Sleeping Beauty

Killer's Game.

Update.

Wu clicked it. And silently waited. Asuka sitting next to him noticed.

"Why are you playing at a time like this?" Asuka grimly said to Wu, not looking at her classmate who's phone showed the Killer's Game, loading the home screen against his hands. Reflecting Wu's somber face.

Wu was silent.

Seeing this, Nobuhiko said to her, "The playable character looked a lot like him . . . "

A tear left Wu's eyes, seeing his friend's face carved against the akira. Shadow no longer covering half his face yet with the same darkness it was reminiscent of the somber gaze Akira always had; as if most of the time he spent living relied on thoughts he overwhelmed himself with and now cannot forget.

"Am I seeing things . . . ?" Wu's throat tightened as he choked at the sight of this familiarity. "Why am I suddenly so emotional?"

Some of his memories were blurred out from this day.

But all he did was a phone call.

Nobuhiko shoulder hugged Wu.

Nobuhiko had ran to save Akira.

Wu was expressionless against his friend.

"The update . . . ?" Asuka murmured, leaning in to Wu's phone. Confused to see Akira's seeming face on the character now. "How is this possible . . . ?"

Careful loud tapping against the hallway floor. Asuka, Nobuhiko and Wu looked across the hospital to see a woman in uniform and a tall, unkempt man rushing towards them. Closer, the woman's I.D. said Park Yuu, and Asuka stared at the familiar man in strange awe. His face was just as fallen and dark as the mother's. Yuu strode towards Wu and hugged the three of them tightly. Asuka looking strangely at this inclusion. Before Mrs. Yuu could say anything Wu put his phone in his back pocket and said with a slight tearful smile, "First room upstairs, to the left. Hiroko is already there waiting."

"Thank you, Katsuragi." Kaneda nodded to him and held his mother who whispered the same as they both hurried upstairs.

"Who was that . . . ?" Asuka gently nudged to Wu, him drying his tears. "Park's mom and dad?"

"Nah . . . His mom and elder brother Kaneda." Wu sniffed. "Park never met his dad."

"Oh." Asuka went silent, her brows raising a little.

Hiroko lifted her head and fixed her eyes at the door slowly opening. Mrs. Park and Mr. Kaneda came into view. She stood up and bowed. Kaneda ruffled her hair as she went passed them. Hiroko looked at the family reunited, a soft yet hesitant smile making their way to her face. Looking to the ground.

"I'll call the doctor." she said with a bow, and left. Hearing a faint thank you from them.

After some time, a nurse went with Hiroko and encountered Asuka, Wu and Nobuhiko waiting by their seats.

"Mr. Park seems to have a coma," the nurse explained; their faces fell. "It will take some time for him to wake up from unconsciousness, if he does, but that time is undetermined."

"Will he . . . die?" words escaped from Nobuhiko, shrinking at the thought.

The nurse shook her head adding, "We're not completely sure. We can only pray he lives on . . . "

No one said another word.

"But if he does come back," the nurse continued.

"He could never be the same again." the four of them only heard.

"Can we visit him now, Miss Nurse?" Wu hopefully asked.

"Yes," the Nurse said. "Visitation hours are available only until 8 PM today. Young Park's family said they won't be taking long. Spend it wisely, young ones."

Kaneda caressed Akira's hand, "You can wake up. You can do this. Please . . . "

Yuu had cupped Akira's sleeping face with her hand, studying, searching. Yuu sealed her eyes shut allowing tears to escape, tightening her lips and jaw she recalled the doctor say, "The witnesses, his friends, claimed they somehow don't recall much from what had happened. Maybe due to shock. But the last thing they saw, was that young Park had fallen to the river and he didn't move. The impact might have caused his comatose state. But we're doing the best we can."

Yuu lightly pressed her forehead against her son's, kissing it as she stood.

"Aki's friends need to see him, too." Yuu said to Kaneda.

Kaneda subtly nodded. "The nurse might have told them by now."

Hiroko led Wu, Nobuhiko, and Asuka upstairs and crossed paths with Mrs. Yuu and Kaneda.

"We'll be handling the bills." Yuu said. Smiling to them, "Now go remind my son his friends have arrived."

Wu firmly bowed, "Yes, ma'am."

"Don't forget to inform your parents, they might be worried if you get home late." Kaneda said.

"Yes, we will, sir." Nobuhiko replied.

"We can always wait until the last train." Wu said as the two adults silently acknowledged this with their descent.

Asuka hid behind Wu and Nobuhiko with a slight bow toward their seniors, briefly meeting eyes with Yuu Park. They looked just as intruiging as Akira's.

"Come on, Asuka." Nobuhiko pulled her up gently as Wu and Hiroko already advanced. Glancing at the remaining two.

"Coming." Asuka clutched onto Nobuhiko before walking beside him.

"Hello again, Paruko-kun." Hiroko weakly beamed by Akira's side. "It's me and the boys this time!"

