wristwatch
After a lively dinner, He Zou still had work to continue.
Working 12 hours a day, she's really doing this as a volunteer internship.
Carrying a thick stack of reports, Hezou walked through the long open-air corridor connecting the two buildings toward the agreed-upon location.
She was still a little curious on the way—Tezuka suddenly called her name and asked her to meet him after training that evening.
Just then, the team members' medical examination reports came out, and she needed to hand them over to him, who was the team leader.
"It's so cold."
She forgot to bring gloves, and tried to keep her hands, which were holding the documents, inside her sleeves, but she still felt like her cheeks and ears were about to freeze off.
"でこぼこ道やquがりくねった道——"
A familiar melody suddenly filled the empty corridor, causing He Zou to stop in his tracks.
It's "Non-stopping River" by Hibari Misora, my mother's favorite old song, and also the ringtone she set exclusively for our family of three.
She hadn't heard this Showa-era music in a long time. Somewhat flustered, she struggled to take her phone out of her pocket with one hand, but hesitated when she saw the caller ID before answering immediately.
The other party seemed to have anticipated her reaction and showed no sign of hanging up.
Finally, Hezou pressed the call button.
The call connected, but neither person on either end seemed to know how to start, so they remained silent for a while.
Finally, He Zou spoke first, calmly greeting, "Dad, it's been a long time."
The awkward greeting caused another silence on the other end of the phone for Eiji Yagyu before his stiff voice finally came through: "...Now that you're back, why don't you spend more time with your grandfather at home instead of running off to some training camp?"
"Clinical internship".
"What do you mean, 'an internship is more important than family'? I've already told you, you don't need that—"
"Dad," Kazusa interrupted her father somewhat rudely, her voice, neither loud nor soft, seemingly echoing in the empty space, "Have you returned to Tokyo?"
Eiji Yagyu on the other end of the phone almost immediately guessed where she was: "It's snowing, and you're still out so late?!"
"I still have work to do."
"Is Hiroshi with you? I'll have him do it for you."
"No need, I can manage on my own."
"Just like your mother, all you do is pretend to be strong."
When their mother was mentioned, silence fell between them again.
As always, He Zou knew their conversation had to end. Over the years, their conversations had usually begun and ended in silence.
"Well then, Dad, goodnight—"
"Mero!" Yagyu Tomohito interrupted his daughter's closing remarks sharply.
"Dad, is there anything else?"
On the other end of the phone, Eishi Yagyu had been expecting his daughter to deliver a barrage of words as usual, but instead he heard this calm statement. His fingers, which had held a scalpel for years, trembled almost imperceptibly. His lips moved, but he ultimately suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "...No, it's alright."
"Then... Dad, take care of yourself."
Kanade sensed something, but she and her father hadn't had a serious conversation in so long. Suddenly, Kanade became taciturn, as if something heavy was pressing down on her heart, and she couldn't say anything no matter what.
Finally, she simply repeated "Goodnight" softly, paused for a few seconds to make sure her father wouldn't speak again, and then hung up the phone.
Looking at the screen after the call ended, Kazusa's face showed a blank and bewildered expression.
How did it turn out like this?
—
When Kazusa composed herself and rushed to the agreed-upon medical room with the report, Tezuka was already waiting there.
The door wasn't closed, and He Zou saw him standing sideways by the window.
He showed no impatience while waiting for others, nor did he take out his phone to pass the time. He simply stood there quietly with his hands at his sides, calmly looking out the window at the snow-covered stadium, lost in thought.
Training, competition? Or perhaps he wasn't thinking about anything at all, just focused on the snowy scenery before him.
This person is always so calm; they probably don't have any troubles that are hard to sort out.
He Zou suddenly felt a little envious of his current state and didn't want to disturb him, so she slowed down her hurried steps.
But perhaps because the snowy night was too quiet, Tezuka had already heard footsteps. Kanade saw him turn around, his gaze landing precisely on her.
