Time passed slowly in the sterile white hospital room. After the police left, silence returned, broken only by the rhythmic beeping of machines and the ticking of the clock. Hiroshi, in Yuuka's body, lay there, trying to process the information he had just received. The accident wasn't random; it was related to "items," even a bomb. This world was much more dangerous than he had imagined. And now he was an "amnesiac" witness, likely to be watched by both the police and criminals.
Lost in thought, the door to the hospital room opened again. This time, an old man entered. He was slightly stooped, his hair almost completely gray, his face kind but marked by time and hard work. He wore simple work clothes, faintly smelling of ramen broth and sesame oil. His eyes lit up with joy when he saw that Yuuka was awake.
"Yuuka-chan! You're awake!"
The old man quickly walked towards the bed, carrying a small cloth bag.
"I was so worried about you! This child, how could something so scary happen to you!"
He stopped by the bed, looking at Yuuka with affectionate and concerned eyes.
"Mr... Mr. are you...?" Yuuka (Hiroshi) stammered, asking. He didn't recognize this old man. This was definitely someone from Yuuka Hatsumina's life.
The old man's face showed a hint of surprise, then quickly turned to worry. "Eh? Yuuka-chan, you don't remember me?"
He pointed to his face. "I'm Tanaka. The owner of the Ichiraku ramen shop."
Mr. Tanaka? Ichiraku ramen shop? Hiroshi searched through Yuuka's empty "memories." Nothing. But the name "Ichiraku" sounded strangely familiar (perhaps due to the influence of manga/anime about ramen?).
"I... I'm sorry... My head... it's a bit confused..." Yuuka said softly, trying to maintain the weak and confused expression of someone with "amnesia." This was someone who knew the original Yuuka well; pretending would be much harder than with the police.
Mr. Tanaka looked at Yuuka with more concern. "Ah, that's right, the doctor said you had a concussion... It's okay, it's okay. The important thing is that you're awake." He placed the cloth bag on the bedside table. "I brought you some fruit and some fish cakes made at the shop. Hospital food must be terrible."
"I... thank you, Mr..." Yuuka said, feeling a little guilty for lying to this kind old man.
Mr. Tanaka pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed. "This child, you scared me to death. Since I heard about your accident, I've been worried sick. It's been three weeks, you know. Fortunately, heaven protected you."
Three weeks... Hiroshi remembered the time he was in a coma.
"Mr... why was I there? What... what happened to me?" Yuuka asked, pretending to be curious about her circumstances.
Mr. Tanaka sighed. "It was noisy, child. I heard something suddenly 'dropped' in the Shibuya area, and people rushed in to fight over it. The police said you got caught up in it, were pushed, and then injured your head."
"What... what kind of item?" Yuuka continued to ask, trying to glean more information.
"Who knows what it was," Mr. Tanaka waved his hand. "All kinds of strange things. But child, I heard that item this time was very dangerous, related to explosions and such. You really don't remember anything at all?"
Yuuka shook her head, a sad expression on her face. "No... I only remember vaguely before that... but after that, it's completely blank..."
Mr. Tanaka looked at Yuuka for a long time, as if trying to read her thoughts. Finally, he just sighed. "Well, it's good not to remember. Remembering might just make you more afraid. The important thing is that you are safe."
He looked around the room. "Are you here alone?"
Yuuka nodded slightly.
"Ah, that's right..." Mr. Tanaka said softly, his eyes showing a hint of sadness. "Your parents... If they were still here... they would be very worried..."
Parents...? Are they gone? Information from the System appeared: [Current Host is an orphan. Lives alone.]
An orphan... lives alone. That's why no relatives had been here for the past three weeks. Only nurses, doctors, police... and now the ramen shop owner.
Hiroshi felt an emptiness, not his own, but that of the original Yuuka. Was this 16-year-old girl's life so lonely?
"Yes... alone..." Yuuka softly confirmed.
"Sigh..." Mr. Tanaka sighed again. He reached out and gently patted Yuuka's head affectionately. "This child... You are very strong, you know. Living alone, going to school while working part-time, and your academic performance is good too."
Good performance? Intelligent? Hiroshi was a little surprised. He knew Yuuka worked part-time at the ramen shop, but he didn't know she was so good at studying and so independent.
"Without you at the shop lately, my wife and I have been quite busy," Mr. Tanaka chuckled softly. "You work quickly, and you learn everything very fast. Especially your way of folding gyoza, my wife even has to learn from you now!"
Folding gyoza? Hiroshi, a programmer, was completely clueless about folding gyoza. This was definitely a skill of the original Yuuka.
"When you get better," Mr. Tanaka continued. "Just come back to the shop. You don't have to work, just come eat ramen and chat with the old man and woman for fun. Consider the shop your second home."
Mr. Tanaka's eyes were very sincere. His kindness warmed Hiroshi's heart, but also added pressure. He was occupying the body of a poor girl who was loved by the people around her.
"Yes... I... thank you very much, Mr..." Yuuka said, her voice slightly choked, a mix of Hiroshi's true emotions (gratitude for the kindness) and his acting as the weak Yuuka.
Mr. Tanaka smiled kindly. He sat for a little longer, asking a few questions about Yuuka's health, telling her to rest well. Before leaving, he patted her head one more time.
"Just rest now. I'll visit again."
"Yes, Mr. Please go carefully..."
Mr. Tanaka left the room. The familiar smell of ramen broth gradually faded into the sterile hospital air.
Yuuka (Hiroshi) lay there alone again. But now, his mind was filled with images of Yuuka Hatsumina's old life: a smart, strong 16-year-old high school student, living alone after her parents passed away, and working part-time at a ramen shop where kind owners treated her like family.
This life wasn't just about dangerous "items" and questioning police. It also had relationships, emotions, and responsibilities. He wasn't simply a drifting soul in this body. He was Yuuka Hatsumina now. He had to carry the burden of the girl's past and live this life, with everything that came with it.
Thinking about having to go back to school, work part-time at the ramen shop, deal with Yuuka's acquaintances without revealing who he was... and also having to live in this "HK416" body forever... His new life was truly a complex mess.
But at least, he was no longer completely alone like when he was Hiroshi. Now, he was Yuuka Hatsumina, and there were people who genuinely cared about this girl.