“A- Apollo?” Lucy said, slowly waking from her slumber. I sat there, a smile being clearly visible on my face.

“Welcome back Lucy.” I said, trying to hold back all of my emotion.

“W- What happened?” Lucy said. Although, almost immediately after her question, it seemed as though her answer struck her.

“A- Apollo? Did you sa-” Lucy paused to cough.

“Don’t push yourself.” I said. The nurse silently nodded, while calling a doctor in.

Although, when the doctor arrived, I was asked to leave.

I did, and the walk home was a mix of happiness, sadness, and wonder.

I was glad that Lucy woke up, but I might have to wait a while before I can see her. She might even be impacted by the experience in the future, since she has the underlying condition. Which, what is that?

I walked in my own home, ready to have dinner. I walked up to my mom, asking what was ready.

“Hold on. We’re having- Apollo?”

“What?” I asked,

“You’re crying?”

“W- What is this?” I said, wiping the tears from my face with my shirt.

“What’s going on?” Mom asked. I didn’t know how to answer. Was I really this completely emotion blasted by the waking of someone I barely know?

“I- I don’t know.”

“I don’t think that’s the case. Is it about the fire? More specifically, the girl you dove in there for?”

I think my mom’s a psychic.

“Ye- Yeah… She just woke up today.”

“Wow! That’s great news!”

“But, she might have some kind of underlying condition that keeps her bedridden.”

“That’s not good. But, you should always look on the bright side. You still don’t know that, she could be awake tomorrow.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Now, let’s have some dinner.”

I ate dinner slowly, and walked back upstairs. I watched the news on TV. I really didn’t care much, but I really wasn’t paying attention to the TV, so it was just more white noise than anything.

Until a segment came on that was dedicated to- ME?

I watched as a video played of me rushing into that building, and saving Lucy.

“I never agreed to this!” I said out loud, but still watched intently.

I checked the channel, this was national news. I threw my forehead into my palms, saying to myself, “Why couldn’t I have combed my hair to go to the convenience store?”

Why did I do this all for some girl? WHY!?

So that night, I fell asleep trying to comprehend the greater scheme of what I was going through.

There was no way I could understand it then.

Again, I woke up. Again, I ate breakfast. Again, I walked to school. Again, I walked through the hallways. And again, I was pointed at.

Although I could withstand everything normally, my mental state was particularly awful today.

The weight of this one girl. The weight of that split second decision to go after her, it was slowly breaking my body away, making sure it wouldn’t ever be able to stand back up after it fell.

So, I went throughout my day with minimum effort. I blocked everything out, stopping myself from thinking about the horrible mess I had gotten into.

But even after school, even with my terrible mental state, I still made the effort to find myself placed inside of the very hospital Lucy was housed in.

So I walked up to the front desk.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I could feel my very heart pumping blood to my body as I slowly started to say something to the front desk lady.

“C- Could I visit Lucy please?” I said, quivering while awaiting my denial of entry.

“I was told to only allow one person. Do you happen to be Atsushi Apollo?”

“Yes.” I said, holding in my questions, excitement, and everything else.

And so, I walked up to the door. I was shaking, wondering what sort of sorry state Lucy would be in.

And saw Lucy, alive and well. Standing up doing cartwheels.