-Chapter 4-
“Tsukiko! Did you enjoy your favorite snack?”
“Yeah, it was so delicious, Mama!”
“Hey Tsukiko, looks like your favorite cartoon is about to start on the TV!”
“Yay! Watch it with me, Papa!”
A scene of what appeared to be a happy family played out in the expansive, colorful living room. Tsukiko Matsuura sat at a dining room table, chatting happily with the two parents who doted on her. It was the picturesque scene of what a happy family looked like. In response to seeing this all play out, the young boy watching over the scene couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.
“Parents, huh…” Haruto Kawashima mumbled to himself as he lazed about on a nearby couch, watching the happy family.
“Haru, you gonna watch with me?” Tsukiko asked as she strolled past the couch, turning on the nearby TV with the remote.
“I think I’m good. I’ll just go take a walk outside.” Haruto waved off Tsukiko’s invitation.
“Hehe, you don’t have to be shy, you know.” Tsukiko giggled, a grin forming on her face.
“I-it’s not like that, dummy!” Haruto looked away, blushing. “It’s just… I figured you’d enjoy some quality time with your family.”
“Well, I guess so, yeah.” Tsukiko’s smile gave off a hint of sadness as she watched Haruto leave the couch and make his way out of the room.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back in no time.” Haruto waved before exiting the room.
For some reason, after exiting the living room, Haruto found himself standing in the middle of his school: Central Elementary School B. However, the hallway he found himself in was completely devoid of any color. As if this were a perfectly natural thing, Haruto casually made his way down the hall. He simply stared at the ground as he walked, lost in thought.
Even if I watch that TV with you… The stuff on screen doesn’t make any sense.
Haruto had already become familiar with how things in this strange space worked. For starters, he knew he was dreaming right now. More than that, the dream he was having was linked to the dream of his dear friend Tsukiko Matsuura. The scene in that peaceful living room, where Tsukiko’s parents doted on her, was nothing more than a figment of Tsukiko’s mind, configured by the very, very few memories she still had of her birth parents.
“Tsukiko… Please, keep smiling…”
Haruto whispered those words to himself, as if to shake off any doubt he felt.
As he exited the school building, Haruto glanced up at the dull gray sky above. Rather than a sky, it was as if the whole world was enveloped by a dreary dome, blocking out all color from this world. After all, the only time this place would ever be gifted with the luxury of color was when a person’s dream was given life by their memories.
Haruto really had only left the building to go for a walk to clear his mind. Rather, staying in that stuffy living room with that happy family only made him feel out of place. But he wouldn’t dare say such a thing aloud, for the sake of preserving Tsukiko’s happiness.
Keeping a clear head and making sure not to slip into a dream of his own, Haruto was keeping his mind occupied and focused as he walked. After making it some distance away, he suddenly noticed a small beam of color.
“Huh? What’s going on here…?” he muttered in surprise, making his way over to the building with the colorful light emanating from its windows.
“It’s the hospital…” Haruto noted as glanced inside, feeling curious.
Sure enough, the main lobby of the hospital was filled with color, with a few patients seated here and there and nurses going to and fro. However, their movements weren’t really natural. It was more like they were repeating the same motions over and over. Of course, Haruto recognized this phenomenon as well.
During one of these ‘linked dreams’ as he called them, the ‘main actors’ of the dream were the only ones who ever really displayed any sense of awareness and interaction with the dreamer. If a dream’s situation involved other people who the dreamer didn’t really know, then they didn’t really behave in any complex manner, and mainly just performed the same inconsequential actions nonsensically. Depending on how ‘deep’ the dreamer is into their dream, they usually wouldn’t notice, but for someone like Haruto, on the outside looking in, it was a bit of an eerie sight.
“Whose dream even is this…?” Haruto whispered to himself, feeling curious.
Haruto set a foot into the hospital lobby, but then stopped himself. A moment later, he pulled his foot back, and stayed on the outside.
“Eh, forget it…”
Haruto only had experience acting within either Tsukiko’s dreams or his own. He didn’t feel comfortable walking into some stranger’s dream. Though in the back of his mind, he did have small a suspicion on whose dream this might be.
“I’ll have to talk to that dumb girl…” Haruto sighed, turning away from the hospital and continuing his walk down the colorless street.
---
“Hey, Ms. Yamagata. How did you feel when you first returned to Central after graduation?”
