Chapter 9: The Tipping Point For Yaegashi Taichi

Ironically, he was conscious of the fact that he was unconscious.

It was a warm, relaxing place.

He couldn’t move his body—no, he couldn’t even feel his body.

Just his emotions.

Then a voice rang out in his mind, not unlike the Sentiment Transmission.

[Were we ever actually in love?] the voice asked.

[I think so, at least. Although neither of us really knew what we were doing,] Taichi responded.

[Yeah... You’re right. Sorry I was so clueless.]

[No, no. I’m sorry, too. Thank you for everything.]

[No, thank you!]

[I never really saw you for who you were. Just admired you for your persona.]

[Nah, that’s not true... Well, okay, maybe it is...]

[Yeah. It’s the truth.]

[Still, it made me really happy to know you felt that way about me. Honest.]

[Cool... I’m glad.]

[And I used to feel the same way about you.]

[Used to?]

[Back then, I swear I was in love with you... but there was a lot I didn’t understand at the time, and I was going about it the wrong way. Now that I know better... I’ve changed.]

[Yeah, you definitely have.]

[Or maybe I’ve just gone back to the way I was meant to be. I don’t know. All I know is that this change has been pretty drastic for me. Not just the more recent stuff—all of it.]

[Right.]

[That’s why I need to wipe the slate clean... Sorry for putting you through this.]

[Nah, that’s okay. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably want to do the same thing. Besides, I think this change will be good for you, and... well, it’s not like I haven’t put you through some crap myself. To be honest, while I was definitely in love with you... I think I was just as much in love with the idea of being in love.]

[Oh, man, I totally get you there.]

[Right? I mean... it’s pretty fun, you know?]

[Yeah, it’s pretty great! Just... everything about it!]

[The way I see it... when it comes to love, it’s okay to put yourself first. I mean, obviously you want to be loyal to your partner, but you shouldn’t feel obligated to focus entirely on them at the expense of your own needs, you know? Not that I’m the first person to have this epiphany or anything.]

[Love sure is complicated, huh? Not that friendship is any easier... Then again, I guess we’re all better off not overthinking it, right?]

[There’s so much I don’t know... I don’t even have an answer for that question.]

[Yeah, I don’t blame you. I guess you just gotta feel these things out...]

[One step at a time.]

[Oh em gee, that’s so cheesy!]

[Shut up!]

[Well then, I guess you’d better hurry up and date someone so you can figure it out!]

[Yeah, I guess so. Same for you, too.]

[Yep... But I get the feeling it won’t be happening with each other.]

[Yeahhh... Agreed. You know, looking back... is it just me, or did we have one hell of a love story?]

[It’s definitely not just you! Maybe we were clueless, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t real. That’s part of why we can’t just start over.]

[Right.]

[Now that I think about it, this whole conversation is kinda awkward, isn’t it? I definitely couldn’t say these things to your face. In fact, I don’t even think I could say it over the phone... and yet somehow, here and now, I’m doing just fine.]

[I guess we have the Sentiment Transmission to thank.]

[No way in hell am I thanking «Heartseed» for anything! Oh, but it looks like our time is almost up... Wait, how do I know that? What even IS this? Did I finally pass out after my sleep deprivation hit its limits, or something?]

[...I’m guessing you’re not supposed to ask.]

[Yeah, probably... Well then, one last thing from me!]

[Likewise.]

[Thank you for loving me, Taichi.]

[Thank you for loving me, Nagase.]

Suddenly, he could feel his body again. His senses returned—the light shining against his eyelids, the distant murmuring, the smell of disinfectant mixed with something sweet.

He reached up—toward the light—

□■□■□

His fingers twitched. His hand was enveloped in something soft and warm... He grabbed hold of it, securing it in a firm grasp.

Then, blinking against the light, his eyes slowly opened. His world gradually came into focus... and there was Inaba Himeko, her face inches from his, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Taichi?! Taichi!” She was practically on top of him on the bed.

“...Good morning, Inaba.”

He relinquished his grip on her hand in order to wipe her damp eyes.

