Chapter 60: Awakening
Maybe the memories were simply too much to bear.
Shoko had fallen asleep lying right on top of Haruka's chest.
Her delicate eyebrows, which should have been relaxed in sleep, were furrowed tight.
She looked like she was having a nightmare.
After she drifted off, Haruka's finger twitched.
Bathed in the moonlight. His eyelashes fluttered.
A pair of bright, almost bewitching eyes snapped open, staring up at the ceiling.
'Am I... awake?'
Yes.
I'm awake.
The answer formed automatically in Haruka's mind.
Immediately after, Haruka felt the weight on his chest. He lifted his head slightly and saw the familiar sakura-colored hair and the face he had been longing for day and night.
Haruka's breath hitched.
In the space between memories, although it was hard to perceive the passage of time, yearning had a way of accumulating.
That longing gave him a sense of time.
He had missed her for so long.
Looking at her furrowed brows, Haruka reached out his hand.
Even in his state of [Serene Mirror, Still Water], his palm actually trembled slightly!
His fingers brushed against her face, gently smoothing the fine hairs on her forehead before finally resting there.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of Haruka's mouth.
Suddenly, as if startled by a ghost, Shoko slapped his hand away and bolted upright.
"No!!" Shoko screamed, jerking awake from her nightmare.
She had just dreamt of the scene she feared most—the day Haruka suddenly collapsed.
That sense of powerlessness was like drowning in the deep sea, a despair that crushed everything in its path.
It made it hard to breathe.
Especially when she felt something touching her face in her sleep... it felt wrong.
Wait!
Haruka?!
Only then did she snap back to reality, staring blankly at Haruka.
"Shoko! What's wrong?!" Haruka called out, sitting up and grabbing Shoko's hand.
Shoko didn't react at all. Her lips trembled, opening and closing without making a sound. Suddenly, she pinched her own waist hard.
"Ah!" She cried out in pain.
Haruka, realizing what was going on, looked at this scene with a helpless expression. He shook his head, opened his arms, and spoke softly.
"Shoko. I'm back."
Shoko couldn't hold back anymore. Her tears burst like a dam as she threw herself at him.
Feeling his physical warmth, she confirmed that he was really still here.
"Haruka... you're awake... you're awake... thank god... thank god... I missed you so much..."
Hugging Shoko's thin, frail body, Haruka's heart was filled with a mix of joy and sorrow.
He was afraid to think about how long he had been asleep.
But right now, all he could do was gently stroke Shoko's back to comfort her.
He patted her lightly, as if soothing a baby.
After a long while, Shoko finally sat up, looking embarrassed, but she still refused to let go of Haruka's hand.
Haruka let her hold it. However, seeing her state, Haruka felt a wave of worry about the time he had spent in the coma. Had Shoko been living poorly?
'That shouldn't be... I left plenty of money behind. Even if Shoko's situation was bad, my family and Shoko's mother—who cares about her daughter more than anything—wouldn't just sit by and watch...'
'Did something unexpected happen?'
'Wait.'
'The Shinomiya Group!'
'Before I went into the coma, the research I was doing for Kaguya-sama wasn't finished yet!'
'Kaguya-sama managed to turn the tables slightly with my help back then, but after I went down, she might not have been able to hold on...'
'Did her enemies make a move...?'
Having gone through a mental baptism, Haruka's mindset was terrifyingly calm. He instantly began to run a series of logical deductions.
"Shoko, how long was I out?"
"What? Two years?"
Haruka was utterly shocked.
It had actually been two years?!
Shoko nodded affirmatively. Then, she began to recount everything that had happened over the past two years, bit by bit.
Haruka's expression remained calm as he listened to Shoko's words.
The fallen star, the swarm of news headlines, the concern from family and friends, Shoko's day-after-day care...
Although Shoko didn't explicitly say what she had been doing for these two years, Haruka picked up on it from her words.
Moreover, even with just a cursory glance, Haruka analyzed the layout of the hospital room and spotted the details.
For example... that urinal bottle in the corner...
And Shoko's now incredibly proficient ability to read lips and hold a conversation...
For two years, Shoko had been the one taking care of him.
"You've worked hard."
Haruka squeezed Shoko's hand tighter.
Shoko gave a sweet smile. "It wasn't hard. You waking up is the best reward."
"Mm."
Looking at Shoko, Haruka voiced the first thought he had after his self-realization.
"Shoko. Let's get married."
"Mm-hmm... Huh?!"
Shoko's eyes went wide with cuteness, visibly startled by this sudden proposal.
"Originally, I kept hesitating because of my illness. And I wanted to propose to you in a romantic setting. But I've figured it out now."
"None of that matters. What matters is the person."
"So... will you marry me, Shoko?"
Shoko opened her mouth slightly, then reached out and pinched Haruka's waist this time.
Seeing Haruka's slight wince of pain, she suddenly burst into laughter. "Of course I will, you dummy!"
That "dummy"... perhaps she was talking about his past hesitation... or perhaps she was mocking her own past thoughts.
When it came to "thinking for the other person," the two of them were unexpectedly similar.
Looking at Shoko, who was trying to act calm but whose cheeks were burning red. Haruka lowered his head.
Outside the window, the moon shone brightly, with only a few stars scattered across the sky.
Its light bathed them gently, though the moon seemed to shy away behind a veil of clouds.
***
The news of Haruka's awakening was sent to his family.
Sitting on the hospital bed, Haruka ate an apple Shoko had peeled for him personally.
Suddenly—
Bang!
The door flew open.
A silver-white figure charged in.
Seeing Haruka, she threw herself directly at him.
"Onii-chan!"
It was Sora.
Haruka was hugged tightly by Sora. However, Sora was still so petite and weak that even though she was hugging him with all her might, Haruka didn't feel any discomfort at all.
"Alright, alright. I'm back..." As he spoke, he stroked Sora's long hair.
After a while, Sora finally let go of him.
"Onii-chan, you won't pass out again, will you?"
Contrary to her usual awkward personality, Sora looked at Haruka with undisguised worry.
"That depends on if you're a good girl," Haruka said with a grin.
Faced with Haruka's obvious teasing... Sora actually hesitated!
Beside them, Shoko smiled as she watched the siblings banter.
Soon. Haruka's parents arrived as well.
Naturally, there was a round of comfort and relief.
Over the past two years, Haruka's parents had worried themselves sick. They had frequently traveled abroad just to see if there were any new medical technologies that could save their son.
They looked several years older.
By the time they finished catching up, the sky was already beginning to brighten.
Haruka told Sora to take their parents back to rest.
Sora obediently did as she was told.
Watching them leave the hospital with joy on their faces, Haruka finally noticed something.
Outside the ward, quite a few people seemed to be poking their heads in, trying to get a look.
-----
(Third Goal: 400 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter)
So... Hand over all of your POWER STONES!!!
For advanced chapters (20+) and extra visuals: patre o n. com/Demonic_Fiction