"Sorry, I might have to attend your wedding alone."
Furukawa Hirozawa said to Kinoshita Keisuke.
"It's fine. When the time comes, I'll have my wife introduce you to a few young and beautiful girls."
Ever since Furukawa Hirozawa returned from Kyoto, he had become very sensitive and fragile, especially after he learned from Yukitake Junna that she was getting married. This guy became exceptionally dejected.
During this period, he was either obsessed with working overtime or obsessed with game.
It seemed like there wasn wasn't much difference from before, but Kinoshita, as a good friend, could deeply understand his brother's feelings.
"Since Yukitake Junna is getting married, then let it go," Kinoshita Keisuke comforted him.
"Mm." Furukawa Hirozawa nodded, looking disheartened.
How to describe this feeling? If he hadn't known, it would have been fine. But when you learn that a childhood friend you once liked also liked you, that feeling of being strongly favored by fate is truly blissful.
However, upon learning that Yukitake Junna was about to become a wife, Furukawa Hirozawa fell from heaven into hell.
He could only blame himself for not being proactive enough, for not going to find her sooner. To put it bluntly, it was all his fault.
Fate truly enjoys playing tricks on you. It first places the best gift in your life, then snatches it away.
Furukawa Hirozawa truly felt an urge to punch a wall.
Seeing his brother so sad, Kinoshita was also very upset. The other colleagues also felt somewhat annoyed. If only they hadn't gone on that impromptu trip.
Facts proved that reality and game still had significant differences.
"Don't be sad anymore."
Kinoshita Keisuke put his arm around Furukawa Hirozawa's shoulder.
"There's no woman in the world you can't get over.
No, there's no woman in the world you can't forget."
"Yes..." Hayamikawa and Yamada-kun echoed from the side.
Kinoshita said, "If you truly can't forget, there are only two reasons.
One is that not enough time has passed.
The second is that the new person isn't good enough.
When the time comes, I'll introduce you to a particularly beautiful and excellent girl, and you'll quickly forget the pain."
Who hasn't experienced a breakup? Especially for Kinoshita Keisuke, he was already immune to such things.
"Mm, okay."
Furukawa Hirozawa, dragging his body, slowly walked to his desk.
Seeing his dejected appearance, the few friends exchanged glances, then shook their heads.
"It's over, it's over. Furukawa is truly finished."
...
"Senior, isn't there something strange?"
At the end of the workday, seeing Furukawa Hirozawa still dispirited and preparing to turn his grief into overtime, Yamada-kun found him before leaving.
"Huh?" Furukawa slightly raised his deeply dark-circled eyes.
"Think about it, why would Miss Yukitake tell you that she's getting married soon, but when we were in Kyoto, Yukitake Mom didn't mention this at all? Instead, she told you the reason for her trip to Tokyo."
"Why?"
Furukawa Hirozawa's eyes suddenly lit up, and he turned his head, staring somewhat nervously into Yamada-kun's eyes.
Yamada-kun, you've found the blind spot!
"Logically speaking, if Yukitake Mom knew her daughter was about to get married, it would be impossible for her to convey this information to you, wouldn't it?
Otherwise, wouldn't she be asking you to crash the wedding like in proposal daisakusen?"
"Hmm... that seems to be the case." Furukawa Hirozawa furrowed his brows, carefully considering what Yamada-kun said.
"Is there a possibility that Yukitake Mom thought her son-in-law wasn't good enough, and that's why she did it?" Hayamikawa also joined the discussion.
"That's possible, but not very likely," Kinoshita Keisuke also chimed in. "If she wasn't satisfied with her daughter's choice, then why wouldn't she communicate with her daughter?
Besides, telling Furukawa is useless anyway.
This guy..."
Kinoshita Keisuke cupped Furukawa Hirozawa's head with both hands, forcibly turning him around.
Furukawa's face drooped, and he lay obediently in Kinoshita's palm like a kitten.
"This guy Furukawa, his combat power is off the charts in game, but if you want him to crash a wedding, forget it.
Someone so indirect can't even compare to Iwase Ken.
He's impossible to confess."
"Hey, show me some respect, okay?" Furukawa Hirozawa rolled his eyes.
"Ah! That's true!" Hayamikawa slammed his fist. "If Furukawa had courage, he would have confessed when he saw Miss Yukitake, right? Even expressing his feelings now isn't too late, is it?
After all, Miss Yukitake isn't officially married yet.
It's even hard to say if she's registered the marriage."
"Hey, why are you being so ridiculous?" Furukawa Hirozawa broke free from Kinoshita's hands and sat up straight, saying, "It's not that I don't have courage, but when I saw Junna's happy smile, it was actually very difficult to make a decision.