It was a simple question Yuko had asked her teacher. It was now Saturday, May 20th, and the pair had met up and gone back to the residency wing’s cafeteria to have breakfast together.
“My, what has you curious about that all of a sudden?” Yamagata replied.
“I’m just curious, because I’ve had a weird feeling ever since I got here.” Yuko crossed her arms, trying to think of how to explain her feelings. “It’s like… I haven’t been here since I was a kid, so even though I’m here now, living this moment, it almost doesn’t feel real.”
“I suppose I understand what you mean…” Yamagata nodded. “Back when I returned here, it really felt like… ‘ah, I’m an adult now.’ See… here in Central, it’s always just children and adults. You’re either one or the other. So coming back here, it felt as though I’d come back, but was now on the other side.”
“I think I get it…” Yuko tilted her head. “In my case, I’m back here earlier than most, so maybe it’s a little different.”
“Perhaps so.” Yamagata gave Yuko a reassuring smile.
“Sorry for the strange question.” Yuko apologized. “I just had a really weird and vivid dream last night… It kind of threw me for a loop.”
“Oh my, I also had an odd dream.” Yamagata answered with surprise.
“Really? Was in about something in your past?” Yuko was curious whether it really was the same kind of dream.
“Indeed.” Yamagata nodded. “It was quite bizarre. It felt a bit too real for a dream. It was as though a distinct memory had come to life around me…”
“That’s how mine was too!” Yuko hopped up with a shout, before realizing how much she raised her voice and awkwardly sat back down. “S-sorry…”
“It’s quite alright, hehe.” Yamagata giggled. “Still, how strange it is for us both to have such a similar dream. Could there be something about this place that somehow gets us all in the same state of mind, I wonder? With our nostalgia and all…”
“Maybe… It really is weird.” Yuko answered, taking a bite of her breakfast.
“I’d heard before that scents have a way of really effecting one’s subconscious, so I wonder if such a thing could be happening here.” Yamagata reasoned. “Most everywhere other than this cafeteria seems to carry that odd lingering medicinal scent, after all.”
“It could be that, but somehow I feel like it may not be…” Yuko thought hard.
“Well, it was just a guess.” Yamagata shrugged with a smile.
As they finished up their breakfast, Yuko couldn’t help but wonder about the strange dreams the two of them had. Even though it really may have only been a coincidence, something about it bothered Yuko. Even though parts of the dream were becoming just a bit fuzzy since waking up, she was certain she’d never had such a vivid dream before. So why now…?
Yuko could only ponder such questions on her own. But as the time for breakfast ended, Yuko’s day was about to begin in earnest, so she began to focus her attention towards what lied ahead. For now, she put the oddities of the dream in the back of her mind.
---
“Once again, I’d like to express how grateful my staff and I are to you for choosing to come all this way.” Dr. Miyamori and several nurses all bowed to Yuko and Yamagata.
“O-oh, it’s no problem!” Yuko flailed in embarrassment. “I-I’m just trying to help…”
“It’s admirable that you’re doing everything you can for Ms. Tsukiko.” Yamagata encouraged the group.
The day was now in full swing and, as scheduled, Yuko and Yamagata had met up with Dr. Miyamori for the planned medical tests Yuko would spend the day going through.
“Now then, here’s the rundown of what you’ll be doing today.” Dr. Miyamori directed Yuko’s attention to a white board.
The board listed a schedule of the various tests Yuko would be going through during the day, starting with a basic physical examination. Dr. Miyamori explained it all and Yuko nodded as she followed along. After everything was explained, Dr. Miyamori and Yuko went to a separate room together for the physical examination.
Things proceeded smoothly, with the doctor doing all of the regular health checks on Yuko. It was pretty similar to the same health checkups done yearly in the eastern district.
“Thank you very much, you may get dressed again.” Dr. Miyamori told her patient as she was wrapping up writing down the results. “I’ll be taking this back to the office now. Make sure to get to room 204 by the top of the hour like we discussed. You’ll be getting your blood tests done there.”
“Sure thing.” Yuko nodded, trying to hide her nervousness over having to get blood drawn. Before long, Yuko had finished getting dressed and was ready to go. With that, the doctor stood up and made her way to the door.
“I’ll be seeing you soon.” Dr. Miyamori waved with a smile, as she exited the room.
Yuko followed right behind her, and the two went their separate ways in the hall. Yuko still had a bit of time, so she began walking through the hallway to find somewhere take a bit of a break before heading to her next appointment. Eventually, she found a bench in one of the hallways and took a seat.
