I Do Not Dream Of Eating Your Pancreas (IWTEYP x Seishun Buta Yarō)

Chapter 12: The Bright Future

"Have you ever heard of Adolescence Syndrome?" "You've been so happy since you got yourself a girlfriend." "It's like a fairy tale, isn't it?" "What are you to her?"

Disembodied voices filled my mind, as I floated in a black void. Where was I? What was this? I tried recalling how I had ended up here, then remembered the acupuncture. I had thought I would simply wake up in my own bed again, but it didn't seem like it would be that simple.

I could see pulses of light around me, like I was floating in space staring at the stars. I drifted close to one, and I could see myself walking with Sakuta along the beach. Was this all the memories of the past few days?

"Someone once told me, the three phrases their three favorite phrases are thank you, you did your best, and I love you." I knew these words, I had imprinted them into my mind after that day, determined to remember them for the rest of my life. But why was I seeing this scene again? Was there a lesson I had yet to learn?

I tried to keep watching, but as Sakuta and myself continued walking, I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. I continued to drift in the void, spotting another light close by.

I could see Sakura now, the day where we ended up at the beach. "If I said that I felt like making a boyfriend, would you do all you could to help me?" I remembered being flustered by that question, unsure of what she was really asking me. But before I could hear my response, I was already headed towards the next light.

"Does this mean you still want to eat my pancreas?" This time I could see Sakuras face, tears silently falling as we held each other in that tight embrace. Was she really this moved by my words, my actions? I felt a tightness in my chest, as I looked upon her face.

But soon, that scene too drifted away from me, and I once again wandered the void. I could see more scenes as I passed by more of the lights, the time I spent with Sakura dominating most of them. Yet, some of the scenes I could see nothing, only hearing voices.

"We've heard so much about you, it's nice to finally meet you." That sounded a lot like Mai, and I couldn't recall ever hearing her say that. Before I could ponder it for long, I was drifting along once again.

"So you're actually going to man up? I'm surprised." Now I could hear Kyoko, yet still I couldn't see anything. What was this, were these events that were going to happen?

Once again, I drifted on from that light. I noticed that despite appearing randomly scattered, there was a sense of order to the lights. I could see that there was only a handful remaining on my path, so I continued onward.

"It's an experimental procedure, but there's a chance it could work." That sounded like Rio, but what procedure could she be referring to? Was it for me? No, she must be referring to Sakura. I tried to stay and hear more, but found myself drifting along involuntarily.

I soon found myself at the last light on this dark path. I could hear Sakura once again. "I have a request, but you don't have to say yes. I want you to decide if it's something you really want." What I want? "Ask me anything." I heard my own voice, surprised that I was getting more than just one line.

But my time was up, and I never heard her question. I could see all the lights in the distance, shrinking into nothingness as I drifted further away from them. Soon, all I could see was the darkness. But above me, the scene began to lighten as I felt my body drift upward.

The sound of an alarm clock dragged me back to reality. I reached over, eyes still closed, and turned off the alarm. Slowly, I cracked open my eyes to see my surroundings. Piles of books lined around the room, the familiar walls I was used to. I was finally home.