・・・ xxvii・・・

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Every heartbeat seemed to synchronize with his footsteps as he walked alone inside.

Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock—

—Breathe.

Ao was staring at the floor,
unable to look up.

He was scared.
He was shaking.

He breathed in again.

The room, like any other, was painted in a bright white.

A faint beeping sound was heard.

In front of him, the window was opened,
the slight wind rustling the leaves from a nearby branch.

At that exact moment, a single leaf flew in.

Ao followed it with his eyes.

It swayed in the invisible air, dancing for seconds before resting atop the occupied bed.

When he finally realized it, Ao stopped walking.

Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.

He wanted to turn away.

He wanted to fade into nothingness.

He wanted to disappear.

"—It's okay. You're okay."

Very, very slowly, Ao raised his head.

The man laying on the bed held the face of the person that he loved and was loathed by.

He was looking at him. At Ao.

Quietly, weakly,
Fujiwara Ao opened his mouth.

"... Dad."

   ・・・ xxviii・・・

It was him.

It was him.

He blinked.

He felt his mind go numb.

He breathed in sharply.

For a moment, all he could do was stare at him. At his father.

Ah...

For some reason, Fujiwara Kyousuke looked older than when he did two years ago.

His receding hair was now dyed in a dull gray.

There were bags and wrinkles under his weary eyes.

His face was hued in an ashen pale, as though he was slowly being drained of color.

He looked tired.

Weak.

.... Dying.

Ao couldn't remember when the last time was when they faced each other properly like this.

After a brief silence,
his father softly closed the book that he had been reading.

Without looking away from him, Fujiwara Kyousuke said three words, his tone low and unsteady.

"So... you came."

   ・・・ xxix・・・

Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.
Tick. Tock.

When he heard his father's voice, Ao flinched unconsciously.

It... sounded as though he hadn't even expected his own son to come for him.

A stain of dread sprouted from his chest.

Ao looked away.

What am I supposed to say?
What am I supposed to do?

Something—I need to say something.

His own tongue felt dry.

His fingers felt like ice.

His throat held an uncomfortable lump.

Even though he wanted nothing else but to say something to him, Ao couldn't open his mouth again.

Silence.

"... I see that Monica has successfully persuaded you to come here," he stated.

It was not a question.

It was not a sentence that he wanted to elaborate.

Another silence.

This time, it was longer.

He still couldn't meet his eyes.

Suddenly, he heard his father sigh.

"—Ao... look at me," he said.

He flinched.

He blinked.

... Ao.

Ao. Ao.
Ao. Ao.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

He blinked again.

When...
When was the last time you called me by my name?

   ・・・ xxx・・・

He did as he was told.

Even though he didn't want to,
slowly, hesitantly,
Ao met Kyousuke's eyes.

He couldn't move.

His father's gaze seemed as cold and as stern as ever.

It was the same gaze that he had been given even since the night that his mother had left them.

Kyousuke began to speak.

"You... must hate me," he suddenly said.

"... After all the things I've done to you these past years, I'd be more surprised if you didn't."

Ao didn't way anything.

Instead, he heard the uneven beat of his heart in his ear.

Thump. Thump. Thump—

"—I've done horrible things to you. I do not deny that," he continued, slowly breathing in and out.

"You see... when you were a child... I hated you."

   ・・・ xxxi・・・

His father's last words were softly spoken.

Ao stopped moving.

No.

No.
No.
No.
No.
No.

I don't want this.

I don't want to hear this.

Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.

Get away. I need to get—

   ・・・ xxxii・・・

His father cleared his throat.

Somehow, his voice seemed weaker when he spoke this time.

"But... before that,

I loved you.

I loved you, the way a father would love a son.

You were my happiness.

You... and your mother."

He lowered his head.

"You know this already. That this hate of mine began when your mother... when she—Kiyoko—left.

I... When your mother left, it was as if the world had turned into a dark, bleak place.

For me, a world without her wasn't a world at all.

I... I loved Kiyoko. And I love her even until now.

Even after all that she did.
Even after she broke all our promises and loved another man.

That is why, when she disappeared without a goodbye, I began to curse this world.

I began to hate it.

At that time, years and years ago, this hatred of mine was not something that I could stop.

As a result, I ended up bearing this hatred on the one thing that reminded me of her more than anything else.

And that..."

He looked up slowly,
a single transparent tear falling down his face.

"... That was you, Ao."