Hey, everybody!
I'm back again with the next instalment of Angel Beats: The Perfect Name. Sorry for the extensive delay, a lot has been happening these past months including my computer crashing so I lost ALL MY STORIES and had to start again from scratch. I am happy to see that people seem to be enjoying this story so far though. Hopefully, this instalment will have been worth the wait.
Authors note(s): This chapter contains scenes relating to illness, so any sensitive viewers please be cautious!
For any first-time reader's I will quickly point out one thing about the layout of my FanFiction's. Normally anything in italics represents a flashback, i.e. something that happened in the past. I am sure that most of you have read enough of my stories by now to realise this. For this chapter, however, which takes place solely in the past I am going to try something a little different.
Also, if you haven't read any of my other stories and this is your first stop THEN PLEASE, CHECK OUT THE REST!
Also, I KNOW that the fan-base for Otonashi and Iwasawa is probably quite small, which is one reason I am writing this story; it is something different, and more importantly – I like it! For anyone who was expecting Otonashi and Kanade, please remember that I am a fan of this couple too, and when / if I think of a good story concerning them I shall write one.
Finally, just in case anyone was expecting more characters, do not worry, additional members of the Battlefront WILL make a cameo in this segment, and some will appear in subsequent chapters.
This chapter is going to set the tone for the rest of the story. Right, I think that is enough said. One last thing, and then we can get underway.
Disclaimer: As you have probably guessed by now; Angel Beats and its characters do not belong to me! This story is non-canon and written purely for entertainment purposes! No copyright infringement intended.
Ok, everybody please enjoy!
Updated: 26th June 2021
Chapter 2 – Health and Safety!
Twelve years ago
Much to Otonashi's chagrin, Iwasawa's prediction came true. Despite their best effort's, his footslog in the bad weather took its toll and he ended up coming down with a high fever. The first indication that something was wrong was when he tried to get to sleep that night; a difficult task given the nature of the weather outside. Despite the warm bath, Otonashi's nose was now blocked and his throat clogged.
He eventually drifted silently into the world of slumber … only to be confronted by a nightmare. His dream was a collection of swirling images and jumbled voices, recollections from his past. Sweating profusely, Otonashi rolled over in his sofa bed many times. His brow twitched and he moaned incessantly, but no matter how much he willed it, Otonashi simply could not escape from the unwelcome memories.
"You worthless piece of trash!" a man's voice shouted. This was followed by a loud 'whack' and a pain-filled cry from Otonashi as he was sent crashing to the floor.
…Hatsune delightedly hugged a new manga edition. She turned to look at her brother smiling …
..."Bro – thank you!" They were outside now. It was Christmas day, a cold winter's night. Hatsune was clinging to Otonashi's back. Grateful, she breathed the words that had brought him so much comfort for what would be the last time...
...Otonashi's eyes shot open and with a gasp he found himself lying flat on his back, staring up at the stars. He was wearing an unfamiliar uniform...
... "Otonashi" Igarashi's voice was pleading...
..."Oto-Otonash-Otonashi". Yes, he realised, that was his name ...
...There was a girl kneeling across from him. She had lavender hair with a green ribbon hanging loose on one side. To Otonashi's astonishment, she was staring down the scope of a rifle...
…"We are Not Yet Dead Battlefront!"…
...He was standing in the 'Principals office' alongside Yuri and the other members of the battlefront...
...Kanade cocked her head to the side curiously. Her face was expressionless as Otonashi spoke to her for the first time...
...Hinata gave him a thumb's up ...
...Yuri directed her hands towards a girl with short pinkish-red hair and introduced her. The girl's name was Masami Iwasawa …
... Masami nodded, but did not speak. There was an aura of calmness and a cool beauty about her...
...Otonashi blinked as he stared at the musician...
...Hinata and Takafumi were thumping him on the back...
…"This is so stupid!" A second voice said …
... He was standing alongside Shiina, Fujimaki and Naoi, looking at something down one of the corridors...
