Hisao's Trials (part One)

[Westee3712]

Hisao left Yamaku for university, becoming a successful business owner after graduating. Ten years after Yamaku, his life took a strange twist. This story chronicles his struggle to deal with a current tragedy which led to the reopening of old wounds. Along the way, an old friend appears to help him change.

Author’s Notes

First, Katawa Shoujo is the property of Four Leaf Studios. I am not affiliated with them in any way. The characters of Hisao, Hanako, and Lily are borrowed from their visual novel.

Second, I am not a professional author and have no aspirations of becoming one. I get inspired to write stories and I write them. This story is intended solely for folks to read and (hopefully) enjoy.

Finally, the story is told from Hisao’s point of view. It starts approximately ten years after his graduation from Yamaku.


Chapter One: Is This the End

Staring out of the office window, my mind drifted away from the employees working in the other buildings in the complex. Everyone in my office had gone home for the day and I needed to leave as well. One more phone call to receive. But time kept passing and with it, my willingness to wait. At half past six, I decided it was time to leave. I hoped the delay was not due to major problem.

Entering my SUV, I reflected on how blessed I have been since my heart attack ten years ago. Being strong-armed into finishing high school at a school for disabled children in Yamaku ended up being a blessing to me. I developed a new attitude from watching my fellow students overcome their challenges, which helped me determine the path that brought me to this point in time.

Nakai Products became a leading company in consumer product research. Our employees have made every effort to make everyday life more convenient. It all seemed so meaningless now. My subordinates continued to try and console me; to get me to move on. That was the impetus for the trip I was about to take.

Escaping Tokyo’s traffic, I settled in for the two-hour drive to Mito. It had been several years and fears that my staff had neglected the place came to mind. Purchased as a place of retreat and relaxation, work always managed to take priority. I knew that all of my managers had the same work ethic. Maybe that’s what led to the troubles that plagued me now.

Everyone has failures. Why could he not accept that?

My thoughts turned to Jiro; how I had tried to console him concerning the failure of his latest project. The words never registered in his mind. Even after sharing that each of my managers had at least one failed venture, his eyes remained downcast as he slowly shuffled out of my office. Three days later, he was found dead in his apartment. He had taken his own life. Even now, almost a month later, I struggled to keep my emotions from overcoming me.

There must have been something I could have said or done to prevent it.

My brooding was only interrupted by a driver racing up behind me and then staying about a car-length behind me. Knowing I was close to my destination, several options came to mind. Ruling out touching my brake pedal, I maintained my speed and expected him to pass on the straightaway we were traveling on. No move was made though, and I began to get angry. Allowing my gaze to remain more on the agitator than the road ahead, I soon regretted not pulling over.

A glance back at the road ahead revealed a sika deer. Swerving quickly to the left took my tires off the road and with that, my control of the vehicle. Catching hold of something, the SUV began to roll over but came to rest upright. I was not so lucky. The deployment of the air bag had given me a blow to the chest and my heart was not beating as it should. Trying to remedy the problem, I tried to breathe deeply and slow things down. What I saw next drew my thoughts away from breathing.

Looking toward the engine revealed a fire had started. All I could think about was trying to get out. That is when I found myself trapped. Pushing on the door repeatedly, failed to budge it. Attempting to exit via the passenger side, my efforts to move were thwarted by the seat and the steering wheel. I was imprisoned in my vehicle.

A man started pulling at my door, but he couldn’t get it open either. He then tried the other doors but had no luck with any of them. Then he said, “I’ve called 1-1-9 and hope they will get here quickly. I’m going to knock out the rest of the glass on that back door and then see if I can pull you out.”

The sound of glass falling was overridden by the sound of my heartbeat growing faster and faster, spurred on by the growing fire in front of me. “You’re pinned in there. There’s nothing more I can do for you.” was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

*****************

Thoughts began to materialize in my head.

Where am I? Am I still human or something else?

The feeling of pain soon let me know that I was indeed still alive only I couldn’t tell where the pain was coming from. It definitely wasn’t just in my chest as my whole body seemed to be throbbing. Realizing my eyes were covered, I called out, “Hello, is anyone here?”

“I am your nurse. I will get your doctor. She wanted to know the minute you woke up. Please try to stay still until she gets here.”

Dr. Yu introduced herself and then explained my situation. I suffered burns over the bottom part of my body. I also had another heart attack that probably would have been fatal had the rescuers not arrived when they did. She told me that the man who had been following me called in the emergency. There was a struggle in my head over whether to thank him or blame him, eventually blaming myself for not watching where I was going.

She also explained that they had covered my eyes because they weren’t sure if they had been damaged. My upper torso had been laying over the steering wheel and the flames had come up from the floor area. She then proceeded to remove the bandages, examining and testing my eyes.

“I don’t see any damage in either eye, and you appear to be seeing okay. At least that part of your body is unscathed. I was hopeful they were fine considering that you still have your eyebrows.”

Dr. Yu then spent time going through the treatment plan set up for me, along with a possible timetable for release. She finished by asking, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Given her thorough explanation of everything, I couldn’t think of any until she started to walk out. “Do you know where my phone is? It was charging in the vehicle during my trip.”

“I can’t say for sure, but I would guess it is still in the vehicle. From what I was told, if it was anywhere near the dash, there’s a good chance it was destroyed. The investigators will be here soon to get a statement from you about the crash. They should be able to help you. ”

“Great,” I mumbled as she walked out. “My managers are going to think I took their advice and turned it off. No one’s going to know I’m here.”

The investigators arrived and I shared with them what I could remember of the incident. They told me they had a statement from the other driver, and it mostly matched my version. I asked them to pass along my thanks for his help. After all, he did save my life.

A little later, the nurse came in again to treat my wounds. As she uncovered the groin area, I evidently blushed.

“Relax,” she told me, “I’m sure I’ve seen more of these things than you have.”

I couldn’t argue with her on that point, but it didn’t lessen my self-consciousness. After she finished, I was left alone to ponder my situation. It was almost exactly ten years ago that I found myself in this very same spot…alone in a hospital room.

You recovered from that. You can recover from this.

My thoughts didn’t really convince me though. If it hadn’t been for my fellow students at Yamaku, I might not have found a reason to go on. Well, I guess my science teacher, Mutou, helped motivate me also.

I should look him up sometime to thank him.

As my classmates came to mind, the image of Hanako came front and center.

It must have been so terrible to go through this as a child. The pain is bothering me, so I can’t imagine how hard it was for her to tolerate it. I should call her. Oh, I don’t have my phone. I need some books.

With boredom overtaking me, I fell asleep.


Chapter Two: I Know That Person

The opening of the door ended my light nap. A female voice said, “We thought that you might be able to talk with this patient. He was severely burned in a vehicle accident last night.”

Entering the room, the nurse continued, “This is…”

“Hisao?” another voice exclaimed.

As my eyes turned to the door, I thought I was dreaming.


It couldn’t be her.

“Hisao, what happened? Are you okay? Of course, you’re not okay or you wouldn’t be here. Are you in pain?”

“Hanako, is that really you?”

“I see you two know each other. I guess I’ll continue with my rounds then,” the nurse said.

“I can’t believe you’re here. It must be a hallucination from the drugs,” I said.

“No, I’m work here. How did you end up like this though? Kori said something about an accident.”

We sat and talked for a long while. I explained the circumstances that left me burned from the hips down and she tried to prepare me mentally for the long road to recovery. I also told her about the heart attack that occurred before the medics arrived. Eventually, we were interrupted by Nurse Kori again.

“Time for burn treatment. Do you want me to kick her out?”

“No, that’s not necessary. She can stay if she wants. She’s been down this road so I don’t think it will shock her.”

“All right,” she said, lifting off the protective sheet.

Having not looked earlier, the shock of the first glance must have registered on my face because Hanako quickly said, “They will heal, Hisao.” Her eyes showed the same emotion that I was feeling though.

I dropped my head back onto the pillow and covered my eyes with my hands. Hanako placed a hand on my shoulder. “It will be okay.”

“You’re sure?” I mumbled.

“Yes,” she answered with confidence. “I will be here to help you through this.”

“That will make me feel better about my chances,” I replied, dropping my hands to my chest.

Nurse Kori finished her work and left us alone again. Hanako grabbed my left hand in hers and squeezed it. Studying her eyes for a few moments I ask, “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”

Caught off-guard, she stammered, “I… I don’t know everything, so I can’t say.”

“Can’t say what? If there’s something I should know, please tell me. I’d rather it come from you than someone else.”

After a long pause she said, “First understand, I am not a doctor, and this is not a medical opinion.” I nodded and she continued. “You might not be able to father any children depending on how things heal.”

It didn’t faze me much which she quickly noticed. “That doesn’t upset you?”

“There wasn’t much chance of that happening anyhow.”

“Why? You’re not an old man.”

Tears began to well up in my eyes. “For the same reason that I stopped returning your calls and texts. I was too busy in my work. I haven’t been on a date since…Yamaku and those weren’t even dates. Just me spending time with you and Lily. Hanako, I am so sorry. You didn’t deserve to be ignored like that. Not ignored, but I was always in a meeting when you called and wanted to call you back but never remembered when there was time to respond. Then, you stopped calling and I figured that was it. There were many times when I had my finger on the call button but couldn’t press it. I guessed that you had moved on and my chance to stay in your life was gone.”

Hanako nodded and said, “I thought you had probably found someone and by ignoring me I would give up. That’s what I did.”

“Hanako, I would never do that to you. I don’t know where I’d be today if it weren’t for you and Lily. Seeing how much you both overcame in your lives, I was ashamed because my problem seemed so minor. I was so proud I was of you when you became a nurse. You’re a different person now than you were in school. The transformation is incredible. There is such confidence in you now. It makes you all the more beautiful.”

That comment brought a familiar reaction from her, gaze dropping to the floor and cheeks turning bright red.

“I’m sorry if I was out of line saying that, but I mean it. The only beauty of real value is what radiates from inside a person. You becoming a nurse is evidence of your inner beauty. You want to help others in their time of pain, grief, and sorrow. That’s a wonderful thing.”

“I better be going now. I have to work early tomorrow and need to sleep before that. I will stop by tomorrow after my shift if you want.”

“I hope you will. Hey, before you go, would you call Nakai Products for me? I don’t have my phone and I need to let someone know where I am.”

She looked up the number for me and I left a message for Mikai.

“Do you want to call your parents too while I’m here?”

“No.”

“Don’t you think they should know?”

I remember Hanako telling me that she lost her parents in the fire that left her scarred for life. She doesn’t know about my relationship with mine or rather, the lack of one.

“They’re not going to drop everything and fly here anyhow. Mikai will drive up tomorrow and get me set up with what I need. I can call them tomorrow.”

“Hisao, you could have died.”

“Hanako, they left me by myself in the hospital for the final month last time. Then they dumped me into the school at Yamaku, so they didn’t have to watch over me, not that they had for years. It’s just…I’m sorry. I’m not angry at you. I know my parents and I’ll be surprised if they even come to see me, especially since it looks like I’ll recover.”

