(When silence screams arc )
Night – Hospital Room No. 21
The hospital room was silent. The faint beeping of machines and the soft hiss of oxygen tubes blended into the air. Hina's eyes slowly began to open, as if surfacing from a deep dream. Staring at the ceiling, she felt a strange fatigue and a dull pain spreading through her body. As her attention shifted to the side, she saw a nurse looking at her—smiling gently.
"You've regained consciousness," the nurse said with a soft smile.
Hina's voice was weak, but she asked, "Am I… still in the hospital?"
"Yes. You're in the hospital," the nurse replied calmly, then immediately picked up her phone and dialed.
"Doctor, the patient in room number 21 is awake," she informed.
Hina scanned the room with her eyes. "Who… brought me here?"
The nurse sat down on the chair beside her bed.
"A boy brought you here," she replied.
Hina took a soft breath, "Did… he leave?"
"No. He's still outside, waiting for you," the nurse said.
"...Can you call him in?" Hina's voice trembled a little.
"Not yet. Until the doctor arrives, you can't meet anyone."
"Do you know his name?" Hina asked.
"He said his name was something like Hiraku… Hiraki… Hika—something like that," the nurse struggled to recall.
"Was it Haruki?" Hina suddenly asked.
"Yes! Haruki, that's the name," the nurse remembered.
Just then, the door opened. A middle-aged doctor walked in. The nurse immediately stood up.
"She woke up sooner than expected," the doctor said with a smile and sat on the chair next to Hina.
"How are you feeling now?" he asked.
Hina softly replied, "A bit tired… but okay."
While checking her heartbeat, the doctor asked, "The boy who's with you… is he your boyfriend?"
Hina looked a little nervous. "No, we just… work together," she replied with a hint of hesitation.
"Doctor… can you call him in?" she asked.
The doctor responded with a small "hmm," then looked at the nurse.
She understood the signal and stepped out of the room.
Moments later, Haruki entered. His face showed exhaustion, but his eyes were filled with concern.
"You can talk to your friend now," the doctor said and stepped out.
Haruki pulled up a chair and sat beside Hina.
"The doctor said… you brought me here?" Hina asked.
"Yes," Haruki nodded.
"…But how did you find out that I…?"
"I was working at the café. Then a girl called me. She told me about your accident," Haruki replied.
"What time is it?" Hina softly asked.
Haruki checked his phone, "It's already 10 o'clock."
"You should go home… it's late."
Haruki, holding his phone, said, "Alright, then give me your family's number."
"Family…?" Hina repeated, trying to hide a deep pain in her eyes.
"Yes. We should inform them too…"
Tears welled up in Hina's eyes. Her voice choked.
"I… I don't have a family," she whispered.
Haruki fell silent for a few seconds.
"There must be someone…?"
"No. I have no one."
Haruki's eyes grew moist for a moment. He gently wiped her tears, feeling guilty.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to make you cry," he said.
"It's okay. You didn't know," Hina replied calmly.
"So you must have a boyfriend, right?" Haruki asked.
"No," Hina replied in a normal tone.
"You're so pretty, I figured you'd have at least a couple of boyfriends," Haruki joked, laughing—but Hina didn't like the joke. She responded seriously:
"My character is not that low."
"Sorry, I was just joking," Haruki quickly apologized.
"You should leave now," she said again.
Haruki stood up, "If I leave, then who'll take care of you?"
Hina looked toward the window. "That's my problem. I don't want to trouble you."
Haruki sighed. "I can't leave you alone in this state."
Hina looked at him, surprised.
"Don't get me wrong," Haruki said. "I'm doing this just as a friend."
"I don't need anyone's help," Hina replied with a bit of anger.
"I know," Haruki bowed his head slightly. Then he looked up and said—"But you once called me your friend… and I don't leave my friends alone in trouble."
As he closed the door, he said, "I'll be right outside. Call me if you need anything."
Hina softly said, "How stubborn he is…"
Morning – Hospital Corridor
Haruki had fallen asleep on a bench outside the hospital room. A nurse gently woke him up.
"Hey, wake up. Your friend is calling you."
Rubbing his eyes, Haruki asked, "Who?"
"Your friend is calling you," the nurse replied with a gentle smile.
Haruki said, "What could she want this late at night…?"
"It's not night. It's 7 in the morning," the nurse said, smiling.
Haruki instantly sat up. "Oh! Right…"
Still half-asleep, he started walking in the wrong direction.
"Where are you going?" the nurse asked.
"To see Hina," Haruki pointed toward the stairs.
"Your friend is in this direction."
Realizing his mistake, Haruki replied, "Oh, sorry! Thanks for telling me."
He walked into a room, but the scene inside shocked him—and both sides screamed.
A boy and a girl were… a little too close. Haruki quickly shut the door, came back out into the hallway, and dropped to his knees, breathing heavily.
The nurse laughed and asked, "You're still here?"
Haruki replied with an embarrassed smile, "I walked into the wrong room by mistake."
The boy came out angrily. Haruki got a little nervous, but the boy just shut the door and left.
The nurse said, "No worries. Your friend is in that room."
"Thanks," Haruki said and walked toward the correct room.
Hospital Room – Morning Light
Hina was looking out the window. The soft morning sunlight made her face look peaceful.
Haruki entered. Hina saw him and smiled.
"You came…"
Haruki pulled up a chair and sat, "Yeah."
"You stayed out all night?"
"Hmm," Haruki nodded.
"Do you have my phone?"
"Yes, here it is." Haruki placed her phone in her hand.
"My college's number is saved in this. Call them and put it on speaker."
Haruki dialed the number and turned on speaker mode. Hina requested a leave from college.
After the call, she looked at Haruki, "Now you'll go, right?"
"I have to go to work anyway."
Hina lowered her eyes in sadness.
Haruki said, "Don't worry. I'll come back tonight."
With a sad smile, Hina said, "Yeah, okay."
As Haruki closed the door, he said, "I'll come back soon. Don't be scared. Okay, bye."
As soon as he left, Hina turned her face toward the window… and silently let her tears fall.
To Be Continued…