Heart restored A heart that is restored EP1

"Ta-Tanabe-kun..."


Rituko blushed and looked troubled.


"Hey, Madoka-chan. Rituko and I are not like that..."


"Really, you're such a coward, Tanabe. Mayumi-sensei told me, he becomes really timid when it comes to the most important moment. So she said, if there was such a time, I should hit him and make him express his feelings honestly. That's why I'm not going easy on Tanabe-sensei now. And Ritu-chan too."


Madoka-chan said that while looking at us two.

"I guess I'll go buy some incense and flowers. There was a flower shop nearby, so I'll go there."


"And then you two... Do your best... Okay!!"


She left us behind and walked away briskly.

I glanced at her back. The loneliness and the straight ahead that she felt in the back of Madoka Akishima, who was in my eyes now.


Looking at her figure, we both felt like our time had stopped since we lost Mayumi.

At least, I felt it too... Rituko's feelings...


Mayumi knew that. And she also knew that her future was about to end...

Is that why? I didn't feel uncomfortable that Mayumi secretly entrusted this to Madoka Akishima.


Honestly, Rituko was Mayumi's sister. I always told myself that.

When Mayumi left this world, and Rituko moved to America, I didn't care about her. No, I didn't have the luxury. That was the truth.


If I had honestly confessed my true feelings to Rituko at that time...

I love Mayumi. No, I loved her...

I was supposed to love her when she was alive.


But the lump in my heart, I tried to erase it by strengthening my feelings for Mayumi. I really knew somewhere that it was painful that Mayumi was gone from this world, from before me.


"Hey, Koichi, aren't you trying too hard? You should live more freely as you like."


I remembered the words my mother said to me when I was still in high school.

Was I pushing myself too hard?

There were many hard and fun things in my life with my mother alone.

But even the hard things are now gone memories.


"Be honest with yourself."


"Yes, I like the honest Koichi best."


"Ta-Na-Be-kun... I'm not here anymore, so you should pay more attention to yourself soon."


A voice that seemed to come from the gravestone. A voice that seemed to be heard. A strange feeling voice seeped into my chest.


Rituko who kept looking down.

Her feelings... They had been soaked and conveyed for a long time.


"Rituko"

"Ye-Yes..."

She replied as if she had come to her senses.


"Hey, wasn't I honest?"

Rituko slowly raised her face and nodded lightly at me.


"I see..."

"Were you pushing yourself?"

"I don't know... But I know you were suffering."


"You too... And my sister..."


"I see..."


"Hey Rituko, I still love Mayumi. That feeling will probably never disappear. No, I don't think I can erase it. But..."


She squeezed my hand and said.


"I know. But my sister is gone. And even when she was alive, I was watching you. Always, always, just watching. I might be a selfish woman. I fell in love with my sister's boyfriend. But I couldn't give up on you. My sister died and I ran away to America. To escape from my feelings and my thoughts. But I came back to Japan again. And again in front of you, I tried to burn this figure into your eyes and heart. You know that you can never forget Tanabe-kun, right? And that you will love her forever too. I know that too. But still... My feelings have completely returned to those days. To me who loves you..."


"I love you, Tanabe Kouichi. I love you. As much as my sister does. So please... Keep loving my sister forever. Loving her forever is the only way for me to stay connected with you... My sister... Ma-Mayumi-sister..."


Tears flowed down Rituko's eyelids.

Those tears were not tears of regret.

They were tears that expressed her true feelings...


"Be honest with yourself. Kouichi. You're holding back too much. It was so hard to see you like that. As a mother... As if I'm putting a sin on my beloved child..."


"Mom..."


At that moment, my body moved on its own.

I hugged Rituko tightly. Strongly and warmly.

I whispered softly in her ear.


"Can I be honest..."


Rituko nodded slightly.


"Can I love both of you? Is that okay with you? This, this... Will you accept me? ...Rituko"


"Idiot... I don't need an answer."


Suddenly, our lips quietly overlapped.

A tear finally flowed from my eyelid.


My feelings for Mayumi are not disappearing. Mayumi's feelings are changing into a new soft feeling.


"Phew, thank goodness. It seems to have worked out somehow."

Madoka Akishima took out her smartphone.


"Yeah, Uncle Joumi, it's Madoka. I just completed the mission."

"Sorry, Madoka-chan. I made you look after the stubborn adults... And I made you go through a hard time too."


"Oh, Uncle Joumi, I haven't given up yet. If there's a gap in those two, I'll sneak in anytime."

"Hahaha, is that so? Is your persistence inherited from your parents?"


"No, it's not. It's because of Mayumi-sensei and Tanabe-sensei. I really like those two. I love them. Of course, Rituko-sensei too. But I like Tanabe-sensei. That's why I don't give up. Oh, I don't mean it in a weird way, Uncle. Just in case."


"I know. How about it, how about a meal to thank you next time? Or do you hate this old man?"

"Hmm, what should I do... If you're a dandy uncle, maybe French would be nice."


"Hahaha, okay, I'll make a reservation at a good place."

"Of course it's a course, right?"

"I know. Thank you very much. Madoka-chan."


"No, I'm glad I could be of help to Tanabe-sensei. Well then, I'm looking forward to the French."



"Mayumi-kun, the first stage of our promise seems to have gone well. Now it's my turn. As a surgeon, as a staff member of the medical department... No, as Joumi Kouzaburou, I'll finish what you left behind. Mayumi-kun."


He muttered as he took out an old notebook from the back of his desk drawer.


He turned the pages of the notebook nostalgically and stopped his hand at a certain page.


There was data of a certain patient written there.

And in between that, there was a photo.


A picture of a parent and child smiling happily and snuggling in the hospital room.

The mother with terminal cancer and the son who were shown in the picture did not feel any fear of losing their lives.


The fact that he knew. The innocence that remained.


The figure of a high school boy was there.




******

The copyright of this novel belongs to "Etuha Sakakihara さかき原枝都は".

Copying or resembling this novel is prohibited.


Click here for the original Japanese text

emergency doctor

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/1177354054883893123

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