Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 176 Shiina Maki has realized that Akizuki Makoto has been taken away.

"Um……"

Perhaps because Shiina Maki's crying was too loud, Shiina's mother, who was lying on the bed, twitched her fingers and let out a muffled murmur.

"Mother? Mother? You're awake?!"

Hearing this murmur, Shiina Maki suddenly raised her head and stammered, "W-how are you? How are you feeling?"

"Ma...Nozomi?"

Shiina's mother turned her head to look at Shiina Maki, whose face was covered in tears, and gently called her name with her dry, bluish lips.

Her half-open eyes held a hint of confusion, as if she hadn't yet grasped her current situation or why Shiina Maki was standing before her.

"Mother, it's me. I'm sorry it took you so long to come see me."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Shiina's mother suddenly frowned and asked in a cold voice, "What are you doing here? And don't call me mother. Didn't I tell you? I have nothing to do with you anymore. I don't have a daughter like you!"

She still harbored resentment towards Shiina Maki for abandoning her without her consent.

Even if it meant death, she would never forgive Shiina Maki for leaving her without permission.

"Mother, please don't say that. I was wrong. I won't leave. I'll stay by your side and I'll always be with you..."

Shiina Maki shook her head desperately, pleading with her mother through tears, her posture both humble and pitiful.

After realizing that her mother only had one or two years to live, her desire to stay by her mother's side was so strong that she immediately moved out of her current apartment and back to Adachi Ward.

"..."

Akizuki Makoto frowned slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he opened his mouth and then held back.

Now is not the time for him to speak; he can try to persuade Shiina Maki later.

After all, Shiina's mother has a rather unusual illness, and living together might cause some problems.

This was something he didn't want to see. Even if it meant going against Shiina Maki's wishes, he wanted to prevent Shiina and her daughter from living together.

However, in the end, he probably won't need to intervene; Shiina's mother will likely not agree.

"Heh, no need. Get out of here, I don't acknowledge you as my daughter!"

Shiina's mother remained unmoved, her face cold. She knew what illness she had, having known it long before this incident.

Because this disease can only be treated, not cured, she kept ignoring it, which led to her condition worsening to the point that she suddenly fainted while walking on the street and had to be taken to the hospital.

“Mother, I really know I was wrong. No matter how much you hit me or scold me, I will never leave again. Please, let me stay with you.”

"roll."

Shiina's mother seemed unwilling to speak to Shiina Maki any longer, and after saying "get lost," she turned her gaze to Akizuki Makoto, who was standing at the door of the ward.

"Take her away and keep a close eye on her. Since you tricked her into leaving, you should take responsibility!"

"..."

Akizuki Makoto silently accepted Shiina's mother's reprimand, understanding the meaning behind her words.

"Qiu-Qiu-jun took responsibility; it was he who helped pay the medical bills..."

Shiina Maki spoke softly, trying to defend Akizuki Makoto and praise his good qualities.

But in Shiina's mother's eyes, this was nothing to worry about; it was just money.

If Akizuki Makoto were the kind of person who had no money, but still paid her medical bills, she might think more highly of him.

But she knew that Akizuki Makoto was rich, after all, he was a popular writer. No matter which bookstore she went to, there was a picture of Akizuki Makoto and his novel "Snow Country" on the signboard, so it was hard not to notice him.

"Take her away quickly."

Shiina's mother once again issued an order to leave, urging Akizuki Makoto to hurry up.

She knew her daughter, of course. If it weren't for Akizuki Makoto's persuasion, Shiina Maki would have stayed there no matter what, begging for her forgiveness.

After a long silence, Qiu Yuecheng finally stepped forward, squatted down, and softly advised, "...Let's go first, let your mother rest for a while, and then we can come back later."

"No, I want... I want to stay with my mother..."

Shiina Maki shook her head, sobbing with tears streaming down her face, "Mother, I really know I was wrong, it was my fault, please don't be angry with me anymore."

"..."

Shiina's mother closed her eyes and simply ignored Shiina Maki, since Shiina Maki wouldn't listen to anything she said anyway.

