The scene shifts back to the present.
Now that Ryunosuke understood the weight of the promise they shared, he had no intention of breaking it. Instead, he began to brainstorm a way to save them all. But first, he had to perform a little "maintenance" on himself.
He was tired of the blood clot in his brain. Honestly, just how many childhood debts of love was he supposed to pay off?
Ryunosuke decided to drop 40 million on a craniotomy to clear the clot in his head, hoping to see if his memories would fully return once the physical blockage was gone.
After the surgery, he emerged with his head wrapped tightly in gauze.
Unfortunately, his memory didn't come flooding back all at once. It seemed he only recovered the memories associated with Yuuki after seeing her in the flesh. It appeared that even with the clot removed, he still required a visual trigger to unlock specific past events.
That was Ryunosuke's conclusion. Consequently, he still couldn't remember his other debts—like those to Shiina Mahiru, Nakiri Erina, or the other girls. However, since he now remembered everything about Yuuki, he intended to take full responsibility.
Beside the hospital bed, he grasped Yuuki's tiny hand just as he had when they were children and whispered, "I'm sorry I'm late."
Yuuki shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. Currently, she looked incredibly haggard, worn down by the ravages of her illness. Her once-beautiful hair had lost its luster and appeared limp.
The reason Yuuki's family had come to this specific hospital was that her mother and sister had decided to gamble everything. They had traded their long-standing lawsuit against the previous hospital for a massive private cash settlement, all in a desperate bid to find a path to survival.
Maruo was the finest doctor in Japan. Even in the case of AIDS, he had handled several patients and maintained a record of success. That was why they had come to him for help.
Sadly, their settlement money was only enough to treat one person. The mother and sister intended to give that chance to the youngest, Yuuki, so she could live on in their stead.
Learning of the situation, Ryunosuke's expression clouded. He immediately sought out Maruo (his "father-in-law") to ask about the cost of treating all three of them; he would find a way to cover the difference.
Maruo bluntly stated a figure that would drive most people to despair.
"The cost per year is 240 million, and the treatment takes three years."
"That is the cost for one person. For three people, you're looking at 720 million per year."
Maruo stared at him intensely. "Can you actually produce that kind of money?"
Ryunosuke's jaw dropped; he certainly didn't have that much on hand.
Maruo patted his shoulder. "Don't force yourself to do the impossible. Although I don't know the nature of your relationship, I sympathize with your desire to save all three of them."
"But I am a doctor. Saving lives is my duty. I can start their treatment now and let you carry the debt, but you must prove to me that you have the capability to pay it back."
"This is the greatest leniency I can offer you."
Ryunosuke took on a solemn expression. "Thank you, Uncle Maruo!"
This time, he didn't call him "Father-in-law," but switched to "Uncle." Having incurred such a massive favor, he felt it was inappropriate to address him as a relative until the debt was settled.
Maruo left, satisfied.
Ryunosuke returned to the ward and looked at Chizuru with mixed emotions.
Chizuru had been silent the entire time, tending to her grandmother with a stoic face. The conversation between Ryunosuke and Yuuki had been clearly audible to them both; in a shared room, there was no hiding such things.
Chizuru didn't complain. To be honest, she felt like the "third wheel" since Yuuki had been in Ryunosuke's life first. What could she possibly say? Besides, Ryunosuke had been honest from the start about having many girlfriends. Since she had already accepted that, she didn't mind one more.
Grandmother Sayuri also felt the complexity of the situation; a love rival appearing out of thin air left her unsure of what to even say.
Ryunosuke approached Chizuru from behind and gently massaged her shoulders.
"Thank you for understanding..."
He couldn't find any other words. He was profoundly grateful that Chizuru wasn't angry or crying. He didn't realize that because she had grown up without parents, raised only by her grandparents, and having recently lost her grandfather, she was already well-acquainted with the bitterness of life. Such a stoic upbringing left little room for explosive emotional outbursts.
Though her heart stung slightly, it only served as proof that she truly loved him. From now on, she would no longer waver.
Yuuki, sitting in her bed, also felt uneasy seeing her "rival" right in front of her, but she couldn't say much either. After ten years apart, it was only natural for Ryunosuke to have a girlfriend. She had no intention of stealing him away. In her current condition, what right did she have to compete?
Yuuki felt a deep sense of inferiority, feeling unworthy of standing beside Ryunosuke. She was experiencing the same inner turmoil as Chizuru.
They had both heard his conversation with Maruo.
Ryunosuke was willing to shoulder a gargantuan debt to treat her entire family. Because of this, even if the man was a polygamist, Yuuki's mother and sister couldn't say a word. They had no right to judge.
For Yuuki, her guilt was currently outweighing her love. She was lost on how to face him.
Ryunosuke himself didn't have time to dwell on their feelings. He had to figure out how to get the money. But how? He was at a total dead end. If he asked Narumori, he'd surely get the loan, but the guilt would be unbearable. As Arisu's boyfriend, Narumori had no idea he had other women. He couldn't take that money in good conscience.
As for his other 14 wives, he was even more terrified to open his mouth. He had originally left home just to help his first wife win a Duel Monsters tournament. Who would have thought he'd pick up two more candidates along the way? If the other 14 found out, the consequences would be dire. He'd be skinned alive!
Ryunosuke shuddered at the thought.
No! Absolutely not! They must never find out! He decided he would keep this secret until the bitter end.
Suddenly, he remembered his "brother-in-law" who had already graduated. Perhaps he could borrow from him, but he didn't have the contact info. Finally, Ryunosuke called Narumori again, asking him to fetch Suzune from Class 2-C to take the call.
Narumori roared in frustration through the phone, "What exactly are you doing all day?!"
"Do you think my office is your personal telephone exchange?!"
"You've been calling me non-stop all day long!!!"
Ryunosuke's ears rang from the shouting; he quickly pulled the phone away from his head.
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