Chapter Eighteen

From the third week on, the visits became less and less. David's friends and colleagues, who were almost disappointed by his recovery and were busy with their own problems, gradually stopped visiting him. Riki was the only one who still came from Kyoto on weekends to visit the foreign boy.

From the middle of the fourth week, even Akira stopped visiting his friend, unlike before. He was still hot-tempered and nervous, but going to the hospital and seeing David broke his heart more. Therefore, he also visited him only once or twice a week, for a few minutes.

In one of these few meetings, he met his friend's professor again in the room. He did not feel like talking and greeted the man with a nod, then stood next to the bed. Thanks to Ricky, who trimmed the foreign boy's face on weekends, his face was no longer stubbled, but he was getting thinner day by day.

After a few minutes, the professor broke the silence and said, “Didn't the doctors say anything new about his condition?” Akira shook his head without speaking. The old man sighed and said, “I can only stop the university until the first of February; if he doesn't come to his senses by then, he will be expelled from the university.”

The Japanese boy's eyes widened and he said, “What?! Expulsion?! For what?” The old man smiled bitterly and said, “Calm down, son; you can't change the rules of the university. Because of what happened to him last time, he was being monitored by the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His scholarship has been suspended, which is why the university cannot give him a leave of absence for more than one semester. February 1st is the last deadline for him to come to the university.”

- But, but it is not known until then that he will come to his senses! My God, these are ridiculous rules!

- These rules are the same for everyone, Shinka-san. But for him, who is a foreign student, the trouble is greater.

Akira frowned and asked, “What trouble?” The professor paused a bit and said, “David came to this country with a student visa. When he is no longer a student, his visa will be revoked within three to six months, and he must return to his country,” the Japanese boy said in disbelief, “But he can't move!”

- I know, my son. It is not like he will be deported from the country in this situation, but as soon as he regains consciousness and is able to board the plane, he will be deported.

Akira fisted his hands angrily, then glanced at the sleeping boy on the bed and left the room without saying goodbye to the professor. As he walked angrily through the streets, he cursed himself. He said under his breath, “He loved this country and studying! Now that's being taken away from him! It's just because of me!”

He stopped by the electric light pole, leaned on it, and then sat down on the ground unwillingly and without paying attention to the pedestrians. He lowered his head and said under his breath, “I'm sorry, David; if I didn't exist, your life would be so much better,” and slowly began to cry.

***

It was already the sixth week that the foreign boy had been lying unconscious on the hospital bed. After that day, when he met Professor Okada in David's room, Akira stopped visiting David. He felt that his presence and his curse would cause the foreign boy to never regain consciousness.

Until one Tuesday afternoon in early December, his phone rang. The number was unfamiliar; he answered impatiently and said, “Yes?” A woman from behind the line said, “Hello? Excuse me, are you Shinka Akira?” The boy sighed and said, "Yes, I am; who are you?” The woman said happily, “Oh, I'm calling from Seibo Hospital. I have good news for you, Shinka-san; your patient has regained consciousness. Congratulations.”

Akira was as dry as an electric shock. The woman who thought that the call had been disconnected said hesitantly, “Hello? Can you hear me?” The Japanese boy asked with a little pause and a low voice, “D-David has come to his senses?” Realizing that the call had not been disconnected, the woman replied, “Oh, yes, Powell-san has regained consciousness and is now being examined by a doctor.”

Akira did not understand how he hung up the phone and drove himself to the hospital. He even ignored the voice of the nurse calling him to say something important and ran to room 304. With a trembling hand, he opened the door of the room and looked at the bed.

David was sitting on the bed and staring at the sky through the window, ignoring the sound of the door opening. The Japanese boy walked into the room with shaky steps and said, “D-David?” But the foreign boy was still looking out the window without paying attention to him. Akira stood by the bed, gently placed his hand on his shoulder, but felt his bone because of his thinness, and pulled his hand back involuntarily.

With this brief touch, David slowly turned his head and glared at the Japanese boy. His face was thin, and there was hollowness under his eyes, as if he had aged six years in these six weeks. His eyes were cloudy and unfocused, as if he didn't see Akira at all. As soon as the Japanese boy opened his mouth to say something, David turned his head again and stared at the sky through the window.

Akira, deeply saddened to see him in this state, said as tears welled up in his eyes, “I know, you hate me. I brought this upon you, and I didn't even have the courage to visit you in the last few weeks. You have the right.” Then he added with a smile, “But I'm glad you finally came to your senses.”

