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Well, guys, here is the last and final chapter of my story. I am so sorry I took so long…so much college applications, work, etc to do. But here it is! I’m glad you guys have enjoyed my story and kept reading, I hope that this final chapter will make you all happy!
Officially completed.
“W-what?”
She lay immobile, sinking lower and lower into the lonely oblivion.
“For what reason do you forget?”
The voice was getting closer.
“Forget?”
“It’s not fair to be forgotten, Yuki. I’m trying very hard…for you. I have not forgotten. But…why do you run? Why have you forgotten me?”
“Who…who are you?”
“Open your eyes.”
Flinching a bit, she opened her eyes to darkness…except a tiny light in the distance.
“Open your eyes, Yuki.”
“They are opened…”
She heard a soft sigh.
“…Not from where I stand…Not from where I stand.”
“Please, who are you?”
Suddenly her eyes gazed upon a silhouette floating down to her, holding its hand out to stop her from falling further into the oblivion. She lifted up her own hand and as soon as they touched, Yuki had to close her eyes to avoid the bright flash. When her blue eyes opened themselves once again, they held the gaze of the same eyes.
“You are…”
“I am you and you are me.”
“But how can you say that I forg–”
“Don’t you feel something missing?”
Before Yuki could respond, the other Yuki suddenly turned into a full lengthen mirror. The confused brunette gasped lightly as she looked at herself; the left side of herself was completely visible, but her right side faded in the void. Yuki brought up her hands to her face…in her reflection she could only see her left side move, while the right side was all but lost.
Then as she gazed carefully into the mirror, she noticed a shadow moving in the distance. It continuously grew as it walked towards her. She saw that this figure’s left side was covered by hers and its right side filled her own. Like they were one person. Yuki wasn’t sure…but she was starting to cry.
“…There is something missing…” Yuki pleaded to herself as the figure walked closer and closer to her.
The shadow finally stopped, standing before Yuki in the mirror. It was a merging image split down the middle, Yuki’s body taking the left side and the shadow’s taller body taking the right.
Her tear filled eyes gazed upon the silhouette that completed her reflection. Slowly and shakily, Yuki lifted her visible left hand. However, in the reflection her same hand did not lift itself but rather the shadow’s right hand moved in rhythm with her own. Just as their hands touched, Yuki gasped as a burst of color began to fill the shadow. Her eyes eagerly sought out the face…but just before it was clearly illuminated the mirror shattered.
“For what reason do you forget?”
“Y-Yuki…why are you up so eaaaarly?” Aki said sluggishly as she stumbled into the living room.
Yuki, looking down to fix her boots, jumped slightly at the sudden voice in the room. “I-I start an interview soon.”
Aki blinked sleepily as she turned to the clock, forcing her eyes to widen. “Yeaahh…not for another 2 houuurss.”
Yuki went back to her boots and spoke softly, “I wanted to get an early start.”
Seeing the reluctance in her eyes, Aki quickly woke herself up. “The dream again?”
Yuki stopped for a short second before she stood up from her seat.
“No face again?” Aki said, reading Yuki’s expression completely.
“What could it be trying to tell me?” Yuki asked, sincerely confused.
Aki avoided Yuki’s gaze, suddenly feeling guilty. It’s too early to know anything now…why bring Yuki’s hopes up when things are still uncertain?
“I wouldn’t know, Yuki, I’m not a dream interpreter.”
Yuki walked over to the window slowly.
“‘For what reason do you forget?’” Yuki said, quoting from the dream, “It was my own voice, Aki…except more sad. It’s like…my own self is asking me what I’m forgetting.”
Aki looked down, biting her bottom lip.
“Or…part of me anyway.” Yuki said, remembering the mirror.
The model felt something nudge at her boot and heard a tiny yelp. Looking down, Yuki smiled happily and bent down to pick up Kiwi. “I’m sorry, Kiwi, did I wake you up?”
While holding the tiny Kiwi in her arms, Yuki strolled back to Aki.
Aki gave her a little glare, “Why does she get an apology? You and Haru are both so horrible to me.”
“Come on, get dressed, Aki, we need to go out.”
“What? Your interview is in two hours!”
“I’m in the mood to eat some sweets.”
“At this hour?!”
