--
Beep... beep... beep...
The rhythm of a heart monitor echoed softly in the sterile room.
A boy lay still in the hospital bed.
Wires ran from his chest, and bandages wrapped around his arm and forehead.
Then-suddenly-
"Lunia..."
The name slipped out of his lips like a fading whisper.
Enoki's eyes snapped open.
He gasped.
He sat up too fast. A sharp pain ran through his ribs and into his head like lightning.
"Ugh-what the...?!"
He winced, holding his head.
"Ugh-what the...?!"
He winced, holding his head as a wave of dizziness hit him.
Images flickered in his mind.
A red light.
A roar.
A blur.
Then black.
He blinked slowly, scanning the room.
"Where... am I?"
His voice was dry, hoarse.
He looked around, confused.
"Is this... a hospital?"
He glanced down at himself-clean sheets, IV drip, a faint scent of antis
He looked around, confused.
"the door creaked open.
A middle-aged man in a white coat stepped in with a kind but professional smile.
His ID badge read: Dr. Akihiko Rensai. Dr. Akihiko Rensai stepped in with a clipboard and a tired but kind smile.
"Good, you're awake."
"Doctor?"
"I'm the one overseeing your recovery. You've been unconscious for four days. You were hit by a motorbike."
Enoki blinked.
"Four days...?"
His voice trembled slightly.
Then he chuckled bitterly.
"Heh... I'm not dead?"
Dr. Rensai tilted his head, curious.
"Most people are grateful to survive. You sound disappointed."
"You wouldn't understand," Enoki muttered.
"Not unless you've lived a life that feels heavier than death."
The doctor didn't respond. He simply jotted something down in silence.
Enoki turned to the window. Sunlight warmed his face.
Strangely... it felt okay.
Just a little.
---
Later that day, Dr. Rensai returned.
Enoki was more alert now, staring at the ceiling.
"Doctor," he said suddenly,
"How much do I owe your hospital?"
The doctor raised a brow.
"You're unusually sharp for a 14-year-old. But don't rush, boy. Your bills have been paid in full."
Enoki's eyes widened.
"...What? Paid? By who?"
The doctor's tone didn't change.
"No need to worry. Just focus on recovering. You'll find out when the time is right."
"That's not the answer I need," Enoki sat up, almost desperate.
"How is that even possible? Who'd waste their money on me?"
Dr. Rensai let out a short breath.
"You ask too many questions for someone who almost died."
He looked over the monitor.
"Your vitals are stabilizing. Another day or two and you'll be clear for discharge."
"Wait, Doc-don't leave just yet."
Enoki sat up with effort.
"I need to be discharged now. I've got deliveries to make. Customers will kill me."
The doctor raised an eyebrow.
"Deliveries?"
Enoki laughed once, a dry, bitter sound.
"Yeah. Life's a burden... but someone's got to carry it."
The doctor paused for a second. Then shook his head with a faint smile.
"Rest. You can be discharged in two days. That's final."
And with that, he left the room.
---
Enoki laid back against the pillows, thoughts swirling.
Who...?
Who would pay so much to save a nobody like him?
He didn't know. And strangely, he didn't want to ask again.
But the question echoed in his mind, soft as a whisper.
Who the hell are you?
And why me?
---
Two days later...
A quiet morning sunlight touched the room.
A nurse came in with discharge papers.
Clothes folded on the side table.
Enoki packed slowly, his eyes wandering toward the silver locket lying near the pillow.
It shimmered faintly in the light.
He picked it up and placed it around his neck, fingers tracing the edges without thinking.
The weight of the world was still there.
But somehow...
It felt just a little lighter than before.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...
---