Hi, Renxkyoko Iglesias here !
I just read a shoujo romance by Yasuko, titled Yumenara Samenaide. Even though it is just a short one – shot manga, my hardened , cynical heart was dealt a wallop. It made me ask myself, does that kind of love exist ? Or , is this just a common garden variety of romantic fantasy ? Would you do what the main character did for the girl he loves ?
Here is the story:
Summary : Sachika got involved in an accident and fell into a coma. When she awoke from the coma, the one by her side was not a family member , nor her boyfriend, Tetsuo, but a stranger named Kohara, who introduced himself as her distant relative, and that from then on, he said she would be staying at his house. Sachika still remembered the accident when she got hit by a car. It was , in fact , an attempted murder by an obsessive stalker.
She noticed the apartment was almost bare, the closet in his room had few clothes , and , Kohara had multiple jobs, leaving early and arriving late everyday. She also started asking questions about her parents and Testsuo, her boyfriend. She was told these people were only in her dreams, and she was in fact, an orphan. Note: I assume she had a bit of an amnesia , otherwise the part of her forgetting about her past life was a bit implausible, given that she still clearly remembered about the accident, her family and Tetsuo’s appearance.
Then ,one day, she saw Kohara talking to a young guy who looked exactly like Tetsuo. Later, she saw him again with a girl, and she felt really sad, because she remembered Tatsuo promising that he would be with her forever. She confronted Kohara about this, and he admitted that guy was indeed Tetsuo whom Kohara said would be leaving Japan and had made him promise to take care of her. Then, while Kohara was at work, ” Tetsuo” came to the house, and told her he was Kohara’s nephew, and he wasn’t Tetsuo, ” and added , can you please look for work already…. my uncle has sacrificed so much for you for a long time…. and please , dress your age. ” Sachika was dumbfounded. She’s only 16, she thought. But then she couldn’t see how she looked now…. she noticed there wasn’t any mirror in the house ! She again confronted Kohara, and this is what happened……
Kohara is Tetsuo, who worked day and night so that he could pay the hospital bills , and he’s now 31 years old. No wonder Sachika barely recognized her . He was only 16 when it happened.
Her parents practically gave her to Tetsuo when he promised to take care of her, instead of being taken off life support system.
I think this is the most beautiful love story I’ve ever read.
Tetsuo, how old are you now ? From 16 to 31 years old.
Darn it, 20/10
Renxkyoko's Space 
“No wonder Sachika barely recognized her” . . . did you mean “him” instead of “her” or am I missing something?
If I understand it correctly, it is a powerful story. I think she would have known that she is older even without mirrors, but that’s a minor quibble and acceptable for the sake of the story (meaning, don’t think about it, just go with it).
I think it could have been made tragic if the readers find out the truth but she never does.
Finally, the rational me thinks she would not be able to immediately love him as she did because he is no longer the same person. She could appreciate the gesture, but at this point, he’s essentially a stranger. And, why wouldn’t he tell her the truth? Where’s the upside to not telling her other than for the reader?
Still, neat twist.
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” Barely recognized him ” Oooops !
She was definitely disoriented….. I guess Tetsou’s appearance changed due to pressure and hardship….. imagine paying for hospital bills for 15 years.
Sachika didn’t recognize when she woke up from coma. Tetsou wanted to take it slowly.
There was actually a mirror in the house, but he ” accidentally ” broke it.
Sachika could hardly walk during the first weeks of her recuperation. Her muscles were like jelly.
She thought she was in the hospital for one month, but still disoriented as to the timeline. Tetsou couldn’t tell her it was 15 years, not one month. He didn’t want to shock her.
Of course I was a bit disturbed that she didn’t insist on knowing about her parents …… she just accepted she was an orphan.
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Disperser, do you see yourself doing that ? 5 years, maybe… but 15 years ?
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Wouldn’t even bat an eye.
And before someone questions or praises or castigates it, understand there are people who care for loved ones for years if not in those exact circumstances that are in substance and practicality the same; personal sacrifice for the love of others even if nothing comes in return.
Not only is it not unheard of, but probably more common than we realize.
I don’t know why, but I just thought of the movie “Creator” . . . it’s not the same but it came to mind for a specific scene.
If you’ve not watched it, you might enjoy it. It has a quasi-religious theme to it I don’t particularly favor, but it’s not intrusive and it’s not central to how the characters act.
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I should mention one thing . . . I’m 64, and therefore some might attribute my answer to my age and imagined associated wisdom or “learned” behavior.
My answer would have been the same 44 years ago, when I met my wife. It’s not a question of age.
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Yes. I remember you said if ,heaven forbid, your wife passed on, you’d go to Alaska , to live alone for the rest of your life.
I did some reflection myself…… and yes, I can imagine myself doing what tetsuo did for Sachika.
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Well, I’d have a dog or two. Maybe a cat, too.
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I think most people who are in love for love’s sake (not money or physical attraction) would do the same. Then again, I don’t know that the last one or two generations have grown up with that same sense of . . . whatever it is.
I hope so, but I see a lot of things that make me think otherwise.
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