“We still need to get there, as well as wait for you to get ready.”
“Oh, fine, you owe me for this,” Aki said as she went into the room, then yelling back out, “You’re paying!”
Yuki smiled and sat down on a chair, waiting for Aki. Kiwi sat directly in front of her, looking up at Yuki with her tongue hanging out and tail wagging vigorously.
The brunette bent down on the chair to put her face quite close to Kiwi, gently tapping the dog’s nose with her finger. She smiled down at her dog, speaking to her softly, “Hey, Kiwi, would you be able to tell me why sweets can always make me feel better?”
The dog looked up at her, running around in circles before sitting back down to have her tongue hang out again.
Yuki laughed. “Yeah…I don’t understand why either…”
Haru twirled around in his trench coat, holding out the edges to look like a spinning super hero. He then stopped abruptly, standing straight and putting a hand to his heart. “I, good sir, am here for the photo shoot.”
“Good sir?!” Aki yelled, rolling up a newspaper and holding it up threateningly.
“I mean! Ma’am!” Haru said, cowering.
Aki sighed, putting down the newspaper, but then looked at him questionably. “The photo shoot? Why are you here for the photo shoot?”
“The photographer needed a partner for Yuki…said we’d be good advertisement.”
Aki scoffed, “As to what you could advertise is beyond me.”
“Ey, ey!” Haru said defensively, “I think I look rather spiffy in this trench coat.”
Aki lifted up one eyebrow. “Spiffy?”
“It’s my word of the day.”
“…Words of the day are supposed to be…er…intelligent.”
“Spiffy is intelligent! Do you hear anyone using it?”
Aki put a hand to her forehead, sighing terribly. “Just…be gone. Please.”
“They’re calling me anyway.” Haru said running to the set, but then turned around to face her again. “Hey, you look nice today…good to see you out of a business suit once in a while!” With a wink, he ran off.
Aki blushed terribly, but quickly called after him. “I don’t wear business suits all the time!”
“Well, aren’t you two cute.” Said a small voice behind her.
Aki turned to Kina, still embarrassed. “What are you talking about? And what are you doing here anyway? Don’t you still go to school?”
“It’s Saturday, we all go out today remember?”
“Oh, right.”
“Hey! Lookie, here’s something I’m working on for Yuki.” Kina took out her sketchbook from her book bag and opened it up to wintry scene. The young girl has finally come across shading and her artwork was beginning to look a little more realistic.
“You think she’ll like it?”
Aki looked at it hesitantly…remembering…“Kina, it might be a better idea if you didn’t show that to her.”
“What, why not! You’re being mean.”
“Er…Hey, look, donuts!?”
“Yes! Where!?” Kina said excitedly, running in the direction Aki pointed her to.
Yuki and Haru both introduced themselves to the photographer, who was quite excited to meet them both at the same time.
“Wow, I mean…wow…this is my first time shooting either of you guys and here I am getting you both in one shot! It’s truly an honor!” He said bowing, nearly shaking with joy.
“Now now, Jin, no need to get so hyperactive, I am sure they’d like to be treated as normal people.”
Yuki gasped as she looked at the man comforting the photographer. “Kisho?”
“Hello, Yuki,” Kisho said happily, he held out his arms to her, “It’s been so long!”
“I know!” Yuki said loudly as she hugged her old friend.
Someone pulled them apart abruptly, clearing his throat rather loudly. “Excuse me, now. I am Miss Yuki’s older brother…and I would like to know one thing, buddy,” Haru said, twitching his left eye at Kisho, “Why…are you touching her?!”
“Er…”
Yuki laughed, patting Haru’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Haru…this is an old friend of mine. Haru, this is Kisho. Kisho, this is Haru.”
“Nice to meet you.” They said at the same time.
“So, Kisho! How have you been? What are you doing here?” Yuki asked with a smile.
“Well, I work with computers. Animation, design, advertisements, etc. I guess they’ve liked my work so far, so they called me up to edit and design the pictures they’re going to take of you two.”
“That’s wonderful,” Yuki looked at his hand as he spoke, noticing the wedding band, “And I see you have a ring on your finger, congratulations!”
Kisho blushed a bit, “Yeah, it was just a few months ago, we’re very happy.”
They both smiled at each other joyfully.
