Chapter 118

Birthday Wishes

The sun was gentle today, a light airy wash of gold.

It was the start of a new week.
Time was passing for everyone at school
but Aoi was still asleep, suspended, motionless.

Aoi-chan, do you know your birthday is coming up?

I wasn't sure what to do or think of it.
My only wish was for her to wake up.
Maybe, just maybe, she might wake up in time for her birthday.
It was that same stubborn hope I had left.

I would wonder how long I can continue to hope, to hang on.

Aoi, what would you do?

Aoi, I'm scared one day I would stop waiting for you.
What would you do then?
Would you forgive me if I ever lose the strength to patiently wait on?

Kami-sama please help me...help us hold on to our hope.

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Chapter 119

Birthday Wishes

The gentle sun led the way of
elementary schoolchildren
down the road ahead of me.
Their uniforms prim and proper,
bowlcuts, ponytails and pigtails
bobbing up and down.

School was off early since there was a holiday the following day.

Surprisingly, I had decided to hang out with my friends at Yoyogi park.
They were astonished at the beginning,
as I was expected to head to the hospital as always.
But lately I've been quite tired with a severe lack of sleep.

I really needed a break.

I could only admit that Takashi was right.

Aoi wouldn't mind.. but I yet I could only feel guilty about leaving her behind.

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Chapter 120

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"Oi!" I felt a slap on my shoulder and turned
to see a big grin plastered on my friend's face.

"Yo."

"Catch." he said.

My hands reached out enthusiastically
to receive a large full bodied acoustic guitar,
its weight solid against my body.
I stared at it for a bit, as if staring at an alien object.
I couldn't remember how long it has been since I last played a guitar.

The first few plucks were a pure ecstatic joy.
The sound vibrated through the air around me.
I could almost see the music notes floating.

I grinned at the familiar notes in the air.
My cheeks strained as if I hadn’t smiled in a long time.
For the first time, I could smile again.

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Chapter 121

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I ran through the chorus of an old favourite and classic flawlessly,
my newly liberated fingers dancing in delight.

My friends sang along or watched, the six of us relaxing on the grass.
I smiled and exchanged jokes like the rest of them.

I guess a fragment of my old self returned.

For a moment in time I forgot about Aoi back in the hospital room.

For a moment in time, Aoi lost me.

Chapter 122

Birthday Wishes

"Sei-kun, here, try this. I made it myself." Juria offered.

I smiled a thanks and accepted it gratefully. Itadakimasu.

The onigiri tasted a weird mixture of salty and sour.
As if Aoi didn’t want to be forgotten, with each bite, hundreds of memories flooded back.

I remembered when Aoi made onigiri for me to try, dozens of weird experiments of flavours.
We had tons of laughs at the things she attempted, the failed experiments she made.
I remembered when I chased her around with a particularly foul tasting one she wouldn't try.
Some tasted so good, when I told her, she wouldn't believe me
and thought I was only trying to be sweet.

Aoi was in every part of my life.
My memories always included her.
Everything reminded me of her.

The stark contrast of her condition now suddenly came crashing down on me.

Now, she could no longer be part of my life.

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Chapter 123

Birthday Wishes

“Hey…”

I saw Juria’s face swimming into view,
blurry and out of focus.

“Are you okay? Is my onigiri that bad?”

It was then I realized there were tears in my eyes.

“Ah sorry. It’s good. It just brought back memories that’s all.”

I was suddenly stone-cold again.

She looked at me suspiciously
but tilted her nose in the air,
as if to say “I’ll forgive you”.

To prove what I said, I took a big bite out of the rice ball.

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Chapter 124

Birthday Wishes

“Play some guitar.” Someone said.

I looked at the guitar in my hands. It suddenly looked so big.
On my lap, its weight became bonecrushing.
It took me a few slow minutes to realize I couldn’t play now.
No chord would come to mind, my fingers were unwilling to cooperate.

We had finished lunch and were just lounging around.
I looked around to see my friends waiting for me.
For an awesome song to impress them.
But for some reason, I had no desire to do anything.

It was strange. Minutes ago, the music came out of me like the release of a dam.

There was only silence now.

Then, the silence was broken by a familiar musical jingle.

My cell phone.

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Chapter 125

Birthday Wishes

“Moshi moshi?” I gingerly picked up my phone.

“Is this Narimiya-san?” I heard a gentle female voice over the line.

“Hai…”

“Good afternoon, I am calling from the hospital, regarding Uchida-san’s condition.”

For a moment, I held my breath. Had she woken up? In time for her birthday? Just like I prayed?

“Yes?”

There was a pause before she answered,
“Aoi-chan’s condition has become unstable and her heartbeat has just fallen drastically.”

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Chapter 126

Birthday Wishes

My world came crashing down.

“She has now been admitted into the Intensive Care …”

I couldn’t breathe.

How can this be happening? How can God be so cruel?

She has gone through enough pain hasn’t she? Stop it! We have gone through enough!

Was it all just a lie? My wishes and prayers, were they impossible?

When will it end?

“It would be best if you could come at once.” Was the answer.

