2/26/2012 – (Last edited on 04/11/2013 – Minor spelling/grammar corrections) I managed to get this chapter done a little ahead of schedule. Since it's the same day that the 84th Academy Awards is taking place (personally rooting for Hugo to win the big prize, but The Artist will most likely win Best Picture) and the big game at the NBA All-Stars weekend, I felt that getting the 2nd chapter up today would've been neat. Lo and behold...
Hello, people of FanFiction dot net. I'm back again with the next chapter of my very first fanfic that I have ever written in my entire life. I'm thankful that I've gotten reviews for my story, even if there are only 2 at the moment. A little positive feedback is better than no feedback at all. It motivates me to continue on with this story of mine. ^_^ I do apologize in advance if my writing is terrible or if my descriptions of things are terrible or if the character's personalities are a little off. Even though some of the character's personalities might/will be slightly altered for the sake of my fanfic, I'll try to remain faithful to their overall "spirit" that was portrayed in the anime series. Clannad is my favorite anime series of all time, so I felt compelled to write a story of my own. I hope you enjoy it. And once again, any feedback that you can provide would be nice and very appreciated. ^_^ And with that, here is chapter 2:
Paragraphs in italics denote a flashback. Single words in italics / single words in regular print during a flashback denote emphasis and should be read as such.
Chapter rated T for: Brief mild language and suggestive themes.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance/Slice of Life
Pairing(s): None at the moment (Tomoya x Tomoyo has been teased, though...)
Author's Note #1: The beginning of this chapter starts 3:53 minutes into episode 18 of the first season.
Author's Note #2: I'm still debating as to whether or not I want Tomoya to end up with someone by the end of this long story that I'm about write here. Though I still have no idea how I want to end this story yet (since this is going to be a very long story), I might take into consideration feedback from whoever might read this story of mine. Of course, I might just stick with my own ending that I come up with later on. It's still something that I'm debating in my head. I've now included a poll on my profile page. You can go vote for your choice. ;)
Author's Note #3: The beginning of this chapter is told from someone else's point of view. (You'll eventually know who's narrating once you keep reading on. XD) The perspective will shift back to Tomoya later on in the chapter.
Author's Note #4: This chapter will be slightly longer compared to chapter 1, but not by a whole lot, though. (Okay, maybe almost twice as long as chapter 1 was...) I hope you don't mind reading for a bit longer. ^_^'
Author's Note #5: For the sake of my fanfic, I'm going to be moving the year that this story takes place in to 2011. I don't know if the visual novel ever mentioned a specific year (I know that the anime series didn't), but regardless, I've chosen 2011 specifically for reasons I can't really divulge, yet...
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Clannad-related, even though I wished I did...
Clannad ~Different Days~
-The Everyday Arc-
Vague Synopsis - It's not quite the same story that you might remember, even if it feels strangely familiar. A different world, different relationships, different events...different days...
Chapter 2 – A Half-Remembered Dream, Part 2
The club room was deathly quiet. The only noise that could be perceived was the gentle rustling of leaves by the calm breezy wind which can be heard from one of the windows that was already opened ajar. Through the window, the school yard could be seen from the club room from where we were located. My head was resting on the window railing as the strands in my hair were swaying softly in the gentle wind. My eyes were closed as I let mother nature work her magic and soothe me with her whispering wind. Lazily relaxing in my chair, I had almost forgot that I had a red lollipop in my mouth, my tongue instinctively licking away at it every few seconds, the strawberry flavor melting away onto my tongue. It became automatic to the point of monotony. I was so close to drifting off to sleep until my sister's voice was slowly becoming a little louder, bit by bit. It turned out everyone else had been engaging in a small conversation. My ears had only begun to notice the ensuing conversation the moment I had awoken, and it took a certain guy's name to do it.
"I see. So Okazaki-kun took the blame for Sakagami-san and was suspended." I think she was talking with Youhei when I was still in my slumber, from how Ryou phrased her sentence. By that point, my brain was fully functional once more. Just how far out of touch with reality was I all this time, I had wondered to myself. I must've drowned out everybody's voices during my daydreaming. Wanting to avoid looking rude in front of everyone, I knew I had to join in on the conversation. I didn't want anyone to notice my absentmindedness. Tomoya had been on my mind a whole lot as of late…
"Tomoya, why can't you take care of yourself?" I asked aloud, my question not directed to anyone in particular within the club room. I turned my head towards the right and noticed Sunohara staring silently out the window, standing there with his arms crossed. I wondered what he was thinking right now. It was rather unseemly that he was this quiet. I turned my head back forward and noticed Kotomi sitting directly in front of me in her chair, with Ryou sitting off to the side.
