Chapter 01: Alone in a Sorrow World
"So…" the psychologist, Enomoto Takane started to read her patient's bio. She paused for a moment.
"Your name is Kokonose Haruka, age – 25 and you have a depression." She said nonchalantly while studied her patient's bio. Takane was the nee psychologist who worked at the Mekaku Medical Centre (or many people always said – Mental Rehab) – a place where most people who wanted to cure their mental illness. She studied him; he looked as if he was awfully tired; as if he didn't get any sleeps at all. However, if ones glanced at him out of spur moments, they probably won't realized that he was depress – a man who always wore neat uniforms and a clean freak (everything was based on his bio), but in reality, he was depress. He had a huge eye bag under his eyes and the most obvious symptom was his eyes looked 'dead'. He didn't say a word, he was silencing himself.
"Kokonose-kun…" she called out his name, staring at him, hoping that she could have an eye contact with him. However, all he did was just looking down, didn't wanted to make an eye contact with her, the atmosphere was awfully, she even could heard the echoed of people talking and walking outside of her room. Her room also seem quite dimmer than usual – was it because of the weather outside?
"You're depressed. Is there anything that you would like to share with me that make you so depress?" she asked while playing with her pen. He still kept silent. Then, she stopped played with her pen and looked at him properly, who at that time was sitting in front of her. She sighed.
"Kokonose-kun, if you won't tell me, how can I diagnose you?" she asked gently, looking at him. He then sighed.
"You know, I've come here by courtesy of my guardian, Kisaragi. I'm not here because of wanting to cure myself." He said directly to her, still avoiding making an eye contact with her. He sat on a chair while crossing his arms and legs and looked at a painting of the scenery at the Sakura trees garden on his right, hanging on the wall. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Then, she stood up and went to a small cabinet besides the painting, pulling out a book. She then went back to her place and gave Kokonose that book.
"Here." Takane said, pushing the book to him. He stared at that book, frowned.
"Peter Pan? Of all and many books in this room, you ask me to read 'Peter Pan'? Heh, what kind of crap are you trying to do, Sensei?" he finally looked at her, questions her judgement.
"Staying in a ward alone must be boring huh? You should relax and read this fable. I'll diagnose you in another three days." She said, writing some notes on his form. He looked quite pissed.
"I don't mind if it's some kind of non-fiction books or classic literature kind of book but a fable? Not to mention, a kid's story book?"
"Kokonose Haruka-kun, have you ever read that book?" she asked, still writing her notes on that form.
"Well no but – "
"Then read. That's that." She said, finally finished her writing and looked at him, calmly. His looks looked quite intimidating yet trying to stay as compose as possible.
"Fine." He finally obeyed her instruction, sighed.
"Alright, see you in another three days." She said, then, Kokonose left the room slamming the door as he exited the room and closed the door. After a few moments, she sighed heavily.
"That's the dumbest way to treat the very own first patient." She murmured, face-palming.
At the cafeteria, Takane was slowly drinking the coffee that she bought at the vending machine, alone. Then, Seto-sensei appeared, sitting beside her while carrying a tray of lunch set that he bought.
"So how's your first patient?" he asked, starting to unwrapped the food case.
"The worst – he wouldn't wanted to answer any of my questions, I mean, I know that he's depressed but for him to not wanting to cooperate with me, how in the world can I diagnose him?" she sighed. Seto-sensei listened on what she said while eating his meal.
"Well what do you expect? Like what normal people always said, 'wealthy family, always have a complex life.' He's the son of the late president of Kokonose Hospital." He said. Takane looked at him, her eyes widen.
"You mean he's a doctor?" she asked.
"Well, he is once a doctor, until he admitted here yesterday." He answered, sipping his hot cocoa. Takane leaned back at the chair, rubbing her temple.