Her mouth opened for a second, but her face became downcast, and she slowly walked out the door with a final, “Good night, Hisao. Sleep well.”

Chapter Three: Road to Recovery

The view from my bed through the window showed nothing but gray. The extra pain medication was kicking in which meant the nurse would be in soon to clean the wounds and do some physical therapy. Even with the meds there was more pain than normal, but Hanako told me it’s part of the healing process. I tried to picture her going through this as a child to keep my mind occupied. It was hard to fathom how she did it.

The investigators were nice enough to check my vehicle for the phone and laptop that were left behind. Unfortunately, both were destroyed in the fire. Mikai showed up shortly before lunch. Replacing those items became his top priority for the day. We also set up a schedule for meeting times when I could be updated on project statuses. After a little conversation about the accident, he left to return to Tokyo.

Hanako did come to visit after her shift was over. She walked over to the hospital chair and sat on the edge of the seat, placing her purse on the floor. With an uncertain look she asked, “How did things go this morning?”

“Breakfast? Oh, it was okay. Nothing to write home about.”

Opening her mouth to respond, she stopped suddenly. Then she looked at me and sternly said, “I was talking about the physical therapy.”

“Oh, that,” I laughed. “That was a breeze. Nothing to it.”

The look that followed my response was borderline angry. I figured I better stop with the jokes. “It hurt…a lot. I have to ask, how did you do it? If I had gone through this at eight years old, I would have been screaming for my mommy.”

Her eyes went glassy as she thought back to those days. “I cried…a lot. One of the nurses had given me a doll. I remember squeezing her so hard as they would move my arm or leg. She was almost as flat as a paper doll by the time my therapy was finished.”

“You are an incredible young woman.”

Blushing for a moment, she guided the conversation in a different direction. “Speaking of your mommy, have you called her yet?”

“I can’t…no phone.”

“You can use mine.”

“No good. I don’t have the number memorized. Before you ask, I don’t know my dad’s number either. It’s the curse of the cell phone era.”

That stern voice returned as she told me, “I’m not letting you off the hook. When are you getting a phone?”

“The IT worker will be here tomorrow with Mikai to get me set up. I don’t know how much they will be able to recover though. I doubt that I even had my parents’ numbers on my work phone. I might not be able to call them until I can get to the store and replace my personal phone.”

My answer was clearly unsatisfactory to her. She stood, reached over to grab my hand and said, “Promise me that you will call them as soon as you can…for me. No excuses.”

Looking into her violet-colored eyes, I couldn’t say no. “I will. I promise you.”

“I know you aren’t happy with the way they’ve treated you, but people change, right?”

“I can’t argue with that. Seeing the change in you has shocked me.”

“Yeah, about that.”

“What? I can see how your behavior has changed. You carry yourself with much more confidence now than you did at school.”

“That’s only here, Hisao. This hospital is somewhat of a safe zone for me. My work is mostly in the office, so there’s not much interaction with patients or their families. The staff here has been relatively stable, which allowed me to get to know them at a slow pace. I am comfortable here.”

“Going out in public still bothers you, huh?”

Looking at the floor and nodding, she answers, “I avoid it as much as I can. I have groceries delivered to my house.”

“I was bored earlier and started thinking about the changes to come. I realized that I might never wear shorts again or go swimming. The stares and comments would surely bother me.”

“I’m sorry. I never even thought about you being bored. Is there anything I can get you to pass the time?”

“Now that you mention it, I would love a good book. I used to keep one in the office for quiet times.”

“I have one with me.” She reached for her purse. “You can have it.”

“I’ll survive one more night without one. I don’t want to take it from you before you’re finished.”

“There’s only one chapter left to go. I could finish it now if you wouldn’t think it rude of me. Then you could have it for tonight.”

“Well, it would be nice to have it tonight. I don’t want to feel like you have to though.”

She found her bookmark and started reading. Watching her brought a smile to my face. Noticing, she asked, “Why are you smiling like that?”

“I was thinking of the first time I met you. You were sitting in a beanbag at the back of the library. I sat down near you and started reading. Before too long, you started acting weird and ran out of the room.”

“Weird? You thought I was weird?” she pouted.

“Look at it from my point-of-view. You suddenly stood up, said ‘Igottogodosomething” and took off like a dog chasing a rabbit.”

As I recounted the incident, her pout faded to a smile, and then she laughed. “I guess most people would say that was weird.”

“I tried to chase you down, but you were too fast. When I asked Lily if she had seen someone run by, she asked who it was. When I described you, she took off to find you. I didn’t have a clue what I had done wrong until later. Knowing you now, I can say without reservation that you are not weird.”

“Thank you. Now, if you want me to finish this before dinner, you’ll have to let me read.” After a short pause she added, “And don’t stare at me.”

I smiled and said, “No promises.”

Chapter Four: Reconnecting

The book that Hanako left me was such a blessing. It completely took my mind off my troubles and left me tired enough to get some good sleep. I awoke feeling more refreshed than the day before and was greeted by a beautiful sunrise outside my window. There was another thing that brightened my morning. Hanako must have visited before her shift and left a note of encouragement on my table.

A reminder I would need that incentive came when the nurse arrived to deliver my extra pain medication for physical therapy. The warning from Hanako about the need to stretch my joints didn’t make it bearable. Reading the book didn’t protect me from the pain. The nurse repeatedly asked me to move things on my own to see how far I could go. Then she would stretch them even farther. Hips, knees, ankles, even toes had to be moved each day to keep the skin flexible.

I was so glad when Mikai Fujita entered the room, along with Yuki Harada from the IT department. It was strange being so disconnected from work.

“Good news, Nakai,” Mikai said. “We have a laptop with everything restored. Harada said it was no problem for them.”

“No problem for them maybe. For me it was a problem,” I replied. “I dislike being out of touch. What about a phone?”

Yuki pulled a company phone from the pocket of his jacket. “We were able to recover many of your business contacts with the help of Fujita and some of the other managers. You may have to reenter some from your e-mail contacts list. I hope this helps a little.”

“Very good, Harada. Be sure to thank everyone involved. It is greatly appreciated,” I replied. “What about my personal phone. How do I get that replaced and, more importantly, get my contact list back?”

“Your service provider might be able to help you with that,” Yuki said. “One of my co-workers accidentally dropped his while doing some deep-sea fishing. They were able to get everything back for him from the cloud.”

“That would be great except that I’m stuck in here. I should call my parents.”

“Use the phone in your hand,” Mikai suggested.

As I shake my head, he adds, “You’re the CEO. No one’s going to…”

“No, Fujita. I am not going to tell my employees that they can’t use the work phone for personal business and then do it myself.”

Mikai paused to think while Yuki looked down at the floor, uncomfortable with the tenseness. “I should not have recommended that. I apologize. Your integrity is one of the things your employees like about you.”

“Sometimes an idea seems fine at first but when it is evaluated thoroughly flaws appear. That is why we investigate business opportunities so carefully. I know that you were trying to help me but please keep in mind that the rules we make apply to all of us equally.”

“Yes, Nakai.”

Yuki got me started on the laptop and I was relieved to be back at work. With Mikai’s agreement, I sent Yuki back to Tokyo in the company vehicle. Then I started on the task of catching up with e-mails and phone messages. We didn’t get very far when the nurse came in to give me the extra pain meds.

“Fujita, I’m afraid we will have to recess until later. Please come back after lunch and we will finish.”

“Actually, I think you are up to date with most everything. Besides, I thought we all agreed that you were to take this week off.”

“I feel like I’ve been gone a week. My employees will think I’m slacking off.”

He shook his head and replied, “No one would think that of you. Everyone sees your involvement and interest. You are an inspiration to your employees and the reason for our success.”

It was now my turn to shake my head. “Fujita, you are wrong about that. I am but one man. I have surrounded myself with great people like you who I depend on to help me make good decisions. This situation I am in is proof of that. I was confident that you could fill in for me or I never would have agreed to leave for a week. I am thankful for the help you are providing.”

As he gave a small bow for the complement, I continued. “I would like to ask one thing of you as a friend. This is personal business, and I don’t want you to feel that you have to agree. I would appreciate it if you could go to the phone store for me. I will give you my account information to see if they can restore my contacts. I will repay you for the phone, along with transportation costs you incur. You can return to Tokyo this afternoon.”

He returned a couple of hours later having accomplished each task. I was not surprised that the phone store called to verify my information and to get my pin number. I felt whole again, at least in technological terms.

I thanked him for his efforts and told him to go home. He bowed deeply before leaving and I began the emotional fight over the phone calls facing me.

If I call them, they might come. I don’t really want them to. The temptation to share my feelings would be hard to fight. That would end up in a mess. Maybe I can downplay how serious my condition is.

I understand Hanako’s point though. She’ll be pretty angry with me if I don’t keep my promise. Our situations aren’t really that different in my mind. Even though my parents are still alive, they are almost dead to me. We’ve seen each other what, twice in the last ten years? Each visit was more like a business meeting than a family gathering. Why bother?

In the end, I remembered my promise to Hanako and called my mom. She offered to come and visit but I told her it wouldn’t be necessary, and that was only after I suppressed a sarcastic remark. I followed that conversation with a call to my dad, having essentially the same exchange with him.

When Hanako entered the room, I saw her face light up when she noticed the two phones on my table. I was not excited about what would happen next.

Chapter Five: Reconciliation, Sort Of

“Well, did you call them?”

“I kept my promise and called both of them.”

“So, when are they coming to see you?”

“They’re not. I told them I wouldn’t be here that long and would call them when I get discharged to my vacation house.”

I turned my head to avoid seeing her reaction, but that didn’t stop the message from coming through loud and clear.

“You’re telling me you lied to them to keep them from coming? Hisao, I don’t understand you. Why would you do that?”

“Because I don’t want to deal with them. All they want to know is if I’m okay. If I tell them that they can continue on with their busy lives. They don’t have time to waste on me. They don’t want to be here so why should I make them feel like they ought to.”

“That’s a horrible thing to say. I cannot believe that your mother and father who raised such a wonderful, caring young man would feel that way.”

I could see fire in her eyes, but I kept pushing. “I’ve known them for 28 years. All I have to do is say that I’m fine and it releases them from any obligation towards me. They’ve done their parental duty by asking. It’s the way things are with us, and I accepted that a long time ago…before I came to Yamaku.”

“You won’t even consider they might have changed. You won’t even give them a chance. I would give anything to talk to my parents again. You have that chance, and you keep throwing it away. That hurts me, Hisao. It really hurts.”

As she began to walk to the door, I regretted my words. “Hanako, please…”

“I’m sorry. I need to leave.”

The sting of her words kept digging into me like porcupine quills. A memory of her birthday when we were at Yamaku came to mind. She had withdrawn for several days and was an emotional wreck. Lily said it was because she felt guilty for having survived while her parents died. I had opened those wounds again for her and I felt horrible.

She stopped visiting after work, so I tried calling but she didn’t answer. I sent text after text apologizing and got nothing in return. It wasn’t until I notified her of my pending release that she texted back.

