Anime Heart

Because there was a stretched Lincoln limousine parked in front of Dad's villa, its body black and shiny, and about seven or eight meters long.

I never expected my dad to be so flashy, getting himself such a car.

Why was Arima Kenjiro, who wasn't very familiar with car models, able to recognize the car at a glance? Because this car is so famous. Although it's not particularly expensive, its features and advantages are outstanding.

In his previous life, Arima Kento couldn't afford a car, but he knew a bit about the more famous brands.

Although the horsepower may not be as high as other luxury cars and sports cars, Lincoln vehicles are very stable and fast, easily reaching 150 km/h.

However, Arima Xiandong still couldn't understand why his father would use this car to pick them up; it was completely unnecessary!

Besides, there are plenty of cars that are more luxurious and prestigious than the extended Lincoln, so why insist on using this one?

When Arima Xiandong saw the car, only one thought echoed in his mind: 'This car probably can't drift!'

Forget drifting, it would probably have a hard time even turning corners.

The car horn sounded, confirming that he hadn't guessed wrong; this was the car his father had used to pick up the three of them.

Approaching the car, he reached out and opened the back door, letting Ayako and Kaori Miyazono get in first. After they had both climbed in, he bent down and entered.

Once inside, Ma Xiandong learned why his father used that car.

There were three other people sitting on the leather sofa at the back of the carriage: Kousei Ayuma, Tsubaki Sawabe, and Ryota Watari.

Ayako and Kaori Miyazono were sitting on the sofa on the other side, while Shiki Arima and Risa Taneda were not in the car.

Arima Kenjiro sat down next to Kaori Miyazono, glanced in the direction of the driver, and asked, "Where are we going?"

Upon hearing Arima Kento's question, Arima Kousei realized what was happening and looked up at his younger brother, saying, "Father and Aunt went to a high-end restaurant first, and this car was sent by them to pick us up."

"Driver, can we go to the agreed place now?" Arima Kousei, unusually acting like an older brother, said to the driver.

The car slowly started and headed towards the designated location.

On the way, Tsubaki Sawabe sat down with Kaori Miyazono and curiously inquired about Ako, Kousei's nominal younger sister, whom she was meeting for the first time.

However, since she is Kousei's younger sister, then she is also Sawabe Tsubaki's younger sister, and Sawabe Tsubaki has already made up her mind about this.

As the three girls were talking, Arima Kento was also ushered to the other side of the sofa to sit with his brother and Watari Ryota.

Arima Kenjiro chatted with Watari Ryota for a few minutes, asking why Keiko hadn't come. Watari Ryota didn't hide anything, replying that Keiko felt a little embarrassed, since it was a dinner hosted by the father of Watari Ryota's friend, and she felt somewhat uncomfortable accepting it.

Arima Kento understood as well. He asked the question because when he cooked with Keiko before, he felt that this girl was someone worth befriending, so he was just showing interest.

Arima Kousei, standing to the side, glanced at Miyazono Kaori, then at Arima Kento, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated, his face showing his inner turmoil.

Arima Kento couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Kousei, do you have any questions for me? If I can answer them, I will tell you. So please feel free to ask."

After thinking for a few seconds, Arima Kousei couldn't help but ask, "Where did you and Miyazono go after noon today? What were you doing? Also, why did you leave Father's villa?"

"Kousei!" Watari Ryota sensed something was amiss and tried to stop Arima Kousei, but Arima Kento waved his hand dismissively.

"It's alright. Kousei is my brother, there's nothing I can't tell you. Besides, some things can't be kept secret forever."

Arima Kento glanced at Miyazono Kaoru, then said, "As you can see, we came out of Father's villa because we've been here for a while."

"And why we're staying here is related to Xiao Xun."

Because of Arima Sento's words, everyone in the carriage focused their attention on him, and Arima Sento was also staring at Miyazono Kaoru at that moment.

After receiving the other party's nod of agreement, Arima Kento prepared to continue speaking.

It was only at this point that we realized that out of the six people present, only two knew that Kaori Miyazono was seriously ill: Kaori herself and Arima Kenjiro.

