Ch1 Bittersweet:

Fifteen years. That's how long Fujinuma Satoru was asleep. It couldn't have been easy for the now twenty-six year old man to adjust to, even though he was technically twenty- eight mentally.

Waking up was difficult at first. Satoru couldn't even see properly after his stupor. He was essentially a quadriplegic; disabled from the neck down until he finally regained his strength. Hearing was the first of his senses to fully return later followed by sight and smell. Then after a few weeks, Satoru could move his hands and arms and then sit upright. By this time, Sachiko, his mother, thought it would be good to invite his old friends from grade school to come and visit. Dr. Kitamaru, the doctor assigned to Satoru, was a little apprehensive, seeing that he didn't want to possibly impair his recovery, but eventually agreed.

Kobayashi Kenya and Sugita Hiromi came first. Satoru was enthralled to see them again. Although they looked a little taller and older than their eleven year old counterparts, he recognized them at first glance. Kenya was now a lawyer and Hiromi a doctor. The conversation was relatively trivial and light talking about this and that. Satoru deduced that his mother didn't want to strain his memory and thus asked Kenya and Hiromi from asking and or mentioning the past. Both say they owe their careers to Satoru's influence and tell him how grateful they are for everything he did for them. They also wanted to apologize for learning to be happy without him and moving on with their respective lives.

Satoru was happy. He had no regrets whatsoever and affirmed, "Don't worry about me. I'm happy for you both. All of you."

Kenya and Hiromi smiled in relief. The kind of smile you express once you have been forgiven for an offence you did not commit.

Ten or so minutes flew by and Kenya and Hiromi new it was about time that they saw themselves out. Satoru thanked them for the visit and they promised to come again in the future.

Over the past two months Satoru focused on his rehabilitation. Day in and day out he was on the parallel bars, slowly but steadily regaining strength in his legs and back. He attacked this new obstacle like a madman for his mother's sake. For fifteen years she cared for him. During his coma, she shaved him, flipped over his body, and did a myriad other mundane tasks all for the sake of keeping Satoru alive with the hope that one day, he can thank her for it. And he intended to pay her back with fifteen years interest.

Then a visiter came. A woman. Satoru was catching his breath in his wheelchair from physical therapy. She hesitatingly called, "Satoru?" It sounded more like an inquiry than a call to an old friend, like when you see someone who appears like one you know, but you don't know for sure.

Satoru looked up and saw her. The girl he went back in time to save along with Hiromi and Nakanishi Aya. Hinazuki Kayo all grown up with a newborn infant in her arms. How different she looked, and yet not different at all. It's comparable to when you run into a friend who looks the same, but had complete change in personality such that they are, in essence, a different person. Although Kayo was different physically and psychologically, that was the best way to describe his thoughts.

Satoru cried, though at the moment he didn't know why. But he cried and was happy and said, "Congratulations, Kayo."

It may have been fifteen years since they last held a conversation, but whether it was fifteen years or one hundred didn't matter. In spite of the time skip they resumed their relationship as if nothing had happened.

"I was able to become happy. Thanks to the time I spent with you," Kayo proclaimed with a smile on her face. Those words fell on Satoru's ears like music and made his fifteen-year stupor worth every second.

Kayo gave a brief synopsis of her life up as of the present. She was married to Himori now and her name was Sugita Kayo and their child, who is a boy, is named Mirai (which means "the future"). Satoru smiled when he heard that name. For some reason, it struck a chord in his heart. He didn't know why and he didn't care.

"Mirai. It's a great name," was his response.

Kayo smiled, but exchanged it for a serious expression. "Satoru, I actually felt very uneasy," she confessed. "Back then I wandered, "Is it okay for we only became happy?" I thought it was my fault that you fell into a coma." Kayo looked at the ground for a moment and then back to Satoru. She continued, "I felt like I was leaving you behind."

Satoru locked his eyes on Kayo's and smiled. A facetious one at that. "Kayo, my fate is mine alone," he declared. "There's no need for you to feel any responsibility. I must be what I am now, as a result of doing what I thought was right."

Kayo quietly laughed to herself and said, "Even after fifteen years you still have a way with words."

Satoru startled for a moment at this revelation. For twenty-eight years, before he jumped back to 1988 the first time, he was never known for his oratory skills. He only acted sociable when he was a child in order to get friends, and gradually less and less when he got older and became more indifferent about keeping up the facade. Apparently Satoru's last two revivals had a more lasting effect on him than he thought.

He paused for a minute before replying, "Huh… Guess you're right."

Kayo took the time to express her gratitude once again. Stating that she would never have had a family had he not intervened in her life.

Satoru closed his eyes and sighed with satisfaction, seeing that all his hard work to save her had paid off.

The two said their goodbyes and Satoru resumed his physical therapy. That night as he was staring up at the ceiling, his mind reflected on the recent past events since his awakening.

Satoru -

I really can't believe it. Kayo is alive and happy. She's so different from the pessimistic girl I once new fifteen years ago. I honestly never thought she'd get married though. I mean I know it would happen eventually, but I suppose I never took it into consideration when I was a child. I guess I'm also surprised that she married Hiromi of all people. I didn't know he had it in him. He's a lucky man. Come to think of it, Mirai has Hiromi's eyelashes and his face resembles Kayo's a little. There is no denying that boy's his son…

Huh. His son. Why does that suddenly sound bitter to me?

His son… What is this? This… feeling? It feels like a knot is forming in my stomach.

His son. What is going on!? Why do I feel so angry? His son. His son. Stop it! Stop it right now! Look, I'm happy for her, truly I am! I didn't have these feelings earlier. What is it?! Why is it happening now?!

Satoru's cell phone began to ring. The sudden noise scared him and in that moment he about his inner argument. Satoru sat up and picked up the phone. He didn't recognize the number.

"Who would call me at this hour?" he questioned himself. Satoru paused before clicking the answer button and lifting the phone up to his ear. "Hello? May I ask who I'm speaking to?" he inquired.

"Hello Satoru. It's Kayo. I'm so sorry for calling you this late, but I felt like I needed to talk to you about something. Or rather ask you something."

Terror struck Satoru's heart. Just a few hours ago, they were talking and reminiscing without a care in the world. But now, something was wrong. And he could feel it.

"Is something wrong?" Satoru asked. He didn't notice how urgent he sounded on the other line.

"No, no there's nothing wrong," Kayo calmly responded. "It's just… Ugh. I don't know how to say this." She hesitated for a minute before finally posing the question that weighed on her mined. "Have you ever made a choice that you were confident was the right decision, but then something happens and you aren't so sure any more?"

The question confused Satoru. Just earlier he saw the smile on Kayo's face and the look of glee in her eyes. She wasn't lying in that moment. When they were talking about their lives and Kayo's past, she wasn't lying. He would know. They were both actors when they were children for a while.

"I suppose I have," Satoru replied hesitatingly. "Why? What's the problem?"

Kayo sighed and then steeled herself. She knew what she was about to say was going to change their relationship forever. "I'll come right to the point then. I feel… sad… for not waiting for you."