PART 4 — The Diagnosis
Haruto finished the last of his food, setting the bowl down quietly.
Akari glanced at him and then at Renjiro. "Come on," she said. "We need to head outside."
Haruto frowned slightly. "Where?"
Renjiro's expression was calm but firm. "Dr. Ken wants to meet you. So… let's go."
Haruto nodded and rose, still a little sluggish from the morning, and followed them out.
The streets were quiet, the soft morning sun casting long shadows across the cobblestones. Leaves rustled gently in the breeze as they walked, the sound of their footsteps echoing softly.
Akari glanced at Haruto. "You feeling okay?"
Haruto ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah… just tired."
Renjiro kept pace beside him, his gaze scanning the surroundings but occasionally flicking toward Haruto. "Don't push yourself too hard today. Take it easy if you need."
Haruto nodded again, quiet for a moment. Then he muttered, almost to himself, "I wonder what Dr. Ken wants to talk about…"
Akari's lips curved slightly. "Maybe he has some training for you. Or… something else."
Haruto looked between them. "Something else?"
Renjiro gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "We'll find out soon enough. For now… just keep walking."
The three of them continued down the streets, the morning sun warm but gentle.
Akari glanced at Haruto as he walked, his gaze distant. "Do you… Ever think about your cousin brother Kazuki?" she asked softly.
Haruto's steps slowed slightly. He didn't look up. "…Sometimes," he murmured. His voice was low, almost swallowed by the breeze.
Renjiro's eyes softened, but he didn't speak immediately, letting Haruto find his words.
Akari continued gently, "Do you… miss him?"
Haruto's jaw tightened. "Yeah." His fingers clenched slightly at his sides. "…I remember everything. His laugh, the way he'd tease me, the afternoons we spent training together. I… I still can't believe he's gone."
Akari fell silent, giving him space. Renjiro's hand brushed the edge of his coat pocket as if unsure whether to intervene.
"I don't talk about it much," Haruto admitted quietly, voice barely above a whisper. "Because… it hurts too much. But sometimes, when I'm alone… I just… wish he was here."
Akari's lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing, letting him carry the weight of his thoughts.
Renjiro finally spoke, his voice calm but steady. "He'd want you to keep going, Haruto. To keep moving forward. Not to stop yourself because of what happened."
Haruto nodded faintly, swallowing hard. "…I know. I just… I miss him. Every day."
The streets stretched on ahead, empty enough that their footsteps sounded like the only rhythm in the world.
Akari placed a hand lightly on Haruto's shoulder. "I know you do. And it's okay to miss him… but you're not alone, Haruto. We're here too."
Haruto looked at her for a moment, a faint, fleeting smile brushing his lips. Then he looked forward again, letting the quiet settle between them, his mind carrying both memory and the weight of the present.
The streets gradually opened up to the hospital grounds, the building rising above them with clean stone walls and tall windows that reflected the morning sun.
Haruto walked between Akari and Renjiro, his steps quieter now, weighed down by the conversation about Kazuki. Akari kept a gentle hand near his shoulder, while Renjiro maintained a protective distance.
As they reached the entrance, the heavy wooden doors swung open. A faint scent of herbs and antiseptic mixed in the air. Haruto hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.
The main hall was bright and spacious. A few patients and staff moved quietly along the corridors, their footsteps soft on the polished floor.
At the end of the hall, a figure in a white coat waited. Dr. Ken—tall, calm, and always precise—looked up as they approached. His eyes softened slightly at the sight of Haruto.
"Ah, Haruto," he said in his steady voice, bowing slightly. "I was expecting you."
Haruto nodded quietly. "Good morning, Dr. Ken."
Akari gave a polite nod, while Renjiro remained observant, scanning the hall subtly.
Dr. Ken's gaze shifted between them. "I hear there's been… some unusual stress lately," he said carefully, addressing Haruto without directly naming the incident. "I wanted to see how you're doing, and discuss a few things about your training."
Haruto swallowed and shifted slightly. "Yes… I'm okay," he said softly.
Dr. Ken nodded. "Good. Come, let's sit." He gestured toward a small sitting area near the back of the hall, where a wooden table and chairs waited. "We have some matters to discuss that may affect your upcoming training."
Haruto followed, Akari and Renjiro flanking him silently.
As they settled, Dr. Ken folded his hands neatly on the table. His tone was calm but carried weight. "Before we begin, I want to understand something about you, Haruto. How you respond under extreme stress… how your body and mind react."
Haruto's gaze fell to the floor, quietly anticipating the conversation. He didn't speak immediately, letting the weight of Dr. Ken's words sink in.
The quiet hum of the hospital seemed to grow around them, a calm contrast to the tension building in the room.
Dr. Ken's eyes softened again, this time with a hint of something else—concern.
"Don't worry," he said. "We'll take this step by step. But it's important I know everything, Haruto. Everything."
