Hello peeps and peepettes of the internet. Thought I'd work extra hard to get this out as fast as possible and here it is. Enjoy!
John Thomas: And a decent OC I will try to make.
MyLifeForAiur: Hopefully this on turns out better in that regard, huh?
CommanderYognaught: Well wait no more, here's that new chapter.
Anonymous: Wow, I'm flattered. I always respected 4LS for their writing. Cheers indeed.
Chapter 2: The New Student
Hisao stared blankly at the board in front of him. Normally, he'd make an effort to listen to Mutou's lectures. But after spending the three day weekend in Hokkaido, his brain was still in hibernation even after a few school days had passed. Hisao would often catch himself reading the same equation over and over again, reading the problem without actually understanding it. Mutou had knack for boring most of the class; today even more so as he droned on about his lesson in harmonic motion. The eraser of Hisao's pencil tapped against his wooden desk, making a steady beat that Mutou's words seemed to follow.
The memories from Hokkaido were still fresh in Hisao's mind. Rather than take a bullet train, Lilly and Hanako suggested riding one of the more traditional ones. Their travel time grew ten-fold but Hisao managed to find a way to kill time, either by playing cards with Hanako or reading one of the books he brought with him.
By the time they arrived, the sun just barely peeked over the horizon, washing the landscape with a comforting orange glow. After settling themselves in, Lilly gave Hisao and Hanako the only bedroom in the house, leaving the pull out sofa to herself. Hisao could remember Hanako's cheeks flushing into a deep red when she told them they'd be sharing a room. The memory brought an amused smirk to his lips.
As the days went by, they'd occasionally go into the nearby town to explore and shop. Hanako and Hisao would often spend time alone, either checking out some of the shops themselves or enjoying a lunch together. Hisao peeked out of the corner of his eye to see Hanako staring at her open textbook. A sparkle reflected off the partially concealed bracelet on her wrist. It was a simple silver chain design with various ornaments attached, but it meant the world to her when Hisao gave it to her as a gift.
A small object poked Hisao in the side. His attention snapped towards the source. The offending object, which turned out to be nothing more than a pencil, was held up by none other than Misha. A wide grin grew on her face as she slid him a note. Hisao gave her an accusing glare before unfolding the wrinkled piece of paper.
Did you enjoy your weekend, Hicchan?
Hisao arched an eyebrow in her direction. It felt like such a strange thing to ask in the middle of a lesson. Why couldn't she wait until the end of class? Regardless, Hisao wrote down his response and covertly slid it back on her desk.
Yeah, it went by fine. Yours?
Misha suppressed a giggle and energetically wrote something down, her tongue sticking out all the while. She carefully folded it up again and slid it towards Hisao.
It was great! Shicchan and I had lots of fun!
After jotting down his reply, Hisao returned the note, maintaining a vigilant lookout for Mutou.
That's nice to hear.
Before Hisao could focus on the board again, Misha thrusted the note back in his face. This time, her happy, carefree expression turned into something resembling a forced imitation of Emi's puppy dog look. Unfortunately for Misha, her expression was…less than heart tugging
But we need your help, Hicchan! Shicchan and I need to file a lot of paper work, including the forms for a new student! Isn't it exciting?! Remember when you transferred in, Hicchan?
Hisao glanced at Misha, who was struggling to keep her puppy dog look as genuine as possible. So that was what she wanted.
So you want me to file the paperwork for you while you show the new student around?
Yup! Please, Hicchan? You wouldn't leave two cute girls at the mercy of paperwork, would you?
Hisao took another glance at Misha than at her mute counterpart. Shizune kept her attention straight ahead, her eyes peering over the rims of her glasses. Hisao had no doubt in his mind that the class president put Misha up to this. It was just another ploy to get him to spend more time with them.
I can't Misha. I have some things I need to take care of. Maybe I can help you guys another time?
Misha's expression turned genuinely sad before the familiar smirk resurfaced. She hastily scribbled on the paper before returning it.
Do you mean a girl? Naughty Hicchan!
Hisao face palmed. He could swear that his red cheeks would be visible if not for his hand covering his visage. He shook his head with an exasperated sigh and wrote down a reply with a dramatic swoop of his hand.
It's personal, Misha. Could you just keep it between us?
Misha giggled. It was obvious it took all of her restraint not to burst out in her trademark laughter.
Awww, okay Hicchan. But don't think you're off the hook yet!
