Chapter 3: The Doctor
Aqua was drowning in self-deprecation. He kept his head lowered, his golden bangs veiling his eyes and obscuring his expression.
Looking back now, his life as Gorou Amamiya seemed like nothing but a series of regrets.
As a child, he had caused his mother's death; as a doctor, he had failed to save his patient.
Just as Aqua was sinking deeper into his melancholy, he suddenly felt a hand rest on his head, followed by a light ruffle of his hair.
"A doctor, huh? That's a great goal. Come to think of it, this kid's dream is to get into the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Medicine," Hikaru Hoshino suddenly interjected, his smile as bright as sunshine.
This abrupt declaration shattered the heavy atmosphere, even drawing a chuckle from the grandparents.
"A lofty ambition indeed, little guy," the grandfather said, a rare smile touching his lips. "If you actually manage to get in, that would be quite something."
"The Faculty of Medicine at Todai?" The grandmother also looked heartened. "Just like Gorou, he's a child with great aspirations."
Forcefully dragged out of his depressive state, Aqua couldn't help but snap at Hikaru. "Hey! You clearly have no idea what 'Todai Medicine' actually represents!"
"Todai is already a gathering place for geniuses, and the Faculty of Medicine is for the geniuses among geniuses. No, they're basically aliens!" He made a gesture of helplessness. "There are 350,000 high school graduates nationwide every year, and less than 3,000 make it into the University of Tokyo. The spots for Medicine are even fewer—probably only around a hundred a year."
Remembering his past self, Aqua let out a silent sigh. Gorou Amamiya had been the hardworking type, yet he only managed to get into a national medical university. While that was an excellent achievement, it was still a far cry from Todai Medicine.
Hikaru, however, burst into a hearty laugh and patted Aqua on the shoulder.
"I can guarantee you that the people who get into Todai Medicine weren't any smarter than you are now at your age," he said seriously. "While those 'aliens' are indeed ridiculous, you're a precocious genius yourself. Don't sell yourself short."
Hikaru gave a thumbs-up. "As long as you start studying hard now—say, ten hours a day like a total grind-lord—and apply the 'early bird catches the worm' strategy, Todai Medicine is completely within reach!"
"Ten hours a day?" Aqua's eyes widened. "What kind of student grinds that hard!"
"They're everywhere in the world," Hikaru replied, leaving Aqua speechless.
"A doctor... that sounds pretty good too." Ai pondered for a moment before offering her support. "Mhm! No matter what Aqua wants to become, I'll support him!"
"It's getting late; we should be going." Hikaru bowed to the elderly couple. "Thank you so much for sharing with us. I hope Dr. Amamiya rests in peace."
Aqua hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up. "Dr. Amamiya... if he were still alive, he wouldn't want to see his family so sad. I hope you can look forward and not grieve too much."
The grandfather looked at Aqua and shook his head. "Don't worry, little guy. I moved on a long time ago. Today was just the atmosphere of the funeral making me a bit sentimental for a moment."
"To be honest, I wasn't that close to the guy anyway. The fact that I showed up for the funeral is good enough," the grandfather added.
The grandmother immediately snapped at him, "Hey! What are you talking about!"
Aqua was stunned into silence, but his heart felt considerably lighter.
Just as they were preparing to leave, they suddenly realized that Ruby had disappeared at some point.
"Ruby?" Ai looked around, her voice tinged with urgency.
"I'll go find her," Aqua said immediately.
Hikaru stopped Ai, who wanted to go along, and nodded. "Leave it to Aqua."
Ruby had slipped away while the others were talking, running alone into the woods beside the cemetery.
The light in the forest was dim; tall pines blocked out most of the sun, leaving only scattered patches of light filtering through the leaves to the ground. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and the fragrance of moss. A few bird calls rang out, but they were quickly swallowed by the silence.
She crouched down beneath a sturdy pine tree, her long golden hair draping over her face. Her tiny body curled into a ball as if trying to hide itself. Her shoulders trembled slightly, and tears fell from her purple eyes, landing on the soft soil and blooming into dark little circles.
"Sensei..." Ruby murmured to herself. "Are you really dead?"
Memories of her past life as Sarina flooded back, piece by piece.
"This week's episode—Ai's performance was incredible!" Sarina had said excitedly to Dr. Amamiya by her hospital bed, her small face flushed with fervor. "Her dance moves were the most precise, and even her singing was the most stable!"
Dr. Amamiya smiled and shook his head. "You say that every single time. I've practically memorized it."
"Because Ai is the best every single time!" Sarina retorted stubbornly. "She's the same age as me, but she's so mature and good at singing and dancing. Most importantly, she's so beautiful. If I could be reincarnated, I want a face exactly like hers!"
"Don't talk nonsense," Dr. Amamiya said sternly. "There's no such thing as reincarnation in this world."
"Sensei, you have zero imagination!" Sarina huffed. "Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be born as the child of a celebrity? You'd have amazing looks and connections from the moment you're born!"
Dr. Amamiya shook his head. "I've never thought about those things."
"Totally no dreams!" Sarina pouted, then suddenly laughed again.
"Sarina-chan, aren't you cute enough already? There's no need to go through reincarnation. When you get out of the hospital, you should become an idol yourself. I'll definitely be your fan then," Dr. Amamiya said calmly.
Hearing this, Sarina threw herself into Dr. Amamiya's arms. "Sensei! I like you the most! Let's get married!"
Dr. Amamiya quickly pushed her away. "Stop playing around. I'm a doctor and you're a patient; that's impossible."
"Sensei is so old-fashioned!" Sarina said with a pout.
"Fine, fine," Dr. Amamiya laughed helplessly. "Wait until you're 16, and I'll give it some serious thought."
Sarina's smile vanished instantly, and a hint of sorrow flickered in her eyes. "16? Sensei, you're so mean. At least come up with a feasibility plan that's actually grounded in reality."
Not long after that, Sarina had passed away from her illness.
The images in her memory blurred, and Ruby began to sob even harder.
On a branch not far away, a pitch-black crow watched the scene in silence.
Suddenly, in a flash, the crow vanished mysteriously. In its place stood the blurry figure of a young girl. She stood under the tree, making no sound to disturb Ruby, simply watching her cry.
"I didn't expect the secret to be exposed so soon..."
"What will become of your fates now?" A strange smile played on Tsukuyomi's face, as if she were immersed in a distant memory. "Things should move in a better direction, so there shouldn't be any problem."
"There is no longer any need for me to intervene..."
---
[100 Ps = 1 Bonus Chapter.]
[10 total review = 1 Bonus Chapter.]
[Total Bonus Chapters Achieved: 0]
[] Patreon:
➔ Unlock advanced chapters & exclusive supporter roles in discord!
➔ For 50 adv chapters. [email protected]/Prince_of_LanL.
Currently 20% discount active.
LanLi: For those who just want to read the final chapters of this fanfic, I've opened a temporary $3 tier on Patreon.
This gives you full access to the final 50 chapters (though less than 30 are left to be posted!). Check it out if you're interested!
[50 advanced chapters + 20left to be posted = 70 chs left till end.]
[] Join Discord: bit.ly/SefirahCastle
➔ Get instant chapter pings via ping roles and hang out with the community!