[Bonus Chapter] This Was Her Present Reality

The soft and white puffy clouds drifted in the clear blue sky. From time to time, the seagulls flapped their majestic wings as they soared up in the sky. The sound of people's chattering blended with the echoes of the gently rolling waves.

"Ah~ So pretty."

The calm ocean with gentle waves mirrored Hisaki's mood right now. As much as she was excited to stroll down the beach, she also anticipated the moment she could spot her old man here.

Heisuke didn't say at which restaurant he worked part-time so, Hisaki didn't hold a very high hope. She was already happy to feast her eyes on the white sandy beach with the blue sea. The sight of it soothed her mind.

At this time when the clock struck five, the beach was still crowded with people. The swimwear of this era was still modest, unlike in more modern times in the future. Still, fashion didn't hinder any of them from having fun.

"I think... it should be around here," muttered Hisaki to herself, "The ice-shaved parlor."

The beach was still as beautiful as she had remembered. Despite the lack of more advanced watersports and several attractions like in the later years, this was still the beach where she loved going for a walk with her dear old man.

Although they didn't take a stroll at the beach every day, the memories remained in Hisaki's mind like any other fond memories she had of Heisuke.

The scent of salty air lingered in the surroundings.

Hisaki kicked off her sandals and walked barefoot, amusing herself with the footsteps she imprinted on the smooth white sand. Her silky long black hair was tousled by every gentle breeze blowing past her.

After some time, Hisaki let the seawater wet her feet up to her ankles. She stood motionless as she stared far off into the distance, to the horizon where only a thin line separated the vast deep blue ocean from the sky.

This was her present reality.

Hisaki had to admit that her fear remained within her until now. Despite having successfully met her old man in this second chance at life, she was dreading the possibility of all this was just a long dream.

Once the dream ended and she woke up, she would find her old body lying alone on the bed with the urn that contained his ashes placed on the bedside table.

'Gosh... Stop crying.'

Hisaki blinked her eyes a few times. The sourness spread all over her heart at such a heartbreaking vision. She coughed a few times, trying to ease the suffocation that lodged in her throat.

After getting a hold of herself, Hisaki continued walking. Tiny particles of sand clung to her feet as she continued walking barefoot. Her direction was to the row of seaside eateries on the beach.

Most of the visitors were adults as the children had started schooling again. They had fun enjoying the seafood delicacy and refreshing drinks. Some of them had already gotten tipsy, drunk from the alcoholic beverages they chugged down.

'Should I pack something for dinner?'

Hisaki didn't feel comfortable eating alone in any of these restaurants. She would rather order a takeaway and enjoyed the meal in the comfort of her little apartment.

'Let's just order seafood porridge and pancakes.'

As Hisaki made the decision, she changed her direction to the nearest restaurant.

A delicious scent drifted from the eatery, enticing her tastebuds and appetite. Hisaki had just turned her back to the sea when a loud splash drowned the much quieter sounds in the area. Frantic shoutings followed shortly.

"Help! Someone's drowning!"

"No! Masaru! How could he..."

"He's drunk!"

Quite deep into the sea, a young man was flailing vigorously, trying to remain floating. The water around him kept on splashing, forming turbulence ripples.

Hisaki subconsciously ran to the shore when a figure dashed past her.

A tall and lanky man in a dark outfit jumped into the sea, leaving another big splash in its wake. He glided smoothly through the currents until he reached the drowning man.

Hisaki sucked in a sharp breath. Her legs weakened.

"Heisuke!"

Her frantic scream got quickly drowned by cheers coming from the spectating crowd. She nervously watched Heisuke swim back to the shore with the drowning man in his left arm.

Hisaki snapped out of her daze. She moved through the gaps between the people at the shore. Her accelerated heartbeat sent a buzzing noise up to her mind. She didn't notice her entire body was shivering in fright.

"Argh! Haa... haa..."

Heisuke dropped the man to the damp shore. Through the wet shirt clinging to his body, his chest moved up and down as he panted heavily for air. His entire body was drenched with seawater.

"Quick! Help them!"

"Masaru! Masaru! Can you hear me?"

The man's friends quickly surrounded him. A few others were thanking Heisuke. Someone handed him a large towel to wipe himself. He quietly accepted it.

Before the tension receded, one of them shouted.

"He's not breathing!"

"Argh! What should we do? Is he dying?"

"Hurry! Call an ambulance!"

Hisaki ran forward, "Move aside! He needs CPR! Clear the way!"

Heisuke was dumbfounded to see Hisaki. He got more confused when she suddenly kneeled in front of the drowning man.

"Miss, what are you doing?" asked one of the man's friends.

"CPR. Call the ambulance!" Hisaki answered without looking up. She didn't even glance at Heisuke who was nearby.

After checking the state of the man called Masaru, Hisaki tilted up his head and lifted his chin to open the airway. The man wasn't breathing, prompting her to begin chest compressions.

Hisaki pushed hard and fast on the man's chest. After a round of compressions, she gave the man two rescue breaths. The saltiness of the man's mouth almost made Hisaki gag.

After another completed round, consciousness finally returned to the man.

"Can you hear me?" Hisaki anxiously asked the man.

The man coughed a few times. He dazedly blinked his eyes as his gaze was only focused on Hisaki's face.

Even in such a delirious state, his youthful heart recognized such a gentle and delicate beauty.

"...are you a fairy?" He blurted out.

"..."

Hisaki ignored the remark. She asked the others to put the man in a recovery position while continuing to monitor his state. It seemed like the young man was recovering well.

As luck struck, a blaring ambulance siren could be heard as it got closer. Soon, paramedics jumped out of the van, running to the drowned man.

"Is he unconscious? Did anyone perform first-aid?" One of the paramedics spouted questions.

"I did CPR," Hisaki lifted up her hand.

"Good job, girl," The paramedic smiled at Hisaki. He appeared to be experienced in this rescue field, "This lad is going to recover well. We'll still need to perform more thorough checkups, tho."

Hisaki just smiled hearing the praise. After answering a few more questions from the paramedic, she took a couple of steps back from the main scene.

'Ah! Where's him?'

Hisaki turned around, eyes searching for Heisuke. After a few minutes, she saw him standing quite far from the crow. His eyes were already on her the moment she looked at him.

"Heisuke, are you alright?"

Hisaki ran to her old man. She looked at him from head to toe. A dry towel helped to keep him warm from the cold as he hadn't changed out of his drenched shirt and pants.

"...why are you here?"

Heisuke forced the words out of his mouth. He didn't know what to do with the unsettling feeling brewing within him right now.

The first time he noticed her earlier, he was confused. When seeing her performing the emergency aid, he was in awe but...

Bitterness spread in his heart when she started breathing mouth-to-mouth with the drowning man. Although he knew she was trying to save a life, it was deeply uncomfortable.

What was wrong with him?

"I came looking for you," answered Hisaki honestly.

Stunned, Heisuke blinked, "Looking for me?"

Hisaki nodded a few times, "But... I never thought we would meet like this. Could you go home now? Do you have spare clothes? You might catch a cold if you didn't get a warm shower right now!"

Her constant questioning washed away the uneasiness pulling at his heart. For a second, he really wanted to smile.