“What a relief... Thank god you’re awake! I mean, the pipe itself was pretty small and thin, so I knew you’d be fine, but... Christ, if anything were to happen to you, I... I...”

Taichi stroked her hair. “C’mon, don’t cry...”

He retraced his memory of what had happened. One of the thugs from the factory had attacked them... Taichi had jumped in front of Inaba to shield her, at which point he got hit in the head... He must have passed out shortly afterwards.

He glanced around the room to find that they were not at the hospital but the infirmary at Yamaboshi, and Inaba was the only other person here. Clearly his injury wasn’t that big of a deal.

“Oh... Everyone else is standing guard outside in case those assholes follow us here,” Inaba hastily explained. Evidently she’d guessed his train of thought.

“Gotcha.”

He’d expected to find Nagase asleep, but the bed next to his was empty. Wait... Why did I expect her to be asleep? Oh, that’s right. I had that weird dream... It was a dream, wasn’t it? No, maybe not... I remember being in control, so maybe it was reality. Maybe it was real... He sat up.

“Don’t get up yet!” Inaba scolded.

Still, he felt pretty much fine. He touched his head and found that someone had wrapped a gauze bandage around it; the affected area twinged slightly under pressure.

“Please, don’t push yourself... Seriously, if anything happened to you, I... I mean, especially knowing it was my fault...” Her expression crumpled. She looked fragile, on the verge of tears, and he felt an obligation—but more than that, a desire—to protect her.

“I just... I...”

[...I need you so bad... I can’t do this without you... I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you... I love you so goddamn much, Taichi...!]

It was a Transmission from Inaba. He could feel every ounce of her devotion flooding out at once, washing him away, pulling him under.

“Wait, I don’t mean—well, okay, I do mean it—but just ignore it!” Hiding her face in her hands, she shook her head desperately. Through the gaps in her fingers, he could see that she was blushing.

[I love you... I’m crazy about you... I’m head over heels for you... I adore you... You mean so much to me... You complete me... I’m yours forever...]

Her love was so blissfully warm and peaceful, it made his heart ache. She needed him more than he’d ever known anyone to need anything—it was almost hard to believe. And yet, at the same time, the feeling was mutual. Granted, he couldn’t deny that part of it was a desire to give back equal to what he had received... but still, the fact of the matter was, he needed her.

She had taught him so much. Shown him what really mattered. Pointed out his “helper-itis” and called him a “goddamn martyr.” Cared for him enough to keep him in check. Served as a sounding board for his troubles. But most of all, she placed value in him more than anyone else on this earth. He wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her.

Together, they filled each other’s gaps. Together, they made the impossible possible.

Was he moving too fast? After all, he’d only just got done being in love with someone else... and yet, once he stopped to listen to what his heart wanted, the answer was obvious. He could only hope she still wanted it, too.

She’d been waiting for so long... Now that he could see the next step, there was no sense in waiting until things calmed down. He didn’t want to keep her hanging.

This time around, his intention was to pursue a serious, grounded relationship.

And so he asked the question—

“Wanna go out with me?”

The words came to him much easier than he’d expected.

Meanwhile, Inaba froze stock-still, staring blankly at him... for practically a solid minute.

“Uh... WHAAAAAAAT?!”

The moment she finally snapped back to reality, she began to panic, arms flailing, her face flushed beet-red as she repeatedly punched the infirmary bed.

Then, after a spell, she straightened back up again, combing her hair into place with her fingers.

“Y-You think I’m cute?”

Judging from the question, she was officially capital-F Flustered.

“Of course. Super cute,” Taichi replied casually. All shame had gone out the window... or maybe his brain just wasn’t fully awake yet.

“Oh... Cool... Wait, WHAT?! Holy fuck, what the hell did I just ask?!” She shook her head. After taking a moment, she sat down on the bedside chair, her posture perfectly straight, knees together, hands in her lap. “Um... uh... Is... Is this really happening...? But... um... well...”

She hung her head, cheeks still bright red, desperately trying to find her voice again. Seconds ticked by, but Taichi wasn’t in a hurry. He waited quietly, patiently, until at last she looked up at him—directly into his eyes.

And then she responded—

“......Yes, please.”