Chapter three

The news of Makoto's attack spread like wildfire among the dead brush of the student population. Every time Takeshi heard the story it changed but there were some details that remained the same.

Apparently, Makoto was found sprawled out in front of the school gates unconscious and was finally found when the morning janitor came in on his morning rounds. He was taken immediately to the hospital afterwards in which the doctors pronounced he was in a coma. Another interesting note was that while the surrounding area was in shambles, no marks of an attack or otherwise was found on his body. Somehow details of burglars and school fund smuggling made its way into some people's stories but that was the story as Takeshi understood it.

Which led to him remembering what happened as he left the classroom, how he noticed that Daniel was still at school.

Thursday, April 15

"It had to be that bastard!" Satoshi yelled while the two were walking home the day after. Immediately, Takeshi regretted disclosing that piece of information.

"Not so loud! I don't want the police to be getting the wrong idea!" Takeshi nervously glanced at the flocks of policeman swarming around the school gates. It was like a regular crime scene he would usually see on crime dramas on T.V. The policeman all looked so stereotypically stern as if something was stuck in an unpleasant place and they were cursed with it when on the job.

"Screw it, Takeshi! It had to be him! Who else stays after on the second day of school?"

"Akira said that she was staying after for a little too, remember?" Takeshi sighed, "If we're applying that logic then why don't we just blame Akira as well?"

"Akira wouldn't do anything like that! She's too beautiful to attack Makoto-senpai!" Satoshi said, forming his hand into a fist.

"When did looks have anything to do with it…?" Takeshi thought in bewilderment. "Look, we can blame Daniel all we want but the fact stands that we have no proof." He looked at Satoshi, "Just because he's the weird transfer student doesn't mean that he's automatically the culprit."

The two walked in silence for a moment before suddenly, "Argh! This sucks!" Satoshi exploded, his voice matching the intensity of the street sounds around them. Takeshi looked behind him to see that he and Satoshi were already a far distance away from the policeman surveying the school. His heart started to ease back down again. "I just…feel for Akira, you know?" Satoshi continued, toning down, "The student council is running her ragged now that Makoto-senpai is gone…"

"It's only temporary though. She's just president until Makoto recovers, right?" Takeshi asked.

"That's what everyone says at least…" Satoshi looked up at the sky, "I don't know…I just hope things get better for her soon…I mean who can handle hearing that one of their friends was put in a coma then taking over their duties like that?" He snapped his fingers.

"We just have to let her handle it herself." Takeshi said, "I'm sure things will go smoother for her eventually." However, as Takeshi thought about it, he wasn't exactly sure when this "eventually" was.

Friday, April 16

The next day of school, Satoshi had to go home early so he wouldn't be able to walk home with Takeshi. Wondering if he should take advantage of the opportunity, Takeshi got up from his seat as soon as the final bell rang and headed for the door.

"Takeshi-san?" he heard behind him. Takeshi turned around to see it was Akira who addressed him.

"Oh Akira," Takeshi said in mild surprise, "Did you want something?"

She looked tired. Her appearance was at its usual best but in her eyes, Takeshi could see a sort of haggardness that was evident also in her posture. He felt bad for her. Yesterday must've taken a huge toll on her.

Akira smiled, "I was just wondering if…" she paused as if to think, "you would like to walk home with me?" Takeshi froze. Akira never walked home with anyone, let alone people she only knew through a vague association in a club.

"U-uh…" Takeshi stuttered, "Don't you have anything to do today? I-I mean, it's not like I don't want to walk home with you! I do but aren't you busy or something?"

She shook her head, "The student council meeting is cancelled today so I get a little break…" she brushed the hair off her forehead, "Since we're in the same class, I want to get to know you a little better."

"She wants to get to know me…" Takeshi thought dreamily. He quickly snapped out of it, regaining composure. "Sure, alright, let's go." He said, oddly stiff. He allowed Akira to walk ahead of him, which she accepted with a small giggle, and followed after. He only barely noticed that Daniel had been sitting still in his seat during the whole exchange.

Takeshi didn't say anything to Akira until after the two had passed the school gates. It wasn't like he didn't want to but it still felt like a sense of awkwardness divided the two like a glass wall that they could see through but never pass.

"So I see you've been talking with Satoshi lately…" Akira said in an attempt to start conversation.

"Well he just invites me to walk home with him so it would be rude to just say no."

Akira giggled, causing Takeshi to look at her, "What's so funny?" he asked.

"You're a very nice person, Takeshi-san if you're so unwilling to hurt another's feelings like that."