Seeing that he had already noticed her, she perked up, smiled, and quickly walked over, saying apologetically, "Tezuka-kun, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
She had no idea how her forced smile would appear to others.
Tezuka looked down at his slightly slumped shoulders and said softly, "No."
Knowing that the other party didn't mind, Kazusa breathed a sigh of relief. After placing the documents in her hand on the coffee table, she unconsciously raised her hand and pressed her temples. The coolness and pressure of her fingertips helped relieve some of the fatigue in her heart.
Noticing her reddened fingers and ears, Tezuka frowned almost imperceptibly, then said, "Yagyu-san, wait a moment, I'll be right back."
"Ah, okay." At this moment, Hezou was a beat slow to react and replied casually.
I saw him turn and leave the medical room, and return in less than two minutes, carrying two cans of hot coffee.
It turned out he was going to buy coffee, which surprised Kozo a bit, as he also liked to drink coffee at night to stay awake, just like him.
Just then, one of the cans of coffee was handed to me.
"It's very cold," Tezuka said calmly, looking at her.
Kanade paused for a moment, then took the can of black coffee and looked up at Tezuka: "Thank you."
Tezuka nodded, walked to the sofa against the wall, sat down, opened his coffee, took a sip, and said nothing or urged him on.
Perhaps influenced by the other party's casual attitude, Kanade unconsciously relaxed and slowly walked over to Tezuka and sat down opposite him, holding her coffee.
The coffee in her hands was still a little hot, but it was just right for Kazusa. The scalding heat instantly spread from her fingertips, making her almost let out a satisfied sigh. She placed her hands on the well-conducting aluminum can, and her previously stiff fingers gradually regained feeling.
After sitting down, she realized that the room was too quiet. The other person was not good at talking, so she should probably say something.
She laughed and said, "I'm saved! I was almost frozen to death just now."
Tezuka glanced at her, nodded in response, and then picked up the report on the coffee table to read it.
"Based on today's basic examination report, Tezuka-kun, if you have any questions, you can ask me first."
"ah."
The other person's gaze remained fixed on the paper, and their responses were concise. As a result, Kazusa, who was still thinking of mustering her energy to say something, remained silent.
The room fell completely silent.
Tezuka intently flipped through the report; Kanade, like he had at the beginning, looked out the window, her back relaxed at some point, and she leaned back on the sofa.
Snowflakes occasionally tapped against the windowpane, making a rustling sound.
It was the same night, the same heavy snow, and the same person beside him. Kanade inevitably thought of the snow in Saint-Antoine.
What was I thinking during that leisurely holiday?
It seems like I'm not thinking about anything; my mind is very calm.
As she recalled her feelings at the time, she cleared her mind. Gradually, the weariness on her face faded, revealing a calm expression.
After a moment of reverie, her thoughts began to return, and her attention returned to the room.
To be precise, it returned to the only person in the room who made any noise.
Kazuna noticed that Tezuka was reading very quickly; in just a short time, he had already turned more than half the pages of the document in his hand. The paper made a rustling sound as he turned the pages.
She suddenly remembered that a senior student who was interning with her had mentioned that Tezuka was a philosophy major.
At first glance, Wazou was somewhat surprised, but upon closer reflection, he seemed to be a perfect fit for philosophy, practically embodying both idealism and existentialism.
The Philosophy Department at Heidelberg University is a top-tier ivory tower in the field of philosophy, with a history spanning over 600 years. It has been home to giants such as Hegel, Jaspers, and Gadamer. With such a history, the Philosophy Department naturally has extremely strict requirements for its students, especially in terms of reading intensity, which can be described as abnormal.
This explains his reading speed and his habit of drinking black coffee at night.
Of course, the medical school wasn't much better, and Kanade felt a surge of empathetic pity.
Her gaze gradually moved upwards, finally settling on his face.
He was very handsome; his superior bone structure and skin combined to create an almost cold, exquisite beauty.
