Tick, tick, tick.

The annoying sound of hands kept ringing in the room, giving people a clear concept of time.

After leaving the living room, Kato Yusuke returned to Sayu's room.

Without making any sound, he took a chair and sat down by the bed, staring at the girl on the bed quietly.

The skin that is almost bare-faced can be broken by blowing, and the long eyelashes are curled and slightly raised. With the hazy moonlight, a faint shadow falls on the face, and there are still traces of water that have not yet dried up at the ends.

Just like the gardenias blooming on the roadside after a new rain, they are full of pitiful charm.

As if she felt very insecure, her body huddled tightly into a ball, covered with a quilt, with only the area above her nose exposed.

The fluffy hair sticks to the fine nose, swaying slightly from time to time with the breathing.

After a long time, Kato Yusuke let out a silent sigh.

Looking at the peaceful sleeping face mixed with grievance and uneasiness, he couldn't help but gently stretched out his hand, brushed the hair from his nose with his little finger, and hung it above his ears.

Move cautiously and slowly.

Despite this, the other party suddenly opened his eyes the next second.

"Yes, I'm sorry...!" Sayu, who was muttering like this, had a face full of panic. He suddenly sat up from the bed as if he had a nightmare, kicked his feet hard on the bed, and pushed his body backwards.

It wasn't until he was leaning against the corner between the wall and the head of the bed that he finally stopped.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!"

"Calm down, Sayu." Kato Yusuke called urgently and stood up from the chair.

However, it was as if she didn't hear him speak at all...

"It's not me, it's not me, it's not me, it's not me...!"

"Really...it's not me..."

The girl shook her head desperately, folded her arms with both hands, and explained desperately to the air.

The panicked words were mixed with rapid breathing.

In an instant, a suppressed tension filled the room.

Kato Yusuke immediately put his feet up on the bed and hugged her trembling body tightly with his arms.

"Okay, it's okay, it's okay."

While stroking the other person's back, he continued to comfort him.

Gradually, Sayu's body calmed down, and she murmured softly: "Yu...suke...?"

"Well, I'm here, right by your side." Yusuke hugged her tightly again, his voice softer.

As if sensing a familiar scent, the other person's hands slowly climbed up his back and hugged him.

It stayed like this in silence for several minutes.

Sayu's brain gradually recovered from the brink of collapse.

"……sorry."

She sniffed and said, "I seem to be having a nightmare..."

The voice was so light that it seemed to melt into the air.

"Well, I know, but it's okay."

"..."

Sayu buried her face in his shoulder.

There was silence for a while again.

Only intermittent breathing echoed in the silent room.

Snap.

A slight weight seemed to fall down, and a warmth spread across my shoulders.

"...Sorry, I am still..."

A suppressed voice, like it was squeezed out from deep in the throat, came from the other party's mouth.

"...I can't forget about Yuko..."

"..."

"And... everyone, please don't let me forget..." The girl's body trembled again.

Kato Yusuke responded with silence, just patting her back slowly.

Then he whispered: "It doesn't matter, I will forget it one day, one day..."

The words were full of prayers, but Sayu shook his head vigorously.

"What cannot be forgotten cannot be forgotten..."

She paused and then said: "Because that is, my sin..."

As the words slowly settled, Yusuke's pupils shook violently.

He didn't know how to appease the other party, but he felt extremely regretful.

If time could go back to two days ago, then he would definitely not choose to take the girl back to Hokkaido, so that she would not have to go through these pains.

It's a pity that this idea is just an unrealistic fantasy after all...

After all, no matter how hard she tries to escape, the guilt caused by history will always accompany the girl.

Just like a scar left on the heart, time may dilute the pain, but it cannot heal the scars.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many soldiers with postwar syndrome in the world.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but clenched his back teeth and his breathing became heavy. He felt that he didn't know where to vent the depression in his heart.

For quite a while, he couldn't speak.

In the end, he just squeezed out a hoarse sentence: "This is not your fault."

However, even he himself was very aware of the feeling of powerlessness.

As if feeling his change, Sayu couldn't help but want to raise her head, but he held her head down, not wanting the girl to see his expression clearly.

"I'm sorry...it's all my fault for causing Yusuke such pain." The other party sobbed softly, and the hot breath exhaled from his mouth and nose seeped into his skin through his clothes, making him feel hot.

Kato Yusuke shook his head and said with a trembling voice: "Go home, we will go back to Tokyo tomorrow and start life again."

Tears slowly accumulated in Sayu's eyes, but as if to hold back the feeling, the girl frowned hard and murmured:

"Always relying on you, I feel very useless. But... I feel that I can't escape this time."

She stopped at this point, and then continued speaking in a tone that sounded like she had made some determination.

"I can't leave trouble to my brother and the others again... and for the first time, my mother has shown a different side to me... It would be too despicable to run away."

From these words, Yusuke clearly felt the other person's desire for family affection, which was the only thing he could not give.

Unlike him who is helpless, Sayu, who seems to have given up on his family, actually still retains his attachment to his family.

It was just the long-term reality and shock that forced her to slowly seal up this relationship. It was only after today's conversation with her family that she opened a crack...

It's like Pandora's box. Although I don't know the good or bad inside, I can't help but want to see it with my own eyes.

"...What are you going to do?" Kato Yusuke asked silently.

"Although I don't know what to do, I think there will always be a way."

The girl breathed hard in response, and then asked: "Will you blame me? Yusuke..."

Kato Yusuke was silent for a long time...

"No, if it's your decision..."

The dull voice slowly echoed in the room.

Upon hearing his answer, Sayu immediately put her face on his chest, sobbing and shaking her shoulders.

After crying like this for a long time, she fell asleep in his arms as if she had exhausted all her strength.

Yusuke then carefully held her shoulders, slowly placed her on the bed, and then tucked her in with the quilt.

After leaning over and placing a gentle kiss on the girl's forehead, he prepared to leave the room and no longer disturb her rest.

As soon as he got out of bed, before turning around, a cold little hand tightly held his finger.

"where are you going……?"

Uneasy words came from Sayu's mouth who didn't know when he opened his eyes.

Kato Yusuke shook his head and replied softly: "I'm not going anywhere."

Then he sat down on the chair again, stretched out his free hand, and held the other person's hand with both hands, with a smile on his face.

"Until you don't need me anymore and don't want to see me anymore, let me go far away... But as long as you still need me, I will stay here."
To be continued...