"Do you think Okazaki-kun will be okay? I mean, will he still be able to graduate after all this?" Ryou was definitely worried about our friend and Kotomi shared her sentiments as well.
"I don't know, but I'm really worried."
I decided to momentarily remove the lollipop from my mouth for a bit, wanting to do something different, just to get my body out of this routine daze. "The club leader's absent and Tomoya's suspended. At this rate, how are we supposed to be in the school festival?" All of us pretty much lost the energy to strike up a decent conversation with the two of them gone. Things were definitely not the same with Nagisa and Tomoya gone…
Tomoya Okazaki, a senior of Hikarizaka High School, same as me and my sister Ryou, along with our Drama Club leader Nagisa, Kotomi, and Youhei as well. The only one of us within our circle who wasn't a senior…was Sakagami. I rather not say her name, but it would be… impolite not to. As much as I hate to admit this, she was the most dangerous rival that I had in regards to this whole affair with Tomoya. And technically speaking, Sakagami was more of Tomoya and Youhei's friend. The rest of us would be considered a close acquaintance of the silver-haired girl. I certainly knew that she and I weren't the only girls here at this school who had fallen for the boy who had become infamous for being a delinquent. Mind you, I wasn't the type of girl who was attracted to bad boys at all because Tomoya is really a nice guy. Sure, he may be a prankster along with Youhei, but anybody who has come to know him fully understands just how selfless he can be. I occasionally gave him some flak for being a little too generous, but deep down, that was one thing that… I love about him. Yes, I did love Tomoya. It was hard not to fall for a guy like him. I didn't know if he ever noticed it or not, or if he chose to hide the fact that he was fully aware of this situation, but I hadn't been inviting him to eat lunch with Ryou and me for absolutely no reason. I was sure that by now, he had his suspicions about what my true motives were for wanting to eat lunch with him every day for the past few weeks. He was either staying quiet out of respect… or fear of the dilemma he now found himself in. Despite the fact that I harbored feelings for Tomoya, I knew that my younger sister did as well. Even if I was head over heels for him, I knew that I couldn't be selfish. It would devastate Ryou if Tomoya and I were to become a couple. That was why… I had been trying to push those two together. Ryou was fully aware of my efforts, but I could tell that she was uncomfortable with this plan of mine. She probably shared that same feeling of guilt that I would have as well if either of us were with him.
Nagisa… she told us that she wasn't dating him, so I never really considered the kind-hearted girl a genuine threat to my romantic pursuit for Tomoya. Kotomi had been a childhood friend of Tomoya and she hadn't made any efforts at all to go after him in a romantic sense, so I didn't find her much of a threat, either. Or at least, that was what I've told myself. She had known him for a lot longer than the rest of us girls who were in the drama club. She would know intimate things about his life from his younger years, stuff that me, Ryou, Nagisa, and Sakagami would never be privy to, unless we asked, of course. But even then, I couldn't imagine myself walking up to Tomoya one day and asking him about his childhood. It would be too awkward, not to mention invasive of his privacy. If Tomoya hadn't mentioned one thing about his life before high school, despite the fact that I had known him for over a year now, then it was obvious that he was hiding something far too personal to be saying out loud to anyone. And then there was my younger sister…
Recently, I had been trying to get closer to Tomoya, so that I could set him and Ryou up together somehow. Since Ryou was usually around me, I was hoping that something might spark between her and Tomoya if those two kept hanging around each other. So far, my efforts hadn't yielded anything yet. Every time that there was an ample opportunity for her to make her move, someone or something just inexplicably came along and ruined everything. I couldn't help but wonder whether or not it was all just a coincidence. A part of me wondered if Ryou was intentionally sabotaging all of my attempts. But that couldn't be, could it? She did agree to let me help her, but I felt like… that I wasn't seeing something here. I didn't know if Ryou had noticed this, but sometimes, whenever I glance her way, when her eyes were focusing their attention on something else, I saw a pensive and forlorn look on her face, as if she had regrets about this whole scheme of mine. But that couldn't possibly be… could it? The more I asked myself these questions, the more I contemplated over them. And the more I contemplated over them, the more doubt filled my troubled heart. They say that twins are psychologically connected in a way that transcends words. You see it in the movies all the time, when one twin can sense that the other is in danger as one example. I wished things were really that convenient and simple. Sure, there were times where that connection does become apparent, and yet, there were other times where I feel so disconnected from my younger sister. We were two separate beings after all, even if we did happen to be twins. She was Ryou Fujibayashi, the shy timid twin, and I was Kyou Fujibayashi, the stubborn headstrong twin. We were pretty much complete opposites, for crying out loud! It was a miracle that the two of us had gotten along so well our entire lives with little conflicts involved. And I was thankful for that, really.
