NOVPUBPeople's lives pass through many stages.
In childhood, they cross through ignorance with family love. In adolescence, they dispel loneliness through social interaction. In youth, they defeat ignorance through learning. In adulthood... Kagura Hikaru didn't grow up, so he doesn't quite understand.
In his previous life, he died as a middle school student, and in this life, he probably won't make it to high school graduation.
He is now in his 'youth'.
Youth is supposed to be about overcoming ignorance through learning; Kagura Hikaru thought so, but when he was in the hospital, hearing the doctor announce a disappointing result like "unable to diagnose the illness," and then seeing his father roar in anger, he couldn't help but feel there was still so much he didn't know.
At least, he had never seen his normally reticent father so emotionally charged, except for the day he exposed his mother's affair.
His playful biological mother, who was like a child, and his stepmother, were both silently wiping tears or showing signs of anxiety at this moment.
Kagura Hikaru took it all in.
After all, he had lived a previous life, and he had loving parents. Coming to the Island Nation, even after so many years, there was still a slight barrier.
But now, he understood that they were also his father, his mother, connected by blood.
After all the turmoil with no resolution, as they walked out of the hospital building, everyone's mood was heavy, and they were silent the whole way, with no one speaking.
In contrast, Kagura Hikaru, the person involved, appeared the most calm, as if he was not the patient but an observer from the outside.
As they were about to reach the hospital entrance, Kagura's father recovered from his thoughts and looked at him complexly, "Hikaru, what do you plan to do?"
"I want to continue school, as usual," Kagura Hikaru replied.
Kagura's father furrowed his brow, "But your illness... is that okay?"
"It's fine." 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
Kagura Hikaru thought, this isn't an illness, it can't be cured, what else can he do but endure?
But his mother, Xiaosong Lisha, wouldn't have it, "No! Hikaru, take a long break from school. I'll take you abroad for treatment, we can't give up!"
"No one said anything about giving up!" Kagura's father snapped back, clearly irritated, "The doctors in our country are very capable, they're sure to find the cause!"
"Overseas, they have the most advanced medical equipment, obviously having an advantage!"
"I won't allow you to act recklessly!"
"What did you say? Don't you want Hikaru to get better?!"
Their voices got louder and louder and soon they were arguing.
They were already a pair of estranged ex-spouses, with a relationship as bad as enemies. They had tolerated each other for so long only because of Kagura Hikaru's illness; opposition, and instantly their tempers were too difficult to suppress.
The stepmother sighed repeatedly on the side, not daring to intervene, and Kagura Hikaru was also helpless and headache-stricken, looking away to the bouncing Komori Ai beside him.
Now she could appear in her true form, and to others, she seemed like Kagura Hikaru's sister, who lived with him; naturally, she accompanied him to the hospital.
But compared to the heavy hearts of the other family members, she seemed somewhat heartless, still sucking on a lollipop Kagura Hikaru bought for her from the hospital vending machine, walking and humming a tune.
She didn't care much about the hospital's diagnosis, for she knew that Kagura Hikaru's 'fainting' was just a side effect of his Predict Future ability, nothing serious. If there was really an unlucky accident, she would be there at his side to catch him, and nothing serious would ensue.
So, it was the adults who were making a mountain out of a molehill. For a mature little girl like her, it was completely indifferent, humph.
The family moved towards the hospital's main entrance.
Kagura's father, seeming weary of arguing with Xiaosong Lisha, quickly walked ahead a few steps and said, "I'll go get the car. Hikaru, Xiao Ai, Yuki, wait at the entrance—"
Before he finished speaking, Kagura's father was taken aback because Kagura Hikaru suddenly stopped walking without warning, remained in a walking posture, standing still as if he had lost consciousness.
At that moment, he knew that Kagura Hikaru had been "stricken."
Anxious, he intended to take Kagura Hikaru back to the hospital for a doctor's diagnosis, but in the blink of an eye, he forgot this thought and silently carried Kagura Hikaru on his back, heading towards the parking lot with his family.
At this time, he was indeed 'deceived' by Komori Ai's ability and had completely lost the thought of returning to the hospital.
This was actually because Komori Ai was annoyed by them and didn't want to keep moving back and forth. She especially disliked hospitals. They smelled funny and were cold. Wasn't it much better to go home, lie down comfortably, and play video games?
Lately, hanging around Kagura Hikaru, she had developed a new hobby: playing console games, even bringing them to school and wanting to play during classes but being stopped.
Kagura Hikaru, this person, is lacking in character, truly inflexible!
Komori Ai shivered all over, feeling like a cold and imperious CEO seeping with authority; but in reality, there was just a delicate and cute huff.
While huffing, she also helped Kagura's father push Kagura Hikaru's backside into the backseat and then got in herself, arranging him in a comfortable position and gently closing his eyelids to prevent him from complaining about dry eyes when he came to.
Her familiar actions made it seem as though she wasn't his sister, but rather a personal attendant to Kagura Hikaru.
Once the car started, Komori Ai and Kagura Hikaru were closed off in the backseat, gently rocking as the vehicle moved.
Snap.
With a light tap on the brakes, Kagura Hikaru's body leaned forward, his forehead slamming into the back of the driver's seat, which seemed to bring him back to consciousness as he opened his eyes.
Komori Ai smiled and propped him up, but the next moment she noticed something was off about Kagura Hikaru's expression.
He seemed to have seen something terribly frightening, his eyes wide, mouth slightly open, betraying an unexpected fear and helplessness.
Komori Ai couldn't help but be startled.
In her mind, Kagura Hikaru was always cool and composed. To say he would remain unfazed with Mount Tai crumbling before him might be an exaggeration, but indeed, ordinary matters wouldn't make him show much change in expression.
Now they were in the car; what could possibly happen to make him so terrified?
Could it be that in his foresight, he saw some kind of ominous future?
Komori Ai grabbed his hand, worried.
Kagura Hikaru subconsciously looked her way, slowly reining in his emotions, his brows, however, remained furrowed, as if enduring something painful.
Without uttering a word, he leaned his head against the car window.
When the car moved, the glass would vibrate slightly, translating to a unique kind of massage on the head, which seemed to comfort Kagura Hikaru. He closed his eyes and stayed motionless for a while.
But Komori Ai could tell from his occasionally clenched fists and slightly trembling knees that his state was far from improved.
What had happened?
Why wasn't he speaking?
Komori Ai suddenly felt that Kagura Hikaru at this moment, was akin to the ordinary people once targeted by her father for hunting—frantic, confused, fearful. She could smell the same complex emotions on Kagura Hikaru.
"Big brother, what's wrong with you?" Komori Ai finally asked.
Kagura Hikaru was silent for a while, then reached out, holding her hand.
Holding it tight.
Just now, he had gained a new ability, an evolved form of mind-reading.
This ability was called 'Hearing the Voice of All Things'.
