Tenkei slowly opened his eyes.
At first, everything was blurry. White light filled his vision, and his head felt heavy. A dull pain spread through his body, making it hard to move. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.
"Tenkei…?"
A soft, shaking voice reached his ears.
He turned his head slightly.
Miko was sitting beside him.
Her eyes were red. Dark circles surrounded them. Her hair was messy, as if she hadn't cared about her appearance at all. She was holding his hand tightly, as if afraid he would disappear again.
"O-Onee-chan…" he whispered.
Her head snapped up.
"Tenkei?!"
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
"You're awake… You're really awake…"
She stood up so quickly that her chair almost fell. Then she hugged him carefully, trying not to hurt him.
"I was so scared," she said, her voice breaking. "I thought… I thought I lost you…"
Tenkei was surprised. For a moment, he didn't know what to do. Then, slowly, he raised his weak arms and hugged her back.
"I'm… sorry…" he murmured. "I didn't mean to worry you…"
She pulled back and looked at him angrily, tears still falling.
"Don't say sorry," she said. "Do you know how much it hurt to see you like that?"
He looked down.
"I… I'm weak…" he whispered. "I couldn't even stand…"
Miko grabbed his face gently and made him look at her.
"Stop," she said firmly. "You're not weak. You're just hurting. And you never told me."
His lips trembled.
"I didn't want to be a burden…" he replied. "Everyone already hates me… I didn't want you to…"
She hugged him again.
"You are not a burden," she said. "You are my family. You're important to me. Don't ever forget that."
His tears finally fell.
"I was scared…" he admitted. "When they surrounded me… when they laughed… I thought… maybe it would be better if I wasn't here…"
Miko froze.
Her heart sank.
She held him tighter.
"Don't think like that," she whispered urgently. "Promise me. No matter how painful it gets, you'll stay. You'll live. With me."
He nodded slowly.
"I… I promise…"
Outside the room, Airi was standing silently.
She had seen everything.
The hug.
The tears.
The promise.
Her hands were clenched into fists.
"So close…" she whispered. "So close, yet she's still in the way…"
Her eyes darkened.
"If she disappears… he'll look at me instead…"
A dangerous thought slowly grew in her heart.
And this time, she didn't try to stop it.