I wasn't exactly a mind reader, you know? It would be pretty useful if I was, but then again, it would be a very exploitable thing to have. So many things I could d-… Anyway, there were times when I could tell what was on Ryou's mind, and there were plenty of other times where I was completely oblivious to her… feelings… Was now such an example? Was she merely going along with my plan to appease me? She most likely knew that I harbored feelings for Tomoya as well. I had no way of knowing for certain. Confronting her directly wouldn't be so smart. She would most likely lie to me as a way to avoid hurting my feelings. A twin, and most importantly, a sister would know when she would pull such a stunt. But if this was really a ruse from Ryou's end, if she really was going along with my plan because she honestly believed that it would make me happy… then I'm a terrible older sister, for forcing this burden on her. Even worse… I could've had Tomoya all to myself from the very beginning…
Thinking such a selfish thought made me sick.
The four of us were silently eating our lunch, staring down at our boxed lunches without looking up at each other. It was nerve-racking, to say the least. Youhei must've felt the same way because he was the one to end the quietness of the club room.
"You wanna go see Okazaki after school today? He's over at my apartment right now, if he hasn't already left, that is." I was biting into the pork cutlet when he asked his question, my eyes still focused entirely on my lunch, so I had no idea who he was directing that question towards. I naturally assumed it was a question applied to us three girls. I finished chewing and swallowed before I made my rebuttal.
"Left? What do you mean, Youhei?"
"Well, he said he might leave the apartment for a bit. I assumed he just wanted to get some fresh air and exercise. I can't see Okazaki being cooped in my musty room all day long, could you?"
"Guess you got a point there. Hey Ryou, you wanna see Tomoya, don't you?" I tossed a very mischievous glance towards my younger sister, who immediately turned the other way to avoid looking my way. She's obviously blushing like crazy.
"Sure." It was a soft whisper, but considering how quiet the rest of the club room was, hearing her proved to be rather easy.
"Good." I now turned my attention towards Kotomi. She appeared to be staring off into space. "What about you, Kotomi? You want to come with us?"
Kotomi broke out of her daydreaming and looked at me with saddened eyes.
"I'm sorry, Kyou-chan. I have things I must do around my house. It's still a little messy after that birthday party of mine that we had."
"Messy? I thought we cleaned most of the mess up."
"Um, onee-chan, I think you just answered your own question." Ryou was now looking at me again, a small smile on her face. She still looked slightly embarrassed as her eyes were looking off to the side soon afterwards. A giggle escaped from Kotomi's mouth as my eyes darted back towards her.
"It's okay. I can take care of it all by myself. Could you send my regards to Tomoya-kun for me, Kyou-chan?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it, Kotomi. I'll be sure to let him know." I reassured her with my smile.
"We should probably eat our lunch before it gets too cold, wouldn't you agree?" Youhei was now facing our tiny group as we glanced downwards at our boxed lunches, the conversation that we were having proving to be a minor distraction.
"Yeah, we should." I softly whispered at his question. I didn't even realize that it came out as quietly as it did until I had finished that brief sentence.
…Today was going to be a long day, indeed.
The automatic sliding doors to the hospital slid open as Kouko Ibuki and I walked through them. We made our way past the lobby, as nurses and doctors were scurrying all over the place like ants. Kouko waved at the receptionist sitting at the counter. She clearly recognized us, or Kouko at the very least, as she waved back at us. We silently made our way to the elevator as Kouko firmly pressed the button for the elevator to come down. She then turned towards me with a soft smile, thanking me for accompanying her to see her younger sister, Fuko.
"I'm sure Fu-chan would love some company every now and then." Kouko really was a beautiful woman to behold, if I may be so frank. It might be because of that short hair of hers. I'm probably saying too much right now. The other girls would kill me if they knew I had a thing for older women. And she's already married to begin with. Anyway…
"It's no trouble at all," I responded back. "In fact, I should be the one to thank you."
"Huh? Why's that?" Kouko had an inquisitive look on her face the moment I finished my sentence. Our attention turned towards the elevator once more as the two doors opened and we took a few steps inside. Kouko hit the button for the fourth floor as the doors slowly closed on us. A sudden shift of gravity caught me off guard as I slightly stumbled in place, but I immediately composed myself with my feet. Turning to my left, I proceeded to answer her question.
