"Not continuing?" Kasumigaoka Utaha broke the silence, noticing that Natsukawa Kanade seemed somewhat distracted.
"What?" Kanade blinked, caught off guard by her question.
"I'm talking about the date, of course," Utaha clarified before shifting the conversation. "Doesn't my dear junior have more places he'd like to visit?"
"..." Kanade glanced at her, refraining from any sarcastic retort. Instead, he nodded and said, "That's true… but what about you, senpai? Don't you have things you'd like to do?"
"I don't mind at all." Utaha shook her head with a faint upward tilt to her lips.
"Since I said I'd accompany you, I'll stick with you to the end. So no matter what unspeakable places you want to take me or what unspeakable things you want to do… I'll keep my promise," she teased, her tone playful.
"Thanks for the kind offer, but I'd like to maintain my dignity as a human being for now." Kanade nodded politely. Having gotten used to her antics, this level of teasing hardly fazed him anymore.
However, when it came to deciding where to go next, he found himself at a loss.
For someone like him, who typically didn't leave the house unless absolutely necessary, most of his free time was spent indoors—playing games, listening to music, and the like. He did enjoy traveling as a hobby, but since trips required significant planning and time, he rarely ventured out unless his schedule was completely clear. Days like today, with a sudden decision to go out, made detailed planning impossible.
Initially, he'd thought that visiting a bookstore and an arcade would be enough to pass the time, but now, barely halfway through the day, he was already running out of ideas.
"Do you have any places you'd like to visit, senpai?" Kanade turned to ask Utaha. It wasn't about catering to her preferences—he just genuinely couldn't think of anything, so he figured he might as well ask for suggestions.
"Me?" The unexpected question caught Utaha off guard, but she quickly began to think seriously.
She did have many places she wanted to visit, which was why she'd framed today's outing as a "research" date. However, most of her planned destinations weren't suitable for today—completing them now would disrupt her overall strategy.
"How about watching a movie?" Utaha proposed.
It suited her persona while also fulfilling her "date" aspirations. Though the idea was a bit cliché, she liked the classic charm of it.
"A movie, huh… works for me." Kanade nodded. Given Utaha's personality, he couldn't imagine her suggesting anything else. After all, she was similar to him—a homebody who could spend an entire day indoors. The difference was that she would likely be reading while he'd be gaming.
"Is there something specific you want to watch?"
Utaha nodded. "There are a few, like Norwegian Wood..."
"Norwegian Wood..." Kanade repeated thoughtfully, signaling his understanding as he pulled out his phone to check for showtimes at nearby theaters.
As an older film, Norwegian Wood was long past its prime release period. However, its status as a classic meant that some theaters occasionally re-screened it.
They were in luck. After only a brief search, Kanade found a nearby theater that happened to be showing it today. The screening was about an hour away, though the theater was a bit far and would require a train ride.
"One hour… If we leave now, we should make it," Kanade said after some quick calculations, sharing the theater's location with Utaha.
After checking the information, Utaha nodded. "No objections here."
With that, the two briefly planned their route before heading to the nearest train station.
Once aboard the train, they quickly found seats next to each other. It wasn't rush hour, so the train was relatively empty, with only a few scattered passengers. Talking wouldn't disturb anyone, but Kanade, having nothing in particular to discuss, simply pulled out his phone and started scrolling through Twitter.
Utaha, however, didn't seem annoyed. Instead, she tugged lightly at his arm and whispered, "Move over a bit. I want to see too."
Without waiting for his response, she leaned in slightly.
Kanade shot her a sidelong glance, his expression faintly exasperated. Yet, despite his apparent reluctance, his actions betrayed him—his scrolling noticeably slowed as if accommodating her.
Time slipped by, and just as Natsukawa Kanade thought they would peacefully reach their destination, Kasumigaoka Utaha, seated beside him, suddenly stretched out her hand, tapping the screen.
"This couple is so pitiful," she remarked.
