Open Wounds

Neo woke up and felt a little relieved not to be in a hospital bed, and especially to see Len sleeping in the bed below. It was a scene that soothed him, knowing that he was 'home'. He had woken up very early and couldn't sleep. The memories of losing his mother were still vivid, as if they had just happened. He didn't remember all the details about her, but his body and 'heart' felt sad.

At the entrance of the school, someone was standing in front of the garden. The math teacher looked different, seemed worried, looked around as if he had lost something. Neo was curious as to why he was acting like that, but he ignored it and continued walking towards his class. It wasn't his problem.

"Hey, Neo," Antonio called.

"Yeah, you need something? You seem worried," Neo asked indifferently.

"My cat has been missing for a couple of days. I was in the teachers' lounge and lost sight of him. He usually comes back, but now he's gone," the teacher said, sounding sad.

"Is this the first time this has happened?"

"I think so. Where could he have gone?"

"He'll turn up sooner or later, but as a precaution, you should put up posters around town and keep looking."

"Alright, you're right. Thank you."

Neo noticed that the teacher seemed calmer with this advice and was about to continue on his way, but he decided to say one more thing to make sure everything would be okay, even though he didn't know why he wanted to do it.

"I promise I'll let you know if I see anything."

Before the teacher could say anything, Neo entered the school.

The school was completely empty. Usually, there were people arriving or at least some movement, but he couldn't see anyone wherever he looked. Finally, someone appeared in the distance. It was Karine, walking through the corridors, making sure everything was in place. When she saw Neo, she was surprised and couldn't resist approaching him.

"You look better!" she said as she hugged him.

The hug was so familiar, reminiscent of the first time he showed up at school.

"I was really worried about you. How are you?" Karine stepped back to face him and look into his eyes. Before her, she saw someone she knew was suffering, suffering for various reasons, some of which she might understand, others not so much. But no matter how much she wanted to help him, only he could overcome these obstacles, so all she could do was encourage him.

"I'll be fine," Neo said somewhat distantly.

"That's a start." She smiled as she ruffled his hair. "You know you can talk to me or Erick. Try to surround yourself with things that make you feel good, that usually helps."

And another hug. She left, leaving Neo in the empty hallway.

Neo went into the classroom, put his head on the desk and began to think about everything that had happened recently, the little memories he remembered and how they hurt him. His spirit was completely crushed.

"Well, what a surprise," Len said, interrupting his thoughts. "Did you fall out of bed to wake up so early?"

"You're the one who sleeps too much," he retorted.

"It wasn't me who slept so long these days," Len said, teasing him.

"You're right." Neo turned to the window with a sad expression on his face.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Len asked, his tone changing completely.

"I don't know, I feel so weak."

Len, who had been standing, decided to sit down to listen to his friend better.

"Is it because of what happened to you?"

"Definitely. I didn't expect my mother to be gone from this world."

Len looked at the sad boy and thought for a few seconds how he could help.

"A lot of times when we're in trouble, when we're facing difficulties, we end up needing help. Being alone is the worst thing you can do. Don't forget the people who care about you."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Neo said, forcing a smile.

"Hold on. A smile is a good start," Len said, happy to see him cheering up a bit.

Neo chuckled softly at the joke.

"Don't worry, this moment will pass," Len said and gave him a small pat on the shoulder.

That was really nice of Len and it gave him a little boost he needed. Saya came and brought more food. Even though Neo didn't like to eat just anything anymore, he wouldn't refuse anything Saya made.

The week had been hard for the boy. Uncle had given him a week off to collect his thoughts. He had stopped going to Takeshi's training sessions, and the baseball team had begun to worry.

One day, on his way home, he saw a cat with a strangely familiar collar. At first, he ignored it; it had nothing to do with him. But then he realized it wasn't just any cat, it was Lanny, the math teacher's cat.

Without a second thought, Neo lunged at the cat, startling it with his sudden movement. The cat ran away, and when Neo saw it start to run, he increased his speed, but the cat was fast and he couldn't catch up.

The feeling of running was wonderful, the wind not only on his face but all over his body gave him a sense of freedom, as if he were flying. He realized how much he loved speed, and the faster he ran, the better it felt.

They ran for a long time, this cat was no ordinary cat. They ran through several streets, up and down, until it got late and Neo lost sight of Lanny. But where he was, it looked familiar. It had been a while since he'd been there, but he remembered that this place existed.

After a little effort to squeeze through gaps in the wall, he found what seemed to be an old little park with a few cats and a small bench. Lanny was among them. Neo picked up the tired cat and it didn't seem to mind. It was clear that Lanny was tired and had come here for water.

Neo sat on the bench and looked at the cats. Such a nostalgic view. What a journey he had been on to get here. The problems of sleeping outside and being hungry seemed small compared to what he had to deal with now.

Someone appeared under the wall, startling Neo.

"So this is where you were."

It was Maeda.

"Hey, Maeda," he said, forcing a smile.

He was angry. "You lied to us in the hospital."

Neo looked distant, thinking about his time in the hospital. Soon his face showed the sadness he felt.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

"Don't be silly. You know you can count on us. You should count on us!"

Neo was shaken by these words. "Sorry."

Maeda realized that he was being a little too forward, so he sat down next to Neo and watched the cats with him.

"It's okay."

The two remained silent until Maeda found the courage to say what he wanted.

"The truth is, I lost my mother as well." He sighed; the words were hard and it seemed as if they hurt his throat as he spoke. "In fact, I lost both of my parents." He looked at Neo and his anger returned.

"So I know exactly what you're feeling right now, softie."

"That makes sense," Neo said, looking distant. "Must have been tough."

"Yes, it was tough. I was all alone back then, no one wanted to be my friend because I was too clumsy or too playful. And all because my parents were absent."

Neo sympathized with the boy and reached out to pat him on the shoulder.

"Hey, stop that! I'm fine! I'm the one who came to help, not you," he said annoyed.

Neo pulled his hand back, startled. "Okay, okay!" Then he chuckled softly.

"Anyway, that's why I was mad. Neo, I'm your friend too. All of us on the baseball team are your friends. I had no one to lean on, and I had to face all the pain alone. You don't need that, I'm here to save you, only to save myself from the past."

Neo was a little confused and chuckled slightly.

"I'm serious, man!"

"Sorry, it's just that you always talk in a funny way. When you make me laugh, it relieves my sadness, honestly."

Maeda smiled, seeing that what he was doing had an effect.

"So laugh, laugh more! And come to practice. If you don't feel like it, you don't have to participate. But just come and watch. You'll see that it's better than isolating yourself."

Neo smiled and understood his meaning.

"Thank you. I'll show up."

As afternoon turned to evening, Maeda went back through the hole in the wall.

"If you understand, then it's okay. But don't forget, or I'll hold you to it."

And he left. Neo returned to the school to return the cat to the teacher, who was still looking for it. Seeing the teacher he liked so much happy lifted Neo's spirits.