After the sixth episode aired, online discussions erupted among viewers:
"Naoto said the afterlife is a place where gods are chosen, and only those who suffered tragedies in life can enter... It actually makes some sense. In other stories, it might even be true."
"If that world really exists to select gods, that would be amazing. Too bad it's probably just Naoto's chuunibyou acting up. Old Thief Lin's anime would never be that kind."
"Speaking of which, it's already the sixth episode, and this new animation by Old Thief Lin isn't really that heartbreaking at all."
"It's too kind to us viewers—I almost can't adapt."
"I noticed something: Naoto learned hypnosis and can make people remember their past lives. If that's the case, couldn't the Male Lead, who lost his memories, use this method to recall his past?"
"Maybe that could work."
"It's a seasonal anime, and we're past the halfway point. The next episode should probably cover the Male Lead's past. I hope it's not too heartbreaking."
November 14th, another Saturday.
That evening, Sato Shingo sat in front of his TV to watch the seventh episode of as.
As an anime otaku, he wouldn't miss a work of this quality, especially one supervised by a renowned figure.
He was thoroughly satisfied with the anime's overall lighthearted and cheerful tone.
While he didn't consider Iwasawa Masami's disappearance in the third episode truly heartbreaking, it had, like many netizens, made him suspicious. He wondered if the anime was engaging in deceptive marketing, perhaps planning to make one character disappear each episode starting from the third.
However, with no one vanishing in episodes four through six, and the plot remaining relatively light, his concerns gradually subsided.
According to online discussions, the upcoming seventh episode was likely to reveal the Male Lead's past life, which made him even more eager.
As expected by the netizens, after the seventh episode aired, the plot unfolded as predicted:
Yuri found the Male Lead and Naoto, asking Naoto to hypnotize him to see if he could recall his past life.
Naoto readily agreed, while the Male Lead, though slightly uneasy, ultimately consented.
The Male Lead was hypnotized, and his past life experiences were indeed recalled.
A clear summer day, in a hospital room.
A girl named Otonashi Hatsune sat on the hospital bed and asked the Male Lead, "Brother, is school fun?"
"Not at all. I never even went," he replied.
Instead of scolding him, she said, "If you went, it might be fun."
"It might be fun if I were smart enough, but I'm a dummy. There's no place for slackers at school," he explained.
"Isn't studying fun?" she asked.
"How could it be? It's studying!" he said matter-of-factly.
"What about friends? Playing with friends?" she shifted the topic.
"I'd rather watch TV alone and play games. Forcing myself to pretend to like others' interests, even forcing a smile at unfunny jokes—I'm tired of all that," the Male Lead said with complete disinterest.
"Really? I'm looking forward to studying and making friends," the girl said, her face full of longing.
After a brief chat, the Male Lead suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right. Here, this is for you."
He pulled out a paper bag filled with an unknown item and handed it to his sister, Otonashi Hatsune.
Hatsune accepted the bag with a smile. "Thank you, Brother."
The scene shifted to introduce the Male Lead's life before his death:
He didn't understand the meaning of life or the value of existence. He had no interest in others and lived without forming any bonds, passively working odd jobs just enough to scrape by.
His sister was the only person he cared about.
Every week, he visited her in the hospital and used his meager savings to buy her manga magazines.
He always just grabbed a few random volumes from the bookstore, not even checking if he'd bought them before. But each time, Hatsune would smile and thank him.
Winter was particularly harsh for workers like him, but he persisted, planning to take his sister outside the hospital on Christmas. To make that happen, he needed to save more money.
He told his sister about the plan.
She was overjoyed. "That's wonderful! Thank you, Brother!"
The Male Lead returned her smile, thinking to himself, "That was the most heartfelt 'thank you' I've ever received."
With the plan set, he felt energized. Unfortunately, his sister's condition continued to worsen.
On Christmas Day, the doctor refused to allow his sister to leave the hospital. After visiting hours ended, the Male Lead snuck into her room and carried her out to the streets at night—the place she had always wanted to visit most.
The trees lining the streets were beautifully decorated.
With his sister on his back, he navigated through the crowd.
"Look how pretty it is! Can you see? It's so beautiful," he marveled, speaking as they walked.
From his back, his sister didn't lift her head, but replied in a voice so weak it was barely audible: "Mmm, it really is beautiful."
"Right? It's so beautiful. I'm so glad I can see this with you. Thank you."
"Okay, the fun has just begun! First, let's buy a gift. I've been saving up a lot for today, so I'll buy you anything you want, no matter the price."
"What do you want? Let's browse the shops first. How about a jewelry store? Or a regular department store?"
The Male Lead spoke for a long time, but his sister, too weak to respond much, managed only a single sentence: "Brother... thank you."
He continued walking and talking, but no reply came from her.
His sister was dead.
In the days that followed, the Male Lead gradually came to understand:
"So, I've always had a reason to live. It was right beside me all along, but I just didn't notice. I've been surviving solely on her single 'thank you.' Her gratitude made me realize I was still alive, and that was truly a blessing."
"I'm such an idiot. Only now do I realize that she was so important to me, yet I did nothing for her."
"She spent her days in the hospital reading the manga magazines I bought her. Was that simple life enough for her? And now that I've lost it all, is my life over? Those days, filled with happiness I failed to recognize, are gone forever."
"I... have nothing left."
As he walked, lost in thought, he had already resigned himself to a life without his sister. But as he reached the hospital entrance, he suddenly saw this scene:
A nurse gently stroked a little girl's head and smiled as she said, "Congratulations on your discharge."
The girl, clutching a bouquet of flowers, smiled back and replied, "Thank you."
This scene struck the Male Lead deeply, reminding him of his sister. He made a decision: he would study hard, become a doctor, and dedicate his life to helping others.
Then, on the day of his exam, while on the train to the test center, the train suddenly crashed.
His admission ticket flew from his hands, the screen went black, and the flashback ended.
In front of the television, Sato Shingo found his eyes had already grown moist.
It was heartbreaking, yet deeply moving.
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