Chapter 4 : Hopeful Patience
It has been a few days since Mrs. Ichinose came over, and Sugane has been holding onto the box of scissors. Being the responsible person he was, he kept the pair on himself at all times. A house can be broken into, even the Gatchaman base. The safest place is by my side, where I know where it is at all times, he reasons. Truly though, he just feels like the scissors were all that is left of Hajime. He lost her once, nearly lost her before, he won't let anything happen again.
"Hey Sugane , how's your mom doing?" Pinky asks on Monday.
"Mother is fine. Why do you ask?"
"I meant your 'mom', Mrs. Ichinose. Getting familiar with the in-laws aren't you?"
"Wha- How did you.."
"Next time try not to behave so shamelessly in front of camera Sugane." She says, referring to Gatchannel.
Everyone in the lecture hall snickers at him, he can't help but go bright red. He thinks that perhaps he should use amnesia effect to escape while he can.
'When were you the type to run away?' a voice in his head chides him. So he endures it for now. He is a man after all, things like this should not bother him. Checking his phone, he confirms that Hajime is indeed there. Checking his pockets, he confirms that the scissors were still there. The lecture continues on as usual.
It has become a routine for Sugane to sit by Hajime once he comes back. Following the fiasco with Mrs. Ichinose, Sugane has been sure to turn the Gatchannel off. He uses the excuse that it is to protect the tablet from overheating, after the previous one broke down. He takes this chance to be alone with Hajime. Although comatose, her presence was enough to ease his mind. With every passing second away from her, his body becomes jittery and uncomfortable. Paranoid, that was what Joe san called him. He doesn't mind that, he knows he is. Still, he feels that he should at least ensure her safety as she sleeps.
He meditates by her, as patient as can be. He wonders if this is how JJ is like usually, unthinking, unmoving, unfeeling, un-everything. He likes it though, its the calmest he has ever felt. Her whispers as she sleeps, were like a meditative mantra. He listens to her speak softly in her sleep, he learns more with each passing day. He opens his eyes and finds Altair joining him in his afternoon meditation, though the cat probably fell asleep. He pets the curled up cat and he meows, waking up. Yawning, he jumps of to find OD or Utsutsu to feed him some snacks or the occasional fishy treat.
Once the tablet has cooled down and Gatchannel once again up and running, Sugane would go to the open field behind the apartment complex to give his Katana a swing. A few months ago he would have turned around, expecting to see Hajime sat down observing him. She had very quiet steps he notices, despite her loud and brash appearance. Hajime had a strange knack for disappearing if she so wished to, even if she were wearing the most outrageous outfit. Now he doesn't expect much. He hopes though that Hajime herself walked up to him after waking up, pretending like she was never injured. Heck if anyone would come up and tell him she has woke up, would make him infinitely more happy.
The days go by, sometimes JJ would give them a prophecy or two, sometimes Sugane has errands to do. Still, he always hopes that even for a second, when he returns from the university and sits by her side, that Hajime would wake up. A second is all he needs to know that she is fine. And so everyday he sits by her side. Utsutsu tells him that her body has long healed, but her soul is still badly damaged.
"Normally she should have woken by know. Joe managed to heal within the week before, I'm doing everything possible but Hajime is taking far longer than I had anticipated..." Utsutsu says in frustration.
It makes him worried since her body is a vessel not just for herself, but also for an entirely different and far more dangererous. His fears would soon become reality.
Another Friday, another week. Sugane comes back and performs his usual ritual. He turns off the tablet, and puts it aside. He sits by her side and enjoys her presence. That is until it was not just the two of them.
"Oi! What do you think you're doing with mein body~?" it screams.
"Berg Katze. For starters, its Hajime's body not yours. Secondly, I wasn't doing anything. Merely enjoying her presence so if you don't mind, get lost."
"Bah potato potahto~. You liar! I can see it in you eyes. How you look at her~ What you want to doooo~ I can seeeeeeeee it aaaaaallll~"
"I'm telling you its not like that!"
At this, it opens Hajime's eyes. Its red and sinister and cruel, very much unlike Hajime's eyes. Berg Katze has awoken.
"You LIEEEE! You may be able to hold back for now but how long can you last!" she screams.