“This is going to be an exhausting day, I can tell already…” Yuko sighed. Even though she agreed to come here and participate in these tests, she couldn’t help but feel drained, despite the day just getting started. These kinds of things always made Yuko feel vaguely uncomfortable.
“Oh, hello big sis Yuko!” a sweet voice rung out.
“Hm?” Yuko looked up curiously, realizing only one person here has referred to her as ‘big sis.’
A girl in a wheelchair was making her way down the hall accompanied by two nurses. It was Tsukiko Matsuura.
“Oh, hello Tsukiko. Are you getting tests done today, too?” Yuko asked.
“Looks like it. I think they wanna compare our results as soon as they can, or something like that, heehee.” Tsukiko grinned.
“Yeah, that makes sense, haha.” Yuko smiled, still a bit unsure on how to go about interacting with this girl. Even now, Yuko felt a bit put off by Tsukiko’s cold eyes, despite her smiling expression.
“Hey nurse, can I wait here for a little bit? I wanna talk to her some more!” Tsukiko looked up at one of the two nurses and pleaded.
“Very well. But we shall return to pick you up shortly. Be sure to stay here, understand?” the nurse answered.
“Yeah!” Tsukiko nodded, and then waved goodbye to the nurses as they went on ahead.
“You want to talk to me?” Yuko blinked, feeling a bit surprised.
“Yeah, well… When I saw you before, it all happened so fast, and all those other people were around and stuff.” Tsukiko made a pouty face.
“I guess we did kind of crowd around you. Sorry about that.” Yuko smiled wryly, thinking back to how they all entered Tsukiko’s hospital room in a big group the day prior.
“No biggie.” Tsukiko smiled.
As Tsukiko moved the wheelchair over to be next to the bench Yuko sat on, Yuko looked her over.
“Sorry for asking, but do you have bad legs?” Yuko asked.
“Nuh-uh.” Tsukiko shook her head. “It’s just one of those days. It hurts to move around a lot, so I’m just using it to get around faster.”
“Oh, I see...” a look of concern rose to Yuko’s face.
“Didn’t this happen to you too?” Tsukiko eyed Yuko suspiciously.
“To me? Hmm…” Yuko thought hard. “I think on days when my fevers got really bad, you’re right, it did hurt to move… I just don’t recall using the wheelchairs that much. Only occasionally.”
“Then you didn’t even have to ask about my legs, silly!” Tsukiko stuck out her tongue.
“Haha, I guess not…” Yuko scratched the back of her head.
“I don’t think the grownups know what they’re talking about.” Tsukiko looked away with a somewhat annoyed expression, glaring at the wall with her cold eyes. “This week they just kept talking about you, and how everything I’m dealing with is just like you, but I feel like they don’t get it at all. I can tell just by looking at you that we aren’t the same.”
“I-I guess…” Yuko faltered, unsure of how to respond. “But, hmm… I got better years ago, so maybe that’s why you feel that way. Your symptoms do seem similar to mine, kind of…”
“Meh…” Tsukiko looked Yuko over with a pouty expression. After doing so, she let out a big sigh.
“Tsukiko?” Yuko gave her a worried look.
“This hospital… it’s so tiring…” Tsukiko’s voice had dropped to a small delicate whisper, as if her voice had totally changed. At the same time as her shift in vocal tone, Yuko began to see a small, pained light reflected in Tsukiko’s eyes.
“Tiring how…?” Yuko asked.
“I only came here… because of a cold.” Tsukiko spoke timidly. “But then… I found out I could meet Mama and Papa again, so I had to stay here, in this hospital.”
Yuko listened in silence. Sure enough, the vibe Tsukiko gave off felt different than it did a moment ago. Yuko began to realize that the tough exterior Tsukiko had been showing off before now had been a kind of bravado… Tsukiko was trying to act tough. Furthermore, she once again brought up her parents; people that she shouldn’t really know given the circumstances of this place. To begin with, there’s no chance her parents could actually be here.
“Tsukiko, when you say you’re meeting your Mama and Papa, when exactly is that? Where do you meet?” Yuko asked.
“…” Tsukiko hesitated, as if she were unsure whether to tell Yuko or not.
“Tsukiko?” Yuko spoke her name after brief period of silence.
“Big sis, do you ever wish you could see someone again, even if they’re not here anymore?” Tsukiko asked in a tiny voice, as she stared wistfully at the wall.
