One for Three

Chapter 22

A dull pain brought me back to reality, although I couldn't pinpoint its exact location. I heard a steady beeping sound behind me. So I was still alive. My eyes felt heavy, but I tried to open them. The bright daylight blinded me for a moment, and it took some time for my vision to clear.

I found myself in a hospital room. Several cables and tubes connected me to a large machine behind me. My right arm was in a cast. On my left side, there lay a mop of black hair. Mamoru. He was here with me. How long had I been here?

I hesitantly raised my hand and ran it through his hair. He jolted awake and smiled with relief. "Bunny, you're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked with concern, gently grasping my forearm. My head throbbed as if a truck had run over it. I blinked confusedly, trying to remember what had happened. Eventually, I recalled the red car and the tree coming towards me.

"I think I'm fine, but my head hurts. What are you doing here?" I whispered hoarsely.

"You had a car accident shortly after our conversation yesterday. Setsuna called me when she saw your name in the emergency room. You were incredibly lucky."

Setsuna... yes, I vaguely knew her. She was his colleague, and we had gone out to eat a few times. She was the head of the emergency room or something. So I had been in a car accident.

"What happened?" I murmured.

"The police haven't concluded their investigation yet, but your car was wrapped around a tree. You were really lucky. You only broke your arm and suffered a mild concussion. However, you'll definitely need a new car since yours is completely totaled."

I had to hold back a laugh. "So after four years, your wish finally comes true."

But in an instant, Saphir crossed my mind, and my emerging laughter died down. His girlfriend, Rina, had died in a car accident back then. Did he have something to do with this accident? I swallowed hard. If he was involved in the accident, would he try again since I was still alive?

Mamoru ran his fingers over my chin. "Bunny, what do you remember?"

I pondered and tried to recall as many details as possible. Everything seemed blurry. It took some time to piece the fragments together in my mind. Slowly, a complete picture emerged. But before I could start, the room door swung open. My heart skipped a beat. No! Please, don't let it be true! Damn it! Shit! Mamoru's head turned as well, his hand still resting on mine. Diamond walked straight towards me, completely ignoring Mamoru. He stopped at the foot of my bed and raised an eyebrow skeptically. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and goosebumps covered my body. The oppressive silence filled the room, no one spoke, but the tension in the air was palpable.

"Was it Saphir?" Diamond finally asked, breaking the silence. His dominant personality filled the entire space.

I glanced from a puzzled Mamoru back to Diamond, who was just standing there casually. Although his features were heavily strained, his hands clenched into fists, he appeared calm. I could only imagine what was going on inside him, and it wasn't something good.

"I... I can't say for sure. The only thing I remember is a red car. It overtook me, then kept cutting me off, and eventually, the brakes failed... Suddenly, there was that tree in the curve. The last thing I remember is pressing the button."

Diamond listened attentively to my account and nodded. So he also believed it was Saphir's doing.

"I've already inquired, and your brakes were tampered with. I'm going to kill him!" he hissed angrily.

"Hold on a minute. Can someone please explain what's going on here? Bunny, who is this guy? Why would someone tamper with your brakes?" Mamoru had snapped out of his daze. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.