EPISODE END

Chapter 76: The Ghost of You

The world felt empty.

Misaki sat motionless in her room, still wearing the dress she had chosen for the festival—the same festival Kyoya had been looking forward to. The fabric, now wrinkled and damp with tears, clung to her as if absorbing her grief.

Her fingers trembled as she held the small box Renji had given her at the hospital. She had barely registered his words when he handed it to her, his face pale and devastated. Hiro had received a USB as well, though he hadn’t questioned it at the time. They had all been drowning in sorrow.

Misaki’s breath hitched. She hadn't even left the festival when it happened. One moment, she had been waiting for Kyoya, and the next—

Her chest tightened.

No.

She couldn't think about it. Not yet.

With shaking hands, she opened the box.

Inside were multiple USB drives, each labeled with different names.

Confusion flickered through her grief.

Her trembling fingers picked up one labeled "Diary."

She hesitated. Then, slowly, she plugged it into her laptop.

The screen lit up.

And there he was.

—

Kyoya appeared on the screen, younger, wearing his first-year uniform. His usual playful grin greeted her.

"Hello there! Um… yeah, I’m Kyoya, and I’m making this as my first diary entry. Cool, right?" He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

Misaki let out a small, broken sob.

He was here. He was alive.

But then his smile faltered. He shifted slightly, gripping his bedsheets.

"I’m going to die in three years."

His voice cracked, and the grin disappeared.

"Great, right? Hahaha…"

Then his laughter broke. His shoulders shook, and he wiped his eyes quickly.

"Ah, shit. I’m getting emotional again."

Misaki covered her mouth, trying to contain the sobs wrecking her body.

—

One by one, she watched the videos.

Kyoya recorded his thoughts, his emotions, his struggles. She saw him grow, mature, but never lose his light.

Then came a video from his third year.

Kyoya smiled at the camera, older now but still glowing with energy.

"Heyo, it’s ya boy Kyoya! We’re back in our hometown, and guess what? I’m a third-year now. Crazy, huh?"

He shifted, leaning closer.

"I met a grouchy girl." He chuckled, eyes twinkling. "She’s cute but ignores me. I dunno, something about her feels… familiar. Like she’s drowning but refuses to ask for help."

His voice softened.

"I want to pull her out of that darkness… So I’ll try to be her friend."

Misaki covered her mouth, her sobs unstoppable.

—

Another video played.

Kyoya was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His expression was different—vulnerable, almost afraid.

"It’s dangerous."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I think I’m falling in love with Misaki."

Her heart clenched painfully.

Kyoya wiped his face, laughing bitterly.

"I don’t want to hurt her. I don’t want to make her love someone who’s leaving. But I can’t stop it."

A pause.

"I don’t even know what to do."

He inhaled shakily.

"I’ll try talking to my family… Maybe they’ll help me figure it out."

Misaki sobbed, her hands clenching into fists.

—

Then came the final entry. Of his diary

Kyoya stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his outfit. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Good morning! It’s been a month since my last entry. Not sure when I’ll die, but hey, still kicking!"

He grinned, posing dramatically.

"I hope I live long enough to see Misaki get her surgery."

Then—

The screen went black.

Misaki let out a strangled cry.

She reached out, hugging her laptop as if she could bring him back through the screen.


The rain outside poured relentlessly, mirroring the storm inside Misaki’s heart. The distant sound of thunder rumbled through the house, but she barely noticed.

She was drowning.

Drowning in a sorrow so deep that even breathing felt like a cruel reminder that she was still here, while he was not.

Her body trembled violently, her hands clutching the laptop screen as if it could somehow bring him back. Kyoya’s face—his smiling face—was frozen on the last frame of his goodbye l video entry.

The last one she'll watch for today.

Her tears blurred her vision, but she refused to look away.

Kyoya’s voice played softly through the speakers.

"So… if you're watching this, that means I didn’t make it, huh?"

He chuckled weakly.

"Damn. I really wanted to keep my promise, you know?"

Misaki clenched her fists.

"I wanted to stay. I really did. But I guess fate had other plans."

His expression turned softer, sadder.

"Misaki… I know you're probably crying right now."

She gasped, sucking in a sharp breath.

"I’m sorry."

She shook her head furiously.

"I’m so, so sorry."

Her sobs came out in broken whispers. "Don't say that… don’t…"

Kyoya smiled faintly.

"But hey, I have no regrets. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. You made my last year the happiest I’ve ever been."

Misaki’s body ached with grief.

"I just wish I had more time."

His voice wavered for the first time.

"I wanted to see you graduate. I wanted to see you walk again. I wanted…"

His smile trembled.

"I wanted to grow old with you."

Misaki’s heart shattered.

"But life doesn’t work like that, does it?"