“Me…?” Yuko thought for a second. The image of her friend Aoi Kosugi popped into her mind. “Yeah… Yeah, I do.”
“Then, if you could make it so you’d be able to be with them, you’d do it… wouldn’t you?” Tsukiko’s voice seemed to carry a deep sadness.
“Well, I guess so, yeah… If it were really possible.” Yuko thought about it, lifting her hand to her chin.
“Then you understand.” Tsukiko smiled at Yuko. “I’m glad you do.”
“Oh, uh, yeah…” Yuko smiled wryly. “Anyway, about your parents…”
Just then, Yuko noticed the two nurses from before making their way back from down the hall.
“Oh, I guess time’s up.” Tsukiko said after also taking note of them.
“Tsukiko…” Yuko glanced at the young girl’s face once more.
“Well then…” Tsukiko lightly slapped her own checks and then gave Yuko a smug grin. “Heeheehee, I’ll see you later, big sis!”
Sure enough, Tsukiko had returned to the way she presented herself before: her cheerful grin, accompanied by those cold eyes. Yuko could only wonder what this girl was going through to make her put up such a front.
“It’s time to go, Ms. Matsuura.” one of the nurses said upon arrival.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s get it over with! You guys promised me an ice cream for these tests, right?” Tsukiko responded in a cheeky tone.
“Yes, yes. You will be rewarded.” one of the nurses answered, as the other helped Tsukiko along in her wheelchair.
“What a puzzling girl, that one…” Yuko could only mutter to herself as she watched them disappear down the hall. But just a moment later, Yuko noticed the clock on the wall.
“Oh no! I’m gonna be late!” it’d totally slipped Yuko’s mind that she also had an appointment to keep. Hopping off of the bench, she dashed down the hall of the hospital to go get her blood work done.
---
“Hahh…” a woman sighed, smoke escaping from her mouth.
Eiko Shinohara leaned on the railing on the inner side of the hospital’s rooftop, glancing down at the scenery of Central spread out below her across the high fence. In one hand she held a cigarette between her fingers. It was a sunny Saturday morning, meaning a half-day’s worth of classes were being taught at Central’s four elementary schools right about now. Being a teacher, Shinohara would normally be watching over her class, but a substitute was watching them today due to Shinohara having to be here to oversee Tsukiko Matsuura’s medical exams, as her homeroom teacher.
At the moment, however, there wasn’t really anything for her to do, so she was simply killing time on the roof.
“Oh my, if it isn’t Eiko.” a familiar voice came from behind.
“A-ah, Mari…!” Eiko panicked, not expecting to run into her longtime friend Mariko Yamagata there.
“You’ve taken up smoking? That’s a rare sight, even here in Central.” Mariko teased.
“N-no, I just… Well, I guess it relieves stress…” Eiko dropped the cigarette and stepped on it, feeling somewhat ashamed to have let Mariko see her like this.
“It’s okay, I’m sure you’ve had your own experiences, living here in Central…” Mariko reassured her friend. “Just be mindful of your health, okay? Don’t overdo it.”
“R-right…” Eiko looked down.
“Ms. Maeda’s whole day is basically planned out. There isn’t much for me to do, so I’m just wandering around.” Mariko admitted. “Is it the same for you?”
“Yeah, basically…” Eiko sighed. “I don’t even know why I’m here. It’s not like I’m particularly close to Tsukiko or anything. It’s only because I’m her homeroom teacher.”
“But she’s your dear student, isn’t she?” Mariko asked.
“Yeah, of course… But you know me. It’s hard for me to really get along with anyone, let alone kids…” Eiko sighed.
“Hmm… Yeah, I suppose so.” Mariko smiled wryly. “But still, the Eiko I knew was very kind at heart. I’ve always felt you could open up to others if you really tried.”
“That’s very kind of you…” Eiko blushed slightly.
“Besides, you are worried about little Tsukiko’s condition, aren’t you?” asked Mariko.
“Well, of course…” Eiko answered. “But it’s not that simple with this girl.”
“What do you mean?” Mariko asked.
“I just get the sense that… She’s probably happier here in this hospital, than in a classroom with someone like me or the other students…”
“Oh…?” Mariko tilted her head at the odd speculation.
“Well, it’s just a feeling… Don’t mind me.” Eiko said, waving off Mariko’s curiosity.
