Ren was having the best sleep he had in his entire life, but he kept being disturbed by his sister, Yankumi, Yamato, Honjo and a myriad of other voices. Everyone kept asking him to wake up. Ren was getting irritated. 'Leave me alone guys!' He wanted to shout. Every time after the voices subsided, he settled into a peaceful slumber again.

'Listen kid' Ren was beyond annoyed, what is it this time?

'Can I call you Ren?' Fine, Ren thought, as long as you bloody leave me alone!

But as he started to talk, Ren started to listen. His voice was soft and mellifluous, yet manly and strong. Ren didn't remember his dad anymore, but this guy sounded like what he imagined his dad to be. Gentle, but firm. Approachable, but also dangerous if you cross him. A man who could protect his family and kids.

Ren focused on his voice. 'You've got potential, Ren. I am looking for someone like you. But first you have to prove to me that you're stronger than a bunch of silly little poles. Prove to me that you are not just strong on the outside, but even more so on the inside. I'll be waiting for you.'

Waiting? Where? Ren wondered. Oh, right, he was still asleep. Well, if this dad-like guy was waiting for him, the great Kazama Ren can sacrifice a little bit of sleep, can't he?

With that in mind, he started to fight the darkness surrounding him. 'I need to wake up!' he told himself.

Outside, doctors and nurses were rushing into the ICU where Ren was lying. His heart rate had gone up. He was beginning to show signs of consciousness. His sister, teacher and classmates were all peering silently through the window, each silently saying their prayers.

Yamato was probably praying the hardest among them all.

'Please, God. I just got this friend not too long ago, I can't lose him.' He felt so helpless watching his friend fight for his life. If he could help Ren fight that battle, he would have done so without a moment's hesitation. He was more than ready to give his life for this friend. The friend who put up with his non-stop taunting for more than two years, yet was ready to save him in the blink of an eye. The friend who would rather relinquish the leadership position than to throw a punch at him. The friend who almost died trying to stop the gangsters from hitting him.

Ren gathered all the strength he could muster and opened his eyes. Immediately a blast of pain hit him and he let out a soft groan. He felt sore all over, and he can hardly move any part of his body.

"REN!" He heard a loud shout of rejoicing somewhere nearby. He couldn't see anyone though. All he could see was the school doctor, Natsume-sensei; and another older doctor standing in front of him.

"Kazama-san, you're awake!" Natsume-sensei greeted him.

Ren was still too sore to reply. He blinked his eyes and looked at them questioningly.

"Ahh, you're a strong one aren't you, Kazama-san?" The old doctor exclaimed.

"You've been unconscious for 2 days now, Kazama-san. You sustained life-threatening injuries during a fight." Natsume-sensei explained.

A panic look fleeted across his eyes.

"Oh no, don't worry, no one else is hurt as bad as you." Natsume-sensei assured him. "Well, you seem well on your way to recovery now, so I'll leave you to rest. As soon as you are moved to a regular ward, your friends can visit you, although I wouldn't recommend you to overstrain yourself."

Ren closed his eyes briefly to try to numb the pain. Faced with the familiar pitch black darkness, he remembered the reason he woke up. Where was the dad-like guy? Was it Natsume-sensei? No his voice is too soft. Maybe the old doctor? No, he sounded different too.

He moved his lips, but no sound escaped.

Natsume-sensei looked at him closely, trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

"O… to… san?" Natsume-sensei was puzzled. "Oh, by any chance, do you mean Otousan?"

Ren blinked at him.

Natsume-sensei's forehead was wrinkled with worry as he exited the ICU.

"Natsume-sensei, how is he?" Everyone was concerned.

"Oh he is recovering splendidly now. We'll move him out of the ICU soon and everyone can visit him."

There was an audible relief as everyone released the breath they had been holding.

"I would recommend you guys to go home and get changed first though, you guys wouldn't want your dirty clothes to infect Kazama-san, right?" Natsume-sensei smiled good-naturedly at the boys.

"Yosh!" All of them agreed and hurried home to change; except for Yamato who lingered behind, hidden behind a pillar.

Natsume-sensei turned to face Kaoruko and Yankumi. "Kazama-san, you told me that both your parents had passed away, right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Well…" Natsume-sensei paused, collecting his thoughts. "When Kazama woke up just now… he mouthed 'Otousan' to me."

"Otousan?!" His sister exclaimed.

"Yes. I asked him if that was what he was trying to say, and he confirmed it."

"I… I don't know what this means, Natsume-sensei. Even I barely knew my father. He passed away a week after Ren was born. I was only about 4 years old at that time."

"Could it be that he visited the afterlife?" Yankumi wondered aloud.

"Medically that is impossible, since Kazama wasn't dead in any way for any amount of time; but I guess from the supernatural perspective it is a possibility, since he was having a near-death experience." Natsume-sensei replied.

"Oh dear, there is nothing wrong with his memory, is there, Natsume-sensei?" His sister asked worriedly.

"I'm afraid that is my suspicion." Natsume-sensei answered gravely. "According to his brain scans, there shouldn't be any problems, but I'll send a psychiatrist to examine his mental condition when he is strong enough to talk."

"WHAT, THERE MIGHT BE PROBLEMS WITH HIS MENTAL CONDITION?" Shin yelled in shock.

"Shush, Shin, I'm not supposed to arbitrarily disclose a patient's medical conditions. Are you trying to get me fired?"

"Gomen, Minami."

"Anyway, it's just a speculation, no one can tell for sure before he starts talking."

"Alright, thanks for everything Minami. We'll catch up some time alright?"

"You better, Shin. You owe me big time now." Minami laughed as he resumed his work, winking playfully to a nurse nearby.

Shin walked home slowly, processing the information Minami just gave him. Although that Ren boy was nothing more than a stranger, he felt some sort of compassion towards him. The thought that he might suffer some kind of mental illness made Shin kind of depressed.

He paused for a moment in the middle of his stride, then turned and headed in the opposite direction. If there was one person he can share his troubles with, it would be Ojiisan.