Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1097: Interlude - Kirie Fujou - This Life and the Next (Part 1)

Chapter 1097 - 1097: Interlude - Kirie Fujou - This Life and the Next (Part 1) 

Shinji wasn't the first person to develop the habit of writing in a diary. The real pioneer was Kirie Fujou, who always seemed carefree yet often forgot things.

The reason she started keeping a diary was simple: she didn't want to forget.

She didn't want to forget the sights she saw, the events happening before her eyes, the emotions she felt at the moment, or the people important to her.

She had been bedridden since childhood, with difficulty moving around. The only scenery she could see was the hospital room where she lived and the view outside the single window in her room.

She longed to see the outside world.

She wanted to bask in the sunlight and feel the wind brush against her cheeks. frёeωebɳovel.com

She wanted to walk in the rain and let the raindrops hit her body.

She wanted to visit Kinkaku-ji, which her parents mentioned when she was still healthy.

She wanted to see the romantic city of Paris that so many people dreamed of visiting. She wanted to see the fabled pure land of the Tibetan Plateau, said to be closest to the sky.

She wanted to see—

She wanted to—

She—

This desire, this obsession, gradually grew stronger until it activated a certain bloodline within her, allowing her to possess a second body.

She was finally able to break free from the constraints of her frail body and the confines of her hospital room. She could step out into the world and see the vast, open sky.

This thrilled her, even made her ecstatic.

But the joy didn't last long. Although this second body allowed her to fulfill her dream of stepping outside, it came with some limitations.

First, she couldn't stray too far from her original body.

This wasn't too bad. Even with restrictions, the outside world was a thousand, even ten thousand times larger than her tiny hospital room, enough to make her feel exhilarated.

Second, her new body lacked a sense of touch.

The new body was like a ghost from a story, able to pass through walls freely and float up and down, but it couldn't touch anything. Whether it was the wind or the rain, or even trees and flowers, she could only see them, not feel them.

This wasn't too bad either. Lying in her hospital bed, she could only watch the world outside the window anyway.

The most unsettling thing was the loneliness.

As a ghost, she couldn't interact with others, nor could ordinary people see her. No matter how much she called out or tried, she never received a response, just like her situation in the hospital.

She suffered from an incurable disease that modern medicine could not treat. Her parents and relatives were long gone. Thanks to a benefactor, an old friend of her father, she didn't have to worry about the hospital bills. But it only kept her alive, and aside from one meeting long ago, the benefactor never appeared before her again.

No one cared for her, and no one visited. The nurses and doctors only entered her room during routine checks, and if they were in a good mood, they might say a few words about her stable condition. In a bad mood, they wouldn't say a word, treating her no differently than a ghost.

Her obsession with wanting to leave, wanting to escape, perhaps stemmed from her desire to break free from this loneliness.

However, whether inside or outside the hospital room, she was still alone. No one noticed her, as if she had been forgotten by the entire world.

Until one night, when she routinely visited the rooftop of the apartment building that her father had overseen the construction of, a strange boy approached her and started a conversation.

Perhaps she had been lonely for too long, so long that she had forgotten how to interact with strangers. When she finally met someone who noticed her, her first reaction wasn't excitement but fear. She was so scared that she turned and ran.

But she didn't get far. Not only was she caught, but the boy also found her original body and walked straight into the life that should have withered away.

From that day, her life changed.

She made a friend—Matou Shinji, that boy.

On the second day after their meeting, he brought her a bouquet of fresh flowers, adding a new splash of color to her cold, sterile white hospital room.

On the third day, he brought fresh fruit, saying he had consulted the doctor and she was allowed to eat it.

On the fourth day, he brought even more new friends, making her hospital room livelier than ever before.

For the first time since her hospitalization, she forgot about the view outside the window.

On the fifth day, the sixth day, and the seventh day... almost every day, the boy brought something new and refreshing.

Sometimes it was food, sometimes toys, and sometimes books and picture books. The constant stream of new experiences made her feel that even if she were to stay here forever, it wouldn't be so bad.

But once again, reality defied her expectations. After meeting that boy, new surprises awaited her every day.

He took her out of the hospital—truly out—ending her more than ten years of hospitalization.

"Am I going to die?"

She wondered.

"If life ends like this, it wouldn't be so bad."

The answer was, of course, no.

Not only did she not die, but her long-standing illness was cured, and she gained a new home, starting a brand-new life.

The whirlwind of changes left her struggling to believe it was all real.

So, she began keeping a diary, recording these dreamlike days. Only this way could she be sure that it wasn't an illusion.

April 1998, First Picnic.

Sakura and Fujino's food was so good. I can't cook at all, which makes me feel so useless.

September 1998, Went to Tokyo.

There were so many people, more than I've ever seen. It made me feel like I couldn't breathe.

I suddenly missed him. If he were here, he wouldn't let me feel this uncomfortable.

February 1999, I didn't go anywhere.

It's been ten days since he last called me. When I called him, he was always busy. Did he forget about me?

Liar, jerk! You promised to call me every day! If you don't call me soon, I'll... I'll... ten days, no, twenty days... Ugh, I can't help myself. You are a troublesome guy.

April 1999, I didn't go anywhere.

He's back, finally back.

His hair is gone, and he's injured. I heard he almost died.

I'm so worried, so worried.

If he died, I—what would be the point of me living?

Huh? Why would I say something like that?

Could it be that... I've fallen in love with him?

May 1999, I didn't go anywhere.

I'm sure now. I've fallen in love with him. And I mean really, really in love.

Thinking about it, liking him isn't so bad.

He's handsome, fun, and treats me well. The only downside is that he's a bit younger than me.

But that's not a problem. Worst case, I'll emulate Sister Touko—she's much older but still looks so young. I, too, can stay youthful forever.

Even if we don't look well-matched now, we'll look perfect together in a few years.

June 1999, I didn't go anywhere.

Oh no, oh no, oh no. It seems I'm not the only one who likes him.

Fujino, Sakura, and even that woman who came to the house earlier—what should I do? Can I compete with them?

Don't be afraid, Kirie Fujou. Believe in yourself. You're the strongest. You'll win in the end.

PS:

Other girls compete for Shinji.

Meanwhile, Justeaze: Hmm, How do I tell them?