“Well, alright then…”
The two friends enjoyed the cool spring breeze as they gazed out over the other buildings from the rooftop. In the distance they could see the tall walls separating Central from the four districts. The two were simply killing time, enjoying one another’s company after being apart for so long.
“Hey, Eiko…” Mariko once more broke the silence.
“Hm?”
“Last night, I dreamt about the old days… When we were both studying to be teachers here, and I used to cook for you all the time…” Mariko smiled as she glanced up at the sky. “It was nostalgic.”
“That brings back memories.” Eiko smiled. “You know, I’d love to eat your cooking again…”
“How about I make you something this afternoon?” Mariko smiled at her dear friend.
“… Thank you. That’d be lovely.” Eiko simply averted her eyes, trying to keep a cool expression as she blushed happily.
---
“I don’t want to see another needle again for the rest of my life…” Yuko lamented, a deadpan expression on her face.
Yuko’s blood work was all done and she was now on a break for lunch. She strolled through the hospital lobby, trying to make her way over to the residency wing’s cafeteria, when suddenly she was stopped by a young boy.
“Hold it!” the boy declared, blocking her path.
“Oh, it’s you again…” Yuko frowned, as she came face-to-face with Haruto Kawashima once again.
“Don’t act all annoyed just by seeing me…” Haruto pouted.
“Considering how our last meeting went, I think my reaction was perfectly reasonable.” Yuko sighed. “But alright, fine. Did you need me for something?”
“I-I… um…” Haruto looked down, as if conflicted.
“Is it about Tsukiko? I just chatted with her earlier.” Yuko said, guessing at what Haruto wanted to discuss.
“Oh, really? What’d she say?” Haruto looked up, curious.
“She, um…” Yuko stopped short of speaking when a grumbling sound emanated from her tummy.
“Pfft-!” Haruto couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
“Don’t laugh at me! I’m hungry, okay?!” Yuko’s face was beat red as she complained to the boy. “Anyway, if you want to talk, just come have lunch with me, okay?”
“Well, if you’re so hungry, I guess I have no choice, eh chubby?” Haruto answered with a childish smirk.
“I-I’m not chubby, you brat…” Yuko gave Haruto an un-amused frown as she continued down the hall towards the residency wing.
“Really? ‘Cuz it looks like you’re carrying a lotta weight there on your chest.” Haruto gave Yuko the side eye as he walked alongside her.
“Y-you are unbelievable…” Yuko simply glared at the boy, deciding to just let the subject drop instead of firing back again.
The pair eventually made it to the residency wing’s cafeteria, where Yuko got some lunch before taking her seat at one of the empty tables. Haruto joined her, taking a seat at the same table opposite Yuko.
“You’re not going to eat anything?” Yuko asked.
“Nah, I’m good. I already ate before coming over here.” He replied.
“Alright then.” Yuko shrugged, and then began chowing down on her meal. “So what did you want to talk to me about anyway?”
“Before that, I wanna know what Tsukiko said to you earlier.” Haruto demanded.
“Oh, right…” Yuko took a sip of her juice before continuing. “It was a pretty brief conversation. She said that she doesn’t really trust the adults. She also doesn’t really seem to believe that the sickness I had years ago is the same as what she’s dealing with now.”
“Well, duh…” Haruto blurted out.
“Hey, what makes you so sure of yourself about all this?” Yuko gave Haruto an annoyed look.
“It’s because if you really were the same, you’d have already figured out that Tsukiko isn’t really sick.” Haruto said, folding his arms.
“Huh? But that can’t be right…” Yuko was confused. “The doctors already told me about her symptoms. There must be some kind of issue, right?”
“The reason Tsukiko came here in the first place was only because of a cold.” Haruto explained.
“Oh right, she did start to mention something like that before she had to go…” Yuko recalled.
“Hey, girl… Did you have any weird dreams last night?” Haruto asked.
“Huh?” Yuko was thrown off by the sudden change in subject and paused for a moment.
“Well? Did you?” Haruto asked again, in a more pushy tone of voice.
“Before that, I have a name you know! I’m Yuko!”
“Okay whatever, Yuko, did you have a dream last night or not?” Haruto glared in annoyance.
“Jeez…” Yuko sighed. “Yes, I did, but what does that matter?”
“It was a weirdly realistic dream, right?” Haruto asked, watching Yuko closely.