He cleared his throat and tried to continue talking, but someone said from the doorway, “Ah, Shinka-san, I need to talk to you.” Akira turned his head and saw David's doctor standing in the doorway, and with the movement of his hand, he asked him to join him outside the room. He took another look at the foreign boy and said, “I'll be back soon,” and then left the room.

Behind the door, the doctor smiled and said, “Congratulations on your friend's recovery, Shinka-san; even for me as his doctor, it's like a miracle.” Then he paused and added, “But there are some things you should know.” Akira, who didn't have the patience for long talks and wanted to go back into the room as soon as possible, reluctantly said, “Please summarize it.”

The doctor sighed, adjusted his glasses, and said, “Your friend has been unconscious for a long time; apart from the physical injuries, his brain was also damaged due to the impact and this anesthesia. For this reason, he is currently unable to speak, understand the surrounding environment, or walk. Also, due to the mild brain stroke he had at the beginning of his transfer to the hospital, he is unable to move his left hand, and he can move his right hand with difficulty and tremors.”

The Japanese boy, who was shocked by the doctor's words, said in a sad voice, “You mean he doesn't even notice my presence?” The doctor sighed and said, “He notices your presence, but he doesn't remember you, and he doesn't have the ability to communicate effectively with you.” Akira, who felt like he might burst into tears at any moment, asked with a grudge, “Will he get better?”

The man paused and answered with a sad smile, “Unfortunately, we can't say for sure; he might get better or he might stay like this for the rest of his life.” Then he put his hand on the boy's shoulder and added, “For now, be happy that he has regained consciousness. I suggest you hire a nurse to take care of him.”

Then, as he walked away from him, he said, “If his condition remains stable, I will allow him to be discharged in two days. If you have any questions, I will be in my room,” and left the stunned boy alone.

Akira didn't know if he should be happy or yell out of sadness. Finally, David had regained consciousness, but according to what the doctor said, his recovery was not particularly different from his unconsciousness. With a sad and gloomy expression, he entered the room again and looked at the foreign boy who was staring out of the window and said, “I'm sorry... it's all my fault...” and silently started to cry.

***

Until the day he was discharged, many people came to meet the foreign boy. But they all left the room with sad faces. Even Yonas left the room in tears after seeing his condition.

Despite Professor Okada's offer to assist in finding a nurse, Akira declined. He clothed David after completing the discharge paperwork with the assistance of one of the nurses. Although it was one of his old clothes, it was too big for him due to his thinness.

Fortunately, they had removed the leg cast, but what was the point when he couldn't walk? They brought him to the door of the hospital with the help of a wheelchair. At the boss's order, Tajima was waiting with the car in front of the hospital door to pick them up. Akira put the foreign boy in the back seat and sat next to him. Looking in the mirror, Tajima asked, “Where should I go, Shinka? Do you want to take him somewhere special?”

Akira said as he looked at the foreign boy, “No, please take us to my home, Tajima-san.” The man paused, then started the car and drove off. After reaching the destination, he helped lift David up and reach him at the Japanese boy's house. When the work was finished, he smiled and said, “I have to go; don't you have anything to do with me?” Akira gave a half bow and said, “Thank you for your help.”

- Don't mention it; I hope Higuma gets better as soon as possible. I care about our men; if you need anything, call me. see you later.

Then he waved and left the house. Akira, who was alone with David, smiled and said, “Well, Big Boy, oh, of course you're not that big anymore; aren't you hungry? I'm sure you are hungry after that long winter sleep, like bears.” The foreign boy looked at him with expressionless eyes for a few seconds, then indifferently turned his head towards the glass door of the balcony and the sky.

As he tried to keep his spirits up, Akira forced a smile and said, “I guess that means you're hungry; I'm going to make something now.” He took off his jacket and went to the kitchen. Actually, his cooking was not good at all. He sighed and took out a packet of ready-made soup from the fridge and put it in the microwave to heat it up.

In the meantime, he returned to the main room, took off the foreign boy's jacket, and went to the box of his belongings that Yonas brought to the hospital yesterday. There wasn't much in the box—a few clothes, a laptop, books, and his mobile phone. Akira sighed and said, “I'd better charge his phone,” but as he reached for the phone, he bumped into something. With a pause, he took it out and realized it was the identical mobile phone pendant he had given to David in Nagoya.

He smiled bitterly and said under his breath, “Why did you still keep it, idiot?” He got up, went back to the main room, put the phone and pendant on the table, and looked for the charger. As he cursed under his breath, a voice suddenly caught his attention. Surprised, he raised his head and saw David stretching out his trembling right hand and saying in a dumb voice, “A...A...A...”

