Chapter 2: Our Hero

"Humans can't help but weigh the pros and cons of everything. It's inevitable. But... if you ever see someone in trouble right in front of you, don't think about gain or loss—just reach out and help them."

That was something my father used to say often—the same father who died shielding a child from an accident. Even now, his words stayed with me.

I’d always tried to do what I could, within reason. Of course, as just a kid, there wasn’t much I could do.

In other words, I’d never faced a situation that was truly beyond my abilities.

But there was one thing I had learned.

That hesitation wasn’t an option.

"What happened?"

"...I don’t know."

A man’s voice came from a short distance away. Shuka and I broke into a run toward the commotion.

A crowd had already gathered, murmuring restlessly. I tried to peer through the gaps between people—and then I saw her. A woman, collapsed on the ground.

"Mom! Snap out of it! Hey, Mom!"

A shrill voice cut through the noise, thick with panic, fear, and confusion.

"Hey, what do we do?"

"How should I know?"

"You call an ambulance!"

"Why me? You do it!"

"That girl’s kinda cute, huh?"

“Dude, not the time. …I get it, but still.”

People around us exchanged words, but no one moved to act.

Two young girls knelt beside the unconscious woman—daughters, probably. There was something familiar about them, but—

"Big bro, over here!"

Before I could place them, my sister called me. Right, this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Shuka had already pushed to the front of the crowd. The onlookers weren’t fully encircling the scene—just forming a loose half-ring. So I stepped past them, toward the woman.

"Shuka, call an ambulance!"

"R-Right!"

Shuka was still in middle school and didn’t have a phone. I pulled mine out and handed it to her with the order.

A person’s collapsed.

What do I do?

It wasn’t like I didn’t know. I’d seen it on TV, heard my dad talk about it a hundred times.

But I’d never actually done it. I wasn’t sure if I was right. What if I made things worse?

The doubts piled up endlessly.

The more they grew, the heavier they weighed me down, rooting me in place. If I let them take over, I’d freeze completely.

So—I moved before fear could stop me.

"Yuzuki, what do we do?! What’s wrong with Mom?!"

"I-I don’t know! Somebody...!"

"Sorry, excuse me."

I arrived beside the two girls who were voicing their concerns near the unconscious woman and slipped into the open space.

Peering down at the woman’s face—yep, still no signs of consciousness.

I took a deep breath.

Listen, Ao. If you ever come across someone who’s collapsed, the first thing you do is check if they’re conscious.

My father’s words echoed in my mind.

"Are you okay?"

I tapped her shoulder.First the left side, then the right, and finally both at the same time—each time calling out to her, gradually increasing the pressure.

Depending on the condition, parts of the body might be numb, so it’s better to vary where you touch them. I’m pretty sure he mentioned that too.

No matter how many times I called out, she still didn’t wake up. A part of me had hoped she’d open her eyes right then, but given that she hadn’t moved even when her daughters were making a commotion earlier, the odds were slim.

Alright, next step…

Right, call an ambulance and—

"Excuse me! Can someone bring an AED?"

An AED—an automated external defibrillator.A device that measures and analyzes heart rhythm, delivering an electric shock if necessary to restore normal function.

Apparently, they’re installed in all kinds of public places for emergencies like this.

"Someone, please!"

People heard me.But for some reason, no one moved. I get it—being put on the spot like this can freeze people up—but time was critical.

The crowd murmured restlessly.

Should I go get it myself?No, there were other things I needed to do.Maybe one of the daughters? No way, they were in no state to handle this.

"Big bro!"

Just then, my little sister came running over with the AED in hand. Even if she had moved the second I first called out, she must’ve anticipated the need for it after calling the ambulance.

That’s Dad’s daughter for you.

"Shuka, get that ready."

"O-okay."

Shuka’s expression was uneasy.Can’t blame her. Thrown into a situation like this, doing something for the first time—hell, even my own heart was pounding like crazy.

Which was exactly why I had to keep calm.If I showed my panic, it’d spread to everyone else.

"...Alright."

I checked for breathing.You can tell by watching the chest’s movement, he’d said. If the chest isn’t rising and falling, they’re not breathing.

...No movement.

Damn it. We were heading straight for the worst-case scenario.

At this point, all that was left was chest compressions—the so-called cardiac massage. That thing you see in dramas where they push down hard on the chest, over and over.

I placed my left hand over my right, positioned them on the woman’s chest—right between her breasts—and leaned my weight into it, starting the compressions.