"For not judging me, of course. I mean, I was suspended from school for a few days, after all."
"But you protected a friend of yours, correct? As a former teacher, I can't help but feel worried about your academic progress at school, but I know that you didn't do something intentionally reckless for no reason."
"Thank you, Kouko-san."
"You're welcome, Tomoya-san." Her smile never left her face, not even once. I guess it was fate that I wound up here…or by some strange unholy coincidence. I had wandered into the shopping district of town, about to head to the supermarket. I ran into Kouko Ibuki, a former art teacher at Hikarizaka High School, who was apparently shopping for some food. I just tagged along with her, helping her out whenever she needed it. It wasn't any trouble; I was really that bored. We stopped by a nearby bookstore that was pretty huge in and of itself as Kouko picked up a few books before leaving. She asked me if I wanted to tag along with her to go to hospital. She needed to check up on her younger sister Fuko, who was tragically involved in a car accident and was now lying in a coma ever since. As I had nowhere else to go for the day, except back to Sunohara's apartment, I agreed to come along with. And here I was, I suppose…
I stared at the wristwatch on my right hand. It was around 9:20 am. My gaze was interrupted the moment I heard the chime on the elevator, signaling to us both that we had arrived on the fourth floor. As the doors slowly opened once more, we slowly walked down the hallway. I was walking a few paces behind Kouko since I didn't know where Fuko's room was located. As the two of us slowly made our way to wherever Fuko's room happened to be, I looked around at my surroundings. Hospitals always give me an unsettling feeling every time I'm in one. Maybe it's because of those white walls that give such a sterile atmosphere. Everything here is usually very neat and clean, for obvious reasons. But perhaps, it's a bit too neat and clean. There's something unnerving about that to me. People here, whether they be nurses, doctors, or patients are at the mercy of life and death here in a hospital. There's little to separate tears of joy from tears of sadness. Too much of both can occur here. I don't think any other place in the world can be so happy and yet be so sad at the exact same time. Even thinking about it…makes me feel so conflicted.
The two of us turned left down another hallway as we continued walking. Kouko broke the silence that was starting to grow between us. "How is Furukawa-san doing, Tomoya-san?"
"She has a slight fever, so she's been absent from school. Nagisa has always had a poor immune system so she tends to get sick quite often, unfortunately." Admitting that was depressing but necessary.
"Oh, I see." She turned her gaze away momentarily, either out of embarrassment or guilt. I had no way of telling from behind. As soon as she collected her thoughts, Kouko had pointed out that we had arrived at our destination. The older woman gently opened the door as to not disturb anyone nearby. The two of us made our way inside as I noticed a young girl's body lying motionless on a hospital bed, wires of all sorts attached to her. I assumed that she was Fuko.
"Fu-chan, I'm back." She softly whispered to her younger sister. Even though she was smiling, I could hear that hint of lingering sorrow in her quiet voice. She grabbed one of the wooden chairs from the nearby desk and moved it closer to the bed Fuko was sleeping in. With her hands, she motioned me to do the same. I silently nodded my head, as I grabbed another chair and placed it next to Kouko as silently as my arms could. "And I've brought a guest along with me today as well."
"Hi there, Fuko." I did the best I could to smile, but it felt a little awkward. I didn't know if my words would ever be able to reach her. But for Kouko's sake, I made the attempt to do so anyway. It was the effort that counts, right?
"Fu-chan was involved in a car accident the morning of her entrance ceremony, as I've told you already. She's been in a coma ever since."
I stared at Fuko's sleeping form. The only sign of life was the very subtle rising and falling of her chest. There was this thin tube that came out of both her nostrils and was hooked onto a machine. A ventilator, perhaps? I wouldn't know for certain. There were other tubes and machines surrounding her, most likely monitoring her vital signs and keeping her alive.
"People with traumatic brain injury usually remain in what is known as called true coma for about two weeks to a month, where they have no sleep/wake cycle. After that, the patient changes into a vigil coma, commonly known as a vegetative state, where they show sleep and wake cycles, including opening and closing their eyes. From the look of things, Fu-chan is still sleeping."
Seeing someone lying so helpless…it was really unsettling. I couldn't really describe this feeling of apprehension that was now inside of me. I felt helpless, just sitting here. I could only imagine what Kouko has been feeling after all this time. I've never known anyone who has been in a coma. In fact, this is the first time that I'm actually in the same room as a coma patient. I just wasn't used to it. Kouko must've sensed my uneasiness from my face, so she decided to continue speaking.
"You remember when you and Nagisa-san stopped by my house that one day to congratulate me on getting married to Yusuke, don't you?" Ah, that was quite a while back, but I definitely remember.
