"This is insane. It's actually twenty years ago…"

Rinji covered his face, not knowing what to say.

Originally, he came to Yomiyama to investigate the meteorite fragments. As long as he could avoid switching consciousness with Kaguya these few days, he thought he'd be fine. But who would have guessed it was a bigger trap waiting?

Maybe his father had already foreseen this problem, deliberately digging a pit for him to fall into.

"Shit, what kind of father does that?"

"You alright?"

Misaki looked at Rinji in confusion, not understanding his sudden gloom.

"I'm fine. You're the one who's not, right?"

Rinji lifted his head and looked at Misaki.

"I heard from the nurse. You have leukemia. You were brought here because of anemia caused by complications. Even twenty years later, this disease isn't guaranteed to be cured."

"Of course I know." Misaki didn't look worried.

But that was just her facade. Deep down, she clearly understood her condition.

"The doctor said I might need a stem cell transplant. Extracting stem cells from Mei would be best."

"Mei… that's the one at the amusement park with you, who looks almost identical?"

"Right. Mei and I are very close sisters." Misaki smiled.

At the mention of this girl named Mei, Misaki's mood noticeably brightened.

"I see…"

Through the hospital room window, Rinji looked at the moon outside.

He was now in 1998. As for these two girls, he didn't need to dig deeper. They were just ordinary people of this era, no need for deliberate investigation.

When he turned back, Rinji noticed three small dolls placed on top of the hospital television.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, but somehow…

The dolls' skin was pale, their expressions strange and unsettling. Their lifeless eyes stared fixedly at Misaki on the bed, as if…

Waiting for her death.

"Did you buy those dolls?"

"No, Mei brought them when she came to visit me," Misaki smiled. "Her family runs a doll gallery. Her mother is an amazing doll maker."

"Oh… I thought you two were real sisters."

"We were…"

Misaki lowered her head, forcing a bitter smile. "We used to be."

"Alright then, I've asked everything I needed."

Rinji stood and walked toward the hospital room door.

"Focus on recovering. I hope you get well soon."

"Eh? You're leaving already?"

Misaki looked disappointed the moment Rinji stood.

"Do you actually want me to stay here?"

"It's boring being hospitalized alone."

"A quiet environment is important for a patient. Rest helps recovery." Rinji smiled and walked out.

After closing the door, he stood silently in the quiet hospital hallway. It was late, and there weren't many doctors or nurses patrolling—just a few nurses at the front desk under the lights, ready for emergencies.

Hospitals didn't allow smoking, so Rinji, for once, didn't take out the cigarettes in his pocket. He simply stood there, thinking.

"First, I'm now in 1998. Second, my purpose is to deal with the trouble caused by the meteorite fragment. My father probably knew I would arrive in this era, and that only here the problem could be resolved… but how exactly do I solve it? What am I supposed to do here?"

He thought for a long time but found no answer. It was pointless.

For now, he just wanted to step outside the hospital, light a cigarette, and calm down.

"Ugh…"

"Hm?"

"Ugh… ah…"

Suddenly, Rinji heard muffled sounds, as if forced out of a throat.

And the source was…

Without hesitation, he pushed open the hospital room door.

He saw Misaki hunched over on the bed.

At that moment, she was enduring unbearable pain. Her once-cute face was twisted in agony, unable even to make a proper sound.

Leukemia complications had struck!

"Doctor!!"

Rinji turned and shouted toward the nurses outside.

Immediately, a group of doctors and nurses in white coats and masks rushed in, beginning emergency treatment.

"Bone pain!"

"Bring the tramadol!"

"We need to inject painkillers!"

They tried everything to relieve Misaki's pain with medication. From the beginning, Misaki had been clutching Rinji's hand tightly, refusing to let go.

It seemed he was the only one who could give her a sense of safety now.

Looking at the busy doctors, the pale Misaki writhing in pain, and the eerie dolls staring at her from the television, Rinji quietly sighed.

He pulled a ring from his pocket and slipped it onto the finger of the hand Misaki was gripping.

"This isn't really something I should be doing."

The moment the ring touched, tiny currents flowed from Rinji's hand into Misaki's body.

Gradually, her skin regained a touch of color, and her furrowed brows eased as the pain subsided.

"Doctor, the patient seems…"

"Did it work?"

Seeing Misaki's expression relax, the doctor wiped sweat from his forehead.

"Thank you, doctors and nurses." Rinji smiled. "Thanks to you, my friend didn't have to be tormented to death by the pain."

"No, this is our duty."

The doctor himself hadn't expected the medicine to work this well. With Misaki's condition, ordinary drugs shouldn't have helped—chemotherapy hadn't even been effective.

"If anything else happens, notify the nurses. We're always here."

"Got it."

After sending them off, Rinji remained seated.

Because Misaki still wouldn't release his hand.

"Shouldn't you let go now?"

"That was your doing, wasn't it?" Misaki smiled faintly, weak but certain. "I could feel it—a warm current flowing from your hand into me. The pain disappeared."

"It's just your imagination."

Rinji tried to stand, but Misaki refused to let go.

"Can you stay with me a little longer?"

Her watery eyes pleaded with him not to leave.

"Don't mess around. I'm busy."