Episode 3 – Faint Sparks

…Who am I…? Who…R-Ryo? Yeah…Ryo…Sanada…? Yeah…yeah, I think that's it… Those were the only thoughts that the young man with jet-black hair and fiery blue eyes heard clearly in his otherwise fruitless search through a sea of dark nothingness. Time seemed nonexistent during his swim through the blackest of waters. Even so, he'd searched frantically for pockets of air and light that would revive his memory of certain things, knowing that if he didn't find one soon, he would drown in this ocean of forgetfulness.

Just as he was beginning to think his fate had been sealed, he felt as though he were lying on his back, and his head had been propped up. A sharp pain then flashed through his head like a bullet, making him feel as though his skull had been split open. Help! Someone help me, please…! he wanted to shout. Yet he couldn't get the words past his parched and dry mouth. Still, he moaned in agony, imploring someone to answer him and make the aching and stinging stop.

Though all was still blacker than night, he felt something wet and rough press against his forehead, then his right temple. He hissed at the fresh sting, then let out another moan. This time, a soft feminine voice answered him.

"Shh. It's okay. You're safe. You're gonna be fine." Oh…what a voice. Kind and gentle, yet full of conviction and certainty. He knew he'd heard it before, but when, and from whom? Wanting to know the voice's owner, he remembered he had eyes, and they were closed. Feeling like he was about to lift a two-ton boulder, he gathered all his strength, and soon managed to open them.

He was in some kind of room he didn't immediately recognize. He could quickly tell it didn't belong in either a hospital nor hotel. It was more homely than either, with wooden furniture and other various signs that it was lived in. The sunlight that streamed through the windows on his left told him it was between early and mid-afternoon. For a moment, he wondered if this was in fact his own room; but he couldn't remember, and the thought was very unwelcome. Suddenly, the wet and rough thing was back at his temple. "Ah!" he hissed again. "Ouch!"

"Sorry," the voice apologized. "My aunt told me if you woke up you shouldn't go back to sleep." Upon hearing her, he heartily agreed. The last thing he wanted was to descend back into those horrible depths where he lost all concepts of time and space. What he did want, he suddenly recalled, was to find out the identity of his new guardian angel. Once again gathering his strength, he slowly turned his head to the right just enough to finally see her in full for the first time. There she was, sitting on the edge of his bed. And he couldn't deny it. He liked what he saw.

She obviously was not the first woman he'd ever seen, but this one was certainly a sight for his sore eyes. He had the faintest urge to run his fingers through her long, beautiful, pink tresses, and he couldn't recall another pair of magenta-colored eyes that looked as warm as these. Even if she was a bit disheveled and her features looked somewhat dim and tired, that told him she'd gone out of her way to make sure he was well, which in turn endeared her all the more to him. I've seen her before, he then realized. I know I have. But…why can I not remember when?

"Hi," she spoke in her soft, sweet tone again. "How do you feel?"

Not wanting to upset her with the skull-splitting description, he instead croaked hoarsely, "Like I'm…gonna be sick."

Immediately, the girl took up a small glass, raised his head slightly with her spare hand, and put the rim to his lips. "Here, drink this water," she instructed him. With her help, as slowly and carefully as he could, he drank, and wanted to groan in relief as the cool liquid quenched his thirst. Once he finished it all, the young woman took away the glass and replaced his head on the pillows. Now that he'd had some water, he was able to get out the next words on his mind.

"W-what happened to me?" he breathed wearily. Suddenly, he wondered if the stinging sensation at the side of his head had anything to do with it.

But when he lifted his hand toward it, the girl swiftly stopped him. "No, don't!" she shook her head. "Don't touch it." She moved his hand back down, adding, "In fact, don't move at all."

In spite of the warning in her new tone of voice, he couldn't help but crack a smile. "Not even my mouth?" he asked jokingly.

The girl returned his smile and chuckled. It sounded so adorable that he grinned even more. "Only if you chew me out when I look at your head."

His face then fell as he remembered what he needed to know. "Yeah," he replied, "which brings me back to my original question. What happened to me?"

The girl's smile fell as well, and the wide-eyed look on her face told him she was alarmed. "Wait a minute." She leaned slightly forward, her gaze almost imploring as she asked, "What's my name? Where did we meet and when?"

Once her questions registered in his mind, he had the strongest feeling that he should know. This pretty young woman was too familiar for him not to. And yet, despite not wanting to disappoint her, there was only one honest answer he could give. "I…I don't know."