"Shiina, let's go first and let your aunt rest. She just woke up and her emotions are still unstable."

"..."

Shiina's mother opened her eyes again and glared at Akizuki Makoto.

This guy will say anything to fool Shiina Maki.

Are you kidding me? She's emotionally unstable.

How can she remain calm when her own daughter has been deceived and taken away?
...Although it was indeed her fault that Shiina Maki was tricked away.

If she hadn't abused Shiina Maki, Shiina Maki wouldn't have thought about leaving.

"No... I don't want to leave my mother again... I want to stay by her side forever..."

"Shiina..."

Makoto Akizuki sighed helplessly; he knew Shiina Maki's personality all too well.

They are both stubborn and obstinate; once they've made up their minds about something, they'll stick to it wholeheartedly and it's very difficult to change their minds.

"Shiina, listen to me."

Makoto Akizuki crouched down, moved closer to Maki Shiina, placed his hands on her shoulders, and forcefully turned her body around so that she would look him in the eye.

“Your mother has just woken up and needs to rest. Your crying here will only disturb her.”

"If there's anything wrong, we can come back another time later to calm each other down, okay?"

"Listen to me, come with me first."

This time, his words seemed to have some effect. Shiina Maki no longer refused or begged her mother for forgiveness. Instead, she pursed her lips and remained silent.

A hint of hesitation and doubt appeared on her face, and her heart was already wavering.

She knew perfectly well that Akizuki Makoto was right; she should indeed leave now to allow their emotions to calm down and find another suitable time to talk.

But she was terrified of leaving her mother, feeling that if she left now, she would never see her mother again.

She wanted to get her mother's forgiveness immediately, to reconcile with her, and to stay by her side.

"...Okay, fine."

In the end, Shiina Maki relented and agreed to leave with Akizuki Makoto first, and then find time to see her mother later.

"Okay, let's go." Akizuki Makoto smiled and left the ward with Shiina Maki, who was reluctant to leave and kept looking back.

As they left, Shiina's mother kept her eyes closed and turned her head to the side, not looking at them even once.

There was nothing left for her and Maki Shiina to say to each other; their mother-son relationship was completely severed from that day on.

To be honest, she was quite unwilling at the time and wanted to take Shiina Maki back from Akizuki Makoto.

Not only is Shiina Maki's only family member, but Shiina Maki is also the only family member she has in this world.

She was born in an orphanage and abandoned by her parents at a young age, unaware of the existence of her relatives. That's why she was easily deceived by her runaway husband with sweet words when she grew up.

Just as she was planning how to win back Shiina Maki, devastating news suddenly broke.

She suddenly developed a high fever and collapsed while working. After being tested at the hospital, she was diagnosed with HIV.

From that moment on, she completely gave up on Shiina Maki and never thought about taking her back.

……

……

After leaving the hospital, Shiina Maki kept her head down and remained silent, her expression shrouded in gloom.

Clearly, she was extremely depressed at that moment and was in a state of self-isolation.

"Well, Shiina, although it's not the right thing to say, I think you should think more carefully about living with your mother."

Akizuki Makoto broke the silence by speaking first, and immediately cut straight to the most crucial point, which was also what he cared about most.

"Eh?"

Shiina Maki seemed surprised by Akizuki Makoto's words, looked up at him in astonishment, and asked softly, "W-why... why did Akizuki-kun say that?"

"Well... I'm worried about you. It would be bad if you got infected."

Akizuki Makoto smiled bitterly. If Shiina's mother were a normal mother, he naturally wouldn't object to Shiina Maki living with her mother.

After all, HIV is transmitted through blood, saliva, sex, and from mother to child. Daily physical contact or living together is not a problem.

but……

Shiina's mother has a history of domestic violence, so if we're not careful, Shiina Maki could really get infected.

"Why would Akizuki-kun say such a thing!"

After Akizuki Makoto finished expressing his concerns, Shiina Maki suddenly became agitated and shouted, "My mother wouldn't infect me! She wouldn't do that!"

"I'm sorry, I just have this concern. This kind of thing can't be taken lightly."

