This is part two to Chapter 13. Hope you enjoy and leave Power Stones if you did. Also let me know if you have questions
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"I'm back, Kazuto," A gentle voice called as they stepped into the room. The door lightly clicked behind them as they entered quietly. Making their way towards the open chair, they set down their schoolbag and shinai bag against the far wall away from all the hospital equipment.
Sitting down in the cushioned chair, the girl leaned closer to the bedridden boy and tenderly held his wrist. Over the past couple months, his skin looked much like her own up to a week ago. Advanced technology only went so far and his body was naturally beginning to deteriorate over time. His skin was much paler and though he was always skinny, he was turning more and more frail.
Like every day, she'd checked in with the doctor and nurses first to learn how his condition was faring. They reassured her he was still fine, but it never quelled her worries. It didn't take a critical eye to tell his body was weakening.
Stuck in a coma for months like he was, it was only natural. That's why she tried counting her blessings. Unlike many others who were reported on the news, he was still alive. Any day it could happen. She could return to the hospital or get a phone call and hear the thing she dreaded most. But for now, he was still alive.
It still hurt to see him like this.
"Guess we're both starting 2023 off roughly..." She sighed to herself. The first month of the year had just ended and days were beginning to flash by. After the incident, they started off slow. Now everything was blending together. She didn't even know the month turned over to February until the nurse mentioned it. Her deep blue eyes glossed over to the boy's sickly face, staring at the metal helmet over his head and glass visor covering his eyes. "How is it in there...? Everything moving fast for you too...?" She mumbled to herself.
She did so often. It was a habit she wasn't sure when she picked up. When she felt somber or lonely, she'd find herself talking to him. It was only ever a few sentences and they were always something random, but she spoke anyway. He never replied back - he couldn't - but hearing him breathing always filled her with a sense of comfort. It let her know that he was still there somewhere.
"Are you... happy?" She asked quietly. It was something that had plagued her mind ever since his consciousness had been trapped inside that helmet, but she never worked up the nerve to vocalize it. "Is it fun like you wanted...?"
Before the incident, there had been a smile on his face everyday as he waited for the official release of the game. He was usually gloomy and didn't like talking to others much. Most of the time he'd hold himself up in his room playing video games on his computer. He'd even quit kendo to spend more time playing. It was a problem, but their parents never stopped him because he always came home with good grades. He was far from fit, but his health was never at risk either. As long as he upheld those responsibilities, he could play as much as he wanted.
Although... she knew it was a bit more complicated than that. All of them in the household could sense it; including their mean old grandpa who passed away a little over a year ago.
Her brother was depressed.
None of them were really sure why. It just sort of happened. He was perfectly fine, and was a regular member of the family. Then one day, around the age of ten, he grew apart from them. Their mother had been the one to try subtly prodding for details and figure out what was wrong, but he never cracked. He didn't seem like he was getting bullied at school or anything severe like that. He just slowly became a more introverted person.
Something changed within him and no one knew why. There had to be a reason, but no one could figure it out.
He became a gaming maniac and the strong bond between the two of them had slowly frayed to the point it nearly snapped. Up until that point, she still considered them close. Though they didn't spend anywhere near the amount of time together as they used to, she still believed they were as close as siblings could be.
She was wrong.
His actions really upset her that day. He was supposed to come watch her at nationals and instead lost track of time engrossed within his game. It was her big day, so their parents were entirely focused on her. They trusted him to get himself there; believing he was old and mature enough to get there on his own. Needless to say, he'd broken that trust.
In retrospect, one of her parents should have gone with her while the other dragged her brother out of his room along with them. They'd gotten too excited and proud of their daughter that they didn't give enough thought to their son.
If he hadn't been so absorbed in that new Virtual Reality system, their relationship wouldn't have left off in such a fragmented way.
Virtual Reality.
That damn Virtual Reality.
Everything was its fault. It was solely to blame for all her life's problems.
Why did it have to get invented? Why did it have to take everything away?
The world and everything within it would be better off had it never existed.