Everyone else was unaware of this, but Ma Xiandong's words made them aware of it.

"What?! Miyazono-kun has such a terminal illness? And it's the same illness that killed her mother?! Are you kidding me?! Miyazono-kun looks perfectly healthy to me! No way!" Arima Kousei was the one who couldn't accept this the most.

Because his impression of Kaori Miyazono has always been that of an optimistic, cheerful, sweet-loving, and slightly mischievous music goddess.

How could someone like her possibly be seriously ill?

Ryota Watari and Tsubaki Sawabe also looked incredulous; in their eyes, Kaori Miyazono was now the same person.

"But that's the truth. If it weren't for my aunt's research over the past three years that led to this solution, Xiao Xun's time would really be running out."

Arima Kento said, "Even so, Xiao Xun needs to be treated as soon as possible! The longer it is delayed, the less likely she is to receive treatment."

"The reason I came to my father's place is because he was involved in finding hope for Xiao Xun, and Xiao Xun came here specifically to thank him."

Ma Xiandong is missing a sentence: "Meeting the parents is also part of the story."

Arima Kousei reluctantly accepted this fact, never expecting that the girl he had admired and revered these past few days was actually suffering from an illness.

At this moment, Kaori Miyazono spoke up. She walked to Arima Kento's side, looked at Arima Kousei, and said, "So, Arima-kun, don't you feel ashamed?"

“Even in my condition, I still gave up on pursuing music, while you, with your good health, couldn’t seize the opportunity and only ran away from music and everything else.”

“You’ve always been my idol, and now I hope you can really pull yourself together! You can’t get through life by running away.”

"I will still participate in Saturday's competition. Although I will be going to a hospital in the capital for treatment tomorrow, I will definitely come back on that day! If, I mean if I can't get better in the end, this may be my last performance on stage."

"I hope that on that day, you will be my accompanist, and that in what may be my last performance, I can fulfill my long-held wish and play a duet with my idol!"

Don't let me down!

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Dinner

Kaori Miyazono's words gave Kousei Arima something to think about deeply. Compared to her, he did seem somewhat inferior, and even though he was trying to change, it made no difference.

Moreover, listening to the girl's words, it might be her last time performing on stage, and this might be her last wish. Shouldn't I give it my all?

Arima Kousei was deep in thought. He remained silent, showing no signs of being hurt or having any negative emotions, but simply frowning as he pondered.

Seeing this, Tsubaki Sawabe did not disturb Kousei Arima, but sat down beside him and protected him at all times.

Arima Kenji naturally heard what Miyazono Kaori said, but he didn't refute it. He hadn't decided how to choose, but Miyazono Kaori had.

She wanted to return on that day to perform with Kousei Arima, after which she would focus on her treatment.

This was Kaori Miyazono's idea. Arima Kenji didn't really agree with it, but he still decided to help Kaori Miyazono realize her idea.

Kaori Miyazono's condition is best treated as soon as possible, but if it's only for one day, it shouldn't matter!

Arima Sento thought to himself.

Kaori Miyazono then turned around, looking pitifully at Arima Kento, and said, "Um, was what I did wrong?"

"But it makes sense to do this, what if I still can't be cured in the end? So..."

If your girlfriend is willing to look at you like this and speak to you in this tone, and you still can't forgive her, then without further ado, break up with her.

However, the next sentence made Arima Kento unwilling to think about that possibility. He directly raised his hand and tapped Miyazono Kaoru's forehead, interrupting her.

“There’s no other possibility! Don’t talk nonsense!” Gently pinching the girl’s smooth cheek, Arima Kento said, “I will help you realize your idea, don’t worry! I know why you’re doing this.”

Kaori Miyazono's eyes lit up, and she placed her hand on Arima Kenjiro's shoulder, saying with emotion, "Thank you! Kenjiro!"

The others said they wouldn't accept this "dog food" (a Chinese slang term for public displays of affection), and just as they were about to say something to put the two of them down, the driver suddenly brought the car to a slow stop.