I didn’t reply. I couldn’t reply.

She hung up after a few moments.

I stood there still, unmoving. My vision became blurrier and blurrier.

Tears were filling not just my eyes but my whole body.

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Chapter 127

Birthday Wishes

“What happened?!” Miko asked, horrified to see me in such a state.

My other friends joined me. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“It was a call from the hospital..” I swallowed hard. I think they got the idea.

“Sorry, I have to go.” I apologized hurriedly and grabbed my bags.

I took off, running as fast as I could.

“We’re coming with you!!” I heard behind a faint yell me. I didn’t dare to stop and wait. I didn’t dare to stop and think.

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Chapter 128

Birthday Wishes

I reached the hospital inside twenty minutes by taxi.

I nearly forgot to pay the driver before I raced inside, shouting for Aoi.

“Uchida Aoi! Where is she??” I shouted at the first nurse I saw.

They told me to calm down
– calm down? How could I? –
before taking me to the intensive care ward.

They wouldn’t let me go in the room,
so I had to watch outside the window.

I could feel my short breaths on the glass,
clouding up its crystal clear surface,
fogged up, obscuring my vision,
until I could only feel my heart pounding.

Again it was that same question.
That same dreadful question.
What if she left me?
What if she would never wake up again?

Please, please, let her be okay.

I’ll do anything. I’ll give up anything.

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Chapter 129

Birthday Wishes

The room inside was lit with bright lights;
I could see the respirator over her nose and mouth.
Her delicate features were quiet and still.

Tubes were a sprawling mess,
like cobwebs of a gigantic mechanical spider,
her life depending on how many there were.

I couldn't tell whether she was breathing or not,
only the display nonchalantly showed her pulse rate.

All of a sudden, nothing made sense to me.

I didn't know what was happening.

The only thing in my head was the question why.

Why was it her that was lying there?

Somehow it didn't make any sense.

I would give anything to exchange places with her.

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Chapter 130

Birthday Wishes

The doctor came out a few minutes later,
after what seemed like an eternity,
a timeless period of a fixed eye stare
drilling a hole into the invisible glass wall.

“How is she?” I asked desperately.

I heard a patter of footsteps at the same instance.
It was Aoi’s parents.

They barely acknowledged my existence
before addressing the doctor, feverishly.

“She’s going to be fine.” The doctor told us.
“What caused her sudden unstable condition
was her heart rate which faltered momentarily.
We are currently unsure of what may be cause
but, it may be something that happened,
as her perceptive senses may be still experiencing the world around her.”

“What’s important is to remember she can hear you on a subconscious level,
so the more you talk to her, the more she has a chance of waking up.”

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Chapter 131

Birthday Wishes

We thanked the doctor and Aoi’s parents headed into the room,
leaving me standing alone with the doctor in the corridor.

There was silence for a few moments.

“It must be hard for you.” Were his first words.
I remained silent. I thought they weren’t even comparable with what we were going through.

“Stay strong, Seiji-kun. Hold on to your hope.” He paused and looked me in the eye.

“I’ve seen many comatose patients in my lifetime,
some never regained consciousness…
But some were medical miracles.”

I saw the wrinkles on his forehead, the lines on his face,
and understood what he was trying to say.

“She has a high chance of waking up.
She is still young and full of life.
And most of all, she has you.
Whether you can see it or not,
she feels you there, she can hear you.
When you speak to her, do you ever notice her heart rate changing?”

I shook my head.

“In a comatose state, she still has responses.
Especially to someone important in her life.
In her heart, she has strength and hope.
So she has a high chance of waking up.”

“Don’t give up. Have faith. She needs you.”

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Chapter 132

Birthday Wishes

She needs you. I heard those words repeat through my head.
Don’t give up. She needs you.

Suddenly, the unbearable lead weight on my heart began to soften and lighten up.
My spirit soared for the first time. The doctor said she had a high chance of waking up.

That meant what I had been wishing for, might not be a lie after all.

I smiled.

She would wake up.

She would wake up, someday.

As long as I stayed by her side.

My stubborn hope wasn’t an impossible dream.

Aoi, I won’t give up on you.

I won’t leave you ever.

So Aoi, don’t you give up either.

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Chapter 133

Birthday Wishes

“Sensei?”

“Hmm?”

“What can I do for her?
What else can I do for her?
So that she can wake up earlier?”

The doctor looked at me and smiled,
his face crinkled up, but it was gentle face.

“Do what you always do, stay by her side.
Talk to her as if she was awake.”

He paused a moment.

“Is there anything she likes?
Usually, it would be best if patients are stimulated by the things they like.
Maybe her favourite song?”

“She likes music yes.” I nodded.

“I noticed there was a little music box on her tabletop?
But it was never opened. Did she like the song?
Maybe you can play it for her?”

Sudden realization came to me. The music box.

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Chapter 134

Birthday Wishes

At the last moment, she had still been desperately holding on to it.

It was the most important thing to us.
Yet I completely forgot about it.
It was sitting on her table top silently,
patiently waiting to be found once again.
Day in and out, sunshine, moonlight,
collecting dust over its little forlorn lid.

