She is just a girl I have known for less than a week.
Although he saved her for various reasons, they really didn't know each other that well.
Then...why do I have to help her so much?
The young man found that he could not answer this question.
But he knew very well that his current situation was entirely his own fault.
No one asked themselves to jump into this river, and no one asked them to do anything.
I hope that girl won't blame herself for his own stupidity. After all, it was only the boy himself who really caused this result.
Well, I must be overthinking it.
Even if someone can find this stiffened body at the bottom of the water or on a river beach a few hours, days or even years later.
No one wants to know why the poor fool himself drowned.
Therefore, feeling guilty, feeling sad, etc. must have nothing to do with that girl.
After all, the boy and the girl were just companions who had known each other for a short time.
Since she was able to get over the shadow of her mother's death, it would be natural for her to adapt to the boy's sudden disappearance.
"Well……"
Before his limbs completely stiffened, the boy used his last strength to surface and took a breath of precious air.
So be it……
Finally enjoying the taste of breathing, the unable to move boy gradually sank along the current.
Huh? It seems like something is missing.
oh!
Following him into the river was the equally unlucky white-headed tree marten.
In fact, it had already regained consciousness just now, but the boy kept pulling on the back of its neck so that it could not escape.
"grumble!!!!!"
Now the young man sank, and the white-headed tree marten was unable to support the young man's weight, so he had to be dragged under the water by the young man.
However, the young man himself was completely unaware of this.
After his brain was deprived of oxygen, he couldn't even feel the existence of his body, let alone control it.
As a result, the young man kept clinging to this "little thief", making the white-headed tree marten wish he could turn into a loach so that he could slip away from his grasp.
Unfortunately, it is not a loach.
If the boy really drowned, this guy would also have to be buried with him.
"Are you here again?"
The young man muttered softly.
At this time, in the young man's sight, the familiar figure of the girl in white appeared on the river bank beside him.
The boy in the river looked at her, and she looked at the boy in the river.
"You came……"
Now when he opened his mouth, he could see the bubbles coming out of his mouth slowly drifting upward.
On the contrary, this also shows that it is slowly sinking.
He is near death.
But every time this time comes, you always come out, right?
The young man smiled.
Obviously she has passed away long ago, but she always appears when he plans to reunite with her in another world.
The young man understood that the girl in front of him was just his fantasy.
The girl still looked the same as he remembered, standing by the river like a lily.
It's just that the boy's vision was too blurry at this time, and he didn't know what kind of expression the girl was looking at this hopeless guy like him.
Could it be...haven't you rested in peace yet?
There is no more strength to struggle, and there is no more pain.
The young man just stared calmly at the girl in white standing on the shore.
"return…"
Her voice entered the young man's ears through the water, and there were many strange echoes, making the sound in his ears very noisy.
But the boy's consciousness was not completely lost at this time, so he could still barely hear the words of the girl by the river.
But, did she mean to let me "come back"?
Are you kidding me?
You are the one who wants to come back!
"Sister...this time finally..."
I'm going to see you.
The boy struggled to move his arm that had lost all feeling, and stretched it towards the girl on the river bank.
"Come back quickly!"
What does "come back soon" mean?
Am I not going to go to your side?
He couldn't understand the meaning of the girl's cry.
Come back? Where?
The young man had gradually sunk to the bottom of the river and was being carried further by the river water.
He was getting farther and farther away from the girl, and it was obvious that he was going to another world.
But why?
But he feels that he is further away from the girl?
"Come back! Verus!"
Before losing consciousness, the boy finally heard clearly what the girl had been shouting.
Something's... wrong.
If it were her, she wouldn't call me that.
So, it turns out to be you!
Thinking of this, the boy finally recognized the girl's true identity, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
The girl standing by the river was not his imagination.
Seeing that the boy was getting further and further away from her, she jumped into the water and swam towards the dying boy.
The girl's originally blurry face became clearer as the distance shortened.
"Nia..."
Finally, when the girl came closer, the boy finally lost consciousness.