Do you need someone to drive you to your house?

A glimmer of hope! I had to temper my excitement and find some way to alleviate the damage I’d caused. The only thing that came to mind was to give my parents a chance. I really didn’t want to put myself through that though. There’s not much sense trying to walk through a locked door. I wished that I could get her to see the situation from my point of view. There was a more immediate concern on my mind.

Yes, but I need some clothes. I can’t leave in this hospital gown. Would you pick me up a sweat suit or something simple like that? A pair of slippers too. I will pay you back when I get my things replaced.

When she came to the room, there was no hint of a smile, not that I really expected one. Still, I was thankful to have contact with her at all. She took my note and left straightaway without saying two words.

On discharge day she was still silent aside from talk about the drive. I had pulled the map up on my laptop so she could see the route. She studied it intently, finally nodding to indicate that she was ready.

As the nurse wheeled me outside, I was dismayed to see a smaller car awaiting me. We tried to get my body into the front seat, but the pain was too much for me. The back seat became the better option, and I was able to slide in with much less discomfort.

Getting out of the car didn’t go as smoothly. It took me a few minutes to work myself out of the door and by the time I stood up, the pain was throbbing. Hanako grabbed my left arm and wrapped it around her shoulders to stabilize me. Approaching the door, I warned her that it might be a bit dusty inside.

I was surprised to find everything in good order and made a mental note to thank the caretakers for their diligence. She led me over to the sofa and I eagerly sat down, which turned into reclining after a few moments. She grabbed some pillows and elevated my legs.

“Thanks, Hanako, for helping me today. Remind me to do something nice for you to show my appreciation.”

She gave me a serious look and said, “If you want to do something nice for me, call your parents right now.”

The shock took a few seconds to wear off, but I took out my phone and said, “Thanks for reminding me.”

“And put on the speakerphone so I can hear the whole conversation.”

Opening my mouth to protest, the look on her face told me to keep quiet. Having gotten back on speaking terms, however limited, led me to obey her command. Mom answered the phone after a single ring.

“Hisao! I’m glad you called. This means you’re finally out of the hospital, right? When you said you would be out before too long, I wasn’t expecting it to be this long. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, Mom, I was discharged today and I’m okay. I might have misjudged how long I would have to stay.”

I made the mistake of looking at Hanako when I said that and got an icy stare in return. I started to wonder if she was going to rat me out.

“Why does it sound like I’m on speakerphone?”

“Well, my nurse is here. Funny story, a girl I met at Yamaku ended up becoming a nurse. We got reacquainted at the hospital and she’s been a godsend to me. I think she wanted to hear your voice since she’s never met you. Her name is Hanako Ikezawa.”

“Hello, Hanako. Thank you for taking care of my son. If he gives you any trouble, be sure to call me. Have him give you my number. I know he can be a little difficult at times.”

My face turned deathly pale as I waited to see what Hanako would say. An evil grin appeared on her face as she answered, “That sounds like a good plan. He does tend to be a little stubborn sometimes.”

“Hisao, don’t make me come visit you. You do what they tell you. Have you been taking your medicines as you should?”

“Yes, Mom. The hospital made sure of that. Hanako is aware of my condition as well. I should tell you that I suffered another heart attack during the accident. I think it was because the air bag hit me in the chest.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that before? Don’t tell me you didn’t want me to worry, either. I’ve been worried ever since your last call.”

“You didn’t need to worry. The hospital had everything under control,” I said, getting a finger wagged at me. Hanako then pointed to herself and made a talking motion with her hand. I needed to end the call before she jumped in.

“Mom, I have to go. It’s been nice talking with you. I’ll be fine.”

“Hisao, wait! Where are you staying. I want the address.”

“Mom, I’m fine. You don’t need to come,” I protested, as Hanako reached for my phone. I pulled the phone away and switched off the speaker phone garnering me another icy glare.

“Okay, fine. Do you have a pen and paper handy?”

I barely ended the call when Hanako confronted me. “Do you know how close I came to blurting everything out? How can you keep this from them? What if they decide to show up here? How will you explain yourself?”

“Hanako, please, calm down. Everything is under control. They’re too busy with work to come here. I’ll keep healing and it will all work out in the end. My scars won’t even be visible, so they don’t need to know about the fire.”

“You’re purposely deceiving them, and I don’t like it. I feel like you have deceived me too.”

“In what way?”

“You said they don’t care about you. I don’t think that’s true at all. It’s obvious that your mother is worried about you. It seems to me you are shutting them out and you’re afraid I’m going to blow your cover.”

She reached over to the table and snatched my phone. I tried to grab it back, but she turned away from me. I started to get up, but she ran to the door.

“You can’t catch me, and I’ll go out to my car and lock myself inside. I am going to copy your mother’s number so you might as well accept it.”

Seeing I was hopelessly defeated, I fell back on the sofa. “When you finish, would you please get me some water and my medicines. I think you’ve given me a headache.”

Chapter Six: That Was Unexpected

After registering my mom’s number, she went out to her car to retrieve my belongings. She re-entered the house pulling a travel bag behind her. Noticing my curious stare, she said, “I’m staying here tonight.”

“Really? I don’t recall giving permission for that.”

“If I’m going to be your home nurse, I have to be here tomorrow to see how the procedures are to be carried out. Since I’m not sure what time that will be, I have to stay. Now, which bedroom shall I use?”

Stunned by her proclamation, I managed to say, “Down the hall, last door on the left.” Then, recovering some of my senses, I called after her, “I don’t think the bed has ever been used.”

Who is this girl? It’s definitely not the same Hanako I knew in Yamaku.

She passed through the main room into the kitchen, opening and closing one cupboard door after another. “Where do you keep the…never mind, I found them.”

“I have no idea where anything is. I haven’t been here in years. I should have sold the place but now I’m glad I didn’t.”

She approached with a glass of water and started doling out my meds.

“Of course, if I didn’t have this place I wouldn’t have been in the accident and gotten reacquainted with you.”

She remained stoically quiet and held out a tray of pills. The ticking of the clock was the only noise as I swallowed the last one. I guess I’m not back in her good graces yet.

“So, when did you become my home nurse?”

“I arranged it when I discovered your discharge date. I’m not just an office worker. I am a trained nurse. I need to see the treatments being done and find out what physical therapy you need. Don’t think I’m going to baby you, either.”

“I was more worried that you would take your anger out on me. I can tell you’re still upset.”

“I really don’t want to talk about that anymore. I cried a river that night and I’m tired of crying.”

“Then why volunteer to be my nurse if I’m upsetting you that much?”

“Do you remember my birthday at Yamaku when I shut myself in my room for three days?” I nodded and she continued. “You kept checking on me, even when I tried to get you to leave me alone. I think I even got mad at you. I might not have told you later, but I was glad that you did. It let me know how much you cared and that meant a lot to me.”

“What does that have to do with this situation?”

“Your parents are still alive which means you still have a chance to patch things up with them. I’m not going to let you throw that away. I will do everything I can to make you at least try.”

I laughed a little which brought a quizzical look to her face. “I’m sorry. A movie quote just popped into my head. The force is strong with this one.”

We both laughed a little and the conversation moved on to other things.

After dinner I was back on the sofa and was thinking about my situation. I knew I wasn’t on good footing with Hanako, and it bothered me. There was another issue too. She must have noticed my mood.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking.”

“About what? You seem upset.”

“I don’t like the way things have gone. I realize that I hurt you and I’m sorry for that. When I tried to apologize, you kept ignoring me.”

“I was too upset. I didn’t want to say something I’d regret.”

“You stopped coming to the room. I started to feel like I did before I got to Yamaku. The girl who cared about me stopped visiting and I was alone. I didn’t want to be like that boy again…a boy who thought about giving up; a boy whose life was taken away from him.”

“Hisao, I’m sorry but I couldn’t…”

“I understand that and I’m not blaming you. I’ve been thinking though and maybe I can do what you want me to. It’s going to take time though. I can’t just push all those feelings aside just like you couldn’t with your birthday. I’m willing to try.”

“I won’t ask you for more than that.”

“I do have one thing to ask of you though. Would you stay with me until this rehab is finished? I mean, stay with me in this house. I don’t want to be alone.”

She walked over and brushed away the tears that were flowing from my eyes.

“Yes, I will do that for you.”

It didn’t take long for us to settle into a routine. I would have dinner ready when she got home from work. She wasn’t thrilled about me moving around too much without her being home saying she didn’t want to find me on the floor and unable to get up. I was extra careful though and I think it helped me with my flexibility. Extra pain meds followed the food, and P.T. took place when those pills kicked in.

We had finished therapy one night and Hanako was in the shower. A knock on the door interrupted my reading. I slowly made my way over and hollered “Coming” when they knocked again. I opened the door and froze in horror.

After a couple of seconds, I managed to say, “Mom. Dad. What are you doing here?”

“We came to make sure that you’re okay. Can we come in?”

“I’m sorry, yes, sure. Come in. I can’t believe you’re here.”

As I closed the door, I noticed that Dad had two bags in tow. I started to worry about how things were going to unfold. The first act of the play started a few seconds later.

“Hisao, who were you talking…” Hanako’s eyes opened wide in panic, as she pulled on the tie of her robe. “I have to get dressed. Please excuse me.”

Turning back to my parents, I saw their eyes were also gaping only for them, it was shock. Dad was the one who broke the silence.

“We were hoping to stay here with you tonight, but I think we better find a hotel to stay in, given the situation.”

“No, Dad. You’re welcome to stay here. Please sit down and I’ll explain after she comes out.”

They slowly made their way to the sofa and whispered to each other. I held my tongue, not wanting the situation to escalate.

As soon as she came out of the bedroom, she said, “I should go.”

“No. You wanted to meet my parents and they’re here. Mom. Dad. This is Hanako Ikezawa. I first met her at Yamaku where we became friends. We lost touch for a while but then got reacquainted when they took me to the hospital she works at. She is my home nurse who takes care of my wounds and physical therapy. There is nothing immoral going on between us. I asked her to stay here so she wouldn’t have to do a lot of driving back and forth, and for other reasons I won’t go into. Hanako, this is my mother, Tori, and my father, Koji.”

After the introductions, both parties starting badgering me, saying that they should leave. I finally had enough and started yelling, “I don’t want anyone to leave. I want you all to stay here tonight and we will talk about things tomorr…”

Pain began to well up inside me, but it wasn’t from my legs. I saw fear reflected in their eyes as I grabbed my chest.

Relax. Breathe. Slower. Heart rate is slowing. Slow, steady breaths. Okay. I’m okay.

“Son, what happened? Did you just have another heart attack?” Dad asked.

“It’s okay. My heart started going too fast. It’s under control now.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? I think we should take you to the hospital,” Mom said.

“I’m okay. It’s happened before. I just…can we please all go to bed and talk tomorrow. I can’t deal with all this right now.”

My parents slowly took their things into the main bedroom. Hanako stayed, still looking fearfully at me. I walked over to her and said, “It’s okay.”

