A warm and comforting breeze, the smell and calming fragrance of flowers, sounding noises of easing and melancholic chirps of birds.It felt like I was actively living in heaven and as my eyes opened, there I saw the blue and ever-expanding skies that looked to reach all the way into space unobstructed."What... Where... am I?" I thought as I sat up from the ground to see the incredible scenery before my very eyes.It was a breathtaking view of a field full of nothing but flowers and a single hill that sat in the middle. A tree sat atop the protrusion of the ground from my very eyes, I noticed someone was behind the tree.I stood up from where I stood and as my feet touched the grass beneath, I began making my way forth towards the tree.Curiosity was brimming over like water just about to spill off a glass and hastily without even a spec of forethought, I quickly reached the foot of the hill.At the point where I stood, I looked up to see and there, I found the flowing long hair of a girl similar to my age and clothing that truly befitted that of a saint.I took another few steps up and soon enough, I saw it. I noticed the familiar face of someone I knew all too well in recent times and there atop the small hill and right under the shade of the tree...Riku stood with a surprised look that quickly turned to a smile.My heart fluttered for a second but as I took another step to approach further, she stepped back.She began pacing away but I didn't give up the pursuit to leave her as there was still something I needed to tell her before she left. Quickly I rushed up the hill but just as I tried to grab her hand with mine, I heard a voice that seemed to be spoken elsewhere............"Sir.... Sir!" A voice sounded and right after I heard it, I snapped back into reality, launched right out of the dream I was enjoying to the point that I felt disoriented when I was met with the face of a nurse standing before me."My apologies for waking you up but... Miss Riku is ready to see to see visitors now. Her current dorm is free to enter up until midnight and she specifically requested you to see her first..." She said towards me as she pointed towards the door."Oh, is that so... Then thank you for waking me up, I'll head over now..." I replied with a thankful look as I stood up and began walking over."Ah also, sir! Be sure to treat her gently. She just took her medications and she should be still sensitive to noises at the moment..."If there's anything else, you can call me through the button within her room or ask for assistance from the receptionist. If there isn't anything else, then I'll be taking my leave now." She told me and as though in a rush, she walked away at a quick pace, leaving but me and the door.Turning back to the door, I hesitated to enter and as I looked to my left, there I found the window that opened to the outside shining the orange evening sun through."It's already this late huh... How long was I asleep for...?" I wondered as I tried steering myself forth to enter the room.A thought crossed my mind right then."What if she'll come to hate me after what happened yesterday... Will she accept my apology right now?" I thought as I grew scared of the response she'd give once I entered.With no time to waste, I turned the knob and pushed the door in.I walked into the room and the first thing I saw truly mesmerized me.There she sat staring toward the large rectangular window with nothing obstructing her view of the city landscape outside the hospital building. The bright beaming colors of orange and yellow shone straight through and highlighting her entirety, leaving not a single feature of her body unchecked under the blinding illuminating light of the evening sun. She looked breathtaking and standing there with the door still partially opened, I couldn't help but continue to stare and watch as I let the incredible image of her imprint onto my mind."Eito-kun..." She spoke at last after hearing my entry, turning around to then see me in my hospital gown."Riku... You're... okay..." I said upon confirming she was truly still well and alive."Yeah, I really am... Sorry for making you worry, I really messed up big didn't I..." She said with a smile as she turned to the floor, unable to face me directly.I took a step forth to approach her and when I did, I saw her left arm in a cast and upon further inspection, found her right foot to be in one as well. "She was truly not immortal after all..." I thought, the remaining bit of speculation cast aside."Your arm and your leg... Are they broken...?" I asked of her concerningly."Ah, this? You don't have to worry about that, the doctors say that they'll heal in just a few weeks..." She replied while adjusting herself onto the bed to better face me directly."Right... right...""Riku... I heard from Maruka-san earlier... I didn't know those things were happening to you then, I'm really sorry for saying all those things yesterday..." I said, apologizing once more as I sat on the chair beside her bed."You don't have to! It's really not your fault, it's truly my own... it was just something so stupid I did even when I knew you were going through the same thing...""I really deserved everything that is coming to me, it was my decision after all," She said but quickly was cut off."Stop saying that! You don't deserve any of this at all! You're... you're just... I can't bear to see you suffer any longer...""I'm the same as you and I too have lost my mother, as well as my sister... They were truly my most cherished family and I'd give anything to see them again and yet...""I can't go just yet... Not when there's still so much to see in the world... Not when you're still here and all alone without me..." I said towards her while mustering