What to do? Just thinking about what was going to happen next, Furukawa Hirozawa didn't dare to continue playing.
And looking at the time, it was already past midnight, so Furukawa Hirozawa decided to go to bed first.
At least he could still have a good dream now.
After playing the ending tomorrow, he might not be able to fall asleep early.
Waking up early the next morning, Furukawa Hirozawa felt groggy, having had many chaotic dreams.
Fortunately, there were no knives in his dreams.
Just some lingering worry.
He wanted to know how the "knife" would be wielded next.
Old Thief Furuhara was definitely going to deliver a "knife," and now Furukawa Hirozawa was only curious about how he would do it.
After washing up and having breakfast, Furukawa Hirozawa returned to the TV.
He loaded the save file.
It was still the beautiful beach scene from last night.
After swimming, it was almost midnight. The male protagonist carried the deeply sleeping Nare and went home with Moriyama.
This fellow kept mumbling along the way, "Daddy, I don't want to sleep. If I wake up, I won't see Daddy anymore."
Nare forced one eyelid open, but she was still too tired and slowly closed it again.
Moriyama Aoi couldn't help but chuckle at this.
"Don't worry, Daddy can at least live until tomorrow, right?" Miyazaki Natsuki smiled.
Although he didn't know how long the future would be, he was very sure he could at least live until tomorrow.
"Tomorrow, where should I take Nare?"
"An amusement park?" Miyazaki Natsuki asked.
"Sounds good." Moriyama Aoi smiled faintly.
"Or a zoo?"
"Hmm, that's not bad either. We can go see giant pandas. Nare will definitely love them." Moriyama Aoi finished speaking, then suddenly slapped her forehead as if realizing something. "Oh, what will giant pandas look like in Nare's eyes?"
"Maybe they'll be black and white pixel blocks?" Miyazaki Natsuki mused to himself.
But no matter what, he couldn't imagine the world through Nare's eyes.
"How about we go to the aquarium then."
"I wonder if there are still animal shows this season."
"There should be penguin shows, right?"
Seeing this guy constantly talking about future plans, as if there would be no day after tomorrow once tomorrow passed.
Moriyama Aoi couldn't help but smile, reaching out and lightly flicking his forehead.
She feigned anger, puffing out her cheeks and saying, "Let's talk about tomorrow's matters tomorrow."
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm."
Miyazaki Natsuki nodded.
I am currently being overwhelmed by immense happiness. I'm truly afraid that each day that passes means one less day like this.
But, Aoi is right.
Let's talk about tomorrow's matters tomorrow.
As long as we cherish the present, it's enough.
...
By the time they got home, put Nare on the futon, and covered her with a blanket, it was already past 10 PM.
Moriyama Aoi and Miyazaki Natsuki sat in the living room, holding hot tea, gazing at each other.
The next second, they laughed happily.
"Why don't you just stay here tonight again?" Miyazaki Natsuki said.
"Hmm?" Moriyama Aoi lowered her head, smiling silently, "Mm. If it's like yesterday, I don't mind."
Aoi is very thoughtful. She might be worried about my health and also about Nare.
Having a girlfriend like Aoi is truly my good fortune.
Because of her, I don't have to think about tomorrow for now, nor do I have to worry too much about myself.
Just then, Nare in the room woke up, running out with light steps, wearing a cute little nightgown, rubbing her eyes and looking at them.
"Why aren't you two kissing yet?"
"Nani?!"
Both of them froze for a moment, their faces flushing simultaneously.
"You little brat, what do you know about kissing?! Now go to sleep!" Miyazaki Natsuki roared.
"Hmph, I've been asleep for a while, and I've been waiting for you two to kiss for so long. I only came out to remind you because you're hopeless."
"Who asked you to remind us?" The male protagonist was furious and exasperated, wishing he could roll up his sleeves and give the kid a beating.
But the next second, Miyazaki Narai ran directly over and jumped onto Miyazaki Natsuki's lap.
Just like a kitten.
Miyazaki Natsuki had no way to deal with her.
"Daddy, do you want to see the pictures I drew?"
"Sure." Miyazaki Natsuki smiled.