..."You want to die?" Noda asked, advancing towards him halberd at the ready...
...Kanade turned on the spot. She was bathed in radiant sunlight...
…"Are you trying to disrespect me, I am God remember!"…
...Naoi, leant away as Yui jumped up and grabbed Hinata from behind...
...The Shadows were closing in...
..."Yuzuru?" Kanade called out in concern. She was standing over his prostrate form, a set of angelic wings stretched out behind her...
...Iwasawa stood in front of him, one hand resting against his cheek. Otonashi closed the distance between them and kissed her...
...They were in a garden and Masami was laughing. Arms outstretched she spun on the spot. After failing to catch a passing butterfly, she smiled warmly and affectionately in his direction...
...Girl's Dead Monster was now performing Crow's Song, but Otonashi could only hear Iwasawa's laughter as they watched from the side-lines...
...Otonashi, TK, Ooyama and Matsushita had their guns drawn and were firing upon Kanade. The petite girl either managed to dodge all of their bullets or slashed them apart with her magical swords...
...Hisako, Yui, Sekine and Irie all screamed as the Shadows swatted them aside...
...Otonashi, Hinata and Yuri were all bleeding from extensive injuries, yet they continued to face down the Shadows...
..."We need to thank Yuri at some point" Masami was saying, a hand resting upon her swollen stomach. They were in the garden again and Masami was leaning against Otonashi, who had his arm around her shoulders. He was watching her affectionately with tears in his eyes...
..."You will never be missed!" a woman was saying cruelly...
...Otonashi stood alone in the dormitory room that he shared with Hinata. In his hand was a framed photograph. He was staring at it longingly...
…"I don't know why we even bothered having you in the first place!"…
...Otonashi was standing in the middle of the 'Principal's office' again with his head bowed. The remaining battlefront members were all looking at him sympathetically...
...The wind ruffled Otonashi's hair slightly as he stood alone on the rooftops, watching the sun go down. The fingers of his right hand clutched the fourth finger of his left, which now bore a slightly pale stripe...
..."No I won't, you are dead to me!" Otonashi declared...
...Looking utterly betrayed, Iwasawa lashed out and struck Otonashi hard across the face...
...There was the sound of a door slamming...
...Followed by a second...
...He watched the wind carried the pieces of paper away...
...Hinata placed a comforting hand on his shoulder...
...A depressed Otonashi walked down the corridor, clutching Takafumi for support...
...Kanade sat above him on a stone wall. Seeing that he was suffering, she reached out and touched his head gently. Otonashi looked up to see her smiling. A few seconds later, he smiled as well. Pale white feathers drifted around them...
..."Thanks so much for everything" he said gratefully...
...He was hugging Kanade...
...Yuri was hugging Kanade...
...Otonashi, Yuri, Kanade, Hinata and Naoi stood in the empty assembly hall...
..."I will never forget what you did for me"...
...Iwasawa was wearing a makeshift veil. Beaming, she lifted his left hand and placed a paper ring around his finger. In the background, the other members of Girl's Dead Monster cheered and applauded...
"I'll never forget what any of you did for me!"
... The Battlefront at large was smiling at him...
...Naoi smiled at him...
...So did Hinata...
...Yuri...
...Iwasawa...
..."Never"...
... and finally, Kanade!
Otonashi woke with a start throwing the covers off himself. He sat up slightly, only to gasp and fall back down again. His symptoms were much more pronounced now, leaving him unable to stand upright or move about. Otonashi scrunched his eyes up, head pounding and vision blurred. The slightly tight pyjamas that had been provided stuck to him like a wet flannel.
His skin was saturated and so were the pillows. Despite the relative thickness of the blanket and warmth of the apartment, Otonashi found himself shivering. His breathing was heavy and laboured. Flecks of spit lined the corner of his mouth and his eyes were bloodshot.
