"Is it true?! Is he finally out of his coma?!"
"Mr. Owens, would you please calm down!"
"Sorry..."
"I can confirm that your friend has in fact come out of his coma. He awoke several days ago, and is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital in one week, once we've given him the necessary checkups and make sure that it's safe for him to leave. He's resting right now, but I can still let you visit him, so long as you are quiet. Would you like to see him, Mr. Owens?"
"Yes, please."
"Very well, then. Take your time."
Morgan nodded and politely thanked the nurse, then entered the room where his friend was being hospitalized. The auburn haired teenager was hooked up to a health support machine, which was hooked up to his arms and managing his blood flow. "Hanako?" Morgan called out in a low voice. "Can you hear me? It's me, Morgan. Do you remember who I am?" He waited a few seconds for a reply, then frowned when met with silence. "You know, you really had me worried. It's been insanely lonely without you, Hanako. I have to confess, there were times I thought you'd never wake up. I'm disgusted with myself that I actually lost faith in you..." Morgan walked over to the empty seat beside the patient's bed and sat down. He gazed sorrowfully at his best friend's face. "If you died, then who would go to college with me, huh? I would be all alone."
"Nonsense...I bet you'd make new friends in no time..."
"Hanako!"
A huge smile stretched across Morgan's face, and he laughed with delight. "Hanako, thank goodness you're awake!"
Hanako winced in pain, taking in a sharp breath through his clenched teeth. "Morgan, could you please keep your voice down?"
"I'm sorry..."
"N-no, don't apologize." Hanako turned his head away and sighed. "It's, umm, good to see you again, Morgan. Uh, how've my parents and Aki been? They doing alright?"
Morgan nodded happily. "Mhm! I don't think they doubted you for a second! They knew you'd wake up sooner or later. I bet they'll be thrilled to see you again!"
"Thrilled, huh?" Hanako smiled warmly, just thinking about it. Even though he had basically been asleep the entire time, it seemed like ages since he last saw his family. He felt genuinely happy knowing that they had believed in him. And now, he could prove to them that their faith wasn't in vain. He was awake now, and he could finally return to his family. Even if it wouldn't be for very long, just seeing their faces again would be enough.
It had been a year since they both graduated from high school. Hanako and Morgan had applied for the same college in Aobasani and, with their impressive grades, had both managed to make it in. However, due to the tragic accident that took place 6 months ago-an accident that Hanako couldn't even faintly remember-he couldn't make it to the entrance ceremony. Morgan decided to postpone going to college for a year, in hopes that Hanako would have awoken by then. Hanako felt somewhat guilty knowing that Morgan had done this for his sake, but he couldn't deny that he felt happy, too.
Something about the whole situation did bother him, though. Not just about Morgan, but about everything. It all seemed so...strange...almost like he was waking up in an entirely different world. His head was still aching, but even worse now that he had started thinking.
"Hanako, are you okay?" Morgan asked, noticing the uneasy look on his friend's face.
"Yeah...I'll be fine. Don't worry. I just need....time."
+++
August 23, 2017
Beep! Beep! Beep!
I slammed my fist on my alarm clock to shut it off, and somehow managed to throw myself out of bed in the process. "Crap, that hurt..." I groaned in pain as I clumsily got to my feet. Due to my morning drowsiness, it took me nearly five minutes to find my calendar, which was hanging on the wall right above my alarm clock. I blinked several times to adjust my blurry vision, then scanned the calendar to find today's date. "August 23...August 23....hmm..." I squinted as I tried to read the tiny words written on the square marked the 23rd. There was red marker circling the date, and I tilted my head in confusion. "Why do I have that day circled?" I wondered aloud. After pondering it for about 3 seconds, I gave up and decided to get ready for the day as I usually did.
I slugged over to my dresser and grabbed my black comb, then lazily began combing my hair. After I fixed up my hair as much as I was willing to, I got dressed in casual clothes and went downstairs to the kitchen to have something to eat. Just as I had opened the refrigerator and was about to take out a carton of eggs, I heard my phone ringing in my back pocket. I heaved a sigh of annoyance and took out my phone, then pressed the 'answer call' button. "What do you want, Morgan?" I snapped.
"What do I want?!" A very shocked, urgent sounding voice answered loudly. "Hanako, are you even ready?! We're supposed to be at the train station in 20 minutes!"
"Morgan, quit shouting," I told him. "And what are you getting so worked up about? Is there something special happening today?"
"You have got to be kidding me right now...Hanako, how could you have forgotten something so important? Does going to college with your best friend not matter to you anymore?!"
Then it hit me. It hit me like an 18-wheeler going 90 miles per hour on an open highway. "Oh my gosh, I'm such an idiot..."
"Yeah...no comment..."
"Morgan, I'll have to call you back! I've got to get ready!"
"Geez, Hanako..." Morgan sighed heavily, and I could almost see him shaking his head disappointedly at me. "Where would you be without me?"
"Probably dead," I answered quickly, hanging up the phone before Morgan had the chance to say anything more. "Okay, I've got less than 20 minutes to get ready...I can do this..."