"Young masters and ladies, we have arrived at our destination."

It was dinnertime, and they were all pretty hungry, so everyone composed themselves. After getting off the bus, the first thing they saw was the logo 'noma'.

This restaurant is decorated in a very stylish way. The main entrance is a yellow-white gradient brick wall with four bold black English letters 'noma' on it, and nothing else.

The restaurant's name is 'noma'? What a strange name. The group didn't think much of it and went inside together, which was why they weren't particularly interested in this aspect.

Otherwise, they would know just how difficult it is to make a reservation at 'noma' restaurant in Tokyo, Japan!

An American female executive living in San Francisco had managed to book a table a month in advance to celebrate her birthday, but she didn't have a partner to dine with. So she posted an announcement online, asking a single man to join her for dinner.

Within two days of the announcement, hundreds of men had applied. The female executive also had the following requirements: she must be between 28 and 46 years old, single, live near San Francisco, and be able to cover the airfare and accommodation costs to Japan.

Despite such stringent requirements, many qualified individuals have applied.

A single meal at this restaurant costs the two of them approximately 7000 RMB, which is paid for by the female executive.

This anecdote is enough to illustrate just how popular the restaurant called 'noma' is.

However, Arima Shiki definitely did not order food in advance, because he has been eating at home with his wife and daughter these days and rarely eats out.

Even so, after Arima Kento entered, he was led by a special person to two connected small cubicles, where he saw his father, Arima Shiki.

This is the privilege that comes with status and wealth. They practically control the economic lifeline of the entire Japanese province. Eating at this restaurant certainly doesn't require the same level of hassle as ordinary people.

Because of the dining style here, it would be a bit crowded if they sat together, so they were divided into two small booths.

Arima Shiki, Arima Kousei, Sawabe Tsubaki, and Watari Ryota sat together, while Arima Kento, Miyazono Kaoru, Taneda Risa, and Arima Ayako sat together.

This time, taking advantage of the meal, Arima Shiki wanted to have a good talk with his eldest son and also to show concern for his life.

After all, Kousei was even more introverted than Arima Kento; he would never contact Arima Shiki unless there was something important to say. So Arima Shiki had no choice but to take the initiative and contact him.

Furthermore, this is also a good opportunity to thank Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryota Watari for taking care of Kousei Arima. Since Kousei Arima is somewhat resistant to Risa Taneda, it's also good that they're separated.

Some things can't be rushed; being impatient might backfire.

The food had been ordered and was served shortly afterward. Arima Kento said, "I'm starting to eat," and then began to eat.

Hey, the food here is pretty good! Only slightly better than what I make.

When asked this question by Kaori Miyazono, she gave a very accommodating answer.

"The food here is a little bit worse than what you make, Xiandong!"

"Brother, can you cook?" Yako asked curiously. Although she was a terrible student, she was quite interested in cooking.

"Of course!" In front of his sister, Ma Xiandong had to put on a brave face, even if his cooking wasn't as good as what other restaurants made. "I can make you some to try when I have time. By the way, I contributed to today's lunch."

"Wow! That's amazing! Ayako can cook too, and her housekeeping skills are top-notch!" Ayako said proudly.

So this is your excuse for not studying hard? Are you planning to be a great housewife in the future?

If Ako heard this, she would definitely say, "Of course! I'll definitely become a wonderful housewife who loves Lucian! Studying and all that is completely useless!"

After dinner, Arima Shiki and Taneda Risa did not leave. Instead, they had the driver take the children home while they continued to enjoy their dinner together.

"No wonder Auntie didn't eat much just now!" Sitting in the car, Kaori Miyazono whispered to Kenji Arima.

Reaching out, he grabbed the girl's hand. Kaori Miyazono glanced at him but didn't pull away, letting him hold her hand.

After dropping Ryota Watari off at home, Arima Kenjiro arrived at Kaori Miyazono's house. He helped her out of the car, escorted her to her door, and then waved goodbye.

At that moment, Kousei Arima also got off the bus and shouted, "Miyazono-kun, I will definitely be there on Saturday. I will practice the piano well!"