"?" The abrupt invitation to engage caught Kanade's attention. He focused on the screen and noticed a short story-like post:
A girl was diagnosed with cancer and needed immediate surgery. However, since her parents had passed away and she had no other family, no one could sign the surgical consent form. As a result, the hospital refused to proceed with the operation. Despite her boyfriend's tireless care, no miracle occurred in the end...
The narrative was lengthy and needn't be fully detailed, but the gist was clear. The always-sentimental Utaha couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
"The dead are gone, and the living must carry on. It's easy to say, but for her boyfriend, the days ahead must be unimaginably tough," she mused.
Utaha didn't favor stories that ended in tragedy. Still, she couldn't deny that many of history's greatest works of art often concluded on sorrowful notes.
This was natural. Tragedy held a unique value—it lingered in memory. But modern creators often misunderstood its essence, choosing to craft sorrow for the sake of sorrow while neglecting its core. As a result, many recent "tragedies" failed to resonate and instead annoyed audiences.
True tragedy wasn't about catastrophic events like accidents or disasters causing permanent separation. It was about the natural course of events leading to a painful conclusion, while also showcasing something deeply meaningful along the way. That was genuine tragedy.
Like the love between the couple in this story—their bond was what truly deserved recognition.
"I don't see it that way," Kanade said, shaking his head decisively.
Utaha looked at him, stunned, a sudden chill seeping into her heart.
But Kanade simply continued with his reasoning. "If I were that guy…"
"If you were him… you'd be able to move on from your girlfriend's death quickly?" Utaha asked softly, a strange unfamiliarity washing over her as she looked at him. For a moment, it felt as though she'd never truly understood the person beside her.
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" Kanade frowned. "If it were me, this situation wouldn't have happened in the first place."
"Huh?" Utaha blinked, bewildered.
Kanade explained matter-of-factly, "Consent forms for surgery usually just require the patient's signature. It's only because hospitals want to avoid liability that they insist on having a family member sign. But this is actually easy to solve. All you need is a single piece of paper."
Utaha's puzzled expression deepened.
"Marriage registration, of course," Kanade continued, looking at her with faint disdain. "Just fill out a marriage application. Once it's registered, you're legally married. And as her husband, you'd have the authority to sign the consent form."
Utaha froze.
Seeing her still perplexed, Kanade elaborated, "That's why I said I don't agree with how it played out. Normally, since the girl had no other relatives, the hospital would have explained this option to the guy. If he cared enough, he would've asked if it was possible. The fact that he didn't means he likely had his own concerns—or he might have already thought about the implications and chosen not to act."
"Of course, I'm not saying he was wrong. Risk aversion is human nature, and the fact that he took care of her afterward shows he was quite responsible. But if it were me, I'd have chosen a different approach..."
Kanade continued, expounding on his perspective. However, Utaha had stopped listening. An inevitable thought crept into her mind: If it were me...
"If it were me, would you do the same?" she blurted out, her eyes fixed intently on him, eager for his answer.
"Huh?" Kanade was startled, pausing before responding. "Unfortunately..."
"..." Utaha's lips parted slightly, and she felt as if all the strength had drained from her body.
"Unfortunately, if it were you, I wouldn't have the right to do so," Kanade said, shrugging. "Your parents are perfectly healthy, aren't they? There'd be no reason for someone like me, an outsider, to step in."
"..."
Utaha fell silent after hearing his every word. This silence lasted even longer than before, to the point where Kanade started to wonder if something was wrong.
Eventually, Utaha lifted her head and looked at Kanade with an overly sweet smile, her lips curving just so as she squinted slightly.
"As expected of you, trash-kun. Your skill at toying with innocent girls is truly unmatched..."
"..."
"My suggestion? Go die. Right here, right now, in front of me. I'd love to witness firsthand how humans writhe in agony before death."
"Huh?!" Kanade's face was a picture of shock and horror.
What was this woman saying? How could she be so cruel?!