Chapter 159：Arranged Coincidence

Takeshi closes a door as quiet as possible after he enters the room. He glances at the bed on the center of the room. Aiko is still sleeping. He brought her back to hospital where she stays during her treatment. Her personal doctor just checked her up and ensured him that she is okay, despite of the fever she might have after running through rain.

With a sigh, Takeshi sits on the sofa on the wall near the bed. His clothes are dry again. His cellular rings. Takeshi immediately receives it before the second ring.

"Yes, Sir. I found her. She is okay now, you don't have to worry. Sure, Sir. I will update you frequently," Takeshi says to the man on the phone before the call is ended. He throws his head back while closing his eyes. He almost falls asleep when he hears a nearly unheard voice.

"Ta.. Takeshi-san ?" Aiko's voice is weakly heard. Takeshi opens his eyes and raises his head to look at Aiko. To see Aiko is awake, he then stands and approaches her back.

"You awake already.."

"Is it really you ?"

They talk simultaneously. Takeshi chuckles then nods. "It's really me," he says it gently.

"How can you find me ?" Aiko asks. "It was a coincidence. I was just coming out of a kombini when I saw a girl carelessly crossed the street. Turned out she was you," Takeshi answers lightly then shrugs, "I guess it's my destiny to save you from hit by cars."

Aiko widens her eyes. "You remember ?" she asks in surprised. Takeshi nods. "You're the little girl I saved years ago," he says that makes her smiles from cheek to cheek. "When did you remember ?" Aiko asks. Takeshi shrugs. "When we were rolling on the street. Suddenly it felt like deja vu," he answers. Takeshi then drags a backless chair to the bedside and sits on it.

"I thought you were abroad," Takeshi's words make Aiko loses her smile. "I.. I came back," she says in stammered. Finding out Takeshi's gaze at her chest, she reflexively puts her hand over her chest, then realizes why Takeshi is staring at that part of her body. She drops down her head. "I.. I lied to you.. I actually went for my breast surgery," she tells him the truth with a very low head. "I.. I had breast cancer," she continues. "そうか (So ka - I see)," Takeshi responds, putting a little surprise to his tone while making small nods, but he also manages to hide his pity look.

"So the cancer is gone, right ? Good for you !" he says it in light. Aiko stares at him then nodding. "Yes, it is," she agrees, replying Takeshi's wide smile.

"What are you doing here at Osaka ?" Aiko then asks. "My mother just had a heart surgery, but in a different hospital," Takeshi answers. His smile fades a little but soon he raises it again. "She is fine now. That's why I could go outside for a little bit, and turned out meeting you," he continues. He then furrows his eyebrows. "So what were you doing walking like zombie in the middle of the rain like that ?" he asks.

"I.. I just sick being in the room all days. So I sneaked out of the hospital, when to the temple for praying. But then it was rain and my lens suddenly dropped and went missing. So .. so I was confused," Aiko tells him her story. Takeshi stares at her deep while she drops her head low again. Her two last statements were a lie. This girl is too naive to lie. Playing dumb, Takeshi just pets her head, telling her not to do that again. Her wig must be a premium quality one since the hair feels exactly like real one. "It was so boring here," she complains. "I will occasionally visit you, if you promise me not to do it again," Takeshi says his offer. Once again Aiko widens her eyes. "You really will ?" she asks in disbelief. Takeshi nods to confirm. She then nods to agree with a wide smile.

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"お早う! (Ohayo - Good Morning)," Takeshi utters his greeting while popping his head from the slightly opened door. "お早う (Ohayo)," Aiko greets him back with cheerful voice. She is half laying on her bed, while letting a nurse checking her up. "I bring you some flowers," Takeshi says while approaches her with a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. Aiko's eyes open wide in surprised. "ありがと ございます (arigato gozaimasu - thank you)," she says heartily after receiving the flowers. Smelling the nice fragrant of them, there are sparkles in her eyes.

"How are you today ?" Takeshi asks. "I feel wonderful," Aiko answers. The nurse beside her smiles. "Her fever is subsiding to almost normal," the nurse reports to Takeshi. Takeshi nods in relieved. "But you must eat your breakfast and take your medicine," the nurse turns her words to Aiko. "はい, わかります (Hai, Wakarimasu - Yes, I understand)," Aiko says obediently. The nurse then leaves the room for a moment before comes back with a tray of food, then pulls the tray's legs before puts it in front of Aiko. It is only a bowl of plain porridge and a small plate of few pills. Aiko starts to spoon the porridge, puts it inside her mouth then gulps it, not even bother to chew. She squints a little when the porridge going down her throat.

"Is it that bad ?" Takeshi asks. Aiko shrugs. "Actually I can taste nothing beside bitter. The doctor said it is the side effect of the therapy," she says emotionlessly, but her immediate smile brightens her face. "But I can bare it.. well, most of the time," Aiko says with a cute voice. Takeshi who has sat on the couch smiles as he watches her eating. His mind goes to his conversation with Aiko's father couple of days ago.

"My request is simple. I just want you to make Aiko happy. I do not urge you to state any relationship with my daughter. She is a simple mind girl. She's never asked much. So, you being with her should already makes her happy," Mr. Waseda said to him. Takeshi nodded understandably.

Takeshi was not totally lying when he said he was just going out of the kombini when he saw Aiko carelessly crossed the street.. What he didn't tell her was that he deliberately went to her hospital before and found out that she was missing. Then he had to find her all around the area. Luckily, he saw her praying at a temple near the hospital. So he decided to wait for her at the kombini near the temple's gate. So much for a coincidence, huh ?