I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 252 The 21 Grams of the Soul

The misty air felt like being in a sauna.

It lingers before my eyes, hazy and indistinct, like a fairyland.

For Mochizuki Miki, everything right now can truly be described as paradise.

Enjoying the space to be alone with this boy.

Listen to him speak.

I felt his hands tracing across my skin.

It's like flying close to the surface of the sea.

His touch was gentle, like that of someone tenderly caring for their own child. Although the woman had never given birth, she had portrayed mothers in a wide range of roles. Of course, her performance in that role wasn't perfect.

What would be the most perfect character?

She feels that this is who she is now.

Not in the play? But in life, in this grand drama called life.

The straps on her shoulders would slip down with the boy's movements, and she would even lift her body slightly in a rather cooperative manner. So it would be very easy for Tsukino Gen to remove all of her 'armor' at this moment.

"Why don't you speak?"

Gen Tsukino asked softly.

In reality, his condition wasn't as good as he had imagined, because dealing with her situation was like trying to restore a chaotic forest to its most reasonable state.

Therefore, it requires considerable care. The most skilled surgeons must wield their scalpels with utmost precision, making every incision with absolute accuracy. Otherwise, a single mistake could lead to serious consequences.

Tsukino Gen only asked her not to move around.

Even speaking is fine, because if she's too tense or thinks the matter is too dangerous, it will actually make it harder for Tsukino Gen to perform. It's all internal factors; a relaxed state makes it easier for him to find and solve problems.

The woman's answer was simple.

"Your sweat is dripping onto my back, you must be very tired. I don't want to distract you at this time."

An actor's perception is certainly quite sharp, so she could keenly sense that Tsukino Gen's performance had changed somewhat over the past ten minutes compared to the beginning.

For example, sweat dripping onto one's back.

For example, he lowered his voice even further.

It seemed like she was deliberately trying not to worry.

She knew how serious her problem was, something that modern medicine couldn't cure. Even if he possessed powers beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, it certainly wouldn't be easy for him.

Gen Tsukino smiled, but his expression had already begun to change.

Even those at the near-fifth level of cultivation found it somewhat difficult to handle her questions.

Fortunately, it's not an unsolvable problem.

he said softly.

"You might feel a bit uncomfortable right now, so let me know if you can't take it anymore."

Okay. Don't worry.

Mochizuki Miki was prepared; she knew that no treatment would be comfortable, not even one with such miraculous power.

She felt she could handle it.

After all, I endured the pain of each attack on my own.

The words fell.

It probably only took a few seconds.

"Well!"

She almost couldn't help but scream.

Because a sharp, needle-like pain started in my back, a dense, throbbing sensation.

The key point is that this pain seems to come from within one's own body, as if countless needles are trying to break through one's body.

The pain is unimaginable.

Subtle movements appeared, but Gen Tsukino did not stop; instead, he entered a completely new phase.

He tried to straighten those twisted meridians, those intricate veins in his body, one by one.

The pain caused Mochizuki Miki to break out in a sweat.

It was as if someone had been forcibly breaking the bones in her body repeatedly, then repositioning them, healing them, and then breaking them again.

Her body was almost out of control; her fingers gripped the sofa beneath her so tightly that it seemed she was trying to dig a hole through it.

His toes were all curled up violently.

She could barely control her facial expressions; the pain of the treatment was more intense than she had imagined, and even when she was prepared, it felt like a catastrophe had struck.

You only realize how insignificant you are when you face it head-on.

Only then do you realize how honest human instincts and the pain we perceive truly are.

"Well"

"pain"

"No, it's okay, I can still..."

Don't worry about me. Really.

Her words were already incoherent, which reflected her current mental state.

My mind is already a bit muddled. What am I persisting for? Why must I persevere? What kind of result can I expect? All of these have become blurry.

She could no longer see clearly, nor could she hear whether Tsukino Gen was responding to her.

Is this pain even worse than childbirth?

Am I actually already dead, and my remaining soul is being tormented?
It would be better to throw yourself into the incinerator and burn you to ashes.

She even had such a desperate thought that death was the best relief than treatment.

Just when she could barely hold onto the edge of the sofa, and was clenching her teeth so tightly on the cushion that she was about to collapse like a dam breaking.

"call."

It felt like a gentle breeze was blowing.

It was as if a person on the verge of death on the beach had finally felt the presence of the sea breeze and the secret joy of surviving a near-death experience.

She didn't even feel like she was really alive.

Because my whole body felt empty and light.

Some say the soul weighs 21 grams. But she feels she weighs 1 gram.

It weighs only one gram.

That gram was a strand of one's own hair falling onto one's face.

It was covered in sweat.

It probably wasn't tears. Even though I felt like I was crying from the pain, there was a distinct burning sensation in the corners of my eyes, as if I were being tortured by salt.

Like a scorching burn.

Are you still alive?
".Tsukiye."

She spoke softly, like a weak cry for help, as if she were a drowning person desperately calling for help underwater. But her voice couldn't be effectively conveyed.

However, a distress call that should not have been answered underwater was responded to.

