By A. Z. Arata
The rains have begun in Tokyo. Sakura and Ren's relationship is now a few months old. Their days were passing like a magical melody—sometimes getting lost in the crowds of Akihabara, other times spending hours sitting in a small coffee shop.
However, for the past few days, Sakura has noticed that Ren gets tired very quickly. His pale face seems to have turned even whiter.
That Afternoon at Shinjuku Station
It was drizzling outside that day. Sakura and Ren stood under a single umbrella outside Shinjuku Station. Suddenly, Ren began to cough violently. He covered his mouth with his hand, and when he pulled it away, Sakura saw a faint reddish tint on his palm.
"Ren-kun! Are you feeling unwell?" Sakura asked in a panicked voice.
Ren quickly hid his hand in his pocket. With a wan smile, he said, "It's nothing, Sakura. Probably just a common cold due to the change in seasons. Don't worry."
But Sakura's heart wouldn't listen. The deep melancholy in Ren's eyes was now clearer than ever.
Ren's Secret Diary and the Hereditary Curse
That night, Ren sat alone in his room. Outside the window was the sound of rain. He pulled an old medical report and a picture of his mother from his drawer. When his mother passed away, Ren was only eight years old.
It was the same disease his mother had— [ Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.] It is a hereditary heart condition that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick, potentially leading to heart failure at any moment. Ren knew his time was running out. The doctor's latest report stated clearly: without a heart transplant or an extremely complex surgery, his chances of survival were slim. And even with that surgery, the success rate was only 20%.
Ren looked at the windowpane and thought, "Should I tell Sakura? Would it be right to cast her into this sea of pain?"
The Secret Pact Between Aki and Ren
The next day at school, Ren called Aki (Sakura's best friend) aside. Standing in a corner of the school rooftop, Ren explained everything to her.
"Aki, I know you are the person closest to Sakura," Ren said in a low voice. His voice was trembling. "I have very little time left. I am being admitted to the hospital the day after tomorrow for a complicated surgery. The doctor said I might not make it back."
Aki stood frozen. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Ren... why haven't you told Sakura? She loves you madly!"
Ren looked at the sky. "I don't want Sakura to see me lying lifeless in a hospital bed. I want her to remember me as the Ren under the Sakura tree. Don't tell her anything, Aki, please. If I don't return... then you must be the one to look after her."
Aki nodded in agreement as best she could, though her heart was breaking.
The Final Meeting: Beneath Tokyo Tower
That evening, Ren asked Sakura to meet him beneath Tokyo Tower. The red lights of the tower cast a strange glow over Sakura's face.
"Sakura," Ren said, taking her hand. "I'm going away for a few days. I might not be able to get in touch."
Sakura looked at him, surprised. "Where are you going, Ren-kun? Why so suddenly?"
Ren pulled Sakura into an embrace. Sakura could hear Ren's heartbeat—it was very fast and irregular. Ren whispered, "Just remember, wherever I am, I will live on in your smile. Take care of yourself, Sakura."
Sakura didn't understand. She thought perhaps Ren was going away for some family matter. Resting her head on his chest, she said, "I'll be waiting for your return, Ren."
Ren looked into Sakura's eyes and smiled one last time. It was a smile of farewell, one that Sakura failed to recognize. Ren slowly vanished into the crowd, leaving Sakura standing there alone—her heart trembling with an unknown fear.