Not So Common Slice Of Life

Walking down the streets of the bustling streets of Tokyo was a young man dressed in school uniform.

He was quite handsome, with his black hair tied into a ponytail and blue eyes that shined with serenity that masked dejection.

Haruki Takashi revised his notes as he walked to school. He was what people would call a prodigy.

Haruki excelled in every subject at school, never showing any sign of leaving his top spot. At the same time, he was talented in sports and the arts. However, he had not dedicated as much time to them as he found academics to be more important.

His excellence had led to the envy and admiration of many of his peers. He was also helpful and friendly, leaving no one to find fault with him.

Only a few knew that behind the facade he presented lay a scene Haruki thought to be depressing.

While Haruki presented himself as perfect, his family happened to fall short. His mother was a renowned scientist who immersed herself in her work. His father, a failed artist, found comfort in alcohol.

The once harmonious scene was shattered, replaced by silence.

"This headache is getting worse."

Haruki routinely grabbed a blister pack of pills as he popped one pill into his mouth. He had been having these headaches frequently lately. He had also experienced moments of disorientation and blurred vision.

Haruki hid all of this. He did not want his already fractured family to split apart even further. He naively thought that one day, his family would be gathered once more to celebrate his achievements.

His parents had never missed an awards ceremony.

Haruki knew what was going on with him, but he did not want to be a burden. He threw himself deeper into his studies in an attempt to find some sort of solace.

"What the..."

Before he could even attempt to regain balance, Haruki passed out on the cold pavement.

"Are you okay?!"

"Someone, call an ambulance!"

....

*Beep* * Beep*

"What... Where am I?"

As Haruki slowly opened his eyes, see found himself surrounded by unfamiliar sights and sounds.

His distorted vision made the white walls appear closer than they really seemed. The light from the fluorescent lights flickered over him. Adding to his disorientation.

The humming and beeping of medical equipment echoed around him as he struggled to focus on a singular sound.

"Am I... in a hospital room?"

Haruki could make sense of his surroundings. He could feel the tubes in his skin and the beeping of the heart monitor. Haruki grew flustered as he recalled that he had passed out.

Although he wanted to get out of the white sheets that covered him, he knew better than to make a bad situation worse.

After a while of looking around, he found the call button near his bed. He pressed after tiring all the strength in his arm. Soon after, a doctor and a nurse walked into the hospital.

"Takashi-kun, it's good to see that you're awake."

The doctor spoke slowly, understanding that Haruki may still be disorientated.

"How long have I been out for?"

"It has been almost two hours since you entered the building, so probably two hours and fifteen minutes. It's good that emergency services were able to rush you in so quickly."

The doctor let Haruki process his thoughts before turning serious.

"Takashi-kun, to be frank with you, you don't have very long to live."

Haruki remained silent about this fact. A quick Google search would have been able to find the cause of his symptoms.

"I know that the boy genius would have some knowledge of what he is plagued with."

Even the doctor had heard of Haruki before, a testament to how monstrous his talents truly were.

The doctor released a sigh at Haruki's lack of response.

"You are way past the stage of four cancer due to a malignant medulloblastoma brain tumour. Frankly, I don't even understand how you were able to continue with your day to day tasks. You should be below twenty on the Karnofsky Performance Scale."

At this point, even Haruki was aware of the fact that there wasn't any hope for him.

"Thank you for the diagnosis."

Haruki seemed to accept this fact very calmly, almost as if the life on the life wasn't his.

'A strong boy...'

The doctor had seen very few people who were as accepting of death as the boy. Most of those who had were usually the elderly who were surrounded by their families.

Haruki had accepted this alone.

'How cruel.'

The doctor lamented Haruki's fate. Perhaps the heavens had given him his talents in exchange for his life.

"By the way, your parents are on their way."

"Really!?"

Haruki seemed to have lost all signs of exhaustion at the mention of his parents. Just this animated expression reminded the doctor of Haruki's age.

'He's still a child.'

"Yes, although it took a bit of effort, both your parents are on their way. Your father should be here first."

For the first time in a while, Haruki smiled as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes.

________

Always first name followed by last name.

Medulloblastoma is a cancerous brain tumour that grows in the cerebellum.

Karnofsky Performance Scale is used to measure a person's functionality. The higher it is, the healthier a person is.