I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 103 The Dying Man (Third Update, Please Vote~)

Rainwater outside the teahouse shattered on the moss-covered steps, like smooth pearls breaking apart.

The boy's voice was soft, yet resounding.

Mochizuki Miki did not show any obvious disappointment in response to Tsukino Gen's answer, nor did she have any hysterical or excessive reaction.

The atmosphere in the tea room became noticeably silent for a while, a process that lasted about ten minutes.

No one spoke. Tsukino Gen shamelessly drank the tea offered and ate the snacks laid out on the table, waiting for the other person to process their emotions.

He had no reason to agree to the other party's request.

It's not some meaningless excuse like "I'll change the other person's fate" or "I'll cause a cycle of cause and effect." It's simply that I don't want to become the miracle doctor they claim can bring the dead back to life.

For someone who is neither a relative nor an acquaintance, requiring the expenditure of one's internal energy, and having never tried this treatment before, there's little chance of success. Therefore, it's best not to give the other person any hope. It seems the internal energy I injected did indeed immediately pull her back from her epileptic-like state.

But that doesn't mean it's a cure. People often say that treating the symptoms doesn't cure the root cause, so why not treat the root cause? Is it because they don't want to? Of course, it's because it's too difficult. I'm far from being an omnipotent superman.

Moreover, there's no guarantee that treating her won't bring other troubles upon myself.

Even though she was very beautiful and had such a unique temperament, she might have been willing to give up everything for her life. But in Tsukino Gen's eyes, everything she was willing to give up was not important to him.

Leaving someone in distress might seem cold-hearted and lacking in compassion. But Tsukino Gen was never a particularly kind person, nor did he ever claim to be one. After all, good people always have the hardest lives.

After a long silence of ten minutes, Mochizuki Miki finally put down her slightly cooled teacup and spoke.

"Actually, I didn't have much hope, or rather, I convinced myself to give up on that idea a long time ago. Everyone has their own destiny, and there's nothing wrong with accepting it."

"It's just that this unexpected event gave me a glimmer of hope. I still couldn't help but want to get closer to it. I'm not as carefree as I think I am."

She smiled.

Her face, filled with a sense of alienation, appeared exceptionally poignant.

Gen Tsukino felt that she might be more suitable for portraying women with tragic fates.

"Don't be too pessimistic. Technology is always developing, and maybe a suitable treatment will be found in the future, and a miracle will happen. After all, you may lack money, but you don't lack anything else."

The smile vanished quickly, and she shook her head.

"I don't lack money, but I lack time. The hospitals I've been to have basically all predicted that I might not live past forty, or even more pessimistically, around thirty-five. That doesn't amount to many years. If I were to encounter a similar accident as before, and I was unlucky enough that no one heard my cries for help, I might just die on an ordinary day without even realizing it."

Why does this feel like a timed mission?

Looking at the cold and world-weary woman opposite him, Tsukino Gen felt as if a yellow exclamation mark was appearing above her head, with the instruction: Save her life before she turns forty.

He thought about it.

"No matter what, you're still alive and well, and a big star adored by countless fans. That's already more exciting than the ordinary, mediocre lives of many people. And who knows, a miracle might happen in a few years."

"Actually, I don't want to be a star."

Mochizuki Miki said calmly.

"But you're a big star now."

“Yes.” She nodded, a hint of self-mockery in her eyes. “After this illness first occurred, I asked myself countless times: Should I single-mindedly pursue any possible miracle and stubbornly live on? Or should I enjoy the limited time I have and live my short life as if it were someone else’s whole life?”

"Then I came to the answer. I studied acting, debuted, and became a star. Because I wanted to leave more traces of my existence in this world. I hoped more people would notice my existence. That was indeed what I thought at first."

"Since it was the beginning, does that mean your thoughts are different now?"

Tsukino Gendo asked.

He seemed quite patient in chatting about such trivial things, mainly because he had nothing else to do that weekend and had nothing to do when he got home. As for other dates, Kazama Sakura had told him she was going to study behind closed doors and give him a big surprise at the end of the semester.

Of course, he remained skeptical.

Of course, Mochizuki Miki on the other side had no idea that the young man in front of her, sitting next to a star like herself, was still thinking about other girls.

She was simply pleased with the other person's keen insight and the kindness in accepting that comment.

There are too many things I can't say to the people around me, and even at the company, very few people know about my health condition.

For some reason, I spoke so easily to this handsome and exceptionally young man, and I even felt an urge to speak my mind.

In their eyes, he was just a lucky entertainer who didn't act like a diva but was also aloof. They never imagined that all his actions were simply a way to avoid leaving any further entanglements in his acting career.

The departure of someone is always sad, so it seems that the only thing we can do is to shorten the duration of this pain.

She said softly, "When I travel like this, to meet you alone, I have to keep it a secret from the whole world. In this kind of weather, I have to wear a coat. There are countless private things to be careful about and deliberately conceal. Apart from performing, leaving behind works, and receiving praise and positive reviews, everything about being an artist is actually exhausting."

"But at least it's much better than being an office worker, worrying about daily necessities and working overtime from 7 am to 9 pm every day."

