Ryoma sits on the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, fingers loosely interlocked.
The room is quiet, but his thoughts aren't.
This was his decision.
No one forced him to take Sagawa's place. When the offer came down, rushed and messy, it was him who forced Nakahara to take it.
Then, before leaving Japan, he made another choice; cutting one kg of weight on his own.
It's not recklessly, not ignorantly. The method was familiar, controlled, something his body had responded to before.
But now, with Dr. Mizuno's words echoing in his head, Ryoma understands where he went wrong.
It wasn't how he cut. It was when he did it.
Going into a long flight already below his usual walking weight sent his body into its natural alarm. Stress layered on stress. Sleep disruption. Dehydration. Caloric deficit. By the time he landed, his system wasn't cooperating anymore.