Sugane has already called the rest of the team. Pouring in one by one. First Joe and Rui, then Utsutsu and OD. Finally was Tsubasa and Gelsadra.
"OHHH lookie~ Everybody's here! Even Gay-chan how are you? I hope I didn't disfigure your body in our last fight too much~"
"Berg Katze," OD sternly replies, "Stop now or I will..."
"YOU WILL WHAT? KILL ME LIKE YOU KILLED HAJIME chaaaan~? She is very nearly dead you know" Hajime's body stands up and walk towards the group, "You really did her good! Amaaaaaazingly gooooooood~ I escaped before she fell but it still tooooook me a loooooong time to gain control you knoooow~ Soon though, Hajime chyaaaaan will die and I will be FREEEEEEE~"
Sugane was placed on the spot. Berg Katze by right should have been killed immediately. Before, it was because of Hajime that they didn't, that they spared him. Even so, Hajime herself stated that she would take care of it and if she were unable to, to stop him at all costs. He knew that she also meant that even at the cost of her life. On the other hand, he did not want to kill her, he made a promise to Mrs. Ichinose that he would take care of Hajime.
"Go ooon little boooooy~", Katze goaded, knowing exactly what was going on his mind, "She said at all costs riiight? You don't want to disappoint her now do you? You don't want to disappoint your darling Hajime chaaaaaan do you?~"
Berg Katze was jumping about, running everywhere. It took a whole lot of effort to keep him from leaving the base.
"Goodbyeeeee~" He yelled, when he managed to break pass the team.
"Crap stop him!" Leader yelled.
Berg Katze would have escaped, but suddenly Hajime's body simply stopped moving. She stood still, silent and still. Berg Katze could no longer be heard.
"Gaatchaaa~" she yawned before slumping down on the floor, lying motionless.
"What was all that about" Joe wondered.
"I think that Hajime is still trying to hold back Berg Katze." Sugane says.
"Perhaps that is why she is healing so slowly? We are not only healing her, but also the thing inside her. Now it is a battle between the two of them, who will heal first?" OD reasons.
"I'm gloomy..." replies Utsutsu.
"Still, at least Hajime sempai is still alive right?" Tsubasa tries. She still feels guilty for forcing Hajime to sacrifice herself. "All we can do now is support her."
"She's right everyone. Hajime promised that she will be fine. This is Hajime's fight, we must believe in her." Paiman says.
Gravely, they all returned to their rooms with the exception of Sugane. He would stay by her side today to make sure nothing happened. He remembers the times they talk, the times they walked. He sits beside her all night, slowly drifting off to sleep despite his best efforts. He awoke around 6 am in the morning, the usual time. He finds Gelsadra sitting beside him as well.
"My species does not require what you call sleep, so I have been keeping an eye on Hajime as well." she smiles.
Sugane has always ondered what gender Gelsadra was, her appearance as a small girl then as an adult male confused him.
"Gel is female!" Tsubasa asserts when asked "Only when she is male is she male...?"
As expected, Tsubasa gets confused with her own argument. Tsubasa is a simple minded girl, Sugane thinks.
"Gender?" Gelsadra question when asked by Tsubasa. "Whats that?"
They leave it at that since there is nothing left to discuss. Days go by and Hajime's body returns to its usual inactivity. The rest of the team too relaxes a little. Not Sugane, he will remain vigilant throughout this wait. A week has gone by since the event, and Hajime has yet shown signs of waking for good. Sugane still keeps vigilant. Vigilant he will remain until Hajime wakes up.
Two months, he counts. Two months, three weeks and four days. He will wait, be it a year, a decade or even a century, he will wait. Sugane is patient, he knows he has faults like everyone, he knows he is only human. Even so, he will wait, Hajime has yet to break her promise and he will continue believing in her.
"Su..ne sem..."she whispers in her sleep. Listening to her whispers provides enough comfort to him. The whispers to him, were like an unspoken promise, a promise that she will return.
"I'm here," he whispers back, "I'm waiting."
Authors notes: I would like to thank the readers, who have shown their support for my story. Yes I have been gone for a while, I was busy with school and my other stories. Another reason was because I feel like I can still do more with the chapters so I have been adding a few details here and there in previous chapters, so don't be surprised if some of them do not seem quite the same in future. Thanks and goodbye for now~