Chapter 178: Sakura: It seems that I came at the wrong time?

The hazy morning mist slowly dissipated, and the warm sun shone on the earth, dispelling the dampness and coldness of the night rain. The remaining rainwater between the leaves reflected the sunlight, and finally flowed slowly, sliding to the tips of the leaves, and dripping, making an inaudible sound on the ground.

The breeze blew away the remaining dampness, and after being washed by the rain, the air became clean and refreshing.

Everything seemed so beautiful and appropriate as if one knew something important and good would happen on this day, and everything was ready, just waiting for that moment to come.

After completing the last surgery in the early morning, Nozomi ended his only half-hour sleep, stretched his stiff and sore body a little, came to the atrium garden as usual, did some morning exercises to boost his spirits, and finally, he breathed in the fresh air, felt the wonderful weather, and smiled happily.

"Hmm... Haha~ What a nice day."

Looking up at the white clouds floating quietly in the distance, Nozomi murmured softly.

"...Thanks."

He was just thanking subconsciously, just feeling that he should be grateful, as though someone had helped him with today's weather. Then, a breeze blew by, bringing with it a faint, damp scent, as if responding to him—gentle, like a mother caressing his face.

"Doctor, the two patients in Ward 1 have woken up."

"Here it comes!"

Hearing the nurse's reminder, Nozomi responded quickly and turned around, walking toward the direction of the ward.

"...The doctor seems to be very happy today?"

The nurse who came to remind him tilted her head in confusion, but soon she thought of something and nodded as if she understood.

"But if I think about it, by now... Miss Eden must be on her way here, right? If I go there, maybe I can meet that famous star."

"I never thought the doctor was also her fan... Ah... I'm sure the doctor was very happy to be able to save her parents."

The nurse sorted out her thoughts and nodded again, and immediately put the matter behind her. She still had things to deal with and didn't have time to continue thinking about it.

......

"Thank you so much, doctor."

"This is our responsibility... Also, please move as gently as possible, otherwise the nanometals in your body may damage your internal organs... Ah, you don't have to be so careful, just don't move so much and slow down a bit."

Nozomi spoke as he observed the data on the instrument.

"After that, I will try my best to guide the crystals to your skin and avoid your joints to prevent any sequelae after the removal surgery. In the meantime, please have a good rest. I hope you can endure this quiet life for a while."

"Ha, this quiet environment is perfect for us. Are you doubting the patience that's an artist?"

"I'm worried the music played here won't please your ears~"

"When it comes to treatment, there's no question of whether it's pleasing to the ears or not. Besides... music is not divided into high and low. The sound of music is always beautiful. It is the result of the performer's hard work... We can hear that."

"Not to mention... this piece of music is very well done and melodious, like the morning sun shining through the leaves, allowing people to find their way through the dense forest. Although the road through the forest is still invisible, at least they are no longer confused, and the sun will guide the way... This is indeed a very good piece of music."

"It would be great if you like it."

Nozomi smiled quite happily.

"Speaking of this song... We heard from others that you, doctor, composed the music and lyrics and sang it yourself?"

"Well, yes. I just wrote this song whenever I had free time."

"Whenever? Hmm... It seems like you're really talented... not much inferior to my daughter. It's a pity you don't seem to have any plans to develop in this direction, otherwise, you'd definitely make a name in the art world... sigh... Eh? Why do I feel like I've said this before?"

"Alright, you two, let's stop chatting for now... I'll give you a simple checkup first."

Just when the two were confused, Nozomi spoke and recorded the data on the instrument to the terminal for backup. At the same time, he led the two to perform some simple movements to prevent the nanometal from directly compressing their nerves or damaging them.

After doing all this, Nozomi's ears moved slightly, and he heard some noisy sounds outside the ward, mixed with slight exclamations.

Nozomi's lips curled up slightly. He knew that she had arrived.

As if foreseeing it, he stood up and gently stood against the wall to make room. At the same time, a beautiful figure hurried into the room.

Her gaze first rested on her parents. After seeing that they were fine and even greeted her with a smile, she breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at Nozomi standing beside her.