"Hey, don't get me wrong I-"

"Don't worry." Akira said in an assuring manner, "I like that about you." Takeshi felt like his legs were going to give way and he would just collapse into pieces on the sidewalk.

"Now I see why Satoshi is so obsessed with her." He thought as his heart raced. Takeshi wasn't sure if it was the way Akira spoke or the way her eyes glowed when she smiled that got to him. It could have been any of the numerous other good qualities that Akira possessed as well.

"Can I ask you something, Takeshi?" Akira said, "Do you think…I would ever make a good student council president?" Takeshi admittedly wasn't expecting that.

"Why ask?"

"I've just been feeling so overwhelmed with all of Makoto-senpai's work…" Akira replied a little sadly, "It just got me thinking that if I can't even handle it when I'm not the one with the position, how can I handle it if people elect me?"

"Well, you can't exactly blame yourself. It's not like you were mentally prepared to take on the job."

"That's true…"

"Besides, I don't know anyone else who would've accepted the job without a second thought like you did."

"And you think that's a good thing about me?" Akira replied bitterly, "How I just submitted to taking the job without any protests…?" Her figure began to droop as the purse she held between her slender fingers threatened to slide off. Takeshi wasn't sure how to respond to that and it must've been obvious from his expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Akira apologized as soon as she took a look at him, "I didn't mean to do that to you…" she gave Takeshi a sad smile, "Oh," she gasped softly as she and Takeshi unintentionally went different ways at the next intersection, "I guess we part ways here."

"Yeah, I guess we do…" Takeshi replied lightly though it came out more solemn that light, "See you tomorrow at school, Akira."

"Farewell…" Akira said as a parting gesture. She turned her back and Takeshi turned his and the both of them went in their respective directions, the heavy feeling of their conversation still in the air.

Friday, April 23

It was a week later when the news was announced throughout the school: Makoto had woken up from his coma. As Takeshi expected, Akira was ecstatic, brimming with joy.

"Let's go visit him at the hospital!" she told Takeshi and Satoshi the very same day.

So that's what led them to where they were currently, waiting in an almost blinding white reception area. Takeshi wasn't a big fan of hospitals though he could tolerate them. It was just the peculiar smell that always pervaded the halls and the sights of the injured or sickly wandering the halls as if to make the healthy feel guilty for their condition.

"What the hell is taking Akira so long to get the room number?" Satoshi wondered, his foot bouncing on the floor in irritation. He sat right across from Takeshi in the lobby, close enough that Takeshi could see the impatient scrunches of his lip as he looked over to Akira at the reception desk. "C'mon, let's go see what's taking her so long."

Takeshi merely agreed just because he was becoming tired of waiting. As he approached the reception desk, he could see that Akira was arguing with the person currently at the counter. In her arms was a small vase with a few flowers in it, something she insisted they buy right before they went to visit the hospital.

"Miss…" the person at the counter was a woman, a tired expression on her face, "How many times do I have to repeat myself? No one is allowed to visit Atsumi today."

"I just want to know why." Akira said in such a tone it was as if she had said the phrase many times before, "Why can no one visit him?"

"Family orders." The woman said sternly, "Atsumi's parents have ordered that no one be allowed to visit him today."

"But why-"

"Miss, I do not know the answer to the question you are about to ask me so if you would please move to the side and allow other guests their turn?" The receptionist stared at her gravely as if she were a pest she couldn't wait to squish. Taking the hint, Akira slowly edged away from the counter and sighed.

"You both heard that, correct?" she asked as soon as she was in proximity of Takeshi and Satoshi. Both affirmed. "I don't get it. Why would Makoto-senpai's own parents not allow anyone to visit him?"

"They must have a reason…" Takeshi suggested meekly.

"Yeah, but it must be a real shitty reason." Satoshi huffed.

"There's nothing we can do. Let's just go home. It's getting late."

"No!" Akira said, raising her voice, "I'm not leaving after coming all this way. We're visiting Makoto whether we're allowed to or not!"

"Have you lost it?" Takeshi asked, not even sure if it was Akira he was speaking to right now. It couldn't be the composed, quiet Akira he knew.

"I want to find out what's happened to Makoto-senpai." Akira said resolutely, "You don't have to come if you don't want to Takeshi-san but I for one am going."

"Count me in too, Akira." Satoshi joined in, eagerly nodding. The two of them joined stares and focused them on Takeshi, challenging him to argue back.

"No way." Takeshi said, backing up, "Nuh uh, I'm not giving into peer pressure!"

"I can't believe I've given into peer pressure…" Takeshi said a moment later as the three of them were on their knees, Satoshi poking his head from the corner of the hallway to see what was on the other side.

"Is this the right hallway?" Takeshi whispered.

