Just as he was about 200 meters away from the old woman, a dark shadow suddenly appeared from her left at an even faster speed.
"Ah! Help, someone's robbing me!" the old woman screamed loudly. The shadowy figure grabbed her overly large purse and dashed away.
Masashi was stunned by what had just happened. He hadn't expected to witness a robbery up close. Ironically, he'd been planning to do the same thing himself just moments before.
"Catch the thief! Someone, please! Kid, hurry, chase that thief!" The old woman called out to him desperately.
"I… I'm not…" Masashi stammered, feeling lost.
"Hurry up and chase him!" The old woman was nearly frantic.
His mind blank, Masashi found himself following the old woman's orders, running after the thief.
Whether it was misfortune for the thief or for Masashi, the man had chosen a road that happened to be blocked for construction.
With nowhere to run, the thief turned around, pulling a dagger from his coat. Under the dim streetlight, the blade gleamed with a chilling light.
"Kid, who told you to meddle?" The thief glared at Masashi, his eyes wild.
What am I doing? Masashi asked himself.
"It… it has nothing to do with me, I don't know anything…"
"Then die!" the thief shouted, lunging forward and driving the dagger into Masashi's stomach.
"Ugh…" Masashi stared in disbelief at the dagger now protruding from his abdomen.
"I… I don't want to die, please, I don't want to die…" Tears and snot streamed down his face as he broke down.
"In your next life, remember not to meddle in other people's business." The thief sneered and pulled the dagger out.
Immediately, blood spurted like a fountain, and Masashi's body fell in slow motion to the ground.
Watching the stars overhead fade into darkness, Masashi felt true fear. He'd never imagined he would die, even when Yamamoto and his gang had beaten him so badly. He knew they wouldn't really kill him. But at this moment, he knew he was truly dying. Finally, his vision went dark, and he faintly heard the old woman's cries before everything went silent...
***
"I'm sorry. The patient passed away on the way to the hospital. There was nothing we could do," the doctor informed the middle-aged officer handling the case.
"I see… What a shame. Such a young life, gone like this. Have you notified his family?"
"Yes, his sister is outside. His parents might arrive tonight."
"Where is the body?"
"In the morgue. Would you like to see it?"
"No, we'll send a forensic team to handle it. Let's hope his family can bear the news."
Just then, lightning flashed outside, and a sudden clap of thunder startled them both.
"It looks like it's going to rain."
"It seems so."
Hirota Kazumi listened to the officer recount the incident, sadness showing on her face. Although she had a strained relationship with Masashi, they'd lived together for so long. "I didn't expect him to die like this…"
"Have they caught the robber?" Kazumi's face quickly resumed its usual calm.
"Not yet, but we'll do our best to solve the case. Don't worry."
"Catch him? What's the point? He's already dead."
The officer had no answer.
※※※
In the cold morgue, not long after the flash of lightning, a silver-white glowing orb suddenly appeared, surrounded by a faint electric light.
As if guided, the orb floated toward one of the body drawers. Slowly, it sank inside and disappeared.
Around 2 a.m., Masashi's exhausted mother finally arrived.
Upon seeing her daughter, Rumiko immediately asked, "How is Masashi now? Is he still in danger?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am. Your son… has just passed away. I'm very sorry." Seeing that Kazumi struggled to speak, the officer stood up and explained.
"No… You're lying! Masashi can't be dead. I don't believe it." Rumiko's knees gave way, and she almost collapsed.
Kazumi quickly caught her. "Mom, it's true. Masashi is dead." She looked away, unable to bear her mother's expression.
"No… Masashi can't be dead… He can't be…" Rumiko's tears flowed uncontrollably as she wept on her daughter's shoulder.
After a while, Rumiko wiped her tears and, in a surprisingly steady voice, asked, "What exactly happened to Masashi? Please tell me."
Seeing how quickly she had composed herself, the officer looked at her with newfound respect.
After listening to the full story, Rumiko stood up.
"Mom, where are you going?" Kazumi asked, worried she might do something drastic.
"I want to see Masashi."
"Please wait a moment. I'll speak to the doctor right away."
"Thank you, Officer Maeda."
In the morgue, the doctor pulled open the drawer, unzipping the body bag to reveal Masashi's unusually pale face.
"Masashi…" At the sight of her son, Rumiko broke down, collapsing onto his body as she cried.
The morgue was enveloped in a somber atmosphere, and everyone remained silent.
After some time, Rumiko suddenly stood up, her face filled with disbelief. She leaned her head against his chest. Her expression shifted from shock to anxiety, then to utter joy.
Watching her rapidly changing expressions, the doctor and others began to sense something unusual.
"Mom, are you okay?" Kazumi asked softly.
