Weekly Short-Short Note | Reading Surgery

The surgery was a success.
Tatsuya Toyama, seventy-five years old. His favorite saying was, "I will read books until I die," and he stroked his rounded head.
The latest technology, BTB (Book to Brain). It can transmit the contents of a book directly into the brain.

Visiting bookstores had become difficult with age. He had tried various methods, including e-books, but gradually, even turning pages or listening to words and sounds became difficult.

When he fell in love, when he was tired of living, he had lived alongside books. For him, being unable to read books was equivalent to "death."

That was when he learned about BTB. An acquaintance told him, "Don't go through with such a reckless surgery." But he wanted to keep reading books until he died.

The surgery was a success.

He searched for and purchased books that interested him. Within minutes of downloading, he finished reading them. He sent hundreds of books into his brain.

In the evening, he turned off the BTB. Suddenly, a half-read book in front of him caught his eye. His fingers moved unconsciously. The sensation of turning the pages of a book.

The shapes of the letters, the words reaching his ears—they were fading away into the distance.

The surgery was a success.

And yet, why did he feel so sad?

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I participated in the weekly short-short note prompt by Tarahakani-san.

I wonder what he was looking for in books.
There is no right answer, but...
It may vary from person to person, but what do you all look for in reading?