I met Itachi on that rainy night, but I didn't know his last name, Uchiha, until much later.

After dinner, we occasionally engaged in trivial conversations, although it was mostly me doing the talking. Itachi would listen, occasionally nod in agreement, and rarely say a word. He was indeed an introverted and reticent person...

That's what I thought at the time.

I found it somewhat monotonous. I didn't mind silent individuals, but the conversation had mostly turned into me delivering a monologue, and it made me feel somewhat awkward. It seemed like my topics were so dull that they left my guest with nothing to say.

I decided it might be more comfortable to do something of my own rather than continuing this awkward chat. I brought him to my reading room, told him to pick out any book he'd like from the bookshelf, and then I sat down at my desk, opened the book to the page I hadn't finished reading the night before, and took a deep breath.

Usually, at night, I would study pharmacy books since my experience and knowledge weren't particularly proficient. There was still so much to learn.

After I finished taking notes and put the book back with a bookmark, I looked up and saw Itachi sitting in a corner of the room, engrossed in something. The dim light cast his profile on the wall. I had forgotten that I wasn't alone in the house. He had been so quiet that I completely forgot about his presence while I was reading.

I felt guilty for rudely ignoring his presence for nearly two hours. I walked over to him, and he noticed me by his side, turning to face me with a calm expression.

"So, what are you reading?" I leaned down, thinking that I shouldn't be impolite. But it was good to see that he had found a book interesting enough to read.

Itachi gently closed the book, and I thought I saw a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "Tsurezuregusa."

My eyes lit up, and I couldn't contain my excitement. "Oh, you like these literary essays too?"

Tsurezuregusa was one of my favorite works, and I had read it repeatedly many times. I hadn't expected that Itachi had been reading it just now. It seemed like this shared interest had lessened the distance between us, if only by a tiny bit.

He nodded, apparently noticing my enthusiasm, and added, "I read it when I was younger."

"I did too, but my understanding of it was quite shallow back then."

I felt delighted, finding someone with whom I could discuss books was truly a rare and precious encounter. But I hadn't noticed the deep sorrow welling up in his eyes. Before I could say anything else, he sighed softly and said to himself, "Later on, I start came to understand the impermanence of life."

I furrowed my brows unconsciously, looking at him without speaking. I had always thought that he was a person with a story, but I hadn't dwelled on it too much. Now, I realized that this person likely had experienced significant ups and downs in his young life, and he had ended up in my pharmacy in such a desolate state.

Looking at his slender figure, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

I sat down beside him, patting his shoulder gently. "The past is the past, after all. You're still young."

Itachi raised his head, and I saw that his lips trembled slightly. The look he gave me at that moment was something I would never forget. In those deep and dark eyes, I sensed a multitude of emotions—grief, despair, resignation, and something else... determination.

But back then, I was too naive in my thinking. This phrase, which I thought would console him, probably wasn't comforting at all for Itachi.

"Mr. Yoshida, please, you must give me that medicine," Itachi suddenly bent down, his tone becoming solemn. He used an honorific, but it sounded more like a command.

He still hadn't given up. Perhaps he hadn't refused my earlier request to stay because he harbored some hope.

"I..." I sighed, didn't know what to do for a moment. He was the first customer I had encountered like this. I couldn't bring myself to refuse him, but I also couldn't bear to see him further deteriorate his health. If he started taking that medicine, he would be dependent on it for life, and there was only one outcome.

"Give me your medical records; maybe I can help you in some way."

This time, he complied, perhaps realizing that he couldn't resist me any longer, or maybe he hoped that there might be a better solution. He took out several sheets of paper from his sleeve and hesitated for a few seconds before handing them over to me.

I unfolded the papers and read the densely written characters one by one. I rarely looked at patient records, and Itachi's case was special. I read his medical history with extra care.

The situation was worse than I had imagined. Besides the primary heart failure, there were symptoms resembling tuberculosis that induced this illness. I furrowed my brows deeply; this was a complicated problem. Itachi could probably tell from my grave expression that it was a challenging issue.

"It seems... you've had this condition for a while now, right? When did you first discover it?" I returned the medical records to Itachi. If he indeed had tuberculosis, it couldn't have been triggered into heart failure in just a few days. I was puzzled about how a young, strong person like him could have contracted such an illness. Medicine was necessary, but it definitely wasn't the kind of toxic cure-all he believed it to be. In the end, I carefully selected medicines that would minimize side effects.

"That medicine... I absolutely cannot give it to you. But I have no objections to the other medicines. I have a different method to treat your illness. At the very least, it might buy you some more time for a relatively normal life. Do you want to try it?"

I raised my eyes and stared at him as he bit his lower lip, clenching his fists. I remained silent, waiting patiently for him to make his decision.