Hisao grumbled something under his breath. If Shizune and Misha had one talent, it'd be their ability to interrogate someone mercilessly; sometimes without even trying. One way or another, they would find out about Hanako and him. Hisao only hoped that he could avoid it for as long as possible.
With their conversation dried up, Hisao redirected himself towards the board. Mutou didn't notice their brief exchange and droned on about various applications of the equation he had written on the board. Hisao already had a firm grasp on the material and just barely followed along as he stared blankly out the window.
…
Yamaku's grounds stood silent. Not a soul could be seen or heard in the impressive complex. At first glance, the building looked completely abandoned; and it unnerved Takeo to no end.
Certainly not what I was expecting. At least the scenery is nice. Still think the doctor didn't have to send me here.
Takeo winced when he remembered he had no choice in the matter. His hand reached up and scratched the bandages that wrapped around his head. Some of them had been removed before he was discharged from the hospital, leaving a mound of his black hair exposed on the top of his head. His conversation with his doctor echoed in his mind.
"Since we've been unable to find your parents or guardians, we've had to act accordingly. Until further notice, you will be classified as a ward of the state until your caretakers are found." The doctor told him in an emotionless tone. Takeo shook his head.
"You have my name, right? Can't you just use that?"
"Yes we've been able to 'identify' you," the doctor said while making air quotations, "but that's only because of a scrap of paper we found in your pocket when you were recovered. The only thing written on it was your name. But so far, we haven't found anyone that could be your parents."
Takeo's hand absently fished into his pocket and pulled out the torn paper in question. Just like the doctor said, his name was the only thing written on it. The top edge was torn, making Takeo wonder if it was part of a larger writing, and dots of dried blood were stained on it.
"So what happened to me?" he asked after sitting up. Over the course of a few days, Takeo could feel his strength slowly returning to him, but he hadn't gathered enough to walk around. The doctor looked over his charts before answering.
"According to eye witnesses, you were walking down the street when a car ran into you. You suffered severe brain trauma, which is the cause of the retrograde amnesia you have right now. I believe that until you regain your memory, we won't be able to find any concrete evidence about your life before your accident. So, I've decided that until you do, you'll be transferred to a facility where people with your…specific needs are catered to."
Takeo passed through the wrought iron gates and stepped into the courtyard. The smooth rustling of the trees that dotted the campus welcomed his entrance. As he wandered around the courtyard, Takeo pulled out another piece of paper, a signed order for a number of prescription medicines. The revelation of his injury and subsequent memory loss were hard enough. Finding out about the main reason for his transfer into Yamaku was even worse.
"My…needs? What do you mean? I just got a little bruise on my head; I don't think that needs special treatment, right?" Takeo asked. Despite his cavalier attitude, he felt a kernel of fear sprouting in his heart. None of it felt right.
The doctor shook his head and told him in a stern tone, "I'm the doctor here, Mr. Kato. And the reasoning for sending you to a specialized building goes farther than the 'little bruise' on your head."
The man ran a hand over his greying hair; his baggy eyes scanned the contents of the clipboard in his hand as he spoke, "Takeo, you may have been aware of this since before your accident. We ran some tests and found a massive spike in your body's cellular degeneration. We ran some more tests to confirm our findings and diagnosed a potentially fatal condition if it's not treated. Basically, your immune system can't tell the difference between actual bacteria and living tissue. Your white blood cells are attacking your organs."
Takeo shuddered when the doctor's voice replayed everything in his mind. He was sick. His body was literally trying to destroy itself. What made it worse was the absence of a cure. Correcting his immune system wasn't possible, so the doctors had no choice but to prescribe him medicine to suppress it. Of course, once his immune system was weaker, he would be more at risk from things as simple as the common cold. Either his immune system would kill him or a fever would. Both were equally morbid ends. As far as Takeo was concerned, the thing that saved everyone else was making a special effort to kill him and there was nothing he could do about it.
"…this has to be a joke. How can that exist? There's…there's no way…"
"Unfortunately it is," The man said softly, "you have Auto-Immune disease. There's no cure, but we have medication that will keep it in check. That's why we're sending you to a school that is appropriately outfitted for someone such as yourself , Yamaku Academy. There's a 24 hour nursing staff, a dorm building for you to live in, and every accommodation for the physically disabled is met. It's an ideal place for you until we find your parents or until your memory is restored."
After the doctor's explanation, Takeo hardly put up any resistance to the idea. As much as he didn't like being put in a hospital masquerading as a school, he didn't have much choice. The best he could hope for was a quick recovery so that he didn't have to deal with what appeared to be a old fashioned campus, complete with red brick and black fences.
