[Kanagawa, Japan]
The steady beeping of medical machines echoed softly in the dimly lit hospital room, harmonizing with the rhythmic rise and fall of the little girl's chest as she lay on the hospital bed.
Her breathing was slow but steady, the sound a fragile reassurance in an otherwise heavy atmosphere.
The blond, seated by her side, carefully shifted his chair closer, mindful not to disturb her.
His sigh was heavy, burdened with a pain that lingered in his chest.
He couldn't tear his eyes away from her pale, peaceful face, her lashes casting delicate shadows on her cheeks.
She looked so serene, so innocent, and yet he knew the battle waging within her fragile body.
The weight of it all was unbearable—his daughter, his precious little girl, enduring such suffering at an age when she should be chasing butterflies and laughing under the sun.
The sound of the door creaking open broke the silence.