“Um…” Yuko blinked, feeling somewhat unnerved by Haruto’s serious expression. “Y-yeah… I had a dream about when I was younger and used to live here in Central. In particular, it was more like a memory of my time here in this hospital.”
“Ah, I see… That makes sense.” Haruto leaned down, placing his chin in his palm as he rested his elbow on the table. “So part of that dream happened in the lobby, right?”
“What…?” Yuko was now beginning to feel even more unsettled. “Y-yeah… I think so… I remember being in the lobby briefly, before going upstairs. But… how would you know anything about my dream?”
“I didn’t go into your dream, okay? But I saw it as I was passing by.” Haruto answered, but Yuko didn’t quite understand what he meant.
“No, hold on… What do you mean by that? You were passing by…?” Yuko started to sweat.
“Oh yeah, I guess if you just fell into your dream like normal, you may not have realized…” Haruto sighed.
“I’m totally lost.” Yuko sighed. “Could you please explain from the beginning?”
“’Kay… Let’s see…” Haruto scratched his head as he thought about how to explain things to Yuko. “Well, for starters. Your dreams are linked to Tsukiko’s right now.”
“Linked how…?” Yuko blinked.
“I don’t really understand it all myself, okay?” Haruto grumbled. “But it’s something Tsukiko figured out how to do after she went to the hospital… That’s why she’s not sick.”
“Wait, wait. Slow down…” Yuko stopped Haruto. “How does figuring out how to, err… ‘link dreams’ mean she’s not actually sick?”
“Because it’s not like she can just link dreams, she can also make them more realistic, to the point where it can almost feel like real life.” Haruto explained. “And, according to her, doing that is what puts a lot of strain on her body and gives her fevers and stuff… But the dumb adults who don’t know anything about it just think she’s sick.”
“S-seriously…?” Yuko muttered on instinct.
Sure enough, if what Haruto was saying here was true, then both of the children were probably right. This situation is nothing like what Yuko went through in the past. But then, if this is something totally different, why does it seem so similar to Yuko’s experience?
Yuko remained silent as she tried to remain calm and think carefully about what she’d just learned. Sure enough, her dream last night was bizarrely realistic. When she woke up in the morning, her head was a jumbled mess and she almost didn’t even recognize what reality she was currently in. Yuko had tried to just shrug it off and attribute it to sleeping in an unfamiliar yet familiar environment, but it was still bothering her just a bit.
That being said, it could be a coincidence. Haruto could be making it all up, or maybe Tsukiko made it all up to him so he wouldn’t worry so much about her condition. But no… Yuko got the distinct sense that Haruto was being truthful.
“So, um…” Yuko finally spoke up once more. “Haruto, you experience these ‘linked dreams’ too, right? In which case, how did you find out about all of this?”
“About a month ago, I was having a weird dream, when suddenly Tsukiko pulled me out of it, and took me to her dream instead…” Haruto said, looking down.
“Seriously…? And you’re sure it wasn’t just part of your dream?”
“Of course not, dummy!” Haruto gave Yuko an annoyed look. “I asked Tsukiko about it the next day, and she told me everything. Including how doing stuff like that is why her body’s so weak now…”
“But if doing that is causing her body to react so negatively, why does she keep doing it…?” Yuko asked the one thing that had bothered her about this whole story. If this whole ‘dream linking’ thing is what’s causing the negative impacts on Tsukiko’s body, it didn’t make sense that she’d keep doing it.
“It’s because… she found them. Through her dreams, she was able to visualize them more clearly than ever.” Haruto’s voice got a bit quiet as he looked away.
“Huh? Find who…?” Yuko tilted her head. “Enough with the riddles…”
“You really can’t figure anything out for yourself, huh?” Haruto pouted. “Her parents, you dummy!”
“Ah…!” Yuko let out a small gasp.
Suddenly all the information began to click for her. Both Tsukiko’s bizarre behavior, as well as her claims of meeting with her parents. If Tsukiko was making use of these enhanced dreams to meet with the parents she should have long forgotten, then…
“I… see…” Yuko spoke in a soft voice.
“Get it now?” Haruto glanced back towards Yuko. “You won’t be of any use at all. I’m the only one who can protect Tsukiko.”
“I think I get what you’re saying…” Yuko took another bite of her food as she tried to regain her composure. “But what do you mean by saying you’ll ‘protect’ her? What are you protecting her from?”
“Huh? I-it’s nothing, stupid!” Haruto pouted as he glared at Yuko. “Your food’s getting cold, yaknow.”
