The paramedics arrived three minutes later amidst the loud sirens, voices and blinding lights.
"Let go kid, " one of the first responders managed to pry Ren away from Kaito's lifeless body.
Ren didn't remember much from that month only that he saw them loading letting his brother onto a stretcher, hooking him up with IV lines, pressing oxygen masks to his face.
"Massive blood loss... multiple penetrating trauma... BP dropping fast..." One of the paramedics called out.
"We need to move NOW. " Another yelled.
Ren tried to follow them into the ambulance, but a hand caught his shoulder.
"Son, you can't ride with us. We need space to work. Your mother's at the hospital"
He recognised the voice. It's was Mr Tadao, one of his mother's colleagues.
Ren nodded numbly.
"Good. Get cleaned up and get there. We will do everything we can to save him."
And in a flash they were gone, sirens wailing into the night.
Ren stood alone in the doorway of his apartment, covered in his brother's blood, holding a blood-soaked piece of paper he didn't remember picking up.
Tokyo General Hospital. 3:42 AM.
The waiting room was too bright. Ren had always hated the hospital. He was always spendinh his free time here when his Mom when she was working her late night shifts after his parents had their divorce before she remarried.
"The fluorescent lights always made everyone look dead already. " Ren would always say.
Kaito would always laugh heavily, patting Ren on his head whenever he said it. "You say the funniest things. "
His mother, Aiki sat beside him now, her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking with silent crying.
Ren had tried to clean himself up in the bathroom, tried to wash Kaito's blood off, scrubbed off the blood from his hands until his skin was raw.
But it did nothing, he could still feel it. The warmness, the way it had seeped into every part of his palms. He could still see the blood on his hands whenever he looked at it.
Mr Tadao, the paramedic from earlier stood near the vending machines, talking in low tones on his phone. Probably calling his father to let him now.
Not like he cared, Ren thought.
A doctor emerged from the surgery room. The man was middle-aged, and had those tired eyes, surgical mask pulled down around his neck. He looked at them, and Ren's stomach dropped. He knew that look of bad news. He had seen it on televi a hundred times over.
"Mrs. Mayeda?"
"Yes.. I am here. " Aiko rushed forward her legs shaking. Ren stood with her, his hand finding hers.
"Your son..." The doctor paused, choosing his words carefully. "We were able to stabilize him. The surgeries went as well as it could be expected given how severe his injuries were. "
"He's alive?. He's... " Ren felt hope in his chest but it was swiftly crushed.
"However, " the doctor continued, "he's lost a significant amount of blood. His brain was deprived of oxygen for several minutes. He's fallen into a coma."
"A coma? " Aiko repeated.
"Yes. His body is in survival mode, essentially. The paramedics arrived three minutes later amidst shouting voices and blinding lights.
"We have done everything medically possible that we can, but now... " The doctor's expression softened with sympathy. "Now it is up to him. And we don't know when or if he will ever wake up."
The word had devastating effects and Ren felt like he was shot right in his chest. His legs went weak and his mother made a sound like a wounded animal and collapsed back into her chair, hands covering her face as sobs wracked her body.
The doctor said more words medical terms, prognoses, visiting hours medical jargons but Ren stopped hearing them. His vision was all but gone. The bright waiting room became distant and muffled, like he was underwater.
Kaito might never wake up.
Might never open his eyes again.
Might never..
"Ren. " Aiko's voice was thick with tears. She pulled him into a hug, and they cried together in the waiting room while strangers looked away.
Before Ren knew it, it was morning already and Ren found himself alone in the hallway outside Kaito's ICU room.
His mother was inside, sitting by the bed, holding Kaito's hand and talking to him in case he could hear.
Ren couldn't go in. He couldn't bear to his strong, invincible brother hooked up to machines, tubes in his throat, bandages everywhere.
So he stood in the hallway by the door.
"Ah the paper. " He remembered and quickly looked at the paper Kaito had given him.
It had dried now, the blood turning it red. He could still make out the word But he could still make out the words written in his brother's shaky handwriting.
Find Hasegawa Fujimoto and find out the truth.
Ren stared at the words repeatedly trying to make sense of it.
"What truth? Who is Hasegawa? What the hell were you trying to tell me? " Ren whispered confused to nobody.
"Oh my God. " Ren screamed, scratching his head trying to make sense of the cryptic message.
This had to mean something. It has to.
Ren folded the paper carefully, tucked it back into his jacket pocket. Right over his heart.
"I'll find him," he promised the silence. "I'll find this Hasegawa. I'll get answers. I'll fix this."
"Even if it kills me. "
".. arriving at Hanasakura Station. Hanasakura Station is next. Please take all belongings with you.. "
The sudden announcement jolted Ren back to reality.
He blinked hard raising his head to the window. His cheeks were all red and swollen.
"Crying again. Oh Great. " He smacked his face tight, grabbed his bag hurriedly and made his way towards the exit.