He quickly went to his side, took his hand, and said, “What's wrong? Are you okay? Do you want something?” But the foreign boy, ignoring him, was still making the same noise and was looking somewhere. Akira followed his gaze and realized that he was looking at the table. He asked quietly, “Do you want your phone?” Then he picked up the phone, pointed it at him, and said, “It's off, no charge.”

But David still ignored him, and as he said, “A...A...A...” he stretched his hand towards the table. Akira looked at the table again and noticed the brown bear pendant on it. Surprised, he picked it up, held it in front of the foreign boy, and asked, “Do you want this?”

David's trembling hand reached up, took the pendant, then, as he held the pendant in his fist, put his hand on his leg, gave a weak, childish smile, turned his head again, and gazed at the sky through the glass of the balcony door.

Akira, who was completely shocked, returned to the kitchen with his eyes burning with tears, sat down on the floor, and as his tears flowed, he said, "Idiot Big Boy; why is the worthless thing I gave you so important to you? You can't see me; you don't talk to me, but you try so hard for a ridiculous pendant."

***

Akira had gradually gotten used to his presence. The boy was always quiet and just liked to look at the sky, but his presence and the fact that he was alive gave the Japanese boy energy.

He had already learned which of his movements were for hunger, which for thirst, etc. He did the part of his work that he could do at home and left the rest to Tajima because he did not like to leave David alone at home.

The foreign boy, even in this situation, was a good listener, so whenever Akira was working, he would tell him a story about the events of his life. It was the sixth day of his life with David, and as it was raining outside the house, he sat next to him on the floor with a cup of coffee and said, “I haven't told you before the story of the conflict with the Ozawa group, right?”

He took a sip of his coffee and said, “You know, it was about 4-5 years ago. At that time, Mikitani-san, the same man who has a scar on his face and you saw him at the boss's house, was in charge of the group in Shinjuku, and I was also under him.”

He looked at the foreign boy; the boy also looked at him, gave a childish smile, and looked at the rain again. Akira, who knew that this movement meant that he was listening to his words, smiled and continued, “At that time, the Ozawa group had a very tall and strong person, a big guy who looked like sumo wrestlers.” He took another sip of coffee and added, “If I remember correctly, he was called Okura the Strong Claw. His hand was very strong, and he could break the bones of his opponents with them.”

- At that time, the Ozawa group had East Shinjuku under its control, but little by little, it started harassing the shopkeepers in our area and forcing them to pay ransom. The boss and Mikitani-san were not happy with this situation, but they tried to solve the issue by talking so that no one got hurt.

He took another sip of his coffee and continued, “But I didn't like to just let it go so easily. One night, I gathered some guys and went to the bar where Okura usually had dinner. That bar was under the control of the Ozawa group, and that night about 20 members of their group were there, while we were only seven.”

He turned his head and realized that David was looking at him completely and was completely focused on him. Seeing that his story was attractive to the foreign boy, he smiled and continued, “In short, we went into the bar, and I went straight to Okura's table. But he was really a giant; he was almost two meters tall, and his body was three times my size.”

Akira got up, took a figure, and said, “Just like that, I went and stood in front of him and said, ‘Are you the strong claw?’ as he ate like a pig, replied, ‘Maybe, what does that have to do with you, little chicken?’ but I kicked under the dining table and spilled everything on the floor.”

- I was ready to fight with them, but he stopped the rest of his men, stood up, and said, ‘I see that you don't know how to respect, little one, as if I should teach politeness to you.’ Without being afraid, I looked straight into his eyes and said, ‘We will see.’

- He advised me to go to the alley behind the bar because he didn't want the bar to get into trouble. 5–6 of his men were on one side of the alley, while my companions were on the other. We were supposed to fight face-to-face, with no one interfering, and no knives or other equipment were allowed.

- I relaxed my head and neck a little so that my body could relax too. As soon as I got into combat guard, he attacked me with a speed that was unbelievably fast for his big body. It is true that I was taken by surprise and the first punch hit me, but I reacted in time and was not seriously injured.

Akira performed a bit of fighting and punching for the foreign boy and continued, “"He was very strong; I felt like I was going to lose. My head and face were bruised, and two of the fingers on my left hand were broken, but I still didn't give up. Exactly when he thought I was out of breath and his guard opened, I hit him under the chin with one of my quick kicks.”

He wanted to recreate the scene of that kick for David, but he hit his foot on the table in the room and fell to the floor in pain. As he was scrunched up in pain and rubbing his leg, he heard the voice of the foreign boy saying “A...A...”. He raised his head and saw David extending his healthy hand towards him and saying “A...A...A...” with an expressionless face.

