Aisha sighed with calm relief as White finished reading the letter, folded it up, and slid it back into the envelope. A spark of newfound determination flared in his eyes.
"So, are you still going to act like a miserable child?" Aisha smiled, relieved to see him in a new light.
White shook his head from side to side.
"Good... I think my work here is done," Aisha said with a short giggle. "And don't worry about Bell. I found a solution. She will be here I will drop her tomorrow morning.So, she'll be here soon to give your motivation an extra boost."
"Thank you," White said.
With that, she vanished into the mist.
White pulled an image from the drawer—the very same picture he had shown his mother to force her to talk.
Sorry... I was lost for a while, just like you, he thought. But this time... I promise I will do whatever it takes to fulfill your last wish, no matter what.
He walked out the door, grabbed his jacket, and stepped onto the street.
The clock read nearly 8:00 PM as he walked toward his destination. Along the way, he stopped at a flower shop that was just about to close and bought a bouquet of irises. Soon after, he arrived at the hospital where Miku was admitted, took the elevator upstairs, and stopped right in front of her room.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pushed the door open.
Miku was sitting up in bed, lost in thought as she gazed out the window at the moon. A gentle breeze drifted through the room, making her hair float softly in the air. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she didn't notice White's presence until he spoke.
"Miku...?" he called out softly.
"Hm? Oh!" She turned to look at him, quickly wiping her tears with her sleeve and forcing a cheerful smile. "Welcome, Brother White! What brings you here so late?"
"Sorry to disturb you this late," he replied, handing her the fresh bouquet.
She inhaled the scent of the flowers and smiled. "They smell so good... what kind of flowers are these?"
"Somone who give me hope loved them. They're called irises," he told her. "People see them as symbols of hope, like a messenger."
"I see..." Her eyes welled with tears again, and she smiled ironically. "Isn't hope just chasing a possibility that might never actually happen?" She let out a forced giggle, her tone softening. "Sorry for asking, Brother White, but I have a question for you."
"A question?"
"It's a bit foolish, but... do you think hoping for something that can never happen is a waste of time?"
"That is a very complex question," he murmured.
"Well, you don't have to answer it right away," Miku said, looking away. "I was just thinking about it before you came. I was wondering... what was Mom thinking when she took her own life? Why did she never smile? Every time I looked at her, it felt like she was searching for something."
Tears finally spilled over, tracing down her cheeks, yet her fragile smile remained.
"And now that she's gone... I might never find out why she was in such pain," she sobbed, finally breaking down.
White walked over to her bed and gently patted her head to console her.
I'm sorry, Miku... you're crying today because of me. I'm really not the right person to be here calming you down. I'm the reason... No, I can't keep blaming myself. But deep down, I know if I had handled things better, she might still be with us. Maybe you would have finally been able to truly talk to her.
Silence settled over the room for a few minutes as her heavy tears slowly began to subside.
"I have something for you," White said, breaking the quiet. "I want you to hold onto this for me until the right time comes." He pulled two letters from his pocket—the ones left behind alongside his own.
"What are these? Letters?" she asked, sniffing.
"Yes. This one is for you, and the other is for Shu. I might not be the right person to give it to her myself, so I want you to deliver it to her."
Miku reached out with trembling hands and took the envelope. The moment her fingers brushed the paper, a wave of raw emotion hit her. She pulled the letter tightly against her chest, hugging it to her heart as if she were holding onto a piece of her mother. A deep sense of relief washed over her, melting away the cold, heavy weight that had settled in her chest for so long. She closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath, finally feeling a flicker of true peace.
"Thank you... White," she whispered, her voice thick with tears, but this time, her smile was real.
He wanted Shu to at least be free from his guilt as well. Their mother might not have been perfect, but in the end, her letters had helped White piece together the truth.
Now, the final key to truly saving Shu is Miku, White thought determinedly. I will do whatever it takes to save her—even if I have to sacrifice myself, and even if I have to fight against nature itself.
He spent some more time talking with her, and as he focused on calming her down, he found his own restless heart beginning to steady. When it was finally time to go, he walked over to the door. He reached out, but just as his hand wrapped around the handle, he paused.
"About that question you asked earlier," he said, stopping in his tracks.
A soft, genuine smile crossed his face before he spoke, his voice carrying a warmth she hadn't heard in a long time.
"Hoping for something that might never happen isn't a waste of time. It might seem completely impossible to reach, but sometimes, miracles happen that open a path to make those impossible things real."