A loud clap of thunder from outside startled Otonashi. He had completely forgotten about the storm. Mind clouded, he looked around frantically for the source of the noise, but his eyes were still half closed from a combination of pain and sleep. From his position on the futon, the only things that Otonashi could see were a set of small furnishings and several scrunched-up pieces of paper, which littered the floor. In his groggy condition, Otonashi did not recognise any of them. A second later, he realised that this was not his bedroom. His surroundings were completely alien and unfamiliar to him!
Panicking slightly, he tried to sit up again. He rolled onto his side and started to prop himself up with an elbow. This only made his headache worse and ten seconds later, he gave up and collapsed. A deep hacking cough took over him, forcing Otonashi to close his eyes. He clutched his forehead with his left hand, as the right one rested upon his heaving chest. After applying a bit of pressure, the pain abated somewhat. This did nothing to dull his other senses however. Otonashi's body felt heavy and numb, whilst his arms and legs were leaden. Reaching out blindly with his right hand Otonashi seized the hem of the blanket and tried to wrap it securely around his waist, feeling like a caterpillar in a half-finished cocoon. His throat was parched.
Otonashi was panting so heavily, his eyes squeezed so tightly shut that he did not notice a light switch on. A second later, the room darkened as a shadow fell across him. Nor did he hear the soft creaking of the floorboards as a set of slipper-clad feet trudged silently towards him. Neither did he register the soft 'thud' as something was set down alongside him, followed by the faint sound of sloshing water.
It was only when someone gently lowered his arms that Otonashi realised he was no longer alone. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw a familiar figure with pinkish red hair leaning over him. In her hand, was something pale white. A second later, he felt her gently wash his face. Some of the water dribbled into his eyes. Blinking rapidly, he was soon able to clear his vision.
Iwasawa's expression was one of neutral concern. She continued to gently wipe away the moisture with a damp rag, whilst still holding his right wrist for support.
"I told you, you shouldn't have stayed out in that storm for as long as you did" she said in a direct, but gentle manner. Withdrawing the flannel, she dipped it into a bowl of cold water. "Looks as if I should have given you more than cocoa and just one batch of medicine though doesn't it?"
Otonashi blinked silently as the water started trickling down his cheekbones and across his cracked lips. Iwasawa was dressed in a pink dressing gown, worn over a set of grey-blue pyjamas. By the looks of things, she had not been up for long either. Otonashi tried to say something, but all that came out was a hoarse gurgle. His throat hurt too much and it felt as if his tongue was swollen.
Masami removed the flannel from his face and pressed a forefinger to his lips. "Ssshh, don't speak" she said softly. Setting the cloth to one side, she reached into the pocket of her dressing gown and took out a box of cold medicine. Extracting two tablets, Iwasawa shuffled sideways so that she was closer towards Otonashi's dorsal end.
"Open!" she commanded holding out the pills delicately between her forefinger and thumb.
Parting his lips, Otonashi gagged slightly as she dropped the tablets into his mouth. He breathed deeply, watching silently as Iwasawa then picked up a glass of water. Turning back to Otonashi, Masami considered him for a moment, then shuffled a little closer. Slipping her left arm underneath his shoulders, she helped him to sit up. Otonashi winced slightly, as this change in elevation made his head throb. He was rewarded however, by Iwasawa holding out the cup of thirst-quenching water to him.
"Here, drink this down" she said placing the rim against his mouth. With a soft sigh, Otonashi sipped it gratefully. As the cool refreshing liquid washed away the pills and saturated his aching throat-line, Otonashi opened his eyes again and suddenly realised just how close he actually was to Iwasawa.
All of a sudden, the events of the previous day came flooding back to him. Otonashi's eyes widened, as he suddenly recalled how it had all happened. From someone shouting at him to be invited to stay at Iwasawa's apartment. Then, Yuzuru Otonashi not only recalled the visions from his dream, but also remembered how he had first met Iwasawa.
Afterlife. Unknown amount of time ago.
Otonashi, who could still not remember his first name, was wandering around the school by his lonesome. Having politely turned down Hinata's offer of a guided tour, he had now visited several buildings including the gym, cafeteria, function rooms and assembly hall. Despite the lovely weather and intriguing observations, he had yet to acclimatise to the notion of being dead and 'living' in the afterlife.