"Big bro, it’s ready."

While I continued chest compressions, Shuka finished setting up the AED. All it took was plugging in the electrode pads and turning it on, but even with the machine’s automated voice guiding her, doing it for the first time would rattle anyone.

Remember, the electrode pads should be placed on either side of the chest—for adults, one near the waist and the other near the shoulder.

The pads even had diagrams showing where to place them.I also recalled something about metal being a problem—no necklaces, but what about…

Wait, what about her bra?Clothes didn’t need to be removed, but weren’t bra hooks made of metal?

My mind raced even as I kept up the compressions. But every second of hesitation was a waste.

"Shuka, her under—"

"Yeah, got it."

She understood immediately. I pulled off my own shirt and draped it over the woman. It was still sweltering even in short sleeves, so no issue there—if anything, the extra body heat from moving around was almost welcome.

"Big bro, ready."

The AED began analyzing her heart rhythm.Now we had to wait for its next instruction—no touching the patient until then. If it determined a shock was needed, it’d deliver one. If not, I’d keep up the compressions. Rinse and repeat.

"U-um…"

In that brief pause, one of the daughters—the brown-haired girl with shoulder-length hair who’d been panicking earlier—spoke up hesitantly, her voice trembling.

"…Is my mom gonna be okay?"

Tears welled in her eyes as she clung to the question. I didn’t know how to answer.

Should I reassure her?But was it right to make promises when I had no idea what would happen?

"No shock advised. Continue chest compressions."

The AED’s automated voice cut through the tension.I took a quiet breath, steadying my tone as much as possible before responding.

"…She’ll be fine. She’s gonna make it."

They say it takes about nine to ten minutes for an ambulance to arrive after the call.But whether it was because help was close by or just luck, the paramedics showed up soon after—and just like that, our job was done.

---

We didn't feel like going shopping anymore, so Shuka and I turned back and headed home the way we came.

"Will she be okay... that lady?"

"Hard to say. But we probably did everything we could."

I didn't know if what I'd done was right. If she pulled through, it'd prove it was. If not...

Even if my actions weren't to blame, the thought of "what if" kept creeping into my mind no matter how hard I tried to push it away.

"You did great too, Shuka."

"Same goes for you, big bro."

"Hey... wanna pick up something sweet on the way back?"

I tried to force myself not to dwell on it, but that was easier said than done.

At the very least, I made an effort to act cheerful so Shuka wouldn’t catch onto my unease.

"On your treat?"

"Guess so. Today’s special. That side gig left me with some extra cash anyway."

---

Click. The light above the "In Surgery" sign flickered off. Moments later, the doctor emerged.

The brown-haired girl, Kotobuki Hikari, shot up from her chair and rushed toward the doctor. Beside her, the long black-haired girl—Kotobuki Yuzuki—remained seated but turned an anxious face toward the physician.

"How's Mom? Is she okay?"

The doctor's expression was grim.Somewhere in their hearts, the sisters had braced for the worst. But being prepared didn’t mean they were ready to accept it.

Please, please— they prayed silently as they waited for the verdict.

Then—

The tension drained from the doctor’s brow. Removing his mask, he offered Hikari a small, tired smile.

"Yes. She’s going to be fine."

The moment those words hit, Hikari’s legs gave out. She crumpled to the floor as if her bones had turned to water.

"However, it was extremely close. Without that first aid… well, I can’t say what might’ve happened."

"R-really?" Hikari’s voice was thin.

Still seated, Yuzuki blinked, dazed.

"Yes. You should thank whoever performed it. Do you have their contact information?"

"N-no, I…"

Hikari glanced reflexively at Yuzuki, who of course could only shake her head.

"I see. That’s a shame."

After speaking briefly with their now-conscious mother and discussing hospitalization details, the sisters found themselves with a rare pocket of downtime. They bought juice from a vending machine—orange for Hikari, grape Fanta for Yuzuki—and sat side by side in the waiting area.

"...We should’ve asked for their contact info," Hikari muttered.

Yuzuki nodded. They wanted to express their gratitude—properly, not just with words.

"I was too panicked to remember clearly, but…"

"Yeah."

Hikari hummed in agreement. Then—

"That uniform… wasn’t it Ōmaku’s?"

Ōmaku High.The name of the school they both attended. A place where navy blazers served as the standard uniform for boys and girls alike.

"...I thought so too."

They locked eyes.

"Which means they go to our school, right?"

"Yeah. So let’s find them—and thank them properly."