Chapter 327
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Chapter 327: If Life Had Only One Day Left
On a modest bed, Bai Wei lay flat in the center.
Though he preferred the cool embrace of nature, spending nights beneath the trees, tonight was different.
Two hands held him in place, pressing him into the middle of the bed. On either side of him, two figures curled up close, like layers of cheese in a sandwich.
The mountain air was crisp and biting, but such discomfort hardly fazed warriors like Bai Wei.
What truly troubled him wasn’t the cold—it was the bed’s narrowness, forcing him to lie still, resisting the urge to toss and turn.
He couldn’t help but wonder: Why had this happened?
Hokusinn Kichyō’s intentions were no mystery. Bai Wei had long noticed her fondness for him, her gaze lingering too often on his well-built frame.
But Kuya? What was on her mind?
His curiosity spilled out: “Kuya, why are you here? What are you thinking?”
Kuya, lying on his right, turned her golden eyes toward him, her breath warm against his shoulder. Without her mask, her features looked softer in the dim light.
She answered with unsettling honesty:
“Because I’ve never tried this before.”
Her words hung in the air as she gazed at him, her expression serene yet wistful.
She continued, “What if I disappear tomorrow? Tonight, I wanted to experience something I’ve never felt before.”
Bai Wei frowned. “That sounds like someone who’s given up on themselves after being handed a death sentence.”
Kuya shook her head gently. “No, it’s different. When I realized my time was short, I didn’t give up—I decided to embrace life fully, even for just a day. For the first time, I thought about how to live… with love.”
Her words left Bai Wei silent, her sincerity striking him deeper than he anticipated.
He hesitated before asking, “Isn’t that a bit… extreme?”
Kuya smiled faintly. “Perhaps. But I’m still here, aren’t I? I haven’t disappeared yet. And since I’m here, I’ve chosen to hold on to what little I can.”
She moved closer, her warmth brushing against him.
“You’re the only one here, Bai Wei. I haven’t embraced anyone before.”
“So you decided to take advantage of me without a second thought?”
“Yes,” she replied boldly, “Is that so wrong?”
From the other side, Hokusinn Kichyō’s soft laughter broke the tension. “Mr. Bai, would she have done the same if it were another man lying here?”
Bai Wei sighed, looking toward the ceiling. “Of course not,” Kuya said decisively.
Her golden eyes sparkled in the dark as she whispered, “There are few people who could reach this point with me. It’s not even worth considering anyone else.”
Her words lingered in his mind, pulling him into his own reflections.
He murmured softly, “If I had only one day left to live… what would I do?”
The thought unsettled him. His heart felt heavy as he thought of the countless unfinished tasks, the lingering regrets.
In such a scenario, he knew he wouldn’t want chaos. He imagined himself at home, sipping tea, surrounded by those he cared about. A quiet farewell.
But as the night stretched on, the two women’s warmth beside him chased away some of the unease.
The next morning, Bai Wei arrived at Shimura’s house.
The old, worn building still stood, but the graves outside had vanished as though history itself had been rewritten.
With a glance, he turned and left, his questions answered.
By midday, the three of them were back on their journey, descending the mountain toward Shikoku Town. The once-bustling town was quieter now, the remnants of festivities scattered across its streets. They wandered through the market, stopping for a modest breakfast.
As they strolled, Kuya’s eyes sparkled with childlike curiosity. “It’s been so long since I’ve walked through a place like this,” she said wistfully.
“Have you come down the mountain before?” asked Kichyō.
Kuya nodded. “Yes, though I wasn’t very welcome back then.”
The day passed in leisurely simplicity—visiting Shimura’s house, sharing meals, and wandering through town. The sunlight grew softer, casting golden hues on the winding mountain paths. The serene beauty of the landscape was untainted, untouched by the desolation of what would come twenty years later.
As they walked, Bai Wei remarked, “If only I could traverse the world faster, I’d see so much more. One day isn’t enough to take it all in.”
Kuya, her gaze fixed on the horizon, replied softly, “Even a glimpse of this vibrant world feels like enough. Moments like this make everything worthwhile.”
Her words lingered in the air, the weight of fleeting time pressing down on them.
At last, they arrived at Kamitsumi Shrine. Bai Wei stepped through the torii gate, his mind weighed with the echoes of Kuya’s earlier words.
Inside, the world shifted. He found himself in a pure, white expanse—a sacred realm separate from reality.
Before him knelt Kamitsumiwoikirihime, her expression both stern and sorrowful. Beside her, a white snake coiled, its gaze fixed intently on him.
“You made me wait so long,” she said, her voice a blend of reproach and longing.
“You passed by the shrine so many times without stepping inside. Were you deliberately avoiding me?”
