Until I, Who Have an Incurable Disease, Can Shine: Episode 4 (Final Episode) (Creative Award 2025 Romance Novel Category Serial Short Story)

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S.Able receives a large-scale project for an advertising campaign themed around "diversity and coexistence," which has high public interest. It is a project in collaboration between government agencies and corporations, and it is attracting attention from the public as well.

Seiya says, "I want to entrust Makina as the main planner for this project." The employees are surprised. However, Seiya continues, "She is a 'person directly involved' and possesses the 'power to convey.' In this company right now, she is more suited for this job than anyone else."

Under pressure, Makina struggles but makes a decision.

"I don't want to run away. I want to believe that there is an expression that only I can create."

While balancing rehabilitation, she creates the presentation materials overnight. With a cane in her hand, she speaks about the plan confidently in front of major corporations.

Her words were filled with "authenticity and persuasiveness".

"Being 'different' is not something to be ashamed of. It's not about trying to 'become the same,' but about how we accept our differences—that is what it means to live together."

After a silence from the judges, applause breaks out. The project is successfully decided to be directed by
S.Able.

A few days later, at the launch party for the project's success, Seiya takes Makina out to a quiet courtyard set up in a corner of the venue.

Under the starry night sky, Seiya kneels and opens a small box. It is a beautiful ring, a simple platinum band chosen at a jewelry store, adorned with a single, clear blue sapphire.

"That day, when you said you 'needed time,' I decided to wait. Today, Makina, you grasped the future with your own strength. I am more proud of that than anyone else." "Let me say it again. Makina, let's get married. I want to live with you. Let's walk through every season together."

Teary-eyed, Makina nods without hesitation this time. "Yes. I want to walk into the future with you, too. I look forward to being with you."

Makina's eyes were shining brighter than the stars in the night sky.

S.Able's public relations department begins "broadcasting real voices" with Makina at the center.

The posted videos and interviews spread on social media, and along with

sensational labels

like "I can't believe there is such a beautiful disabled person," "Miracle person," and "Real Cinderella," Makina is talked about as the face of the company.

Makina is bewildered.

(I feel like they aren't looking at me, but at the label of 'disabled person'...)
Even so, Makina says to Seiya.
"But if my words can be of use to someone, I want to step forward a little more. Without running away."

One day, Seiya's mother, Sae Umi, S.Able suddenly appears at .
Dressed in a sophisticated black suit, she stares at Makina with cold eyes.

"I have never once thought you were suitable to be a 'bride of a zaibatsu family.' Your current popularity is only due to being a 'hot topic.' I wonder how long it will last?"

Makina stands up slowly.
The hand gripping her cane is not trembling.

"It is not for you to decide whether I am suitable or not. It is something for Seiya and me to decide ourselves."
Seiya appears and says quietly to his mother.
"Mother. She is the person I chose. I won't let you say anything to hurt her ever again."

Sae Umi leaves the scene. However, in her eyes, there was a 'hesitation' that hadn't been there before.

That night, Makina says to Seiya.
"It's not that I want to 'become strong.' I just want to be 'someone who can choose her own life for herself.' I want to live through 'my own words,' not through someone else's evaluation."
Seiya nods gently and holds Makina in a soft embrace.

A world without camera flashes, one that no one else sees.
A breakfast table for two, the same mugs.
Makina laughs and says, "I burned the bread," and Seiya laughs while eating it.

(This is what they call 'happiness.')
(Right now, I am living 'my own life,' which belongs to no one else.)

Her expression held a vitality that transcended her illness.

Makina and Seiya decided not to hold a wedding ceremony.
After discussing it, they decided to take wedding photos just for the two of them.

The shoot is in the courtyard of a famous classic hotel in Tokyo.
The soft afternoon light gently illuminates the greenery and the cobblestones.
There are no wedding bells or applause from guests.
But there was a deeper, quieter 'vow' between just the two of them.

Makina is in a pure white dress with long sleeves.
With a silhouette where the drapes flow beautifully, she has elegance whether standing or sitting.
A cane in her left hand.
But it is not a 'crutch,' but rather a 'part' of her that symbolizes who she is, fitting in perfectly.

Seiya is in a slim black tuxedo with a light gray vest.
Even with his hair neatly set, the same unchanging kindness seeps through in the way he looks at Makina.

When the photographer says, "Please, just be natural," Makina slowly takes Seiya's arm and smiles as she always does.

"I was right, it was the right decision not to have a wedding ceremony."
"Yeah. Because as long as I'm looking at that smile of yours, Makina, I don't need anything else."

In the background, white flowers sway in the wind.
Along with the sound of the camera shutter, that moment became eternal.

Makina and Seiya, who had their wedding photos taken beautifully.

Makina and Seiya immediately posted them on social media.