Eventually, he came across what appeared to be an empty classroom. As he listened closely however, Otonashi realised that he could hear music. Intrigued, he went over to have a look. Upon opening the door, he saw four figures, all dressed in the battlefront uniform, playing various instruments. The only person that he recognised was standing in the middle of the group. This was Masami Iwasawa who, according to Yuri, was the leader of the battlefront's diversionary unit. Otonashi quickly realised that the other three girls, who he later learned were called Hisako, Sekine and Irie must be the other members of the unit.
Their practice session was ended when a string broke on Hisako's guitar. To spare the brunettes feelings, Iwasawa called for a break and Sekine ran off to get some drinks. Whilst Hisako and Irie tended to the broken instrument, Iwasawa happened to look in Otonashi's direction. Acting on a small whim, he waved at her. With a small smile, she set aside her own guitar and came over to him. The rest as they say, was history!
End of Flashback
Otonashi's insides tightened and his shoulders stiffened.
"Is everything alright?" Iwasawa asked, now giving him her full attention. Otonashi looked at her and for a quarter of a second, they looked straight into each other's eyes. A moment later, some of the water accidently went down the wrong way.
The effect was immediate. Otonashi spluttered and choked. Ignoring the pain that ran through his body, he sat bolt upright, put his knees up to his chest and doubled over. Still at his side, Iwasawa drew the cup away and began thumping him lightly on the back. Head spinning, Otonashi eventually managed to place a hand across his mouth and held it there until the rest of the coughing subsided.
Once it was over, he tried to steady himself, breathing heavily through his mouth and blocked nose. Upon feeling slightly better and with tears still in his eyes, it was several seconds before he turned to look at Iwasawa, who was still supporting him. Otonashi wanted to say thank you, but upon seeing her expression he faltered.
Her right hand tightened around the glass, whilst the nails of her left hand were digging into his shoulder. Unfortunately, Otonashi quickly realised that he had accidently coughed all over her. He winced, but for once it had nothing to do with his illness. He caught his breath, which brought on another coughing fit. Otonashi practically slammed the back of his wrist against his mouth. He looked at Iwasawa guilty, but she glared back at him.
"I'm so ... [cough] so ...orry ..." he rasped in a cracked, hoarse voice that was barely reminiscent of his own.
Iwasawa did not acknowledge the apology and continued to glower at him. Removing her hand from his back, she pushed him none too gently back into a horizontal position. She then got to her feet and set off without a change in her expression, her free hand now balled into a fist. Otonashi cursed himself for not being able to control himself. She had been trying to help him and this was how he repaid her. Closing his eyes, he placed both palms across his face and continued to quietly tell himself off.
There was the sound of a door opening and the apartment suddenly became a lot breezier. Otonashi shivered in response to the change in temperature. Taking one hand off his face, he made a grab for the blanket and pulled it towards his chest. He could hear the loud pounding of rain followed by an extremely loud clap of thunder. A second later, the door slammed shut, making him jump.
The effects of the cold did not wear off immediately however, and in his delicate condition, Otonashi continued shivering long after Masami shut the front door. Panting heavily, he thought he could hear the loud 'funk' of glass being dropped against something hard. This was followed by the sound of running water and the subsequent shuffling of footsteps. Then a second door opened, accompanied by another loud slamming noise. Finally, Iwasawa turned around and walked back towards him, dropping down next to him with a 'thud'!
Otonashi finally peeled the fingers away from his eyes to find her staring down at him again. The disapproving look was still on her face as she reached out towards him, with a set of tissues tucked neatly between her fingers.
"Here, take these and blow!" she commanded firmly pressing the thin bits of paper against his nostrils. He did not object, replacing her hand with his own. Iwasawa turned her head in the opposite direction, a look of disgust on her face. She reached into the pocket of her pyjama trousers and extracted a bottle of hand cleanser, then began to massage a liberal amount between her fingers.
