Chapter 2: Reawakening. Gratitude from an unexpected action.

Two days have passed since Aki fell unconscious from hypothermia. He was inside a guest room, unable to wake up. Tomoyo came into the room to check up on him. She felt guilty, seeing him in such a pitiful state.

'Hideyoshi-san… I'm grateful that you saved my brother, but now I caused you to fall into a possible coma since you collapsed out there with no one to help you… How am I supposed to feel thankful if you don't wake up…?' She thought in question.

Tomoyo kept watched as she looked at Aki's unconscious form. His skin regained its placid color, but he looked paler than usual. The sunlight licked his face, making it shine like alabaster.

'My family are together due to my younger brother's actions, but it was you who made sure he was safe… I can't thank you enough for saving him.' She thought.

Tomoyo noticed Aki's left hand visibly clutch. This got her attention, seeing him move his hand a little. This got her overjoyed, signaling her parents.

"Tou-san! Kaa-san! Otouto! He's waking up!" Tomoyo shouted out.

The whole family gathered as they saw Aki slowly clutch his left hand. His eyelids struggled at first but slowly opened up. He squinted his eyes from the light, since he had little time to adjust after remaining unconscious for two days. Slowly, he lifted his body up, but it felt very sore.

"Where…am I?" Aki questioned.

"You're in my room, Hideyoshi-san. I'm glad that you recovered." Tomoyo said with a tearful smile.

Aki remembered the incident two days ago and started to shiver uncontrollably. He felt every part of his skin being so cold.

"Take it easy, Hideyoshi-san... You haven't fully recovered from your fall in the river." Tomoyo said.

Aki persisted, fighting off the shivers.

"Where are my clothes…?" He asked.

"They're still being dried… We have to give you my brother's clothes till your clothes are finished drying." Tomoyo said.

Aki looked away with a mild blush. Tomoyo noticed it and was attempting to reassure him.

"Don't worry, my parents were the ones who dressed you up." She said.

Aki sighed in relief. By then, Tomoyo's parents and brother came in.

"Thank goodness you're okay. That was very risky for you to save my son from his attempt to suicide." The father said.

"This isn't the first time I've encountered someone attempting it…" Aki spoke with a melancholy.

Everyone heard what Aki said. They all felt sorry for him, Tomoyo looking more guilty than usual.

"I'm truly sorry for what my son has done… It's our fault for causing such trouble." The father said.

"There's nothing to apologize for… I was able to stop him before it was too late." Aki said.

'Such selflessness… I never seen anyone willing to give his or her life to a complete stranger, or a family for that matter…' Tomoyo thought.

"Regardless, we should prepare you a meal. You have been unconscious for quite a while." Tomoyo's father said.

Aki's stomach growled loudly, making him blush. Tomoyo giggled in response upon hearing the growling noise.

"Lunch will be made soon. Make yourself at home while you recover." Tomoyo's father said.

Aki nodded in response. Tomoyo and her brother was left to watch him as he was recovering.

"Ne Hideyoshi-san… What did you mean that it wasn't the first time you found someone doing…what I did?" Tomoyo's brother asked.

"Takafumi… Don't you think you're questioning him in a slightly rude manner?" Tomoyo said to her younger brother.

"It's fine… I've dealt with several people who were about to perform suicidal acts. I was able to talk with them to make sure they don't do the action they intended." Aki answered.

"Were you always successful?" Tomoyo asked.

Aki sighed in response, clenching his left wrist. Tomoyo and Takafumi noticed he didn't take his bracelet on his wrist. Slowly, he began to unhook the bracelet off, showing near alabaster white skin on top. However, near the veins on his wrist, several scars akin to blade cuts were horrifically shown.

"There were times that I was unsuccessful… No matter how much I do, they end up performing the action, forcing me to watch their last moments." Aki said, his right hand squeezing his left wrist.

"Hideyoshi-san… Why are you squeezing your left arm like that…?" Tomoyo asked reluctantly.

"You really want to know?" Aki questioned.

"Y-yes…" Tomoyo said with a stutter.