“No. I’ve pushed you too hard to do this. I shouldn’t have…”

Placing a finger on her lips, I replied, “Everything you’ve said to me about this was right. You’ve done nothing wrong. It was always going to be a problem. As for you being here, remember, that was my request. I will deal with that. Please, go get some sleep. You have to work tomorrow. I will talk with my parents while you’re gone and things will be settled, for better or worse.”

I could see my words did nothing to reassure her, so I reached around and hugged her. She wrapped her arms tight around me and I heard a sob. Breaking apart, I wiped the tears from her face and kissed her.

Chapter Seven: Reconciliation

I didn’t know why I kissed her. It just happened. She looked back at me with dreamy eyes and the faintest hint of a smile. Then she cupped her hands around my head and kissed me back.

“Hisao, do you have an extra…Oh! Sorry. I …” Dad said.

As Hanako went scurrying to her bedroom, I called to him. “Dad, can you come here please?”

“Son, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

The jolt of what occurred still affecting me, I stammered, “I…I just kissed a girl for the first time. I don’t…know why I did. Then…she kissed me back.” Turning to look at him, I could only shake my head in disbelief.

“Well, it is a natural thing if you’re attracted to someone but, wait, did you say first time?” I shook my head and he continued. “You’re 28 and that was the first time? I mean, I guess there’s nothing wrong with that but, wow! First time. Anyway, I was wondering if you had a spare charger for a laptop. I must have forgotten mine.”

“Just use mine. It’s on the counter over there.”

“Thanks. First time. Wow,” he said returning to the bedroom.

Despite the stress of the day, sleep eluded me. Thinking about my action only left me puzzled. I had thought about kissing her when we were at Yamaku but was afraid of scaring her and making a mess of things. I was a young, naïve boy then.

Do I still feel attracted to her? She kissed me back! She must have feelings for me.

Next, the vision of my father’s face when he saw us came to mind. I had told him there was nothing immoral going on and then he saw us kissing. They’re going to have a hard time believing that now. That was the least of my problems with them though.

Since I couldn’t sleep, I made sure to have breakfast ready for Hanako before she left for work. Sneaking up behind me while I was plating her food, she wrapped her arms around my waist. I turned around to see her smile, then pucker her lips for a kiss.

“I could get used to this,” I told her as we ate.

“Me too,” she said. “I have to run now. We’ll talk more later. I hope things go well today with your parents.”

“Thanks. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it though.”

Another kiss and a smile and she was on her way. My parents came out a few minutes later. I motioned for them to sit down and started preparing breakfast for them. I glanced back at them once and was taken back in time. Dad had his laptop open and was sifting through the stock markets, occasionally entering something on his phone. Mom was on her phone reading e-mails. It was like I was thirteen again, just before everything went bad. I stuffed my emotions away and plated their food.

“My, that’s an impressive looking breakfast,” Mom said. “Did you learn by watching those cooking shows on television?”

Fighting the urge to say, Somebody had to teach me, I simply said, “Yes.”

There was minimal conversation while they ate, but that wasn’t unusual. With them if was always business, business, business. I felt my frustration growing with each passing minute.

Finishing the last of his eggs, Dad said, “I suppose there’s no sense postponing this anymore. Shall we?”

I refilled everyone’s coffee and followed them into the main room. I had them sit on the sofa, tossing my collection of pillows onto the floor. I sat in the recliner to their right and took a deep breath.

“You look tired, honey,” Mom said. “You didn’t sleep well, did you?”

“No, I didn’t sleep at all last night. Too much on my mind. I want to start with last night. I’m sure Dad told you what he saw.”

“Yes, he did. He kept saying it was your first kiss. Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s true. I’ve always been too busy with the business to get involved…even to go on dates. Another thing that is true, there has been nothing immoral going on here. In fact, it’s not possible.”

“What do you mean, not possible? A man and a woman living together? Explain how it’s not,” Dad said.

“Well, I wasn’t entirely honest with you about my accident. It was a little more serious than I let on.”

With that, I pulled up the legs of my sweatpants. Dad’s bottom jaw dropped, and Mom gasped, placing her hand over her mouth. I slowly let go of my pants and said, “The burns go all the way to my hips. There were issues with the healing process, and I will not be able to…um…function in that capacity anymore.”

“That’s terrible,” Mom said. “Were there any other injuries?”

“I think the bigger question is, why would you try to hide this from us?” Dad asked.

“Would it have made any difference?” I said as the dam holding back my emotions collapsed. “Would you have come sooner, maybe? Honestly, I can’t believe you’re here at all. I told Hanako you wouldn’t.”

“Why would you think that?” Mom asked. The hurt look on her face was sending daggers into my heart. “What have we ever done to make you think we don’t care about you?”

“Care about me? After you left me alone for a month in that hospital only to show up and tell me that you were dumping me in a new school. Hey son, sorry we haven’t been around. Business and all. But hey, we found a new school for you where you won’t know anybody. Doesn’t that sound great?”

Ignoring the shock on heir faces I continued. “So, I go there and there’s people missing body parts, and blind people, kids in wheelchairs. They all look at me and wonder if I know it’s a school for the disabled. It was like I didn’t belong there either. I almost wanted to flip my tie around my neck and walk around with my shirt unbuttoned so they could see my scar. Truth be told, I don’t know if I’d be alive right now if it hadn’t been for Lily and Hanako.”

“Hisao, don’t say that!” Mom cautioned me.

“Why not? It’s the truth. I’ve pretty much been alone since I was thirteen and you both decided that I could stay by myself. Sure, it started out as a day or two here and there. It wasn’t long before it was all week, every week.”

“But you showed you could handle it. That’s the only reason. You were always mature for your age. Your grades were always good, and you never got into trouble,” Dad said.

“Just because I could didn’t mean it was good for me.”

“I can see that now,” Dad said. “Why didn’t you say anything back then. Whenever I asked you how things were going, you would say ‘Fine’. We could never get more than two words out of you. Then, after university, you hardly called at all. I figured that, no news was good news; that you were happy and enjoying life.”

“You were happy with me out of the way. Lily’s sister told me about their family. Her parents were big shots in some company. Akira said her parents didn’t want any of their business associates to know about her and her blindness. So, they put her in Yamaku. It was the same with me. ‘Let’s put him in that school and they will take care of him so we can keep on with our careers and not have to worry about him.’ I was nothing but an inconvenience to you. That’s all I’ve ever been.”

Chapter Eight: Further Reconciliation

Uncontrollable sobbing overtook me. Mom walked over and grabbed my hand, leading me over to the sofa. She sat beside me and pulled my head to her shoulder.

“Hisao, that is not true,” she said in an unsteady voice. “You are our son, and we love you. When the issue with your heart came up, the doctors advised us that your high school couldn’t offer the kind of protection that you would need. They told us about Yamaku and how they could help you, about their round-the-clock medical staffing and the physical therapy department. There were so many positives it seemed irresponsible for us to turn down that opportunity. We felt it was the best place you could be.”

Dad jumped in. “With regard to your hospital stay, you were there for four months. We used up all of our time off from work in the first three months. We couldn’t risk losing our jobs just to sit with you in your room. Besides, you hardly spoke to us at all, so it didn’t seem to make a difference if we were there or not. I guess your mother and I both assumed that the other one was stopping by once in a while. I see now that we were wrong. I’m sorry for that. I wish you had said something to us.”

I couldn’t stop myself from firing back. “Everybody left at once…you, my friends, Iwanako. There was no one. Eventually, I realized I was forgotten about. The nurses would look at me with such pity on their faces. They would spend a few minutes talking with me, but they had work to do. They couldn’t help me. I learned to deal with it by not dealing with it. All I had to do was tell you I was fine, everything was fine. Then we could all go on with our lives. That worked until Hanako…” The words stopped coming out.

“Hanako what, dear?” Mom asked.

“She told me I had to try and patch things up. Her parents died in the fire that gave her those scars. She misses them badly and said there was no way she would let me throw away the chance to make things right,” I sobbed. “Then you both show up here and I see that I was part of the problem and we kissed and now my life is upside down and…”

“Hisao, quiet down for a moment,” Mom said. “I don’t want a repeat of last night. Look, you’re obviously tired and overcome with emotions. Why don’t you go in and get some sleep? We’ll wake you up for dinner. We can talk more later.”

With a nod, I trudged wearily down the hallway. Sleep came almost immediately in the form of a dream. Hanako and I were at an estate. We walked arm-in-arm through the huge flower beds of roses, hydrangea, and irises. Rows and rows of plum trees and cherry trees surrounded the path. Spotting a tree swing, Hanako ran over to it.

Push me, Hisao.

Hanako, you’re too old for swings.

Please. My daddy used to push me. Please, just for a little while.

When she mentioned her dad, I couldn’t argue anymore. The smile on her face was more than enough reward. After slowing to a stop, she ran over and hugged me. I stared into her violet eyes and said, “Kiss me.” I closed my eyes and waited as she pressed her lips to mine. Slowly opening my eyes, the dream ended, and I found Hanako staring at me.

“What? You said, ‘Kiss me’, so I did,” she smiled.

Looking around, I was disappointed to find myself in a bedroom. The events from earlier in the day rushed back into my mind. “Mom and Dad…are they still here?”

“Yes. They asked me to wake you up. Your mother is making your favorite dinner and it’s almost ready.”

“Chicken curry? I haven’t had that in so long. I’ve never been able to make it as good as she does, even after she gave me the recipe.”

“Maybe it’s the love she puts into it that makes a difference.”

“You’ve been discussing our talk from this morning, I’m guessing.”

“Yes. They told me everything.”

“So, aren’t you going to say it?”

“What, I told you so? I don’t need to say it. I didn’t know it would turn out this way. I’m happy that you kept your promise and I hope that you can rebuild your family.”

“Somehow, thank you doesn’t seem enough, but I am grateful. I can’t believe the way my life has changed in the last month. The accident, finding you, you nagging me about my parents, them showing up out of the blue, our kisses last night, finding I was partially to blame for my family situation. My mind can hardly take it all in.”

“Hey, I didn’t nag you. I only tried to make you give them a chance. I’m glad I did. Your parents are really nice. They didn’t ask, but I told them about the fire and what I went through after the fire. They were very sympathetic and also thankful that I am here to help you with your burns. You told them about your, um, genitals?”

“Yeah. I was trying to make sure they knew there was nothing immoral going on between us. Dad catching us kissing last night put a lot of doubt in their minds. They would not be happy with our arrangement if I couldn’t convince them of the truth.”

“We better get going. They’re going to start doubting again if we stay in here too long,” she laughed. Before she could move away, I pulled her on top of me for another kiss. I wished that I could see that smile on her face forever.

[Westee3712]

Hisao left Yamaku for university, becoming a successful business owner after graduating. Ten years after Yamaku, his life took a strange twist. This story chronicles his struggle to deal with a current tragedy which led to the reopening of old wounds. Along the way, an old friend appears to help him change.

Author’s Notes

First, Katawa Shoujo is the property of Four Leaf Studios. I am not affiliated with them in any way. The characters of Hisao, Hanako, and Lily are borrowed from their visual novel.

