The Moon’s Ship That Crosses The Night: Chapter 18
The next day, he woke up at noon.
Since he had gone to bed before nine, he had slept for nearly fifteen hours.
Thanks to that deep sleep, his head felt clearer than yesterday. He could hear
footsteps and the sound of the toilet flushing—so the man was still in the
house.
"Good morning."
When he spoke, the man lifted his
head but didn’t meet his gaze. A faint stubble shadowed his narrow jaw, his
gray hair was a tangled mess like a bird’s nest, and his shirt was covered in
wrinkles. Kawase hadn’t bathed in two days either, so he wasn’t in great shape
himself, but the man was on a whole other level.
Feeling hungry, he took out the
sandwiches and rice balls he had bought yesterday and stored in the fridge.
Just like before, he placed them on a plate for the man.
"It’s breakfast and lunch in
one."
He set the plate in front of him,
placing it in the same spot as yesterday. Without hesitation, the man reached
out with his left hand and brought a sandwich to his mouth. Kawase tore open a
rice ball wrapper and started eating as well. The room was quiet. The sound of
their chewing mixed occasionally with the hum of passing car engines outside.
On Friday, he had genuinely thought
the man might die, but today and yesterday, he seemed relatively stable. If it
stayed like this, maybe he could entrust him to someone else.
"Do you have any
siblings?"
After a brief pause, the man
replied, "No."
"You have relatives in
Hokkaido, don’t you?"
The man’s hand, which had been
bringing a sandwich to his mouth, froze.
"No."
"Not even one?"
"My grandmother was estranged
from her relatives. My mother was an only child. I’ve never met anyone I could
call family."
"Then what about your father’s
side—"
"My mother was a
mistress."
The man said it so matter-of-factly
that Kawase had no response. A wave of guilt washed over him for prying too
much. He had assumed the man had relatives in Hokkaido and had already been
planning things in his head—he would take the last flight there today, leave
him with family, spend the night, and catch the earliest flight back the next
morning. He would have to take some time off work, but that could be arranged.
Yet, it wasn’t going to be that simple.
The man had said this wasn’t the
first time he had gone blind. Last time, it had healed in ten days. If that was
the case, would it be the same this time too? Did that mean Kawase would have
to look after him for those ten days? They had nothing to do with each other
anymore—just former coworkers—so why was he the one stuck with this
responsibility?
But on the other hand, maybe it
wouldn’t even take ten days. The last time, it had happened after a funeral.
His mother’s death must have been a major psychological stressor. This time,
was it because he had wanted to die but had been stopped? But if he had died,
everything would have ended.
If stress was the cause, seeing a
mental health professional might stabilize his condition and help his sight
return sooner. But the doctor at the general hospital yesterday had believed
the man’s lies and refused to admit him. Going back there wasn’t an option.
Then…
"It’s because of psychological
stress that you lost your sight, right?"
Kawase asked, seeking confirmation.
"The doctor I saw last time
said so."
After a brief pause, Kawase finally
spoke.
"I know a specialist. Would you
be willing to see them?"
"It’s a hassle..."
The man’s half-hearted response came
with a lazy yawn, which irritated Kawase.
"Isn’t it inconvenient not
being able to see? You can’t even walk outside properly on your own, and
yesterday, you burned yourself—"
"I don’t mind being
blind."
...He had no words.
That I don’t mind being blind
didn’t sound like empty bravado. This was someone who had tried to die just two
days ago. A man who had been ready to throw everything away probably didn’t
care about losing his sight.
"You might not care, but I want
you to see again. So we’re going to the hospital."
The man chuckled.
"W-What’s so funny?"
His shoulders shook slightly as he
laughed, then he murmured, "Do whatever you want."
Comments
Post a Comment