She hung her head as though despondent and groaned in dismay. "Oh no!"

Though he'd been told not to move, he leaned forward as she'd done, and did his best to ignore the dizziness that filled his head. "What? What's wrong?"

She looked back up – making him rest his head back on the pillows – and the sadness in her eyes reached deep within him. "I was afraid this would happen. My aunt said you might suffer some memory loss."

Now his own eyes went wide as he wondered what people he'd fallen into the custody of, even if they were helping him. "Who?"

"My aunt," the girl repeated. "She's the one you should thank for treating your injury. If it weren't for her…" She paused briefly, and he thought he saw her visibly shudder for a second. "I don't wanna think about it."

Neither did he. Still, wanting to lift her spirits, he lifted the corners of his mouth. "Well, tell her I said thank you." He then frowned, adding, "And I hate to admit it, but she was right. I think I know you, but, I'm not sure."

The girl looked straight at him again, her lips pressed together in a firm line. "Well, you have to remember something," she insisted, though he could tell she was frustrated for him rather than with him. As if realizing how she might be sounding, her tone and eyes softened, and she asked, "Can you at least tell me your name? You were about to tell me before…" She trailed off, as though searching for the right words. "Before everything went down."

He closed his eyes, this time in concentration. What was his name…? Of course, he thought once he came upon it. How could I forget my own name? He reopened his eyes, and said, "Ry–" Just as fast as he'd found it, he lost it once more, and let out a small noise of vexation. "Sorry. I know what it is, really."

"Don't push yourself too hard," the girl encouraged him. "You tell me when you're ready."

He nodded, and searched his mind more thoroughly. He truly did know what his name was. It was just a matter of translating his thinking to speaking. Eventually, as soon as he was certain he had it, he said, "My name is Ryo. Ryo…Sanada."

Her dark pink eyes lit up, and he was satisfied that he'd pleased her by remembering. "You're sure that's your name?" she asked in a tone that was both innocent and teasing.

Wanting to humor her more, Ryo chuckled lightheartedly. "It's the only one I've got." The girl smiled again, and this time it met her eyes, making her even prettier than before. Both of them then shared a soft laugh, as though finding solace in knowing each felt as awkward as the other.

"Well, since you can't remember, I might as well tell you my name again," she said. This time, Ryo felt his own eyes light up, curious to know the name of the one who'd rescued him. "My name is Akane. Akane Otani."

Akane… Ryo quickly put the name to memory, not wanting to forget it again. He smirked slightly to himself when he realized her name meant "deep red." Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice. "Nice to meet you, Akane."

Once more, Akane's smile met her eyes. "You said the same thing when we first met." Just then, her gaze rested on the side of his head, and she added with sudden concern, "That reminds me, I should probably replace the bandage."

He knew he shouldn't, but when Akane turned to get the things she needed, Ryo touched his hand to his temple, and wondered how he hadn't felt the bandage wrapped around his head before. He swiftly put his hand back down when Akane faced him again, not wanting to get in trouble with her a second time, when he suddenly became aware of just what was going on. "Wait a minute, you're gonna do it yourself?"

"Yeah," she nodded, as though it were obvious. "I may not have the experience with people that my aunt does. But if there's one thing I've learned from being a vet intern, it's how to apply bandages." Without another word, she got to work.

With the most careful of touches, she unwound the bandage, releasing pressure Ryo hadn't known he'd been feeling until then. And though he couldn't see the damage for himself, judging by the blood that'd stained the dressing, and the way Akane bit her lip when she turned her attention to his temple, he knew it mustn't be a pretty sight. Akane's next words confirmed it for him. "It really is kind of a miracle you turned out as well as you did. You must be pretty tough."

Ryo smiled softly, taking that last sentence as a compliment, when he realized he still didn't know how he'd ended up here. Wanting to ease into it, and still having trouble translating his words from thoughts to speech, he chose them carefully. "How long was I out?"

"Since yesterday," Akane replied. She then placed a first-aid kit on the bedside table next to him, opened it, and took out a small bottle. She must've seen the curiosity on his face, because she said, "Disinfectant." After shaking it a couple times, she sprayed it on a cotton swab. "This might sting a bit."

