Chapter 103: The Letter

Tokyo, 3 a.m., the hotel room was plunged in darkness, the shadows boldly swallowing the small space.

Tianxing Zhao stood at the edge of the balcony, an overwhelming sense of emptiness enveloping him, as if he were perched on the razor’s edge of the world.

The pitch-black night sky held no stars. He raised his hand and swung it through the void, as if trying to cast something away. He longed to hurl something at this cursed world. Alone now, he was no longer the “Starlight” prodigy praised at the Deer Academy. Gazing down at the deserted streets, his heart was filled with a profound helplessness and pain.

Junxia Minami — he kept recalling her face, so much like the one etched in his memory. Could that cherry blossom-like girl truly be dead?

He knew, he had known that the members of the Lust Flesh Cult were after her, yet he had only sent her back to Kagoshima. He should have been more cautious. Why had he not investigated the cult’s true intentions? Had he known she was to be the sacrificial vessel in their ritual, would he still have sent her away so carelessly? There had been chances to change the course of events, yet he had let them slip through his fingers. Always like this — opportunities for redemption, and yet he missed them all.

Pain, like the silence within the night, bred and drifted before settling heavily upon him.

Suddenly, a memory stirred. On the last night in Kagoshima, Junxia Minami had taken his phone under the pretense of playing games. That clever girl must have noted down the phone’s number, which explained why she hadn’t asked for it when she left. That had to be it.

After returning to Tokyo, he had locked the phone away in a locker. He knew he could never face the girl who, under the starlit sky of Mount Miyanoura, had bared her soul without concealment. So, instinctively, he shut everything out.

Tianxing Zhao clenched his fist again, wondering why he had avoided her. If he hadn’t deliberately distanced himself, if he had left even an emergency contact, could he have saved her when danger came?

The cold night wind pierced his chest like a burning brand. He ran fiercely through the interplay of light and shadow.

At this hour, Haneda Airport was still bustling. No matter the time, there were always people moving from one place to another.

He opened the locker, his hand trembling slightly. He didn’t know whether he hoped to find messages from Junxia Minami or not. As he waited for the screen to light up, his heart throbbed like a drowning man’s.

Several unread messages appeared—a final trace Junxia Minami left in this world. Whatever she had written, Tianxing Zhao braced himself, took a deep breath, and began to read.

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Dear skline,

It’s been 24 hours since we last met. Well, I know I may have troubled you a bit, but skline, I miss you a little.

Did my bold confession scare you? After all, I sent this message with my eyes closed. Hey, skline, do you remember what I said to you on Mount Miyanoura that day? Hmm, knowing you, you’ve probably forgotten it all, right? Okay, I’ll say it again—this time, please remember—I said I would wait for you, no matter how long it takes.

Dear skline,

You must be on a mission, right? I know, your work is to save the world! You must be very busy, so you don’t have time to chat with me, right? But that’s okay. Skline, you’ll see these messages eventually. No matter how long it takes, you will receive the love I’ve hidden in them. Hmm, I like you the most.

Dear skline,

It’s strange—only three days have passed, but it feels like a long time since I’ve seen you. I suddenly want to come to Tokyo to find you. This thought is so strange and foolish. If I return to Tokyo, then your bringing me all the way back to Kagoshima would have been meaningless. But I just can’t control myself.

Skline, how are you now? Still on a mission? It’s frustrating—heroes deserve their private time too. You should insist on labor laws with your superiors. How about coming to Kagoshima for a vacation?

Okay, my selfishness must be obvious, but still, why haven’t you replied for so long? (I don’t check my phone every night before sleeping, I swear.) Are you on a long-term mission? If so, please be safe. If the mission is too difficult, just give up. Don’t worry about starving without work—I have the shrine inheritance rights. I can support more than just myself. If it’s you, I’d be more than willing to take care of you. How about that? Sounds tempting, right? Don’t worry, I’ve raised many little animals before—taking care of you won’t be harder than a hamster. (Laughs)

Dear skline,

Yesterday, I had a long dream. I dreamed that many years later, you came to find me. By then, you had been tricked by those bad women outside and were penniless. Guess what I did? Hmm, the beautiful and gentle Miss Junxia of course chose to accept you!

Skline, sometimes I wonder, someone as outstanding as you—would there be many girls who like you? This question has puzzled me for a long time. But then I realized something: you’re always so cool and distant with everyone except me. No other girl could like you, right? If there is, that’s absolutely, absolutely not allowed!

Skline, it’s been a long time since I last saw you. Does that mean you haven’t seen me for a while either? Do you miss me? You should. After all, I’m so good-looking (no objections allowed!). Skline, if you miss me, tell me—I’ll come find you.

By the way, just like a fairy tale, in the end, a man named skline and Miss Junxia lived happily ever after in Kagoshima. Actually, not only them—they even had a daughter and a son.

Dear skline,

Today, because of the rain, I didn’t clean the shrine. The whole morning felt idle, but I can’t say I didn’t do anything. I thought carefully about a question: skline, when did I fall for you? I pondered for a long time. Was it when I first saw you waving at me from downstairs? Or when you raced with me on the Kyoto expressway? Or when you promised to bring me across a thousand miles to this place?

I thought all morning and finally understood—it was every moment, every minute spent with you. Those tiny feelings gathered bit by bit, growing into something large and fierce before I even realized it. Skline, it’s drizzling outside now, and I miss you. Is it raining where you are too?

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Dear skline,

I’ve made up my mind. I know very well that many things in this world must be fought for to be obtained, especially the precious ones. In a few days, I will come to Tokyo to find you. Some say life requires giving up many things, but just thinking that our lives might only intersect for a few short days makes me sad. So I’ve decided to be brave. Skline, if you see me in Tokyo, you can scold me, but please don’t ignore me. I know it’s selfish, but skline, when I fell into the abyss, you reached out and lit the only flame for me. Maybe you don’t need me, but dear skline, I need you. Ultimately, you changed my life, so taking responsibility is only right.

I know I’m stubborn and not very lovable, so I probably won’t make you fall in love at first sight. But dear skline, could you please take some time to get to know me? If you give me a chance, I’m confident I can make you like me. I’ve already prepared to live in Tokyo long-term. Until I find you, I’m ready to work part-time to support myself. It’s the first time I’ve been this brave. Skline, my feelings for you probably far exceed your imagination.

How about this: like in the movies, a three-month trial—no, a year. If after a year of being together you still don’t like me, then I’ll extend the time, okay? That might seem unreasonable, but skline, I don’t know how to live a long life without you. You shine so brightly, like a shooting star across my world. You know, people walking in darkness are irresistibly drawn to even the smallest light.

Skline, I still miss you. If the gods can hear my wish, I hope they punish you by making you miss me as much as I miss you.

Dear skline,

I’m setting off now.

The short message was accompanied by several photos. Junxia Minami wore a blue-and-white dress and a sun hat, offering a shy yet determined smile to the camera. Behind were several transfer tickets—from Shin-Yatsushiro to Fukuoka, then Hakata, Shin-Osaka, and finally Tokyo.

Tianxing Zhao closed his eyes, as if seeing the fragile girl carrying a large suitcase into the station. The long journey of more than a thousand kilometers hadn’t extinguished the fiery love in her heart.

He opened the last message, which contained no text—only a brief voice recording.

Amid the background noise of voices and footsteps, he clearly heard Junxia Minami’s final words:

Skline, I’m so scared. You’ll come to save me, won’t you?