"Is this... what you wanted?" She asked blankly, her eyes hollowed as she stared at the rigid boy frozen asleep on the bed. "Did you hate this world that much...? Do you... hate me...?"
Suddenly, the door to the room swung open much more aggressively than hospital doors should as an angry figure stepped in. A concerned nurse tried to follow behind them, but were shut out as the door slammed in front of them.
"Suguha! What did you do at school?!" Her mother yelled at her, voice trembling with fury and dismay. "Don't tell me you beat up another child! You're going to get kicked out of school!" She marched across the room, standing firmly in front of the teen as her expression broke down into misery. Her eyes began watering as she looked downward at her daughter.
"She deserved it."
"So you admit it!" Anger ignited within her umber irises once again as she grabbed onto Suguha's shoulders roughly. Shaking the stoic girl, the woman lowered herself down to her level and pleaded, "You can't keep doing this! I know it hurts, but you can't keep doing this!"
"They're the ones who start it... I've never picked a fight with anyone."
"That's enough!" She snapped. Her fingers dug deeper into Suguha's shoulders before hugging her daughter and burying her face into her neck. Breaking down, the woman began crying as she held her tightly, the unreactive girl finally letting a glimpse of emotion through.
It hurt seeing her mother like this. While this wasn't the first time she'd yelled at her for what she did at school or after, it was the first time she melted down this badly. She just couldn't take it anymore - watching her daughter's future constantly in jeopardy as her mental declines.
Tentatively, Suguha wrapped her arms back around her mother. She couldn't placate her with words. With the state of the way things were at school and her diminishing reputation, this outcome would likely repeat itself. It was only a matter of time before another idiot did something to set her off.
She warned them. Many times, in fact. How many times did she have to glare at people for them to understand that they shouldn't mess with her?
Don't talk to her. Don't look at her. Don't say anything about her. And ESPECIALLY don't say anything about her brother. That's all she ever asked for. Was it really that hard to be left alone?
Kazuto certainly made it seem easy...
Maybe it was time for a change in schools - if she were to go at all. She still had another year to go in middle school and with the way she behaved, she was unlikely to get into a better one. At the very least, she didn't even need to glare for them to move out the way anymore. She could take up the middle of the walkway and everyone automatically moved to the side. It was like parting the seas.
Convenient, but not as convenient as being forgettable would be. If she hadn't been such a local celebrity before, then she would have a much better time blending into the background. She had once been a popular girl - one of the most popular. Going from that to a nobody wasn't easy, especially after people began figuring out why she had changed so suddenly.
She had never been one to gossip much. Constantly being the subject of it was only becoming more burdensome.
Craning her head upward to look at the door, Suguha could make out small commotions and footsteps. No one had tried entering the room, but her mother's shouts had definitely attracted unnecessary attention. The staff was well aware of their family by now, but they had probably gotten complaints.
The hospital they were in wasn't luxurious. Though they thankfully received aid from the government to care of Kazuto, it wasn't unlimited. They could only afford to send him to a local hospital, which held a decent reputation. Regardless, the last thing Suguha would want is to strain their relationship with the people responsible for her brother.
"Can we go?" She asked quietly, gently shaking her mother in her arms.
Hearing her daughter's voice, the woman - more intelligent than she appeared - ascertained her intentions and tried composing herself. Letting go and standing up, she grabbed a tissue from a box on one of the room's countertops and wiped her face clean. Depositing the waste in the garbage, she kissed her son's cheek and adjusted her purse on her shoulder. "Let's go home, Suguha."
It was clear she wasn't yet done with talking to her daughter, but she didn't want to scold her anymore here. Not only was it improper for a hospital, but unfair to Kazuto. The woman took a deep breath and exited the room, going over to apologize to the staff.
Following after her mother, Suguha grabbed her things and threw them over her shoulder, always careful not to knock or bump into anything. She too kissed her brother's cheek and made her way to leave. Holding the door's handle, she looked at him one last time. "See you tomorrow, Kazuto."