The golden eyes as dazzling as gold and the strange three-color pupils like stars in the night met each other. In just a moment, they knew who the other was, and a hint of joy and surprise appeared in each other's eyes.

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[Entry: The Twin Stars of the Times (Color), has taken effect!]

[The favorability between you and her has greatly increased!]

[It becomes easier for you and her to understand each other!]

[You have gained the ability to activate the "Song of the Century" to a certain extent!]

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However, even though the two finally met after a long time, neither of them spoke at this moment. They both knew that the next time should be left for her and her family.

They smiled and nodded to each other. Nozomi left quietly with the nurse to deal with other things, while she walked to her parents, talked with them, and showed concern for their situation... everything was left unsaid.

......

When everything had settled down, Eden had dealt with her parents' affairs, and Nozomi had reached his lunch break. The two met again. After briefly chatting about Eden's parents' situation, they returned to their respective topics.

"I never thought that we would finally meet at this time..."

When she came to Nozomi's lounge, she said with some emotion.

"Who says it's not? Maybe this is fate."

Nozomi shrugged and said helplessly.

"Well then... let me introduce myself again. Nozomi, this is my name. Although it is pronounced the same way, it is not 'hope,' right? The spelling is different."

"Nozomi... 'Hope'... Pfft... This is a really good name."

She chewed on the name in a low voice, then laughed. It was obvious that she also understood what Nozomi was saying.

Immediately, she stretched out her hand and shook his.

"Eden, I think you understand where this name comes from."

"Garden of Eden, right."

"Yes~"

It was a message that could be seen at a glance, but when Nozomi answered it in an affirmative tone, Eden's tone unconsciously rose a little, as if such a small thing was also something worth being happy about.

"My parents just mentioned you to me. They said you have great talent, but it's a pity you didn't pursue this path... Otherwise, you might have reached a similar level as me."

"Are you bragging about yourself in a sideways way?"

"But I have the wherewithal, don't I?"

"That's true."

Nozomi nodded and then laughed again.

"If I choose the path of art like you, maybe I will be better than you?"

"Want to give it a try?"

Eden's tone was full of anticipation.

"Well... it's a pity that I can't do it now. No matter what, I can't compare to you, big star~ You are the brightest 'star' of this era."

Nozomi spread his hands helplessly.

"If it were you, maybe you would become a pair of 'double stars'?"

Eden's eyes curved like a crescent moon, with deep anticipation, as if she was imagining such a future.

"I know that all the songs played in the hospital were written and sung by you, right? My parents are amazed by them, and even I find it hard to find any flaws... These are songs you wrote without any professional guidance, relying entirely on your own exploration. If you were anything like me... I can't imagine what you could achieve."

"Hmm? Now that I think about it... if you pursue the path of art, it seems possible that you will be better than me..."

"What? Are you starting to get worried?"

Nozomi said half-jokingly.

"No, how could that be? I'm so happy."

Eden smiled a genuine smile.

"A pair of twin stars shining with each other, a pair of twin stars shining with brilliance together, that scene must be beautiful."

"Well, yes, that must be beautiful..."

Nozomi supported his face with one hand and looked into the air as if he was imagining some scene, and then he quickly gathered his spirits and put on a slight smile.

"Come to think of it, your parents probably don't know that we've known each other for a long time, right?"

"Yeah, when I told them that I knew you, they were all shocked... They didn't expect such a coincidence to happen in the world."

Eden sighed.

"From high school to now... it's a bit funny that we only met and knew each other after such a long time. We are obviously friends."

"What do you mean you just found out who the other person is? Don't you know me?"

"How do I know that a random netizen I know, a fan of my small online account, is the world-famous superstar Eden, right?"

Nozomi shrugged and said with a smile.

"And your official account didn't follow me... The one chatting with me was also a private account, right? you did this to prevent your fame from causing me any trouble... But because of this, how can I know it was you?"

"...Really, your excuse is too much. It doesn't even give me a chance to refute."

"No, actually you can also say that I'm so famous and my songs are everywhere, how could you not have heard them? Add to that the words you hinted to me before, and you can turn around and blame me for not understanding your hints."