He came to a stop at the school's front door. The doctor told him that someone would be waiting for him, no doubt a teacher or nurse that will show him around before escorting him to his hospital bed. Takeo opened the door and took one step inside, freezing on the spot. A lone girl stood in the lobby, twirling a finger in her long, brown hair. Her other hand was lightly tugging one of the twin braided locks of hair on either side of her cute face. When she caught sight of him standing in the doorway, she smiled and came towards him with energetic steps.
"Hey there! You're the new guy, right?" Takeo opened his mouth to reply but was promptly cut off, "Asami Sasaki's the name. I'm your class representative. I was asked to show you around before taking you to class."
Asami held out her hand which Takeo promptly shook. He couldn't help but notice that Asami looked normal for someone who was attending a school for the physically disabled. A wave of relief washed over him, but he felt a little guilty about his earlier preconceptions.
It's okay, just stop thinking like that. You're in the same boat as everybody else now.
Still, Takeo couldn't deny his curiosity. Asami had no obvious disabilities. It made him wonder if her problem was internal like his. However, Asami continued talking, removing any chance of him being able to ask, "Although, by the time I'm supposed to take you to our little family, classes will be over for the day. If the president had told me a little sooner things could have been different, but we'll work with what we got."
Takeo rubbed the back of his head and shrugged, "I guess. So…this is an actual school?"
Asami looked at him like as if she had heard the question plenty of times before. "Well yeah. Yamaku is pretty much like any other school. We have tests, projects, and boring lectures just like any other one would. Sorry to disappoint," she said with a coy grin.
"At least I'll be able to get a decent amount of sleep then." Takeo said. Asami snickered.
"That's the spirit. You'll fit in class 3-6 like a glove." Asami looked at her watch and began making a hissing noise. Takeo was about to ask her what was wrong before she grabbed the cuff of his shirt and tugged him out of the lobby.
"Wait, where are we going?"
"The president, or more specifically her foghorn of an interpreter, told me to at least take you to the nurse's office before classes were over. Something about your medications," Asami shoved the front door open and pulled Takeo back into the daylight.
"Sounds like you have something against the president. She's not that bad…is she?" Takeo said. Asami sighed and took a sharp right towards another building that very much resembled the main campus.
"She rides us constantly. I swear, sometimes I feel like giving up my class rep duties. It doesn't help that we have to talk through her interpreter too. If you do, it's a miracle you don't end up like the person she's interpreting for." Asami looked over her shoulder and smirked again, "The president is deaf by the way. I probably should have said that sooner."
Asami pulled Takeo inside the auxiliary building. The inside looked much more modern than the 19th century architecture suggested. Asami stopped at a white door to her left and pointed towards it, "This is the nurse's pad. He's a pretty cool guy. Professional, but laid back. You'll like him."
A bell rings out from outside, signaling the end of classes. Asami slapped herself on the forehead and gasped, "Oh boy, I totally need to get back to class. I'll catch up with you later then. See in class tomorrow!"
Before Takeo could get a word out, Asami bolted past him and straight out the door. He was left standing motionless for a few seconds before coming back to his senses. He brought up his fist and knocked lightly on the door. A muffled 'come in' emanated from the other side.
Takeo lightly pushed back the door and was greeted with the wafting odor of hand sanitizer mixed with other things he couldn't describe in any way other than 'cleanliness'. The nurse was sitting in his chair, turning towards him as he entered.
"Hello. I uh…I was told to come here."
The nurse responded to his muttered statement with a sly grin, "Ah, so you're the new guy. Takeo Kato, wasn't it? Just got your file in the morning. Auto-Immune disorder, not something typical here in Yamaku, but it's nothingwe can't handle, right?"
Takeo shrugged and pulled the doctor's prescription, holding it out to him, "I was told to give this to you."
The nurse took it and scanned over its contents, making a few humming noises along the way. Meanwhile, Takeo took a look at the Nurse's office. It looked like a piece of the hospital followed Takeo all the way to the school, the only exceptions being the nutritional posters hanging on the wall and the nurse's desk which was riddled with countless forms and folders.
"Yes, your prescription. This is a formality mostly. All your medicine is already in your dorm along with some extra uniforms and the textbooks you'll need. The room's 118." The Nurse said, "Now, since your immune system's the problem, you're going to need to have to eat plenty of vitamins so that you can stay as healthy as possible. So you be sure to have a diet that consists largely of fruits, apples and such. Also keep some basic medicines for anything ranging from the sniffles to a fever. We don't want to medicate you on anything smaller than that."
