At the same time, in the dimly lit hospital room, a blond man was quietly gazing at the gray-haired man lying on the bed.
"Far, you don't look like this very often." (T/N: Su's unnamed mentor)
The blond man spoke while gently shaking his head, a touch of emotion in his tone.
"Spacy…"
The gray-haired man on the bed was Su's mentor, Far. He responded weakly, his voice faint. He and Spacy were old friends who had once pondered medical puzzles together.
It was only later, after Spacy left for MOTH, that their contact gradually dwindled.
"...Stop laughing."
Far simply didn't have the extra energy to deal with Spacy's seemingly teasing remarks. All these years, he had thrown himself heart and soul into saving the lives of Honkai sickness patients. Ending up like this now seemed almost fitting.
"You're lucky to still be alive, you've bought yourself some more time."
Spacy continued, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Hah…"
Far let out a bitter laugh, then steered the conversation back on track. "Tell me about Su."
What worried him most in his heart was still his student, Su.
"You know how it is."
Spacy replied with a smile. He naturally knew a thing or two about Su.
"MOTH…"
Far frowned, speaking slowly. "That's really not a good place…"
"But you still made up your mind to entrust your student to me, didn't you?"
Spacy looked at Far.
"Mmm, Su is excellent material…"
A light seemed to glimmer in Far's eyes. "He shouldn't be buried…"
"You're not a bad teacher yourself."
Spacy said sincerely. He could feel Far's hopes for Su.
"You'll become his teacher too…"
Far raised his head slightly, looking at Spacy. The two men exchanged a smile, as if reaching a silent understanding.
"However, there's one more thing. It's both good news and bad news. Want to hear it?"
Spacy shifted gears, his expression turning serious.
Far nodded. Speaking was an effort for him now, so he could only respond with a nod.
"I applied for an internal experiment for you. Want to give it a try?"
Spacy leaned in closer, speaking softly. "It might mean a more painful death. But it could also mean a slim chance for survival."
Without the slightest hesitation, Far nodded again.
He had already made his peace with facing death. Now, with an opportunity like this, however slim the hope, he didn't want to miss it.
"Thank you…"
Far forced out the two words with difficulty.
"Don't mention it, old friend."
Spacy patted Far's shoulder. "Get some rest. It's time for you to take a break."
With that, Spacy turned and walked out of the hospital room.
The hospital corridor was quiet, only the echo of his footsteps reverberating in the empty hallway.
He walked straight outside, looking up at the moon slowly being covered by dark clouds, the sky growing increasingly gloomy.
He instinctively touched his prosthetic limb, then reached into his pocket, only to remember he hadn't brought any alcohol.
Forget it. Maybe it's better not to drink.
Thinking of that young man, Su, Spacy frowned slightly.
From the information he'd gathered, Su was probably still too naive. Without some tempering, it would be difficult for him to achieve great things.
But time was pressing. What they lacked was precisely time.
...
The next day, Su, his mind already a whirl of complicated emotions, came to the hospital as usual.
However, upon arriving, he was stopped by a blond man who introduced himself as being from MOTH.
It was then that he learned his mentor was critically ill…
"How is my teacher?"
Su looked at the Spacy before him, a note of urgency in his voice.
"Out of respect for the past, I sent him to receive better treatment. If he's lucky enough, he might live a while longer."
Spacy said with a smile, but to Su, that smile seemed inscrutable.
"Then…"
Su paused before continuing, "Doesn't MOTH have a cure for Honkai sickness either?"
"We do."
Spacy answered shortly.
"Then why isn't it being used?!"
Su could no longer control his emotions, especially after learning the news that his respected teacher was dying. His voice rose unconsciously.
"That's not something you're in a position to know right now. But you should understand, if something like that can't be widely distributed, there must be a reason."
Spacy stared into Su's eyes. "Some things aren't as simple as they appear on the surface."
"But…"
Su wanted to say more.
"Haven't you been researching a specific treatment too? Any results?"
Spacy interrupted him.
"..."
