"...think we've got her... heart rate normal... oxygen saturation at 86%..."

Muffled voices reached me, but the cottony feeling in my ears made it almost impossible to make out any meaningful sentences. Breathing in felt like my airways were burning from the inside, as if dusty ashes had settled on my lungs. Still somewhat dazed, I opened my eyes, but everything blurred into a single, unrecognizable mass. My head was pounding, and an unbearably sharp pain shot through my right leg. Half-conscious, I reached up to touch my face, where something was pressing against my cheeks, but someone grabbed my hand and gently laid it back down.

"Relax," said a calm, pleasant female voice. "We had to resuscitate you and give you oxygen, but it looks like you were very lucky."

A hand rested on my shoulder.

Lucky?

What was she talking about?

What had happened?

"That Chishiya.... is he your boyfriend?" she asked casually now. I tried to open my eyes again. This time I could make out a few blurry outlines and saw a figure in a white robe leaning over me.

"Chi... Chishiya?" I mumbled, confused.

"Yes, you kept mumbling that name over and over again just after we resuscitated you."

"I don't have a boyfriend," I managed weakly, as my consciousness began to drift away again and my vision faded into darkness.

When I opened my eyes again and tried to orient myself, my surroundings were much clearer. I stared up at a white wall and realized it was the ceiling of a room.

"She's awake," said a familiar voice. "Look, Mum. She's opened her eyes."

I turned my head to the side and blinked in confusion.

"Naoki?" I croaked weakly.

"And she even remembers who I am," he grinned, his face coming closer and closer to mine.

"Knucklehead," I murmured defiantly and pushed his head back a little.

Naoki just laughed.

"Yep, she's still the same old Tsuki."

Only then did I notice that my mum was sitting beside my brother, clutching a tissue in her hand. Her face was streaked with tears.

"Tsuki...," she sobbed, overwhelmed, and clutched my hand tightly. "I'm so glad you made it. You need to get better quickly, do you hear me?"

"Made it? What did I make it through? What happened?" I asked, uncertain because I truly didn't know. At that moment, I couldn't even confidently say what year it was, which unnerved me a little. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was in a hospital bed and had clearly needed medical attention. But my memories of the last few hours were fragmented at best.

I looked down at my right foot, the source of the sharp pain I remembered. My right leg was encased in a cast up to my knee. Then I looked back at Mum, incredulous.

"Don't you remember?" she asked, surprised.

"Would I be asking if I did?" I replied, coughing painfully. For a moment, I thought I was going to suffocate.

Naoki quickly pressed a breathing mask to my mouth, bringing instant relief.

"Tsuki, there was..."

My mother stopped mid-sentence, dissolving into another sob.

Naoki placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and continued for her:

"A meteor exploded directly over Shibuya. There were countless injuries and, at last count, at least over 2,000 dead. But every day, they're pulling more people from the rubble."

I stared at him blankly, trying to process his words. Slowly, I raised my head.

"What are you saying? A meteor? Here in Tokyo?"

My brother nodded solemnly, his expression suddenly heavy with sorrow.

"A classmate of mine was there that day, too, but... he didn't make it."

Stunned, I placed a hand on my forehead just as a throbbing headache set in. I turned my head to the right, where another bed stood. In it lay a young woman who was clearly unconscious.

"Was she there too?" I asked, pointing to the bed beside me.

Naoki followed my gaze.

"I guess so. Most of the victims were brought here to the University Hospital. It's the largest in the city and has the best medical care."

"So... I don't remember anything. How long ago was that?" I asked, feeling as though an eternity had passed-as though I'd been in a coma for years.

"Four days. You had a cardiac arrest and were resuscitated on the way to the hospital. You've been on the ICU ever since because of smoke inhalation. They had you on a ventilator the whole time. This morning they moved you here because you're out of danger now. But the ICUs are still completely full. They said you're lucky not to have suffered any external burns."

I pressed the breathing mask tightly to my face and took a deep breath.

Why couldn't I remember any of this? Why had I even been in Shibuya that day?

I groaned in pain as my head throbbed like it was caught in a vice.

"Should I call a nurse?" Mum asked, worried now that she'd calmed down a little. I shook my head.

"Where's Dad? Is he here too?" I asked, rubbing my forehead.

