COTE: Ayanokouji's Return

Prologue

When I woke up, the first thing I felt was body pain. 

A burning smell filled my nostrils and my vision was blurred. 

I was soaking wet and had a salty taste in my mouth, most likely sea water.

As my vision began to focus and my brain began to remember what had happened, I heard a faint, low voice.

Atsuomi: "You.. finally.. woke up.. Kiyotaka."

Though I recognized the speaker's identity immediately, I couldn't believe he could speak in that tone. 

I turned my head towards the voice and saw my father. 

Although he was soaked, there were many burn marks on his body. 

He was lying in a pool of his own blood. 

After a short observation, I noticed that his left arm and ear were missing.

Atsuomi: "After that explosion.. you lost.. consciousness.. Luckily.. I managed.. to jump with you.. to the sea.. before we crashed.. Taking you.. to the shore.. with one arm.. was really.. troublesome.. cough, cough.." 

He started coughing up blood.

My mind finally started operating at fast pace. 

I saw a crashed plane not far from us. 

The burning smell I fell came from it. 

I managed to stand up. 

Although I still felt pain, my body was not damaged. 

I slowly approached my father. 

His life practically hung by a thread. 

No, he was beyond saving at this point. 

Seeing him like that and understanding why he is like that, give me a feeling that I had never known before.

Kiyotaka:"You saved me? Why? Why would you do that? There was no merit for you doing that. If you only though about saving yourself, there'd be a good chance you'd survive. Why did you waste it to save me?" 

I couldn't understand that. 

Logically speaking, he should prioritize his own life in such situation. 

Trying to save me was practically suicide. After knowing this man for past 12 years, this act was not something he would do.

Atsuomi: "To be honest.. I am as suprised as you.. why.. did I save you?" 

His face showed that he is puzzled by this development as much as me.

After thinking for a few seconds, he looked in my eyes. That look was also not something I ever experienced from him in all my life.

Atsuomi: "I guess.. cough.. I wanted you.. to live.." He said in soft tone that was so unlike him.

An unknown feeling I had in my heart suddenly rose. 

My brain was starting to try understanding the out of the character statement of this man.

Kiyotaka: "You wanted me to live? Being the masterpiece of the White Room had such unexpected benefit?"

Even at the death door this man was still thinking of realizing his goal though me.

Atsuomi: "I had.. this thought.. at the beginning.. but no.. it's not that.. if it was any other.. even if the masterpiece of the White Room.. I would propably left him to die there.."

Though life was slipping away from him very quickly, this man spoke with firm conviction.

Kiyotaka: "What.. are you trying to say?"