"That's your glass from now on. There's no way in hell I am ever using it again!" she said matter of factly. Otonashi chuckled heartily at her small, whilst breathing the fresh air properly for the first time all day. "Would you like another one?" she asked, nodding towards the small box next to her.
Otonashi shook his head slightly. "Alright," Iwasawa said, "but you're in charge of your own drink and nostrils from now on!" she said pointing a finger straight at him to emphasise her point. There was still a small amount of hostility present in her voice, but she appeared to be more amenable now. "Just throw that anywhere, I'll clean it up later!"
Otonashi complied, before turning to lay on his side. As he started to hitch the blanket up around his shoulders, Iwasawa reached out and started tucking it around him.
"I've been meaning to clean up in here for some time now" she said absent mindedly. "I just ... never really got around to it."
They both looked around the messy room, before another coughing fit brought them back to the present. Iwasawa breathed a small sigh.
"Hey, I know that what you did was not deliberate" she told him simply, reaching out and patting his shoulder. "I was just teasing. That being said if I end up getting sick because of this then there is going to be hell to pay from you 'Mr. Cold Boy'?" she added in a sarcastic manner.
Otonashi managed a small smile and nodded his understanding. Masami smiled too and the angry façade soon faded. She transferred her hand to his forehead and warmth instantly coursed through her fingers
"You're still burning up. Looks like we will have to postpone our little catchup session for the time being" she said matter of factly. "My guess is that you're going to be out of it for the next few days or so. We need to keep you warm and hydrated. That means plenty of bed rest for you, you lucky devil."
He said nothing and just nodded in confirmation. Iwasawa took her hand away and stared down at the helpless figure in front of her. Like Otonashi, she had found it difficult to get to sleep last night. This was mostly because of the rain, but ... other things had kept her awake as well.
As they had discussed previously, Iwasawa was able to recall the events from the afterlife and her previous lifetime. Whilst still a young girl, she and her parents had dismissed this as a series of bad dreams. Eventually however, some of these visions began to correlate to her current situation, causing Iwasawa to realise that they had really happened. As such, she used these recollections to avoid some of the more unfortunate incidents in her life.
She quickly learnt not to talk about any of this and keep these thoughts to herself, lest she be thought insane. By pure chance, she had found somebody that she could relate to. Someone that was not only familiar to her but understand what she was going through. It might not have been the reunion that she was hoping for, but that did not matter. Masami had met the one person who done more for her than anyone else. In the afterlife, Yuzuru Otonashi had helped Masami Iwasawa come to terms with her past and find peace within herself.
Closing her eyes, Iwasawa considered her options, including what she had contemplated last night. Perhaps now really was time to return the favour. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to follow her instincts. With a small nod to herself, she looked down and said, "Hey, Mr Amnesiac, ... how would you like to move in here once all this is settled?"
Otonashi stared up at her in bewilderment, caught completely off guard by this unexpected question. "W-what? ..." he finally whispered.
"Like I said that glass is yours now" Iwasawa teased, nodding towards the sink with a sarcastic grin. "There is no way in hell I am ever using it again. Besides, you did mention that you didn't a home to go back to go back too" she added cautiously. "There's plenty of room available here, it's a two-bedroom apartment. I have mainly been using that extra room for storage, but with your assistance and a bit of organising, I am pretty sure that this place can accommodate the two of us."
Otonashi's mouth was hanging open slightly and his eyes were twitching, though the latter may have been more to do with illness than actual shock.
"I -" he said hesitantly, "I – don't think ..."
"You don't need to give me an answer right away" she assured him, resting her hand upon his shoulder again. "Heck in your condition I am not sure if you're even well enough to give me a straight answer." He did not respond and Iwasawa's smile faded slightly.
"Look, it's not as if we don't ... know each ..." she said carefully, as if sensing his fears. "Hey and if money is an issue, I know where there are some part time jobs going. Whatever your arrangements, the rents easily affordable."