The nurse's expression suddenly turned stern, catching Takeo off-guard, "Be sure to get plenty of rest. Sleep deprivation can decline your immune system. Couple that with your medication and you're in trouble. Don't over-exert yourself either. Too much exercise will tax your immune response as well."
"That's…quite a lot to work on." Takeo admitted. The nurse's stern face evaporated, replaced by his earlier ear to ear grin.
"Welcome to my world, Takeo. So long as you take your medication and stay healthy, you should be fine." The nurse cracked one eye wider, adding, "By the way, if you need anything you can always ring us up. You can call me by my name or 'The Nurse', whichever strikes you."
Takeo was going to use his name to be polite but noted the lack of a name tag on his coat.
Well I guess I know what I'm calling him now.
"Alright then. I guess I'll head to my dorm. Thanks for the help." Takeo said.
"See you around, Takeo."
Takeo gave him a polite bow before showing himself out. He stood in the middle of the hallway outside, looking up and down the corridor. There wasn't a soul to be seen.
Maybe I should head to my dorm. Room 118, right?
Takeo exited the building out into the courtyard. A gentle rustling could be heard in the campus as students migrated towards their dorms. Takeo, having no idea where the dorms were, decided to follow the stream.
He felt a little out of place in the congregation of people. He noticed how a lot of the students looked like him and Asami, no distinct or obvious clue about what was their disability. It made him feel slightly more at ease. There were however, a few people who weren't given the same luck. Seeing it was jarring to him, but he tried to avoid giving them uncomfortable looks. Takeo stared down at the floor instead, keeping his eyes away from other people
Just don't stare at them. You'll regret it if they get offended because you couldn't control yourself. Look at their feet, look at their feet, look at their feet…that guy's missing a foot.
Takeo cursed under his breath and lifted his chin. In truth, he felt a little hypocritical for turning his gaze from people who were just like him, boys and girls cheated by fate to live in a less than whole existence. The mere thought depressed him.
On top of that, I have to deal with years of my life being ripped away from me.
Strangely enough, Takeo wasn't as distraught about losing his memory. He couldn't place his finger on why, but he felt it wasn't something he should worry about. His mind will decide when to bring it all back. Until then, he had to bide his time.
Two buildings similar to the main campus soon came into view. A number of students were hanging out around the entrances. Takeo had to assume it was the dorms, "Well, I guess some much needed relaxation is in order."
…
Hisao took a deep breath of fresh air. Fall was rapidly approaching. He had to admit that he'd miss the warm sunlight hitting him every time he stepped outside.
Hanako was by his side, standing inside the girl's dorm, "H-Hisao?"
"Yeah?"
Hanako inched closer to him and slid her hand in his. Despite her usual skittish nature when it came to physical contact, she found herself enjoying the small moments when she could hold hands with Hisao. She felt safe when he was nearby, at ease. Despite their rocky moments, she trusted Hisao implicitly, "W-would you like to come inside?"
Hisao gave her a soft smile and patted the top of the hand he was holding, "I'd love to Hanako, but I have a lot of homework to catch up on. Besides, we still have that date tomorrow, right?"
"R-right," Hanako released his hand and gave him a quick kiss. Hisao responded by giving her a quick peck on the forehead, prompting a giggle from his girlfriend, "S-see you later."
"Yeah, see you."
The two went their separate ways. Hisao ran his fingers over his lips, the lingering warmth of Hanako's kiss following him. For all her attempts at staying hidden and unseen, Hanako knew how to make a lasting impression. Hisao quickly crossed the space between the female and male dorms and went inside. He didn't take more than two steps before he heard the familiar and unpleasant sound of Kenji rambling.
Ugh, is he bothering other people now?
Hisao quickened his pace to his room until he came face to face with an astonishing sight. Hisao had to make a double take to confirm what he saw. Kenji was indeed shouting at someone else and that someone else turned out to be someone familiar. Hisao recognized him as the same person who bumped into Hanako on their way out the airport.
How did he get from bumping into Hanako to coming here? Was he a student too?
Regardless, it was obvious from the sight that the boy had no idea what to do. Kenji could only be reasoned with at the best of times. From his theatrical stance and adamant arm motions, Hisao could tell it was the exact opposite. He decided to help him out, even if the boy did stare at Hanako, no one deserved the verbal insanity that Kenji gave on a regular basis.
