After losing the man he loved, he was able to walk out of the abyss of despair and rediscover the meaning of life through companionship, enlightenment, and even self-dedication.
Although he was still the one who had brought him to such a miserable state, if we look only at the rest of his life, the two had shared a life that was happy enough.
They raised an excellent child together and supported their parents until their natural deaths.
The same was true for the two of them. They supported each other in the future and died only one year apart.
"Your life has become so miserable because of me; I have to take responsibility for all this. This is the road to redemption for the guilty."
At the end of the film, when she saw his descendants burying their ashes together in the same place, the self-blame and sorrow that had always hung over Iroha's chest finally began to dissipate.
No matter what, at least for Chisato in the film, the most difficult times in life had finally become a thing of the past.
The same was true for her; her desire to atone for her sins was genuine, and she had definitely developed a love for him in the later stages.
The two supported each other and found happiness after their ordeal. This was the best ending.
Iroha lowered her eyes, and her thick eyelashes trembled slightly.
The most important thing was that when she woke up from that strange dream, she saw the words "The End of the Show" on the TV screen.
She couldn't help but feel happy; maybe this meant that this kind of experience was finally coming to an end.
This inexplicable weirdness could easily guide her emotional dreams into reality, and she no longer wanted to experience it anymore.
She decided to treat it as a special experience known only to her, with nothing in reality having changed.
"Iroha..."
Iroha came back to her senses and raised her eyes to meet her mother's extremely worried gaze.
"Is the food not to your liking?"
"No..."
Iroha looked at the young mother in front of her and instantly thought of what she had seen in her dream: her mother's gray hair and emaciated body as she was dying.
Her eyes felt a little sore again.
It's wonderful that Mom is still healthy and doesn't have to be bedridden.
"It's delicious, Mom."
"If it tastes good, eat more."
Mrs. Isshiki suppressed her worries as much as possible and placed a piece of fried fish that her daughter liked into her bowl.
"If you feel unwell, we can ask for a few more days off from school, so you don't have to push yourself so much."
Although Iroha's behavior after waking up today was quite normal, her condition over the past few days had genuinely worried her mother.
Compared to her daughter's physical and mental health, studying was indeed nothing.
But Iroha shook her head.
"I'm fine, Mom. It's just a nightmare. Don't worry."
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, wearing the all-too-familiar smile as usual.
Mrs. Isshiki could clearly sense that her daughter was hiding something, but she still matched her daughter's smile and nodded lightly.
———
On Monday.
Sobu High School.
In the staff room, Hiratsuka looked at Iroha calmly.
She was in good spirits and looked much better than before. Although her face was still a little haggard, it was only a matter of time before she fully recovered.
"...So you're telling me that the reason you were acting so worryingly in those days was just because you had nightmares?"
"Yes, I'm timid, which is why I acted that way. I'm sorry, teacher, for making you worry."
Ichiroha put her hands behind her back and smiled gently.
She had slept well the previous night and had not been dragged into that strange dream again.
Just as she thought, when the words "The End of the Play" appeared, everything was truly over.
No matter who it was, even if they had never experienced anything like this, they would find it hard to imagine such a situation.
Therefore, she did not want to mention this matter to anyone, nor did she want to be seen as an outsider in the eyes of others.
Anyway, the negative consequences caused by that dream were not serious enough to affect her real life. The worst damage was only to her fragile spirit.
Reason told her not to try to explore the root cause behind this strange phenomenon.
She didn't want to go through this unfortunate experience again. Now, Iroha just wanted to return to her peaceful campus life with a clear mind.
Her parents were still alive, and she hadn't made any significant mistakes.
Except for missing such a considerate and gentle brother, everything was much better than the script unfolding on the screen in her dream.
In this case, what was there to be dissatisfied with?
Only after experiencing suffering can one realize how rare and precious happiness is today.
This was the truest thought in Iroha's heart right now.
"Now that you say so... I understand."
Shizuka Hiratsuka observed the expressions of the students in front of her and did not continue to ask.
She returned her gaze to the messy teacher's desk with an indifferent expression.
"Teacher, if there's nothing else, I'll head back first."
This chapter is over; it's time to move on.
Iroha bowed slightly and walked toward the staff room door.
Then—
"Wait a minute; I'll take you a little longer. Come with me."
The chair with rollers made a purring sound as Hiratsuka, who was very close, hugged Iroha's shoulders with one hand while holding up a key with the other.
If someone else had suddenly made such an intimate gesture toward her, Iroha would definitely have felt physical discomfort and would have either covertly or overtly tried to distance herself from the other person.
But now, it was her teacher making this move. She was also a woman, and Iroha had no way to refuse.
"Where are we going?"
"Don't worry; I won't make you do any hard work, and I won't delay your meal time. I'll be fine in a little while."
Hiratsuka said this carelessly, patted Iroha on the shoulder, and the two walked out of the staff room together.
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The End.
Thank you for staying with me here, see ya on another translations~!
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Just kidding.
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