Haruto nodded faintly, unsure if he was ready—but he knew he couldn't avoid it.
The conversation was about to begin.
Dr. Ken stood and gestured toward a soft, reclining examination table.
"Lie down here, Haruto," he said calmly. "It will only take a moment."
Haruto hesitated for a second, then carefully settled himself on the table, his hands resting on his lap. Akari and Renjiro stood silently nearby, watching intently.
Dr. Ken held his hands slightly above Haruto's body. A faint green glow shimmered from his palms, casting soft light across the room. The glow pulsed rhythmically, like a heartbeat.
"Stay still," Dr. Ken instructed. "I need to scan your body and see how it reacts."
Haruto's eyes widened slightly as the glow spread over him. He felt a strange warmth, not uncomfortable, but different—like an invisible current brushing across his skin.
Dr. Ken moved his hands slowly, deliberately, over Haruto's chest, shoulders, arms, and back, his green aura tracing lines as if mapping something invisible.
The glow brightened briefly as he hovered over Haruto's left eye, then moved along the side of his head, as if sensing deeper layers beneath the surface.
Haruto swallowed, gripping the edge of the table lightly. "It… feels… weird," he whispered.
"It's normal," Dr. Ken said softly, eyes never leaving Haruto. "I'm only observing. No pain, no harm."
The green light flowed around him, gliding over his torso, arms, legs, and finally back toward his head. Haruto could feel a subtle pull, like the glow was reading not just his body, but something beneath—his energy, his stress, his very core.
Renjiro's gaze was sharp, but he didn't move. Akari's fingers twitched slightly as she watched, both mesmerized and worried.
Finally, Dr. Ken lowered his hands. The green glow faded, leaving only the soft ambient light of the room.
Haruto exhaled slowly, blinking. "Done…?"
Dr. Ken nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "Yes. That gives me a good picture. But it also tells me… there's more we need to discuss."
Haruto swallowed, unsure if he was ready—but deep down, he knew there was no turning back now.
Dr. Ken slowly lowered his glowing hand, the green light fading as the room returned to normal. He straightened up, his expression calm—but far more serious than before.
"I'll explain this simply," he said. "What I saw isn't an injury, and it isn't an illness in the usual sense."
Haruto sat up slightly. "Then… what is it?"
Dr. Ken paused, choosing his words. "Your body reacts to pressure differently. When your emotions spike—fear, grief, anger—your system doesn't just feel it. It acts on it."
Haruto blinked. "…Acts how?"
Dr. Ken gestured gently toward Haruto's face. "Your left side responds first. Especially your eye. It's where the reaction becomes visible."
Haruto frowned harder. "So… it's like… stress?"
Akari's fingers tightened against her sleeve.
Renjiro didn't move at all.
Dr. Ken gave a slow nod. "Stress is part of it, yes. But not the whole picture. Your body isn't just reacting—it's containing something. When the strain becomes too much, the balance breaks, and symptoms appear."
Haruto stared at him blankly. "Containing… what?"
Dr. Ken didn't answer that directly. "That's something you're not ready to understand yet."
Silence fell.
Haruto scratched the back of his head, forcing a weak laugh. "So… if I rest more, I'll be fine, right?"
Akari's eyes widened slightly.
Renjiro finally spoke, his voice low. "That's not what he's saying."
Haruto looked between them. "Huh?"
Dr. Ken glanced at Akari and Renjiro—just briefly. It was enough.
"You don't need to understand everything now," Dr. Ken said. "But you do need to listen. Pushing yourself emotionally or physically could trigger another episode. Next time… it may not stop at your eye."
Haruto tilted his head, still confused. "Episode?"
Akari swallowed. "Haruto… he means it could get worse."
Renjiro clenched his fist. "Much worse."
Haruto laughed again, uneasy this time. "You guys are overreacting. I feel fine."
Dr. Ken didn't smile.
"That's exactly the problem," he said quietly.
Akari looked away, her expression tight.
Renjiro stared at the floor, understanding fully now what Dr. Ken hadn't said aloud—that whatever Haruto was holding inside him, his body was already struggling to keep it sealed.
And Haruto… still didn't realize how close he was to breaking.
Haruto shifted on the bed, stretching his neck slightly. As he did, his eyes caught something in the reflection of the glass cabinet across the room.
Someone was sitting in the corridor.
Black hair tied neatly, posture calm, eyes lowered to a book resting on her lap.
"…Misaki?" Haruto muttered.
Akari glanced toward the door. "Misaki?"
Haruto smiled faintly. "Yeah. She's from my class."
Before either of them could stop him, he slid off the bed. "I'll be back. Don't start any serious talks without me."
Renjiro opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Haruto—"
Too late.
Haruto pushed the door open and stepped into the corridor, the soft click of it shutting behind him echoing far louder than it should have.
The moment he was gone, the air in the room changed.