"Don't bother… I won't reveal the answer to you…" Aki said, putting the bracelet on.

Tomoyo noted it was a sensitive subject for him to explain. She decided to drop the topic and focus more on getting to know Aki. Takafumi remained quiet, trying to know about his savior.

"Ne Hideyoshi… What do you normally do during your days off from school?" Tomoyo asked.

"I either work at the mall or just stay home. I don't have any friends so I'm used to the solitude life." Aki revealed.

Tomoyo and Takafumi gasped in response, realizing that Aki was showing signs of being socially withdrawn from his classmates. They did not expect him to say something with no reluctance.

"There's nothing to worry about me... I've endured it, but it matters little to me." Aki stated.

Both brother and sister couldn't help but sympathize for him. Aki looked distant, almost as though his life was sucked out of him.

"I'll go down to get lunch for everyone here. We'll talk more when we finish eating." Tomoyo said.

She then went downstairs to go get the food for everyone in the room. Takafumi was looking at Aki, more specifically, his left arm.

"You don't have to stare intently at it... It's something I don't wish to share..." He said, hiding his arm.

"Sorry, but I was kind of curious..." The young boy said.

Aki didn't change his expression nor body posture.

"How long was I unconscious?" He asked.

"It's been two days since you rescued me from that icy river." Takafumi replied, looking down.

"I guess it hasn't been the best for me... The people from my school barely know about me so I don't have to worry much, except for education." Aki depressingly smirked.

Soon, Tomoyo provided lunch, consisting of salmon sushi with rice balls. She noted Aki looking depressed.

"Is everything okay, Hideyoshi-san?" She asked with concern.

"Well... I realized that I've been unconscious for two days straight. It's currently a Saturday, but I have to contact both the school and my workplace about my predicament." Aki said.

"Your cellphone is not in good condition, which is unlucky. I can bring it to you." Tomoyo said.

"Thanks. I appreciate it." Aki replied with a hopeless tone.

Aki, Tomoyo and Takafumi began eating their lunch. It was rather quiet, but they noticed Aki's skin starting to regain its dark color, appearing almost pale peach.

'His hypothermia must have made his skin turn close to that of an alabaster's underside... I'm glad he was able to recover safely.' Tomoyo thought gratefully.

Aki stretched his arms up, feeling somewhat stiff. Being in bed to recover for two days straight made his joints feel somewhat stiff. Loud sounds of cracking was heard.

"Sorry for the loud sounds from my joints... I have to stretch myself a little since I was left unconscious for a few days." Aki said.

"It's okay. How is your body doing now? Can you stand?" Tomoyo questioned.

Aki slowly got up from the futon. His body felt somewhat heavy, but he persisted. He managed to stand up with difficulty before making a step.

"My legs are still stiff but I'll recover. The frostbite from the river didn't affected my legs severely. I can still feel them." He replied.

"I'm glad to hear that you're recovering, but don't push yourself too hard. You're still affected by your frostbites." Tomoyo said.

"Thanks for the heads up. In any case, are my clothes dry? I don't want to intrude any longer in your home." Aki asked.

"They should be dry by now. I suggest staying over for today since your body hasn't fully healed." Tomoyo persisted.

Aki sighed. He truly didn't want to stay any longer as he felt as though his presence was intruding to Tomoyo and her family. Reluctant, he decided to stay over.

######

(Play Clannad OST - Illusions)

Aki was back in the strange prairie. The fog was noticeably receding. His sight was starting to be clearer.

'I'm back here... But I still don't understand the purpose of my presence being here...' He thought.

Soon, a flurry of light orbs began to float in the sky. Soon, one of them floated near him. It produced a flash, disorienting him.

'What was that?' He exclaimed in thought.

Soon, he felt a calming presence. For a moment, Aki thought it was someone familiar to him. However, it was a slip of the tongue that made him forget what it was.

"You have done more than just save a child, Aki... You have protected the family from separating." A male voice echoed.

"Saved a family? You mean Sakagami-san's family? I don't understand..." Aki said.