“A-alright then…” Yuko felt like he was still hiding something, but let it drop for now as she took another bite of her meal.
“Hey…” after a few moments, Haruto spoke up again.
“Hm?” Yuko looked up from her dish at Haruto.
“What is it like in the other districts? It’s better than here, right?” Haruto asked, hesitantly. Yuko could see a hint of sadness in his eyes.
“Sorry…” Yuko apologized, glancing up toward the cafeteria’s security camera. “I’m afraid I can’t say anything about that.”
“Oh…” Haruto answered, looking in the same direction. “Nevermind, then…”
After a few more awkwardly silent minutes, Yuko finished her meal, returned the dishes to the counter, and she exited the cafeteria along with Haruto. The two left the residency wing and were now making their way down one of the hospital corridors.
“Hey Haruto, one more question…” Yuko spoke up.
“What?”
“Why were you such a jerk to me when we first met?” Yuko glanced his way as she asked.
“…” Haruto hung his head. “The other day… Tsukiko was crying.”
“Crying…? What for?” Yuko asked, concerned.
“Those dumb doctors kept saying they’d make her better, and that they found the perfect person to gather info from.” Haruto muttered. “But because she can see her parents thanks to this, she doesn’t want to get ‘better’ or anything…”
“Oh, right…” Yuko answered.
“She was super scared… If you really were just like her, and they figured out how to stop the dream linking thanks to you, Tsukiko would have to say goodbye to her parents for good.” Haruto continued. “… So I had to see you for myself, and put you in your place!”
“…”
The two stood still in silence for a moment.
“Sorry.” Haruto whispered. “I guess you aren’t so bad…”
“Heh…” Yuko smirked at the unexpected apology. “You aren’t so bad yourself, Haruto.”
“Ah-!” Haruto let out a weird squeak, as suddenly he found himself in Yuko’s embrace. “Wh-wh-what are you doing?!”
“What? Can’t handle a hug?” Yuko asked, letting him go.
“I-it’s no big deal! You just surprised me is all, you weird girl!” Haruto’s face was tinted a faint red.
“Hm?” Yuko tilted her head.
“A-anyway…! If you dream tonight, I’ll try to find you there.” Haruto turned his back to Yuko and began to walk away. “L-later!”
“O-okay, if you say so.” Yuko blinked. “Bye-bye.”
With Yuko waving goodbye, Haruto ran down the hall towards the lobby, and left the hospital.
“Whew…” Yuko sighed. “I didn’t expect all that to happen.”
There was a lot to process, but Yuko was beginning to at least get a basic grasp of the situation from Tsukiko and Haruto’s perspective.
“I should talk to Tsukiko about this next time I see her…” Yuko pondered as she continued making her way down the hall.
The story she’d heard from Haruto was rather farfetched, like a child’s made up story. But having experienced the bizarre dream herself, Yuko felt as though there had to be elements of truth to it. The details were lining up well enough, after all. Besides, it’s not the first time Yuko had found herself confronted with surreal situations that seemed to fly in the face of common sense.
“Why does this stuff keep happening around me, anyway?” Yuko grumbled, as she made her way towards the lobby’s elevators to head to her next appointment.
---
It was now early in the afternoon. Yuko and Tsukiko had found one another waiting in the same room while the nearby doctors and nurses prepared equipment to take x-rays of them both. Tsukiko was still in the same wheelchair as before, while Yuko simply sat in a chair.
“Those silly grown-ups already took an x-ray of me a few weeks ago. I don’t know why they think taking another one now would make any difference. Know what I mean, big sis?” Tsukiko smiled at Yuko.
“Yeah, haha.” Yuko gave a nervous laugh in response. “But you know, they’re still trying their best. It may be good to compare new and old data.”
“Well, you may have a point.” Tsukiko shrugged with a grin on her face.
“Are you still having trouble moving?” Yuko asked in concern as she glanced at Tsukiko’s wheelchair.
“Hmm…” Tsukiko lifted a finger to her chin as she thought it over. “I’m feeling better now, so I could probably walk around if I really wanted. I think for me, things are at their worst in the morning, heehee.”
“I see…” Yuko thought back to what she’d learned from Haruto.
If Tsukiko’s poor condition is a side effect of doing that ‘dream linking’ stuff, then it would make sense that she’d be suffering the most from it in the mornings just after waking up. Yuko glanced over to the adjacent room, taking note that it looked like it’d still be just a little longer before their x-rays began, and decided to broach the topic with Tsukiko.