Su fell silent. He lowered his head, unsure how to respond.
He had studied day and night, yet had never made any substantive breakthrough.
"It's good for young people to be driven, but you also need to be aware of your own limitations."
Spacy spoke earnestly. "For some things, passion alone isn't enough."
...
After a long while, Su lifted his head. "Then… can I choose to join MOTH now?"
"Is that the true choice in your heart?"
Spacy asked. He had spoken with Kevin about this—Su's wishes must be fully respected, as this concerned his future.
"Yes."
Su answered without hesitation, his eyes resolute.
"Alright, Dr. Su. Consider this your probationary period now."
Spacy said. "Continue with what you're doing. Research the treatment, treat Honkai sickness. I'll be the judge of whether you're suited to join us."
...
And so, after that, Su remained busy with his work.
That afternoon, Annie's older sister came to the hospital to take Annie home.
Su came to see them off as usual, with Vya also by his side.
Annie excitedly invited Vya to come play at her sister's flower shop.
Su smiled and waved to them. Although his heart was still a tangle of emotions, in front of the children, he tried his best not to let it show.
"Brother Su…"
Vya could naturally tell at a glance that something was off with Su. After whispering a few words to Annie, she walked straight over to Su's side.
Annie, understanding immediately, quickly took her sister's hand and left.
"Brother Su!"
Vya said sweetly.
"What is it, Vya?"
Su responded with a gentle smile, though it was somewhat forced.
"Does Brother Su have something on his mind? Why do you look unhappy?"
Vya asked directly.
From the first time she met Su years ago until now, she had always been able to see a bluish-green light emanating from him. But now, that light seemed dim.
"Do I?"
Su was inwardly surprised that even a child could so keenly sense his unease. "I… I'm fine."
"You definitely do! Big sister says if you have unhappy things, you have to talk about them, otherwise you'll get sick!"
Vya said with a serious face. "If Brother Su has something on his mind, you can tell Vya~ Vya definitely won't tell anyone!"
Su looked at the Vya before him, a warm feeling washing over his heart.
This little girl was unexpectedly so gentle and considerate, leaving him momentarily at a loss.
He crouched down to meet the little girl at eye level. "Thank you, Vya. But some things, adults just have to face on their own, understand? It's an adult's responsibility."
"Mhm, mhm, Vya knows. Lots of big brothers and sisters say things like that."
Vya nodded. "But adults are really complicated…"
"Vya really is a very good child."
Su couldn't help but pat Vya's head.
"Hehe~"
Vya smiled bashfully. "Brother Su is a very good person too~"
...
After chatting with Vya for a bit, Su's mood actually smoothed out considerably. He silently thanked Vya in his heart.
Just as he was about to leave, Vya called out to him.
"Can Brother Su wait a moment?"
"What's wrong?"
Su asked, puzzled.
Some time passed…
"Ah, here she comes, here she comes!"
Vya pointed excitedly into the distance.
Su, still a little confused, saw Annie running up to them, out of breath, clutching a bouquet of flowers.
"D-Dr. Su!"
Annie looked exhausted, but her little face was full of joy.
"For you! Thank you, Dr. Su!"
Annie held the flowers out to Su.
"Brother Su, take them quickly!"
Vya chimed in, smiling.
Su numbly took the flowers from Annie's hands. It was a bouquet of jasmine, its fresh fragrance wafting to his nose.
Looking at these two angelic children before him, Su felt a tumult of emotions in his heart. He suddenly felt like crying…
But he told himself, men don't shed tears lightly.
Be strong!
"Thank you."
"Brother Su has to be happy, okay!"
Vya said, taking Su's hand.
Afterwards, Annie and Vya left hand in hand.
Su returned to his department with the jasmine.
Looking at this bouquet, his heart was filled with emotion…
No matter how many difficulties lay ahead, he had to keep moving forward.
He couldn't fail these expectations.
…
T/N: This is the original version of the events you see in the second divine key manga, but of course all the characters are overwritten in that version to be people Durandal cares about, so all these characters are unnamed.
…
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