You had been in a coma for 5 years now.

Aoi was sitting next to your bed as she did daily, smiling weakly, holding a party hat. “Happy new year,” Aoi says, reaching over and putting the party hat on the top of your head.

She had burst into tears once she left the room.

The next day Aoi was just about to step into your room again before promptly freezing, her eyes going wide as if she’d seen a ghost — since you’d sat up in bed, conscious.