Can I truly give Junna happiness?
What kind of person is Junna's current fiancé? Will he do better than me?
Conversely, can I truly do better than Junna's fiancé?
Isn't Junna happy right now?
Why should I destroy someone else's marriage?
Like in game, as the person whose bride was stolen, wouldn't Teacher Tada be sad?"
"Good heavens, you're even thinking from the rival's perspective?" Hayamikawa asked, somewhat surprised.
This guy is not only indirect but also has a stubbornness and a strange kindness.
Who did you learn that from?
You've played so many Pokeni games, can't you even be a little manipulative?
"But feelings are inherently selfish. What isn't yours will become someone else's. You don't actually need to care what kind of person the other party is. You just need to ask if you like Junna and if you can give her happiness. That's enough."
"Yes, I do like her.
But, can Junna truly be happy with me?"
"Ah... this idiot." Kinoshita Keisuke really wanted to punch him in the face.
"Wait a moment."
Yamada-kun quickly stepped between the two, separating Kinoshita and Furukawa.
"You guys didn't understand what I meant."
Yamada-kun said, "Let me lay it out for you.
Yukitake Mom doesn't know her daughter is getting married, right?
Most likely, that's the case, right?"
"Mm-hmm." The others nodded.
"But, Miss Yukitake told Senior Furukawa that she's getting married."
"Mm-hmm."
"Is there a possibility, I mean," Yamada-kun's eyes darted around, landing on Furukawa Hirozawa, "that Miss Yukitake isn't getting married at all, and her fiancé doesn't exist? That all of this is something she made up to trick you."
"Eh?!"
Everyone was greatly surprised.
The scene was momentarily very silent.
The few of them thought quietly for two seconds, then successively shook their heads.
"Why would Miss Yukitake tell such a lie?" Hayamikawa asked, puzzled.
"Does she want to give Furukawa a surprise?" Kinoshita said, "This is called'suppressing before exalting,' no blow, no later joy."
"Uh..."
The few of them pondered for a second, resting their chins on their hands, shaking their heads like rattles.
"Kinoshita, your theory is too unreliable. Miss Yukitake isn't a pervert." Hayamikawa said.
"I also don't think Junna is that kind of person." Furukawa Hirozawa said.
"Then... then what else could be the reason?"
Everyone fell silent again.
"No matter what, I think, even if you're going to give up, you should at least bravely express your feelings and blessings. That way, you won't have regrets, right?" Kinoshita Keisuke said.
"It would be better to clarify in person."
"That's your style, not my style."
Furukawa Hirozawa shook his head.
Sigh, everyone quietly sighed. This guy was beyond saving.
...
In short, he was very sad, but Yamada-kun gave Furukawa Hirozawa a glimmer of hope, which was enough for him to barely continue living.
After returning home, Furukawa Hirozawa received a call from Yukitake Junna.
"Um... Haoze-kun, are you free tomorrow evening? How about meeting at the park after work?"
"Eh?" Furukawa Hirozawa was stunned for a moment.
"I'll tell you the address, it's near our hospital, okay? I have something important to tell you."
"Okay, okay."
Actually, I also have something important to tell you.
However, Furukawa Hirozawa could never bring himself to say it.
After noting down the address, he quietly climbed into bed.
What exactly does Junna want to tell me?
Could Hayamikawa's words be true, that Junna isn't getting married at all?
Holding onto this hope, Furukawa Hirozawa had his first good night's sleep in many days.
The next day at work, he was constantly distracted.
Everyone could tell something was wrong with this guy.
"Furukawa, you're really off today!"
"Eh? Am I?" Furukawa quietly pushed up his glasses, not daring to meet their gaze. "I finally fell asleep yesterday."
"Ha, that's not easy."
"I thought you confessed to Junna and you two got together. You seem quite happy today."
"Not at all." Furukawa Hirozawa denied.
Happy wasn't quite the word, but he was truly very anxious.
But there was always that tiny glimmer of hope.
Humans, as a species, can live quite well with just a little bit of hope.
"Furukawa is really strange today." Everyone stopped bothering Furukawa and gathered to discuss privately.
"He is very strange. His complexion is much better today."
"Is it because we gave him hope? If Junna is really getting married, wouldn't that be a second injury?"
"Ah... just thinking about that makes me feel really sorry for Furukawa."
"But have you noticed, Furukawa is wearing a different tie today?" Yamada-kun said.
"Eh? You noticed that?"
"And his suit and shirt today are quite expensive, different from what he usually wears." Yamada-kun said.
"Are you a detective?"
The other two looked at him with astonished eyes.
Kinoshita took a step back. "Yamada-kun, stay away from me in the future. I'm afraid you'll discover that I'm cheating."
