HanTsuki:Volume 4 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Warm Days (*Translation in progress. As a non-native speaker, the translator toils to translate the chapter in appropriate grammar. Translator's comment is marked with *. To quote Shakespeare: 'Is now the two hours' traffic of our stage—The which, if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.')

(*Any comment on my use of present tense instead of past tense? I feel that we are engaging all the events with the narrator, mostly Yiuchi, so I keep using present tense. Does that make sense? Especially the thoughts of the narrator, they really need to be in present tense, because it reflects how he/she changes his/her mind over time.)

Sits in front of me is an old door.

A door which can be broken with a light kick. The hinge is fragile and thin. If intended, it can be kicked off easily. To me, however, it is a solid door, far more secure than heavy iron ones. I can never step to the world inside, let alone breaking it.

Written on a plastic label was revealed above the door:

ICU--- (*intensive care unit)

Though an idiot like me would never know what English words are those initial standing for, I know, for certain, that it is translated as emergency room. (*Don't really know how to translate this...) Here in the Municipal Wakaba Hospital has patients drove in with ambulance, but surprisingly, half of them are not emergency--a few hours after arriving, they will be walking out of the hospital with embarrassment. It is said that, the real severe ones, like those who facing deaths, amount to ten to twenty percent only. Those severe patient would be carried to here (*Refers to ICU) after treatments. And, some portion in the group......I don't know how many though, cannot live.

This is such a place.

A few days after the operation,Rika is still living, like Natsume said, the operation was successful. However, Rika presently cannot leave ICU, and no sign of doing so. Such a situation makes my mind go wild. Depicted in my mind was a simpler future: if the operation was successful, the situation would turn right, I can meet Rika immediately after the operation. Rika would smile to me, following her, I would also smile. And we will making jokes, being happy, very happy. However, if the operation was failed, the world would be destroyed and no way to go on.

Nevertheless, the world is not as simple as this. Even though the operation was successful, everything was not put to an end, at the same time never started. I am confused, when the reality of 'success' reals, the dungeon of despair also unseals.

Indeed, just like hovering in the midair.

I cannot laugh nor can I cry. There is no one who could tell me which to do. If the operation succeed, there is a brave new world waiting up front! I was convinced with this line of thought before, but such a superficial hope is slowly fading.

Finally, the door leads to ICU was opened.

"Oh, miss Akiko."

A shadow, which I eagerly approached to, leaked.

"Yeah." Miss Akiko said:

"You are still here?!"

"Y, yes."

I saw Miss Akiko entered ICU one hour ago, therefore, I kept waiting here.

"How is Rika?"

"Well, she is surprisingly recovering smoothly."

"Ok."

I let out a breathe, which carries all my strengthen in my kneels.

"Great."

"Ok, time to leave now."

"Oh, right."

I followed Miss Akiko. I don't know why, Miss Akiko is rushing in her steps. She seems to be raising her shoulder. Recently, Miss Akiko keep look like this, speak very little. She is not angry, but, out of no reason, she would give me a harsh look. What is going on......

"Well, Yuichi."

"Yes?"

In a split second, our eyes met.

"Well..."

"Huh?"

"...Never mind."

Miss Akiko seldom behaves so confusingly. There must be something going on. Suddenly I am disturbed, because I feel that her strange words and acts maybe related to Rika's sickness.

Unconsciously, I spoke:

"Miss Akiko, may I ask."

"What?"

In a split second, our eyes met again.

"Well...I..."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

God! Why is using language so hard? Even ten percent of thought in my mind cannot be conveyed clearly! Oh, maybe not. Maybe it is my mind which is confused.

I am not even sure of myself.

After that, we both kept our mouth shut, keep walking on the ramp or the hallway. I have many things to speak or to ask, but in the end none is turn to words.

We arrived the medical station in this way.

Miss Akiko stopped in front of the door.

"By the way, are you writing the reports?"

"Oh, I did nothing."

"Idiot, you really are an idiot! If you cannot hand in the reports, aren't going to repeat? Like me, I was failing all the time too, but I have never repeated."

I am flooded with anguish and say:

"What do you mean by 'like me'? I am not failing all the time, just a subject or two."

"But, you are going to repeat, right?"

"Well, that is right..."

"Rika is working hard, you should do so too."

Miss Akiko smiled after she speaks.

"You tone seems like a nurse just then."

"..."

"Wa, what? What does that look mean? Well, young-lings are not cute recently, they never say 'I will work hard!' honestly."

"(*??)pong!" My head was hit! Ouch! Why is she hitting me?! A person like her!

"Ouch, Miss Akiko was making fun of me just then, right?"

"Hahahaha."

"You are laughing too?"

Even if I have said that, I am also laughing.

"Quickly get back to your room."

"Yes, yes and yes. Understood."

But when I were to walk, I was stopped.

"Yuichi, you know what?"

"Huh? What?"

I am still immersed in the funny moment, brightly asked. However, Miss Akiko has already withdraw her smile. Indeed, the grin is no where to be found. Oh, Miss Akiko's mouth is moving, what did she said? The word, the reality, soon to be heard, which I am anticipating, but at the same time what I have been dodging for will soon arrive.

Despair?

Hope?

Of course, I cannot be prepared mentally. I can only wait for the words with shiver. But, Miss Akiko stopped her lips. Then, Miss Akiko shown a dim light in her eyes, which I know by heart. It is the same as Natsume's eyes after the operation.

Miss Akiko is also sympathising with me.

我當然不可能做好了什麽心理准備,只能顫抖著等候那話語,但是,亞希子小姐的雙唇停了下來.隨後,亞希子小姐雙眸中所浮現的淡淡光輝,是我再清楚不過的了,那和手術一結束,潛藏于夏目雙眸中的情緒簡直如出一轍.

 亞希子小姐也在可憐我.
 "快回病房去吧,臭小鬼."
 "……"
 "否則的話,我看你一輩子都別想出院啦."
 然後,亞希子小姐邊走進醫護站.
 或許該說是"逃"進去的較爲貼切.
 奇怪了,有什麽事是我所不知道的.而且所有人……不管是夏目或亞希子小姐還是其他護士都在隱瞞那件事.
 突然,胸口覺得好痛苦.
 我當場蹲下.
 "沒辦法……呼吸了……"
 我有在吸氣,也有在吐氣.
 我的確在呼吸.
 但是,爲什麽感覺如此痛苦呢?

(* Terms for consistent with other translation: Municipal Wakaba Hospital Akiko Tanizaki Rika Akiba Yūichi Ezaki Gorō Natsume Tsukasa Sekoguchi Tamotsu Yamanishi Miyuki Mizutani)