I Will Always Be By Your Side

Chapter 21

It's been a week since Jurina has finally woke up. She can now go on for short walks at the hospital garden.

"Your daughter has amnesia. Probably due to the head trauma that she got after being hit on the head. Her memory went back a year earlier prior to the incident." Dr. Shinoda explained.

"Will her present memories return?" Jurina's mother asked. "Maybe yes, maybe no. There are cases where the patient's memory will return. But there are also cases in which those memories that she lost won't ever return. What we can do right now is wait."

Jurina was about to walk towards her favorite spot behind the hospital - the bench underneath the Sakura tree, when she saw someone already sitting there.

"That girl..." She muttered as she recognized the girl who was sitting by the bench.

"Jurina? Can you hear me?" Those were the first words that she heard from that girl the moment that she woke up. The tears and worried look that the girl gave are still engraved on her mind.

-----

Rena was walking her way towards the garden of the hospital. The doctor said that she can be discharged in a week since her recovery is quite fast and that means that the police are the ones who will fetch her when the day comes as she's about to face the trial for the incident that nearly cost both her and Jurina's life.

"It's good to hear that you are healing quite fast." Inspector Takahashi said. Rena just gave her a faint smile. "And that means that you'll have to be facing the interrogation and the trial for what happened at the port."

"I know."

Rena sighed as she sat on the bench underneath the Sakura tree behind the hospital. She froze when her vision caught the girl standing not too far from her.

"Jurina?"

-----

"Do you think Jurina will eventually remember her?" Mayu asked as she leaned towards the railings of the rooftop of the hospital. "I don't know." Yuki replied as she looked down on the bench under the Sakura tree, the two of them watching from afar as the two Matsui's were about to meet each other again after both of them has finally woke up.

"I think we should stop watching them from up here." Mayu said as she turned around. "Why?" Yuki asked. "It feels like the two of us were stalking them." She replied, earning a laugh from the tall girl beside her. "You're right. I think we should go back to school and let them be."

------

Jurina stood there for a while, watching the girl until the girl lift her head and met her eyes. She decided to walk towards her.

"Jurina?" Rena was the first one to speak when Jurina reached her. "Uhm... Uh... Hi?" Jurina said hesitantly. An awkward silence enveloped them as the two of them just stare at each other. Jurina was the first one to broke the eye contact and she looked around, avoiding Rena's stare.

"Looks like you are also recovering pretty fast." Rena said, making Jurina look at her. "Huh? Ah yeah."

"You can sit here, if you want. I was about the went back to my room anyway." Rena said and was about to get up when Jurina stopped her. "Oh no. It's fine. You don't have to move just because I'm here. You're sitting here first."

"Oh ok." Rena moved to her side so Jurina could sit. "You can sit here then." Jurina sat down hesitantly.

"Ano... Mayu said that the two of us are classmates in my new school." Jurina said without looking at her. "I'm sorry if I wasn't able to recognize you." She continued.

"It's alright." Rena replied. "But still... It made you sad that I wasn't able to remember you, right?" Jurina said, making Rena look at her. "What made you say that?" Rena asked. Well, what Jurina said wasn't entirely wrong as it pained her when Jurina wasn't able to recognize her when she woke up but after Yuki and Dr. Shinoda explained to her Jurina's condition, somehow it made her feel relieved as she thinks that Jurina can continue her life normally even if she's not in the picture. For her it means that Jurina won't be in danger anymore.

"Your reaction that day when I woke up says it all. Also I can still see the sadness in your eyes when you look at me." Jurina explained. 

"I don't know what happened to you that you were brought here to the same hospital as mine but I hope you can also recover soon enough. If you're my classmate, that means that we're friends as well." Jurina said with a smile. Rena's heart almost dropped when she saw that smile from Jurina. It was the same warm smile that she saw during their first meeting.

"I will be going in first. My mom might be looking for me." Jurina said as she stood up.

"By the way, since I don't remember anything on my recent days, can I ask for your name?"

"It's Rena. Matsui Rena."

"Ah it's cool, we have the same surname. Nice to meet you Rena-chan!" Jurina said, offering her hand which Rena took hesitantly. "N-Nice to meet you too... Jurina."