Second, I am not a professional author and have no aspirations of becoming one. I get inspired to write stories and I write them. This story is intended solely for folks to read and (hopefully) enjoy.

Finally, the story is told from Hisao’s point of view. It starts approximately ten years after his graduation from Yamaku.



Chapter Nine: Starting Over

Breakfast the next morning was very different from the previous one. Hanako took the day off work so we could see my parents off. Dad left his laptop on the counter. Mom didn’t pull out her phone. We talked as we ate, almost like a normal family. It did my emotional heart good to experience it.

After cleaning up, we sat in the main room. Dad looked at me and said, “Son, I think we can agree that all three of us made some bad decisions and some wrong assumptions. None of us can do anything about that now, and we’ve made our apologies. What we can do is move forward from here with a clear understanding of where we’ve been.

“I know that it won’t be all sunshine and roses. All three of have been hurt in this situation. However, I think we are all strong enough to tackle the rebuilding of relationships and we have a good foundation to build on. These past couple of days have been eye-opening and long overdue. Tori, did you want to add anything?”

“First of all, son, don’t ever doubt our love for you. Maybe we didn’t show it the way you would have liked but it’s there. It’s up to you to communicate to us what’s important to you, whether that’s a phone call every week or getting together. We can’t read your mind.

“Second, please don’t ever withhold something like this from us again. Finding out how close you were to dying in the manner that we did was, well, I’m not happy about it. It hurt me, but I understand now why you acted that way. Never again though, okay?” I nodded.

“The last thing I have to say is thank you to Hanako. You said you almost called me after that night we talked on the phone. I wish you had so I would have been better prepared for what happened here. In the end, I think things have worked out for the best. Koji and I think you are a wonderful, young woman. I don’t want to put any undue pressure or expectation on you but, if your relationship with Hisao would happen to end in marriage, we would be very happy to welcome you to our family. And don’t forget, if he gets out of line again, call me.”

At the train station we said our goodbyes. As I hugged Mom, I saw something in her eyes I didn’t remember ever seeing before. It was almost as if I could envision the emotions there, thankfulness, happiness, and love all mixed together.

As Dad shook my hand he said, “I’ve been watching your company in the market. You’ve done very well. I am proud of you.”

Smiling back, I said, “As I’m sure you know, being a businessman yourself, it’s a team effort and I have a great team working with me. Thanks for the complement.”

**********************

A couple of weeks later, I asked Hanako if she would take me to the Kairakuen Garden in town. She agreed and I searched out the route on my phone.

“Why did you want to come here?” she asked as we started strolling down a path.

“I like to walk in a park when I’m struggling with something. Being in a more natural setting helps to clear my mind so I can think.”

“What are you struggling with? I think the situation with your parents is resolved.”

“It is. Since I’ve been at the house, in those moments when you’re not there and I’m not in a meeting, something has been gnawing at me. The company has had great success in our ventures, and we have made life more convenient for millions of people. I want to do more than that. I want to make a more substantial difference in peoples’ lives, not just convenience. I don’t know what though.”

We continued to saunter along in silence for a while when Hanako said, “What about medical research? That is something that could make a big impact. Companies are always finding new and better ways to do things or better tools to use in the health field.”

Stopping dead in my tracks, I said, “Yeah. I like it. That’s a great idea. We can go home now.”

“Actually, how about we keep walking a little more?” she suggested, wrapping my arm in hers.

As we walked through rows and rows of plum trees, I said, “We need to visit this place when they have the Plum Festival. It must look incredible when all of these trees are in bloom. That is one of the reasons I bought the house here. I never made time to attend. Of course, I didn’t make time for a lot of things, including you. I’m so glad I got a second chance. Once again, I hate to think where I’d be without you. You’re my lifesaver.”

She moved her arm around my waist and leaned her head against my arm as we made our way back to the car.

They can’t repair my physical heart, but my emotional heart sure feels better.

**********************

The next few weeks were filled with research. I sought as much information as I could find on current projects, promising young doctors, and scientists and whatever else I thought might help me. I sought advice from my managers at Nakai Products, asking for any help that they could give. Many of them thought the venture was too risky.

I found a parcel of land that would hold the initial building and still allow for expansion later. The financing was the most difficult part. I was putting all of my eggs in the basket and hoped it would pay off. It was a little farther away from Mito than I would have liked, but the price was right.

When the designs for the building came in, I sat down with Hanako to see which one she liked. What she didn’t know was the surprise I had in those pictures. We turned page after page, comparing different aspects of each design. Then we got to the close-ups of the entryways.

“This is nice. Not too flashy but not too plain,” she said, turning to the next one. “This one looks exactly the same.”

“What?” I smiled, trying to contain myself. I turned back a page, then forward, then back again. “I see the difference. There’s no name on the entryway here. This one has a name on it.”

Looking closer, she said, “The Hanako Nakai Medical Research Facility? Why would they use my first name and your last name?”

I waited until the light bulb turned on.

“Wait, are you asking me…”

“Hanako, I would be honored if you would agree to become my wife.”

Wrapping her arms around my neck, she answered, “I accept your offer.”

After a hug and a kiss, I said, “The only question now is, should I call my mom and dad.”

“You better hope I don’t dial her first, or I’ll tell her you said that.”

“Too late,” I said, holding up my phone. “Hi Mom. She said yes. Yeah, you can call her now and talk to her while I phone Dad.”

Chapter Ten: Two Become One

We decided to have a small ceremony. Neither of us had relatives other than my parents. The only other invitees were Lily and her sister, Akira.

I called Mom to see if she would help Hanako with her preparations for the event but found out that I was too late. They already had time set aside for dress shopping and the like. I called Dad next to make a special request of him.

“Hey, Dad. I’m wondering if you would do me a favor for the ceremony. There is a tradition in some Western countries where the father of the bride walks her down the aisle before handing her off to the groom. I think it would make the day even more special for Hanako if you would fill in as her father.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, son, and very thoughtful of you. I would be happy to do that for her. She’s a special young lady.”

“Thanks, Dad. Oh, can you keep it a secret, please? I’d like it to be a surprise.”

“No problem.”

************************

The day of the ceremony dawned with gray clouds filling the sky, but it didn’t dampen my mood at all. I was not nervous either, only excited to begin a new life. Mom relayed my request for Hanako to walk down the aisle. She looked a bit unsure about it, but I knew she would understand later.

Waiting near the front of the room, I glanced back at my bride. She had chosen a non-traditional style…a full-length, form-fitting dress. It was purple with pink accents at the hems and waist. It also had a crane on the bottom portion. As Hanako prepared to walk up the aisle, Dad moved in beside her and offered his arm to her. Her hand went to her mouth as she gasped but then smiled and inserted her arm into Dad’s. As they approached the front, I saw a tear roll down her cheek.

We agreed to write our own vows and I insisted that she go first.

Hisao, We’ve been through a lot together in a short amount of time. When I was weird, you didn’t avoid me. When I withdrew into my shell, you continued to try and help. When I tried to push you away, you refused to move. Finally, with encouragement from Lily, I gave you a chance. I found that you were exactly the person you seemed to be.

When we lost contact after school, I lost any hope I had of being together. Fate caused our paths to cross again. Now that I have the chance, I don’t intend to ever let you go. You’ve seen me at my worst, and you still want to be with me. You push me to be better, but you’re sensitive enough to know my limits. I believe you are the perfect man for me, and I will try to be a wife you can be proud of.

Her words got me a little choked up and I was shaking as I placed the ring on her finger. Taking a deep breath, I spoke the words I had been practicing for days.

Hanako, when we first met you ran away from me, but something kept drawing me to you. As I found out more about you, I wanted to help you and protect you. I would have fought anyone who was mean to you. Before long, I realized that you didn’t need protection. You were strong, stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. To go through what you have and become the woman that you are is nothing short of incredible.

When business got in the way of my friendship with you, I thought we had gone our separate ways. It seemed that bachelorhood would be my destiny. Circumstances brought us together again and I’m thankful, even for the accident that made it possible. The things I’ve gone through in recovery gave me a glimpse of what you went through as a child and increase my admiration of you.

You made me a better person when we were at school, and you’ve made me a better person in the short time we’ve been reunited. I look forward to growing even more as we continue our lives together. I promise to honor you, respect you, and never let you go again for as long as I live.

She placed the ring on my finger, and we kissed. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck, and we hugged for what seemed like an eternity. Maybe that’s how long I wished it would last. I had never felt such happiness in my life.

We had agreed to exchange gifts after the ceremony, and I handed the beautifully wrapped package to her. With shaking hands, she removed the paper as neatly as she could, handed it to my mother, asking her to hold it until later. Opening the box, she was surprised to find a chess set with white marble and black onyx pieces. The look of horror on her face was not what I expected.

Handing me my present, I immediately determined the reason for her reaction. I opened the gift and found the exact same chess set. We both started laughing loudly which prompted Lily to ask, “What’s so funny?” Mom and Dad both looked perplexed as well.

“Back in school, Hanako and I often played chess. I guess we both missed that competition because we got each other the exact same set,” I explained. “I wondered why the shopkeeper gave me a funny look when I laid it on the counter. I guess selling two of those sets in a short period of time would have been surprising.”

“I have to say that is the most unusual wedding gift I have ever seen,” Mom said.

“Well,” I replied, “we’re two unusual people.”

Chapter Eleven: More Than I Could Chew

It wasn’t as hard to adjust to married life as I thought it might. Sure, we had our different ways of doing things but most of them were minor and didn’t cause problems. The hard part came when I needed to start being more present at work in Tokyo.

Virtual meetings can’t replace a physical presence and workers don’t appreciate absentee owners. It was also a source of pride for me to know my employees and things that were happening in their lives. I started spending three days a week at work.

Meanwhile, I was still trying to work on my medical research project. Acquiring the land turned out to be the easy part. The hard part was the finances. I thought I would be able to get things rolling without much help. That turned out to be far from true. Frustration began to eat at me.

“What’s wrong, Hisao?” my wife asked after I vocally expressed my vexation.

“Everything is costing more than I planned for. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do this.”

“Are you talking about the building cost?”

“It’s everything. You can’t have the best people working with second-rate equipment. Conversely, you can have the best tools in the world but in less capable hands you’re wasting money. It was so much easier when I started Nakai Products. I found a group of people who were eager to prove themselves and weren’t as concerned about compensation. I set it up so the better the company did, the higher their pay.”

“You’re trying to run this the same way? I don’t think that’s going to work, especially since you want it to be non-profit. Also, I think you need to have a more specialized area of research. I know I said medical research but that was a general category, much too large for what you’re trying to start.”

I groaned as I fell back on the sofa, placing my hands on my face. She reached over and pulled my right hand down with hers. “Hey, you’ll figure things out. I have confidence in you.”

“Give me some ideas then.”

“There’s already a lot of cancer research going on. I wouldn’t advise going with a major illness like that. Something less common would probably fit better with what you want to do.”