"Don't stress yourself out too much. I know you can do it. In the future, you will meet lots of patients that are more twisted or a lot worse that than Kokonose-kun. That is what us, the psychologists supposed to do – treating people who are twisted or have mental disorder to lead back to their new and normal lifestyles." Seto-sensei motivated Takane, looking at her, smiling. She was mesmerized by that doctor's brown eyes.
"Thanks sensei." She thanked him. She looked at her watch on her left wrist – 1.00 o'clock. She then stood up and left her place, waving her hands to him. He then wave back to her, smiling.
Takane walked fast to meet her other patients to see how were their progress doing. Suddenly, she witnessed something terrible.
"I DON'T WANT TO MEET A WRETCH LIKE ANY OF YOU! GET OUT FROM HERE!" It was from the ward 601 – Kokonose's ward. He has gotten mad and threw lots of things to his visitors. She looked at everyone, no one's dared to go and help them. She then interfered,
"Kokonose-kun!" she called out his name. Kokonose pissed out. She knew that he really didn't like of her coming there. However, Takane just looked at him, calmly. Then, she neared him.
"Calm down, okay? I will try to talk to them and ask them to leave for today." She calmed him down while patting his head. He sighed, finally calmed himself down. His visitors were quite shocked to see him like that. After that a few minutes, she lest the ward and met his 'evicted' visitors.
"Hello. I'm Enomoto Takane, Kokonose's psychologist." Takane smiled, giving her business card to both of them.
"Hi. I'm Marry. Haru – I mean, Kokonose's friend. This is Momo, Kisaragi Momo, his friend too." She said, Takane then thought – if she couldn't ask him directly, how about if she just asked his friends instead.
"Marry-san, Momo-san, if you don't mind, would you like to go out and have a dinner with me? I would like to ask you a few questions." Takane offered them both to go out for dinner. The girls glanced at each other's.
"When err…"
"Enomoto, Enomoto Takane." Takane quickly replied, thinking that Kisaragi had already forgotten her name.
"Well, yeah! Sure, Enomoto-sensei. It would be a pleasure to go out with you. When is it?" Momo asked.
"How about tonight? 8 o'clock at Sugimoto Family Restaurant?" she suggested quickly. Both of the girls agreed then shook their hands with hers. Soon after that, they left the hospital.
Takane sighed. She never thought that Kokonose would act so aggressively to those girls. What was it that made him acted that way? Out of spur moments, Takane glanced at ward 601, unexpectedly; she never thought that Kokonose would read a book – PETER PAN. She smiled, quickly ran to her patients for diagnosis.
That night, the three of them went out for dinner. They walked there together and when they reached to that place, they sat at the available place; near the exit. Momo sat beside Marry whilst Takane sat in front of them. The waiter asked them what they wanted to eat – Momo, Marry and Takane ordered eel soup, omelette rice and hamburger respectively. The three of them decided to order ice lemon teas. Then, the waiter left.
"Alright then sensei, what would you like to ask?" Marry asked. Takane then took out a small not book and a pen from her pocket. Then, she also took out a recorder and started to record it.
"Foremost, for each questions, I would like any of you to answer it honestly. Everything that I asked is about Kokonose Haruka, your friend and every answers you give will be keep as confidential." Takane explained. Both of them nodded.
"Well then, first question – what do you think about the current Kokonose and the past him?" she asked, jotting down the question that she asked.
"The current Kokonose and the past him is different, I guess?" Momo answered.
"Well yeah, in the past, he was a very happy-go-lucky guy, he never yelled towards anyone nor has ever mad to anyone. However, ever since his parent passed away, he changed drastically." Marry continued. Takane wrote down their answers.
"Alright, next question – has he ever told you guys that he had any problems regards anything?" Both Marry and Momo shook their heads.
"Haruka, I mean –"
"Never mind, please proceed."
"Haruka isn't the kind of guy who likes to share or tell his problems to others. He's the kind of man who won't talk about that kind of matter." Marry answered. Takane thought carefully as she wrote down the answer.
