The Assassin's Resolve

CHAPTER 24: Time to Fail

Koro’s eye lids were heavy and he can’t feel his head.

Am I dead?

He asked himself as he restrained to open his eyes. He doesn’t want to see the white lights yet, but then he felt ridiculous by his own drama.

Trying his best to gather his senses, he slowly moved his finger and he felt a clip clinging.

Ah, at least he already knew he’s still alive. He slowly opened his eyes, wishing that he’s somewhere else besides the lab.

Luckily, his wish was answered, though the light inside the white room was much similar to that of the lab.

Tomoko, the thought automatically entered to his mind when he inhaled roughly. He looked to his right then left to search for her because all he can smell right now was a cool oxygen coming from the ventilator connected by a cord that was attached to his nostrils.

The door suddenly opened.

Koro’s heart briefly stopped functioning then it beat faster that the only thing that he can hear was the throbbing. He felt his face heat-up which was a feeling that he almost forgot.

“You’re awake.” Aguri’s dull eyes widened but she didn’t realized it yet, evident to her long spacing out. She looked like a sleepless mess….

“You’re awake…wait… he’s awake everyone! Koro’s awake!” Her tired expression quickly turned into excitement as she bolted to hug Koro.

The door opened for the second time and some equally sleepless faces with bags under their eyes appeared on the doorway as they bolted to the hospital bed too and catch up with Koro.

Rio hugged his brother next after Aguri. Koro didn’t felt it well, but he’s quite sure that his sister was heavier than before.

“A-I missed you… I can’t…uh… is it just my imagination or you got heavy, Rio?” Koro joked but Rio never said a word.

He tried to return the gesture and wrapped his arms around his sister. Her back was hard. Does it mean she’s keeping herself from something? That’s the time when he realized that it has nothing to do with gaining weight.

“Is something wrong?” Koro turned serious when the bad feeling started bugging him.

Rio stayed silent as she pulled out and forced a wide smile for his brother.

Why is everybody suddenly turned gloomy?

Upon scanning the room, Koro found out that someone’s missing. He also noted that someone was new to the group, assuming that the girl with green hair in cat-pigtails is Aguri’s younger sister because of their close resemblance.

He removed the attached oxygen and started to breathe to check their bloods, proving that the new girl is really Aguri’s sister.

“Where’s Nagisa?”

The atmosphere turned worse and obviously no one wanted to answer. The silence was rather suffocating and everyone seemed to blame themselves for something that Koro was not aware with yet.

“Is Tomoko alright? Where are they?”

The silence became heavier and it’s literally becoming harder to breathe.

“Excuse m-me…” Aguri took a brown paper bag and bolted outside to tend to her growing heart complication that hadn’t bothered her for a long time… until these days.

Her sister, what’s her name again?, Akari, followed her outside.

“Tomoko Karasuma is in a separate room. She’s still unconscious but her vitals are normal.” Irina from the east side of the room averted her gaze, leaning on the window frame as she checked on her nail polish.