Standing quietly outside the hospital room door was Madoka Higuchi, who had accompanied Tōru Asakura to the hospital. She leaned against the wall, waiting in silence for Tōru.
After the girl softly introduced herself, Haruto, lying in bed, turned his gaze toward her. He studied her for a moment, then glanced at the wild chrysanthemum sitting on his bedside table.
"Could you hand me that bottle of green juice over there?" he asked, pointing at the table.
The girl walked over, picked up the drink, and carefully held it in both hands before offering it to him.
"Thank you."
Twisting the cap open was more difficult than it should have been. Haruto wondered how long it would take after discharge before he could regain his former strength.
He took a small sip, then shifted his eyes to the girl standing beside his bed, watching him with her fingers pressed lightly together. Inside, he felt no particular stir of emotion. After being bedridden for so long, his heart had long since settled into calm detachment.
"So, what brings you here today? To thank me?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied softly. "That day… it was my carelessness that caused such a tragic accident. The one who should have suffered was me, not you. Yet you were the one who was hurt. I truly apologize."
"I accept your apology. Is there anything else?"
"..."
Their eyes met. Tōru was struck by the emptiness in Haruto's gaze—eyes devoid of desire or demand. She had expected him to ask for something, but he asked for nothing at all.
"In that case," he said quietly, "please go. I'd like to rest alone for a while."
"I understand."
Bowing her head, Tōru turned and walked to the door.
"Then… please take care of yourself."
The door closed behind her. Haruto remained in bed, staring at the space where she had stood, lost in thought. At first glance, her short hair had made him assume she was a boy. Only upon closer look had he realized otherwise.
Accustomed as he was to seeing girls with long hair, her appearance had caught him off guard.
"Over already?"
"Yes, it's fine. Let's go."
As Tōru stepped out of the room, she glanced at Madoka waiting nearby and gave her a small smile. Together, they walked toward the elevator—the black-hooded girl following silently at Tōru's side. The two descended from Haruto's floor.
_ _ _ _
When Futaba returned to the hospital later that afternoon, it was already three o'clock.
Carrying an elegant paper bag, she entered the room and drew out a small jewelry box.
"This is for you."
"What is it?"
"A bracelet."
"I don't wear things like that."
Haruto frowned at the box she held out. He had never liked jewelry—no necklaces, rings, or earrings ever adorned him.
"Put it on anyway," Futaba insisted gently. "If one day you happen to meet someone familiar wearing the same bracelet… it might surprise you."
"Huh?"
Her words left him puzzled, as though she were hiding something from him. Yet when he searched her face, she turned her gaze away, refusing to explain. Left without answers, Haruto looked down at the bracelet in his hand, wondering what hidden meaning it carried.
The days passed. With the heater running in his room, Haruto barely noticed the creeping cold of winter, though he did notice his mother and the nurses layering on thicker clothing. November had given way to December, and by now, his body had recovered enough for him to get out of bed.
December 8th.
"Congratulations. You can be discharged."
After a thorough examination, Takemi Tae gave Haruto the news he had been longing to hear.
"At last… I can leave," he breathed, relief softening his expression. After so long confined to a bed, he had begun to wonder what kind of person he might become if it continued.
"Can I handle the discharge paperwork today?"
"You could… but there's no need to rush. Why not wait until tomorrow?"
"Today's Monday. It feels right to leave now. I've been stuck here long enough—I just want to go home."
"You know your condition better than anyone. Even after discharge, no strenuous activity for quite a while. And remember—you must come back regularly for checkups."
"Understood."
Seeing his determination, Takemi didn't press further. She signed the papers, granting him freedom at last.
In the morning, the paperwork was signed. By afternoon, Haruto had changed into his own clothes. Together with his mother, carrying a few bags, he finally walked out of the hospital.
"At last… discharge. Let's go," he said quietly.
"Careful now. Let me carry those for you," Futaba offered.
"It's fine. This much weight isn't a problem. Let's just grab a taxi home first."
The two hailed a cab by the roadside and rode for half an hour until they reached Haruto's apartment.
The stairs, so ordinary before, now left him short of breath by the time he reached his door, luggage in hand. Too many days of inactivity had stripped his stamina to nothing.
"Take a rest first. I'll tidy up the place," Futaba said, unlocking the door with the spare key she had.
Though she had already cleaned the apartment a week earlier in preparation for his return, dust had settled again. She rolled up her sleeves, intent on wiping everything down once more.
"Haruto, why don't you visit Setsuna's place?" she suggested.
"It's Monday—school day. No one should be home. I'll just stroll around a bit. After being stuck in the hospital so long, my body feels rusty. I'll be back soon."