His hands ran through his hair, his eyes looking somewhere off-camera.

"Still, I’m happy. Because I got to meet you. Because I got to love you."

Tears fell freely from his eyes now.

"So… thank you, Misaki. Thank you for being my light."

Misaki sobbed uncontrollably, her nails digging into her arms.

"Please, don't be sad forever, okay? It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to grieve. But don’t let my absence take away your smile."

She shook her head, her voice cracking. "I can't… I can't, Kyoya…"

He inhaled deeply, as if trying to keep himself together.

"I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

Her body convulsed with pain.

"But before I go… I have something important to do."

Kyoya suddenly grinned.

"It’s almost time for my daily video call with Misaki."

Misaki’s heart stopped.

"She gets mad when I’m late, so I gotta go!"

He winked.

"Baboosh!"

And then—

The screen went black.

—

Misaki screamed.

A raw, heart-wrenching scream that tore through the walls of the house.

Her parents, standing outside the door, froze.

It was the same.

The same scream from years ago.

The same scream she made the day she lost her ability to walk.

Her mother collapsed to her knees, covering her mouth to muffle her sobs.

Her father’s hands trembled at his sides, his vision blurring with unshed tears.

Inside the room, Misaki broke.

She clutched the laptop to her chest, as if holding it tightly would somehow bring him back.

"You liar!" she choked out. "You promised! You pinky-swore!"

Her body shook violently as she screamed his name over and over again, but no voice answered her.

No warm chuckle.

No teasing remarks.

Just silence.

"I miss you."

She curled into herself, the weight of her grief crushing her completely.

"I miss you so much, Kyoya… Please… please don’t go…"

Her voice faded into quiet, aching sobs.

And outside her door, her parents wept silently, knowing that no words could ever fix their daughter's broken heart.

—

In his own room, Hiro sat motionless, staring at the USB Renji had given him.

His hands clenched into fists.

Kyoya was gone.

The light—the sun—had been extinguished.

He wiped his tears roughly, inhaling shakily.

Then, with a deep breath, he plugged the USB into his laptop.

As the screen lit up, he braced himself.

For whatever final message Kyoya had left for him.

— The chapter ends.

Chapter 77: Until We Meet Again(end)

Hiro’s Pain

Hiro sat on the edge of his bed, gripping the small USB in his trembling hands. The weight of it felt heavier than anything he had ever held. His chest tightened, his throat burned.

"It's just funny videos," Kyoya had once said, laughing.

Hiro let out a shaky breath and inserted the USB into his laptop.

The screen flickered to life.

And then—

There he was.

Kyoya.

Smiling. Alive.

Hiro’s breath hitched. His fingers curled into fists as he whispered, "Why?"

Kyoya in the video grinned, leaning into the camera.

"Hello there, Hiro. If you're watching this… well, I guess I didn’t make it, huh?"

Hiro flinched, his throat tightening.

"I only made one video for you."

Kyoya’s expression softened.

"I’m sorry, Hiro. I never told you I was dying. I was selfish, wasn’t I?"

Hiro's lips trembled.

"I just… I didn’t want things to change. I didn’t want you to look at me with pity."

Tears streamed down Hiro’s face.

"But more than anything, I didn’t want to take away your smile."

Hiro clenched his teeth. "You idiot. You selfish idiot!"

Kyoya chuckled.

"You probably hate me right now, huh?"

"Of course, I do!" Hiro shouted at the screen.

"But… I hope, even just a little, you understand."

Kyoya sighed, rubbing his neck awkwardly.

"When you first approached me, asking about Misaki, I was relieved. Because I knew she would have someone to rely on when I was gone."

Hiro shook his head, his tears falling endlessly.

"You were clumsy. Funny. A little bit of an idiot." Kyoya smirked. "But you were also one of the best people I’ve ever met."

His voice became softer.

"I always teased you, you know? But I really did love you."

Hiro’s breath caught.

"Not in a weird way, don’t get me wrong!" Kyoya laughed.

"As a brother."

Hiro’s whole body trembled.

"You were my brother, Hiro."

The weight of those words crushed him.

"So, I’m asking you one last favor."

Kyoya’s eyes grew serious.

"Take care of Misaki."

Hiro covered his mouth, his sobs escaping against his will. He buried his face into his pillow, his body shaking violently.

"Please."

Then—

The screen went black.

And Hiro screamed.

—

Kyoya’s Funeral

The sky was dark, the clouds heavy with the weight of grief. It was as if even the heavens were mourning.

Misaki, dressed in black, sat silently in her wheelchair, her hands clenched into fists on her lap. Yuna stood beside her, her face pale, her eyes hollow. Hiro was next to them, his head lowered.

Classmates, teachers, and friends surrounded them, all gathered to mourn the boy who once shined like the sun.

