Chapter 130
[The new hospital room felt much more alive than the old one. Gone were the plastic floors and the sterile white bedding and curtains. If not for the bars on the walls and the medical equipment by the bed, one could hardly tell it was a hospital room.]
[What pleased you most was that the new ward didn’t require wearing those drab, pale blue patient gowns. Reina Nakajima could wear anything she wanted—or rather, anything you wanted her to wear.]
[You bought her a variety of outfits, letting her try on something new every day. No matter what she wore, the girl always exuded an elegant charm.]
[The room’s temperature was kept at a constant 22 degrees Celsius, making it unsuitable for thick formal kimonos. Your favorite look for her was either a dress or a casual yukata.]
[What Reina regretted, however, was that while there was a small garden outside the window, the distant sky was mostly obscured by tall buildings, robbing her of a view of the horizon.]
[The special ward was equipped with many recreational facilities for patients, and quite a few wealthy elderly people treated it like a retirement home. Reina, however, had little interest in such amenities. When you weren’t there, she would sit quietly by the window, watching the view. Over time, even the skyscrapers blocking her view became part of her scenery.]
[After school, you would come to the hospital to keep her company, staying until she fell asleep before leaving.]
[Anxious about her surgery two years down the line, you cherished every moment with her even more. Not wanting to be separated from her because of classes, you discussed the matter with your father. You made an agreement: as long as you maintained your grades by taking monthly tests, you would be allowed to skip attending classes.]
[To secure this privilege and free you from attendance requirements, your father went to great lengths on your behalf.]