"Then, I'll leave it to you, ."

In the end, he accepted my advice. He probably had visited other pharmacies, knowing that pharmacists would never readily provide the medicine. After considering it carefully, he conceded to my proposal.

I felt somewhat relieved, but I also realized that I had taken on a difficult problem. To be honest, I didn't have much confidence in the words I had just spoken. I hadn't prescribed this treatment before, and I wasn't sure if it would truly cure his illness. But I had said what I did with the hope that he would no longer cling to the idea of that toxic medicine.

Itachi suddenly turned around, covering his mouth as he began to cough. The sound was not loud, but it came from deep within him, and I furrowed my brow, sensing that the situation wasn't good.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

I got up and left, preparing to boil some platycodon root with water, which had a soothing effect on coughs.

"I'm so sorry. Please pardon me."

Hearing his hoarse voice behind me, along with some shortness of breath, I couldn't help feeling a mix of anger and sadness. He had no reason to apologize to me.

"Instead of apologizing to me, you should be more concerned about taking care of your own health. If you don't even care about yourself, no one else can help you." I responded firmly, feeling irritated, although I didn't show it obviously.

I went to prepare the medicine, wondering why he had contracted this illness and how I should proceed with the treatment. I squinted at the dancing orange-red flames, deep in thought.

The scent of the herbs gradually filled the room as I brewed the medicine. Later I turned off the fire. After a moment, I poured some of the herbal decoction into a small porcelain bowl and brought it over to him.

Considering that he probably didn't want to stay here for long, I decided to prepare the medicine as quickly as possible. He might be able to leave the next morning. I noticed that his complexion seemed even paler now, perhaps due to the dim lighting.

"Take the medicine, it should help with the cough. Also, I'll prepare the rest of the medicine for you tonight."

Although he maintained his indifferent expression, I felt that his gaze had softened slightly. He nodded and thanked me sincerely, "Thank you, Mr. Yoshida, sorry for bringing you trouble."

"It's not necessary to be so formal, Mr. Itachi." Realizing that he had either thanked me or apologized for most of his words, I sighed and told him not to be so reserved.

"I'm sorry..."

Again with the apologies? Hearing this, I couldn't help but smile and shake my head. He was indeed an awkward young man. I wrote him a reminder and went out to prepare the medicinal herbs.

It went more smoothly than I expected. Although I had no prior experience with this prescription, there were no major mistakes along the way. However, I felt quite nervous throughout the process, and my clothes were soaked with sweat by the time I finished. I carefully wrapped the herbs, tied them securely, and headed back to the reading room.

He was sleeping on the tatami mat, leaning against the wall, with his head tilted slightly to the side, his disheveled hair partially covering his eyes. His pale skin and the open books next to him made him look like a picture in monochrome. I stared at him for a moment and unexpectedly felt a sharp pang of sympathy. He made me feel...compassionate.

I took off my outer Haori and gently covered him with it, afraid of waking him. I returned to my bedroom, lay down, and when I opened my eyes again, the grid window outside was already tinged with a pale blue.

I didn't want to disturb his sleep, so I sat quietly at the table and continued reading the pharmacology book I hadn't finished the previous night.

I don't know how much time had passed when I looked up and saw that he had woken up. He sat there silently, watching me. He noticed the garment draped over him, seemed surprised for a moment, then looked back at me. He thanked me softly and seriously.

"Are you awake?... I'm sorry for not being a better host, but I've prepared the medicine for you."

I got up and handed him a batch of medicine packets. "Take one every three days, and make sure to dissolve it in hot water."

He accepted the medicine and slightly bowed, remained silent for a moment, and then raised his black eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Yoshida. You are a kind-hearted person."

"Mr. Itachi, there's no need to be so formal." I felt a bit surprised that he had praised me this way. He was the first person to do so.

I smiled and shook my head. "You and I have only met for a day; it's too early for such praise."

In the end, he didn't stay much longer. He left shortly afterward, and I didn't try to persuade him to stay.

The Haori used to cover Itachi still had a faint clean scent from him.

I wondered where he was rushing off to.

Once he disappeared from my view, I rubbed my eyes, lifted my head, and saw the early morning sun shining on the wet green tiles, leaving behind glittering specks of light.

I leaned against the door frame, reluctant to move. I felt tired after all.

Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself that it was not yet time to sleep, and there was work to be done later.

I should go back, take a shower to freshen up, and skip breakfast.

Everything returned to normal, and I continued to manage my pharmacy store during the day, preparing medicines for clients and studying pharmaceutical books at night. Occasionally, friends would visit, but... it seemed that the young man named Itachi had never visited again, as if he had never entered my world.

However, I would remember his appearance on that rainy night, even though it felt like a dream.