"In time, you will know. You are developing your bonds with the people you have met. Don't let go of them if you want to redeem your outlook with life, my son." The voice said.

Aki gasped when he heard what the voice said.

"Wait! I need to know what you meant earlier! Why did you address as your son!?" Aki shouted.

The voice never came, leaving him with more questions. He was desperate to find any possible answers of the voice that spoke to him. However, there was nothing he could find, except an unlikely conclusion.

"Could it be that voice was Otou-san? Was that him speaking to me? But he is dead... How is this possible...?" Aki questioned to himself.

The flash of light occurred once more, revealing the prairie. He felt his skin being warm, but still cool to the touch. Aki had a somber smile on his face.

'At least my condition hasn't caused any problems... No one knows that I tend to suffer from a deadly illness that is passed down to me.' Aki thought bitterly.

He grimaced as he knew of his weak health. Despite this, Aki continued walking through the landscape. The fog that obscured the area began receding. There was a patch of land across the lapis lazuli river. It was a quagmire, teeming with aquatic plants. Oddly, there was no life in that area.

'A swamp? Why is a swamp here in this prairie?' Aki thought.

Though he was confused, Aki then noticed something in the distance. It looked like a small cabin.

'A cabin...? It looks desolate, but I wonder if anyone's there...' He wondered in thought.

Aki walked his way toward it, but the visage of the cabin was obscured by the fog once more. He can still see the shape, but the sight wasn't clear.

'It seems that if I continue coming in this...world, I might know more about it. What purpose does this world have that I'm not aware of...? Is it a way for people to talk with their lost loved ones or for one to seek guidance?' Aki questioned in thought.

He began to ponder as more questions filled his mind.

'This doesn't feel like the afterlife, but I can breathe, feel the wind and grass etc... Something about this place feels as though it's guiding me to what I am looking for.' Aki thought analytically.

Unable to find any answers, Aki laid in the grass. His vision began to brighten as he slowly closed his eyes.

(Illusions ends here)

######

The next morning, Aki was awake and it was 5 AM. Hearing the quiet snoring from the Sakagami family throughout the household, he decided to leave the home quietly. His attempt was briefly halted by a sleeping Tomoyo, who was sleeping on a chair.

'Might as well leave a note before leaving. I have intruded in their home for some time. I can't stay here any longer...' Aki thought.

He wrote his note with a pen on a piece of paper from a binder. He managed to pick up his clothes and school bag, now dry from his recent plunge in the icy river. He quickly switched his clothes and fled the household via the fire escape.

######

Outside, Aki went back to his home. It was still early, but he had plenty of time to prepare himself for the day. The walk back home proved to be detrimental, due to his recovery taking a long time.

'I may need more time to recover from my frostbite, but I'll have to make do with what I have... My boss must be worried about me since I was absent from work for two days.' Aki thought.

Each step he took felt painful. His limbs haven't fully healed from his frostbite burns. This made him uncomfortable, but he didn't pay any mind to it. He was limping on the snow.

'The walk might be long... Either way, I have to get ready...' He thought, unwavering.

His body continued to protest. For 15 long minutes, he kept making each step, trudging through the snow.

'Damn it... My body is very weak... I don't have much left on me...' Aki thought.

Soon, he arrived at his home. Exhaustion turned to relief, Aki painfully went back in his home.

######

Inside his home, Aki got his school bag ready with school tools needed for Monday.

'Thankfully, most of the books I have in the bag managed to dry out. Hopefully the ink remains intact.' He thought.

He soon heard knocking from his door. Even though it was 5:15 AM, Aki felt uneasy. He never had any visitors or people coming to his place, even at this time.

"Who is it?" He called out.

"It's Kyou." Kyou's voice called out.

Aki opened the door. Kyou showed a concerned expression, noticing his already alabaster skin look deathly pale.

"Hideyoshi... What happened to you..? Everyone began talking that you were dead." Kyou said with concern.

"It's nothing... I'll be heading to school early today..." Aki responded.

Kyou noticed his fingers looking red from frostbite burns. She grabbed his hands and felt how cold they were.

"Kami, your hands are freezing...! What exactly happened to you!?" Kyou said with shock.