"Eh? Are you cheating?" Hayamikawa asked, puzzled. "As expected of you, Kinoshita. You're cheating even before you're married. What an amazing and enviable scumbag."
"What I mean is, what if I cheat in the future? How can you guarantee your future self?" Kinoshita retorted stubbornly.
Good heavens, that was probably the most scumbag remark Hayamikawa had ever heard.
"What I mean is, Senior Furukawa is dressed so formally today, is he on a date?" Yamada-kun said.
"Eh? Really?"
Kinoshita was completely stunned.
"But, who is he dating?"
Hayamikawa had the same look of confusion. Furukawa was a typical shut-in; he'd go home and play game whenever he had time. In fact, before this journey of seeking love, they all thought Furukawa was an insulator, uninterested in women.
"Who else could it be with?" Yamada blinked, a sly smile on his face.
...
After work that evening, Furukawa Hirozawa hurried to the hospital where Yukitake Junna worked.
His mood on the way was exceptionally complex.
After thinking all day, Furukawa decided to follow Kinoshita's advice and bravely convey his feelings to Junna.
It might be better to talk to Junna privately, rather than making a rash move at the wedding.
It wouldn't hurt anyone either.
But at least he and Junna would have no regrets.
If he expressed his feelings and Junna still decided to marry, then he would offer his most sincere blessings.
Hmm.
Furukawa clenched his fist, his mind made up.
He waited for about ten minutes downstairs at the hospital where Junna worked. Then, Junna, dressed in casual clothes and high heels, hurried out.
When she saw Furukawa, her face was radiant with a bright smile, and she raised her hand to wave at him.
In the sunlight, Junna's fair arm was truly dazzling.
"Sorry, did you wait long?"
"Not at all."
Furukawa Hirozawa shook his head and smiled back.
Damn it...
At a time like this, he couldn't control his smile.
What was going on? He couldn't help but smile whenever he saw Junna.
Yukitake Junna led Furukawa Hirozawa to the park behind the hospital.
The setting sun was perfect, painting the sky a fiery red.
It was a bit like Yukitake Junna's Apple cheeks.
The two walked and chatted, starting with the weather, then exchanging pleasantries about their recent lives and work.
Furukawa Hirozawa had never felt so at ease. Talking with Junna felt so natural, and time flew by quickly.
The sky gradually darkened, and the streetlights flickered on.
Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.
No, Furukawa!
Be brave.
No matter what, he had to convey his feelings today, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to face Junna.
Even if he failed, he would offer his best wishes and they could still be good friends in the future.
"Um... I have something very important to tell you."
Just then, both of them spoke at the same time.
They both paused, surprised.
"Um, you go first." Furukawa Hirozawa gestured for her to speak.
"Okay."
Yukitake Junna bit her lip and nodded.
Then she turned around, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and bowed deeply.
Huh?
What was she doing?
Furukawa Hirozawa was completely stunned.
"Um, I'm very sorry, I can't get married," Yukitake Junna said.
"Huh?"
Furukawa Hirozawa's whole body trembled.
It was as if he had been struck by lightning.
No, to be precise, this news might be sad for Junna, but when Furukawa Hirozawa heard the words "can't get married," flowers bloomed in his heart.
The whole world instantly brightened.
"So, I'm very sorry, I can't invite you to the wedding." Yukitake Junna bowed again.
"Then, what happened? If you don't mind, may I know?" Furukawa Hirozawa asked.
Was it because the groom cheated?
Or was there some argument?
Or, as Kinoshita speculated, was it all Junna's lie?
But this lie was too distressing, wasn't it?
"The groom passed away."
Junna said.
"Huh?!" Furukawa Hirozawa was a bit bewildered.
What did "passed away" mean?
Yukitake Junna pulled him to a park bench and sat down.
"Actually, it's like this," Yukitake Junna explained, "Two years ago, I had a young patient, only 10 years old, who had brain cancer.
The surgery at the time was quite successful, but it relapsed later. Coincidentally, I was still the one performing the surgery this time.
But the surgical results were not ideal.
After the tumor recurred, the cancer spread too quickly, and it was actually very difficult to save him.
He probably only had a few months to live."
"Mm-hmm."
"This child was actually quite interesting," Yukitake Junna said, smiling at this point, "He always said he liked me very much, and if he recovered, he hoped to be with me in the future.
It was based on this that I suggested, 'Why don't we get married?'"
In Furukawa Hirozawa's sight, large tears fell from Yukitake Junna's face.
He was momentarily flustered and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to hand to Junna.
This child was only 12 years old, so there was no way he could legally marry. In that case, the wedding Junna referred to was just a comfort.
Oh.
This silly girl.