I was looking down at my lap where our hands rested when I saw the scars on the back of her hand and got an idea. “What about finding new ways to help burn victims?”

“Well…”

I cut her off. “Think about all that you’ve had to deal with, people staring or turning their face away. Or with me, how I’ll probably never wear shorts again. Wouldn’t it be great if we could help victims not have to deal with that?”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea. It will probably be too late to help us though.”

“I’m not worried about me. It would be nice to help you. Of course, I think you’re beautiful just the way you are.”

Blushing, she replied, “Did they ever do any tests on your brain or vision in the hospital? I don’t think they’re functioning correctly.”

I pulled her down beside me and wrapped her in my arms. “Thanks for helping me get some focus. I was trying to do too much. What would I do without you?”

*********************

While the improved focus did help with some of the decisions and made the financial numbers better, things were far from ideal. The building was nearing completion and I had begun to get equipment lined up but finding the right people was proving to be very difficult. I wanted people who were excited about helping burn victims.

With a lot of late hours and perseverance, I had everything in place…except money. I started losing sleep due to the stress and Hanako became worried. When I became unresponsive to her encouragement, she called my mom, asking her to speak with me.

Seeing the caller I.D., I put on my cheeriest voice as I answered, “Hello, Mom. How are things with you?”

“First of all, if Hanako is in the room, please put on the speaker phone. I want her to hear this too. Second, I’m not well because my daughter tells me that you’re not well. I need to know why you are doing this all on your own?”

“I want to do something for humanity. This seemed like a good way to do it.”

“I won’t argue that but trying to do it alone is the part I don’t understand. Do you know that you are stealing from other people?”

“Stealing? That doesn’t make any sense. How am I stealing when it’s all coming from my pockets?”

“Did you ever stop to think that there might be other people who would like to join in this project. For example, your father and I have two children whose lives have been seriously impacted by fire damage. We would both like to see improvements made that can help people lead better lives and would be willing to donate to the cause. We were never asked. So, the joy that we could have from contributing has, in effect, been stolen from us. I’m sure that there would be other people who feel the same way.”

“I would feel like a beggar going around asking for money. Plus, it’s embarrassing to me to not be able to finish the project. I thought I had it all figured out.”

“Hisao, listen to yourself. Your pride is getting in the way of doing something good. Humble yourself. You are not perfect, and you do make mistakes, right Hanako?”

Frowning at her as she shook her head in agreement, I responded, “Yeah, yeah. You two are always going to gang up on me, aren’t you? I see your point and I guess it makes sense. It wouldn’t be smart of me to allow this project to fail because I was too proud to get help. Thanks for the wisdom.”

“Wait! Don’t you have something to ask me?”

I didn’t catch her meaning until Hanako whispered, “Donation?”

“Oh, yeah. Hey, Mom. How would you like to donate to a very worthy cause? It might someday help people like your wonderful daughter and your imperfect son.”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she laughed. “I will talk with your father and get back to you tomorrow. I have a presentation for work that I need to finish tonight.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Hanako shouted as I reached to end the call.

****************************

The opening day of the center could not have been more perfect with regard to the weather. The sun was out just enough to keep the temperature comfortable. I had been rehearsing my speech and had most of it memorized. As I prepared to start, I noticed that my wife was not around.

“Mom, where’s Hanako?”

“She’ll be here dear. Don’t worry.”

I started by introducing the staff, commending them for the sacrifice in wages that they had made in choosing to work at the center. Next, I acknowledged the donors who had not only enabled the project to be completed but had donated enough to start a trust fund to help with the financial needs of families.

Then I spoke about what we hoped to accomplish. Hanako knew that I had not worn my compression socks that day so I could show my leg as an example of the reason we were starting the center.

I put my foot up on the box beside me, I pulled up the bottom of my left pant leg all the way over my knee. I heard the gasps of a few people. Then, there were more, louder gasps and people were whispering to each other. Seeing their eyes were no longer on me, I turned to my right and saw Hanako, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. Caught totally off guard, I froze for several seconds before adapting my speech.

“Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a better example of why we started this project. My beautiful wife, Hanako, was burned in a fire at the age of eight. I can’t imagine the pain and suffering she went through as a child. However, her physical recovery was only the beginning of her trials. Some people stared, some turned away. She was teased and bullied, eventually shutting out the world as best she could. Even as an adult, she feels it best to hide her scars as much as possible. Wouldn’t it be great if no child had to go through what she has? I think so and the people standing up here are helping us work towards that goal. Now, with the help of my wife, we will cut the ribbon and let you come inside.”

Chapter Twelve: Another Twist of Fate

It was that time again. I had been working three days a week in Tokyo and working from the house in Mito the other days so I could spend time with Hanako. It was good to get back to a somewhat normal life. But the gnawing had begun again.

“Hanako, would you go with me to the Kairakuen Garden?”

“The last time we went there, you ended up building a research center and almost going broke doing it. Forgive me if I’m a little hesitant.”

“I’m going whether you do or not. I would enjoy it more if you were with me,” I said, trying to make sad, puppy dog eyes at her.

“That’s not how you do that. You have to make yourself get to the brink of crying but not let any tears form, silly. Besides, I was only teasing. I will go with you.”

With a fair amount of cloud cover and a stiff breeze, Autumn left no doubt that it was in control of the day. Hanako wrapped an arm around my waist as we walked through the rows of plum trees. I reached around to her opposite shoulder to keep her a bit warmer.

“So, what’s eating at you this time. You have been quieter than usual.”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Things seem to be going well and I really have no reason to feel discontented, but somehow, I do. My company is still very successful. The research center is fully functional and is helping people. I have a beautiful wife. Why should I want more than that? It seems wrong to feel that way.”

“Is there something that you’ve always wanted to do but were never able to? Maybe it’s resurfacing in your mind.”

“I don’t think so. I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe the answer is here somewhere.”

We passed by many visitors on our walk. There were several older couples walking together. Each of them made me smile as I thought of Hanako and I coming back here when we reached that age. There were also students taking notes or drawing sketches of the landscaping.

Nearing the finish of the circular path, a group of people exiting an SUV caught my attention. Two adults and three children got out. The children seemed very excited and had to be corralled by the grownups.

Children! That’s it! That’s what’s missing! No, that’s not possible.

I quickly let go of that notion and continued to the car. Even after Hanako was seated and I closed the door behind her, the word “children” kept surfacing in my mind. I wasn’t ready to share that thought with her yet. I couldn’t fathom why the word was hounding me.

After returning home, I made some curry for dinner. While we were cleaning up afterward, I asked, “Hanako, you’ve told me a little about your time at the orphanage. Would you be willing to tell me more? Like, what was the name of the place, who was your favorite adult there, what was a typical day like…that kind of stuff.”

“Why would you want to know more about that place?”

“Well, it played a big part in who you are now, and I feel like I should know more about it.”

She started with the name of the establishment, Safe Harbor Orphanage, and then filled me in on the day-to-day activities. “Nara was my favorite adult. She always spent a few minutes alone with me which let me know that someone cared. She helped to style my hair this way to hide some of the facial scarring. It was hard to get used to at first but over time it became natural.”

“So, how did you develop your love for reading? Surely the orphanage couldn’t afford to buy a lot of books.”

“I think most of them were donated. However, when Nara noticed me reading a lot, she would sometimes surprise me with a brand-new book.”

The memory struck a nerve in her and tears fell onto her cheeks.

Brushing the wetness away, I asked, “This wasn’t a great idea, was it? I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Nara is a happy memory. I went back to see her after I became a nurse. I thanked her for making a difference in my life. She was truly happy to see what had become of me.”

“Nara sounds like a very special person. I’m glad she was there for you.”

“So, what brought this on? Something had to get you thinking about these things.”

“I guess it was the children at the garden. They were there with their parents, and it seemed like such a happy family. Then I thought of my parents and our relationship. That led me to thinking about you growing up mostly without yours. I’m glad that it wasn’t all terrible for you.”

“If it had all been bad, I wouldn’t have been able to survive. Some days, I just curled up and cried.”

“That makes it even more amazing to see the woman you have become. Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?”

“You tell me that all the time. I’m still not sure it’s true.”

Grabbing the dish towel in both hands, I lowered my arms around her and pulled her close for a kiss. Her smile always melted my heart.

Sleep was elusive for me that night. My mind was flipping between the happy children at the garden, and Hanako being miserable at the orphanage. Finally, a connection was made. I sat up quickly in bed. “Adoption!”

My wife asked groggily, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, dear. Sorry to wake you. I’m having trouble sleeping. I’ll go to the main room, so I don’t disturb you anymore.”

Turning on the computer, I was able to find the Safe Harbor Orphanage location. It was only an hour away. I was certain that Hanako would like the idea but wanted to be sure. Looking at my watch, I calculated the time difference and called Lily.

I explained the thoughts I had throughout the day and how I came to think of adoption. Then I came to the question I needed to ask. “Do you think she will like the idea? I think she will but want to be sure that I’m not missing something important that would upset her.”

“Hisao, I think it’s a wonderful idea. I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t want to help a child avoid going through what she did. I think you should definitely discuss it with her.”

“Thanks, Lily. I’m so excited now. I can hardly wait. I should probably hold off until she wakes up though.”

“I would agree with that. Let me know how it goes. Take care.”

Chapter Thirteen: Not According to Plan

Excitement would not let me sleep so I continued searching the internet for more information. It didn’t take long to get an understanding of the processes involved.

“What time did you get up? I didn’t notice you were gone until the alarm kept beeping.” Hanako rubbed her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I forgot about that. It’s a good thing we get up at the same time. I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“You’ve been up all night? Is something wrong at work?”

“No, its…can we wait until you are more awake? I have something important to ask you.”

After eating breakfast and cleaning up, I led her over to the sofa and sat facing her. Reaching over, I sandwiched her right hand between mine. “Do you remember the day we went to the garden?”

“Yes, but I thought you didn’t figure anything out that day.”

“I didn’t at the time. Later on, I got an idea and would like to see how you feel about it. When I thought about those kids looking so happy, it was so different from what your childhood was. I think that you and I could give a happy home to a child.”

“But Hisao, you know we can’t…”

“I know. I was thinking about adoption.” I waited for her reaction.

Surprise registered first on her face, followed by a smile which faded away. “I have thought about it, but I have so many questions.”

“What questions?”

“We both work. You weren’t happy about being left alone. How would we avoid doing that?” Her gaze shifted downward. “I have to wonder what kind of parent I would be. I don’t have much experience being around parents.”

“Hanako, look at me please,” I replied. “I think you would be a wonderful mother. You know what it’s like to be without parents, so you will be able to relate on that level. Let’s face it, I don’t have great parenting experience to guide me either. We’ll just have to love them the best we can and figure it out as we go. I don’t think children come with an instruction manual.”

“What about our work, though?”

“They would be in school for much of the year. During the breaks, I can continue to work from the house here in Mito several days a week. That would eliminate a lot of the time they would be alone. I think we should at least try being foster parents and see how it goes.”