Nozomi said half-jokingly.

"After all, you've emphasized several times that I must have heard your songs... so this is also a clue, isn't it?"

"Hmm... I guess you can say that."

Eden nodded as if she understood, and then laughed.

"I'll try next time."

"Uh... I always feel like I've dug a hole for myself."

"Pfft… no need to feel it, okay?"

Eden smiled unconsciously.

"Well... please, don't use this kind of rhetoric against me next time."

Nozomi rummaged through the drawer, then took out a piece of marshmallow and handed it to Eden.

"I don't have any gifts to give you on our first meeting, so I'll just give you a piece of candy. I hope the sweetness can give you some pleasure."

"Um...did you know, Doc, marshmallows taste better after they're toasted?"

Eden gladly accepted it and didn't think there was anything wrong with it. She just naturally opened the packaging, stuffed the soft marshmallow into her mouth, and let the sweet taste fill her mouth.

"It would be better if I add dark chocolate and eat it between cookies, right?"

"Isn't that a caloric bomb?"

"Don't worry about the calories, as long as it tastes good... Of course, I will control it to stay in shape."

"Yeah, it's not a bad idea to try it once in a while... I'll find a chance to try it."

Nozomi thought about it and nodded happily in agreement.

"If the doctor wants to try it, can you tell me? I can give you some guidance."

"On the scene?"

"On-site~"

"…You want to eat it yourself, right?"

"Hmm? It would be bad if you said it out loud, ok?"

"It will be terrible if your agent gives me trouble then."

"Don't worry, I'll say it's all your fault, doctor... Oh no, I'll just say it was you, doctor, who said it. It's okay to indulge yourself occasionally."

"Hey, isn't that a bit too much?"

"hehe..."

Eden's bell-like laughter echoed in the lounge along with his helpless laughter.

However, after the laughter, a brief silence began to spread.

"…But thank you anyway, doctor."

Eden spoke softly, with tenderness in her eyes as she looked at Nozomi.

"Thank you for overcoming this problem and finding a cure for this disease. Thank you for saving my parents' lives. Thank you very much."

"It doesn't matter. This is what we should do. The patients' will to survive is also crucial. Otherwise... we will be powerless to save them."

"Well...but I'm still happy to meet you..."

Knock knock——

Just when Eden was about to say something, there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in."

Nozomi shifted his gaze and looked towards the door, shouting at the same time.

"Doctor, I made some snacks, do you want to..."

Sakura pushed open the door with an exquisite briefcase, but before she could finish her opening words, she saw Eden sitting opposite Nozomi.

"......"

Subconsciously looking at the distance between the two people, Sakura could feel that the two were not strangers who were not familiar with each other.

'Friends... I don't know if it counts, mainly because the distance is too close, and this woman... is the big star Eden, right? I haven't heard that Nozomi has any connection with Eden. This should be the first time these two meet, right?'

'And how did the two of them get in touch? I don't even know where they got in touch.'

...Sakura completely forgot that when she first met Nozomi, she was actually similar to Eden at this moment. She unknowingly kept a very close distance from Nozomi, and Sakura herself was even... uh... more "excessive" than Eden.

And more importantly, Sakura subconsciously felt that there was no problem at all for Nozomi and Eden to get along like this and stay so close to each other, as if this was how they were supposed to be.

So, she asked subconsciously.

"It seems... I came at a bad time?"

"No, Sakura, you came at the perfect time."

Nozomi blinked, pulled over a chair, patted it gently, and motioned Sakura to sit down.

"Eden, let me tell you, Sakura's desserts are delicious."

"Is that so... can I have a taste, Miss Sakura?"

"...sure."

Seeing that neither of them had any resistance, and that she herself wanted to join in, Sakura hesitated for a moment, nodded, put on a faint smile, sat down, opened the box, revealing the light pink, cherry blossom-like pastries inside.

Hmm...if other people knew about this harmonious scene, I'm afraid a lot of strange rumors would arise.

But it doesn't matter. The three of them don't care at the moment. They just quietly share the pastry with a faint floral scent and quietly feel the tranquility that belongs to the three of them.