"—then we went to the grocery store to buy vegetables for the house. Miss Yamamoto even taught me how to cook miso soup and add a bit of touch to your favorite flavour! "
"——"
"Mister Kado said I should go with him and Mia to a mountain to camp. Mia wanted to go camping because of all her friends' stories from school. I would like to come and make up with Mia… but… "
Ichika Takanashi puts her hands down, putting them on top of her lap.
"You'll be alone if I go..."
It wasn't all true.
If Ichika went with Mia and Kado, Shouta would be accompanied by Yamamoto or his mother.
The door slid open. And a man in a tuxedo came in.
"Excuse me, sorry for intruding"
"N-no, it's okay!"
"I'm sorry for making you to wait here, miss Takanashi"
"N-no no… it's fine "
"So, have you decided to come with me and Mia to go camping? Or would like to stay here and accompany Shouta for a while until his mother or Yamamoto comes "
"Uhmm… I still haven't decided yet… "
"Okay then, it's fine. Take your time and think, miss Takanashi. Your choice could lead to someone's demise "
"Huh? What…!? "
Kado had already exited the room before she could ask the question.
Ichika's doubts were suddenly higher than any of her sentiments after hearing seven words spoken by Kado. Is this right?
Her mind said to her, "No." But it wasn't enough to settle her down; her self-doubt was still high, and it was making her uncomfortable.
"Shouta, I miss you… It has been different since you fell into a coma "
It had been a fortnight since the incident. In everyone's life, not much has changed.
Once a week, Koharu Minase would pay a visit to the hospital. Her timetable, though, remains unchanged.
Sara Fujiwara would go to the hospital twice a week, as well. She does not, however, have a modification to her timetable.
Mia Kazehaya remained the same. Her routine remained the same, and she hardly wept after Shouta was admitted to the hospital.
Except for her—Ichika Takanashi—who has changed her entire lifestyle in order to spend more time with Shouta.
"Well… I got to go! School is starting and I don't want to be late "
She got up and grabbed her school bag near the door of the room.
Once she opened the door, Mia was awaiting her outside and she was carrying a plastic bag.
Mia gave Ichika the plastic bag and went inside without saying a word.
"..."
—Ogaki Municipal Hospital was near the 258 highway and close to Ogakishi Ritsuminami Junior School and Ogaki Higashi high school. And there was a donut store nearby.
Ichika thought to herself. "I'll buy some donuts first, then I'll go to school"
"Good morning, Onii-chan".
The girl greeted her brother with a glum expression. She was dressed in her school uniform, but she had no intention of going to school. Her plan was to visit her brother and bring books that he enjoyed reading. But it was pointless; even if her brother was pinched or in agony, he wouldn't wake up.
She put the books neatly on the table and sat next to her brother.
Shouta's bruises had almost all healed. The three other men, on the other hand, were severely damaged, even more so than Shouta, as a result of how Shouta fought them.
Two of the men were unable to breathe properly, and one of them, like Shouta, fell into a coma. And among them, the tallest man received a kidney transplant. Above all, no one was killed.
"—I'm going to use the bathroom first, Onii-chan"
And so then, Mia Kazehaya, took care of her brother, Shouta Kazehaya, for the rest of the day.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
—The donut shop was deserted.
"Good morning," Ichika said as she entered through the front door and gazed at the first thing she saw.
A young woman knelt and restocked the shelves. She was dressed in a brown headband and a green and white outfit.
"Excuse me?".
The girl remained silent. The girl was completely oblivious of Ichika's presence next to her.
"Excuse me, Miss?".
Ichika called her again, this time louder, in an attempt to grab her attention. To get down to her level, she knelt.
Her hair was short, hardly reaching her nape, she noticed. When Ichika saw her hair and ear, she recognized who she was.
"..."
"..."
Two pairs of eyes locked on one another. One was the hue of a turquoise jewel, and it shone brightly in the sun. The other has amethyst-colored eyes.
—The girl was frightened to see her and leaped.
"Ah!" exclaims Ichika. " Nakamura, I'm sorry!"
Ichika apologized to Nakamura and signed her letter of apology. And Nakamura sighed and nodded, accepting her apology.
"What are you doing here?"
"Me? I was just p-passing...passing by to buy so-some… donuts!"
"You don't look like you're here just to buy donuts? Where were you before you came here?"