So Miyazaki Narai hopped down, then went to her room to rummage through her schoolbag.
A moment later, she came back with a few drawings and spread them out on the tatami mat.
Moriyama Aoi seriously studied Miyazaki Narai's drawings.
Honestly, from her perspective as an art teacher, Nare was simply a genius; the colors interwoven in the pictures were breathtakingly beautiful.
"Very imaginative. Nare's drawings are really good." Moriyama Aoi said.
"What is this?" Miyazaki Natsuki looked on, completely bewildered.
"This is Daddy." Miyazaki Narai said with great certainty.
"Eh?"
Both of them were slightly stunned.
Honestly, this drawing has absolutely nothing to do with me; I can't connect it at all.
Is this what Daddy looks like in Nare's eyes?
Oh no, this is already a processed image after secondary interpretation.
"It's drawn very well." Moriyama Aoi encouraged him from the side.
"Right?"
Miyazaki Narai laughed happily, then spread out another almost completely different drawing in front of them. "This is also Daddy."
"Eh?"
Miyazaki Natsuki squinted his eyes.
This kid, she wouldn't just point at anything and say it's Daddy, just because she sees things completely differently from us, would she?
They're clearly two unrelated drawings, okay?
"Do you see here?" Miyazaki Narai tapped the middle of the upper part of both drawings with her finger.
There were some complex patterns there, but they were mostly black.
"These are Daddy's glasses."
"Huh? These are glasses?" Miyazaki Natsuki couldn't believe it.
But as he squinted, he thought it seemed to make a bit of sense.
Position, color, just these similarities.
Miyazaki Natsuki tried to understand Nare, and he seemed to find a bit of a clue.
...
That night, the three of them slept on the floor. Nare was still sleeping between them, but she couldn't fall asleep.
Rather than couldn't sleep, it was more like she didn't want to sleep.
Nare lay with wide eyes, staring at the ceiling.
"Daddy."
"Hmm?"
"When are you going to marry Mommy Moriyama?"
Eh?
Moriyama Aoi was slightly startled, her face flushing in the darkness.
But it was a very cute look.
"That's not very likely, is it?" Miyazaki Natsuki said.
"Daddy, are you such an irresponsible person?"
"I'll punch you."
On the side, Moriyama Aoi, however, smiled and said, "Let's see when your Daddy proposes to me. Maybe I'll say yes."
"Wow! Propose now, propose now!" Miyazaki Narai urged Natsuki.
The latter was very thin-skinned and dared not reply.
"Then at least practice kissing before that, okay?"
"I'll punch you." Miyazaki Natsuki raised his fist.
"Daddy?"
"Hmm?"
"I want to tell you a secret."
"What is it?"
"In this world, there's something called mermaids tears." Nare gestured with her hands. "Legend says that if you get it, one of your wishes will come true."
"But it will bring an unforgettable emotion. Or maybe a sad story, I don't know if it counts as sad."
"If such a thing really exists," Miyazaki Natsuki thought and said, "then I definitely want to wish to be with Nare forever."
"Hehe, me too! I also want to be with Daddy forever." Nare giggled.
"What about me?" Moriyama Aoi asked, a little displeased, from the side.
"Yes, our whole family has to be together."
Two seconds later, Nare continued: "Daddy."
"Hmm?"
"I have another secret to tell you."
"What is it?"
"Daddy, I love you the most."
Miyazaki Narai said with a smile.
Playing to this point, Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't hold it together.
This sentence was far too familiar; Ushio had said the same thing to Tomoya when she died.
Old Thief Furuhara wouldn't do the same thing, would he?
After saying "I love you," Natsuki was going to die?
No way, no way?
"What's with saying something so cheesy all of a sudden?" Miyazaki Natsuki glanced at Moriyama Aoi beside him, then responded somewhat awkwardly, "Daddy loves Nare the most too."
"Thank you, Daddy..."
"I love you the most, Daddy."
"I really wish I could always be with you, Daddy..."
"Really, really..."
Nare choked up.
Just then.
Miyazaki Natsuki also noticed his daughter's unusual behavior.