every bit of courage within me to look at her directly."B- But- What about what I put you through yesterday... You must find me annoying, don't you... You're just saying these things to console me, aren't you?" She said with a genuine expression as her look emitted a sense of sadness I could relate all too well."That's not true at all! I know you did your best that day and though I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't because of your presence that made it unbearable...""It was just that you were going through everything too fast, all at once... We should've done things at our own pace, there wasn't any rush at all." I replied as I held onto her right arm, trying to ease the spiking feelings within her heart."Then... What if you don't remember me in the future... You are an immortal, someone who will live on no matter what and will continue to exist beyond eons..."Yet, one's memory fades over time and eventually, there will come one day where you'll forget me..." She cried and for a moment, I was left speechless of the question she raised.It was a genuine worry that not even I had thought about before. To forget is something that is inevitable and forgetting can simply be to misremember something or completely be unaware of something you once knew. Forgetting is generally something pretty negligible as people will tend to remember things for centuries and decades and yet, for someone like me who is subject to live on for who knows how long, to forget is one of the scariest prospects that will always lurk and never pass.Sitting there I thought for a moment and as Riku was sitting there, on the verge of crying, I abruptly hugged her and comforted her for a moment."Forgetting will probably be the scariest thing for an immortal like me but... I believe if it's with you, I will never forget the things we will do together..." I smiled and letting go of her, we sat face to face, cautious of each other's movement as the silent room continued on."I- I'm not sure about this... How do you know I'm actually the one... Aren't there countless other people out there that you can be with... What if I'm really not the one..." She said, hesitating to continue on as the looming fear continued to stand by her side."Riku-chan, would you..." I said as I extended my arm towards her, grabbing her attention."...Would you choose to live with me forever? It may be a short while in my own eyes but with you, it'll be an eternity. For the remainder of your lifetime, for your mortal life... "I would like to spend each and every second with you no matter how hard or difficult it is, no matter how arduous and taxing it is, I want to spend it with you and you alone..." I told her finally as my heartbeat sounded with anticipation.And in the time span of a second we took to process both our own and each other's emotion, I sat there in the unbearably long second waiting for her answer as I turned to see the scenery outside the windows of the room.Yet the second only persisted into two and soon a third. It continued on until finally, a full five seconds had passed of nothing but pure silence.I remained there sitting with a non-stop persisting echo in my chest and only as droplets of water began falling onto the hospital sheets did I then look towards the face of Riku.Her face flushed entirely red and her eyes were full of the salty transparent liquid that soon drenched her hospital gown and the sheets she pulled in closer with gripping hands.She was crying and yet, her cries weren't entirely full of sorrow, rather, it was a mixture of loneliness and happiness.She cried and cried of the loneliness that had been plaguing her for hours on end up until the day she wanted to throw it all away and for that very loneliness to soon cease to exist, happiness filled her heart slowly but surely, relieving her ever so slightly and greatly.Her golden tears that were mixed with the now shining golden sunlight of the evening lights, it was an incredible sight, enough to bring tears to my very own eyes. "E-Eito-kun... Eito-kun... Do you... Do you really mean that..." She said as she tried to suppress the sniffling and the tears that couldn't stop flowing down her cheeks and face."Of course! I want you and you only to be by my side forever. My one and only!" I replied and she refrained from crying for a second and smiled."T-Thank you... sniff..." She tried to continue as she accepted my hand with her own but ended up crying much harder as a response to her wrenching heart.Without hesitation, I pulled her onto my shoulders, and with one hand behind her back, I allowed her to continue crying it all out until there were no more tears left to shed; her warm body heat reminded me of the time when I desperately tried to save her from her death.Sobs and sniffles continued through the room and as the bright golden rays of light continued shining into the room, casting shadows all over the dim room and painting us in orange, I couldn't help but think that a new chapter had now opened before me."I'm glad... I didn't die back then now..." I whispered under my breath, silent enough that Riku couldn't hear as her cries continued on for minutes longer............There I sat, the car moving forth in a smooth manner while I had my arm pushing against the armrests of my chair. The air conditioning in front of me blew cold winds that turned my skin chilly to the touch and while I allowed it to continue, I then stared outside the window of my seat into the grand landscapes of greenery and fields.It was a beautiful sight and though it was mostly blurred because of the speeds the car was heading at, it no doubt brought a little more joy onto my already smiling face.The scene reminded me of the first train ride I ever had