Chapter 123
Yuko Ibuki’s small figure was wrapped in the interplay of light and shadow cast by the desk lamp. She sat in the chair, its modestly sized backrest completely obscuring her spine. From his vantage point, Yuuki Minami could only see the upper part of her ponytail and her elbows resting on the desk.
The girl retrieved a paperback from her small shoulder bag and started reading.
Was she truly focused on the book in her hands? Or was her mind instead churning with plans and thoughts? Yuko’s persistence gave Yuuki a tinge of melancholy, reminding him of Nao Asano—his reclusive elder sister whose determination was no less intense than the girl under the lamp.
This steadfastness moved him, yet it also planted an unsettling idea in his mind. Why should his flowerpot hold only one bloom? Perhaps he could create an entire garden and plant hundreds of flowers… No, even setting aside legalities and the opinions of the girls involved, his own body couldn’t handle it.
It was wiser to find one favorite flower to cherish.
With that, Yuuki closed his half-lidded eyes and continued looking at the simulation interface.
—
[Friday Night: You, Yohei Nakajima, and Yuko Ibuki gather in Reina Nakajima’s hospital room.]
[Yohei Nakajima sends Yuko Ibuki away, leaving you to talk with his daughter.]