The feeling had been right on the mark.
— I want to plant flowers together.
That was Hillein’s answer, after a long pause, to the question of what she wanted to do together. Embarrassed under the weight of a steady gaze, she began rambling.
— The weather’s getting warmer, and the skies have been so clear lately… And didn’t you say the garden was getting a makeover? I thought we could just plant a few in a corner…
She glanced at Justyn, then finally confessed the truth.
— …Honestly, I always wanted to try it with him when he got a little older. I heard it’s good for kids to touch and feel all sorts of things when they’re young… and, well, it’s partly for me, too.
In other words, it was her own long-overdue version of sensory play.
Which explained why, right now, two people, one ghost, and one doll were all peacefully stationed in a corner of the garden.
Dig a hole just deep enough, place the seedling, cover it with soil, and water it thoroughly. That was it. As Ries straightened his back, he heard a voice grumbling beside him.
— It makes sense for you, but why am I here?
“Why? You’re not having fun?”
— Fun, my ass. What am I supposed to do with this cotton-stuffed body? On top of that…
Sefiut let out a long sigh, then muttered bitterly,
— Of all places, it had to be dirt. If I so much as loosen my focus for a second, I’ll end up filthy. My fin tips already look stained lately, and it’s driving me nuts… Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to be a doll getting washed like laundry?
“……”
Ries cautiously shifted his gaze to Sefiut’s fins. It wasn’t just in his head—the ends were definitely darker than before.
Though, calling it humiliation is a bit…
He briefly recalled Ketir. That “laundry” had been his responsibility for some time now. Not many people knew what Sefiut actually was, so it had become the only option.
Since then, he’d occasionally caught glimpses of them after the “washing” process… and well, the contrast in expressions was always striking. The one looking exhausted was always Ketir.
But he seemed to enjoy it just fine.
He’d seen him trying to act all grumpy while clearly feeling refreshed.
Ries narrowed his eyes slightly and looked straight ahead. Maybe because his features were round and soft, the brat’s shamelessness only felt more amplified.
Of course, he didn’t bother pointing that out. Instead, he murmured something else, gently.
“It still looks nice, though.”
— ……
Sefiut, who’d been grumbling nonstop until just now, abruptly went quiet. Ries casually shook the dirt off one of his hands and turned his head.
— Justyn! You need to pull the seedling out carefully. Don’t damage the roots.
“…Ah. I’ll try again.”
— You also didn’t dig deep enough. If you plant it like that, the roots will be totally exposed. Here, watch closely how I do it.
He watched the mother and son pair chattering away sweetly to each other.
Justyn, mask dusted with soil, digging diligently, and Hillein, right beside him, offering chirpy advice while demonstrating with her hands.
There was no trace of sorrow in their faces—no sign of the parting they’d soon have to face. Seeing them fully immersed in the present, enjoying it with all their might, made them finally seem like a truly ordinary family.
Maybe that’s why even Sefiut, despite his constant whining, had followed them here without much resistance. In the end, he sighed and gave a slow nod.
— …Yeah. I get it now.
No one knew when these flowers would bloom. By then, Hillein might no longer be by Justyn’s side.
But if he saw them bloom, he’d remember this day—remember the moment they planted them together, the quiet conversation they shared, and the smile that had lingered on her lips.
That alone was enough.
Of course, Hillein’s bucket list didn’t end there.
Second: Bake cookies.
— You don’t have to eat them if they’re bad or anything…
To be precise, she just wanted to feed Justyn something she made herself. As if he’d ever be able to refuse that.
Since Justyn was the one meant to judge the final product, he was disqualified from helping. Sefiut was off somewhere getting his “laundry”—read: bath—done.
And so, it ended up being just the two of them in a kitchen they’d borrowed entirely for this.
Ries, seeing how Justyn looked strangely left out, waved a hand as if to reassure him.
Completely unaware of what lay ahead.
— That’s weird. Why won’t it come together?
“…Did you add too much water?”
A soggy, sloshing cookie dough.
— Next, sugar…
“Wait, wait. That’s salt—”
— Ei!
“ACK!”
Saltier than seawater.
“…Do you smell something burning?”
— Kyaa! F-Fire!
And finally, cookies that had been scorched black like coal.
…And so on. There were countless mishaps, and all of the clean-up fell squarely on his shoulders. That was all Ries would say on the matter.
“…It’s delicious.”
— Here, let me try. Mmm, chomp chomp… Oh! Not bad at all!