Though he'd already had a feeling it would, Ryo nodded. "Thanks for the warning." He held still and gritted his teeth as she pressed the cotton to his wound. She was right, it did sting, but only for a couple seconds. Even so, it was enough to make Ryo wonder just how badly he'd been hurt, which in turn made him more eager than ever to know how it'd happened in the first place.

As though she'd read his mind, Akane said, "If you want, I could distract you by telling you what happened. You've already asked me twice. Besides…" She frowned and added in a tone indicating guilt, "It was kinda my fault."

Ryo lifted his eyebrows in concern. Surely this young lady who'd been nothing but sweet and kind toward him could've caused him such grave injury? Even so, he gave her his utmost attention as she recounted the tale while treating him.

"It happened yesterday, like I said," Akane began. "It was early afternoon in downtown Kōfu. I'd been spending the day with my cousins, Anzu and Atsumi, and we were thinking about heading home. I was walking behind them, until I heard someone trip behind me. I looked, and there you were." She gave him a brief but emphasizing glance. "I don't know why you were there, and I don't think you could tell me now if you really have lost your memory. But I guess that's beside the point. Hold still again for me."

Ryo tried not to wince as she placed the dressing over his temple and then wrapped the new bandage over and around it. Instead, he listened as Akane picked up where she left off. "I don't know about you. But even though we'd never even seen each other before until then, it was like we had a bit of a…connection, so to speak." As if uncomfortable with trying to find a way to put it, she quickly went on. "I told you my name, but before you could tell me yours, this crazy earthquake just erupted out of nowhere."

Ryo's eyes widened even more this time when she said the word "earthquake." In that instant, it was as though the darkness that had completely eclipsed his sense of recollection had begun to lift. But even then, not by much, like replacing a moonless and starless night with black fog and shadows moving through it. Close, but no cigar. Nonetheless, he continued listening to Akane.

"We were all really freaking out. I mean, why wouldn't we? It was an earthquake!" She let out a coping chuckle before going on. "Anyway, you volunteered to help me and my cousins get to our car. We ran hard, and we were just about to make it when…" Akane bit her lip again as a wave of guilt crossed her face. "I fell." She then donned the distant-eyed look of one recalling a harrowing event.

"I then saw some flaming debris falling toward me," Akane spoke somewhat absentmindedly. "I thought I was gonna die." Ryo didn't like her expression, nor the way she was talking. But she soon snapped herself out of it and turned back toward him. "But then you pulled me up and pushed me out of the way." She hung her head in that same despondent way from before. "That was when you got knocked out by some of the debris."

In a similar way, Ryo was struck with realization. Even if he couldn't recall the event like she could, it did make sense. "No wonder I was out for a whole day," he remarked, then pinpointed one more thing that remained puzzling to him. "No offense but, why am I here and not in a hospital?"

As if appreciative of the change in subject, Akane replied, "Here is my house. And my cousins and I tried taking you to the ER. But when we got there, it was too crowded. And all the others we knew about were too far away, where you were concerned. That's when I came up with the idea to bring you here, to my Aunt Hina. She used to be a trauma nurse, so I figured a case like yours would be right up her alley. And thankfully, it was."

When Ryo let her words sink in, he couldn't help but stare in awe at Akane and how she'd done so much for him already despite barely even knowing him. He definitely owed her much, that was certain. "Well, if what you said is true – not that I think it isn't – I have a lot to thank you and your family for, Akane."

Though her remorseful frown remained, Akane replied, "You're welcome…" With a sigh, she added, "I only wish I hadn't fallen when I did and threatened your life in the first place. It's bad enough that you lost your memory." She then ran a hand down her face, and Ryo found himself wanting to take that hand in his.

Instead, he said, "Well, in that case, if you ask me, better for me to lose my memory than for you to lose your life. I at least have the chance of getting my memory back. Once a life is gone, it's gone. What matters is that we helped each other when we needed it. Don't take it personally."

Akane rewarded Ryo's efforts with the return of her smile. "Ironic," she said, then elaborated, "I'm the one taking care of you, and yet you find it necessary to comfort me. But…thanks."

"No problem," Ryo smiled back. "It's the least I can do. In fact, it's the only thing I can do, being confined to this bed." The two then laughed softly together a second time, until Akane let out a light gasp.

"That reminds me," she said as she stood up. "I should probably tell my aunt that you're awake. She'll wanna have a look at you. And besides, there are some other things I should be doing." With a shrug of her shoulders and a shy look on her face, she added, "Sorry."