Even without a wedding ceremony, the two of them, who had properly vowed to each other, "We will be together from now on, no matter what happens," had no doubts.

After the wedding photo shoot, the two went straight to their favorite quiet restaurant.
On the reserved table, chamomile flowers, which Makina loves, were decorated.
It was Seiya's arrangement.

While loosening her dress just a little, Makina sips white wine.

“Was it strange to have a cane with the dress?”
Seiya smiles and meets her eyes across the glass.

“You were the most beautiful. I don't think there's anything better than a bride standing as her true self.”
After the meal, the two looked at the photos they had taken on their smartphones, leaning against each other and smiling quietly.

(More than a wedding ceremony, this feels more like us, and I'm sure I'll never forget this day.)

At a later date, a wedding photo book of Makina and Seiya is quietly delivered to Sae Umi.

Sitting alone on the sofa in her study, Sae turns the pages.
There, she sees Makina dressed in a neat dress and Seiya wearing a soft smile.

After a silence that lasted for a while, Sae gently traced her finger over the photo and smiled faintly.

“That girl has become strong. And so has Seiya, who chose her.”
The hand that closed the photo was no longer trembling.

A single wedding photo arrived at Makina's family's home.
In the photo, bathed in soft light, were Makina with a beaming smile and Seiya gently snuggled up to her.

Tears welled up in her mother's eyes as she gazed at the photo.

“Such a happy face...”
The family finally deeply understood how much thought and feeling Makina had carried to get this far.

“Walking together, that alone was enough.”
The words added to the photo quietly soaked into the depths of their hearts.

Toka Himuro was scrolling through social media on her smartphone.
By chance, Makina's wedding photo appeared on her feed.

There, along with praise that "disabilities are also beautiful as individuality," a storm of overwhelmingly positive comments was lined up.

Biting her lip, Toka mutters.

“I never thought she would become the face of the era in this way. But I won't lose. Someday, I will surpass that woman.”

In Toka's eyes, frustration and a tiny bit of respect were mixed.

Praise arrives from people who saw Makina's wedding photo post on social media.

“This photo has stolen my heart.”
“A dress and a cane—this is the first time I've seen such a beautiful bride.”
“Disability isn't a weakness. You've taught me that the way one lives is strength itself.”
“It brought me to tears. Someday, I want to be loved like this, too.”

Anna Matsumoto, a classmate from junior high school, also saw the wedding photo on Makina's X account.

“You're the most wonderful bride in the world. Be happy.”
she wrote, sending words of praise.

The number of followers exploded in a few days, and the media began to pick up the story. But Makina just quietly continued her daily life.

Following the wedding photo that became a hot topic on social media, requests for appearances began to arrive one after another from television programs and magazines.
Seiya said he would “respect her wishes,” and Makina decided to appear on a news documentary program just once.

The staff was polite, but their words during the meeting stung.

“How about the catchphrase ‘The Miracle Beauty’?”
“We want to convey the message: ‘This beautiful despite having a disability.’”

(Wait, am I being viewed through the contrast of ‘disability’ and ‘beauty’?)
Makina nods with a smile, but a cold feeling remains in her chest.

The recording proceeds smoothly. However, when Makina watches the edited footage, she feels bewildered.

“Makina, a ‘beauty’ who never lets her smile fade, despite her disability...”
“Viewers are moved by her glamorous life, even while using a cane.”

Moving, courageous, beautiful, miracle, strong woman.

Yet, there was no “effort,” no “pain,” no “failure,” and no “ordinary me” reflected there.

(The ‘me’ that is seen and the ‘real me’ are becoming different.)
(If I become a ‘miracle’ like this, where will I end up?)

At night, in her apartment, Makina murmurs to Seiya.

“Even though I’m being praised, it’s suffocating. ‘Beautiful despite having a disability’—isn't there something wrong with that?”

Seiya replies, gently stroking Makina's hair.

“People like to label things with easy-to-understand words. But what you want to convey isn't ‘beauty,’ but your ‘way of life,’ right?”

After a brief silence, Makina looks straight at Seiya.

“Yes. I want to convey it properly through ‘words.’ As ‘myself,’ not as anyone’s ‘fantasy.’”

Makina tweeted her thoughts on X.

This post attracted attention on social media.

Following Makina's television appearance, S. Able, the company founded by Seiya, also became a hot topic overnight.
Projects themed around "disability and design" and "diversity and work styles" began to attract the interest of young people and corporations.

S. Able was featured in a weekly business magazine.

Voices of those who saw the feature
・"A scion running a 'welfare venture'? I thought it was a joke, but he's serious."
・"His wife's presence has become the 'face' of the company."

Seiya did not get carried away and prioritized Makina's well-being above all else.

"Makina. Whether you step into the spotlight is your decision. I don't want to force you to do anything for the sake of my dream."
Seiya gently reasoned with her, showing concern for Makina.
"Thank you. That's why I want to do this properly with 'my own voice'."
Makina replied in a strong voice.