"Ma'am, please try to stay calm," the doctor said, exchanging a glance with the officer as if he had seen this reaction before.
The officer understood and prepared to offer comfort.
Rumiko suddenly stood up, exclaiming, "He's not dead! He's still alive! Doctor, please, check him quickly! Masashi's heart is still beating!"
The doctor sighed, expecting the worst. "Ma'am, please accept our condolences. Your son has truly passed."
"No, doctor, listen carefully. He still has a heartbeat. Check again, I'm begging you," Rumiko grasped the doctor's hand firmly.
"What?" Everyone was shocked.
Only the doctor remained composed, approaching Masashi's body with his stethoscope.
After a few moments, the doctor's expression turned from calm to one of sheer terror. He listened closely again, then ran outside, shouting, "Someone get in here! This patient isn't dead!"
**
In a special ICU room, a pale young boy lay on a bed, while a middle-aged woman slept beside him.
Suddenly, the boy slowly opened his eyes, curiously looking around, then at his own hands, before touching his face. With a sigh, he muttered, "Again… How many times do I have to go through this?"
The middle-aged woman, disturbed by his voice, opened her eyes and saw her son's bright eyes staring back.
"Masashi, you're finally awake!" Overcome with emotion, she burst into tears.
"Are you… his mother?"
"What's wrong, Masashi? Are you feeling pain anywhere?" Rumiko couldn't understand her son's strange words.
The boy realized he had spoken in Chinese, while the woman in front of him was speaking Japanese. He remembered he was now in Japan.
Gathering his thoughts, he switched to slightly rusty Japanese, saying, "I'm fine, please don't worry."
"Are you sure? Do you feel any pain?"
Masashi shook his head with a gentle smile.
"Wait here, I'll go get the doctor." Rumiko sensed something different about her son but quickly left to find the doctor.
After a thorough examination, the doctor concluded that aside from needing some time to heal from his abdominal wound, there was no other serious problem. Although Masashi had some mild memory confusion, this was likely a temporary effect from lack of blood to the brain, and it would probably resolve soon.
Hearing the doctor's report, Rumiko felt relieved.
"You really scared me, almost to death," she said, tearing up as she remembered the scare.
Seeing her face filled with concern, Masashi felt a surge of emotion and silently made a decision.
He gently held her hand, saying, "Mom, don't worry. I'm fine."
Since Masashi had grown up, Rumiko hadn't seen this affectionate side of him. Though she worked hard to provide a better life for him and his sister, their family had drifted apart due to her job, and she barely saw him once a year. Whenever they met, Masashi grew colder, only asking for money. She felt powerless and disheartened.
Seeing her resurrected son act so gently moved her deeply, and she clung to his hand, crying once again.
At that moment, the door opened, and Kazumi entered carrying a bag of apples. Seeing her mother weeping, she looked at Masashi with a puzzled expression.
Through his memories, Masashi recognized her as his sister, Hirota Kazumi.
"Mom, please don't cry. Otherwise, Kazumi will laugh at you," he said gently, wiping his mother's tears.
Rumiko noticed her daughter had arrived. "Kazumi, you're here."
"Mom, are you alright?"
"Silly, of course, I'm fine. You should be asking your brother."
"Masashi, are you hungry? I'll go buy you some porridge. The doctor said you're not fully recovered and can only have liquid foods for now. Wait here, I'll be quick. Kazumi, stay with your brother."
"Mom, it's alright. Just ask a nurse to get it. You've had the hardest time these past few days. Take a rest."
"Silly child, I'm fine." Hearing Masashi's words, Rumiko felt warmth in her heart.
Seeing this touching mother-son scene in front of her, Kazumi was so surprised she couldn't close her mouth, even as Rumiko left the room.
"Are…are you really Masashi?"
"What do you think?" The boy smiled.
"I…I don't know."
"Of course I'm Masashi, Hirota Masashi. I know I was too much in the past, said things that hurt you and Mom. Surviving this near-death experience made me realize a lot. So, as you can see, I've changed a bit. Can you accept that?
And, I'd like to take this chance to sincerely apologize to you. Will you forgive me?"
After a day of talking with Rumiko, the boy's Japanese had returned to normal. Though his accent was a little different, you wouldn't notice unless you listened closely.
"You…actually don't need to apologize to me." Kazumi said softly.
"Come, sit down. Aren't you tired of standing?"
Kazumi obediently sat down, realizing she was completely following Masashi's lead, unlike her usual self.
"Kazumi, you know, we have a great mom. Honestly, when I woke up this time, I wasn't in the best mood. But now, this doesn't seem so bad after all."
Kazumi didn't know that those last words were said to himself.