"Oh no, you're alright," Ryo lightly shook his head, understanding that she meant no offense. "If you do have to leave, I don't wanna keep you. I just hope your aunt is as nice as you."

"Oh, don't worry," Akane shook her head as she turned toward the door on the other side of the room, but not before Ryo thought he saw her cheeks blushing. "She's a little bossy, but like I said, she used to be a trauma nurse." She looked at him one more time over her shoulder, lifting the corners of her mouth for him in a way that lit up her face. "Anyway, I'll talk to you later, Ryo. I'm glad I was able to help."

"Okay," Ryo nodded again, already feeling like he was going to miss her. "Thanks again, Akane. I'll see you later." Akane mimicked his gesture, then left the room and closed the door behind her, leaving Ryo alone once more, but in a far more peaceful solitude than the one before.

In the hallway, Akane sighed in relief and regret. Relief at having found an excuse to get away from how awkward things were getting between her and Ryo – nice though it was – and regret at having taken a rather hasty leave. Of course, she would've had to eventually. After all, it was her aunt who should be in charge of helping Ryo recover, not her. Still, she hoped it wouldn't be too long before she could talk with him again, or that he would regain his memory. There was so much she wanted to know about him. But for now, she had to report to Hina in the living room.

Although pleased that he was now awake, had drank some water, and didn't seem to suffer any side-effects beyond his memory loss, Hina frowned with disapproval when Akane told her she'd replaced the bandage herself. "I know how much you want to help, Akane," she said. "That's why I let you sleep on the floor next to him. But you should've come to me and let me replace the bandage."

Akane returned her aunt's frown, though hers was one of frustration. "What? You don't think I could do a good job? I may have worked with animals instead of people, but the principles are mostly the same."

"Regardless," Hina countered before softening her tone, "I'm glad you went as far as you did to help this young man. But even though I'm no longer on the frontlines, I still think some parts of taking care of someone in this way are best left to me."

Though Akane wanted to argue her case further, she quickly concluded it would be pointless. "Fine," she huffed, realizing too late how immature she sounded. "I was just trying to help."

Hina smiled sympathetically. "I know, dear. I'm just trying to look out for you. For now, go find your cousins and ask if they need help with anything." Without another word, Hina headed for the stairs, leaving Akane to gaze after her until she disappeared to the next floor.

She didn't need anyone to tell her what lay beneath her aunt's words. What Hina really didn't want was for things to get too familiar between her patient and her niece. As if there was any chance of that. After all, what guy would want to get to know a girl who almost got him killed? One who said it was worth it, a silent voice of reason whispered. Even so, Akane shook her head. It was Hina she should be concerned about now. For a moment, she allowed the events of yesterday to replay in her head.

Akane remembered clearly the hopelessness she'd been swamped with upon seeing how many people had come to the hospital where she'd brought Ryo. She remembered protesting when Anzu suggested they take him to another. "They're all too out of the way!" Akane had insisted. "There's no chance he'd make it!"

That was when she'd realized there was someone who could help, a former ER nurse who lived with her and her cousins just outside the city. It was still far, but certainly nearer than all the other hospitals, which had likely been just as jammed with traffic as that one. Akane knew she'd be asking a lot – she still was, having convinced Hina to allow a complete stranger to stay in their house – but in that moment, Ryo's life was the most important thing to her, and so she'd brought him to her home as though bringing back an injured stray dog.

Hina had been understandably appalled at first. But as soon as Akane explained everything to her aunt in the fastest and clearest possible way, Hina took Ryo's case without hesitation and worked tirelessly for the next couple hours to sew his gash shut. Akane knew she'd never be able to thank her aunt enough, especially considering she'd all but begged to be allowed to sleep in Ryo's room – the guestroom – in case he needed anything. Indeed, ever since learning her Uncle Yoji disappeared yesterday during the earthquake, she'd felt guilty for pushing Hina so much.

Such were Akane's thoughts when she noticed Anzu had entered the living room. Turning to face her cousin, she asked anxiously, "Any news about Uncle Yoji?" She was immediately disheartened when Anzu answered by frowning and shaking her head.

