inside. The door was now open, and he could clearly see two men and one woman standing under the Cross of Light. One of the men was standing in the middle, who should be the wedding officiant.

"A wedding is being held inside."

“Saka and the others are inside watching the ceremony. I just asked the newlyweds if they would refuse other people’s blessings.”

"Then let's go in too."

"Ah."

They entered the church hand in hand, sat down in empty seats in the back row, and watched the wedding.

They arrived at just the right time.

It seems we're about to reach the stage where the newlyweds exchange vows.

"Okay, now please turn around and look at each other, stand facing each other, and hold hands. Please get ready, as you are about to make your vows of love to each other in front of many relatives and friends."

The emcee, with his hair slicked back, filled the entire church with a deep voice and a professional smile, taking a half-step back to make room for the event.

His years of hosting experience seemed to have given him a natural ease in organizing the wedding ceremony. In addition, the church-style setting was relatively quiet. The emcee paused for a moment and first observed the expressions of the bride and groom: "Are you ready?" The groom nodded nervously.

The bride nodded slightly.

"I can tell the groom is quite nervous, after all, today is the most important day of his life, so please give him a round of applause!"

The emcee couldn't help but chuckle at the groom's trembling hands and offered him encouragement.

"Crash!"

The relatives and friends below also applauded in a very respectful manner.

The emcee slowly raised his right hand to suppress the sparse applause that was building up to its end. Feeling the time was right, and that further lingering was inappropriate, he decided to get straight to the point. So, he cleared his throat and, with what he considered his most powerful and resonant voice, smiled at the groom and said:
"So, before the vows are exchanged, what is the one thing you, the groom, most want to say to the bride at this moment?"

The groom opened his mouth, but his hands, hanging at his waist, trembled like leaves. He seemed unsure of what to say and could only look helplessly at the emcee.

The host then handed him the microphone.

Then he tilted his head slightly.

Silently tell him I love you through lip reading.

Although nervous, the groom wasn't blind. After understanding the emcee's meaning, he took a deep breath, picked up the microphone, and couldn't help but close his eyes. After a few seconds of gathering his thoughts, he shouted as if he were squeezing all the air out of his lungs:
"I love you! Jun Yamamoto!!!"

"..."

It seems she has finally spoken her mind.

No need to keep it bottled up inside anymore.

The groom wore a relieved, goofy grin.

Not hearing the expected applause, and sensing something was off, the host paused for a moment, but his professional hosting skills kept him composed. With a professional smile, he looked at his friends and family members in the eerily quiet audience and asked, "What's going on? Not a single person is clapping. What does that mean?"

Friends and family looked at each other.

Someone seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

Some people, however, mechanically want to applaud.

The host, with sharp eyes, spotted the relative who wanted to clap, thinking to himself that this family's relatives were really lacking in atmosphere. However, he maintained his professional tone and continued to control the pace. After taking back the microphone, he smiled and said, "Everyone, please don't rush to clap. What does that mean? Was the volume too low?"

"Let's go over what we just said and say it again."

He handed the microphone back to the groom.

Having already said it once, the initially nervous groom relaxed, and after squeezing out all the air from his lungs behind the microphone, he shouted loudly to the audience, "I love you! Jun Yamamoto!!!"

No one applauded.

The atmosphere was eerie and a little scary.

The host was also stunned. He had never seen such a group of relatives and friends in all these years. But just as he subconsciously took back the microphone to try to liven up the atmosphere, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the welcome sign leaning against the church entrance and the bride's name on it.

His eyes widened suddenly, his heart skipped a beat, and even his breathing seemed to stop.

Cold sweat suddenly broke out on my head.

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.

He opened his mouth, and the emcee instinctively asked the groom, "What's the bride's name?"

The groom paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something and blurted out, "Kaoru Murakami."

He stood there, stunned for a moment.

However, after a mere two seconds, the groom impatiently snatched the microphone from the emcee and put it to his lips, stammering as he called out again:
"I...I love you! Kaoru Murakami!"

"applaud!"

The host suddenly shouted.

The scene remained silent.

Five seconds later, applause broke out in a corner of the church, followed by responses from others.