Furukawa Hirozawa was both angry and sad.
"Actually, I'm quite sad."
"I'm very sorry, I made invitations at the time and invited you to witness it." Yukitake Junna wiped her tears and smiled, "But, the reason I did this was actually partly due to a stubborn wish.
Doctors truly hate to see their patients die, especially such a lovable child.
I thought, if it were really possible, then marrying him and having this child recover would also be a beautiful thing, wouldn't it?"
Ah... so that's how it was.
Furukawa Hirozawa understood instantly.
No wonder Junna's Mom didn't know she was getting married and even gave me the address.
Although it was a beautiful wish, as a doctor, Junna herself probably knew that the child wouldn't live much longer, right?
"Yes.
It was a beautiful wish."
Furukawa Hirozawa nodded, "But it was too foolish."
He reached out and tapped Yukitake Junna's forehead.
"Ow." Junna glared at him somewhat displeased, covering her throbbing forehead.
"Who would do something so foolish, entrusting their entire life to a cancer patient? A marriage without love is painful for both parties, okay?"
"But he's still a child."
"So what," Furukawa Hirozawa said angrily, "Please don't do something like this again, okay?"
"Hmm..."
Yukitake Junna stared blankly into his eyes, then blushed.
She lowered her head and whispered:
"Okay."
The two fell into a moment of silence.
"I'm sorry, what were you going to say just now?" Yukitake Junna looked up and asked.
"Ah..."
At this question, Furukawa Hirozawa's heart was in turmoil!
He suddenly didn't know what to say.
He had originally come with a do-or-die determination to express his feelings, but now Junna wasn't getting married anymore!
A single Junna was a completely different kind of being, okay?
"Hmm?" Junna's eyes widened, and she looked at him confusedly.
"That, that..."
Furukawa Hirozawa suddenly became nervous.
It was strange, something he could do before suddenly became very embarrassing.
His courage suddenly vanished.
"Ah... well, although it might be a bit inappropriate for me to ask this." Furukawa Hirozawa said, "A colleague of mine is getting married, and he wants to invite me to his wedding."
"Mm. And then?"
"I wanted to ask if you have time to come with me on August 6th."
"Just the two of us?" Junna asked, puzzled.
"Mm." Furukawa Hirozawa silently swallowed, so nervous he felt like he was dying.
His heart was about to pound out of his chest.
"Wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate? Won't your wife say something?"
"Huh? My wife?" Furukawa Hirozawa was a bit bewildered, "I'm still single."
"Really?" Yukitake Junna looked even more surprised than he did.
But the next second, her cheeks flushed.
She covered her mouth, tears glistening in her eyes, her heart pounding uncontrollably, "I thought, I thought you were already married."
"So, telling you I was getting married, it was actually..."
Yukitake Junna didn't finish the second half of the sentence—
Telling you the news of my marriage was actually a way to make myself give up hope, perhaps.
But with Furukawa Hirozawa's words, that heart, which had been dead and plunged into darkness, rekindled, beating with a booming sound.
"Who said that? Who told you I was married?" Furukawa Hirozawa was somewhat indignant for a moment.
"Kobayashi." Yukitake Junna didn't dare to look at Furukawa's face, only covering her cheeks with her hands, which felt hot.
"Huh? Kobayashi, Kobayashi Yuta, right?"
"He must have just heard it through the grapevine, right?"
Furukawa Hirozawa was truly speechless.
That Kobayashi, they hadn't been in touch for so many years, and he was spreading such rumors.
"He probably heard it from others, but it's understandable when you think about it, because you're already..." Yukitake Junna hesitated, staring blankly at the man in front of her. There were some fine lines around his eyes, and his hairline had receded quite a bit.
But Furukawa Hirozawa still looked like he did in her memory from high school.
A bit dull, liked playing game.
"Thinking about it, it's been so many years, you're already over 30, don't normal people get married by this age?" Yukitake Junna said softly.
"No way," Furukawa frowned angrily, "You haven't either, have you?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Furukawa immediately felt something was wrong.
It was as if his true feelings could spill out in the next second.
His heart was pounding wildly.
He secretly glanced over; Yukitake Junna kept her head down, not daring to look at him.
Her cheeks were flushed to the extreme.
"Mm."
Junna nodded.
The lamplight stretched their shadows onto the ground, making them appear hazy and romantic.
The moon had also appeared, and the mottled tree shadows, like sealed years and memories, rustled as the wind swayed the leaves.
Furukawa Hirozawa felt as if all those youthful times had suddenly returned.
"Um, Junna."
"Mm?"
"I saw that princess mononoke is showing recently. How about we go watch it together?"
"Huh? Just the two of us?"
"Mm."
"Ah, okay, okay."
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