"He was here, but you weren't conscious yet. He's been working overtime every day because of this tragedy. But he left you some flowers."

I glanced over at the side table beside me and saw several colorful bouquets.

"Who else came?"

"Your friends Sakura and Ren. And a man who said he was a colleague of yours. The roses are from him," she said with a sly giggle. "A very nice-looking man."

I smiled faintly. "That was probably Hayato-san."

My mum looked a little surprised.

"Oh, I thought his name was Chishiya."

"What? Why would you think that?" I asked, frowning.

She shrugged. "The nurse in the ICU said you kept mumbling that name over and over. I naturally assumed he was your new boyfriend."

My eyes widened.

"Mum, if I had a boyfriend, I would have told you. Seriously, I don't know any Chishiya," I said, folding my arms indignantly. Although, for some reason, the name sounded oddly familiar. I couldn't quite place where I'd heard it before, no matter how hard I tried. Perhaps it was just the relentless headache that made it impossible to focus.

A short time later, a nurse came by to give me some stronger pain medication and performed a few routine checks.

"Everything seems fine," she said with a friendly smile. "We'll just need to monitor your oxygen levels for a while longer. Smoke inhalation can still cause severe symptoms days later. If you feel worse at any point, just call us."

She also prescribed regular therapy sessions in a hyperbaric chamber to stabilize my oxygen saturation over time. It was still unclear when I would be able to leave the hospital.

Naoki handed me a few manga and my sketchpad along with my pencil case.

"Here, I brought you something to kill the boredom."

"You went to my apartment?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, someone had to look after Nanya."

"Oh no, she must be so lonely," I said, guilt immediately washing over me.

Nanya was a white, long-haired cat who'd been living with me for a year. She'd often helped me through my loneliest phases, especially after my breakup with my ex.

"Don't worry. Mum and I took her home with us for now."

I exhaled in relief.

"That's a huge weight off my shoulders. Thanks, Naoki."

For the rest of the day, we chatted, but the medications quickly wore me out. They promised to come back the next day. Once they'd left the room, I was almost relieved to finally have some time to myself. I gazed out the window, wistfully watching the pink sunset.

Reaching for the cards next to the flowers, I read one from Sakura and Ren, which made me smile. Then I picked up another card.

It was from Hayato:

Dear Tsuki,

I wish you strength for the coming weeks and a speedy recovery. I'm truly sorry I missed our date. Something important came up, but I'll tell you about it in person.

Best regards,

Hayato

I let the card fall into my lap, stunned. As I read his words, some of my memories began to return. Hachiko statue. That was our meeting point. I remembered arranging the date with him. So I had been there. Four days ago, exactly.

Why was it so hard to remember any details from that day?

I looked over at the bed next to me. If that woman would just wake up, maybe I could ask her if she remembered anything.

I grabbed my sketchpad and tried to draw something, but my mind was blocked. At least the pain was gone now. Frustrated, I set the sketchpad aside and turned over.

Maybe I'd remember more after some sleep.

Just before drifting off, I thought again about that name my mum had mentioned-the one that sounded so strangely familiar.

Chishiya.

♡

The next morning, the nurses were distributing breakfast to each room.

"Um, excuse me," I addressed the nurse who had just placed the tray of food in front of me. She looked at me with a questioning gaze. "Is it normal that I don't remember what happened on the day of the disaster?"

She looked at me with a hint of sympathy.

"Well, I would say it's not unusual. In cases of dissociative amnesia, memories related to traumatic events are often suppressed. The mind simply blocks them out to protect our psyche," she explained patiently.

"I see... but can those memories ever come back?"

This time, she smiled. "Yes, but it usually happens randomly. You might see a place, an object, or a person connected to the events, and sometimes fragments of memories come back. Others, unfortunately, remain forgotten forever."

I nodded, hopeful.

"Okay, thank you. That already helps a lot."

"Why don't you try going for a little walk later? Fresh air can often help get those brain cells moving. It's also quite effective for recovering from smoke inhalation," she added with a wink before leaving the room.

I sighed and leaned back into my pillow. I hoped she was right. But I wanted to wait for Mum and Naoki to visit before I tried walking; I wasn't entirely sure how far I could manage on my own in my current state.