Akira sighed, ignoring the pain in his leg, and said, “I'm fine. I'm fine. Take it easy. Nothing happened.” David fell silent, pausing for a few moments before pulling his hand back and placing it on his leg. Akira tried to hold back his sadness, then said with a forced smile, “Where were we in the story? Ah, yes, I kicked him in the jaw.”

Then he cleared his throat and continued, “Okura stood dazed for a few moments, and I thought my blow had no effect. I really couldn't fight anymore, and I was ready to lose, but suddenly that fat pig fell to the ground with a loud voice.”

- Of course, my condition was not much better, and a few moments later, I also fell unconscious on the ground. Later, I heard from the group's guys that when both of us fell down, they also wanted to fight with the men of Ozawa's group, but Okura came to his senses and stopped them.

He stared at the rain from the window and said, “Now that I think about it, I was really stupid. I shouldn't have gone there like a fool. If it wasn't for Okura's honor, he could have easily crushed my bones when I was unconscious; no one was against him. But he just told my men to take me with them and accept his defeat.”

He looked at David and said, “You know, there are very few people like him who are real yakuza. It's a real shame that he died in a car accident last year. After that fight, he sometimes invited me for a drink and respected me. He was a good man.”

David stared at his face for a moment, then turned his head to watch the rain. Akira gave a sad smile and said under his breath, “I don't even know if you understand what I'm saying or not. I wish there was a way for you to be like before. I didn't care if I couldn't see you anymore or if you hated me; I just wish you could be like before.”

The sound of the doorbell made him frown, and he said, “Who could be? Tajima-san usually calls before coming.” He got up and went to the door. He opened the door and said in surprise, “What are you doing here?” Riki smiled as he collected his umbrella and replied, “Of course, I didn't come here to see you.”

Then, ignoring Akira's surprise, he pushed him aside and entered the house. He took off his shoes, put his umbrella on the side of the corridor, and went straight to the main room. Seeing David, he gave a big smile, knelt down in front of his chair, and said, “Hi David-chan, I see you're finally awake.” David looked at Riki with blank eyes, then turned his head and looked at Akira standing in the doorway with a frown.

The Japanese boy came forward and said, “Don't bother him; can't you see he's confused?” Riki raised his eyebrows, took the foreign boy's crippled hand, and said, “No, he's not confused at all; he's very happy to see me. right, David-chan?” Disgusted by his behavior, Akira stepped forward to angrily separate him from David.

But suddenly, the foreign boy's healthy hand slowly came up, placed it on Riki's head and hair, and gave a childish smile with the same expressionless eyes. Akira, who was shocked, stopped and looked at this scene in surprise. The Kyoto boy smiled brightly and said proudly, “Did you finally recognize me? We've been together on weekends for almost two months, haven't we, David-chan?”

Then he slowly removed his hand from his head and stood up, facing Akira. The Japanese boy, who was clearly saddened and annoyed by the scene, frowned and said, “Now that you've seen him, you can leave.” Riki raised his eyebrows and said, “Leave? Where to? I just came; I want to stay with David from now on.”

- What do you mean to stay with him?!

- As you heard, for now I have entrusted the work of Kyoto to one of my subordinates. I coordinated with the boss; I'm going to stay in Tokyo for a while. You can go back to work during this time. As I noticed, they need you.

Akira said unhappily, “My business concerns me; you worry about yourself.” Riki sighed and said, “Don't be so selfish; you haven't been doing your job since David was in the hospital, now that you're not going to the headquarters at all. I know you're worried, but I'm sure he also doesn't want you to waste your life and take care of him.”

Akira paused and sadly added, “But I can't leave him alone.” Riki put his hand on his shoulder and said, “He's not going to be alone; that's why I'm here. I'm staying in Tokyo almost until Christmas. In the meantime, you take care of the group's problems in Shinjuku; I'll take care of him too.” Then he turned to the sick boy and asked, “Isn't it, David-chan?” But he was looking at the rain again.

Akira sighed, sat down on the sofa, and said, “Okay, I guess I have to accept.” Riki walked towards the door with a triumphant smile and said, “Great, then I'll go get my suitcase.” Akira got up again in surprise and said, “Suitcase? Are you going to stay at my house?”

- Yes, do you expect me to sleep in the hotel and come here morning after morning?

Akira closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and threw himself back on the sofa. He slowly looked at David and quietly said, “You're going to have a new problem, my friend.”