"Listen here, and listen well. What I'm going to reveal to you is going to rock your world. It's going to blow your mind!" Kenji exclaimed. Takeo frowned and rubbed the back of his neck, shaking his head all the while.
"No, no I don't want my mind blown. It's gone through enough in case you haven't noticed," Takeo pointed at the bandages wrapped around his head.
What am I saying? He's got the thickest glasses I've ever seen.
"You're scared, I understand that. The threat scares a lot of good men. So much that they don't want to admit the truth. We need to stick together, bro. It's us against them. Before you know it, they'll be sneaking behind you and then we're all doomed. Men will be treated as slaves, forced to do all kinds of girly crap for their amusement. You can help me build my fort, man. We need to make it big, impenetrable. There may be a day where they try to enact a siege, but we'll be ready, bro. We'll be ready."
Takeo rubbed his temples and sighed. He tried making it as clear as possible, but this guy wasn't taking no for an answer, "No, I don't want to make a fort with you. I don't even know how to make a fort."
"Hey Kenji."
Takeo and Kenji both turned towards the voice, almost bumping heads in the process. Hisao came up to both of them, giving Takeo a once over. He wore the boy's school uniform, opting to button up the green jacket all the way. But what caught Hisao's attention were the bandages wrapped around his head.
That wasn't there when he brushed into Hanako. That's got to be recent. So why is he here?
"Sup? I was just recruiting another man to fight those damn feminists. We three shall be the vigilant guardians, protecting all that is masculine from those witches," Kenji declared. Takeo gave Hisao a pleading look that could only be described as 'help me'.
"Listen Kenji, I recruited him a while ago. He just came back from a serious recon mission. I almost couldn't believe he made it out alive. He's a brave man," Hisao patted Takeo on the shoulder for emphasis, "You need some rest. Be sure to give me a report later."
"Good man, good man. You took control, Hisao. I respect that. You too, guy. I bet you went through a lot of epic shit. We should hang out later. We need to plan our next step. Later dudes." Kenji rotated on his heels and slammed the door shut behind him. Takeo breathed a sigh of relief and turned to his savior.
"I owe you one. That guy just ambushed me outside my door." He said with a genuine smile. Hisao pondered for a moment. He wondered if he could find out what this guy was doing here. Kenji and he were the only ones living in their hall. That meant this person was definitely new.
"Don't mention it. Who are you anyways? Nobody else lived here besides me and Kenji." He asked. Takeo held out his hand.
"Takeo Kato. I just transferred in." Hisao took his hand and gave it a firm shake, his inquisitive face staying still.
"Yeah, Hisao Nakai, um…," Hisao briefly entertained the thought of asking Takeo a straightforward question, but decided against it. If Takeo was anything like him when he first came to Yamaku, he may not be entirely comfortable with whatever was the cause of his admission to the school, "So…do you recognize me?"
Takeo furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side like a curious toddler, "No, am I supposed to? Did I see you in the hall? I accidentally stared at you, didn't I? Sorry, I'm trying to work on that."
The rapid fire questions and his sudden nervousness caught Hisao off-guard. For a second, Hisao was reminded of Yuuko before waving his hand, "No, no. Not today, a few days ago. You bumped into someone?"
Takeo scratched the side of his head, shifting his bandages with the constant motion, "Umm…no. Doesn't ring a bell. Was it at the hospital?"
"No, in the street. You bumped into a girl, she," Hisao took a deep breath. He didn't like identifying people by their disabilities, especially not his own girlfriend, but it was the only way for Takeo to remember who he was talking about, "she had burn scars on her face."
A lull cut between them. Takeo scratched his head again, probably a common reaction for him. Soon enough, his eyes lit up just like Hisao hoped, "Oh…no. Still nothing, sorry."
"Really? You don't remember? It was before last weekend," Hisao said. Takeo's eyes lit up again, except they were now accompanied by an agape mouth.
"Well there's the problem. I kinda…don't remember anything before the weekend. I got a bump on my head from an accident, that's what the doctors tell me at least. Yeah, everything's foggy around that time. It's a wonder I still remember my own name," Takeo stared down at his deep green jacket and muttered something Hisao couldn't catch.
"What about your parents? Wouldn't they bring you up to speed?" Hisao suggested. Takeo's brown eyes looked up at him, but the rest of him stood still.
