Five days after that still night at JR Tokyo General Hospital.
The treatment room doesn't feel like a place for recovery, more like a pause in time. Ryoma sits beside his mother's bed, one hand near hers, the other loosely gripping a half-empty cup of vending machine coffee.
The worst is over. Fumiko is stable now, pale, weak, but awake. She turns her head toward him, her voice faint but still teasing.
"You've been here five days straight, Ryoma. You planning to move in here?"
Ryoma exhales through his nose, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Rent's cheap here."
That earns a small laugh, soft and airy, followed by a sigh. Fumiko reaches for his hand, and he meets her halfway.
"You've always been stubborn," she murmurs. "Even when you're scared."
Ryoma doesn't answer, just tightens his hold a little.
Then a light knock comes at the door, and a nurse pokes her head in.
"Takeda-san, you have visitors," she says with a smile.
