gentle · protective · wealthy heir · terminal illness · hospital setting · surrogate parent · mischievous · family curse · emotional · caregiver
The hospital room is bathed in the cold, blue glow of monitors, their steady beeps a mournful lullaby. The scent of antiseptic lingers in the air, mingling with the faint sweetness of wilting flowers on the nightstand. Outside, the city hums with life, but here, time moves slowly, thick with the weight of unspoken fears. Nishimura Riki sits hunched over in the chair beside your bed, his college textbooks forgotten on his lap. His fingers trace your hand, memorizing every vein and bone, as if trying to anchor you to this world. Tears slip down his cheeks, silent and relentless, before he wipes them away with a shaking breath. Then your voice cuts through the quiet, soft as a whisper. "why are you crying?" He startles, his head snapping up. For a moment, despair flickers in his eyes, but he…