"Yes, I do. How come?"
"I mentioned that I talk with Fu-chan about everything that goes on in my life. The doctors actually recommend doing it, too."
"Really?"
"Yes. The doctors have told me that some level of consciousness is still present as long as the coma patient is breathing. A person is always to assume that the person in coma can hear everything we say. If there's something personal that you want to discuss with me and you don't Fu-chan to hear, then I recommend we step out of the room for the moment, okay?"
I silently nodded my head. "Yes, I understand." My head slowly turned towards Fuko, lying there peacefully, her breathing a slow but rhythmic pace. "But maybe it's better if we just talk in front of Fuko. You did mentioned to me that your younger sister didn't have a lot of friends. You also asked me to be her friend if she ever wakes up, right? Maybe…maybe it would be better for Fuko to her some of my personal thoughts. She may be less afraid to talk with me if she knew some things about me beforehand, wouldn't you agree?"
My gaze shifted back to Kouko's face, trying to gage what sort of reaction my suggestion would yield. I didn't have to wait too long, as her smile told me everything I needed to know. "If you really don't mind, then I think that's a wonderful idea. I'm glad that Fu-chan will have at least one friend when she wakes up." She momentarily paused, as if mustering the will to continue on. I had the feeling that deep down, she was fighting back the urge to cry in front of me.
"Even…even if it takes a week, or a month, or a year…or an entire decade…I know that my dear Fu-chan will wake up…someday."
"Sister's intuition?"
Kouko quietly chuckled at my suggestion, smiling so warmly. I felt that her worries had melted away, if only for a brief moment. "That just may be it, Tomoya-san."
I stayed at that hospital the rest of that Saturday morning and into the early afternoon. Time didn't felt like it flew by so fast, but it did, somehow. Kouko and I talked about the most mundane and ordinary of things. Talked about how a married life was like. She talked about her husband, Yusuke Yoshino, of how he is currently working as an electrician for an electric company, managing the power lines that run throughout this entire town. The two of us ate breakfast and lunch together as well. The hospital food wasn't so bad. Of course, I never stayed in a hospital long enough to have to eat the food there, so truth be told, this is the first time that I've tried it. I didn't find it distasteful at all, so I figured it sufficed. Kouko went on to explain to me that she would read Fuko novels as one way to pass the time and to keep her company. Apparently, the doctors here told her that people in coma fear isolation, so talking with them, or using any form of communication to make contact can be a godsend.
Kouko would also hold onto her tiny hand while she read as a way to emotionally "connect" with Fuko. I didn't really understand what Kouko meant by that and I'm sure she noticed the puzzled look on my face as well because she suggested that I tried holding Fuko's hand.
"Touch is almost always beneficial to the coma patient. It's comforting and breaks the sense of isolation that they might feel. Remember to tell Fu-chan everything you're going to do. Every small bit of action needs to be announced to her before you actually do it, okay? For instance, if I wanted to hold onto Fu-chan's right forearm, I would announce out loud 'Now, I'm going to touch your right forearm. Here I come.'" Kouko proceeded to demonstrate her example as her left hand gently caressed Fuko's right forearm. "'There.' And then, pay attention to any feedback that she may give back to you. If you try to communicate with her three times and notice nothing at all, then try changing to something else or take a break instead."
"This…is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I'm surprised that you've adapted this well."
Kouko chuckled at my observation. "It's still a learning process for me, Tomoya-san. I'm still trying to get used to it as well. Do you want to give it a try?"
I gave her another puzzled look, but I gently smiled at her request as I slowly reached for Fuko's right hand with mine. Her hand was resting silently on her lap. "Hey Fuko, I'm…gonna grab your right hand, okay?" I turned to Kouko, to see if I was doing this correctly. She simply nodded and smiled at me. Guess I was doing all right.
I gently lifted her small hand with my mine, the tips of my fingers caressing her palm, and slowly dragged her hand and arm towards me. Her hand felt cold to my touch as it laid upon my left knee. Or maybe, it was my hand that was cold and hers warm. "I hope you don't mind, Fuko."
Kouko reached for a pale white tote bag that was sitting on top of the wooden desk near us. She was digging inside, looking for a specific novel to pull out. This was the first time that I've been here with Kouko and Fuko so I had no clue what kind of book Kouko had been reading to her younger sister. Guess I was about to find out. It was a hardcover book of sorts with a navy blue cover.
"I've been reading a different book to Fu-chan, but since you're here, I figured that I should read something else today. I didn't want you to feel lost if you were to join us in the middle of another story. I hope you understand, Tomoya-san."
