Dedicated to all those attempting or have have attempted to live life.

NOTES: Future fic. Pre-college. Yukimura & Sanada x Yanagi. Somewhat strange.

Sometimes when life becomes too overwhelming, all you want to do is run away.

Sometimes, as adequate and perfect as you are, you still view yourself as a failure.

The moon, as luminous and flawless as it appears, is still full of craters.

Hibernation

One night, on the summer he was supposed to leave home for college with his two confidants, he fell asleep dreaming a vivid and extended dream.

In that dream, he never rose from his slumber the next morning.

His sleep continued through the morning, quickly reaching its height at noon. By then, his unique situation attracted his mother's investigation. She arrived at his room to wake him, to rouse her self-sufficient son who had not required such help since second grade.

But, of course, he did not awake. He wanted to continue dreaming.

He wanted to know, what would happen next in the reality that was so real yet so unbelievable?

His mother, convinced a serious issue had altered his state of health, ended up calling the doctor and stirring up the house.

The doctor was not the only one examining him when he arrived. He had his whole family fussing over him as well. He wanted to tell them, he was still alive, there was no need to get so worried. He was just dreaming, and they were all just a part of it.

The physician performed a complete physical on him. He did not find any abnormalities.

That was as expected. After all, he was healthy. At least, he knew, he was, physically. He rarely fell ill.

The doctor concluded his examination: It must be a psychological problem. Stress is having an adverse effect on his mind. As a result, he is attempting to cope through deep sleep. Provide him with active stimuli; talk to him. Have his friends console him. That way, he has a better chance at waking as soon as possible.

He slept on after the doctor's departure. The day passed quickly.

The next day, his mother came again to rouse him.

He still did not awake. He continued dreaming.

He slept on peacefully. Though, subconsciously, he was wide awake. His subconscious watched the scene in his room coolly, as if it was merely a movie, as if it did not personally matter.

His physical body slept on, complying with the will of his subconscious. His secret wish was to sleep on. Just sleep on.

His mother resorted to calling his two best friends who he was supposed to attend college together with.

Seiichi and Genichirou.

The two talked to him, persuading him to wake up, convincing him to stop dreaming.

They were beside him the entire day. He did not wake up. He wanted them to give up. To give up and go home, go to college without him.

Don't put so much hope in him. Just confirm his doubts. Just confirm that there is no way he would adapt to their new life. There was no way he can survive without his parents' guidance.

Just let him sleep on, so he would not have to leave this comforting place, this peaceful place, this heavenly place.

Much to his disappointment, however, his friends did not give up.

They came, the next day and the next day following, surprisingly persistent and patient with waking him.

Even as his dream gradually lost color and clarity, he felt their presence too clearly. They became the tell-tale shadows looming over him.

Once he could no longer distinguish their shadows from the environment that was gradually dimming, the environment that was slowly turning into the ocean depths he felt like he was being dragged into, then, perhaps, there would not be a need to open his eyes ever again.

That was most ideal.

Yet, his friends seemed to think otherwise.

Their words were the magical spells that summoned his consciousness.

"Wake up."

"Renji."

"Stop running away."

"You are not leaving us behind."

"You promised we would all attend the same university, Renji."

"You promised."

"Don't be afraid."

"We are here."

"We are here, Renji."

Oh really, he wanted to counter. For how long?

For as long as his family will be there? Or, as long as Sadaharu was there?

"We are here, Renji."

"We can't guarantee you forever. That's unrealistic."

"We will be here..."

"..For as long as we can."

And finally... That was enough to convince him.

When he awoke from that long, vivid dream, opening his sore eyes to the troubled faces of his two confidants, he knew that the dream that he had all this time was no dream.

It was reality.

Explanation:

Ironically, my stories sprout from the seeds of my problems.

I'm a really big procrastinator. But what sucks is during the last minute, I'm not thinking about how to complete an assignment. All I'm thinking are ways to avoid the assignment altogether.

And the title is a reference to another one of Ippodo's limited edition matcha~