Until then, I passed the time by flipping through a few of the manga Naoki had brought me. Most of them were more his taste than mine-horror and action, mostly. He was at that age where the bloodier and more brutal the fights, the better. I gave Demon Slayer a try and found myself getting absorbed in it. It wasn't half bad.

Still, I was relieved when Mum and Naoki finally appeared in my room.

"So, how was school?" I asked, grinning at my brother.

"Don't even get me started. The teachers are really piling it on before the big final exams. I can't wait to finally go to university."

"Let's see if your grades are even good enough to get you there," I teased.

Naoki pouted. He was good at that; after all, he had the same pouty mouth as me.

"Honestly, I didn't miss your snarky comments one bit."

"If you need tutoring, all you have to do is ask, you little genius," I teased him further.

"As if I'd ever need tutoring from an elementary school teacher. And you weren't that smart either-remember your abysmal math grades two years ago?"

"At least I'm good at English and Japanese, you knucklehead."

Mum sighed heavily as she listened to us.

"Are you two bickering again? When will you finally grow up?"

I pulled a defiant face.

"Who wants to grow up anyway? It's boring."

"For once, I actually agree with Tsuki. Although, I'm still more mature than she is."

"Tss..."

I grabbed the manga and gave him a playful smack on the shoulder.

"Did you see that, Mum? She hit me. My own sister," he cried in mock outrage.

"If you don't stop immediately, I'll smack you both," Mum said with a stern look that was half amused.

"The weather's so nice outside," I said, gazing longingly out the window. "I'd like to get some fresh air."

"Tsuki, do you really think you're up for that? You only just got out of the ICU yesterday," Mum said, concerned.

"The nurse said it would do me good. Oh, please!"

I put on my most pleading expression, complete with the most irresistible pout I could muster. Mum's expression softened, and she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, but take it slow. There's no need to rush. And if you feel you can't manage, let us know immediately."

I nodded eagerly as Mum handed me two crutches, and I pulled myself up from the bed. Every tiny movement still felt exhausting, but I had an inhaler in my pocket for emergencies.

The three of us headed toward the elevator, though I quickly realized it was harder than I'd thought. Naoki pressed the button for the ground floor, but just before the doors closed, a young woman slipped in.

She was much taller than me and had a strikingly beautiful face. Her hair was tied into a ponytail of long dreadlocks, decorated with colorful ribbons. Her arm bore a few bandages, and she was limping slightly but didn't seem to need crutches.

I stared at her, fascinated, without knowing why. Was it her beauty or her exotic appearance?

She noticed me watching her and smiled warmly. I returned the smile. The longer I looked at her, the stronger the feeling grew that I had seen her before. Was she there the day of the disaster? Was my subconscious remembering her?

When we reached the ground floor, she stepped out with us.

"Um, excuse me," I said before I lost sight of her. She turned, looking a bit confused.

"Yes?"

"Well... were you in Shibuya on the day that meteor exploded?"

Her smile turned a bit somber.

"I was. You too?"

I nodded, relieved.

"Yeah, right. So... I just wanted to know if you remember anything... right before it happened."

She sighed softly.

"Not much. I think I was on my way to my late shift, but that's it. I don't know what happened in the seconds before, if that's what you're asking."

"Well, I feel like the entire day is just gone for me. It's a bit weird."

She nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, it's like forgetting something really important, even though it was only a few minutes-if that. Crazy, right?" she said with a grin. She was voicing exactly what I'd been feeling.

"Yes, that's exactly what I thought. I felt like I woke up from a long coma, even though I was really only out for a few days."

She shrugged.

"Some things just remain unexplained. I try not to think about it too much. I see it as a chance to start over. Things have been better for me since that incident. I'm not saying what happened was good, but the impact on my life definitely was."

She beamed, and in that moment, I couldn't help but feel happy for her. But since Mum and Naoki had been waiting for me, and standing for so long was starting to hurt, I had to end our conversation.

"I'm sorry, I need to go. It was nice talking to you, um... what's your name?"

"Kuina Hikari, but you can call me Hikari if you like."

"That name suits you. You shine like light," I said with a smile. "I'm Izumi Tsuki."

"Thanks. Maybe we'll run into each other again, Tsuki."

