The Café Between Worlds

Miss Belle returned to Ren's room, this time accompanied by a doctor. The man wore a calm expression as he approached Ren’s bed, clipboard in hand.

"Ren, it’s good to see you awake," the doctor said with a reassuring tone. "We’ve been monitoring your condition closely. Overall, you’re doing well, but your right leg is broken. You’ll need to stay in the hospital a bit longer until we can begin therapy for your leg."

Ren nodded, feeling a wave of relief that his injuries weren’t life-threatening, though the news of his broken leg barely registered in his mind. His thoughts were fixated on one thing—Kazuha.

He needed to know what had happened to her. He tried to recall their time in the afterlife, the things Kazuha had said. She had mentioned that life wasn’t the same when he was gone. But the accident…they were together. So, if he was in the hospital now, surely, she was too. But why had she ended up in the afterlife later than him? Had she gotten lost? All these questions buzzed in his mind, swirling like a storm.

As the doctor continued talking, explaining the recovery process, Ren’s head began to spin again. The dizziness crept back, making him feel light-headed. Miss Belle, noticing his discomfort, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ren, are you alright?" she asked gently, concern in her voice.

Ren took a deep breath, steadying himself. He couldn’t hold back any longer. "Miss Belle... Kazuha—where is she? Is she okay?"

Miss Belle hesitated, her kind eyes clouding with worry. Ren could sense it immediately—something wasn’t right. His heart sank further as he waited for her to speak.

After a long pause, Belle sighed softly, as if weighing her words. "Ren... Kazuha is in a coma too. But... she hasn’t woken up yet."

The room felt like it had dropped several degrees. Ren’s chest tightened, and the panic that had been quietly gnawing at him erupted into full-blown dread. "How long has she been in a coma?" he asked, his voice shaky, afraid of the answer.

"Four days," Belle replied softly, her tone cautious, as if she were trying to ease the blow.

Ren furrowed his brow, confusion and anxiety mixing together. "But... why? We were in the same accident, right? So why am I... why did I wake up before her?"

Belle stepped closer, her expression pained. She seemed reluctant, but she knew Ren needed the truth. "Yes, you were together. But, Ren, Kazuha... she was missing for six hours before they found her."

Ren’s eyes widened in shock. "Six hours?"

Belle nodded, her voice soft and careful. "You were brought to the hospital first. Your injuries were severe, but manageable. But Kazuha... when they found her, her condition was much worse. She had been unconscious for six hours before anyone knew where she was. At first, the doctors were unsure if she would make it. But..." Belle’s lips formed a small, hopeful smile. "Kazuha’s strong, Ren. She’s still fighting. The doctors have hope."

Ren felt a flood of emotions—fear, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of relief. She was still alive, still fighting. The reality of her being missing for six hours weighed heavily on him, but he couldn’t help but feel grateful that she was still here. He smiled unconsciously at the thought of her strength. Even in her most fragile state, Kazuha was a fighter.

"So, that’s why..." Ren mumbled, thinking back to their time in the afterlife. "That’s why she appeared later… she wasn’t found right away."

Ren closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a long breath. He was relieved, though the weight of Kazuha’s situation still pressed down on him. But she was here—alive. That was all that mattered for now.

Belle glanced at him, noticing the exhaustion creeping into his expression. "You should get some rest, Ren. You’ve been through a lot. I’ll go and sit with Kazuha for a while."

Ren opened his eyes and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Miss Belle. For everything."

Belle returned his smile, a motherly warmth in her eyes. "You don’t have to thank me. You just focus on getting better."

With that, she left the room quietly, leaving Ren to process everything that had just been said. As much as his mind wanted to race through all the unanswered questions, his body was too tired to keep up. His thoughts drifted back to Kazuha, and the relief that she was still holding on was enough to let him rest, even if only for a little while.