"No texts, calls, or anything," Anzu replied. "Then again, it's not like he'd be able to given what the news has been saying." She let out a sad sigh, but then she quickly replaced it with a look of resolve. "I know my dad; he's tough. He's not the kinda guy to just go down in flames." Upon hearing Anzu's words – specifically the way she'd put them – Akane suddenly felt far more worried than before, and her cousin seemed to catch it. "Oh. Sorry, Akane; what I meant to say is–"

"No, no, it's fine, Anzu," Akane hastily reassured her, and herself. "If anything, I agree with you. I wouldn't be surprised if a ton more people are in the same situation. We can't jump to conclusions without positive proof."

Her words had the desired effect, and Anzu seemed all the more determined. "You're right; thanks, Akane. Wanna come help me bring in the horses?"

Grateful for an opportunity to distract them both, and with something Akane particularly liked, she nodded eagerly. "You got it!"

In addition to Akane and her family, five horses – three geldings and two mares – also called the Otani property home. Having always been a lover of animals, especially horses, Akane loved them all, but only a white mare named Ikezuki held her heart. It was of course an ideal place to keep them, as Yamanashi was a mostly rural prefecture. Not to mention the surrounding area made for great riding, which had always been one of Akane's absolute favorite things to do. But she'd barely walked ten paces from the house when she heard Atsumi behind her. "So…? Tell me what happened."

Giving into impulse, Akane turned around to face her younger cousin. "Tell you what happened?" she asked in a puzzled tone.

Atsumi stood up from where she'd been leaning against the wall of the house and strode over to Akane, arms crossed. "Like you don't know!" she teased. "Our new patient is cute, isn't he?"

"Our new–?" Akane stopped upon finding out where Atsumi was going with this. Oh great! she groaned inwardly. First Aunt Hina, now Atsumi! "That's no way to talk about Ryo!" Immediately, she hissed in frustration, having realized too late that she'd accidentally given further fuel to Atsumi's ridiculous imaginings.

And to make matters worse, her cousin noticed, if her raised eyebrows were any indication. "Ryo!" she exclaimed in an intrigued and obviously exaggerated tone. "So that's his name! Sounds just as handsome as he looks!"

"Cut it out, Atsumi!" Akane snapped. "Nothing's going on between me and Ryo. I'm just making sure he's okay. Besides, it's none of your business. And what about the other man important to us, your dad and my uncle? He's the one you should be concerned for!"

Atsumi's countenance then changed entirely from playful teasing to one of dejection and hurt, and Akane knew she'd once more said the wrong thing. But before she could apologize, Atsumi showed Akane her back, and hurried back into the house.

"Wait, Atsumi–!" Akane tried calling out to her cousin, only to be cut off when Atsumi slammed the door shut behind her. Akane then curled her fingers into fists, wishing she had something to hit with them. "Dang it!" she hissed again, when she suddenly remembered where she was and what she'd come out here to do.

Akane spun around on her heels and headed once again in the direction of the fields where the horses were grazing. Anzu quickly turned her head when her cousin looked her way, and Akane decided that was best. But even as she continued past Anzu, she realized that not only had she soured things between her and Atsumi – she'd failed in distracting herself from her own increasing worry and fear for her uncle's wellbeing.

Darkness once more surrounded Ryo. On the paradoxical bright side, it wasn't the black of that bottomless ocean of forgetfulness, but the familiar darkness of nighttime broken by the light of countless stars and the full moon. He stared at the clock on the bedside table, which read two in the morning, and let out a tired groan. As far as he knew, he was the only one in the house who wasn't asleep. Ironic, given he was the one who'd suffered a serious head injury. That thought made him release another groan, this time in frustration.

Ever since he'd first regained consciousness, no matter how hard he tried, Ryo couldn't make his mental fog lift. Even when Mrs. Otani handed him a phone she'd said had fallen from his pocket – much to his relief – nothing about it jogged any memories. It certainly didn't help that the wallpaper was a landscape with no people in it, and was locked by a code he of course couldn't recall. Yet even if he could, he couldn't call anybody, since the news had earlier said that phone signals had been all but annihilated due to the earthquake.

And so here he was, tossing and turning, wanting to rest yet also avoid that watery world of hopelessness he'd plunged into after being knocked out. Ryo's thoughts then turned to wondering if there were any loved ones in his life. Surely there must be, even if he couldn't remember them. Were they searching for him? Were they at all safe like he was? Ryo bunched the bedsheets in his fist. Would he never regain his memory? Would he be doomed to mentally wander in his amnesia forever?

