Days, weeks, months…
It was impossible to tell how long Yuichi floated in the darkness, hovering over the corpse that had once been his. The police eventually found it. After months of searching, they identified it as a missing orphan with no surviving family. It was a simple case to close.
But something strange began to happen to the body in the weeks following its discovery. Yuichi noticed it first, small, barely noticeable at first.
A flicker of energy, deep within the corpse, like a dying ember.
'What's happening?'
The energy grew, slowly at first, then more rapidly, filling the body with a strange, crackling heat. Yuichi's soul, which had been drifting aimlessly, suddenly felt a pull. A sharp tug, like a hand grabbing him by the collar and yanking him forward.
And before he could process what was happening, he was being sucked back into the body.
When he opened his eyes, it was morning.
He gasped, the air rushing into his lungs for the first time in months. His body felt heavy, sluggish, like he hadn't moved in years. But he was alive. He was alive.
As Yuichi sat up, he heard the sound of gasps from the doctors who had declared him brain-dead just the day before.
"He's...he's awake!"
***
Yuichi's eyes flutter open, the harsh white light of the hospital room stabbing into his vision. His body feels weak, barely responsive, but the first breath he takes is sharp, filling his lungs with cool, sterile air.
He gasps.
Machines begin to beep frantically, their rhythmic sounds breaking the silence in the room. The doctors, initially stunned, quickly gather around the bed, disbelief written all over their faces.
Around a 40 years old male doctor, stepping forward cautiously, "He's... he's awake! How is this possible?"
The other 30 year old female doctor rushed to check the monitors, "His vitals…everything's stabilizing. This shouldn't be happening..."
Yuichi looks around, blinking in confusion. His head throbs. For a moment, he tries to speak, but his throat is dry and his voice cracks.
With a hoarse voice Yuichi tried to talk, "Where... am I?"
The doctors exchange glances, still trying to process the situation. They thought the boy was brain-dead just the day before.
The male doctor leaned closer, speaking softly but firmly, "You're in the hospital. You were in an accident. We... Well, we didn't expect you to wake up. Do you remember anything?"
Yuichi pauses.
He knows he has to be careful here; he's in a new world, in a body that isn't technically his. His mind races for an excuse.
Yuichi shaked his head weakly, "I... I don't know. I can't remember."
The female doctor looked concerned, taking notes on a clipboard while scanning Yuichi's body with her eyes, still checking the machines.
The female Doctor turned to the male Doctor, quietly; "Memory loss. It's not unusual after prolonged brain trauma... but still, after six months in this state, this is unprecedented."
Yuichi frowns, catching part of their conversation.
Yuichi, with his voice a little stronger now, confused, said "Six... months? I've been... asleep for six months?"
The male doctor nodded, visibly shocked but still trying to stay calm. "Yes. You've been in a coma after the accident. Your brain activity has flatlined. We thought... we thought you wouldn't wake up at all. This is nothing short of a miracle."
Yuichi internally thought, 'Six months? They really thought I was dead... I need to play along.'
Yuichi acted unsure with his low, quiet voice and said "I don't remember anything... not the accident, not... not anything."
The doctors exchange another look, this time with a mixture of relief and concern.
The female doctor spoke softly and reassured Yuichi; "It's okay. Memory loss is common after trauma. We'll take things slow. You need to rest for now. We'll monitor you closely and run some tests to make sure everything's alright."
Yuichi nodded weakly, grateful they weren't probing too deeply. He forces himself to lie back, his head spinning, but at least he's safe... for now.
.
.
.
After the doctors leave, Yuichi reflects internally.
Yuichi stared up at the ceiling, his thoughts racing fast.
He's alive, somehow. He has a second chance, but what now? He doesn't know how this world works or what he's supposed to do next.
Yuichi spoke internally, 'This world... the doctors didn't seem to notice anything strange yet. I have to be careful. I don't even know what quirks I have. I can't blow this... I need to figure out how to survive.'
Yuichi knew that this chance that he got was due to extreme luck and won't happen twice. He didn't want to experience that lifelessness again that he faced while roaming as a soul, even thinking about it gave him creeps.
He decided to follow the act that he started and things went well for the first time. Time to time nurses were allotted to tell him about all the details that he would have forgotten after his memory loss.
The whole week's schedule stayed the same as he just learned things that he supposedly would have lost memory off and strangely he learned everything very quickly may be due to the muscle memory this body has.
After more than a week when doctors gave an okay symbol to his condition he was finally allowed to go back home where he was dropped by the police car as he didn't even know his address.
His home, which was a two story house, one of the last remaining assets of his parents alongside with the insurance money that he had in the bank account was the sole place for his living now.
Yuichi somehow felt strange as this boy was an orphan who lost his parents in a villain incident whereas he lived a happy life with his family but was the first to depart.