Chapter 56: I Will Always Be With Him
She knew exactly what that woman was thinking.
After hanging up the phone, Shoko let out a soft sigh. She turned her gaze back to Haruka, who lay quietly on the hospital bed.
She placed her slightly cool palm gently against his cheek.
"Touma... Yukinoshita... Gotoh..."
Looking at his peaceful sleeping face, Shoko suddenly smiled. She pinched his nose and gave it a playful wiggle. "Your charm really is terrifying. As expected of you. But I won't let them take care of you. That is my privilege."
Just as the thought crossed her mind, another call came in. As expected, it was Fumino Furuhashi.
Shoko sighed helplessly and answered.
"Shoko! I heard..."
Ryo Yamada... Rizu Ogata... Nijika Ijichi... Ikuyo Kita... Shizuka Hiratsuka... Mafuyu Kirisu... Yumiko Miura...
Then came the friends and colleagues he had met after entering the workforce, like his former light novel editor, Sonoko Machida...
Even worse, calls started pouring in from Haruka's admirers—classmates and alumni from his high school days who had been captivated by his charisma and actions.
In the end, Shoko had to send a mass text message explaining the situation before turning off her phone completely.
However, there were some people Shoko couldn't block, and some visitors she couldn't stop.
Clack, clack, clack...
Rapid footsteps echoed down the hospital corridor.
Bang!
The door to the ward was thrown open.
It was Sora Kasugano. She was gasping for air, sweat beading on her forehead—she had clearly run all the way here.
She panted heavily, her eyes darting frantically around the room. When her gaze landed on the center, on the figure lying on the white bed, she froze for a split second.
Then she rushed over, completely ignoring Shoko's existence.
She placed both hands on Haruka's cheeks and pulled them outward.
"Onii-chan? Wake up, Onii-chan?"
In contrast to her rough actions, her voice was incredibly soft.
Her eyes were filled with desperate hope as she looked at Haruka.
She hoped this was just a joke, just like how he used to tease her every Saturday.
Unfortunately, reality refused to bend to her will.
Haruka did not wake up.
Reality shattered her fantasy.
Sora collapsed onto Haruka's chest and began to wail.
Beside them, Shoko watched powerlessly. She couldn't say a word.
At that moment, more footsteps approached from the hallway.
A middle-aged couple hurried in.
When they saw Haruka lying there, their expressions crumbled.
...
"My son... why did this happen to him?"
The woman held Haruka's hand tightly, her eyes red and swollen.
"..."
After a while, she turned her gaze to Shoko. "You are my son's girlfriend?"
"Hello, Nishimiya-san. I am Shoko Nishimiya, Haruka's girlfriend," Shoko replied politely.
The woman's gaze toward Shoko wasn't exactly warm.
She had heard her son talk about Shoko before—a girl who was completely deaf. She hadn't approved at the time, but she naturally couldn't win an argument against her son.
Now, seeing Haruka lying in bed and hearing that this girl had been taking care of him all this time, she found it slightly easier to accept.
So, she didn't give Shoko a hard time, though her tone remained stiff. "Shoko, what is Haruka's condition, exactly?"
At this question, Sora and Haruka's father both turned their heads to listen.
"..."
"The doctor said Haruka is in a special vegetative state... It will be very difficult for him to wake up."
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere in the room became increasingly oppressive.
After a while, Haruka's parents left to find the doctor, perhaps to get more details or perhaps simply because they didn't want to break down in front of the younger generation.
Only Sora and Shoko remained in the room.
Sora looked at this woman who might become her sister-in-law in the future. Her gaze was not friendly.
Shoko simply offered a polite smile.
There was no communication between them.
Just then. Another unstoppable visitor arrived.
The door was pushed open again.
Yaeko Nishimiya walked in. She saw Shoko, and she saw Haruka.
"Mom?"
Yaeko walked over, looked at Shoko, and frowned slightly. "Is Haruka really...?"
Shoko's eyes dimmed. "Mm."
Yaeko sighed and closed her eyes.
A moment later, she opened them again. "Shoko, have you considered coming home?"
???
Shoko looked at her mother with shock and confusion.
It was as if she couldn't believe those words had come out of her mother's mouth.
"I'm not saying you can't be here."
"I'm just saying, you've been taking care of Haruka for so long. It's time to come back. After all, you two..."
Yaeko spoke hesitantly. It seemed she wasn't entirely sure of her own words.
However, Shoko's gaze changed.
To an outsider, these words might sound like a mother telling her daughter to get some rest.
But Shoko heard a different meaning. A meaning she didn't like at all.
"Mother, are you telling me to leave Haruka?"
Shoko didn't play dumb or try to smooth things over. She asked directly.
Yaeko opened her mouth, then closed it again.
That was essentially what she meant.
Shoko's personality wasn't suited for taking charge. She couldn't even make decisions for herself, let alone take care of a comatose man. Furthermore, they weren't married. There was no guarantee for their future.
As for using Haruka's money? She didn't think her daughter had the personality to do that.
And would Haruka's family accept her?
Logically speaking, probably not... A girl with hearing issues...
So, she wanted Shoko to come home and rest for a while...
Perhaps it was like burning her bridges after crossing them. But this was the most pragmatic choice for her daughter.
Being the villain... it didn't matter. After all, hadn't she played the villain in Shoko's life since she was a child?
"That's right."
"..."
"..."
Two short words. The air seemed to solidify.
The smile vanished from Shoko's face.
She looked at her mother with an expression that Yaeko found incredibly unfamiliar.
"Mom, that is impossible." She spoke softly.
"Shoko! I know you two have a good relationship, but he's lying there now! You aren't married! You can't even take care of yourself; how do you expect to take care of someone else?"
"Listen to me. Come home and rest first. Calm down."
Yaeko habitually used the authoritative tone she had used on Shoko since childhood.
However, Shoko did not obey as she had expected. She didn't swallow her grievances and submit.
She sat there, unmoving.
"Mom, I said, that is impossible."
"Taking care of him is my choice. I will not leave him."
Yaeko's expression darkened.
For the first time, she felt that her daughter had completely deviated from the path she had set.
"Even if he never wakes up? You're going to stay with him forever?"
Shoko nodded calmly "Whether he wakes up or not, I will always be with him."
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