Akane kept sobbing quietly, her shoulders shaking as tears continued to stream down her face without stopping. The guilt and shock were clearly overwhelming her.

I spoke softly, my voice gentle but firm. "Please... don’t tell Tachibana about this. She won’t be able to handle it. She’s already full of guilt for how she treated me tonight. If she finds out I sacrificed a month of my life to save her, it might destroy her emotionally. Promise me you won’t say anything."

Akane wiped her eyes repeatedly, trying to regain control of her emotions. "I know... I won’t tell her. I gave you my word. But Jack... this secret is too heavy. How am I supposed to look at her knowing what you did?"

She suddenly wiped the last of her tears away more forcefully and looked at me with stubborn, tear-filled eyes. "You... you are not allowed to use that ability anymore. Not even once. Promise me right now, Jack. Swear on everything that you won’t throw away any more of your lifespan for anyone — not for me, not for Tachibana, not for Yuko. Promise me!"

I shook my head slowly but with absolute seriousness. "I... I’m sorry. I can’t make that promise."

Akane’s eyes widened in disbelief and rising anger. She suddenly grabbed the front of my shirt with both hands, pulling me closer until our faces were inches apart.

"You... Do you have a death wish?! Are you trying to kill yourself?! If you keep using that cursed ability so recklessly, it will eventually take your life! Do you even understand what lifespan means?! You’re cutting away your own future!"

Her voice cracked with raw emotion as she continued, shaking me slightly. "Every time you heal someone, you’re stealing time from yourself — time you could spend with Yuko, time to live freely, time to grow old! I won’t accept this kind of foolishness! Promise me you’ll stop!"

I looked directly into her tearful eyes. "Then what do you want me to do when the people I care about are hurt? When Haruna is bleeding out, when Sister Yuko is in danger, or when you yourself are lying there dying in front of me... do you really expect me to just stand there and watch helplessly? Tell me honestly. Could you watch someone you care about die when you have the power to save them?"

Akane froze. Her grip on my shirt loosened as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "I... I don’t know... But it’s better to die with dignity than to live knowing that every extra breath I take is borrowed from your lifespan."

"I could never find peace knowing I’m alive because you’re dying younger because of me. That kind of guilt would destroy me more than any wound ever could."

I gave her a small, bittersweet smile. "That’s exactly why I asked you not to tell anyone. This burden is mine to carry."

Akane looked shocked and surprised by my calm acceptance of the situation. She stepped back, staring at me with wide, red eyes. "You... you’re really willing to accept this? To die earlier just so others can live? Jack, you’re scaring me..."

I turned my gaze toward the window, where the soft morning light was now pouring in. "Can you send me back now? If I don’t return soon, Yuko and the others might start searching for me. I don’t want to cause them unnecessary worry."

With that, I stood up from the bed and started walking toward the door. My steps were deliberately slow, still showing signs of exhaustion.

Akane quickly followed behind me, her voice urgent. "Wait, Jack! We’re not finished talking about this! You can’t just walk away after dropping something like that on me!"

As we stepped outside into the courtyard, several of Akane’s disciples were waiting anxiously. They all bowed deeply the moment they saw her.

"Master!" they greeted in unison.

One of the older disciples stepped forward, worry etched on her face. "Master, how is Sister Tachibana?"

Akane replied in a steady but strained voice, "Her condition has stabilized for now. But she needs complete rest. No one is allowed to disturb her. Stay away from her room until I say otherwise."

The disciples glanced at me curiously, clearly suspecting my involvement in Tachibana’s miraculous recovery. However, seeing their master’s serious expression, they didn’t dare ask any questions. They simply bowed again and stepped aside respectfully.

I walked over to Akane’s motorcycle. She grabbed a helmet and shoved it into my chest a bit roughly, her frustration and worry still boiling over. "Here. Put it on."

I quietly wore the helmet and climbed onto the bike, wrapping my arms securely around her waist from behind.

The ride back to the Suzuki Villa was completely silent. Akane didn’t utter a single word. Her body remained tense under my hands the entire way, her mind clearly racing with guilt and conflicting emotions.

When we finally arrived at the villa gates, I got off the bike and handed the helmet back to her. I looked deeply into her slightly swollen, red eyes — the clear evidence of how much she had cried — and said softly, "I’m sorry... for making you worry like this."

Akane took the helmet, her jaw clenched tightly. She refused to meet my eyes for more than a second. "Just go back inside... and don’t ever come looking for us again. Stay away from my disciples and me from now on."

I activated Telepathy at that exact moment and clearly heard her inner thoughts:

[It’s best to cut all contact with him... Who knows what this reckless fool will do next? If he sees me injured or any of my disciples hurt, he might sacrifice even more of his lifespan trying to heal us. I can’t allow that. We should never come in contact again... for his own sake. Even if it hurts... this is the right decision.]

Without waiting for any reply, Akane revved her motorcycle engine aggressively and sped away instantly, disappearing down the road at high speed.

I stood there watching her leave until the sound of the engine faded completely. Then I chuckled softly inside my head.

This little lie about the lifespan cost is working even better than I expected. The heavy burden of guilt will stay lodged deep in Akane’s heart. Every time she thinks about me, every moment she worries, it will pull her closer without her even realizing it. She won’t be able to forget me so easily now... In fact, she’ll probably think about me constantly.