One Year Later.
Yotsuya Touko's Point of View.
It has already been a year since that accident.
This past year has been very difficult for our family.
Rin's death affected us deeply—both Mamoru and me.
Back then, Kyosuke still didn't grasp the true meaning of his brother Rin's death.
Consequently, he wasn't as affected as Mamoru and I were.
One of the things that worries Mamoru and me the most is Miko's condition.
Since the accident, Miko hasn't woken up.
According to the doctors, Miko remains unconscious due to a traumatic brain injury that induced a temporary coma.
At first, the doctor told us that the coma would last, at most, a month.
We placed our complete trust in the doctor's words.
But a month went by, and Miko still hadn't woken up.
Then, three months passed.
The doctor's diagnosis changed.
According to him, Miko simply doesn't *want* to wake up.
This occurs when a patient suffers severe emotional trauma and seeks to escape from reality.
Mamoru and I were left deeply distressed upon receiving this news.
We both know how close Rin and Miko were.
Since birth, they have shared a unique, telepathic connection.
They always know where the other is, even from a distance.
They can even sense each other's intentions without exchanging a single word.
In all likelihood, Miko sensed Rin's death and entered a state of denial—a psychological shock that triggered her coma and her refusal to wake up.
Three Months Later.
Third-Person Point of View.
Inside a hospital in Tokyo.
On the third floor, in a private patient room.
A girl of about thirteen—with long black hair, the tips of which are dyed violet—lies upon a hospital bed.
She is wearing the standard-issue blue hospital gown.
Strange as it may seem, her body is in perfect physical condition; She doesn't look like someone who has been in a coma for a whole year. The door to the room opens gently. A woman, bearing features very similar to the young girl's, enters the room carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"Good afternoon, my daughter," the woman says as she places the flowers in a vase near the window.
"I'm sorry I haven't been able to come visit you lately."
"Your father and I have had to work quite a bit these past few days," says Touko Yotsuya, taking a seat in a chair beside the hospital bed.
"At first, your father didn't want me to work or to help with the family expenses."
"But, in the end, I managed to convince him... though it took a little effort."
"However, I haven't come today to talk to you about family problems."
"It's been nearly a month since I last came to visit you."
"I have so many things to tell you, my daughter."
"Your brother, Kyosuke, has grown quite a bit lately."
"Since the accident, your father and I have made sure to take him to school ourselves."
"Your father even took out a bank loan just to buy a car."
"Kyosuke is always so happy that his father takes him to school every day."
"He is growing up happy... just as you and Rin did."
Touko Yotsuya's expression turned nostalgic.
Her eyes grew slightly glassy, glistening with the faint tears gathering in the corners.
"Miko... Kyosuke, your father, and I... we miss you."
"Please... wake up, Miko."
After speaking to Miko—who remained deep in slumber—Mrs. Touko Yotsuya left her daughter's private room.
Time marches on ceaselessly.
The seasons change, one after another, transforming the landscape with the unique beauty of each passing season.
And, in the blink of an eye, six months have passed, and autumn has arrived. The leaves on the trees are beginning to change color.
Their various hues create a beautiful contrast.
"Mom, we have to go visit my sister today!" exclaims the voice of a young boy, echoing throughout the two-story family home. "All right, Kyosuke, we'll head out in two hours; it's still very early," said a female voice—Kyosuke's mother, Yotsuya Touko.
"Kyosuke, don't be impatient. Your mother is right; it really is still quite early," said a gentle voice—his father, Yotsuya Mamoru.
"Okay, Dad." Kyosuke's dejected voice echoed through the house.
The mother—standing in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, and wearing an apple-green apron—says, "Honey, please take Kyosuke to take a shower."
"All right, dear," the man replies.
"Come on, Kyosuke; today we're going to shower together."
"I'm a big boy now, Dad; I can shower by myself," Kyosuke says with a slightly annoyed tone, though he follows his father obediently.
"Ha, ha! It's been an eternity since we last showered together, hasn't it, son? I think it's been almost two months—right?" Mamoru's cheerful voice calls out from a distance.
A radiant smile blossoms on Touko's lips.
No longer distracted by the conversation between father and son, she continues preparing breakfast.
Two hours later.
At the hospital, on the third floor.
"Hi, Sis! I've come to visit you!" Kyosuke's cheerful voice exclaims, echoing through the room as he opens the door.
With quick steps, Kyosuke approaches the bed and sits in a chair beside it.
"I came today to tell you a whole bunch of things."
"A few days ago, some new students arrived at my school."
"But, unfortunately, there weren't any new students in *my* class."
"It's a shame, really; they say that one of those new students is the smartest student in all of Japan—that he could get into university right now if he wanted to."
"But he says he isn't going to go to university just yet because he wants to enjoy high school like a normal person."
"To be honest, I just don't get it. If *I* had that opportunity, I wouldn't hesitate for a single instant: I'd do everything in my power to finish my studies as quickly as possible."
"School is just so boring and tedious."
"Even though I manage to make friends at school, I can only talk to them during the free time between classes." The nine-year-old boy continued to chatter and complain to his sister—who lay bedridden—for quite some time.
Until, finally, his mother stopped him. "Kyosuke, you've talked to your sister enough now; let Mom and Dad chat with her for a bit." Touko's gentle, affectionate voice won Kyosuke over immediately.
Gently stroking Miko's head, her mother spoke:
"Hello, Miko. How have you been these past few days?"
"Your brother just finished talking to you; he's such a quiet boy when he's at home."
"Your father got a promotion at work and is earning more money now."
"I can even quit the part-time job I'd taken as a cook at a café."
"Now I'll have more time to visit you a little more often."
"Your brother is still young, and I have to look after him after school."
"Well, I'd love to keep talking to you, Miko, but your father wants to talk to you, too." With a smile, Miko's mother rose from her chair and left the room.
A few seconds later, Miko's father entered the room.
"Hello, Miko. How have you been lately?"
"I suppose... just the same as you've been for the last two years."
"Well... almost two years." A slightly awkward laugh escaped his lips.
With his head bowed and a look of regret hidden behind his glasses, he spoke:
"There are only three days left until your birthday... and barely two days until it marks two years since the accident... and the death of... Rin."
Tears began to well up in Mamoru's eyes.
Calmly, he removed his glasses, revealing his piercing golden eyes as tears dripped onto his trousers. "I hope that, by some miracle, you'll be able to wake up soon." Mamoru's voice remained steady, unwavering despite the tears streaming down his face.
His willpower was strong enough to spare his daughter any worry; ...strong enough to ensure that the sound of his voice would not betray even the slightest trace of the tears he was shedding.
"You'll be turning fourteen soon."
"To be honest, I don't really know what else to say... haha." "I have so many things I want to tell you, but I just can't seem to find the words."
"I just hope you wake up. We haven't lost hope yet... the hope that you'll wake up, Miko."
Author's note: Honestly, I don't know how to get my story to appear in Webnovel's view or popularity rankings. I would be very grateful if any author or reader who knows how could explain it to me. Thank you very much. One more thing, please give me power stones; that would make me very happy.