“Anyway, Yuki, you look great! I see you everywhere now, I had wanted to get in contact with you before but you’re such a celebrity now I couldn’t find my way around it and I was so busy as well.”
Haru did his twirling dance and stopped with a pose. “Don’t I look good too?”
Yuki smiled and shook her head, “Well, I think we should get started now…I have an appointment after this. It was so great to see you again, Kisho! We should all get together one time.”
“Yeah, that would be great.” Kisho said with a wave.
“Well, fine, but I think I look good!” Haru yelled before he walked to the set, feeling ignored by the two. In the background, Aki’s laugh could be heard throughout the room.
“This place has a great view of the ocean, doesn’t it?” Yuki said with a soft sigh.
“You know…it’s quite idiotic to wear sunglasses…indoors, where there is no sun and not to mention this place is quite dim…” Aki said to Haru.
“You’re just jealous.” Haru said, sticking his tongue out at her.
“Actually, I agree with her.” Kina said energetically.
“Hey, that’s no fair, kid, I thought you were on my side!”
“I wasn’t on anyone’s side!”
“Us kids have got to stay together!”
“…You’re supposed to be a grown man.” Aki said with a sigh.
“Fine, I’ll take off the sunglasses,” Haru said, placing them on the table, “But if a carrot goes into my eye, I’m suing you!”
“Oh! I almost forgot, Yuki! I made something for you.”
“Kina…no, what did I tell you!” Aki said defensively.
“Aki, don’t be mean, I want to see.”
“Yeah, Aki, don’t be a party ruiner, don’t ruin parties.” Haru said.
Kina took out the sketchbook and flipped to the wintry scene she had shown to Aki earlier. They all watched her, then Aki and Haru’s eyes met. Aki had confided in Haru one day of Yuki’s past, everything they went through and what Yuki had decided to do around five and a half years ago.
“It’s beautiful.” Yuki said, in complete wonder, but her voice was low and distant.
Something began to eat at Yuki’s heart.
For what reason do you forget?
What was coming over her? Feeling light-headed, she unconsciously put down the drawing and mumbled an ‘excuse me’, pushing her chair back and walking out of the restaurant. She walked towards a wooden boardwalk that looked out into the ocean. Holding onto the wooden rail, she looked down into the water. Her eyes soaked in the moonlit pathway in the water, with the ripples making the road unsteady.
“That’s just the way the human mind words, doesn’t it?” Said a voice to her side. It was Haru.
She turned to Haru. “What are you talking about?”
“When things are too horrible, too heartbreaking…what do we all do? We simply reject it.”
“Haru, I don’t understand…I just needed some fresh air…” She looked away.
“You want to erase it from all memory and so consciously you forget. But don’t you realize? The imprint will always be there.”
“Haru, stop this…” Yuki said weakly, “I don’t know what you’re telling me. What are you talking about?”
“If you’re so unsure, Yuki…” Haru moved to her and put a hand under her chin to tilt her face to look up at him, “Why are you crying?”
She shook vigorously and pulled away, sobbing into her hand. “I don’t know…I don’t know. Why is it like this? How can I cry when I don’t know what I’m crying for?”
How far has she buried him? Haru thought to himself.
Haru looked at the confused girl, sighing softly. “Come…you must be hungry.”
Yuki rubbed her eyes of her tears. “Wait…let me settle first…I don’t want Kina to think I’m crying because of her…”
“She wouldn’t…if you would be able to tell her the real reason why you were crying.”
Yuki looked up at him carefully and then turned away. Why did it seem like Haru knew why she was crying…when she herself didn’t?
“Well…this sunset is really perfect…I want to be able to hold onto it, before it’s gone forever…” Yuki said softly with a smile as she handed the camera to Aki.
Aki smiled back, but then pointed down at the set on the beach, “Your scene is coming up again, make sure you’re ready.”
“Yeah.” Yuki closed her eyes as she felt a soft breeze play against her face.
Once she saw they were ready for her, she slowly walked onto the soft sand and made her way to where the ocean kissed the shore.
When the tears started to well in her eyes, she tried to avoid his gaze. “So this is how it’s going to be? You’re not even going to try to stay? Or try to come back? That’s it?”