"That's right, as I said, people's original intentions can change. When your private life becomes a TV show, when your every word and action is magnified infinitely, you might understand my feelings a little better. With your qualifications, becoming a star would be easy."

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "I'll pass. I have no such plans."

"Do you also subconsciously feel that being a celebrity is not free?"

Looking at the boy, Mochizuki Miki replied slowly, "Perhaps that's true, but I really never had any interest in this area from the beginning, nor do I have any talent for acting. I'm just an ordinary person."

Mochizuki Miki shook her head. "You're no ordinary person. I saw your skills at the premiere, and I also saw how you saved me."

Gen Tsukino didn't even consider denying it.

In his view, neither side had revealed all of the other's secrets, and neither was entirely honest.

"What does my business have to do with your business?"

"No."

Mochizuki Miki's indifferent reply.

"That's it. I thought you would offer some kind of incentive to try and tempt me, but it turns out you're just telling stories? I'm sorry, my empathy is rather poor, and my abilities are limited. What you hope for, I really can't do."

Despite the boy's cold reiteration, which seemed to be an attempt to eradicate her hopes completely, Mochizuki Miki was not angry.

She simply said, "I've thought about whether I should put all my chips on the table, such as all the income I've earned so far in the industry, or even myself. But after thinking about it, it seems pointless to live a miserable and chaotic life."

"You were planning to get something for nothing from the start? While you're honest, Ms. Mochizuki, it's hurtful. I'm not a fan of yours." "I know you went to the premiere with those two girls; it had nothing to do with me."

"As long as you know."

How come she knows everything?

Why did they call me out? They seem unsurprised by the outcome, so it was just to have a cup of tea and tell me stories?
Big stars don't seem to be as busy as she claims.

She suddenly laughed, an insincere laugh, which made the atmosphere seem bizarre and absurd.

"I'm sorry to have taken up your time today. Actually, I asked you to come out because I wanted to make sure that I'm the kind of person who would give anything to survive."

"So you're not that kind of person?"

She shook her head. "I'm ashamed to say that I still have a sliver of hope that you'll pity me and be willing to help me. Perhaps... you really aren't sure, or maybe I've just set my expectations too high."

She then took an envelope from the pocket of her light green trench coat; it was quite thick.

She pushed the envelope in front of Tsukino Gen and said.

"This is what I promised you."

“I can’t help you with your situation, and it seems you don’t need to give me any money.”

Gen Tsukino did not take it.

Although the outcome seemed predetermined, Mochizuki Miki did not behave inappropriately and maintained her dignified posture.

"It's alright, money isn't important to me anymore. Besides, you saved me last time, so this can be considered a way of thanking you. If you have something to do, Tsukino-kun, you can go ahead and take care of it."

This seems to be the first time a woman has proactively asked me to leave, of course, excluding the tsundere brat Kiyono Mizuki.

She was always giving him the boot, but her eyes were desperately trying to keep him here.

The boy didn't rush to leave. Instead, he looked at the window and then back at the woman across the street.

"By the way, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Please?"

Mochizuki Miki looked at the boy with a strange expression.

"Yes, my friend is a big fan of yours. If you need to recuperate or adjust your mood and plan to temporarily suspend your entertainment activities, could you please issue a statement instead of disappearing without a trace?"

Mochizuki Miki seemed surprised by this request. She hesitated for a moment, then chuckled.

"You just rejected my hopes, and now you're asking me for this. Tsukino-kun, you're even more cold-blooded than I thought."

Gen Tsukino shrugged.

"If I promise something I can't do, it's a lie. If you like hearing people lie, I don't mind playing along."

Mochizuki Miki smiled. "I understand. I promise you. I won't let your friend be sad because of me."

"Then I'll take my leave."

Gen Tsukino stood up, preparing to leave without any psychological burden.

Finally, Mochizuki Miki glanced at Tsukino Gen.

"Tsuno-kun."

"Ok?"

"If you're willing to debut, I can be the female lead in your debut film while I'm still alive."

The boy paused as he opened the door.

Then he turned around and looked at Mochizuki Miki with a bright smile.

"No need, I already have a leading lady."

There are quite a few.

Once the door closed, the tea room fell silent once more.

Mochizuki Miki did not leave immediately; she even drank a few cups of hot tea.

But the phone on the table had vibrated countless times and received numerous messages. The calls seemed urgent, as if the entire table was trembling, but she didn't answer them.

She felt that her biggest takeaway from the day was that, despite the shattering of her hopes, she did not fall into despair or become helpless.

On the contrary, she now seems to be truly breathing the air of freedom.

The shackles that bound him actually crumbled.

"Clap."

Hang up the phone directly from the person whose contact name is "Boss".

"A dying person should be a little willful."

Her smile was content, as gentle as the sunlight that filled the sky after the light rain had stopped.

On the table, besides the constantly vibrating phone, there was also an envelope that the boy hadn't taken.

Gen Tsukino didn't go straight home after leaving the teahouse because he saw a scratch-off lottery ticket.

The moment he scraped it open without any hope.

The boy's eyes widened.

"Holy crap, it actually worked?!"

……

It's so annoying! I keep having sleep apnea. I went to the hospital this afternoon, and they suggested I have my tonsils removed. But I simply don't have the time. So frustrating.

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(End of this chapter)