+++
It was a hassle, but I somehow managed to get myself ready and looking decent within the short time limit I had given myself. Morgan and I had reached the train station in less than 10 minutes, and we were able to get aboard without too much trouble. Sitting down on the train was a huge relief for me, especially after what I had been through that morning. I was able to persuade Morgan into letting me sit by the window, so that I could let my thoughts wander as I looked out at the world through clear glass. "College, huh..." I whispered, not thinking that Morgan would be able to hear me. He did.
"And in Aobasani, too," he added with a proud smile. "It's exciting isn't it? The big city....I've always dreamed about going there, and now, my dream is finally coming true. You've never been there before either, have you, Hanako?"
I closed my eyes tightly, feeling a slight pain in my head again. "It sure seems like I have..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing...never mind."
It grew quiet for a while, no voices or loud ruckus, only the low rumbling of the train's wheels on the tracks. About an hour into our trip, I noticed the atmosphere had begun to grow considerably brighter, and everything surrounding me had grown...happier. I peered out the window and gazed into the sparkling crystal waters of a river that was flowing right beside a field of golden yellow sunflowers. A strange feeling of nostalgia washed over me the longer I stared, and the longer I stared, the more confused I became. I shook my head and tried to push the thought aside, wanting solely to focus on this beautiful part of nature.
I eventually became so mesmerized by the passing scenery, that I didn't even notice Morgan trying to get my attention. That is, until he called out to me. "Hanako!"
I flinched, nearly falling out of my seat as I had been resting my chin on the palm of my hand. "What is it?" I asked in a sleepy voice. "Did I...did I doze off?"
Morgan nodded. "Yeah. But that doesn't matter. We're here now." His expression suddenly lit up, and I thought he was about to burst with excitement. He got on his tiptoes and pulled down our suitcases from the overhead shelf of the train. After handing me mine, he tugged on my sleeve and gestured for me to get a move on. "Come on, Hanako! Show some enthusiasm. We're in Aobasani!"
Before long, Morgan had lost all patience with me. He seized my arm and took off, jumping off the train and heading to wherever the heck we were supposed to be going.
Oh right...college.
I couldn't deny that I was a little excited. But mostly nervous. I didn't think it was even possible for me to get this nervous, but I figured that it was only natural. After all, I was only human.
+++
Everything was seriously...happening too fast for me to handle. In what seemed like no time at all, the entrance ceremony had been concluded, and I was standing in front of the dorm listing charts, trying to figure out where my room would be. Morgan and I had both waited until the other students had cleared the hallways to avoid all the pushing and shoving. We were standing beside each other now, clutching our backpacks over our shoulders and scanning the listing sheets, somewhat nervously. I crossed my fingers, desperately hoping I would be paired with Morgan, rather than some stranger who I probably would never be able to get along with. "I. Zu. Mi..." I hummed quietly to myself, finally coming across my last name on the charts. "Hey, Morgan, have you found yours yet?"
"I'm with some dude named Ignis."
I flinched. I felt my breathing suddenly become weaker, and I stared at Morgan with an alarmed expression. He tilted his head in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"I don't...I don't know..." I tried to shake away this ill feeling I was having, but for some strange reason, it wasn't working. "Never mind. I-I'm fine." Clearing my throat, I directed my attention back to the charts. "I'm with...."
"With who?" Morgan leaned in closer and squinted at the sheet of paper I was looking at. "Is it someone you know...huh? That's weird. The name's scribbled out."
"Yeah..." And another weird feeling...
"Well, anyway, I guess we should go unpack our stuff and meet our new roommates." Morgan smiled widely and gave me an encouraging thumbs-up. "Let's go get 'em!"
"Right..." I brought my arm slowly up and returned his gesture a similar one, however, mine was unstable. Morgan shot me a concerned look, before waving to me and heading down the hall to the building's exit. "See you at class tomorrow, Hanako!" He called back.
"Be...careful..." I replied halfheartedly, finding myself slowly slipping into a daze. What is...what is wrong with me...?
It took me a little while, but my hypnotic daze was eventually broken. It was broken by a voice. A gentle voice. A kind voice. A voice that seemed to be...reaching out to me. All of a sudden, my words escaped me, and I called out to the voice.
"Is this...is this a second chance I've been given?" I couldn't make out a clear face, but I could just faintly see a nodding head. I cracked a smile and widened my eyes, trying to get a clearer image of the face. Sadly, my efforts were wasted. My entire body was gradually becoming weaker, and before long, I forgot how to stand on my own two feet.
I was caught by a pair of firm, yet compassionate arms, and a pair of warm, pale blue eyes looked into mine. I wanted to say something to him, but I couldn't find the right words to say. However...at a time like this, I knew there were things that didn't need to be expressed in words. I smiled one last time before my eyes began to close, and I listened happily as he said my name for what seemed like the first time in forever.
"Master...Hanako..."
+++
The sound of a pencil tapping loudly against a glass awoke me from what felt like a well deserved rest. I groaned sleepily and sat myself upright, then scratched my head in confusion. "Eh~...?" I patted the soft surface beside me and raised an eyebrow. I was sitting on a bed. A rather comfortable bed. How had I gotten here? I wondered. "This is strange...I don't remember..." As I took a brief look around, I heard a low grumbling from somewhere in another room. I lifted my head and listened intently as the voice continued to spout what sounded like nonsense.