('I want to fight with 'my own voice'...')
('I won't use my illness as an excuse to run away anymore.')

Makina published an essay titled 'To the Me Who Wanted to Be 'Normal',' in which she wrote about her thoughts and struggles.
Her simple, honest tone reached the hearts of many readers.

Makina was interviewed for a feature in Weekly Business Frontier.

"I am not an 'advertising model.' As an individual, I just wanted my 'existence to be accepted.'"
The reactions on social media, the slander, and the voices of those who were saved.
Maki Hoshi now speaks about the meaning of 'conveying.'

At the lecture, she was nervous at first, but she spoke slowly, savoring every single word.

"I am not special. In fact, I was always in pain because I wanted to be 'buried' in the 'normal.' But if standing as 'myself' can give someone courage, then I will keep walking forward."

Someone in the audience teared up, and soon applause broke out.
The scene was shared on social media and in articles, spreading a further circle of empathy.

Seiya's mother, Sae, was also quietly watching that scene on TV.

Struck to the heart by Makina's words, Sae quietly opened the doors of a volunteer organization a few days later.

Is there anything I can help with? I'm clumsy, but I want to try connecting with people...

Through her interactions with the children and people with disabilities she met there, Sae learned for the first time what it meant to be on the side of those who offer support, rather than those who need to be protected.

One day, she quietly said to Seiya alone.

I feel like the things I see are changing little by little, too.
Thank you, Seiya. And thank her, too.

In their new apartment, after dinner.
The two of them sat side by side on the sofa.
Makina suddenly spoke up.

Hey, Seiya. I've decided that I don't want children.
Between the treatments, my physical strength, and the resolve required to protect someone, right now I'm just doing my best to live my own life.

After a moment of silence, Seiya gave a small nod.

I married you because I wanted to live with you, Makina. I believe a family isn't something you 'make,' but something you 'build.'

Makina smiled, her eyes slightly moist.

There were times when relatives or society would gently ask, 'What about children?'

But the two of them wouldn't deny it forcefully; instead, they would answer proudly.

We have chosen a path where we support each other and become a source of strength for others.
Because there are as many forms of love as there are people.

One day, a post Makina made on social media began to quietly gain attention.

(Even in a life without children, we are cultivating happiness.)
(Even without becoming parents, people can light up the future.)

Cultivating the future.

Even without children,
we are lighting up our days with love.

The happiness we have sown together
is quietly cultivating the future.

Makina and Seiya sat side by side on the terrace facing the courtyard.
Makina set her cane aside and leaned against Seiya.

It doesn't have to be someone else's 'ideal,' does it?
Yeah. Let's keep living as 'us.'

The sky was a sunset, and the breeze was soft and warm.
Only a quiet happiness existed there.

~Seiya's thoughts on Makina~
We met in the infirmary back in middle school.
Back then, neither of us knew the harshness of the world.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my fate changed significantly when we reunited at the class reunion.
I am proud of Makina, who has become a presence that deeply moves the people around her.

On a twilight day at the end of spring when the wind had softened just a little, Makina let go of her cane, leaned against me, and looked straight into my eyes as she said, "We will build a future together." Those words brought our strides into alignment.

You don't have to live up to anyone's ideals.
You don't have to accomplish anything.
The fact that you are you is my hope.

It doesn't matter what anyone says.
Whether it's applause, envy, or prejudice.

I will live by this person's side.
That is my life.

-Just having you by my side is enough-

From here on out, counting the seasons, we will protect these days we call "now" together.

~Makina speaks~

I never imagined in the past that these hands, which hold a cane, would one day touch someone's heart.

When I found out I had an incurable disease, I thought my world might end there.
University, finding a job, falling in love—I thought I'd be laughed at if I even called those dreams.

But then, someone appeared who told me, "Let's live together."
Seiya didn't just support me; he walked alongside me at the same pace.

When I was called a "beautiful disabled person," my heart ached a little.
I am both "beautiful" and "disabled," but more than that, I wanted to be seen as a person named "Makina."

It's different now.
If even those words can become a gateway to changing someone's perspective or prejudice, I feel I can accept them with my head held high.

My work, my way of life, and how I love—I can choose them myself.

"A little courage can make things work out."
When I looked up at the sky, Vega, the brightest first-magnitude star in the summer constellation Lyra, was shining brilliantly.

"It doesn't have to be great happiness.
I just want to be someone who can be proud of today.
That is my future."

Seiya called out "Makina" in a soft voice from the room toward Makina, who was on the balcony.

-Like "Vega" shining brilliantly in that summer sky, I hope we can paint the path we walk with the light of hope-

Episode 1 ← Episode 2 ← Episode 3 ←

(End)

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