Chapter 59: A Brand New Shoko, and I Miss You So Much
Entering the hospital room, Shoko moved with practiced ease, taking her seat beside the bed.
First, she lowered her head, resting her forehead against his, feeling Haruka's body temperature.
Then, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
A satisfied smile graced her face.
Next, she opened the lunch box. Aside from her own meal, there wasn't much inside that Haruka could actually eat—just some okayu, milk, protein powder, and juice. Most of the time, Haruka survived on a liquid diet.
After finishing the feeding routine, Shoko prepared a basin of hot water, unbuttoned Haruka's hospital gown, and began the massage.
For a patient in a vegetative state, massage was absolutely critical.
Because they couldn't move, their muscles would stiffen and atrophy. Without regular movement, the body would develop a host of complications. And massaging a comatose patient was physically demanding work—unlike a healthy person, they couldn't cooperate with you.
It was the difference between carrying a conscious person and a dead weight. It felt completely different because a living person would subconsciously adjust their center of gravity to help you. Someone who couldn't... felt twice as heavy.
So, the massage required a lot of strength.
Beads of sweat formed on Shoko's forehead, but she handled it with surprising skill and ease. Her strength had grown significantly over the past two years.
A full hour later, Shoko finally stopped, taking intermittent breaks to catch her breath. She took a hot towel and wiped his body down—from top to bottom, cleaning every inch. There was no shyness left in her actions.
She had already memorized every contour of Haruka's body a thousand times over.
Afterward, she rinsed the towel and dressed Haruka again. Since it was still early, Shoko curled up next to him and took a nap.
Because she needed to take good care of Haruka, she usually stayed until midnight before going home, splitting her sleep into two shifts.
Sometimes, Sora and Yuzuru would come to help, but Shoko generally didn't allow them to handle the massages or the body wiping.
That was her territory.
Fortunately, she had already moved into the Shinomiya Group's employee housing, which was very close by. Ai Hayasaka had arranged a detached house for her, so her safety was guaranteed.
Time ticked over to 9:00 AM.
Shoko woke up right on time, as if her internal clock were hardwired to his schedule.
She yawned, then began attending to Haruka's personal hygiene needs.
Walking out with the urinal bottle, she bumped into someone from the neighboring ward who was holding a similar item—a person taking care of their elderly mother. They exchanged a knowing nod.
Subsequently, with the help of a nurse, Shoko moved Haruka into a wheelchair and took him out to the courtyard to bask in the sun.
Walking along the grassy path, Shoko moved very slowly, chatting to Haruka about the interesting things that had happened over the last couple of days.
"Haruka, did you know? Bocchi-chan held a solo concert. Even though she organized it herself and there weren't many people, she fulfilled a small dream. Her guitar playing and singing were really good. I recorded it; I'll play it for you later."
"Oh, right. My piano skills have been getting even better lately. I'm dominating the charts on the short video apps. I make quite a lot of money in a day now."
"If you wake up, I'll play my most difficult piece for you. If you don't wake up, I won't play it."
Shoko kept talking, endlessly, receiving no response.
It looked like she was talking to herself.
However, no one here would mock her.
Passing doctors and nurses looked at her with eyes full of respect.
Just then. Shoko noticed a young nurse by the roadside, hesitating whether to approach. Shoko greeted her warmly, "Hello. Do you need help with something?"
"Ah, no! Um, Kasugano-san is my idol, and you are someone I admire very much. Um, could I ask for an autograph?"
"Sure. Thank you for liking us." Shoko smiled gently and wrote her name in the young nurse's notebook.
"As for his name... let's wait for him to wake up and write it for you himself."
"Ah, yes. Um..." The young nurse hesitated, pressing her lips together. "This might be offensive, but I really want to know... um, will Kasugano-san really... wake up?"
"..."
"Of course. He will wake up." Shoko said it with absolute certainty.
??
The young nurse was puzzled by the firmness in Shoko's tone.
Shoko smiled. "Because he has never disappointed anyone."
The young nurse opened her mouth, but she didn't know what else to ask.
She actually wanted to ask: Will you really keep taking care of him forever? Isn't it too hard? You've devoted yourself to him for two whole years—isn't that enough?
But it seemed that question didn't need to be asked.
She lowered her head slightly and stepped aside. She knew she couldn't do what Shoko was doing.
It made her feel a subtle sense of shame.
So this is the 'Venus' of the hospital?
A true goddess...
***
Noon.
Shoko fed Haruka his liquid meal, taking her time.
Then, she put on some soft, soothing light music for him and leaned on the side of the bed for another nap.
3:00 PM.
Inside the ward.
Shoko set up her phone on a stand, then sat upright at the piano that had been brought into the room.
Sunlight slanted across her figure, radiating an indescribable aura.
Elegant.
Charming.
Warm.
Plink...
Music as clear and gentle as a flowing stream began to resonate, bringing a touch of warmth to the often gloomy atmosphere of a hospital ward.
The window was open, and the melody drifted out. Outside, and in nearby rooms, many people listened to the music, smiles of understanding appearing on their faces. (The patients who needed absolute quiet weren't in this section of the hospital.)
After recording the video, Shoko uploaded it.
Over the past two years, relying on this, she had become a major traffic generator in the music section of short video apps. Although she didn't accept sponsorships or sell products, the sheer traffic and viewer donations had allowed her to save a significant amount of money.
She could buy many things Haruka needed.
Although Haruka's family was willing to pay, and Kaguya Shinomiya was covering the medical treatment for free, she still wanted to do this.
This was her and his household.
Even though... they weren't married... and there had been no proposal...
"Phew~"
"Haruka, look how amazing I am now. If you were awake, wouldn't you praise me?" Shoko said it with a hint of playfulness.
The person on the bed gave no response.
***
Nighttime.
After finishing Haruka's care routine, Shoko contacted Yukino and the others.
There weren't many people she kept in touch with regularly anymore.
But old school friends like Yukino, Bocchi-chan, and Kazusa Touma were still in her contacts.
She chatted with them often.
Even toward Kazusa Touma, she no longer held that vague dissatisfaction she once felt.
"...Bye-bye."
After finishing the video call with Hitori, Shoko hung up.
She put down her phone.
She looked at the bright starry sky outside the window.
Shoko suddenly remembered the night Haruka asked her if life had any meaning if everything was fake.
It seemed... the moon was bright and the stars were sparse that night, too.
Everything felt like it had happened just yesterday.
Thinking of this. Shoko sighed softly. She laid her head on Haruka's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
"Haruka, when are you going to wake up? I miss you so much..."
Tears soaked into his hospital gown.
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