Chương 15: Chapter 4 The Night I Became a Witch(Part 2)

The moment the door closed, silence settled over the room. Rina remained seated beside the bed, staring at me. A few minutes earlier she'd been fussing over my head, checking for injuries that weren't there. Now she simply watched me, her expression filled with worry. I forced a smile.

"I should apologize in advance." Her eyebrows drew together.

"For what?"

"I'll probably have to quit my job." The words felt heavier than I'd expected.

"If the transformation really happens, work is going to become the least of my problems." Rina's expression immediately changed. Concern. Confusion. Fear. All at once.

"... Tsukasa." Her voice softened.

"Did something happen at work?" I shook my head.

"No."

"If something's bothering you, talk to me." She leaned forward.

"We're married, remember?" The concern in her eyes hurt more than anything else that day. She was five years younger than me. The woman I'd spent twenty years with. The woman who had stood beside me through every success and every mistake. If possible, I never wanted to see that expression on her face. I'd much rather see her smiling. Because despite everything... I wasn't dying. Even if my appearance changed, I would still be me. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site.

Support the author by reading it there. And she would still be the woman I loved.

"Nothing happened." I paused. Then corrected myself.

"Or maybe everything happened." I laughed weakly. Then looked directly into her eyes.

"Rina." My voice came out quieter than intended.

"If I really change..." I hesitated.

"If I become something else..." The question felt absurd. Childish. Pathetic, even. Yet I asked it anyway.

"Will you still stay with me?" For a moment she simply stared. Then tears welled in her eyes.

"Idiot." Her voice cracked.

"There's you. Me. Our two children." She sniffed.

"And Nyan-ta." Despite everything, I couldn't help smiling. Trust her to remember the cat.

"We've fought." She wiped at her eyes.

"We've had bad days." A small laugh escaped her.

"God knows we've had plenty of those." Then she shook her head.

"But you're still my husband." Her gaze never left mine.

"You're the only one." The tears finally spilled over.

"I'm not starting over with someone else after twenty years." That was all. No dramatic speech. No grand declaration. Just those simple words. And somehow they meant more than anything else she could have said. My vision blurred. Damn it. Now I was crying too. For several seconds neither of us spoke. We simply looked at one another. Then, naturally, we leaned closer. Our lips met. A quiet kiss. A familiar kiss. The kind shared by two people who had spent decades together. Not passionate. Not desperate. Just warm.

Comforting. Home. When we finally pulled apart, both of us were smiling through tears. Neither of us said a word. There wasn't anything left to say. Knock. Knock. The door opened. Dr. Takatsuki entered carrying a video camera and a tripod. Perfect timing. Far too perfect. The grin he was trying—and failing—to suppress made it obvious he'd been waiting outside. I narrowed my eyes. The doctor coughed and looked away.

"Finished?"

"Oh, absolutely." His smile widened. I made a mental note to remember that expression later. If there was a later. The doctor quickly set up the camera equipment. While he worked, I remembered something important.

"Oh, right." Both of them looked at me.

"The transformation process apparently involves me becoming temporarily inactive."

"Inactive?"

"That's the wording they used." I shrugged.

"Probably unconscious."

"Probably?" the doctor repeated.

"Probably." Not exactly reassuring. I continued.

"If it happens, don't wake me up." Dr. Takatsuki stopped adjusting the tripod.

"Why?"

"Because I have absolutely no idea what might happen." That answer earned me another long stare. Fair enough. Eventually he nodded.

"Understood."

"Any other precautions?" he asked.

"Not that I know of." I checked the clock. 11: 55 PM. Five minutes remaining. Not enough time to do anything meaningful. Not enough time to prepare. Not enough time to change my mind. Rina suddenly stood up.

"If you're really going to change appearance..." She pulled out her phone.

"We need a picture." I blinked.

"A picture?"

"Of course." She handed the phone to Dr. Takatsuki.

"Doctor, please." The doctor accepted it immediately. Far too enthusiastically. Rina pressed her cheek against mine and raised a peace sign. The camera flashed.

"Closer." The doctor grinned.

"Maybe a kiss?"

"Doctor."

"What?"

"You're enjoying this."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Another flash. Then another. And another. Apparently my final photographs as a man were going to look like family vacation pictures. Not the worst outcome, all things considered. The clock ticked onward. 11: 59 PM. Less than one minute remained. I lay back against the hospital bed. To my left stood Rina and Dr. Takatsuki. The cameras were positioned on my right and near the foot of the bed. Everyone waiting. Watching. Counting down. For midnight.