Through blurred vision, in eyes soaked with tears and sweat.

His face was covered in sweat and was somewhat pale, like faded photographic paper.

"I'm here, you're still alive, don't worry." Hearing the boy's warm but weak words, she couldn't help but burst into tears.

She stretched out her hand with difficulty, wanting to touch the boy's cheek, but it seemed as if she couldn't reach the boat on the other side, as if everything was just a little too close.

However, Tsukino Gen reached out and took the other's hand in his.

His smile was still beautiful, but his frail complexion added an almost sickly beauty to it.

"What do you want to say? Or maybe we should rest for a bit first."

The woman, who was already crying, stubbornly placed her hand on the other person's cheek.

Then she sobbed softly.

"I feel sorry for you. You must be very tired. I'm sorry for making you so tired."

Seeing Tsukino Gen's appearance, Mochizuki Miki realized how much effort this boy had to put in each time he tried to heal her.

This weak appearance is not faked.

They're here, so there's no need to fake it.

Gen Tsukino smiled and said, "You're in so much pain, how can you still comfort me?"

He gently wiped the corner of her eye with his fingers. To be honest, he really didn't expect that this was Mochizuki Miki's first reaction upon waking up.

It seems that nothing is more poignant than the tears before one's eyes.

Those were not tears, not water droplets, and not raindrops.

Each bullet fired from the gun barrel pulled the trigger against his heart. Every bullet entered his heart, filling his mind with images of her crying.

Gen Tsukino shook his head as he wiped away her tears, then leaned closer so that their breaths were almost touching.

Then they heard Mochizuki Miki muttering to herself.

"I'm fine, really fine."

“I just feel bad thinking about how exhausted I am every time you treat me.”

"This time, it really isn't acting, it really isn't."

Tsukino Gen chuckled as he held the woman in his arms, feeling her tears, her sweat, and her now very high body temperature.

It seems to form a stark contrast with my current weakened state, or perhaps it is complementary.

Replenish your lost body temperature.

This was the first time I had given her such a serious treatment, and the process was much more difficult than I had imagined.

Fortunately, she had already corrected some of the problems within her body, and there was still a lot of work left to do. However, apart from being a bit strenuous, there weren't many difficulties left.

Overall, it's good news.

after awhile.

As the sobbing in his arms gradually turned into even breathing, Gen Tsukino looked down and saw that Miki Mochizuki had fallen asleep.

He thought for a moment, then instead of carrying the other person into the room, he placed them on the sofa and covered them with a thin blanket.

After working up a sweat, he gradually regained his strength. Although the other person's bathroom was spacious and luxurious, he had no intention of taking a shower there.

They went to the kitchen and checked the other person's refrigerator.

Then draw conclusions.

I can only make two bowls of noodles with eggs.

I was really hungry. I had rarely felt hungry since I came up to the third floor. The internal energy and physical strength I had consumed were far more exaggerated than I had imagined.

It's understandable that Gen Tsukino would choose this particular time for treatment, in order to minimize the risks.

The noodles cook very quickly.

Frying eggs is quick too.

He placed it into two prepared soup bowls, just as Tsukino Gen was about to turn around.

"boom."

Gently, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind.

The familiar fragrance wafted over, carrying a distinctly different, lingering scent.

He didn't turn around, but smiled and said.

"You woke up so quickly? I was just about to call you."

Mochizuki Miki's rich and textured voice rang out from behind.

"It's hard not to get up when you smell the aroma, and you even cooked noodles for me, aren't you tired?"

Gen Tsukino smiled and shook his head. "I've recovered long ago. Let go of me, I'll serve the noodles."

"Ah."

The woman obediently let go of his hand.

Tsukino Gen carried the two bowls of noodles back to the living room and placed them on the table.

Mochizuki Miki brought a spoon and chopsticks and handed a pair to Tsukino Gen.

"Thank you~"

She spoke sweetly, with some strands of hair still sticking to her forehead, but it did not detract from her beauty at all.

Gen Tsukino couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.

"Why does it feel like your intelligence has regressed to that of an elementary school student after just one treatment?"

"No way, maybe this is the real me, obedient and well-behaved, like a little kid."

"Hahahahaha."

Seeing Tsukino Gen's happy smile, Mochizuki Miki didn't feel insulted at all.

On the contrary, seeing him smile makes me genuinely happy too.

She ate her noodles while looking at Tsukino Gen.

Tsukino Gen was making everyone uncomfortable.

"Why are you staring at me while you eat? Am I some kind of condiment?"

She shook her head.

"I'm thinking of what reason I can give you to stay tonight."

"So direct?"

"Of course, I'm not a little girl anymore, so I should be more direct. And after your treatment, I'm glad that I've always been so direct and honest with you."

Gen Tsukino looked out the window.

"The rain has stopped."

There seemed to be no reason to stay; once the rain stopped, we had to go home.

She grabbed his hand and placed it against her soft chest.

she says.

"But the rain here hasn't stopped."

Her eyes were raining.

Her heart was heavy with emotion.

……

(End of this chapter)