"By the way, it's already a year since then huh?" I asked.
"Since when?" Rika-chan asked.
"That time when you were targeted by delinquents. They probably came after you because of me. I'm sorry." I apologised, I had been wanting to say this for a long time, yet I haven't find the chance to say it.
I glanced over a distance, to find someone oddly familiar, a slim man, he is always seen smiling at people, while people only bowed to him. He noticed me and waved at me. That triggered another memory that resembles a person like him waving at me like that.
"Yuuma-kun?" Rika-chan called. I snapped out from my thoughts, feeling slightly uncomfortable. I felt like I knew something, yet I couldn't figure it out.
"Rika-chan, did you somehow t man somewhere before?" I pointed at the familiar man, perhaps she might know something that gives me clues somehow.
"No, I don't think so. Do you know him?" Rika-chan asked. Perhaps I really have to approach the man myself. I walked towards the man, the man smiled at me. I bowed at him.
"Excuse me, did we met somewhere else?" I asked.
"Hmmm... Well, that's a tough question. I've met hundreds of people every day, perhaps you are one of them?" He replied.
No way, I really do remember talking to you... A little girl came running this way, it's dangerous for a little girl to run around, I approached her, trying to help her to look for her parents.
"Are you lost? Where are your parents?" I asked. She stared at me blankly and then runs towards the man.
"Souma! Souma! Ryutenji!" She said. Souma... Ryutenji? Ah! I remember this name! But my head hurts... I slowly lost my consciousness.
I woke up in a hospital, I had no idea why am I surrounded by weird medical equipment, it somehow gave me chills since I played a hospital themed horror game a few weeks ago. A doctor came in and saw me awake. He then approaches me. I glanced over his nametag, it says "Shiroyuki Hiro".
"Good afternoon, Tachibana Yuuma-kun. You are only diagnosed with a slight anaemia, you may leave after a final checkup." He said.
"Wait... I might had heard your name somewhere, are you perhaps the most recent Saviour Prize receiver?" I asked.
"Yes I am. I was specialised in a new disease for a few years, since it was an extremely rare, only two patients were diagnosed with this disease." He said. The door slid open. It was the man called Ryutenji.
"It seems like he is now awake. How is he now?" He asked Dr. Hiro.
"He is doing fine. He just had a slight anaemia, he should be fine after a rest." Dr. Hiro explained. He excused himself shortly after.
"Well, Yuuma-kun is it?" Ryutenji-san said.
"How did you know my name?" I asked in surprise.
"Your girlfriend out there kept calling your name. How could I not remember it?" He shook his head, I got really embarrassed with what he said, it's too good to be true.
"You mean Rika-chan?!" I tried to confirm it. He opened the door and invited her in. It's Rika-chan.
"Rika-chan... I'm sorry to make you worry." I said.
"Well, it seems like it's not my place to say anything for now. I guess I'll leave." Ryutenji-san said.
"Wait! I was thinking of talking to you, please stay for a moment." I said. He sighed and turned to me.
"Well, what is it?" He asked.
"I had some odd memories, that I vividly thought I did experience before, yet... It didn't match the reality here, it didn't feel like a dream, yet it's so vivid and real. Did you know anything like this?" I asked.
"What were you talking about?" Ryutenji-san seems confused.
"It's... Uh..." I too, lost in words.
"Maybe it's about a wish. If you prayed to the Rain Goddess, she will grant you her blessings in a odd and mischievous way. That's all I know which might help you with that." Ryutenji-san said, and leaves the ward. The room is filled with silence with just me and Rika-chan in it. Suddenly, a guy barged in.
"Wow! It really brings me back!" He said, I totally had no idea what he was talking about.
"Oh... I'm sorry. That must have been silly." He apologised to both me and Rika-chan.
"My name is Kujou Ryujii, what are yours?" Ryujii-san asked.
"Yuuma, Tachibana Yuuma." I said.
"My name is Mizuhara Rika." Rika-chan said.
"Ahh, it really brings me back. I was a patient here, I thought I was done for, yet I was given a chance to stay alive. Weird turn of events huh?" He said.
"Did you wished for something before all these happened?" I asked. It was something that suddenly came to my mind. I had no idea why, yet I felt like asking it.
"Hmmm... Well, I did hated everything in this world, yet there is a little part in me who wanted to forgive the world. Yet I never had the courage to do so." Ryujii looked out of the window.
"What happened then?" I asked. Rika-chan seemed interested in his story, I got a bit jealous.
"I met a girl, whose conditions were far more severe than mine, she taught me to appreciate everything even more. I thought she were just spouting nonsense, yet I followed her, to look at the twilight she liked to most." He smiled as he reminiscing his past.
"It turns out that a twilight were so mesmerising just like her. I fell in love with the both of them. It was surprising, despite having to endure through the pain when I was still sick, the most soothing moments were being with her. Yuuki..." He sighed as he mentioned a name.
"How is she now?" I asked.
"Well, she is now fine, but she's in overseas, perhaps travelling around to appreciate the world more. I wonder how did the twilight out there looks like." Ryujii said. The door slid open again.
"Ryujii-kun, you're disturbing the patients again!" A nurse came in.
"Oh, nurse Kaori!" He greeted her casually. They seemed like good friends, perhaps the ordeal they faced here were far more severe than mine, yet he still have the strength to smile after all those pain were over. Is it... The rainbow after a rain...? Ah, my head hurts again...
"Yuuma-kun!" Rika-chan cried, as I collapsed again.
"Quick, call Dr. Hiro!" Ryujii said. My consciousness slowly drifted away.
"I wished Rika will accept my confession." Is something I read from a notebook on my table. Now I finally understood, I'm under a trial, a trial from the Rain Goddess!
I woke up to see Rika-chan sitting next to my bed, sleeping next to my hand. I reached my hand to her head. Rika-chan, were to be confessed by me...? Well, It was a promise I made with her since we were elementary students. I doubt that she even remember about it...
I knew that she were being bullied because of me. Knowing that makes me hate myself even more. I never asked for being popular, being unable to protect Rika-chan makes it even worse. I looked at the ceiling, it's already night. yet it should be past curfew soon, yet Rika-chan stayed here until now. Maybe she felt responsible to how I became now. Some of the memories were so painful that I even felt can feel with my own body when think of it. Rika-chan's head moved, I quickly retracted my hand. She looked at me with her eyes not fully opened yet.
"Yuuma-kun, you're awake... I'm so glad!" Rika-chan said.
"To be honest, about the request you asked me during Christmas, I couldn't do it. I'm sorry." I said, Rika-chan remained silent, and stood up.
"It doesn't matter anymore, Yuuma-kun. I'm tired of all this. I tried so hard to avoid you, yet you still want to bother me with those feelings of yours. We are matching at all." Rika-chan really did say it this time, something she never reveal to me. I felt immensely guilty. I said nothing, so did Rika-chan, as she left the ward. Silence filled the room immediately, leaving me thinking for a whole night.
I left the hospital, after being discharged. I went home alone. My parents were told not to worry, so they didn't come over. It's just that they knew that I had anaemia because of lacking sleep for a few days. They should be preparing tonics for me, if I'm not wrong. I returned home, I glanced at Rika-chan's window, when I looked at her window, the curtains immediately closed up. She's watching, after all. I sighed and returned home. Perhaps have to think over how to win over her heart somehow... Otherwise, I don't know how to even clear the Rain Goddess' trial to get her blessings. That Ryujii-san, perhaps already received blessings from the Rain Goddess herself. Should I ask him something next time?