One by one, people stepped forward, dropping flowers onto his grave.

When it was Misaki’s turn, she wheeled herself closer, her chest tightening.

She placed a single white rose onto the casket.

Her hands shook.

"Kyoya..." she whispered.

Her lips trembled as fresh tears fell.

"You liar."

Hiro and Yuna watched in silence as she tried to keep her voice steady.

"You promised me."

Her voice cracked.

"You said you wouldn't leave me."

A sob escaped her throat.

"I still hear you sometimes. When I close my eyes, I can hear your voice teasing me. I turn around, expecting you to be there... but you never are."

Her hands clenched into fists.

"Do you know how cruel that is?"

Her breathing became ragged.

"I reach for you in my dreams, but when I wake up, you’re still gone."

Tears streamed down her face, her body trembling.

"I miss you. I miss you so much it hurts."

Her sobs broke through the silence.

"How am I supposed to live without you?"

She inhaled sharply, her chest heaving.

"But... I have to go now."

Yuna’s hand tightened into a fist. Hiro bit his lip.

"I’m getting my surgery."

She inhaled shakily.

"So when I see you again... I’ll be walking to you."

A single tear fell from her eye.

"Wait for me, okay?"

She pressed a trembling kiss against the gravestone.

And then, for the last time—

She let him go.

—

Many Years Later

The cemetery was quiet, the air crisp with the scent of autumn.

An old man stood in front of a familiar gravestone, a bittersweet smile on his lips.

"Long time no see, my friend."

Hiro chuckled softly, kneeling down.

"Looks like your nieces have been taking good care of your grave. Pretty neat, huh?"

The wind whispered gently.

"Sorry I took so long to visit." Hiro sighed. "You know how life is."

He hesitated before continuing.

"Yuna passed away before me. She beat me to it, the idiot."

His voice wavered.

"We had three kids. Can you believe it? Three."

He laughed, his eyes glistening.

"Misaki… she became an idol again. You remember, right? Before everything, she was already famous."

He exhaled, his voice turning softer.

"She never married, you know."

The wind howled.

"She still loves you, dumbass."

Hiro forced a small smile.

"She was stunning on stage. A real star."

His voice broke slightly.

"But that star was always longing for someone."

He placed a hand on the tombstone.

"Oh, and Renji and Amelia?" He grinned. "They had five kids. One of them is named after you. Can you believe it? Five kids!"

Hiro let out a deep sigh.

"I wish you were here, Kyoya."

He closed his eyes.

"Maybe we could have had more fun. Maybe you could’ve teased me more. Maybe Misaki wouldn’t have been alone."

The wind was silent.

Hiro stared at the name engraved in stone.

"But I know you're watching us."

He stood up, giving one last glance.

"Goodbye, my friend."

And with that, he left.

—

Misaki’s Final Goodbye

Inside a grand mansion, an old woman sat in a large chair, surrounded by her adopted children.

Her eyes were distant, gazing out the window as if waiting for something.

She smiled weakly.

"My time is near."

Her children held her hands, tears streaming down their faces.

"I will see him again."

She closed her eyes.

And then—

A light.

A warm, gentle light.

She looked up, and there he was.

Kyoya.

Smiling.

"I miss you, Misaki."

Tears filled her eyes.

"You idiot," she whispered.

Kyoya laughed, teasingly.

"Still as dramatic as ever. You really became an idol again, huh?"

Misaki laughed softly, her tears falling freely.

"And you still talk too much."

Kyoya grinned.

"Come on. Let’s go."

He reached out his hand.

Misaki placed hers in his.

For the first time in decades—

She felt whole again.

Kyoya pulled her close, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

"I love you, Misaki."

She closed her eyes, resting against him.

"I love you too."

And together—

They disappeared into the light.

— The End.


Hello! Thank you for reading this episode. I hope you liked it. As you can see, I dropped hints throughout the chapters about the ending. Originally, I planned to end the episode without a happy ending. While it’s not a happy ending because both characters are dead, they are together in the end. I hope you’ll look forward to the next episode and continue to watch me grow as a writer.

In this chapter, I didn’t fully develop Renji and Amelia's storyline. I rushed it and forgot to provide background for Yuna's stepdad and how Yuna's mother met him. To clarify, Yuna's mom worked as a waitress when she served Yuna's gangster stepdad. He was actually a childhood friend of Yuna's mom, but he felt embarrassed because he looked rough and didn’t have good grades compared to Yuna's dad. He didn’t pursue Yuna's mom back then, but now that he sees her old and tired, he still views her as the same person. He tries to pursue her, and eventually, they end up together.

When Yuna first meets his dad after a long time, Yuna's stepdad's goons are already searching for him.

Thank you again for reading this episode!

Chapter end