"I swear to my dead cat, I will boycott the pencil company until they make a number 1 pencil." This strange comment was followed by a sharp snapping noise. "And that is why."
"Hello?" I said, not really expecting an answer. I heard the legs of a chair scoot across the floor, followed by the sound of that same chair falling, and a deep voice grunting in pain. "Is...is anyone there?"
"Yeah..." The voice sighed heavily. "Just gimme a sec to get myself together. Mondays never were my strong suit." Moments later, a tall man with spiky black hair stumbled into the room. There was a dark circle beneath one of his eyes, suggesting that he was sleep deprived, while his other eye was covered by a white cotton eyepatch. His right arm was limp, and I noticed after close observation that there were bandages peeking out from underneath his sleeve. "Mornin' sleepy head," he greeted.
I couldn't stop staring, and that frightened me. It felt like I had seen this man before...like I knew him somehow. You probably just saw him at the ceremony, I told myself mentally. Or maybe, you walked passed him in public once or twice. Yeah...that's probably it...
"Hey, kid, are you all ri-"
"Have we met before?"
My eyes shot open. My words had run away from me again, all because I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. To my surprise, though, the man answered promptly. "That depends," he said ominously. "How much of your memory survived?"
I was not expecting that kind of answer. "I...I don't understand..."
"If you don't understand, then don't worry about it, kid. We can start over, if you'd like."
"Why are you calling me 'kid?' We're around the same age, right?"
The man flinched. "Uh, sorry 'bout that..." He scratched his head and laughed quietly. "I guess it's a habit of mine. Anyway, I don't know your name."
"It's Hanako," I said, walking closer to him to offer my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you-?"
"Jeremy. Jeremy Ryder." He smiled at me, graciously accepting my hand and shaking it firmly. The two of us stood there for a solid minute, barely moving a muscle. Jeremy cleared his throat, as if in an attempt to get my attention. "Hey...hey, kiddo...why are you crying?"
"I'm not..." Before I could finish that sentence, I felt a single teardrop fall from my eye and land on my hand, which was still tightly clasping Jeremy's.
"Are you sure you're ok-?"
"Don't let go of my hand."
"I won't."
I honestly didn't know what was going on. I didn't know why I was acting this way. It was scaring me...it was really scaring me. And for some reason I couldn't explain, I had a feeling that this man was the cause of it. After sensing awkwardness growing between us, I released his hand, then wiped my sweaty palm on my shirt. "I-I'm sorry..." I stammered, looking away. "I don't know what came over me."
"It's alright," Jeremy said with a kind voice. "Let's just start over, okay? You said your name was Hanako, correct?"
I nodded. "That's right."
"Well, then it's a pleasure. I'll be looking forward to getting to know you better, Hanako."
"But you already do know me..." I said, with a long pause. "Don't you?"
Jeremy was silent. He pressed his lips together, then tilted his head slightly, gazing at me with a peaceful look on his face. "I do," he said softly. "But you don't need to worry about that. After all, this could....potentially....be the start of a better life for you. Me, however..." He paused, and a sad look dawned on him. "I'm still trying to think of a way around this whole thing. Unfortunately...it ain't coming easy...and if things keep up like this, then I'm afraid you may be dragged into it...again."
"Dragged into what? What are you going on about?"
"I don't want to tell you."
My eyebrows drew closer together, and I frowned at him. "And why not?"
"If I tell you, then you can pretty much kiss your chances of a normal life goodbye."
"I don't care, I just want to know."
Suddenly, Jeremy's arm shot forward and grabbed my neck, and he pushed me until my back was against the wall. I struggled to escape his grip, but he was much stronger than me. I forced my eyes open and tried to look at him, but what I saw was completely different than the man I had met just moments ago. His eye was squeezed shut, and I noticed a trail of tears slowly leading away from it. "Why was I..." He began, his voice quivering. "Why was I...the only one who made it back like this? I'm worthless now...I'm worthless to you. I was no more than a scrap of metal before...and now I'm less than that..."
His grip softened, and soon I was able to force my way out. "Jeremy, please just calm down."
"How can I?!" He exclaimed, slamming his fist against the wall. "It's going to happen all over again, and this time...I won't be able to stop it..."
"Stop what?!"
"You! I won't be able to stop you!"
Jeremy looked at me again, but with an entirely different expression. Sadness. He looked...heartbroken.
"Jeremy, I-"
"You're going to leave me again," he whispered. "But this time...you'll be stronger...and..." As his breaths began to grow shakier, and his entire body became limp, he stumbled forward. But I caught him. And completely acting on instinct, I threw my arms around him, and hugged him tightly. "Thank you..." He whimpered.
"Anything for a friend..."
I felt him smile against my shoulder. "I thought I should let you know, Hanako...ahead of time...things aren't going to get any easier. I want you to know that."
"I know now."
"You'll need to be ready for anything."
"I will, Jeremy..."
I will.