"My house, really, I wasn't making any detour—"
"Really? Isn't there a donut shop near your house? And you said you liked the donuts there"
"...U-ummm…"
"Please don't lie"
Ichika took a deep breath, her face flushed with terror as she tried to conceal what lay beyond her words. She averted her gaze for a moment, then returned it to Nakamura's inquiring gaze, telling her, "I'm curious."
"I... was visiting Shouta," she paused. Her words were stuck in her throat, almost making her nauseous and making her want to vomit. However, she was able to utter the following words, describing Shouta's current physical condition.
—Her hands, as much as her voice, were trembling.
"Coma..." she said, but she signed the following few words. She was too terrified and hesitant to say it.
"He was badly injured by three men… they were trying to rob my house but luckily, Shouta came and fought all of them"
"...Is he doing well now? Are his injuries cured?"
"His injuries have healed, but there are some injuries which are difficult to cure…"
"Well, I'm glad that he's fine"
Nakamura smiled as she clapped her hands once and signed her reliefs.
It wouldn't be a functioning store if there were only one worker working there. Plus, that worker is deaf and couldn't hear the customer's voice. It would be wise if they had a co-worker to help her.
When Nakamura got up, she put back the mess she had made when Ichika startled her. Fortunately, the donuts she was restocking were inside of plastic, and it didn't make a mess inside the store.
"Uhmm, Nakamura…"
Ichika lightly tapped Nakamura's shoulder, getting her attention.
"Is it true… the one Shouta did horrible things to… was you?"
"...."
"Nakamura…"
"Yes, I was the one who—"
"T-then, why did he do all of those things to you?!! Isn't he a kind and loved person?!"
"M-ma'am… please keep quiet. In our store, we don't allow the customers to shout or yell." Nakamura's co-worker came up behind her, touching Ichika on her shoulders.
"...."
Ichika suddenly felt someone else's touch. A woman touched him.
"How about we talk about this later? Text me if you're finish with school"
"...y-yeah… I'll be going now"
She turned her body around, facing towards Nakamura's co-worker.
"I'm sorry…"
As soon she finished her apology, she left the donut shop without buying a single donut.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Through the station, the train rumbled. People stood along the edge of the station's platform, waiting for their train.
A large number of high school students were waiting for their train here. Sara, on the other hand, is there for a reason: "—Something feels different..."
Something isn't right.
There was no one she recognized on the station platform beside her. The only people waiting for their trains were office employees and students, either the same age or lower than hers.
A buzzing noise came from the station speakers, followed by an announcement. Her train arrived at her station in five minutes.
She was only carrying a few things with her. Her note book and utensils were in a paper bag. Her attire, which consisted of a teal blouse and denim shorts, exposed portions of her body, including her arms and legs. Her hair was let loose.
"You know, Koharu… I don't feel like going to work now…"
Minase Koharu took the same step to the platform's edge as Sara. Her face was hidden, but her hair, at least to Sara, revealed her identity. She wore a thick sweater and a long black skirt.
"Sorry…"
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I also can't help but feel something is off"
"Hmm? Don't try to hide it, let's talk about it somewhere private"
"Like where?"
"My apartment"
"So, what exactly is it? Why do you and I feel as though something is wrong, as if we have lost something extremely important to us?"
"I... don't know"
"...I don't know either, but it irritates me"
They were both seated on a carpeted floor. A tiny table stood between them.
"I'll brew some tea to help us relax."
"Oh... thank you..." says the speaker.
Sara exited the room, leaving the door open wide. She could still see Koharu sitting on the floor, fidgeting with her fingers on her lap. Sara's face was as downcast as hers.
Do I have a chance?
Is there one in my hands?
Is she the same as I am?
Is she under the impression that I know the reason?
He does, however, already have Ichika.
He's no longer alone.
He's with someone he cares about.
He is a person who will make the best decision for himself.
His actions toward those three men were absolutely out of character for him.
The two brainstormed about someone. Someone who is close to them and someone who they care about. It was obviously someone they know and someone of the opposite gender.
That's it!
I got it!
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"Well… son. I didn't expect a kid with no parents would do something like this. When I first met you, you were in a horrible state and you were the loneliest kid I've ever seen in my life. I'm sorry that your mother… Well, it isn't good to talk about your mother right now."
Kado raises his fingers to gently massage Shouta's hair. It was wet and velvety. Mia was brushing his hair before heading to a nearby supermarket to get some groceries for herself.
"I'll be waiting for you to wake up. But for now, take your time"
And as Kado left the room, he sighed and walked back to the Ogaki station.