Either way, one thing was certain – he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Although he knew he'd otherwise be scolded for this, Ryo found no point in staying in bed. Tossing the covers aside, he quickly made the mistake of immediately shooting to his feet. The dizziness from earlier returned with a vengeance, making him feel as though he were standing on a boat being tossed by the sea. At the very least, his head wasn't hurting as bad now, thanks to the painkillers Mrs. Otani had given him.

As soon as he was steady, Ryo slowly crossed the room toward the door, which wasn't too difficult, his eyes having long since adjusted to the dark. Ignoring the voices in his head demanding he turn back, he opened the door as quietly as he could and stepped into the hallway. He knew he was on the second floor, and couldn't help but wonder what the first looked like, not that he intended to go downstairs.

But as soon as he passed the first door on his left, Ryo halted as he thought he heard a noise in the room behind it. Though it was muffled, it sounded like a distressed moan. More, he had a feeling he knew who it came from. Daring the risk it posed to himself, Ryo tested the knob. Upon finding it unlocked, he opened the door ever so slightly, and then more fully when he was met with no opposition.

Despite seeing only half of it initially, Ryo knew he was right. This was Akane's room. At first, a slight thrill went through him at the knowledge that his room was right next to hers. But then he heard that distressed moan again, more clearly this time. He looked in its direction of origin, and caught sight of the girl who'd probably been tossing and turning as much as he'd been, judging by the strewn-about blankets.

Though her back was turned to him, when she let out a third moan that made his heart go out to her, Ryo inched closer and called out softly, "Akane?" She turned – or rather flopped – onto her back, causing him to halt. But her eyes remained closed. The moonlight streaming through the window revealed sweat on her forehead, making Ryo wonder if she was unwell. "Akane," he called again, a bit louder than before. "Are you alright?"

"No…" Akane groaned. "No…!" It didn't take long for Ryo to figure out she wasn't talking to him. Now he knew for certain what was wrong – she was having a nightmare. About what and/or whom, he couldn't guess. All Ryo knew was that he wanted to help her, just as she'd helped him.

"Akane!" Without hesitation, he rushed to the side of the bed, sat down, and placed his hands gingerly on the girl's shoulders. Immediately, she began fighting against him.

"No!" Akane raised her voice, and Ryo suddenly knew exactly what he needed to do.

"Akane, wake up!" he quietly urged her, his hold firm yet still gentle. Her eyes flew open, and went wide in alarm as soon as she saw she wasn't alone.

Before she could cry out, Ryo quickly shushed her. "Shh, Akane! It's alright. It's me, Ryo." He expected her to feel relieved, but Akane's eyes remained wide.

"Ryo?" she asked in disbelief. Without waiting for an answer, she leaned over to her bedside table and turned on the lamp, illuminating both their features. "What are you doing out of bed? And here?"

Although initially annoyed that he was being scolded like a little child, Ryo reminded himself that she was simply concerned about his head, as well as – he realized only then, much to his chagrin – the impropriety of the situation. "Sorry," he breathed, hoping the warmth on his face wasn't showing. "I didn't mean to scare you. I couldn't sleep. And from what I heard just now, I guessed you couldn't either."

"Oh," Akane breathed as she wrapped her arms and hands around her legs, then hugged them to her chest. "Then I'm the one who should apologize." She rested her head on one of her knees so that she was facing the window rather than him. Without thinking, Ryo scooted over and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, come on," he encouraged her. "Don't be embarrassed. We all have bad dreams every now and then. I should know." Without thinking, he asked, "Do you wanna talk about it? I mean, it's fine if you don't."

She faced him again and shook her head. "I'd rather not," she politely refused. "And may I remind you we aren't the only people in this house?"

"Oh." Ryo then recalled the door, and sighed when he saw it still open. As much as he would've liked to comfort Akane, the last thing he wanted was for the wrong people to get the wrong idea. "Okay then. Good night."

He was getting to his feet, when Akane wrapped her hand around his wrist. "Although," she said, a bit hesitant at first, "that doesn't mean you can't stay for a little while. If you want to, anyway…"

Ryo couldn't help but smile softly. It was as though she'd read his mind. If only she could do the same when it came to his memory. But he wasn't going to dwell on that, he decided as he sat back down next to Akane. And yet, to his discouragement, she turned her back to him again, drawing the covers over her shoulder. Still, he wasn't going to waste the few minutes he'd been allowed. Wanting to distract her from her woes, Ryo attempted what he'd thought would start a casual conversation. "I heard a door slamming today. Whatever it was, I hope it wasn't too bad."