Trying to hide any feelings he had at the moment, he just looked at the sun indifferently. “Yeah…”
I can’t make it without you, Yuki…That voice…she’s heard it before. It surrounded her…and it ate at her heart, sending more tears into her eyes than acting would have provided.
But she had to stay in character. Yuki stomped her foot onto the sand as she looked up into his eyes, nearly yelling at him. “Do not tell me this isn’t real. Don’t dare tell me that you’re just letting go.”
I need you to be here…She put a hand over her heart…“Do I mean nothing to you?”
I can’t make it without you, Yuki. I need you to be here…Yuki’s eyes widened as the face from her dream was finally illuminated in her mind. Her eyes gazed into nothingness, everything no longer existed. It was just her and pitch black.
“Seiko…” She breathed into a whisper.
Her shaking hands tried to make their way to hold up her face, but to no avail. Yuki’s body sank to the floor until she sat upon the sand, bowing her head with her hands out in front of her as she choked on her sobs.
Aki immediately stood up from where she sat, noticing Yuki’s expression and the name she mouthed. This was too much…she wanted to tell her…but she didn’t want to get Yuki’s hopes up for anything…
“Cut!” The director yelled, completely astonished, “Great job, Yuki…are you sure this is your first movie?”
Aki ran over to Yuki, nearly pushing away the male actor that moved over to comfort the crying model.
“Yuki…Yuki!” Aki said trying to shake Yuki back to her senses.
Yuki lifted her face to look at Aki, her eyes puffy and red, “Aki…how could I leave him? How could I do that to him? How could I forget him? How could I be so heartless?”
“Shh shh.” Aki said softly, holding Yuki like a child as she cradled her in her arms.
Yuki tightly cling to her, sobbing and crying six and a half years worth onto Aki’s shoulder. The crew and actors began to crowd around the fallen beauty, but were quickly shooed away by Aki.
The defensive manager bit her bottom lip as she held Yuki. She held a secret that could either lead to more pain or actual joy for Yuki. Was it worth to take such a chance?
Aki noticed Yuki’s cries and grip lessen…it wasn’t the right time to tell her. Feeling something at her bag, Aki slowly let go of Yuki…only to realize it was Yuki’s hand searching her bag.
“Yuki…?”
She watched Yuki, who had tears still running down her face, take out the camera she was using earlier.
Yuki strained to see with her puffed up eyes, lifting up the camera to take a picture of the sunset.
“It’s beautiful, Seiko…” She whispered through her occasional sniffs after she took the picture, “I wish you could be here to see it too…”
“I know, Aki.” Yuki said softly.
Aki lost all defenses as Yuki’s words surprised her. But she regained her posture and tugged at her blazer, “Well, good…it’s about time.”
Yuki looked at Aki with a small smile. “He never got to say goodbye…I want to at least have my goodbye.”
Aki nodded a little hesitantly, still unwilling to reveal what she knew. “What do you want to do?”
“Let’s take the boat…I want to be on the ocean.”
Yuki smiled and closed her eyes as a soft breeze pressed against her face and played with her hair. She stood in silence as she looked up at the sky.
“Just like our last night, Seiko…do you remember?”
Yuki smiled softly as she fiddled with the rose petals.
“I’m sorry for being so selfish…I’m sorry for creating a disastrous last day…I’m sorry forhaving to leave you…I’m sorry for so many things.
You’re gone now, Seiko…and for a long while, I actually made myself forget you. I thought that by doing this, I wouldn’t have to deal with so much pain…the pain of having lost you. But…”
Yuki looked down at the rose petals and took some in her hands, now speaking from her heart instead.
That shouldn’t have been the way I dealt with the situation. I shouldn’t forget you and I shouldn’t forget about us, regardless of what has happened. Because, Seiko…we deserve so much more than that.
Because a story like ours should not be forced to end that way.
A true love…never has a real ending. She gracefully let some of the petals fall upon the water, watching them float away from her.
I realized…that even though you’re gone, Seiko, what we have does not have to be. As long as I take you with me…as long as I carry you in my heart…we can keep going on.
And I’m happy with that.
I love you, Seiko…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Few tears ran down her cheeks, but she smiled up at the sky. She took a deep breath and let the rest of the petals go.
Yuki began to look around before she whispered, “What?”