"I wonder, what kind of interest or hobby does he have during the past?"
"Haruka-kun always likes to draw." Momo answered. Takane paused for a moment. He liked to draw?
"What kind of things that he likes to draw?" she asked.
"Anything that catches his attention I guess? Sometimes, you would see him drawing kittens but the next thing you realized, you would see he him drawing sculptures." Momo answered.
"Last question – what do you think that made him how he is now?" both of the frowned."
"I'm sorry but we don't know. I think it's about his family matters I suppose?" Marry answered. As she wrote down the last answer, the food had been served. Takane kept all her stuff back to her pocket. Then, the three of them ate their meal.
The three of them went back to their separated ways after taking their dinner. Momo and Marry went back home by taxi whilst Takane went back home by train. As she was waiting for the train to come, she heard all the conversations that she had recorded earlier. She admitted that from what they said and from she observed about Kokonose were different, the Kokonose that she knew is man that she could considered as 'short-tempered'.
Then, the train came. She walked into the train and sat on the available places left. She realized that there's no one in that train – she was all alone. She took out that small note book of hers and started to write down a few notes about the conversation and her thoughts about Kokonose. When the train finally reached to its destination, she walked fast to her home, showered herself then went to bed.
"Kokonose-kun." She called him. He glanced at her quietly.
"So what's made you so stress out that ended up as a depression?" she asked while looking at him, who at that time was sitting on his bed.
"You know Enomoto-sensei…" he started to speak as he stared at the sky besides the bay window.
"When I was a doctor, I always questioned myself, 'why is it I wonder most of the patients will stare at the outside of window every single moment? I mean, it's not like as if the scenery will change drastically every single day. Won't they get tired of it?' but, when I am now in their shoe, I realize something, I really haven't give stare or even have a slight of time of looking up at the horizons and sky. All I ever I did was just looking down, focusing on work and stuff." He finally answered. Takane smiled.
"Is that so…? So the reason you depressed is because the tension of works huh?" she asked as she wrote down his answer.
"Yeah, but that's not really the main reason though." He said. She frowned, sighing. She then leaned back at the wall, crossing her arms. Kokonose stared at her.
"Say, Enomoto-sensei…" he called her. "Huh? What is it?" she asked, looking at him.
"What's your feeling when you read the book you gave me?" he asked her while holding that book.
"Well... I don't feel anything actually. All I know that Wendy grew up and Peter is just maintaining himself as a child." Kokonose smiled half-heartedly.
"As a psychologist, you got it wrong there." He looked at her. Her heart's throbbed.
"T-then, what is it?" she asked, stammered.
"As I read this book, I realized that Peter Pan was actually a really lonely guy who lives in a lonely world." He gave his answer. Takane frowned, confuse on what he said.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You see, aside youth, deep inside his heart, he wanted Wendy. But he knew very well that he couldn't get what he wanted so that is why, the best way is to let her go. But, things wouldn't be the same again. Without Wendy by his side, then the Neverland was a meaningless place, a meaningless kingdom. It's more like as if he lived in a sorrow world." He smiled as he explaining his thoughts.
"Thank you for lending this fable to me. I really appreciate it." He thanked her, giving that book to her back. She was amused by his thought because she never thought that kind of thing before. She smiled brightly to him, patting his head.
"Well then, Kokonose-kun, the next time I come here, I'll be bring lots of books to your." She said. He smiled brightly.
"Yeah, yeah." He replied in short. The thought of Kokonose suddenly changed as Takane chatted with him. Probably, her thought about him was incorrect after all. He probably was a good gentleman. However, she thought of one thing, maybe, just maybe, Kokonose was the Peter Pan. The Peter Pan who lived in a sorrow world. She wanted to save him from getting into more severe pains of living in that place. She wanted him to confront the reality even it means he needed her by his side.
A/N: To be honest, this is my first time writing a girl's POV. Hope you like it! For more chapters, please do visit my main blog :)