I’m sure she will wake…up…

Nightmare 07 – I’m sure she will wake…up…

I left the station and walked the rest of the way to my destination.

I headed to the very spot where the accident had occurred. A trailer truck had hit us while we were crossing the street. According to the news, the fault lay with Yume and me for crossing the road at a red light.

What mattered now was reaching the location. I was hoping that there was something there that might help trigger some of my lost memories.

Standing silently on the sidewalk, I stared at the crossing where the accident had happened. Various people walked by, and some stood at different spots. Cars, trucks, and other vehicles moved along the road as usual.

I couldn't remember anything. I had thought hard and tried to analyze and focus on various objects and spots at this location, but I still couldn't recall anything.

Even crossing the pedestrian lane proved to be futile.

“Damn…it was no use.” I slammed my hand on the wall.

In the end, I was still unable to remember anything.

[ [ [] ] ]

Memories of my past shall return soon. That’s what I am hoping.

[ [ [] ] ]

Even though my attempt to regain my memories at the scene of the incident didn't work, it was not as if I had no other hints. There were still places I could visit, such as the park and the cinema—both settings of my dreams. While I couldn't be certain about the last location, it was likely her room, though I still needed to carefully consider whether to visit it.

Another option was to find people who might help. If I could find someone who knew both Yume and me, I might gain clues or hints. Giving up was not an option.

I returned to the general hospital, wanting to see her face once more before heading home.

I walked normally this time. I didn't rush into her room. Although she had said in the dream that we were once lovers, I couldn't act like one so suddenly. Still, even if that was the case, there was a similarity between the present me and the past me: we were both in love with her.

I smiled at the thought as it seemed like it was destiny while I opened the door.

“…Who might you be?” A man in his early forties, sitting on the chair beside Yume’s bed, asked as he looked at me bewilderedly.

"……" I couldn't respond immediately as I was a bit shocked to meet other people here. Besides the man, there was also a woman who had just stopped combing Yume's hair.

"…Uh, hello?" The man asked again to get my attention.

“My name is Kako Reiji.”

“What is your relationship with our daughter?” The woman asked this time.

Relationship… Should I tell her that we were once lovers? No. Will they even believe that—

“Is she you former—“

“Yes! Akasaki Yume is my former girlfriend!”

“Classmate…?”

…Crap, now I’ve done it.

The woman looked at the man's eyes before the two of them laughed. She resumed combing Yume's hair as she talked gently. "It seems that our Yume had another secret she never told us."

“Really, who would have thought she had so many secrets she hadn't shared with us?"

Both of them talked solemnly and reminiscently about Yume, who, from what I could surmise, was their daughter. The man stood up from his seat and offered his hand to me. I shook hands with him as he introduced himself.

“I am Yume’s father, Akasaki Saito, and this is my wife, Harumi." He pulled out another chair and offered it to me before sitting down himself. He gazed at his daughter as he began talking about her.

[ [ [] ] ]

Reiji is right beside me, yet I still can't awaken. I am alone… I'm scared.

[ [ [] ] ]

""Yume, since she was a child, had always been obedient. She excelled at many things, from sports to academics. We were a happy family. But when she reached middle school, she completely stopped asking for anything. She showed no weakness, always acting strong and independent. I believe she tried to handle all her problems alone.” Mr. Akasaki suddenly looked grim. “Even on the day of the accident, we didn't know she had left home. We must have been quite unreliable parents for her."

“…I see.”

He then smiled wryly at me. “Now, it’s your turn, Kako-kun.”

"Uh… She's my ex-girlfriend…" I offered a vague response to his unexpected statement, trying to deflect his request.

“Yes, I wanted to hear your story about that as well, Kako-san,” Mrs. Akasaki said with a smile. "We really had no idea she had an ex-boyfriend."

Now this was trouble. Although I had said she was my former girlfriend, I barely knew anything about her. The couple was already looking at me in anticipation. I supposed it couldn't be helped.

"If you're fine with the little I know." I took a deep breath and recalled the three nights I spent with her. "Akasaki Yume is a beautiful girl. She can captivate others with just a glance."

Yes, I should just speak my honest thoughts and feelings.

"Her smile is lovely, and her voice is like a clear morning bell." I smiled, looking down. "She is assertive and determined, always trying to solve things on her own. Her actions can be absurd, but I'd say those are part of her charm.”

She would always try to kill me, but honestly, I found her actions full of conviction.

"She is straightforward and decisive… However, beneath that strong exterior, she is often in conflict with herself. In truth, I have even seen her cry…"

I trailed off as I remembered the scene from last night. My chest suddenly got tighter as I pictured her saddened face again.

“......Kako-san.” The couple wore surprised expressions. The mother spoke, "You must be a good person to Yume, seeing how deeply you understand her."

"We couldn't support her or cope with her struggles. Thank you for understanding her.”

The couple stood and bowed their heads to me.

"No, no. There's no need for that," I said with a smile. Yume Akasaki had good parents, and they were doing their best for their daughter. I could sympathize with them.

"I really hope she wakes up soon," the mother said softly as she caressed her daughter's head. She then broke down, sobbing quietly as she hid her face with her hands. "Yume, I'm sorry…"

"……" The man wore a serious expression. He met my eyes and began to speak. "The doctor said her condition is stable now. In fact, she could wake up at any moment."

"...That's great news, isn't it?"

"…That's what the hospital said five months ago."

"That long…?" If I remember correctly, the chances of someone in a coma waking up decrease gradually over time. It had already been six months since the accident, and they must have been deeply worried.

“Harumi believes that maybe our daughter doesn't want to come back anymore. Not to her terrible parents," he added, his voice tinged with self-derision.

"…I'm sure she will wake…up…" My words trailed off as I recalled what she said last night.

—The real world is scary. I don't want you to betray me anymore.

Did that mean she wasn't waking up by her own will? Yume had said the real world was scary, and that I betrayed her. I didn't understand what she meant. If the answer was buried in my lost memories, then I could never figure it out in my current state.

Betrayed her? In what way? What the hell was I doing back then?

“Kako-san?”

The mother looked at me skeptically. I hadn't noticed, but it seemed that I unconsciously stood from my seat. "I'm sorry." I bowed my head before sitting down again.

I knew I had just apologized, but I couldn't shake my restlessness. I felt that if I took too long to recover my memories, Yume might slip further away from my grasp.

I need to act fast—

"Well, I suppose we shouldn't worry too much," Mrs. Akasaki said, trying to lift the mood. "I'm sure Yume is just playing with us. I mean, she's a playful kid and she even hid the fact that she had an ex-boyfriend."

Suddenly, I heard the door creak open behind me.

The mother smiled and remarked, "My, it seems like her friends are here to visit her again.”

I turned to face the door and saw—

“Good afternoon, Masayuki-san, Yuka-san.”

Standing in the doorway, with shocked expressions, were Hirata Masayuki and Shirazawa Yuka—my childhood friends.