"It's okay. I don't mind."
Kouko silently nodded as she flipped through the pages of her book. "This book is a collection of short stories. I'm trying to find a story that I haven't read to Fu-chan yet."
"Ah, I see."
She continued to flip through the pages of her book as my hand still firmly grasped Fuko's right hand. I continued to stare down at that hand, wondering if she'll ever wake up from her coma. And then, I felt something strange…something within my heart. Something familiar, like I've done this before…once upon a time. It was…a wave of nostalgia that was slowly beginning to wash over me. But this is the first time that I've met Fuko…isn't it? How is that even possible?
When I finally heard the pages of the book remaining still for more than a few seconds, I knew that Kouko had finally settled on a story to read to Fuko. I turned my head up from my lap towards Kouko's direction. "Here's one. Are you familiar with the story The Dandelion Girl by Robert F. Young?"
"Yes, I am." I smiled at her. "A friend of mine read me this story a long time ago."
Kouko laughed the moment I mentioned my comment. "Nagisa-san?"
The moment I heard Nagisa's name being brought up again, my face couldn't help but blush furiously. Trying not to think about her only made my face even hotter. It was a futile effort.
"I'm so sorry, Tomoya-san." She was still laughing, her eyes still closed from the amusement of it all. I wonder if her apology was meant to be taken seriously. Probably not.
"It's okay." I couldn't help but smile awkwardly to offset the embarrassment that I was now feeling. She's never going to stop teasing me about me and Nagisa, will she?
"I really do think you two would make a great couple." My left hand reached for my face, the palm covering my left cheek as my left eye peered through the space of my fingers, vainly trying to conceal the ever-growing blush on my face. Dear God, when was she going to stop? I felt tormented by her innocent words, a bemused smile wrinkling from my lips as I couldn't help but feel the situation I was in to be amusing in that absurdly ironic way. I guess the universe is getting back at me for messing with Sunohara earlier, eh?
"Speaking of which, are you planning on checking up on Nagisa-san later? I know that she's sick and all, but I believe that seeing one of her friends would brighten up her day a lot." Kouko beamingly smiled at me. I couldn't help but return the favor.
"I'll think about it. I've stayed away from her house to let her recover…but if you think checking up on her might cheer her up, then I'll consider it."
"I know it will. I have no doubts about that, Tomoya-san." She sure sounds pretty confident about that.
And with that, Kouko began reading the short story…that Kotomi Ichinose read to me a long time ago.
"Today, I will be reading a new story. It's called The Dandelion Girl by Robert F. Young. I hope you two will love it." She took a deep breath before she continued. "The girl on the hill made Mark think of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Perhaps it was because of the way she was standing there in the afternoon sun, her dandelion-hued hair dancing in the wind; perhaps it was because of the way her old-fashioned white dress was swirling around her long and slender legs. In any event, he got the definite impression that she had somehow stepped out of the past and into the present; and that was odd, because as things turned out, it wasn't the past she had stepped out of, but the future."
My mind started to get a little dizzy as if it were about to fall into an afternoon daydream. Without realizing it myself, I found myself thinking back to a far-off memory of distant days. Days when life felt so much simpler and a lot less complicated. Days that I sometimes dream that I could relive once more, to escape all of the troubles of this reality that I now lived in…
"He paused some distance behind her, breathing hard from the climb. She had not seen him yet, and he wondered how he could apprise her of his presence without alarming her. While he was trying to make up his mind, he took out his pipe and filled and lighted it, cupping his hands over the bowl and puffing till the tobacco came to glowing life. When he looked at her again, she had turned around and was regarding him curiously."
"Ugh, that's disgusting, Kotomi-chan!" I had interrupted Kotomi just merely two paragraphs into the short story that she was reading to me. "Smoking is bad for you. Why do people even do it, anyway?"
"I've never really understood it, either, Tomoya-kun." The two of us were lying on the floor of Kotomi's house, our stomachs pressed against the cool wooden surface.
"But you're supposed to be the smart one, Kotomi-chan!" I was laughing at the fact that for once, the smartest girl that I ever knew didn't know why people smoked tobacco. "Heck, your own father smokes a pipe, doesn't he?"
"He's getting better at it. He usually waits until he's outside before he does it now."
"You should convince him to quit, period. He'll live longer, along with you and your mom." I was merely teasing her, but I was being serious at the same time as well. Those things will kill you, seriously.