He turned on the light and found the girl sitting there crying.
"Nare, what's wrong?" Both Miyazaki Natsuki and Moriyama Aoi's hearts tightened.
And very quickly, they noticed something strange:
Nare's body, starting from her hands and feet, gradually became transparent.
Miyazaki Natsuki's heart gave a heavy thump. He instinctively reached out to pick Nare up, but unexpectedly, he grabbed at thin air.
He passed straight through Nare's body, then fell heavily onto the floor.
"Nare, what's wrong? Don't scare your father!" Miyazaki Natsuki cried out, his voice choked with sobs.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't touch Nare.
Little Nare raised her tear-filled eyes, looked at the man in front of her, and then smiled sadly:
"When I said I wouldn't see my father, it didn't mean my father wouldn't be alive next year."
Miyazaki Narai waved her hand and said softly, "What I meant was myself."
"My wish, it has already come true."
"Nare!"
Miyazaki Natsuki, in a moment of urgency, reached out to grab her.
But his hand repeatedly met empty air.
At the same time, Nare's body became increasingly translucent.
Finally, she transformed into starlight, like dust, scattering throughout the room.
Miyazaki Natsuki embraced the space where she had been, as if holding nothingness.
Light scattered from between his fingers.
Nare had completely vanished.
"Nare!"
"Nare!"
"Nare!"
...
Nani?!
Little Nare is gone?!
Furukawa Hirozawa's eyes widened in utter shock.
The male protagonist was still alive, but his daughter was gone first?
This was something Furukawa Hirozawa had never anticipated.
Moreover, Old Thief Furuhara's blade was so swift, so sudden, completely catching everyone off guard.
Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!
Originally, Furukawa Hirozawa thought it was his own illusion, but when he looked again carefully, he found it was still the same.
On the television, Nare was no longer there.
Only the room full of starlight, like the orbs of light in CL.
Old Thief Furuhara, be a human being?!
...
But it wasn't over yet, because there were no credits or Producer names.
Furukawa Hirozawa already didn't know how to face the upcoming plot.
What he had originally thought would be a separation by life and death, now his daughter was gone, so when the male protagonist passed away, only Moriyama would be heartbroken.
Perhaps that's how it would be.
However, the subsequent developments exceeded Furukawa Hirozawa's expectations.
He had initially thought the male protagonist would sink into despair and then reach the end of his life, but this guy actually pulled himself together.
According to Miyazaki Natsuki, if tomorrow couldn't be controlled, then it was best to live well in the present.
In such days, Miyazaki Natsuki lived each day very earnestly, cherishing the time he spent with Aoi.
A month later, Moriyama Aoi proposed to Miyazaki Natsuki.
This was something Furukawa Hirozawa had not foreseen.
Good heavens, you're a dying man, and you actually got married.
However, all of this was at Moriyama Aoi's request, hoping that in the male protagonist's future life, he would live according to his own wishes.
And not only did the two get married, they also had a child.
Moriyama Aoi said, "If you are to pass away one day, at least leave me a gift in this world."
Seeing Aoi's words, Furukawa Hirozawa was almost moved to tears.
What kind of divine wife is this?
On the day of childbirth, Moriyama Aoi was drenched in sweat, just like Nagisa in CL.
It made Furukawa Hirozawa can't help but worry if the female protagonist was going to be 'nuked' again.
However, everything was fine; mother and daughter were safe.
Furukawa Hirozawa couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Miyazaki Natsuki took the child into his arms and showed her to Moriyama Aoi.
But the male protagonist, due to cancer, had become skin and bones.
Even the frames of his glasses on his face seemed to have become too big.
"It's a daughter."
"Mm, that's good."
"So cute."
"What should we name her?" Miyazaki Natsuki worried.
"How about Nare?" Moriyama Aoi said with a pale smile.
"Eh?"
Just then, upon hearing that name, Miyazaki Natsuki felt as if he had been struck by a bullet of time.
What he had thought he had forgotten, buried deep in his memories, began to crumble, sweeping over him again like a tsunami.
By the time he came back to his senses, Natsuki was already in tears.