It was my fault.
How could I forget about our song?
Her heart was poured into that song.
Maybe she was waiting to hear it again?

Yes. Music.

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Chapter 135

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I started writing music when I met her.

It wasn’t too great, but she was my inspiration,
so I couldn’t help but write and write.

Everyday I would hum melodies and let my guitar sing,
stopping every now and then to jot down notes and lyrics.

Her smile, her sparkling eyes, her touch,
her smell, her kind words, her childish ways.
Memories, dreams, all of life’s sequences would turn into words on paper,
turn into melodies in song, and turn into chords on the guitar.

Music.

They say, music touches the soul.
It was from one heart to another, the language above all spoken languages.

The connection between people.

A connection that never fades.

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Chapter 136

Birthday Wishes

I won’t give up on music ever again.
Even if I don’t feel like it, I will do it for Aoi.

I’ll let her hear my song.
I will sing my song, until she wakes up.
Then she can sing hers too.
Then we can sing ours together.

I knew that day will come when she would be able to sing her song again.
Kami-sama, I pray for that day, where her song will be heard.



*Kami-sama - God

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Chapter 137

Birthday Wishes

“Seiji-kun!”

A stampede of shoes on the floor.
I turned and saw my friends rushing towards me.

“Is Aoi-chan okay??”

I reassured them all was fine.
They were surprised I appeared so calm and content.
I smiled silently to myself.

Faith meant believing without seeing.
It was more than believing. It was knowing.
I knew she would wake up.

It was fact now. There was nothing that could shake that fact.

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Chapter 138

Birthday Wishes

“Three days from now, Aoi will be turning 16.” I told them quietly.

“Yes yes, we remember.” Juria told me a matter-of-factly.

“Well in any case, I will be having a birthday party for her here.
You don’t have to come.. you know..”

Usually people would think it’s silly to have a party for someone who was in coma.
But I decided to ask them to come anyway. “But if you could make it – ”

“'Course we’re coming!” Miko cut me off in disbelief.
“Who do you think we are? We’re her friends too.”

“Yeah, let’s throw her an awesome party.”
Takashi grinned at me and slapped me on the back.
“Don’t you worry, we’re with you all the way.”

I smiled back.

We had the best friends ever.

Aoi, we’ll have the greatest party ever. For you.

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Chapter 139

Birthday Wishes

On the night before, the day of and after her birthday, several miraculous things happened.
Maybe it was Aoi's innocent charm that made even the gods shower her with blessings.
Maybe our fate would change soon?

I arrived at the hospital as soon as classes were over.
We had decided to throw the best party for her ever, the same way we would if she was awake.
So the night before I was busy attempting something I've never done before- to bake my own birthday cake.

The first time around I forgot to add the milk.
The second time around I left out the sugar.
My mother wanted to take over but it would defeat the purpose wouldn't it?

Just as I was about to try it the third time, there was the sound of the doorbell.

"Seiji, you've got a visitor!"

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Chapter 140

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"Eh? What are you doing here?"

It was Airu.

The girl I first met a few days ago.

I was astonished but at the same time a bubbling sigh of relief welled up inside.
I had to admit I was glad for company.

"I figured you might need some help."
She said with a smile. She raised up a cookbook for added emphasis.

"How'd you-" I was about to say "know?" but she pushed past me into the house.

I shook my head and grinned. At least the cake had a chance now.

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Chapter 141

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I ended up being pretty useless all around.
She was in charge of mixing the ingredients and
I was supposed to get the things she needed ready.
But needless to say, I ended up getting things wrong and she did it herself.

"The sugar!" She cried.

I passed her the sugar I carefully measured. It's got to be right this time.

She took one long look at it and burst out laughing.
I stood there incredulous, staring at her.

She put her hand over her mouth to stop her giggling and looked at me with wide eyes.

"What you gave me..." She giggled again. "...is salt."

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Chapter 142

Birthday Wishes

Then it was my turn to burst out in laughter.
For one of the first times, an unstoppable fit
heartily rocketing from the bottom of my chest.

She joined me a moment later after seeing me doubling over in hysteria.

"Keep it down!" My mother was at the kitchen door. "We're trying to sleep."

"Oh! Sorry!" Airu added a polite bow.

My mother smiled gently at Airu.
"Don't stay up too late.
Young man, you have school tomorrow."
She told me sternly.

"Hai hai."

We clamped our mouths shut, suppressing our giggles
and returned to our cake-baking with grins on our faces.

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Chapter 143

Birthday Wishes

"Hey so are you going to come to the party tomorrow?"

She was making the icing.
Pink, yellow, pink, yellow.
She looked up at me. "I'll come."

"Alright. Aoi will be happy." I told her with a smile.

She looked like she was about to say something but closed her lips again.

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Chapter 144

Birthday Wishes

The cake was finally finished two hours later, at 3 am in the morning.
I didn't get to see the end of it because I fell asleep while waiting for it to bake.

Airu was gone when I woke up.

The only thing that told me it wasn't a dream was a cake that was actually properly finished.