Wu was behind her studying Akira's unresponsive visage.

The heart rate monitor exuding beeps. Reminding them Akira is being hospitalized.

Nobuhiko stepped forward with them. Asuka was by the door staring at the four.

"I feel like . . . " she thought. "I shouldn't even be here."

"Now go remind my son his friends have arrived." Akira's mother had said.

Asuka looked at the floor. 'Am I even considered his friend? I'm just a poser.'

Nobuhiko, Wu and Hiroko. Asuka heard them singing a song she didn't know nor understand.

"Your love of loneliness avoids."

"The call for adventure."

"The one where you'll find her."

"Listen to me, Asian Boy."

"Over and over and over. You're over."

Eyes completely ink black, but Asuka didn't notice.

Asuka looked at her hands. A memory of her holding Akira's bike. On a bridge. By the river. He ran to her. But someone else was with them. And she couldn't move. When Akira was pushed to the edge of the bridge. Asuka clenched them into fists. She had only stared.

"I'm sorry . . . " Asuka let out.

Nobuhiko and Hiroko turned to face her, eyes normal.

"I didn't do anything . . . When I was right there . . . "

"Let's not start this, Asuka." Wu said under his breath. "Park is already hurt. There's nothing we could do about that now."

Asuka's eyes only darkened.

"That's a little harsh, Wu . . . " Nobuhiko softly retorted at him.

"But he's not wrong." Hiroko defended, her memories of the event slightly blurred but her past reactions highly evident. "We . . . all did what we could at that time."

"But I could have done better." Asuka thought to herself, stopping at ever step she took towards them.

"I'm good for nothing." Hiroko saw a rugged, exaggerated silhouette looming over in disappointment, making her shrink. While another's far behind it looked away from her making her eyes darken.

"I'm useless." Wu kneeled and hid is face from Akira's living corpse.

Nobuhiko felt the heavy air. The phone peeking through Wu's back pocket catching his eye.

"What are you waiting for?" Akira's voice overtook the silence.

Wu widened his eyes. Asuka did the same, looking around the room. Hiroko perked up, eyes moving to Akira.

"I'm right here. Quit moping." Akira's voice said again.

The friends looked at the sleeping Akira.

"Aki?" Hiroko poked his cheek with hopeful tears.

"Ew stop." Akira's voice said.

"It really IS you!!" Hiroko lunged to hug Akira's body by the shoulders.

"Not too hard!" Asuka and Nobuhiko gently pulled Hiroko away from Akira's possible suffocation.

"No, it can't be . . . " Wu touched his phone and quickly faced it in front of him.

Hiroko was pulled back.

"That's better." Akira's voice said, which he took back once Hiroko is mentioned again.

Asuka eyed Wu's phone.

Hiroko was still clinging to Akira's hand against her face with big eyes and a suppressed smile. "This must be magic! Who knew you could still talk with your mouth closed while in a coma!"

Wu slapped Hiroko by the shoulder, "No, you idiot."

"HEy!" Hiroko rubbed the pain away glaring at him.

Wu pinched her cheeks and showed Akira on his phone.

"Woah, what the hell?" Hiroko pinched Wu's hand as he internally screamed in pain. Hiroko in awe of seeing Park In A Game having a face no longer shrouded.

"There was an update earlier and this somehow exists." Asuka said slowly.

"Park did seem horrified when you mentioned Killer's Game at the clubroom earlier." Nobuhiko stated.

They all looked at him.

Nobuhiko's eyes pierced through matter and space as he continued with a knuckle over his bottom lip, "Park emphasized the "Black Book". Maybe it had something to do with his accident."

Asuka flinched at the thought of that Someone Else on the bridge. Although she wasn't completely familiar with who the person was or how they got there, Asuka still opened her mouth.

A knock on the door. Kaneda appeared. The wall clock striking late 5 PM.

"I'll take it from here." Kaneda said. "Have you all called your parents?"

"Ah, no, sir." Asuka bowed slightly to him in apology as the group of friends turned to face Akira's elder brother.

"We'll do that now." Wu stood up. Mumbling to himself, "My parents would kill me when I get home . . . "

Hiroko fixed her gaze at Wu. Asuka prepared her phone.

Nobuhiko patted Wu on the back and said, "I'm sure they'll understand if you give them the reason."

"Yeah, sure they will." Wu muttered.

"Get home safe. Thanks for looking after my brother." Kaneda mirrored Nobuhiko waving goodbye as Hiroko said hers, Wu briefly nodding before hoping for the best and Asuka hiding between the figures of her friends while she texted to her Sister, "A classmate had an accident, took them to the hospital, so I'll be late." A streamline of messages from Asuka's end, only seen with no reply. She exited the Conversation and clicked on Mother.

At the local station Wu, Nobuhiko and Asuka entered the train in silence. Reflecting on the series of events that just happened on a Monday. At the Park household within the corners of Akira's desk, the Black Book flipped open to the latest blank page.