The host grabbed the microphone back, forcing himself to calm down, and ignoring what others were thinking, immediately began speaking at a rapid pace:

"Thank you all for your blessings. It seems that everyone is very happy for the union of Mr. Junsuke Nagai and Ms. Kaoru Murakami. Now let's move on to the vows."

"At this sacred moment, please allow me to ask you a question, Mr. Junsuke Nagai, do you take Ms. Kaoru Yamamoto... Takeshita to be your wife, to love, respect, and protect her, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, forever?" After saying this, the host forcibly shoved the microphone into the groom's hand.

"I do!" The groom realized at that moment what an absurd mistake he had made, and cold sweat poured down his face. He hurriedly took the microphone and said.

"Yama..." The host almost mispronounced the name, but quickly corrected himself and said, "Ms. Takeshita Kaoru, are you willing to marry Mr. Nagai Junsuke, to become his partner and confidant, and to walk hand in hand with him through thick and thin, no matter how far or difficult the road ahead may be?"

However, the bride, whose face had already turned as black as the bottom of a pot, didn't even take the microphone and shouted directly, "I don't want to!"

"Bastard! Scumbag! Go to hell!"

After venting her anger, and ignoring the expressions of others, the bride lifted the hem of her wedding dress with both hands and walked off the stage, with some people trying to stop her.

"Xiao Xun, I believe Runjie didn't mean it that way. Don't be impulsive, just bear with it."

"I can tolerate this, I'd even eat shit!!!"

"Kaoru! Kaoru!"

The groom panicked even more at this point. While running off the stage to chase after the bride, he stumbled and almost fell flat on his face, but he quickly scrambled to his feet, crying out:

"I was wrong!"

"Don't leave me!"

"How can I live without you!"

The bride couldn't help but kick him, and after breaking free, she cursed, "Go find your Yamamoto Jun and live a good life!"

Relatives and friends all stood up.

The murmurs that had been building up for so long now echoed throughout the church.

The groom's parents had conflicted expressions.

The woman's parents looked as if they had swallowed flies.

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

Having witnessed the scene unfold like this, even Haruno Tsukasa, who had initially come with a heart full of blessings, was quite taken aback. However, he had no intention of staying to witness the chaotic scene. He got up and walked over to where Suzumiya Saka and the others were sitting, saying:
“Saka, we…”

"Men who are fickle are the most disgusting! No wonder everyone despises them. Mie, look at that man who even got the name wrong at the wedding, doesn't he look like a dog on the street now?" Ryoumiya Saeka, who had been sitting silently, interrupted Haruno Tsukasa halfway through his sentence, as if she were cursing to herself.

"What do you mean by like? It's obviously like that!"

Sato Mie immediately followed up with a tirade of insults.

"I can't imagine if our husbands would call us by the wrong name if we held our wedding here."

Suzumiya Saka continued her sarcastic remarks with a cold smile.

"How can we call them wrong? Just call them all out together, right?" Sato Mie and she worked in perfect unison, putting their hands to their mouths and pretending to shout, "I love you! Suzumiya Saka! Sato Mie! Shigeie Shio! Shimizu Yuko! Kurosaki Orizuki!"

“You’ve mispronounced it. You’ve also missed someone who hasn’t been seen for ten years and came back with their daughter.” Ryoumiya Saika shook her head and added without any attempt to hide it.

"Oh right." Sato Mie nodded, then feigned a cry, "I love you too! Shihouin Chiyo!"

Haruno Tsukasa stood still, his expression turning calm.

Meanwhile, Suzumiya Saka and Sato Mie looked completely unconcerned, sitting with their feet crossed like Buddhas, while the others secretly observed his expression.

There was silence for a few seconds.

Haruno Tsukasa walked up to Sato Mie, looked at her face, and then said in an unquestionable tone:

"It's one thing for her to say it, but you're joining in with your sarcastic remarks. Fine then, tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, we'll also have our wedding. Since everyone's here this time, we don't need to go to this location. After all, this church is a bit outdated. I'll find another place myself and let you know when I've found one. You all get ready."

(End of this chapter)