Chapter 1

---

With little time left.

While suffering from an incurable disease that neither worsened nor improved, he would gaze blankly at the sky from a white hospital room, waiting for the approaching Grim Reaper.

One day, as a final gesture, he was allowed to go outside once.

His emaciated arms, which he had never imagined would become so thin.

His legs trembled even under his own weight.

Encouraging his frail body, he decided to take a walk in the hospital's spacious garden.

--- Well, this is a life too.

At first, he had lingering attachments, but by the time he was allowed his final walk, those attachments had already faded from his heart.

Now, he was more curious about what lay beyond death.

"…Sigh"

He slowly walked around the hospital garden twice.

Taking in the unchanging scenery, he finally decided to return to his room.

--- It was then.

"That is…"

In a corner of the grassy garden stood a large, stately tree.

Beneath the tree, a delicate purple plant sprouted unexpectedly.

--- What kind of plant is this?

Even when he still had the energy to move, he had often looked through plant and animal encyclopedias, trying to learn as much as he could about the world. But this plant was not in his memory.

It might simply be a plant he didn't know, but it intrigued him so much that he asked the nurse to bring it back to his room.

However, the young nurse kept tilting her head and asking, "Which one?" for a long time, so he eventually picked it up himself.

Back in his room, he filled a bottle with soil and transplanted the plant.

From then on, he spent his remaining days watching the plant grow rapidly, in stark contrast to his own condition.

---

A few more days passed.

"--- Hello, nice to meet you."

Waking from a light sleep, the Grim Reaper stood beside his bed.

"I've come to take you."

With long gray hair and an androgynous beauty, the Reaper was clearly male due to his pleasant, deep voice.

"…I see."

The Reaper was dressed neatly, in a way that didn't fit the hospital room.

However, his hands and feet were half-transparent.

"Is there anything you regret?"

"No."

"Any lingering attachments to this world?"

"--- No."

It was a lie.

--- I just wanted to see this plant bloom…

The delicate purple plant was about to bloom, with buds ready to open.

He had picked it up and nurtured it until the end of his life. Honestly, he wanted to see its flowers.

Even after he thought he had let go of everything, a new attachment sprouted at the very end.

"It's okay. The flower will bloom soon. Just a few more seconds."

As if reading his mind, the Reaper smiled and said,

"When the flower blooms, it will be time for you to go."

The Reaper gently touched the bud and then turned to him with a kind smile.

"Okay. …Yeah, if I can see the flower, that's fine."

"Then let's wait for the flower to bloom together."

There was a brief silence.

The clock's hands quietly ticked.

His heavy body gradually became lighter.

He squinted at the bright sunlight.

And then, finally— the moment arrived.

The bud stirred.

It seemed to hesitate, swaying as if deciding whether to bloom or not.

--- Go.

He couldn't speak anymore.

--- Try hard.

But he wished strongly.

--- Show me your flower one last time.

And the flower—

"--- Bloomed."

It was very beautiful, emitting a faint light—

Really—

Beautiful—

---

The manga adaptation of this work is currently being serialized for free on Akita Shoten's web manga site "Manga Cross." Please enjoy it as well. https://mangacross.jp/comics/hyakuma