"Nare, Nare..."
"Okay, let's call her Nare."
Miyazaki Natsuki nodded.
Although they knew Nare would never appear again, the Miyazaki couple entrusted this newborn little one as a part of Nare.
Or perhaps they simply missed that name too much.
After that, as their daughter grew day by day, the male protagonist also grew thinner day by day.
Their daughter grew bigger and bigger, and more and more resembled Nare.
A round little face, big eyes.
Sometimes, the male protagonist couldn't help but wonder if this could be Nare, the lifeline that once filled and sustained his entire world in his young life.
But then, turning his head, he couldn't help but chuckle foolishly.
[What am I even thinking?]
...
By the time their little daughter was three years old, she could already speak and use many words, though she was still tiny, not even as tall as the male protagonist's thigh.
And in such circumstances, Miyazaki Natsuki deeply felt the cruelty and powerlessness of life.
[It should be coming, my death.
To have lasted until today, time has been very kind to me.]
On this day, the male protagonist's family received an invitation from the Shinbou couple; apparently, they were holding an art exhibition in the town.
The exhibition would feature the couple's works, and also a portion of the drawings Nare had created a few years ago.
They had all been re-framed and displayed in a separate small hall.
If they could be auctioned off, all proceeds would go to Miyazaki Natsuki.
Although at first, it felt a bit cruel, as it meant seeing his past daughter's works, and for Miyazaki Natsuki, money held no meaning anymore.
However, the thought that he might never see Nare's works again filled him with regret.
So Miyazaki Natsuki discussed it with his wife and decided to take their daughter to the exhibition.
...
In the large exhibition hall, many excellent works were displayed, most of them by the Shinbou couple, as both were very famous painters.
But among them, there was a small exhibition room, perhaps only about thirty square meters, maybe because there were fewer paintings on display, so they were given such a small room.
Miyazaki Natsuki hesitated for a moment, then, supported by his wife, walked inside.
At the entrance, a notice board was posted:
[The works in this room are all by a 6-year-old genius girl with severe eye disease.]
[Please take a look at the world through her eyes.]
For some reason, seeing these words, Miyazaki Natsuki felt an urge to cry.
However, he suppressed it and followed the people inside.
On the walls of the room, hung a series of bizarre and fantastical paintings, some messy, some very clear.
A feast of colors.
At the same time, you could tell from the marks on the paper how serious and hard the girl who drew them had been.
"Is this the world through a genius's eyes?"
Someone next to him was discussing.
"Ah~ it's really confusing, I can't tell what's drawn at all, but I can somehow feel the beauty."
"It is said that the original artist's eyes are different from ordinary people; the world through her eyes is beyond our imagination. Perhaps what is displayed here is that unique world belonging to her."
"But, since she cannot see the real world, how can she use things from the real world to depict the world in her eyes for others to see?"
"Hmm... indeed, this seems like a paradox, hahaha..."
While everyone was discussing, Miyazaki Natsuki silently walked past each painting, filled with emotion.
Although he didn't know what Nare had painted, he still felt incredibly moved.
[Perhaps he was moved by memories.]
"Father?"
Just then, his little daughter beside him gently tugged at his hand.
"Mm."
"Why do all these paintings depict the same person?"
"Hmm?"
Miyazaki Natsuki was slightly startled, and the next second, he suddenly turned pale with shock.
"What did you say?"
"This, this, and this... the man in the paintings is wearing black-rimmed glasses."
The little daughter pointed at the paintings on the wall, then looked up at Miyazaki Natsuki as if she had just realized something.
"It's Father, but he's a bit fatter than he is now."
When his daughter turned back, she saw Miyazaki Natsuki covering his forehead, sobbing uncontrollably.
At this moment, the BGM started, and countless memories flashed across the television screen like a revolving lantern.
It was the time Natsuki spent with Nare.
Seeing this, Furukawa Hirozawa also couldn't hold back; tears streamed down his face.
Damn it, damn it...
Why attack me with memories?!
"Yes, these, these are all Father..."
Miyazaki Natsuki gritted his teeth, tears gushing out.
[So Nare really was my daughter.]
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