Makoto Akizuki hurriedly apologized and explained, even though it would anger Maki Shiina, he had no choice but to point out the potential problems that might arise if they lived together.

It's not just him who's worried; if Shiraishi Rin and Niijima Rie knew, they'd probably be extremely worried too, and would urge her to think it over carefully.

Shiina Maki suddenly covered her face and wept again, sobbing, "Akizuki-kun... what should I do... I know about that kind of thing... but... I can't just stand by and do nothing!"

"It's okay if we don't live together, right? The thing we need to think about now is how to make up."

Makoto Akizuki would certainly not say something like preventing Shiina Maki from reconciling with her mother, because Shiina Maki would definitely not agree to that.

He still had to respect Shiina Maki's wishes, after all...

The person he chose wasn't Maki Shiina, so naturally he couldn't interfere too much, and then he irresponsibly walked away.

Now, he understands the importance of maintaining appropriate distance and boundaries in interpersonal relationships, and he will no longer let things get out of control.

"Okay, stop crying. You still have friends with you now, you're not alone anymore."

Makoto Akizuki gently patted Maki Shiina's shoulder and comforted her, "Niijima and Shiraishi, they are your good friends, right? You still have them. I believe they will be your support."

"Rin-chan and Rie-chan...?"

Shiina Maki murmured to herself, noticing the deeper meaning in Akizuki Makoto's words.

He only mentioned Rie Niijima and Rin Shiraishi, but didn't say a word about himself.

What does it mean?

Is this an attempt to distance oneself from the issue?
Shiina Maki is currently in a state of extreme sensitivity, unable to stop thinking about things.

"Akizuki-kun, what about you?"

Shiina Maki couldn't help but ask, reaching out to grab Akizuki Makoto's sleeve, her voice filled with unease: "Can't I... rely on you? Can't you be my support?"

For a long time now, she hasn't revealed her feelings or acted coquettishly towards Akizuki Makoto like this.

She endured and endured, but what she got in return was that Akizuki Makoto and Ji Yexue became increasingly intimate and ambiguous.

She had witnessed all of Akizuki Makoto's and Ji Yexue's interactions, but she believed that she, who had committed a sin against Akizuki Makoto, had no right to be willful.

At that time, she did not know that Ji Yexue had done the same thing as her, nor did she know that the ghost that attacked Qiuyue Cheng was actually Ji Yexue.

She always believed that Ji Yexue was more deserving to stay by Qiu Yuecheng's side than a woman like herself who had committed heinous acts against him.

Therefore, she refrained from disturbing them and dared not do so.

She feared that if she continued to be willful, the relationship that had finally eased would deteriorate again.

But she can't take it anymore; she's reached her limit.

She was already about to lose her mother in the near future, and she didn't want to lose Akizuki Makoto as well.

"Me..."

Makoto Akizuki scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled, and dared not meet Maki Shiina's tear-filled eyes any longer.

He glanced away, turned his face to the side, and said, "You can rely on me. I will help you. After all, we are friends. If I can help you, that would be great."

His words were subtle, but how could Maki Shiina not understand the sense of distance in them?

With a trembling voice, Shiina Maki asked, filled with fear and unease, "Akizuki-kun, do you... have someone you like? Someone you care about?"

"Why are you suddenly asking this? Isn't this what we're talking about? My situation is fine no matter what..."

Akizuki sincerely tried to change the subject and not want to answer Shiina Maki's question, but Shiina Maki was clearly not going to be fooled so easily.

"It's not that everything is good!"

Shiina Maki suddenly shouted, interrupting Akizuki Makoto's words, and said on the verge of collapse, "Now even Akizuki-kun is leaving me?"

She understood the moment Akizuki Makoto tried to change the subject and didn't answer.

Her beloved Qiuyuejun has been taken away; his gaze will no longer be fixed on her.

The person who took Akizuki Makoto was clearly only Hime Yexue.

Only she could take Akizuki Makoto away, and only she could get close to him.

Akizuki Makoto maintains a distance from everyone else, but he never does so with Ji Yexue.

(End of this chapter)