She gave a small wave before walking off, and I turned back to Mum and Naoki.

"Sorry about that," I said.

"It's fine, sweetheart," Mum said, wrapping an arm around me. "It's perfectly normal to want to talk to others who went through the same thing as you. Maybe there's a support group for victims of the catastrophe. I'll look into it."

"Yeah, not a bad idea. I'd like to know how others are coping. It must be so much harder for those who weren't as lucky as I was."

We took a slow walk around the hospital park. Many people were outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Unfortunately, my stamina didn't last long. After a short while, I had to sit down at a table in the park café.

"Let's have some coffee, kids," Mum said, already lining up at the counter.

"I wanted to tell her to bring donuts," I muttered.

Naoki grinned.

"You're barely back on your feet again and already craving for sweets."

"What else am I supposed to think about in such a depressing place?" I pouted.

"I don't know. You could start thinking about how to snag yourself a doctor. They make good money. Then you could finally treat me to something instead of always whining about being broke."

"Excuse me?!" I shot back, kicking his shin with my good leg. "You only ever think about yourself. You should study harder and become a doctor yourself."

"No way. You have to study forever for that."

"You're so lazy, Nao-chan. What's going to become of you?"

"That was a dumb idea anyway. What kind of doctor would ever go for you? He'd have to be blind."

That earned him another sharp kick, and he let out a playful yelp.

"If you keep this up, you're going to be the one needing a doctor."

At that moment, our mother returned to the table with the coffee and gave us both a firm tap on the back of the head.

"Ahhh, Mum," we both complained in unison.

"Stop bickering-especially in public. You're both embarrassing."

"Well, you're the one who decided to have two kids. This wouldn't have happened with just one," I grinned, taking a sip from my cup.

Mum sighed deeply and gave us both a stern look.

"Enough, you two. Seriously."

We tried to behave after that, though it probably wouldn't last long. Naoki and I had been teasing each other since he learned to talk, and it was just part of our family dynamic. No matter how much we bickered, we always made up by the end of the day. Most of it was just for fun anyway, a shared sense of humor that often drove our mother to despair. Dad, on the other hand, would just chuckle at us.

We sat at the café for a while, chatting and letting the sun warm our faces. At some point, Naoki pulled a small box out of his pocket. It was a deck of playing cards.

"Want to play Crazy Eights? We haven't done that in ages."

I smiled. We used to have regular game nights and even card tournaments, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

"Sure, why not."

Mum agreed as well, and Naoki dealt the cards. For a moment, I struggled to remember the rules, but soon enough, they started coming back to me: match the suit or number, and eights let you change the suit.

Naoki quickly took the lead, forcing me to draw more and more cards. I was definitely going to lose this round. I drew another card and froze when I saw it. It was the Jack of Hearts.

A sudden wave of heart palpitations hit me, sharp and inexplicable. I couldn't explain why the card felt so familiar, so important. Not just the card itself-this whole game felt like something I should remember.

"Tsuki? Hello?" Naoki waved a hand in front of my face, pulling me back to reality. "It's your turn."

I blinked, gripping the Jack tightly. My mind raced. In Crazy Eights, the Jack wasn't special, just another card... and yet, it felt like it was meant to be.

"Uh... I match hearts," I said quickly, placing an 8 onto the pile.

Naoki groaned dramatically. He'd never been good at hiding his emotions. Even with only two cards left, it was clear he didn't have any hearts. Within moments, he was holding a mountain of cards again, and Mum wasn't faring much better.

"Last card!" I called out triumphantly, sticking out my tongue at him.

"I demand a rematch! Now!" Naoki grumbled, clearly frustrated.

We played two more rounds, with Mum winning one and me the other. As it began to grow dark, we finally made our way back to my room.

But one thing stayed with me for the rest of the day:

The Jack of Hearts.

Something in my head seemed to want to remember. The card, its meaning-something about it lingered, just out of reach. But what? I couldn't quite figure it out yet.

In the german original they played a card game called Mau-Mau which is similar to Uno just with playing cards. I changed that cause I think that game is not really known outside germany. So now I choose Crazy Eights which I didn't know before but seemed to be the most similar game to Mau-Mau.

And I will probably change the upload day for this story to tuesday now cause I somehow don't manage to upload two of my stories on the same day.