It took a little more encouragement, but she finally agreed, and we started the certification process. It was a little nerve-wracking going through the interviews, especially when they seemed disappointed that we had only been married a short time. The fact that we both worked also seemed to be a negative, but my ability to work from home seemed to offset that a little.

The day finally came when all the requirements were satisfied, and we received approval to become foster parents. After dinner that night, we sat together on the sofa, imagining what our new life would be like. My phone rang, interrupting our fantasy world.

“Nakai, would you please come to the medical facility right away? We have a situation to discuss with a patient that came in today.”

“Yes, I will head over now.”

“What is it, Hisao?”

“A situation with a new patient. I would guess that they might need approval for financial assistance.”

“I would like to go with you.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

We entered the facility a few minutes later and were met by Dr. Shi, who led us to his office. “We have a case that might require the board to provide financial assistance. There was a house fire, and a lady was badly burned. Her prognosis is not good. From what we’ve been told, she is a single mother to twin girls, thirteen years old. The daughters were able to escape the building suffering only from smoke inhalation. They are doing fine now…physically. Emotionally, they are distressed. The patient has been placed in a family room and a couple of the nurses have been sitting with the girls to give them comfort. The building was a total loss, and they have nothing but the clothes on their backs. I think the board should approve using the trust fund to help these girls.”

I had already felt Hanako’s grip on my arm tighten as the doctor spoke. I turned to look at her and the pleading in her eyes said more than words ever could. I knew the answer I had to give him.

“I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Chapter Fourteen: As Fate Would Have It

“Excuse me, sir? I feel that this is very necessary. I mean…”

“Please, Doctor Shi. I should explain. It won’t be necessary because my wife and I will take care of them.” His eyes widened, and I continued. “You see, my wife has been through similar circumstances, and I think she can offer a lot of help to these girls. We also have the ability to meet their needs financially. We would like to take their cause upon ourselves.”

“I see. That is very generous of you. Would like to meet with them now?” he asked.

“Yes.”

We entered the room and saw the girls sitting on a bed with a nurse between them. Doctor Shi introduced us, and the nurse stood up, offering her seat to Hanako. As she was leaving the room, I stopped her. “Thank you for staying with them.”

The doctor led me over to the patient and filled me in on her condition. She had burns over most of her body and the memories of my injuries left me even sadder for her. The pain must have been incredible. I went back out to the hallway with him and asked, “What chance does she have?”

“Very little,” he answered. “The burns are very deep, and we suspect organ damage. Her heart rate has been very erratic, even under the heavy sedation.”

“All right. Thank you, doctor, for your concern for this situation. We will have to try and make the best of it.”

He walked off and I returned to the room. Hanako was talking to the girls, tears streaming down all of their faces. She was sharing her own experience with the girls. I sat in a chair and watched as the talking faded away and the girls each lay their heads on Hanako’s shoulders, crying softly. Not long after, they were asleep.

My wife whispered, “I want to stay with them tonight.”

“I thought you would,” I told her, as she gently got the girls to lie beside her on the bed. I touched my fingers to my lips, then pressed them to hers. “You are an incredible young lady, and I am blessed to have you for my wife.”

I turned to leave, thinking about things that would need to be done for the girls. Arriving home, I sent an e-mail to Mikai, advising him that I would not be available the next day. Then I made a to-do list.

The next morning, I got ready early and went to the center to pick up the three of them. While Hanako showered, I fixed breakfast and the girls ate. They were very quiet with me, only offering a thanks and whispering between themselves a couple of times. After Hanako ate, we headed into the city for some clothes shopping.

I expected things to go smoothly, but soon found out they wouldn’t. My protests about the skirts being too short did not go over well with the girls. Hanako came to me and whispered, “I agree with you but now is not a good time to press the issue.”

I held my tongue during the rest of the excursion and then we went back to the medical facility. There was no change in the mother’s condition, so we sat with the girls and waited. Whenever, I tried to talk to the girls, they were very reserved, rarely saying more than a couple of words. With Hanako, however, they were more talkative. It was a little frustrating.

I did manage to get their names, Yumi and Yuki, and the name of their school. I made some calls and was able to work out a way to continue with their schoolwork. They only had a few weeks until the end of the term. The girls weren’t too excited about that until I pointed out there would likely be a lot of time spent waiting. That brought up a question.

Yumi asked, “What will happen to us if…”

The twins started sobbing and Hanako pulled them close to her. “I will try to find out,” I told them. “What information can you give me about your father?”

“Mother never told us much,” Yuki said. “Only that he was from the Philippines and died shortly after returning to his country. She said he left after finding out she was pregnant.

I left Hanako with the girls and set off to do some investigation. The first thing I found out was, if their mother passed away, the girls would be put into an orphanage while the government tried to verify the father’s death. When I asked if Hanako and I could be first in line to be foster parents for them, I was told nothing could be done until such time as their mother was unable to take care of them. When I told them she was already unable, they agreed to investigate.

It was late afternoon by the time I returned to the medical center. I shared with them the information I had received. Hanako looked disappointed. The girls had questions about the orphanage.

“Hanako, you said you were in an orphanage. What was it like?” Yuki asked.

My wife looked at me with despair in her eyes. I knew she wanted to be honest with them but didn’t want to scare them.

“It…wasn’t a pleasant experience for me,” she started, “but I had these scars and no way to hide them. It won’t be as bad for you, I think.”

“I don’t want to go,” Yumi said.

“Yeah, can’t we stay with you?” Yuki added.

“I’m working on that,” I told them. “It will probably take some time to set things up. You might have to go there for a little while. I hope, that with the things we are doing now, the authorities will allow you to stay with us.

I suggested to Hanako that we head home for dinner. The mood was very subdued, and the girls were totally silent on the drive, staring out opposite windows in the back seat. I wondered what they were thinking about.

After we ate, I asked the girls to clean the dishes and was answered with groans of protest. Hanako looked at me questioningly, but I stood firm. I suspected that in a single-parent home they most likely had chores, and this would take their mind off things for a little while.

Later, I asked, “Do you girls want to spend the night in the room at the medical center or stay here tonight.”

They whispered between themselves for a minute before Yuki answered. “We want to be with mother, but we don’t want to stay there alone. Hanako, would you stay there with us again?”

I answered before my wife could. “Hanako has to work tomorrow and needs to be up very early. It would be best for her to stay here.”

“Hisao, can we talk in the bedroom for a moment, please?” Hanako said.

I followed her, wondering what we needed to speak privately about. It didn’t take long to find out.

“Hisao, I think I can make my own decision about this.”

“You have to work tomorrow. How early are you going to have to get up to come back here and get ready and then go to the hospital?”

“Hisao, you’re missing the point. It’s for me to decide. If I want to get up earlier than normal in order to help these girls, I will. I don’t need you to protect me.”

The fire in her eyes caught me off guard and her words took me back to our wedding day when I told her I realized she didn’t need me to protect her. She didn’t let up on me, continuing on.

“You told me we could juggle our work schedules to help a child. It starts now. These girls need an anchor to hold on to and, right now, that anchor is me. I will do everything I can to help them through this. You’re acting like a father. They’ve never even had a father. This is not the time to impose one on them.”

I couldn’t even speak for several moments.

Chapter Fifteen: Something Missing

I got ready early enough to be at the medical center when Hanako would have to leave for work. Taking along my laptop, I figured I could get some work done while the girls did schoolwork.

I escorted the girls down to the conference room, asking them to sit at one end of the table while I sat at the other end, requesting that they stay as quiet as possible during my meeting time. I didn’t expect it to be a problem since they were generally close-mouthed around me.

They did interrupt me once, asking for help with a science question. I scanned through the e-book and quickly determined the answer to their question. I took the time to make sure they understood the material before I returned to my work. Looking back at them as I sat, I saw smiles for the first time since we’d met.

We stopped for lunch and again it was very quiet. I had a hard time believing that twin sisters were always this speechless. When the girls finished their studies, we went back to their mother’s room to wait.

It was nearing the time Hanako would return when there was a knock on the door. A balding man in suit and tie looked at me and identified himself as being from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Healthcare.

“My name is Kato Fujii. I am here to take Yumi and Yuki Yamada to the orphanage,” he stated, bringing an immediate protest from the girls.

“No! We don’t want to go to an orphanage,” they complained.

Turning to shush them, I then suggested to Mr. Fujii that we walk down to a room where we could talk in private.

Following him into the room, I sat down across the table from him. “Sir, with all due respect, I think it would be a mistake to put them in an orphanage. For starters, their mother is still alive in that hospital room. To take them away from her might also take away any hope they have of her survival.”

“It is my understanding that the prospects for her recovery are slim at best. Obviously, she cannot take care of them. Someone has to. They cannot be allowed to run around this hospital with no supervision.”

“That brings me to my second point. My wife and I have been caring for them since their mother was brought in. We purchased clothes for them and are keeping them fed. I also arranged for them to do their schoolwork online.”

“Very impressive, Mr. …”

“Nakai. Hisao Nakai.”

“Tell me, Nakai, are you registered to be foster parents?”

“Yes, we were recently approved.”

“This matter will still need to go through proper channels. In the meantime, the girls will have to stay at the orphanage.”

“Mr. Fujii, there is one more thing, if I may.” He nodded and I continued. “My wife was in a fire when she was little. Her parents died in that tragic event. She has already formed a bond with the girls. In fact, she has spent the past two nights in that room with them. I think it has helped the girls a lot. It would be detrimental to their well being to separate them.”

“I see. You present a very strong case. I will delay the execution of this order and see if your case can be expedited. I will return tomorrow with a decision.”

“Thank you, sir. I am grateful for your compassion.”

As we were exiting the office, Hanako came down the hall. I introduced them and asked her to show him some of her scars. Although perplexed, she pulled up her sleeve. He nodded, saying, “I’m sorry for your loss. I will return tomorrow.”

Quickly explaining my request, I filled her in on the situation as we made our way back to the room. The girls were not present when we entered, so I figured they had gone to get a drink. Hanako went over to sit on the bed.

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed.

Looking over, I saw a piece of paper in her hand and fear on her face. She brought the note over and handed it to me.

We don’t want to go to the orphanage.

“They ran away? Where would they go?” They couldn’t have gone far. We were only gone for fifteen minutes,” I said. “You look here in the building, and I will drive around the area and see if I can spot them.”

Running out of the building, I fired up the SUV and peeled out of the parking lot. The late autumn sky was already fading towards darkness, helped along by a wall of storm clouds nearing the city. I desperately drove in expanding circles from the medical center. The rain soon started, and it became hard to see the road. Giving up on finding them in the current conditions, I called Hanako.

“I couldn’t find them, and I can’t drive safely and look at the same time. I think you should stay there tonight in case they come back. They have stayed there the past two nights. I think they might show up there again. If we don’t find them tonight, I will bring a change of clothes for you in the morning.”

I drove home, praying they would be safe until we could find them. Entering the house, I threw my keys on the counter, then flopped down on the couch.

They must be so scared. I can’t really blame them. If only they had waited.

