The Fading Moon Chapter 29: The Notebook of Secrets

Read chapter 29 of The Fading Moon by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

The next morning, Mike couldn't stop thinking about the letter. He had read it five times before going to sleep. Three more times after waking up. And twice on the train to the hospital. The paper was already beginning to wrinkle slightly from being unfolded so often. Yet he couldn't help himself. Every word felt precious. Like something fragile. Something irreplaceable. The same way Jessika herself had begun to feel. As the train rolled through Tokyo, Mike stared out the window. The city was entering early summer. Cherry blossoms were gone. Green leaves had taken their place. The seasons continued changing. Time continued moving. No matter how desperately he wished it would slow down. When he arrived at the hospital, Room 307 was empty. His stomach instantly dropped. That fear had become automatic now. Every time he couldn't immediately see Jessika, panic appeared before logic. Then he heard laughter coming from the hallway. Familiar laughter. Her laughter. Relief washed over him. He stepped outside. Jessika was sitting near the nurses' station. Talking animatedly with two nurses. The moment she saw him, she smiled. "There he is." One of the nurses laughed. "Your boyfriend finally arrived." Mike rolled his eyes. Jessika pointed dramatically. "See? He looks grumpy." "I always look like this." "Exactly." The nurses laughed again. Mike had no defense. A little while later they returned to the room together. Jessika seemed unusually energetic that day. Which should have made Mike happy. Instead it worried him. Because recently her good days and bad days had become unpredictable. Sometimes she looked stronger. Sometimes weaker. Like a candle flame flickering in the wind. Beautiful. But fragile. As afternoon arrived, Mike noticed a familiar notebook sitting on her bedside table. The same notebook. The one containing things she didn't want him to forget. The one containing secrets. The one she had hidden so carefully. Jessika noticed him looking at it. Immediately she grabbed it. Suspiciously. Very suspiciously. Mike narrowed his eyes. "What are you hiding?" "Nothing." "That's a lie." "It's not." "It definitely is." Jessika hugged the notebook protectively. "You aren't allowed to read this." Now Mike was even more curious. "Why?" "Because." "That's not an answer." "It is if I say it confidently." Mike sighed. She had a talent for winning arguments through pure nonsense. After a while, Jessika suddenly smiled. A dangerous smile. The kind that usually led to trouble. "I have an idea." Mike immediately regretted being there. "What?" "We exchange notebooks." "No." "Come on." "No." "Why?" "Because that's terrifying." Jessika laughed. "Exactly." Mike shook his head. Absolutely not. There was no universe in which he was willingly handing over a notebook filled with his private thoughts. Unfortunately, Jessika was stubborn. Extremely stubborn. Which was why thirty minutes later they somehow ended up doing exactly that. Mike handed over a small notebook from his backpack. Jessika handed over hers. Neither was allowed to open the notebook while the other person watched. The goal was simple. Read one page. Only one. Then return it. "No cheating." Jessika pointed accusingly. "No cheating." Mike agreed. The exchange happened. And for several minutes silence filled the room. Jessika read. Mike read. Then both immediately turned bright red. At exactly the same moment. "What did you read?" Jessika demanded. "No." "What did you read?" "No." She gasped. "You wrote about me." Mike looked away. Unfortunately, that reaction answered the question. Jessika immediately started laughing. "You wrote about me." Mike buried his face in his hands. This was a mistake. A terrible mistake. A catastrophic mistake. Meanwhile Jessika looked happier than she had all week. Eventually she handed his notebook back. Very carefully. Very gently. As if it contained something precious. Mike returned hers. Neither asked questions. Neither needed to. Because both had learned s