Disclaimer: No, I still don't own it. Working on it though.
Notes: Ok, Yako's POV again. I tried to make it a bit more descriptive, and imagine what it would be like to be blind. I also actually proofread this one for quality. So hopefully it's better.
Wondering about Yako's voice-mail a few chapters ago? Enjoy. (^_^)
Thank you so much for pointing out the mistake! I fixed some grammar issues and must have saved the wrong document to this chapter! THANK YOU!
Everyone always says that blind people can only see darkness. And, when I first lost my sight, that was the only thing I saw. Not blackness mind you, but darkness. [There is a difference]
Two weeks later, I opened my eyes one morning, and my heart leaped. For the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was white. Pure white in all directions.
Of course, I realized I still couldn't really see after taking a look around. Nothing was coming into focus or view, just that white everywhere. I would have felt disappointed if I wasn't so relieved.
Light. Glorious light.
No longer being surrounded by a black hole gave me great comfort.
I blinked. And to my surprise, during the time I blinked, my world went dark again. I shut my eyes to experiment. Sure enough, darkness.
"MOM!" I yelled as I headed toward my bedroom door. [One awesome thing about being in your own home is being able to know where everything is with your eyes shut.]
I was already halfway down the stairs when I remembered she had left for Brazil yesterday. She had boarded a plane as soon as she heard about my condition, but after two weeks she couldn't stay away from work any longer.
I found the phone and called Kanae-chan.
.
Seven minutes later we were in the car heading for the doctors.
"See! You were worried for nothing!" Kanae-chan was chatting away. "It may be taking a bit slower than expected, but you're getting your eye sight back!"
I didn't point out I should have gotten my eye sight back within three days of losing it. Of course I had been freaked out. Who wouldn't?
.
Dr. Toko hemmed and hawed while being uncomfortably close to my face. I could smell his breath every time he made a noise, and let me say, he should invest in some mints.
"And does the whiteness get brighter when I do this?"
I light warmth hit the area around my eye, and the whiteness got almost unbearably bright.
"Yes." I struggled not pull away or blink.
"Hmm."
I could hear papers rustling and dug my fingers into the cool leather of the chair I was sitting in.
Kanae-chan was biting her nails to my left. She pretended to be nonchalant about the whole thing, but truthfully, she was just as nervous as I was.
"Well, Miss Katsuragi, I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"
Why do people even bother asking that question?
"The good news."
"Your eyes have completely healed. They're no longer damaged."
Why did that sound like the bad news?
"Then why can't I see?"
"Your eyes are healed. Your brain is not. While your eyes can take in light, your brain can't process it."
"But you can fix that right?" Kanae-chan spoke up from the corner.
More rustling of papers.
"No. There's nothing I can do. It's up to Miss Katsuragi. There could be several reasons for this. One, you could not be trying to exercise that part of your brain. Or willing yourself not to see. That seems highly unlikely in your case.
Another reason could be stress. And knowing the nature of your job, I suppose that will be most likely. I suggest a vacation. Doctors orders."
If stress could be a factor, I wouldn't heal for years. I probably had more stress in on day with Neuro than most people had all year.
"How long do you think it'll take Dr. Toko." The answer to that question was very important to me.
"It really depends on you, but when you do get your vision back, it'll probably be almost instantaneous. Hopefully within…oh, the next few weeks."
Not the answer I wanted. But at least it wasn't months.
.
Kanae-chan and I went to lunch after the appointment. One of the few all you can eat restaurants that hadn't banned me. Yet.
"Wow, your life's exciting as always." Kanae-chan said after my telling her about my latest case.
"My college life isn't nearly as exciting. All I do any more is study. Well, I do have a new boyfriend though."
I almost cringed. This was the third one this month.
"Really? What's his name?"
"Unichi Asada. He seems nice."
Asada. Where had I heard that name before? No matter.
"You think he's the elusive 'the one' you're always looking for?"
"You never know! He is rich, and really handsome."
Probably not 'the one' then. I had seen Kanae-chan go through tons of rich and handsome guys.
"But enough about me,"
She jerked me out of my thoughts.
"how's your love life going?"
"What love life?" It died long ago.
"Seriously? You always have tons of guys interested in you! Why don't you ever go out with them?"
Because, while they were nice people,I'd never met one I was interested in that way. A friend? Yes. Boyfriend, no. Besides, who needs to get married to be happy? [Not that I would tell Kanae-chan that]
"Not interested."
I could practically see Kanae-chan cross her arms and puff out her cheeks.
"Why not?"
I listened to the clink of silverware and chopsticks on plates as I thought of what to say.
"Because I've met a lot of guys. Even gone to the goukons you've forced me to. None of them struck a chord. I'm just not interested."
Kanae-chan was silent at this.
I felt kinda bad. Maybe she thought I didn't appreciate her trying. I knew she only wished for my happiness. I opened my mouth to say so when she started speaking again.
"Maybe you already have someone you're interested in and you're comparing other guys to him."
Well that shocked me. I wasn't sure what to say, that was rather insightful sounding, however unlikely.
"I'm not interested in anyone though."
Kanae-chan sighed and clicked her tongue softly.