Miraculously, the final result turned out well.
— But why the long face?
“Haha…”
Of course he looked like that. They’d failed dozens of times just to get this one decent cookie… Not that he could bring himself to say it. Ries just gave an awkward laugh.
Thank goodness Hillein didn’t take up cooking as a hobby.
Third: A portrait.
— Would that be too hard?
She wasn’t asking for just any portrait.
She wanted a painting of herself with Justyn, side by side. As soon as she said that, Ries quietly glanced at Justyn.
It wasn’t even about drawing someone who had already died… Time was running out for Hillein. Could the portrait be finished in time?
“It should be possible.”
But Justyn simply nodded, as if it were no problem. Sefiut didn’t offer any objections either. The only one looking bewildered was Ries.
— Tsk. You really don’t know anything, huh? Just wait and see.
That was all the reassurance he got: It’ll be fine.
And a few days later, Ries learned a vital truth.
“Wow, it’s finished…!”
“……”
There’s nothing money can’t solve. If someone refuses even after being paid? Just offer more money.
Lured in by a sum that would make anyone’s jaw drop, the painter agreed—despite having almost no time to observe the models—and completed the portrait in just three days. The result was, quite literally, breathtaking.
“Whoa…”
Ries was slightly concerned by how much more gaunt the artist looked compared to their first meeting, but only for a second. He stood in admiration before the finished piece.
Apparently, it was true they’d gone out of their way to find someone with real skill.
In the painting, Hillein looked vivid and full of life, as if captured exactly as she was in her prime. And Justyn—mask and all—looked gentle, just as he did when he was with her.
— Yes, this is exactly what I wanted…!
Hillein beamed even brighter than the version of herself in the painting, as though she might spin around with it in her arms at any moment.
And Justyn…
“……”
“What do you think, Justyn?”
He stared at the painting, dazed, his face thoughtful.
Rather than admiring it, he seemed to be studying it. Just before his fingers reached the canvas, he traced the air just above it.
“I love it. …So much.”
“Right?”
A portrait so idealized, even the painter probably thought it bordered on fantasy. Yet nothing could be more honest.
After all, Hillein had always remained by Justyn’s side.
And from that point on, their days continued in the same rhythm.
Reading bedtime stories together. Sharing tea once a day and talking about what had happened. Tending to the flowers in the garden. Filling the closet with outfits she picked out for him.
Little, everyday things. The kind of moments they would’ve already shared long ago if they’d had more time. Ordinary memories that had arrived late, now filling the space between them.
But everything with a beginning must also end.
When the final night finally arrived, Hillein smiled like it was nothing and said:
— You don’t have to say goodbye. But… could I sing you a lullaby while you sleep?
“…A lullaby?”
— Mhm. A lullaby.
She crinkled her eyes playfully. It was the kind of thing that might seem completely mundane to someone else—but of course, this wasn’t just any ordinary request.
A hand with physical form, moving with great care, gently touched the mask on Justyn’s face. He didn’t look away or flinch. He just blinked slowly, saying nothing.
That was permission, unspoken.
Hillein swallowed dryly and removed the mask.
The face beneath, streaked with black veins, was exposed. Her pale fingertips softly traced the pulsating tendrils.
As if it wasn’t hideous. As if it didn’t hurt. As if she were handling the most precious thing in the world—ever so gently.
— I’m only leaving for a while. It’s not forever. What’s so different up there, anyway? I’ve watched over you for over twenty years. A bit more waiting doesn’t scare me.
“……”
— So… I don’t want tonight to feel special. Let’s greet each other like we’ll see each other tomorrow. Like we’ll take a walk, drink some tea together, smile and say: ‘Sleep well. See you in the morning.’
Justyn looked like he was momentarily lost for words. His eyes darted here and there, unable to settle. He took a few steady breaths. Glanced over at Ries… and finally opened his mouth.
“…Yes, Mother.”
— Ah…
Hillein’s eyes flew wide open. That single word—something she’d sworn not to yearn for—burrowed deep into her heart, leaving behind a resonance that would never fade.
Her lips trembled wildly as she tried to suppress the wave rising inside her. She blinked fiercely, then forced a smile onto her face once more.
— …Thank you, my son.
Her facial expression, twisted with emotion, looked almost silly—but that’s exactly why Ries, who had watched it all unfold, was all the more certain.
That smile would stay with Justyn for a very, very long time.
