Chapter 94: Diary

Spinocerebellar Degeneration. A degenerative disease for which there is currently no cure. Clinically, it has three stages: Early stage: unsteady gait, trembling limbs, sluggish movements and reaction time. Mid stage: slurred speech, difficulty modulating tone, jerky eye movements, double vision, loss of coordination. Late stage: loss of ability to speak, inability to stand, reliance on a wheelchair, declining comprehension—ultimately unconsciousness and a permanent vegetative state. Tendou Riko went through all of it in the span of a single episode. At first, she still lived like a normal person. But as time passed, she began to rely more and more on Tendou Kageyoshi to get by. The animation team didn't depict every moment in detail—but it was enough to break the audience's heart. Everyone at Teikō who learned of her illness went together to pray for her at a shrine. They would keep her company, talk with her, try to make her laugh. These scenes should've been warm and comforting—but instead, they weighed heavy on everyone's hearts. Even though viewers knew it was fiction, they couldn't help but feel devastated for the characters. Shows like Anohana, Your Lie in April, and Clannad... Anyone with a heart had shed tears for stories like these. Even FanGeGe didn't talk as much as usual—he barely read the live chat. He just quietly watched. Watched Riko suffer through her illness, yet always with a smile on her face. Without realizing it, his eyes welled up, and he sniffled several times. Riko deserved to live. He desperately wished someone could change the outcome. But even Tendou Kageyoshi, the character hailed as the most powerful B-tier protagonist of the series, could only stay by her side. That's all he could do—spend as much time with her as possible. Riko, though... was absolutely ruthless. She had implanted a terminal illness into her own body. But because she was mentally prepared, she faced it cheerfully. And that's what made it hurt even more. Her strength and optimism devastated the viewers. ... Then the screen cut to Riko's diary, which she had been quietly keeping. April XX – Weather: Clear. I worked at the café as usual. I finished quickly because Kageyoshi is practicing at the court. He must be hungry by now. After finishing up, I rushed over... but tripped and fell. My body didn't respond properly. I told him, and he forced me to go to the hospital. April 9 – Still sunny. The results came back. I was diagnosed with spinocerebellar degeneration. Incurable. I couldn't accept it at first. But when I saw Kageyoshi yelling at the doctor, the angriest I've ever seen him... I laughed. April 10 – Still sunny. The sky is so blue. My classmates and the basketball club found out. Everyone was heartbroken. Mihoko was even more upset than I was—she cried all morning. Honestly, I'm the sick one, but I had to comfort her. April 11 – Overcast. The team dragged me to a famous shrine in Tokyo. I didn't want to go. They had the national tournament tomorrow. But in the end, I went... and I felt happy. Am I being selfish? April 12 – Still cloudy. Kageyoshi brought me to a hospital. He asked Akashi to find the best doctor in the world. I'm curious—just how rich is Akashi's family? They drew a lot of blood. So many tests. It hurt. It was exhausting. But Kageyoshi stayed with me, and I felt okay. April 15 – Sunny. The results came back. No miracle. I really do have an incurable disease. Kageyoshi didn't say a word all day. That worried me. April 20 – Sunny. Walking is getting harder. My body feels like it doesn't belong to me. I'm scared. My greatest wish... is to become Kageyoshi's bride. To wear a white dress and walk down the aisle with him. I told him that. He said... he'd make it happen. April 21 – Sunny. Today, I married Kageyoshi. The law doesn't recognize it, but who cares? He took me to a bridal shop. He wanted to custom order something, but I fell in love with a dress there. We walked down the aisle at a chapel. Under a priest's blessing, I became his bride. April 25 – Overcast. My condition is getting worse. But I'm not scared anymore. I feel calm. Because my final chapter is a happy one. Kageyoshi is with me every day. And I feel... truly content. Riko's narration accompanied the flashback visuals. It didn't last long—but FanGeGe couldn't hold back his tears any longer. They poured out. He grabbed tissues, wiping his nose and eyes, crying like a girl watching a melodrama with a box of Kleenex. ... When the montage ended, the viewers saw Riko again. She was already in a wheelchair—unable to walk. They had gone up a mountain together to enjoy the view. "It's beautiful," she whispered. She tried to raise her hand... but it wouldn't move. Tendou gently wrapped his hand around hers and lifted both of them toward the view. "If you like it, I'll bring you back here every day." "Sure... if there is a tomorrow." "There will be." "You don't have to comfort me. I know my body better than anyone." "I won't be around to take care of you anymore." Her illness had already reached its final stage. Because she had little time left to begin with, the disease's onset was faster than expected. She could barely speak. Even moving her lips took all her strength. Tendou knelt down, putting his ear near her mouth so he could hear her. "Even when I'm gone, you must take care of yourself." "Don't worry about me. You said it yourself—bad guys live forever. And I'm the worst." "Still, don't live too well. If you're happier without me, I'll be sad." "Then I'll live... just a little bit worse than now." "That works." She smiled. And then—at the very end—she leaned toward his ear and whispered: "Also... remember to become number one." BANG! FanGeGe slammed his fist on the table. The table lost 99 HP instantly. He roared into the mic: "F***ING WRITERS, ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN?!" That very shout sent his viewer count soaring past 100,000.