Chapter 53 - Awakened by the Coldness

 

Semi’s POV

 

Ugh……

 

Cold……

 

It feels cold……

 

Why am I feeling so cold……??

 

I reluctantly opened my eyes from the coldness I felt from my body.

 

I saw Shijimi's sleeping face when I opened my eyes…

 

She was smiling so peacefully…

 

I smiled looking at her sleeping by my side…

 

I think I fell asleep as well while hugging her earlier…

 

My hands went up to caress her face…

 

……………………………….

 

…………!!!!!

 

Wait…..!!!

 

Why………

 

Does her face feel so icy cold……?

 

“Shijimi…?”

 

My hands went down to feel her arms…

 

It was……

 

Cold as well…

 

“Shijimi…??? Wake up!!! Shijimi…!!!”

 

I sat up on my bed, holding onto Shijimi’s motionless body, trying to wake her up, hoping to hear her call my name again…

 

“Shijimi!!! Don’t scare me!!! Open your eyes!!!”

 

“....................................”

 

………………………………..

 

There was no reaction from Shijimi……!!!

 

“Shijimi……?”

 

I quickly carried Shijimi into my arms…

 

If I…

 

Warm her up now…

 

Will she wake up for me…?

 

“.................................”

 

I am not sure how long I have hugged Shijimi…...

 

But…

 

Despite trying to warm her up…

 

I still couldn’t feel Shijimi’s temperature……

 

“Shijimi…… you’re…… so bad…… How could you…… how could you leave silently without informing me???”

 

“......................................”

 

I looked at her again, the smile I love the most is still on her face…

 

But…

 

Gradually I couldn’t see her properly...

 

The tears in my eyes blurred my sight……

 

Until my tears dropped, I could finally see Shijimi properly again…

 

Her smile… is still there...

 

“Shijimi…… You’re cunning…… You know well that if you show me that smiling face I won’t get angry at you right…?”

 

“.............................”

 

Looking at Shijimi, I feel like she was telling me…

 

“Yes, you’re right… Semi…”

 

I continued hugging Shijimi in my arms……

 

I felt like a part of me was taken away……

 

I couldn’t hear anything else…

 

I couldn’t see anything else…

 

I couldn’t think properly……

 

I think……

 

I finally let go of Shijimi only when Rika came home from school and woke me up back to reality…

 

The reality…

 

Where Shijimi has left us……

 

The reality…

 

Which I refuse to accept…

 

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Few years later…

 

After Shijimi left us, I managed to survive properly thanks to Rika’s accompany.

 

And of course, not forgetting Keito, Maki and Sho as well.

 

Today, it is Rika’s eighteenth birthday, I am going with her to Shijimi’s tombstone to celebrate together.

 

“Dad, are you ready?”

 

“Yes!! I’ll go take the cake from the fridge now and we can go!”

 

I bought some flowers for Shijimi as well, upon reaching, I placed the flowers on her tombstone.

 

“Shijimi, we’re here again. I’m sure you know why we are here today right? Today is an important date for us, it’s the date of our dearest daughter’s birthday. Are you back to visit us too…?”

 

“Mum! I have turned eighteen! I can finally take the driving lessons! Hehe~”

 

“Heh? Rika, I didn’t hear of this before…”

 

“Hehe Dad, I only told Mama about it. So you’re the second to know.”

 

“........ What……”

 

“Hahaha!! Mama, Dad’s pouting face is still as cute! Did you see it??”

 

“...... Rika, you and your Mama sure knows how to bully me huh…”

 

“Hahaha okok. Mum and Dad, I have something to tell you both today…” Rika changed into a more serious tone.

 

“Huh…? What is it…?”

 

“I’m getting…”

 

“You’re getting…?”

 

“...... married…”

 

“HUH??? WHAT??? WHO ARE YOU MARRYING???” I panicked as soon as I heard such shocking news.

 

“HAHAHAHA!!!! Dad, I’m joking!! Your face was hilarious, Hahahaha!!!”

 

“........... Rika!!!”

 

“Mum, dad… I… got accepted into the Tokyo Arts University!!!”

 

“Huh? ………. WHAT??? WHAT DID YOU SAY???”

 

“Hahaha Dad, calm down, I said, I am accepted into the Tokyo Arts University, my teacher wrote a recommendation letter to the school and the university accepted me after viewing my portfolio.”

 

“Really??? That's great!!!”

 

This is such great news!

 

Shijimi, our daughter has grown to be very capable…

 

Can you see it…?

 

Gradually I feel my eyes getting wet again…

 

“Ara! Dad!! You’re crying again!!”

 

“...... I’m not…!!! Ahh!!!”

 

I felt a pair of arms on my shoulders…

 

Rika…

 

Was hugging me…

 

Like how Shijimi always does…

 

“Mama told me to give you a hug whenever you cry, so I’m hugging you tightly now, dad.”

 

……………..

 

I closed my eyes, as I calmed myself down from Rika’s hug.

 

“Semi, I’m here… I’m always by your side…”

 

Hmm…?

 

Shijimi……?

 

Ah……

 

I think it was Rika speaking.

 

“......... Thank you Rika…”

 

“Hehe, you’re welcome, dad.”

 

“Thank you, for speaking like your mum too…”

 

“Hmm…? I didn’t talk just now, did you hear wrongly, dad?”

 

“Huh…? You did! Didn’t you say ‘Semi, I’m here, I’m always by your side’?”

 

“No! Dad, I swear I didn’t!!”

 

“Huh… then who was speaking to me…?”

 

Ah……

 

Shijimi…?

 

Was that you…?

 

It was you…

 

Right…?

 

It was then…

 

I saw a butterfly flying past us, and landing on Shijimi’s tombstone.

 

Shijimi…

 

You are here…

 

Upon seeing that…

 

I...

 

Smiled…

 

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Writer’s note: Shijimi has gone to heaven and is looking after her dearest from there… The loneliness Semi felt when alone, is definitely something unbearable...

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