"It'd make things easier. But obviously fate has a sworn vendetta against easy. I have no idea where my parents are. Neither does the hospital. They could be on the other side of the country for all I know. Maybe I was on a trip here and this happened," Takeo pointed at his injury, "I don't really have a choice in coming here. I'm by myself in some strange part of the world, no idea what happened, and no relatives to speak of. Until I remember, I have to live in this school as a ward and go along with whatever goes on here. And on top of all that, I have-"
Takeo stopped and suddenly stared longingly at his room's door. His sentence was left hanging in the air, leaving Hisao wondering what he was going to say. Takeo's lips tightened as he grasped the door handle, "I need to go. I'll…yeah."
Takeo marched into his room and shut it behind him in less than a second. Leaving Hisao dumbfounded in the hall. Takeo's mood swung from sociable to solitary at the blink of an eye. Whatever he was fixing to say obviously had a large effect on him.
Hisao shrugged despite being the only person around and went back to his own dorm. The first thing that caught his attention being the letter Iwanako sent him long ago. He already decided to not respond. His past wasn't left in any ambiguity; Iwanako's letter made sure of that. Despite the times he reminisced about his life before Yamaku, he knew the life he was leading now would be infinitely better than the one before. He had a future, he had reliable friends, and he had a love life; three things that he held dear.
From the letter, Hisao's gaze fell on his textbook. He wasn't lying when he said he had a lot of homework to do. With a reluctant step, Hisao stopped at his desk and flipped the textbook open. He had a long night ahead of him.
…
Takeo stared at the suitcase at the foot of his bed, then at the bottles of medication sitting on his nightstand. In total, there were about three plastic containers sitting next to a neat stack of textbooks ranging from math to history. Takeo grimaced. He hadn't thought about the actual educational aspect of the school. His hand reached out to the book on the top of the stack.
Mathematical Theory and Applications
"I don't think I remember a shred of math," Takeo muttered to himself. Regardless, he popped open the book and scanned through it, hoping to find anything that struck a chord in his mind.
"Tan A minus B equals...something."
...
"Yeah, I'm done for."
Takeo tossed book aside and fell backwards on his bed. Somehow he got the feeling that math wasn't his forte even before he lost his memory. His entire vision filled with the beige ceiling. His mind wandered back to his conversation with Hisao. He seemed like a well-rounded person; or at the very least, he wasn't as insane as his next door neighbor. However, he didn't feel entirely comfortable talking about his disorder with him when he almost blurted it out. It was a personal thing he had to deal with, as was his memory crisis. Takeo had told Hisao more than enough about his problems; he didn't need to know his entire life story.
Funny, considering I wouldn't be able to remember it anyways. Takeo joked morbidly. Thinking back, he probably could have explained his reluctance to explain his disability, but there was no changing it now. He just had to take it as it came.
Takeo peered through the window in front of his bed. It showed a perfect view of the woods near the school. The lush canopy seemed to cover the ground in a sea of green, leaving only the sky out of its clutches. Takeo allowed himself to snicker when he glanced around the room. In a way it reminded him of his life, empty with not a lot going on and shelves missing things that would fulfill their purpose.
"Guess I'll be joking about my situation from now on." Takeo said. He re-oriented himself so that he lay along the length of the bed and closed his eyes. Night was still hours away but he was content to just sit in his room and wait out the rest of the day. The suitcase called to his attention from its spot on the bed. Takeo sat up and opened it, revealing a combination of school uniforms and basic living necessities.
A perk to being ward of the state, I bet.
Among the folded and pressed articles of clothing were a set of casual clothes. Takeo recognized it. It was the clothes he was wearing before he had his incident. Takeo reached inside and pulled out a black zip up hoodie. It looked worn and faded, but Takeo drew some kind of comfort from it. He ran his fingers along the soft cotton fibers, eventually coming to rest inside the pockets. A soft crinkle interrupted the silence of the room. It felt like paper.
Takeo pulled out the object and unfolded it. He stared at the item in his hand, losing all sense of time. His hand trembled slightly as he stared at a picture of him and a young boy. Both of them were smiling and looked like they were in a carnival of sorts. Takeo kept a hand on the young boy's head, ruffling his hair. The picture practically virtually radiated happiness, but Takeo only felt unease. He couldn't remember who the boy was, but for some reason, he didn't want to look at him anymore. He folded up the paper and tossed it at his night stand, coming to rest near his medication.
Not a word left his mouth. Not a sound entered his room. It stayed that way until Takeo fell asleep with his head leaning against the wall, facing the silver moon that hung motionless in the deep, dark night.
