5 months huh...?

Fff… fff… fff…
The unknown sound was steady and repetitive...

Slowly, Yuto opened his eyes...

At first, his vision was very blurry, and his eyelids were heavy as if they had been closed shut for a long time. The only thing he could hear clearly was the ceiling fan above him, spinning at a slow pace.

As his eyesight adjusted to the light around him, he realized he was lying on a hospital bed in an unfamiliar room.

But before he could fully process what was happening and where he was—
“He’s awake…! Chihiro nee-chan! He’s awake!”

A little girl—no older than six—in a cute cat outfit shouted excitedly before turning and running out of the room...

Her small baby-like footsteps quickly faded before he could even think or blink.

Yuto shifted slightly and immediately felt a dull ache spread throughout his body. His arms felt heavy to lift. When he tried to move his fingers, they responded slowly. Then he noticed bandages wrapped around his forearm.

“…how am I still alive?” he whispered to himself, more confused than relieved.

So he tried to move again, to sit up, but the dull pain vibrated throughout his side, forcing him to stop. Yuto clenched his teeth and rested back against the pillow, breathing slowly until the pain was manageable.

Moments later, the door opened again...

This time, a young woman with white hair in her early twenties—probably around the same age as Yuto—stepped inside the room. Her white hair was tied back neatly into a cute ponytail, and her expression was friendly, warm, and welcoming.

Her blue eyes immediately locked on Yuto, carefully checking the bandages on his body before settling on his chest, watching the rise and fall of his breathing.

“Easy,” she said in a gentle and feminine tone, moving closer to his bedside. “You shouldn’t sit up yet. You inhaled a lot of smoke and sustained a tremendous amount of injury—Your body’s still recovering.”

Yuto stared at her, trying to focus...
“…You,” he murmured. “The rooftop…”
She paused for half a second, then nodded twice... “Yes. I’m the one who found you.”

“Ehhh, Chihiro-chan, it’s not fair! We also went with you that day too”

Yuto’s attention was immediately drawn to the door as he heard a different voice entering the room. Another girl stepped inside—black-haired, tall, with a killer figure...

“You should at least give us some credit,” the black-haired girl added, rushing forward and wrapping her arms around the white-haired girl, giving her a tight hug.

Yuto’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected anyone else. Before he even realized it, his voice slipped out...
“Chihiro?”

His heart skipped a beat. Why did he say her name? He didn’t even know. The words just… came out.

The two girls paused, looking at him for a brief moment. The white-haired girl’s eyes softened, a small, reassuring smile appearing on her face.

The black-haired girl suddenly rushed forward, grabbing Yuto’s hands with a bright and cute smile on her face. She squeezed them lightly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Yes, yes… Chihiro is her name, and you can call me Hana-nee-chan, okay?” she said, briefly bouncing on her feet.

Yuto gave an awkward, half-assed smile and scratched the back of his neck. “Haha…”

“Stop it, Hana, you’re weirding him out,” Chihiro muttered, covering her forehead with her palm, briefly sighing twice, rolling her eyes at her sister’s antics...

“It’s Hana-nee,” Hana corrected her playfully, tilting her head and grinning mischievously, before leaning a little closer at Yuto.

Chihiro reached out and grabbed Hana gently by the arm, dragging her back a step and removing her hand from Yuto’s palm. “Sorry about my sister… she’s always like this, so bear with her,” she said, giving Yuto a small, reassuring smile.

Yuto nodded slightly, still confused about the whole situation. “It’s okay,” he murmured.

Chihiro’s softened expression changed into a more serious look as she asked, tilting her head slightly and folding her arms, “Do you remember anything?”

Yuto nodded slowly, lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck again. “Yes… I remember yesterday. You rescued me from the fire.”

The room went silent after that sentence, and Yuto noticed both girls exchanging a brief, tense look.

“Is something the matter? Did I say something wrong?” he asked them both, frowning his eyebrows slightly.
"No, it's just that..." 

Chihiro hesitated for a moment, biting down on her lip, before Hana leaned forward briefly, placing her hands on her hips and finishing the sentence in a flat, matter-of-fact tone...

“You’ve been in a coma.”
Yuto’s eyes widened, and his hands tightened involuntarily on the bed sheet.

“A… coma?” His voice came out weak and unsure.

“Yes,” Chihiro said, clearing her throat as she straightened her posture. “For five months.”

Yuto froze up. His shoulders stiffened, and his grip on the bedsheets slowly loosened as the words sank in.

“Five…months,” he murmured. His eyes started becoming watery, then slowly he lifted his hands, turning them over one by one, as if trying to confirm they truly belonged to him.

Then slowly Chihiro stepped closer, placing her fingers on the edge of the bed. “You were brought in with severe smoke inhalation and multiple injuries,” she explained calmly. 
“If we hadn’t found you when we did…”

She stopped herself, her fingers briefly tightening against the mattress...

“Ahhh, Chihiro, enough with the sad stuff! He’s alive—he should be happy, okay? Hana scratched the back of her head, still trying to sound cheerful despite the tension..."Now tell him about Akira-sama… and his powers!” 

“Akira-sama… powers?” Yuto repeated the words, raising an eyebrow, still half in disbelief.

“Hana, you talk too much,” Chihiro said, stepping forward and pinching Hana’s cheeks twice.

"I told you—call me Nee-chan!” Hana protested, playfully grabbing Chihiro's waist.

While the two sisters were playfully fighting, Yuto froze for a moment...
Rrrrumble…

his stomach rumbles loudly, stopping them mid gesture.

Hana froze up for a moment… then burst into loud laughter, slapping her thigh twice. “Omg, the timing is perfect!”

Chihiro pinched Hana’s arm, trying to keep her in check, but a small smile crept onto her face. “We’ll talk about everything after you’ve eaten and rested properly,” she said, stepping closer to Yuto.

Then she waved her hands, and a glowing golden magic circle appeared in front of her.

“Testing, testing. This is Divine Officer Chihiro speaking. I would like to request food to be delivered immediately to Patient 13, Yuto Sato.”

Yuto’s eyes widened. “H-How did you know my name…?”

Chihiro smiled a little. “ As I said before, we’ll discuss everything once you’ve eaten and rested,” she replied, then gently grabbed Hana’s arm and dragged her toward the door.

“Ouch! Chihiro! Don’t rough-handle your senior sister… ouch!” Hana protested, struggling as she was dragged out.

The door clicked shut behind them, leaving Yuto all alone in the room once more. 

He stared at the ceiling fan, blinking slowly, as his eyes followed the movement... 

"Five...months...huh?"

his stomach rumbling again...