"Oh, yeah." Akane held the covers tighter against herself. "I figured you'd hear it." When silence fell between them, she broke it first with a sigh of regret. "I was kinda mean to my cousin, Atsumi. Not that I meant to be. I was just…frustrated." Ryo nodded. Even if he'd only known this girl for a day, he'd figured early on that she wasn't the kind of person to just lash out at anyone for no reason. "It was about her dad, and my uncle," she explained. "Ever since the earthquake, we haven't been able to get in touch with him. I know a ton of people are probably in the same boat. But, still…"

Though she trailed off, Ryo could very much sense the distress that seemed to surround Akane more than the covers she attempted to hide behind. That was when he noticed one of her pale pink tresses had escaped the blankets. Ryo lifted his hand, wondering what it would be like to lift that lovely lock and tuck it behind her ear, but he quickly stopped himself. Instead, he said, "I don't know if this'll help, but you at least have someone to worry about. As far as I'm concerned, until I get my memory back, I'm on my own, with no one to worry about me, and no one for me to worry about."

He was starting to stare at the window like she was, when he heard Akane say, "That must be terrible." She let out another sigh, this time in frustration. "Oh, if only there was something I could do to help."

Ryo turned sharply toward her, scarcely believing what he'd just heard. "Are you kidding?" he asked redundantly. "If anyone were to ask me, you've already gone above and beyond what other people probably would've done to help me."

Just as sharply, Akane turned her head to face him for the first time since she'd invited him to stay. "And I'd do it again!" Realizing then that she'd raised her voice, she added more quietly, "But if your amnesia never clears, I don't think I could ever forgive myself!"

"Hey," Ryo retorted just as passionately, "we already talked about this. I've already forgiven you. You told me not to push myself too hard; I don't think you should either."

Akane leaned forward slightly, but then seemed to have thought better of whatever she intended to say, because she turned away from him and back toward the window. "You're right," she replied softly. "Maybe I do care too much."

I wouldn't say that, Ryo thought to say back. But having just discovered he didn't like arguing with Akane, he left it at that. Instead, he fished for a more pleasant topic of discussion, until he caught something he was confident would work. "I also heard horses outside. You own some?"

Akane faced him once more, and Ryo wanted to leap for joy at how his words seemed to have lit up her eyes. "Yeah, five of them." Her gaze then brightened even more as though she'd just come up with a great idea. "In fact, if my aunt says you're well enough to get out of bed – which, well, you clearly are – would you like me to show you, tomorrow?"

"Oh yeah," Ryo nodded eagerly. "That'd be great. It'd be nice to get some fresh air. At this point, I'm probably gonna need all I can get."

Akane laughed softly. "The sooner the better then!" Suddenly, she then frowned, glanced at the door still waiting to be closed, and added, "For right now though, I think you'd better get back to bed."

Disappointed that his time with Akane had ended so soon, Ryo let his own smile fall as well. "Yeah, maybe I should," he reluctantly agreed. He gave the girl in front of him one last reassuring glance, and added in a matching tone, "Hope you sleep better, Akane."

Akane briefly looked away, but then graced him with one more chance to see her pretty profile. "And I hope you sleep period, Ryo. Good night." She then reached for the lamp and turned it back off.

"Good night," Ryo returned her farewell. But after he stood up from her bedside and headed for her door, he heard Akane softly call out to him one last time.

"Ryo?" He looked over his shoulder, and was momentarily stunned at how the moonlight highlighted her hair so that it was almost glowing. "Thank you."

Despite not knowing exactly what she was thanking him for, and realizing then that he needed to quit staring at her, Ryo dipped his chin. "You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow." Without another word, he entered the hallway, closed her door, and headed quietly back to his room without any trouble. Even with Akane's encouragement, Ryo still didn't know if he was going to get any sleep. But at least he now had something positive to think about; something to look forward to.

Yet even as he settled back into his own bed, Ryo couldn't shake this sense of puzzlement. He'd known Akane only for one day, and yet, he'd felt such a strong connection with her. Had he known her longer than he thought? She'd said they'd met only yesterday, hardly enough time to give credence to this bond he felt between them. There has to be some other reason, Ryo thought as he finally began drifting off to sleep. But what…?

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