"Yako-chan, Yako-chan, I can't understand how someone who is so brilliant when it comes to reading people can be so dense when it comes to understanding themselves."
I could feel her eyes boring into my skull. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, and shoved what I hoped was food in my mouth.
"I have an Aunt who owns a Onsen in the country. You wanna go for a week or so? Relieve some stress?"
Woah. Suspicious sudden topic change. But a change I was very happy to make.
"That would be amazing! If I could really relax for a bit, I'm sure I'll be healed in no time." If I'm away from Neuro that is.
I heard Kanae-chan's chopsticks click on her plate.
"I'll give her a call then."
.
It was rather hard getting Neuro's consent to go.
"Do you WANT me to stay blind forever?" I finally blurted out, exasperated.
"Does a slave dare ask her master to starve to death just so she can get back a non-necessary function?"
There was no arguing with him was there? And what ever happened to being partners?
"The doctor said stress is what's keeping me blind. So until I get a break from this stressful life style, I am going to remain blind. And if I remain blind, I am seriously going to quit."
I could hear claws unsheathing and bones crunching.
"You dare threaten me?"
"It's not a threat, it's a fact. So either let me go on vacation until I get my eyesight back, or this is the last day I'll be working."
Ok, so that last line was a little bit of a threat.
The silence grew heavy as I imagined Neuro glaring at me while considering.
One thing about being blind, it makes you really brave. Normally I would be at least a little nervous at straight out opposing Neuro, but not being able to see his glare gave me all the confidence I needed. And I knew Neuro understood I was serious this time.
"Fine." He finally spat out. "But if you get kidnapped again, you better save yourself this time."
And now he was pouting. He's such a sore loser.
Oh well, I wasn't planning on getting kidnapped anyway.
"Thank you for your consent." Half sarcasm there. Neuro could sense it, and he made a teeth grinding sound in return.
I was too elated to care. I was having my first vacation in four years. No Neuro, and no puzzles.
Life was looking up.
.
The car ride was almost unbearable. Do you realize how boring it is to ride in a car when you can't see? It's just like sitting without being able to get up for hours. Thank goodness I don't get car sick, then it really would have been impossible.
When I arrived at the Onsen it was around lunch time and I was starved. A small pang of guilt, knowing that Neuro must be feeling the same, creeped in.
I rooted around in my bag until I felt what I was looking for. I pulled out one of nine envelopes wrapped in a rubber band. It was stuffed full of all the hardest and rarest word and number puzzles I could find. Well, 1/9th of them.
"Excuse me," I asked my driver [A friend of mine] "Could you put this in the nearest mail box?"
"No problem Kasuragi-san. Let me just drop you off inside first. Your friend is waiting for you, yes?"
"Yep. Thanks again for driving me!" He grabbed onto my arm and started walking, gravel crunching under our feet.
"It's the least an old man like me can do, when you were so nice to find out who was killing off my taxi driver employees for me. I'm always happy to help you out."
A cool breeze blew in my face as he opened the front door. Mmm. Smelled like flowers, wood, and cinnamon. My stomach rumbled, but the sound was mostly covered by our shoes clacking on the hard wood floors.
"Yako-chan!" I heard from across the room, along with the sound of a chair scraping the ground.
"That's my friend." I smiled in the driver's direction. We said are goodbyes as I heard the clack of Kanae-chan walking up.
"Hey Yako-chan! You finally made it!" She grabbed my arm and guided me across what I guessed was the lobby.
The feeling of walking around in a place you've never been before while not being able to see, is a little like walking down the stairs in the dark, and then realizing there was one step less then you thought. It's a bit like the feeling of falling. In your feet.
"Let's drop your bags off then get a bite to eat."
Just the words I wanted to hear. I grinned as we headed upstairs to our rooms.
.
After eating so much the cook came out to tearfully thank the person who loved his cooking that much, I was lead by Kanae-chan into a dressing room to change into a towel for the Onsen.
Putting all my clothes into a locker, [Yes, that took me a while to figure out] I felt around until I found the door.
"Kanae-chan?" I peeked my head out and listened.
Silence.
"Kanae-chan, where are you?"
For the first time in my blindness, I realized, I was alone in a place other than my home. All other times I had been with Neuro until my mother got home, and the rest of the time with her.
Shivering from more than just a chill, I reached for a robe.
Kanae-chan had said she was going to take a shower first in the room just down the hall, so that's where I headed. I kept a hand on the wall for guidance, and felt my way down the wall.
Only I didn't realize there were steps.
I heard a slight shriek of "Yako-chan!" [Must be Kanae-chan] from across the room as I fell forward.
Thankfully, some kind person who was nearby caught me on my way down.
My heart was racing and I heard Kanae-chan running over yelling "Yako-chan, what are you doing out here?" As well as other people making concerned sounds.
.
Whoops.
I think I went the opposite way of the showers.
.
And then my senses fully tore through my adrenaline. My nose and hands were planted right on my savior's chest, and I had a very bad relation of who I was half sitting on top of.
"Neuro."
"Yes, Sensai~,"
I could tell from his voice alone he was smirking.
"I'm here~."