"Are you a bully?" Kotomi was looking downfallen from my teasing joke. But she was a very sensitive girl. She always has been. I remember that I had to be delicate around her at all times, but I still found a way to occasionally sneak a joke in, trying to teach her the art of sarcasm and guile. I think she's slowly picking up on it, I hope.
"No, I'm not, Kotomi-chan. Please believe me." My head was now hanging low, a vain attempt at saying that I was sorry.
"It's okay. I believe you." I heard a small giggle escape from Kotomi's mouth. I think she's learning about my playful side. I turned my head and my gaze towards Kotomi's face and gave her the biggest smile that I could muster.
"Looks like the student is finally teaching the master something new for a change."
"That's not supposed to happen. I'm supposed to be teaching you, not the other way around."
The two of us then broke out into laughter after realizing just how silly we were being over something so little.
"I still remember the first thing you told my father the moment you saw him."
I heartily laughed at her statement, remembering how pretentious it sounded in hindsight. Kotomi jokingly cleared her throat, as if she were about to prepare to give a speech of sorts.
"Second-hand smoke kills, you know? It's far worse than the fumes you inhale directly. They contain a large amount of harmful substances. Inhaled directly, smoke contains 5.3 to 43 nanograms of carcinogenic nitrosamines, compared to the 680 to 823 nanograms when inhaled second-hand. The second-hand smoker also inhales eleven times the volume of smoke itself, 18,000 nanograms in all. So, the risk to the surrounding population is far greater than to the smoker himself. You can make the choice to blacken your lungs, but don't expect to force that on me. After all, we're not even friends." [1] After hearing Kotomi repeat my own words, it was kinda rude to say that to her father, especially since those were the first words I said to him. Normally, a person would introduce themselves by stating their name and whatnot, along with some other info about themselves. Me on the other hand, well, logic and etiquette goes out the window when I'm pissed. I seriously hate cigarettes with every fiber in my being.
I face-palmed myself, as I couldn't suppress the laughter that was building inside of me. "I still remember how your parents reacted to that. Your mom was laughing at me, while your dad stared in disbelief. They both honestly thought that you told me that."
"Was it because of the vocabulary?" Kotomi was smiling at me. She remembered it clearly as well.
"Of course! It sounded like something you would say, not the other way around."
"I still remember what my dad said back to you, after your little rant."
A blush appeared on my face as I knew what she was about to repeat to me.
Kotomi turned her gaze away from me and towards the book in front of us out of slight embarrassment. "Well son, I might not be your friend, but you will be Kotomi's friend, won't you?"Kotomi then slowly turned her head back towards me again, a slight red blush on her face mirroring mine.
"You'll always be my friend, won't you…Tomoya-kun?" There was a small hint of sadness in her whispery voice. I wanted to console her, to let her know that I would never leave her. I took the pinky finger of my right hand and extended it out to her.
"Always…Kotomi-chan. Always." Kotomi knew what my hand gesture meant, as she reciprocated the motion and grasped my pinky finger with hers, as the two of us shook hands. The two of us, lying on the hard but cool wooden floor, we couldn't help but smile serenely at one another. If only…
"So, shall we continue?"
"Yeah, sorry about that, Kotomi-chan. I can't believe I distracted you for this long."
Kotomi shook her head, reassuring me that it was no trouble at all. She pushed the book lightly towards me, indicating to me that she wanted me to read now. I remember when she asked me to read with her the first time I was over at her house. I was dumbstruck; I always figured that books were a solitary experience, meant to be enjoyed by oneself and with no one else. But Kotomi insisted that we should read together. I wasn't against the idea; I just wasn't used to it, that's all. After coming over to her house a few times, reading together wasn't all that bad. In fact, I was beginning to like it. Or maybe it was because I was starting to become attached to Kotomi herself…
Kotomi pointed to the spot on the page where she left off, as I continued reading from there on. "He walked toward her slowly, keenly aware of the nearness of the sky, enjoying the feel of the wind against his face. He should go hiking more often, he told himself. He had been tramping through woods when he came to the hill, and now the woods lay behind and far below him, burning gently with the first pale fires of fall, and beyond the woods lay the little lake with its complement of cabin and fishing pier. When his wife had been unexpectedly summoned for jury duty, he had been forced to spend alone the two weeks he had saved out of his summer vacation and he had been leading a lonely existence, fishing off the pier by day and reading the cool evenings away before the big fireplace in the raftered living room; and after two days the routine had caught up to him, and he had taken off into the woods without purpose or direction and finally he had come to the hill and had climbed it and seen the girl."
…If only I had kept that promise… from the very beginning.
