Anime: Desolate Darkness

“Is that so…” Ryunosuke Ichisuke said in a low voice.

His gaze shifted away from Kimura Takumi's face and looked into the back hall.

However, since he was only about 1.7 meters tall, all he could see was a dark wall of people.

"So what kind of death do you think is valuable?"

Kimura Takumi shook his head, "I don't know, but it's definitely not like him."

At this moment, it is noon.

Even in this May weather, the chill has not yet faded, but the temperature outside has risen a lot under the sun.

In this warm sunlight, Kimura Takumi's heart was cold.

"If, I mean if, one day I die like this worthlessly..." Ryunosuke Ichisuke paused, then said, "You won't be sad for me, right?"

Is the old man dead?

Kimura Takumi was stunned for a moment, but quickly answered: "I will cry."

"Oh? Why?" Ryunosuke was a little surprised, thinking that the other party didn't hear clearly, "What I just said was, like him, dying worthlessly."

Kimura Takumi said without hesitation:

"As I said earlier, not being sad requires two factors to coexist: one is unfamiliarity, and the other is the belief that the person's death is meaningless."

“Even if you achieve the second, the first will always be there.”

Ryunosuke's pupils narrowed and he lowered his head.

"Haha, is that so?"

He didn't know whether to feel happy or sad about this statement...

"Of course, after all, you are very important to me." Kimura Takumi smiled faintly.

Upon hearing this, Ryunosuke Ichisuke immediately became interested and raised his head again to look at the other party.

"How important is it?"

"Second among all of them."

"Is this true? Are you trying to make an old man like me happy?" A hint of doubt flashed in Ryunosuke's eyes.

"Really." Kimura Takumi said firmly.

"..."

Ryunosuke Ichisuke was silent...his face looked a little strange.

After a long time, he touched his nose and smiled awkwardly.

"How should I put it... It feels a bit awkward to hear you, a grown man, say this to me."

"I think so."

"Then you still say?"

"Because it's true."

"..."

"Don't say that anymore..."

"I will never say it again, even if I die." Kimura Takumi said seriously.

The two of them chatted with each other, making no attempt to blend in with the sad atmosphere of others, and they didn't look like guests attending a funeral at all.

An hour later, the ceremony in the back hall ended. Many visitors said goodbye to the deceased's family and left one after another.

Kimura Takumi and Ryunosuke Ichisuke were not in a hurry. They still stood in the backyard and watched the others leave first.

Neither of them spoke at this moment. Their eyes would occasionally meet, but then quickly look away, as if there was an unspeakable tacit understanding between them.

As time passed, there were fewer and fewer people in the backyard.

Finally, seeing that it was almost time, Ryunosuke Ichisuke broke the silence, "Qiao, it's time to go."

Kimura Takumi nodded but said nothing.

The two of them moved silently and walked towards the back hall.

After a few simple words of comfort to the principal's family, they followed the main group out.

Just as he walked out of the door, Ryunosuke Ichisuke suddenly stopped and looked back at two children who were playing.

"Hahaha! Come chase me! Lululu~!"

"Don't run!"

The two children looked to be about seven or eight years old, with childish looks on their faces.

Perhaps they were not clear about the purpose of coming here. The two children were talking and laughing as if they were alone, running around recklessly among the depressed crowd, unaware of the solemnity of the occasion.

Their laughter echoed in the silent mansion, as if they were showing off their carefreeness to others...

"Qiao, do you know?" Ryunosuke Ichisuke's low and powerful voice sounded, and he turned his head to look at the other party.

"I used to think that death was a terrible thing. But later I discovered that what is more terrible than death is living without cherishing life."

"Death is a helpless act. It is the end that every life will face."

"What we should pursue is the meaning of life, not whether death brings value..."

……

After separating from Ryunosuke Ichisuke, Kimura Takumi wandered alone on the street for a long time.

When he returned to Sobu High School, it was already time to go home from school.

There is a relaxed atmosphere on campus. Most students gather in groups of three or five, walking and talking, laughing, their faces filled with vitality and happiness.

They chased and played with each other, and the sounds of play and laughter echoed in every corner of the campus.

However, people do not share the same joys, sorrows, anger and happiness, and there are many lonely people among students.

They walked silently, with a trace of loneliness and helplessness on their faces, as if they were out of tune with the hustle and bustle around them.

Their backs appear lonely and helpless, and they seem to be the only outliers in the ocean of joy on campus.

……

Campus parking lot.

Kimura Takumi parked the car and just walked down, without even closing the door, he met an acquaintance.

Hiratsuka Shizuka.

The two people's eyes met in an instant.

A happy smile immediately appeared on Shizuka Hiratsuka's face. She raised her right arm high, waved it, and jogged over.

"Isn't this Mr. Kimura? Where have you been just now?" she said in a cheerful voice.

Without waiting for Kimura Takumi's answer, she smiled playfully again, patted his shoulders twice with her right hand, raised her eyebrows, and said in a mean way, "It's not a good thing to sneak out during work hours."

"..."

Kimura Takumi was speechless for a moment.

Since the other party has teased me like this, it seems a bit unreasonable not to reciprocate.

"Mr. Hiratsuka, why are you walking so fast today? You came to pick up the car right after school. Are you rushing to go on a blind date?" he asked with a harmless smile.

Fuck you!

Triggered by the sensitive words, Hiratsuka Shizuka roared inwardly! She took a few steps back, her eyes wide open, looking at him in disbelief.

It is true that I go on blind dates often, but the only time I have talked to the other party about it is the time when I was a substitute teacher. How did he think of asking such a question?

After adjusting her mentality, Hiratsuka Shizuka tried her best to look calm and asked casually, "Mr. Kimura, why did you think that?"

Obviously, she couldn't do it.

Not only did he speak incoherently, but his eyes also kept avoiding me.

"..."

Seeing that Kimura Takumi didn't answer and just looked at her quietly, she lost her composure, scratched the back of her head with her right hand, smiled foolishly and continued to talk:

"Hahaha, who would rush to go on a blind date after get off work?"

"How can those strange behaviors exist? Haha."

"Right? Mr. Kimura thinks so too, right?"

"People who go on blind dates right after work...are really...really..."

idiot!

What the hell am I talking about? ! ! !

Mr. Kimura! Why are you just watching? ! Say something quickly! ! !

Shizuka Hiratsuka was on the verge of collapse. She was so embarrassed at this moment that she wished she could find a hole to crawl into!

Just as she was roaring madly in her heart, Kimura Takumi turned her head and the corners of her mouth slightly raised.

!

The sharp-eyed Shizuka Hiratsuka captured this scene!

She immediately pointed at him, blushing and saying angrily, "You didn't mean to laugh at me, did you?!"

……