"The nurse I asked said Makoto-senpai's room number was forty-three." Akira replied, keeping her sights on the hallway, "This wing is where all the forties on. See?" she nudged her head to the sign hanging across from them. The numbers "40" to "49" were written with a hyphen in between, an arrow pointing in the direction of the hallway underneath.

"Okay, it's all clear!" Satoshi told the others. They all straightened up simultaneously and entered the hallway with a sense of ease.

"Forty…Forty two…" Akira began reading the numbers on the doors until she suddenly spotted one was open, forcing her and Satoshi and Takeshi to lay their backs flat against the wall, hoping they weren't seen. The door to the open room had a sign with the number "43" on it, signifying it was the one the group was looking for.

Akira opened her mouth to say something when suddenly another voice sounded out of nowhere.

"How long could he be like this, doctor?"

Akira clamped her hands over her mouth as if to stop her voice from coming out. She then signaled for Satoshi and Takeshi to inch closer until all three of them had a view of the room inside. There were four people in the room: one in a long white coat and two-a man and a woman-in middle-age standing by the bedside of the last person who was unmistakably Makoto.

"Makoto-senpai!" Akira exclaimed mutedly, forcing Takeshi to bring his hand to cover her mouth quickly.

"Didn't you hear my wife? How long could he be like this?" The man repeated in a frustrated tone. He was slightly balding and one of hands was being used to massage his temples.

"To be honest, it could be permanent." It was the doctor that had spoke now, "I don't really know what to tell the two of you."

"The woman sounded near tears, "I prayed to God he would wake up but I never figured…He's not reacting to anything! He's not even speaking to us anymore!"

"Mrs. Atsumi, I understand what you're going through but-"

"No you don't! You don't understand what if feels like to have your son's future ripped away from him!" The woman's voice was a near scream right now and her messy hair threatened to completely unravel over her shoulders and down her back in a stringy cascade, "He wanted to be a professor, do you hear that? A professor!" she yelled hysterically, kneeling over and crying into her hands.

Takeshi's heart felt like it was being wrenched between his hands as he watched Makoto's mother, even more so as he turned to look at Makoto. The older boy had indeed as the rumors said, woken up, yet it still appeared as if he were asleep. His blonde hair was plastered to his face, stuck in sweaty clumps and his eyes were dull and resembled opaque marbles. He was sitting up but it looked like he was barely supporting himself against the headboard of the hospital bed, ready to fall back down into the sheets like a weak rag doll.

"If I ever find who did this to him…" Makoto's father's hands were on his wife's shoulders, his eyes closed to the point where it looked painful to do so.

The doctor had an expression that looked to be a mixture of sympathy and pity, the worst in Takeshi's opinion that he could have given the two parents. "Now Mr. And Mrs. Atsumi, I can get Makoto's chart if you would like me too but basically," he took a breath before he continued, "he's in a persistent vegetative state… He's awake but he's not aware if that makes sense."

"What can we do to…get him out of this?" Makoto's mother asked softly.

"Well, there's really nothing we can do here at the hospital that he can receive at home so I would suggest releasing him. There is a list of medicines I can suggest you administer to him but really, the best you can do is hope that in time he'll recover." The doctor headed for the door, right where Akira, Takeshi and Satoshi were hiding, "I'll go retrieve that list of medication I was talking about. Excuse me."

Wasting no time, Takeshi sprung to his feet and raced out of the hallway, Satoshi quickly overtaking him with Akira right behind him. He kept running, running until they were all out of the hospital and needlessly out of breath.

Takeshi bent over to catch his breath, his chest heaving, "Did…" he inhaled deeply, "did anyone see us?"

Satoshi looked back at the doors they had just burst from, his chest heaving as well, "I don't think so…" he replied, still retaining his breath.

"So that's why neither of his parents wanted visitors…" Akira said slowly, her mouth open to allow air to enter, "He looked so…pitiable. I can't believe Makoto-senpai is…" she stopped at that, closing her eyes.

"Akira…" Takeshi approached her, attempting to appear consoling.

"I have to get going. I have cram school in an hour." Akira said, hurrying off with the vase still in her arms.

"Cram school?" Satoshi repeated in disbelief, "Akira-"

"I'll see you both at school tomorrow…" she mumbled half heartedly as she departed. Takeshi himself noticed that the sun was setting, a sign that the day was soon ending.

"I should be getting home too…" Takeshi admitted.

"Alright, later man." Satoshi said, waving him off. He scratched the back of his head, fingers raking through the dark strands of his hear, "My brain hurts…" he groaned.

"Mine too…" Takeshi said as he took off toward home, "Mine too…"