My eyes were beginning to tear up a little, saddened by the fact that I'll never be able to go back to those simple days again… and for the fact that I eventually broke that promise I made. Kouko probably noticed it too since she decided to speak up about it.
"Are you okay, Tomoya-san?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine, Kouko-san. Don't worry about it." I reassured her with a smile. Kouko still had a look of uncertainty on her face. I dried my eyes up with my right index finger as my gaze went from her face to the floor for a moment.
"I was thinking back… to my childhood, that's all. Don't you wish you could go back sometimes?"
"Yes, I'll admit, there are times when I yearn for my childhood days as well, Tomoya-san."
"I'm sorry for making you stop the story."
"Don't worry about it. Will you be okay?"
"Uh-huh." I calmly nodded my head to reassure her.
Kouko proceeded to continue reading the story, resuming back from where she had stopped earlier. As her words continue to fill the relatively empty room with life, my right hand was still holding onto Fuko's, wondering if the two of us were able to reach her from within her sleep. As I closed my eyes to in order to focus on Kouko's reading more intuitively, I saw something within the darkness of my mind. Thoughts or visions…or memories…of a small but familiar girl. A girl with greenish-brown hair with a blue ribbon that was clumsily tied to the end of her long hair. I remember me…and her…and Nagisa as well…the three of us were holding hands together as we gazed up into the blue sky, standing somewhere near the school courtyard. I remember the little girl quietly whispered to us small words of gratitude. And the rest…was a blank. I don't know or remember what it was that I just imagined, but there was one thing that I was certain about at that point.
That girl… could only be Fuko Ibuki.
My eyes snapped back open immediately after coming to this realization. The girl that I saw was definitely Fuko. The same Fuko Ibuki who was now lying in bed right in front me, completely comatose, absolutely lifeless. The same Fuko Ibuki whose right hand I was now tenderly grasping with my own. But she's been here at the hospital this entire time, right? There's no way that any of us have met Fuko before. But...I feel…that the past few weeks, there's been something missing within my own memories. Gaps…that are there, that exist for reasons unknown. Was Fuko the reason why I felt that way? At the moment, there's no way for me to ask her, given that she's currently in a comatose state. I wonder if there's a connection between the state that she's in right now and the gaps within my own memories. There's a possibility but I can't do anything about it right now.
It was around two o'clock and I told Kouko that I should be leaving now. I asked her if I could come back some other time and continue to talk with her. She smiled as she said that I could come over anytime that she was visiting the hospital. I bowed graciously for agreeing to my suggestion. I hurriedly left the hospital, sprinting the moment I was out of the building and nobody else was nearby. I ran straight towards one of the bus stops and sat there by myself, waiting for the bus to eventually arrive. Luckily, the stop wasn't one too far away that would take me to the other side of the city. I had forgotten just how long it took just to get over here on foot. Fortunately, the time it will take to get back to Sunohara's apartment will merely be a fraction of that time. I sat there, contemplating about the hospital visit, about how the others are doing at school right now, about Nagisa and her health, and about the unknown future that stretched out before me. Before I had realized it, a bus was coming to a slow grinding halt.
…The doors slowly drew open as I made my way inside.
Author's Note #6: The events of the club room scene did happen in the anime (3:53 - 4:14 of episode 18). The events at the hospital are my own creation, meant to show what Tomoya was doing while everyone else was at school.
Well, that's the end of chapter 2. If you actually made it to the end of the chapter, then I salute you for being able to put up with my story. If it's not asking too much, any kind of feedback, be it pointing out spelling/grammar mistakes, suggestions, or just your thoughts and feelings on this chapter, anything would be great. All I ask is that you remain civil and keep things constructive. That's all. ^_^'
Just like last time, if I get some positive feedback, I'll continue on with this story. :) If I don't, then I obviously failed as a writer and as a Clannad fan and that'll be the end of that. XD If you're curious as to when I'll have the next chapter up, I can't give you any specific dates, but I can tell you to check my profile every single day to see how much progress I've made on the next chapter. You'll find a percentage number there indicating how much of the next chapter I have completed. The next chapter will go up the moment that number hits 100%.
And don't worry, I'm never going to drop this story, so long as there is continued interest from readers for my fanfic. For personal reasons, I want to see this story through to the very end, even if it takes a long time to get there. The only way that I'm gonna stop writing this story is if real life prevents me from doing so. So far, it hasn't, yet. XD And here's hoping it stays that way for a very long time...
Footnotes: (Added 05.04.2012)
[1] - A reference to episode 5 of the Studio BONES anime series Darker Than Black. I more or less combined the dialogue in the original Japanese version and the English dub and got that.