Rent ...? Otonashi realised. His brow creased curiously.
"But ..." he said hesitantly, pausing as another cough seized control of him temporarily. "But - your, your parents ..."
"They won't mind" Iwasawa said quickly, her expression hardening. Her hand curled into a fist across Otonashi's joint. "As a matter of fact, they don't mind, because I don't have anything to do with them!" She said this with a noticeable amount of venom in her voice.
Otonashi looked at her confused, his curiosity peaked. Iwasawa sighed, shaking her head slightly and closing her eyes.
"Sorry, I went off on a bit of a tangent there, didn't I?" Her expression and posture relaxed. "It's just that … you touched upon an extremely sensitive subject there. You see ... my life ... it has been ... what you might say, more or less the same as my previous existence. Before I passed on, I mean. I had the same parents ... same miserable circumstances ... same ... everything really. Except this time, I had my memories to help me through it."
There was a change in her expression as she said this and Otonashi never quite forgot the way she looked at him in that moment.
"I'm not sure exactly how, I suppose it must be some consequence from living in that second world? But anyhow, I retained all my memories from my past existence. Judging from the fact you recognised me, I am assuming you had a similar sort of experience?". He nodded his confirmation and she continued with her story.
"You see at some point in my life, I think I was about five, it all came flooding back to me. Somehow, I just remembered it all: my adoration for music, my willingness to fight on ... alongside all my dreams and ambitions". She gave him a particularly funny look as she said this.
"I used those memories from both the afterlife and this world to find solace and comfort in music from early on. I did not intervene in as many of my parents fights as I did previously. This time, whenever they started arguing, I just left the house and stayed away from them. Boy did I get into trouble for that. As soon as I was old enough, I packed up my things and ran as far as possible. I have been living here for almost three months now. In all that time, I haven't seen nor heard from my parents and good riddance to them."
She closed her eyes and absentmindedly tucked a few loose strands of hair back behind one ear. A single tear rolled Otonashi's cheek. She said it so dismissively. Back in the afterlife, she had told him about her cruel homelife and the unjustified way that her life ended. Back then, it had horrified him. Now though, it upset him to think that she had gone through all that again and could just dismiss it as normal. Then again though ... he wasn't really one to talk!
"The man who owns this apartment is a very generous person" Iwasawa said suddenly, bringing him back to the real world. "I used to keep his daughter entertained with my singing. I am sure that if we ask politely, he can make the necessary arrangements."
There was a small note of pleading in her voice as she said this and Otonashi recognised it for what it was: - a cry out for companionship. He considered her words, but his head was aching too much for him to think straight. Iwasawa saw this and smiled.
"It's ok. Like I said, we can talk about it once you are feeling better. In the meantime, could you just tell me one thing?" He watched as she leant in closer, her head looming ominously above his own.
"Who was the last person to leave the afterlife? ... Was it you?"
Otonashi blinked up at her a few times, wondering why she had asked him this. Especially when he had promised to tell her everything that had happened in exchange for her support the previous evening. Even so, he nodded slowly.
A small smile spread across Iwasawa's features. "I see! Well, that's good news isn't it then ... I suppose ..." she said as she drew away from him and thought this over carefully. "Consider that a down payment for all the care and attention you're going to be getting over the next few days. You can go back to sleep now Yuzuru, I will watch over you."
With the conversation over, Yuzuru Otonashi closed his eyes and tried not to think about the pounding in his head. With the rain outside and the small ringing his ears though, it was not easy. As if sensing this, Iwasawa applied a little more pressure to her hand and said, "Try not to focus on the pain Yuzuru. Focus on the sound of my voice. I will sing you a lullaby."
Nodding, Otonashi concentrated with all his might.
"That's right, just stay calm and focused!" Her hand was now running tenderly across the surface of the blanket. "Everything is going to be alright now."
With that Iwasawa started to hum. It was a soft and gentle melody. One of her own composition and a gift that she had brought with her from the afterlife.
"NO!"