with Riku during my journey to central Kyoto where we went to the cherry blossom festivals and an incredible concert together.The days back then were truly unforgettable and for each moment that passes by in life that I recall that scene, I would yearn to one day experience something akin to that enchanting sight of her once more.I looked out to the clouds of the afternoon sun once more and before I knew it, the car had stopped and we had already arrived at our destination."Sir, we have arrived at your destination. I will pick you up again in a couple of hours as usual so please attend to your duties..." The driver spoke and with little time to waste and anticipation vivid in my mind, I exited the vehicle to then stand before a large building.The place was modern and sleek and didn't look to be even ten years old from how well taken care of the facilities were. I felt somewhat happy for some reason that this was the case as a very important person to me resides within this place.I turned my head facing forth and began making my way toward the entrance of the building.There, a signboard stood atop the glass doorway that led within the lobby of the building, and with bold and black characters, it labeled Kyoto Happy Nursery Home.I took a breath in and with a bouquet of flowers in hand, I stepped in to see a clean white interior of elderly and nurses passing by.The place felt true to its name and each and every elderly man and woman who was passing through the halls and making their way to other rooms looked either delighted or content with their current living.It filled my heart with joy to see their smiling faces. I walked down the hall and noticed what looked to be two teenagers walking by while laughing away; their expression was a truly momentous scene and from the scene, I recalled the following dates between Riku and I.Those days were filled with nothing but affection for one another as the days passed by quickly when we spent our time enjoying each other's company.It was truly great back then and reaching the final hallway, I began walking down only to see a couple of nurses by the sidelines looking toward my way with curiosity."Hey hey... Look at that handsome guy, what do you suppose he's doing here?" A nurse spoke as she blushed upon noticing the guy returning a glance and a smile."Don't you know? I guess you're still new to this branch after all. That guy comes here almost four times a week! It's shocking how he comes here so often...""He spends hours on end here and only leaves when it's sundown. It's a wonder how he has so much free time..." One replied as her chatter went on to be heard by the person in question she was speaking of."Hey don't be rude you two! It's good enough that someone's this dedicated to visiting their family so much, most children these days don't even visit their parents much these days..." A middle-aged nurse spoke, flicking the head of the nosy nurse."Gotcha... But then, I still can't help but wonder who's he visiting... I never managed to check who he actually visits..." She replied and she pondered through her mind on the possibilities."To be young..." I thought and shooting a glance and a smile, I passed by the trio who turned their expression to be more polite and presentable.They weren't wrong at all, I really was going out of my way to visit her almost every other day. But I couldn't help it, not when having her company and interacting with her physically brought me so much comfort.I paced down the hall and finally as I reached the large drawing room of the nursery home, I asked the nurses there of a specific individual and before long, was appointed where she was.Quickly, I walked over to meet her and there she was. Sitting on a wheelchair out on the wooden platform that stretched to the garden was her. Her white silk-like hair, her well-clothed garments, and the facial expression that could warm one's heart with just a glance, she was as beautiful as I could remember."Surprise! I got you your favorite again..." I said as I walked over towards her and set the bouquet of flowers on her lap; her slow turn towards me and the smile of immediate recognition showed she was anticipating my arrival as well."Aha, you shouldn't have... I'm going to become a florist at this rate with how many bouquets of flowers you bring me every week... But granted, they really are my favorite..." She smiled as she held the flowers near her face to smell the fragrance."They really are... I guess you got it from your mother, I like a different variety much more..." I responded while I picked a chair to sit alongside her as we watched the clouds blow by in the far distance."Hmph, I guess you're right... Say, about that story you told me last Monday, do you mind continuing it? You always tell me how mom's always such a tomboy during your teenage days... I really want to hear more of your guy's stories..." She asked as she turned towards me."Hah... Of course honey... Then where did I last leave on huh... Ah right, your mother, Riku... It was Saturday morning and as I woke up after dreaming of my family...""That was when your mother invited me to our very first outing..." I began telling the story decades back and as I went on, I found her partially wrinkled expression listening in to every bit of my tale intently without missing a detail.I looked away and continued speaking but from the edge of my eye, I couldn't help but keep glancing over to check on her every once in a while."Oh, how long has it been since we've been with each other... Riku-chan... Our daughter's still as beautiful as ever, our time spent on each moment really was unforgettable..." I thought while continuing on with my story and before I knew it, it was already the evening...