That warmth…
Even though that person imprisoned me—
Why do I feel so drawn to him?
Aki sat still, trapped in her own head.
She could sit up. She could run again.
But she didn’t.
Only now did she notice it—the shawl shredded into pieces, her clothes torn without her even realizing when it had happened.
Strangely, she didn’t feel ashamed. Not even a little.
All of my clothes are torn…
So why does nothing hurt except my chest?
The door opened.
Running in came a boy with purple hair and rectangular glasses.
Aki’s eyes narrowed, twitching in disbelief.
Her breath caught.
“Jiro?”
“Wh—what are you doing here? How could this be?”
Her voice trembled. Am I hallucinating again? No… this feels too real.
The boy froze, eyes widening slightly.
“Oh—was I already introduced by Dr. Nicolas?”
He held out a set of patient clothes. “Please… put this on.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
She obeyed.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked gently. “Any injuries?”
In a small, broken whisper, she said, “Didn’t you die? I even attended your funeral…”
Her breath hitched, fear twisting into hope. “You’re here? Did they take you away too?”
Her words spilled out—trembling, desperate, half-laughing, half-crying.
“Why did you leave without telling me anything? It’s been two years. Two years. We searched for you everywhere.”
He didn’t answer—he just listened to her patiently.
“I knew you wouldn’t die this easily… there’s no way… right? Right?”
Her body pressed back against the wall, her eyes shining with longing—the kind that comes from years of missing someone you thought you’d never see again. Tears streamed down her cheeks, one after another.
The boy stood frozen, confused, trying to make sense of her reaction.
Instead of comforting her, he gave her an injection with practiced ease.
“I’m done with your checkup,” he said calmly. “You’re healthy. I should go now. Take care.”
“Jiro—!”
Aki blinked.
“Why are you acting like you don’t know me? Was it something I did? Please, forgive me… It’s been two years since we last talked. Do you know how much I missed you?”
She reached out, trembling, trying to touch him—to see if he was even real.
He paused.
“…I think you’re mistaken,” he said softly. “Today is the first time I’ve seen you.”
Then he left.
The silence crashed down on her.
“What…?”
Her thoughts slowed, slipping through her fingers.
He has to be my Jiro. I know he’s lying. He’s alive. I knew it. There’s no way this is a mistake… right?
Or am I really sick?
Her mind felt like it was shutting itself off.
Right… I should just rest. That’s what they told me.
She lay there, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Three hours passed before the door opened again.
“So, let’s get started,” a familiar voice said. “You’re a student now. We’ve enrolled you.”
“Nicolas… again?”
“Get up. I’ll take you to your dorm.”
She complied without resistance.
They walked through endless hallways, past a quiet garden, until they reached a towering building.
Inside, Nicolas gestured casually.
“This is your room.”
She looked around. A bedroom. A sofa. A kitchen. A bathroom.
A library.
“…How many people am I sharing this with?”
“Sharing?” Nicolas blinked. “This entire building is yours.”
“Bullshit.”
He only raised an eyebrow—then left.
The door closed.
Aki didn’t even make it to the bedroom.
She collapsed onto the cold floor.
—
Morning came.
“Oh…”
So it was real. All of it.
Not a fantasy.
She sighed heavily. “How did I even fall asleep…?”
She lay on her bed and stayed there.
Not moving.
Not thinking.
The entire day passed like that.
I should think about everything.
Everyone is messing with me.
But she didn’t have the energy—not even to think.
She sat up.
Lay back down.
Again.
Again.
“…I want to cry,” she whispered. “Why does it hurt this much?”
She stopped.
I should sleep.
She sat up again.
“I can’t sleep. I’m not sleepy.”
Maybe… maybe I should sleep.
And this time, without realizing when,
she did.