If you describe Tezuka Kunimitsu as "beautiful," people might doubt that her Mandarin is even at a passing grade.
Thinking of this, Kanade chuckled to herself, but when she realized she had laughed out loud, she immediately looked away.
Two seconds later, realizing the other person was focused and seemingly unaware of his gaze, he simply began to openly admire them.
Previously, I only thought his face was excessively handsome, but the gaze of his phoenix eyes was too sharp, and the strong sense of oppression often made people overlook his exquisite features.
Looking closely now, you can see that his eyelashes are also very long, casting a small, subtle shadow under his eyes when he lowers his gaze; his lips are thin and well-defined, and most of the time they are pressed into a firm, straight line.
Kazusa's gaze lingered on those pale lips for a long time.
Um……
Kanade recalled her cousin's words—"Aren't you interested in Tezuka-kun?"
"yes."
Suddenly, the other person moved, leaned over, picked up the coffee on the coffee table, took a sip, and raised his long neck, revealing his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with the swallowing motion.
This action also interrupted Hezai's gaze.
He Zou then noticed that he had already finished reading the report and had a box in his hand that he didn't know when.
She saw him hand her the box.
"Um?"
"Return the item to its rightful owner."
Returning it to its rightful owner? He took the box with a puzzled look and opened it—
The watch she thought she would never find again was lying quietly inside, its hands ticking away.
"...!"
Her throat felt like it was being choked, and she abruptly looked up at the person opposite her. Her purple eyes were already trembling slightly, and when she saw his calm gaze, they quickly welled up with tears. Realizing that her eyes were burning, she quickly lowered her head, but her shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
Almost all the emotions that had accumulated throughout the night poured out at this moment. Kanade gripped the box tightly with all ten fingers, and his restrained voice squeezed out from his throat: "Really... thank you so much, Tezuka-kun."
A strange, sharp emotion made Tezuka frown. He tightened his jaw and repeated his words in an increasingly low voice: "It's just returning it to its rightful owner."
Although he knew he wasn't good with words, his taciturnity at that moment almost made He Zou burst into laughter through his tears.
Not knowing if he would ever meet her again, or if he would ever have the chance to return it, he brought this old watch from Austria back to Germany, and from Germany back to Japan.
He could have talked about his meticulous care, his hard work, and his concern, but in the end he only told her, "Return it to its rightful owner."
He Zou looked down at the wristwatch that gleamed coldly on her fingertips, gently tracing the old scratches on the metal bracelet. For some reason, her nose suddenly felt a little sore again, but this time it wasn't because of the wristwatch she had found again.
Seeing that she remained silent for a while, he thought she was probably distressed by the marks on the watch. Tezuka hesitated for a moment, unsure how to explain, as if anything he said would be inappropriate.
But not wanting her to continue dwelling on her emotions, he finally spoke up: "I found it in the snow; it must have been scratched around that time."
"Huh?" Kanade snapped out of her daze and looked up at his eyes, which were filled with regret and a hint of reassurance. She realized that her attitude had caused him to misunderstand, which made her even more embarrassed. She said solemnly in a voice that still had a nasal tone, "I'm sorry, Tezuka-kun. I know that this watch was left to me by my mother and it already had some scratches."
Tezuka knew that the old items she carried with her must have special meaning to her, but he never expected them to be so precious.
"No wonder she's like that."
He wasn't oblivious; he had already discerned something from her nostalgic expression, but he politely maintained his boundaries and didn't ask any further questions.
Another silence followed.
Neither of them spoke or made any movement; they simply sat facing each other, but the atmosphere was not awkward.
Having released all her pent-up emotions after crying, Kazusa had completely calmed down and felt a lightness she hadn't felt in a long time.
However, when she saw the other person's usual indifferent expression, she felt a little embarrassed. So she said jokingly, "As a way of repaying you, how about I design a set of evening recovery exercises specifically for your left arm muscles?"
"Ah, thank you for your trouble."
Although Kerber has already made a training plan, well... whatever she says goes.
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