Aki looked away, not responding. Kyou immediately thought of the worst outcome.

"You didn't... You didn't attempt suicide, did you?" Kyou said, fearing for Aki's sake.

Aki continued remaining silent. Kyou grabbed his arms in response.

"Why won't you answer me, Hideyoshi!? Please, just tell me!" She said, shaking him.

He continued remaining unresponsive. Kyou stopped shaking him, realizing her words have fallen into deaf ears. She clamped on to him in response.

"Please... Don't go to that path, Hideyoshi... There are people who're worried about you..." She said with sorrow.

Aki stiffly moved his right arm and placed his hand on Kyou's right shoulder.

"I didn't attempt suicide..." Aki finally responded.

Kyou was reassured, but she had more questions.

"Then how did you get these frostbite burns...? You would end up losing your limbs if this continues..." Kyou asked.

"I ended up saving a boy from a dysfunctional family that almost contemplated for divorce... He almost committed suicide by plunging in a freezing river stream." Aki answered.

Kyou gasped, hearing what Aki said.

"Then, you plunged in the river when you saved him... No wonder you were absent for two days..." Kyou said.

"Yeah..." Aki confirmed.

"The family from the boy you saved, they took care of you when they got you out of the river..." Kyou realized.

"They did and I am thankful for that. I just wanted to head home since I've intruded in their home for too long." Aki said.

"You could have called the school if you had the chance." Kyou said.

"Wish I could, but my cellphone has gotten water damage and the screen got busted when I fell in the river. I can no longer use it." Aki said.

"Well, I can help you get a new one." Kyou said.

"It's okay. I have enough money to buy a new one. Only problem is getting all my contacts back..." Aki said.

"I can provide my number to you so you can contact me. That way, I can also keep in contact with you." Kyou said, smiling.

Aki looked at Kyou with surprise. He did not expect such compassion from her.

"Why are you going so far for me? I'm no one special..." Aki asked.

Kyou gave a soft smile in response, catching him off guard.

"You're my friend, Hideyoshi. It's painful to see you go through a lot... You may have not told me and Ryou everything, but your eyes reveal a lot..." Kyou explained.

Aki almost lost his breath, before he regained his composure.

"Thanks..." He replied.

Kyou didn't like how it sounded half-spirited. She decided to tease him by clamping in to his right arm.

"What are you doing?" He asked to Kyou.

"Don't ask, Hideyoshi. I just don't want you to risk too much of yourself..." Kyou said.

Aki had a blush on his face in response. He sighed in order to control it.

"Don't worry about me. I lived through harsh times so I can endure it." Aki said.

"Let's get you inside though. It must be painful for you due to the frostbites." Kyou said.

"I'll admit, it does hurt." Aki grunted.

######

Kyou kept a close eye on Aki as she began preparing a meal. She noticed the house looked surprisingly clean.

"You're good with housekeeping, Hideyoshi?" She asked.

"I am. I'm not a clean freak, mind you. I just like how the air feels when I finish." Aki said.

Kyou giggled, seeing how he was a strong person. She then noticed a bracket on his left wrist.

"Ne, Hideyoshi. Why are you wearing a bracelet on your left wrist?" She asked.

Aki clutched on it, preventing any means of removing it.

"It's a personal thing. If you're that curious, then I'll share it with you..." Aki reluctantly said.

Kyou could tell he was reluctant in answering her question. She then noticed Aki taking the bracelet off, allowing her to see his wrist.

"I don't see anything wrong..." She said.

Aki closed his eyes and sighed as he turned his arm to show the underside. Kyou noted how pale it was, but something shocked her. She saw horrific scars on his wrist as though a blade had cut the area.

"Kami... Hideyoshi..." Kyou said, speechless.

Aki gave a solemn expression in response. He didn't want to reveal the scar he had, but he had a second thought after his experience in the strange world.

"This is something I don't wish to reveal to everyone... Let's keep it that way so I don't have to explain to everyone why I wear this bracelet." Aki said.

'Hideyoshi...' Kyou thought, worried.