“Hey, I heard from Haruto earlier…” Yuko spoke in a quiet voice. “About that stuff you’re doing with dreams…”
“Oh, really?” Tsukiko sounded somewhat amused, rather than surprised. “So you understand now, right? The difference between you and I?”
“Yeah… But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help.” Yuko gave Tsukiko a worried glance.
“There’s nothing to worry about, silly.” Tsukiko smiled. “Thanks to this, I get to see Mama and Papa every day, and I also have an excuse to just stay here in the hospital. That’s all fine with me.”
“You seriously don’t want to leave here…?” as someone who spent her youth dreading the fact that she’d been confined to a hospital bed so often, Yuko couldn’t quite wrap her head around Tsukiko’s apparent contentment with her current situation.
“There’s nothing else for me outside of these walls, big sis…” Tsukiko looked down, her eyes looking incredibly pained as she did so. Yuko wasn’t sure how to respond to such a sight.
“Hey, did you enjoy your dream, big sis?” Tsukiko’s expression returned to normal as she eagerly looked toward Yuko.
“… So you were responsible for that dream last night.” Yuko gave Tsukiko a wry smile.
“Yep. As long as I form a connection with you, I can make sure to pull you into the dream world too.” Tsukiko said, lifting her hand.
“Ah…” Yuko thought back to the handshake Tsukiko initiated when they first met. That must’ve been the moment Tsukiko made this so-called ‘connection.’
“So, how was it?” Tsukiko asked with a smile. “I didn’t actually go see for myself, but you must’ve had some kind of fun dream, right?”
“Well… I guess you could say it felt a bit like a reunion with an old friend. Someone I never thought I’d see again.” Yuko smiled. “It was… a very nostalgic dream.”
“Really?! I’m so happy! Then I really was able to share how awesome it was with you!” Tsukiko bounced about in the seat of her wheelchair. “As long as a person exists in our memories, we can keep meeting with them as much as we want! Heehee!”
“Y-yeah, haha…” Yuko tried her best to feign a smile at the excited girl.
I understand you, Tsukiko, but…
Yuko clenched her fist, a sense of vague frustration coming over her. She truly could understand where Tsukiko was coming from. She could understand why she was letting this situation play out the way it was. And it was precisely because she understood her, that facing Tsukiko at this moment gave Yuko such troubled feelings.
But in the end… no matter how realistic you can make it, a dream is just a dream.
Yuko glanced at the smiling girl, bound to a wheelchair, suffering from various pains and ill symptoms day after day… Yet, she puts up with it all, just to try to achieve a single, precious wish.
Soon, the doctors entered the room and the pair had to prepare to take their x-rays. All the while, Yuko’s mind remained preoccupied with Tsukiko’s circumstances.
---
Outside, on the streets of Central, a young boy wandered around alone. It was Haruto Kawashima. He found himself passing by a certain playground. Stopping to take a quick breath, he leaned against the fence and watched as the other children on the playground all played together. They were mostly children from lower grades who were still enjoying their lives in Central to the fullest without a second thought.
As he watched the carefree children, Haruto could only find himself feeling just a bit envious. At that moment, a soccer ball soon rolled over to Haruto’s feet.
“Oh hey, that’s ours!” shouted a younger boy, who’d been kicking it around with his friends.
“Gotcha. Here ya go!” Haruto kicked the ball up and started bouncing it on his knee.
“Woah!” the younger kids all watched his impressive move excitedly.
“Here!” with that, Haruto kicked the ball back their way, where one of the boys caught it.
Just as the boys were about to turn to thank him, they noticed Haruto was already walking away. Just then, a different boy approached the soccer ball group and began to speak.
“Hey, you kids gotta be careful around him.” the boy said.
“Huh? But why?” asked the boy holding the ball.
“I heard about him from some upperclassman.” he answered. “That kid’s Haruto, the scary lone wolf. Rumor has it he once beat up a bunch of kids in his class…”
“Woah, scary…” the other boys all looked Haruto’s way, now feeling a bit uneasy.
Haruto was already too far away to hear their exchange. But the reason he didn’t approach the boys was because he knew the reputation he had around Central.
But such things never mattered to him, because Haruto knew he’d always have Tsukiko by his side. That was the kind of boy Haruto Kawashima was.
[Chapter 4 END]