The peaceful tranquillity of the moment was shattered. Otonashi was sitting bolt upright again, balancing himself precariously on one hand. Sweat drippled down his forehead as his left hand clutched Iwasawa's shoulder so tightly she thought the bones might snap.
"Ow Yuzuru, stop that you're hurting me!?" she gasped.
"Don't sing that -!" Otonashi croaked obviously. "Anything but - that song ...!"
Now Iwasawa was really confused. "Yuzuru, stop it!" she said desperately prying at the wrist with her own fingers. "What is it? What's -" and then she realised.
"Oh!" she gasped as the full significance of what she had just unintentionally done dawned on her. His eyes were considering hers pleadingly. Iwasawa's fingers uncurled and she gripped his hand gently with her own.
"I'm sorry!" she said sincerely. "It's ok now Yuzuru. It's alright. I won't sing that song anymore" she promised.
His grip slackened and she was able to disentangle his fingers. "This isn't the afterlife" Masami reminded him, as she gently pushed him back down. "I am not going to pass on this time remember?"
Otonashi nodded and allowed her to gently tuck him back into the bed. "I'm sorry ..." he breathed apologetically, as he laid his head down upon the pillow.
"Ssh. It's ok now" she reassured him. "You're not feeling yourself and so you probably didn't realise!" Keeping her hand on his shoulder, Iwasawa said "Just lay still and I'll sing another song."
Closing her eyes Iwasawa started to hum again. This time she hummed a different tune; one that had brought her comfort in her early days. It was a simple song, relaxing, upbeat, full of joy and happiness.
As time passed, she could feel the tension in his muscles easing. Though he coughed a few times and sniffed noticeably he didn't open his eyes. A few minutes later, Yuzuru Otonashi's features relaxed completely and he was sound asleep.
Iwasawa waited until she was sure he was out for the count, then slowly got to her feet. Turning away from him, she set off towards the kitchen and took care of the washing up; a few plates from last night's dinner, as well as Otonashi's medicine cup.
Once that was sorted, she looked up at the clock and saw that it was still early in the morning. She contemplated going out, but an ominous clap of thunder warned her against this. Besides, she realised as she stole a glance at the sleeping figure behind her, she had other priorities now.
The rain was still pounding heavily as Iwasawa sat down on the sofa and switched the television on. There was a music program on later that she wanted to record. The sound blared out, but Yuzuru Otonashi barely even stirred.
'He must be in a really deep sleep' she thought whilst turning the volume down and began setting up the video to record. It was going to be a long couple of days.
With a few final adjustments, Iwasawa settled back and made herself comfortable. As a few measly adverts ran by, she stole another glance at the sleeping figure across from her. She still could not believe it, Yuzuru Otonashi was sleeping in her apartment!
Of all the people that she had hoped to re-encounter from the afterlife, he was the one that she was most desperate to find, but nervous about doing so. The little incident from earlier was not lost on her. He was being cautious around her and she around him. Iwasawa sincerely hoped that he would accept her offer to move in with her.
Before any of that happened however, she needed to learn about the events following her departure from the afterlife. The only question was, would Otonashi be prepared to talk about it?
Iwasawa hoped so, but her thoughts turned back to the way that he had grabbed her shoulder a short while ago and the pleading look in his eyes. Masami was not stupid, she knew exactly why he had done this. This was why she needed to talk to him, because they needed to address one very important issue.
In the afterlife, they had been 'married', though neither of them had spoken of it yet. Iwasawa now realised that he was still haunted by the tragic way that their relationship had ended. The proof of this, was that she had been singing 'My Song'. The very same tune she had singing when she died in earnest, leaving him behind.
End of Chapter 2
To be continued ...
Ok everybody, there we have it.
Sorry if it seems a bit rushed, I was just so desperate to finish this.
In any case, please let me know what you think this and anything that I can do to improve it.
Once again sorry it took so long.
Next up I will complete Gunray's Disposition.
See you all again, hopefully soon.
Until then, take care!
I'll see you all again at the next instalment!