The sound of thunder jolted me from my thoughts. At least, I thought it was thunder until I heard it repeated. Someone was knocking. Opening the door, my eyes were greeted by two very soaked girls.

“Get in here,” I ordered, slamming the door behind them. Then, I grabbed them in my arms. “You scared us so much. Promise me you’ll never do that again. Wait, you need to get out of those wet clothes. Go take a warm shower. I hope you don’t get sick from this. Hurry, now. I have to call Hanako.”

After showering, they came out to the main room in their robes with towels around their long hair. “Girls, please come and sit down. No, each of you beside me.”

They obeyed and I wrapped my arms around them. “You have no idea how worried we were. The worst part is you didn’t even have to run away. I explained the situation to Mr. Fujii, and he agreed to see if they could arrange for you to stay with us instead of going to the orphanage. He wasn’t going to take you away, at least, not today. He couldn’t guarantee we would be appointed your foster parents, but he seemed to think it was a good idea. Please believe that we are on your side in this. We don’t want you to go.”

Their eyes filled with tears and Yumi said, “We’re sorry. We were just scared and didn’t want to go.”

“I know you were. At least in the orphanage you would be safe. The streets are no place for young girls like you. How did you even make it here?”

“It was easy,” Yuki said. “We memorized the route yesterday. It was a little farther away than we thought though. We were hoping to beat the rain.”

I hugged them again and asked if they were hungry. Getting affirmative shakes of their heads, I headed to the kitchen to warm some miso soup for them. Hanako came through the door and the girls ran to her, falling into a giant embrace. Smiles filled all our faces.

Chapter Sixteen: Tragedy and Triumph

We were all nervous the next morning. I told Hanako I would notify her the minute I heard anything. The first thing I heard had nothing to do with fostering. Well, not related to the approval anyway.

Looking through the glass doors of the facility, I saw Dr. Shi waiting near the entrance. One look at his face told me what I’d been expecting but didn’t want to hear. I told the girls to follow me into the conference room and the doctor entered behind us.

“Girls, I’m sorry to have to say this. Your mother passed away last night. Her injuries were too much to overcome.”

He then turned and left us. The girls immediately started crying, so I pulled them close and hugged them. I had no words to offer them that seemed of any worth.

“We didn’t get to say goodbye.” I heard one of them say.

“We should have been here last night,” said the other.

Glancing out the glazing in the door, I saw Mr. Fujii. Motioning for him to wait a minute, I told the girls I needed to step out for a moment.

As I entered the hallway, he quickly said, “Their mother has passed, hasn’t she?”

“Yes,” I answered. “Last night and the girls were with us at the house. It’s going to be a rough day. I hope that your reason for being here won’t make it worse.”

“Actually, no. Given the circumstances, I’m glad it has worked out this way. You are approved to be the foster parents. There will be some paperwork to fill out, but please feel free to continue caring for them. They’re going to need your love and support.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fujii. I hope that we are able to help them get through this.”

“I believe you will, given your wife’s experience. Please share my condolences with the girls. I would do it directly but, after yesterday, I fear my presence would only add to their worries.”

“I will, sir. Please text or call with the things we need to complete.”

Watching him walk out, I said a prayer of thanks. At least I could soften the blow a little for the girls. After calling Hanako and sharing both bits of news, I went back into the room.

“Is he coming to take us away?” Yumi asked.

“No. It was good news. You get to stay with us as foster children.”

They both jumped up and embraced me. I knew my hugs couldn’t wipe their troubles away, but it was all I had to offer. The minutes flew by as we stood, bundled together by an emotional rope and six arms.

Hanako came as soon as she could, and the girls ran to her straight away. I walked over and kissed her, suggesting that she should take the girls to the house. Staying behind to catch up on some work, I found myself daydreaming about how different things would be. Equal parts of fear and excitement filled my mind.

*******************

The grieving process was a slow one for the girls. Sometimes I would find one or both of them in their room, crying. Those instances lessened as the weeks went by. Surprisingly, they maintained focus on their studies, even though the school told us they would be lenient with due dates.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing though. The thing that bothered me the most was the way they tended to ignore me. It only happened when Hanako was at work. I would ask one of them to take care of a chore and it wouldn’t get done. Each of them would say, “I thought she was going to do it.”

One night I was fixing dinner, hoping to have it ready for my wife when she got home from work. Glancing at the living room, I saw clothes and books everywhere. “Yumi, please go clean up the main room before Hanako gets here.”

She sat in the chair, not even acknowledging my words. I had reached my limit. “Girls…I want both of you here in front of me right now,” I yelled.

They both presented themselves and I let my anger loose. “I am tired of the disrespect that you two are showing me. You act fine when Hanako is around but ignore me when she’s gone. I’ve had enough. Yumi, when I asked you to clean the living room, why did you continue reading and not do as I asked?”

“I was going to. I wanted to finish the chapter.”

“And when you did, you would just start right into the next chapter. I’ve watched you do it. Neither of you pay any attention to me.”

Looking over at the stove, I see smoke coming from the pan. Rushing over, I move it off the fire and turn it off. My anger though, has just been refueled.

“Great. Because I have to reprimand you, dinner is now ruined. I’ve had it with your behavior. I…”

That old feeling came over me again.

Slow down, Hisao. Breathe deep. It’s not working.

I began to panic. Grabbing my chest, I fell to my knees. As my eyes closed, I caught a glimpse of the horror on the girls’ faces. My name was being called, but it sounded so muffled.

Concentrate. You can do this. Try harder. Deep breath. Let it out slowly. Still too fast. Keep trying. Better. Slowly in, slowly out. It’s working.

Finally correcting my heart rate, I looked up to see my wife frozen in fear.

“Hisao, are you okay? I should take you to the hospital.”

“Hanako, I’m okay…now. It’s back to normal. That was worse than last time.”

“Let’s get you to bed. I at least want you to rest for a while.” She hooked my right arm around her shoulders and helped me to stand. Moving slowly past the girls, the look of horror had not left their faces.

Chapter Seventeen: Altered Family

The dream seemed so real. Hanako and I were walking by a river, enjoying the autumn wardrobe of the trees. She started running over to one of the Japanese Maples, dragging me with her. We plopped down at the base of the tree, gazing at the sky. Then she leaned over and kissed me, running her fingers through my hair. “Kiss me again,” I asked, closing my eyes.

After she repeated the kiss, I opened my eyes to find that we weren’t under a tree, but in our bedroom. My confusion must have been evident because she said, “What, you said ‘Kiss me again’, so I did. Are all of your dreams about kissing me? More importantly, are you feeling better?”

Remembering the incident from earlier, I replied, “Yeah. Thanks for suggesting the rest time. I feel fine now…well…physically. Hanako, I can’t continue this way. They ignore me when you’re not here. I might as well talk to my reflection in the mirror. Some…”

“They told me what happened. We talked about your heart problem. They’ve been crying almost since you came in here. I told them to wait outside until we talked.”

“Good. Honey, I’ve tried. I can’t put up with their behavior anymore. That was a bad attack. It was hard to quiet my heart. I’m having second thoughts about adopting them.”

“I know, Hisao. I agree with you. When I saw you on the floor tonight, it scared me. I thought I was going to lose you. I can’t…” Tears started falling down her cheeks.

Sitting up in the bed, I embraced her and lay my head on hers. “I think we need to have a serious talk with them. There’s no sense pursuing this if nothing changes.”

She nodded as she pulled away from me, walking to the door. She invited them in, but they only took a couple of steps, their gaze falling to the floor.

“Girls, I’m okay.”

They ran over to me, sobbing.

“We’re sorry,” one said.

“We didn’t know,” said the other.

I let them cry for a while before saying anything. Then I said softly, “We need to have a talk. Please sit on the end of the bed. Hanako, would you please come sit beside me.”

We got situated and I continued. “First of all, I want to apologize for scaring you. I should have told you about my condition. It’s not something I have to deal with very often, so I didn’t think to bring it up. I let my anger build up too long and that’s what can happen.”

That brings me to my second point…the reason I was angry. Girls, I have tried to be understanding. I know that this has been a traumatic time for you but ignoring me and disobeying is unacceptable. This type of incident will keep happening and I don’t want to have another heart attack.”

Hanako and I have talked and decided that we can’t go forward with the adoption unless something changes. I know that you haven’t had a father in your life. It’s a big adjustment for you on top of losing your mother. Hanako and I are offering you the chance to start over as a family. Along with that comes certain responsibilities, obedience being a major one. If you can’t commit to living with us under our rules, we will have to make other arrangements for you. The choice is up to you.”

The girls both looked at Hanako, which prompted her to speak. “I agree with everything Hisao said. I never want to come home and find him in that condition again. If you cannot promise to change your behavior, there’s no sense in you continuing to live here.”

While it didn’t take long for the girls to agree to change, it did take a while for the changes to occur. They knew when I raised my voice that they were pushing things. We did evolve into a comfortable lifestyle eventually.

The troubles served to make the reward even sweeter. The day the adoption became official required a celebration.

“What do you have in mind?” Hanako asked me.

“I’m thinking a trip to Tokyo is in order. I will call Mom and Dad so they can meet us. I know a little, out-of-the-way restaurant we can go to.”

The girls were so excited to go to Tokyo. We arrived early at the eatery and waited for my parents. When they arrived, Mom asked, “So what is the occasion for this get-together?”

“Hisao,” my wife said, “you didn’t tell them?”

“I thought our daughters should be the ones to tell them,” I replied.

Mom’s eyes grew to twice their normal size. “You mean…it’s official? I’m a grandmother?”

As we watched my parents fawn over their new grandchildren, Hanako wrapped an arm around my waist and rested her head on me. “This couldn’t have happened without you, Hanako. Thanks for helping me to change. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

[Oddball]

I don't think I've ever seen this particular idea done before. It's a unique and interesting setup.

I actually really liked how much Hanako stressed over him calling his family. Not a detail I would have thought of myself, but it fits her history. She might have been a bit too confident at times, but the idea works.

As the story goes on though it starts to feel a bit more forced. You quickly move from Hanako being a nurse, to a wedding, to a new medical facility focusing on burn victims (which in itself feels a bit much), to adopting burn victims and none of it has time to really breath and settle in. It's not that it's bad or anything, just a bit rushed.

Also and don't worry about the author's note intro. We know you're not with the Devs already. I know some sites stress that you have to include a disclaimer, but this isn't one of them. We don't really need the summery either. We can pick up any details we need about the story as you go.

[Westee3712]

Thanks for the feedback. I agree with your comments about the tail end of the story. I started writing a couple years back and I've noticed that I tend to rush things when the end is in sight. There is always a fear that I will end up with a lot of filler if I try to stretch things out.

Thanks again!

Westee

[Mirage_GSM]

I agree with Oddball:
The discrepancy between the first and the second part is really jarring. The first is more or less well-paced and set up, but the second is rushed and over long stretches feels more like the summary of a story than a story in its own right.
That said, the first part was really good and different from other stories.

[Westee3712]

Thanks for the comments. I do appreciate them and hope to use them to improve my writing.