𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍. ʜᴀɴᴀꜱʜɪʀᴏ

2 9 : -そして去ったあなたに

—And To You, Who Left

—

Warm.

That was the first thing that came in Nene's mind as she felt her own body laying on something soft and really comfortable. She loved the feeling of staying there. No one would mind, wouldn't they? It's so warm, and fluffy — she could feel the sunlight hitting her closed eyes.

It made her tug her lips upwards.

What a pretty morning.

When she opened her fuchsia eyes, she felt it hit her eyes, and so she immediately held her arm up to cover it. But it was short-lived as her arm immediately fell back down again on the soft mattress. Her body felt weak, but she was in her room again. Even if Nene wanted to go towards the window to meet some fresh wind, her legs wouldn't move that much as they felt sore and weak.

"How strange," she said softly as she moved the covers away a bit to glance at her legs.

But then, she jumped in sudden shock as she heard something crashing down the floor with a loud noise. It sounded like a glass breaking. When she turned towards the source of the sudden noise, she caught a certain beige-haired woman at her doorway, her mouth agape and her eyes wide — Nene figured out that the glass must be from her as she could see the sharp shards near her feet.

"G-Good morning, Auntie," Nene greeted with an awkward smile. "Are you quite alright?"

Yako hurried to her side, walking past the shards, totally not caring about them although Nene knew she loved cleaning. The woman stared at her in such an inexplicable expression, Nene couldn't help but blink at her and tilt her head. She looked as if she was about to cry, too. "I'm sorry. . ."

"Why are you crying?"

"Because I got mad and told you to leave," Yako sniffed and reached for her hand, holding it gently to her cheek. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," Nene said. Right, that happened the night before. "I'm okay, Auntie. I'm sorry, too."

"No, it will never be," the older woman shook her head in deep guilt. "Because of me, you got into an accident. You didn't wake up after so long," Yako kissed Nene's knuckles lightly. "It's been half a year, dear."

"Half. . . a year?" Nene's eyes widened. "Did that not happen just the night before?"

"No, silly," Yako chuckled and ruffled her hair. "You must still be exhausted. Stay here and I will get you a meal first."

As the older woman left the room, Nene stayed quiet and she looked around the room — it was pretty much the same. And oh, her Auntie's book that she loved so much was at her nightstand. Nene took it and held it in her hands, looking down at it. She gently graced her fingers across the letters that represent its title.

Even though she just woke up from something like a comatose state, she doesn't feel anything like being happy or what at all. Nene just felt like something was missing.

The cream-haired's gaze soon wandered towards the window. The light curtains that hung there flew as wind passed by and entered her room, soon coming to her. It was such a soft and gentle breeze that she couldn't help but feel something like a déjà vu from it.

"If I had been asleep for almost a year," she trailed off. "Then it must've been really hard for him. . ."

Her magenta eyes widened as something inexplicable suddenly hit her like a realization.

"Wait. . ." Her heart beat quickens as she racked her brain, her hands clutched to her chest. "Who was it again?"

She was too busy fighting with herself that she didn't notice Yako entering her room once again. She placed the tray of meal at the side and hurried towards her side again, worried, "Are you alright?! Does anything hurt? I'll go fetch a doctor. Don't cry, everything will be okay."

"I'm not. . ." Nene placed her hands on her cheeks and just felt the warm and flowing tears on them. How did she not realize she was already crying? And why? "Auntie, I'm okay. I just, I don't even also know why I'm tearing up. It's just that. . ."

"It's what?"

"I feel like I had a really strange dream and. . ."

"And. . .?" Yako tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Maybe it's just a nightmare."

"No, it's not a nightmare," Nene narrowed her eyes, trying so hard to think about all of it. But in the end, nothing really came to her mind which made her feel worse. "There's someone kind in that dream. And I feel like I really, really need to meet him," she closed her eyes in distress and burried her face in her hands. "I feel like I left someone in my dream, Auntie."

Yako couldn't say anything at that moment but just look at her with utter pity and worry. She didn't know what she was talking about, but the way her eyes looked like earlier felt like the someone in her dream was someone she loved very much.

"It's okay, it's okay," she whispered and rubbed her back. "I have a surprise that would make you happy again."

"What would that be?" Nene finally looked up at her.

"Misaki and I talked and we agreed to let you be a writer from now on," she smiled, hoping to also make the girl smile, which took several seconds. "Nene, I don't care what everyone thinks. If that is your dream, I'll let you have it. Tsuchigomori is also open for being your publisher."

Nene gasped, on the verge of tears again, "What?! Really?" She fanned her face with her hands and squealed, her cheeks burning. "No way! He's always been snarky; how'd you make him do that?"

Yako chuckled softly, "Tsuchigomori knows how much you've worked hard. He has always been willing, just hesitant because I warned him." She pats her head and stands up. "I'll leave you for a bit so you could have your thoughts gathered. Eat up the meal I brought, okay? I'll be back later." And then, she left.

Nene giggled to herself as she laid down again on the bed, a smile on her face now.

That was the best thing ever.

Oh, yeah.

"That person. . ." Nene covers her mouth for a second. She closed her eyes and thought really hard. She crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows. "Who was he?"

Nene couldn't remember his face nor how she actually met him. She just remembers that that person was in her dream — it almost seemed surreal. Whenever she closes her eyes, she could hear his faint voice, saying, "I'll wait."

"Wait?" Nene scratched her cheek and raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know who he was."

She soon gave up and burried her face into her hands again. That was, until she caught a glimpse of faint writing on her palm. Nene pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as she read the characters on her palm. Did someone write on her while she was asleep?   

「柚木普」

"Yugi. . . Amane," the way the unknown name rolled out from her tounge made her smile. Whose name was this? She gently gazed at it and giggled. "What a nice name."

Nene felt her heart ache as she read the name once again. It was the first time she has ever heard of someone with a name like this, yet why does she feel nostalgia?

"Was he the one I was looking for?"

—
AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm sorry this was such a dumb chapter ayfsinagsjshd

Also, the next chapter would be the last uwu

Thanks for still reading my crappy story ;-; I appreciate y'all so much :'DD