"Going out shopping?" she asked, concern flickering in her eyes.
"Just a short walk. Don't worry, I won't be long."
She held his gaze in silence for a long moment before finally nodding.
"If anything happens, call me immediately."
"I will."
With her parting words echoing in his ears, Haruto stepped outside. He lifted his eyes toward the clear winter sky and let out a slow, heavy breath.
"Winter already, huh…"
His last vivid memory was of late summer. He had hardly felt the touch of autumn sunlight before finding himself in a hospital bed. Now, as the sun warmed his face again, the world had already moved on to winter.
With his current condition, school wasn't realistic. In about a week, winter vacation would begin anyway.
"From summer straight into winter break… no wonder it feels so strange," he muttered to himself as he walked.
Wearing his discreet hearing aid in one ear, Haruto took in the lively streets. The colors, so different from the sterile white of the hospital, began to stir something inside him.
"Haruto! Long time no see—it feels like ages! What happened?" someone called out.
"I was sick. Resting at home for a while," he explained casually.
Stepping into the familiar shopping street, he was greeted warmly by neighbors.
"Sick? At your age? That won't do! You look pale—why not take a fish home and make some nourishing soup? I'll even give you a discount."
The sales pitch came as no surprise.
"Are they fresh?" Haruto asked.
"Of course! Caught just this morning."
"Then I'll take two saury."
With a polite smile, he accepted the fish and continued onward, stopping occasionally to buy meat, vegetables, and eggs. Before long, his arms grew heavy with bags. He paused to rest, then noticed a bold advertisement nearby.
"Year-end lottery tickets…"
Of course. It was December already—the New Year was right around the corner.
Hospital days had blurred time into stillness, and only now did reality return. With a small sigh, he entered the lottery shop.
"Just give me a random number."
Ticket in hand, groceries dragging at his arms, he made his way home.
Nearly two hours had passed. By then, Futaba had finished cleaning the apartment. When Haruto stepped inside, she was hanging laundry to dry.
"Summer clothes can go into storage now," she said. "But you barely have any winter clothes—only two, maybe three pieces. Tomorrow, we should buy some more."
"Alright."
Haruto stowed the groceries in the fridge, washed his hands, and brewed tea for them both. Sitting across from his mother in the quiet apartment, he found himself with nothing to do for the first time in months.
"Will you go to school tomorrow?" Futaba asked.
"With just two weeks left until winter break… I should at least show my face."
He had thought it through on his way home. After such a long absence, disappearing straight into vacation felt wrong.
"And during winter break… back to Itomori?"
"Yes. Otherwise, Mitsuha and Yotsuha will come here, and this place is far too cramped."
"I agree."
The apartment was too small to host his younger cousins, especially with Haruto still recovering. Futaba decided she would remain in Tokyo until the break, then return to Itomori with him.
That evening, Futaba prepared dinner while Haruto sat at his desk. His computer felt oddly unfamiliar after months away, but soon his fingers regained their rhythm. During his hospital stay, he had read constantly, filling his mind with ideas. Now, sitting here again, he began shaping those thoughts into words.
He wasn't in a rush to start a new novel. For now, he would let his ideas simmer until the right story emerged.
"Should we invite someone over tonight?" Futaba asked as she cooked. "I already told Mai you'd been discharged."
"The apartment's small, but four people should be fine."
"Then let's invite Mai and Setsuna."
"Alright."
Checking the time, Haruto realized it was about when Mai would finish work. He called her, explaining Futaba's suggestion.
"Celebrating at your place? Why not mine? We could invite more people—it'd be livelier," Mai suggested.
"No, just the four of us is enough," Haruto replied firmly.
"I see. Alright then."
Mai accepted without protest.
Meanwhile, at school, Hikari leaned toward Setsuna.
"Are you going to the hospital again today? I heard your boyfriend's supposed to be discharged this month."
Her endless curiosity about Haruto had become almost obsessive. Nearly every day she pried into Setsuna's relationship with him.
If not for overhearing her gush about "a devoted girlfriend staying by her hospitalized boyfriend's side—so romantic, isn't it?" Setsuna might have suspected Hikari of having her own connection to Haruto.
"Yes… he's being discharged this month," Setsuna admitted softly.
But instead of joy, her expression clouded with worry. Watching her, Sekai couldn't quite understand why Setsuna looked so troubled.
"Well, vacation is coming soon anyway," Hikari said cheerfully. "Just one more week of school, then New Year!"
"New Year…" Nanami echoed thoughtfully.
"When Setsuna's boyfriend is discharged from the hospital, let's all gather to celebrate, okay?"
~~~~~~~~~~
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