“I have to ask you a question.”
“Okay…wait, what are you doing here anyway?”
Haru gave a hopeless sigh before he started stomping on the ground according to his words, “To ask you a question!”
Yuki laughed, “Okay, well make it quick…I’m about to start the photo shoot soon.”
Haru then lost his angry face and began to play with his fingers like a nervous little schoolgirl. “Well…I wanted to know…”
Yuki put big hoop earrings on quickly while looking at Haru. “Yeah?”
He began to giggle…and Yuki got scared. “Well, I wanted to know if…”
“Haru, please, they’re going to call me soon…I don’t want to get them mad.”
Haru then gave an exasperated sigh and wiggled his body in frustration. “Okay! Do you think that Aki likes me?!”
Yuki stopped fiddling with her clothes, her shoes and her hair. She just froze. Suddenly big smile came over her face. “You like Aki?”
Haru blushed. “Don’t look at me like that! How do you expect me to be serious?”
“When are you ever serious?”
Haru gave her a glare.
“Okay, okay. Well it was hard for me to catch on to anything between you two…considering how…er…difficult you can be towards one another.”
“But that’s how it is!”
“All right…I don’t want to ruin my mind trying to understand your relationship with her. But I don’t know how she feels about you. Why don’t you just tell her yourself?”
“What! But Yuki–”
Yuki giggled as she strolled over to the set. “Have fun!”
Haru, for once, was nervous. He continuously tapped his feet and didn’t know where to keep his hands, switching between in his pockets or out of them.
“Do you ever have anywhere else to be?” Aki asked sarcastically as she read a paper in her hands.
Haru screamed when Aki came out of nowhere and froze into a ballerina position–one arm curved over his head, the other curved right under his stomach and lifting one leg to form a sharp “ ” against his other leg, along with having his mouth wide open.
Aki signed, “Okay, yeah, I’m calling security.”
“Wait!” Haru said, as he grew serious again.
“What?”
Haru slowly glided to Aki’s side, however he faced the same direction she was. They stood side by side, but he never turned to face her.
She turned her body to face him, Haru stood still. “What is it? I don’t have all the time in the world here.”
“Um…would you er…like to have lunch next Friday…together?”
Aki froze and began to blush. She then robotically turned back to the way she was facing, so they once again stood side by side but did not face each other.
“Uh…er…that would…be nice. I mean we have to eat anyway, right?”
“So…next Friday?”
“Uh…okay.”
Silence.
“Yeah, okay, so I have to go check on Yuki.” Aki said hurriedly.
“Yeah me too, except I have to go to the bathroom.” Haru said, running the wrong way.
“Bathroom’s the other way!” Aki called without looking back.
“Uh…Well I’ll keep checking this way!” Haru yelled back.
While the photographer continued to take the pictures, Yuki held up a flower over her mouth to hide her mischievous grin.
“So? How was it?”
“It was great.” Aki said, looking giddy.
“I’m happy for you!” Yuki said happily, “Tell me what happened!”
Aki and Yuki swung their held hands like two teenagers as they walked into the living room. “Well, first we had dinner…”
Yuki quickly sat down on the sofa and took Aki with her, sitting up eagerly straight.
“Did he pay?” Yuki asked.
Aki was about to answer but then she stopped herself, looking at the ceiling in thought. “Wait…did we even pay?”
Yuki laughed nervously.
Aki then snapped her fingers and laughed. “Oh yeah, he did, because he asked me how to do tip.”
Yuki smiled.
“Then we took a walk along the boardwalk…just talking. Can you actually believe you can talk to someone for that long?”
Yuki laughed lightly, enjoying the glow and energy Aki was emitting.
“So, tell me, what did you do all day?”
“Well, I just stayed in and relaxed. Oh! And Mike called. He’s studying to become a doctor.”
“That’s great.” Aki said happily.
“Tell me more about your night, Aki! You never share enough with me.”
Aki thought about it for a while before a smile crept upon her lips and they soon spent the rest of the night talking.
“Okay, okay.” Yuki said hurriedly as she ran out of the studio, “What’s the matter?”
“Oh, nothing.” Aki said with a loving smile.
“Aki, you’re scaring me…what are you hiding?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll see later. After the interview.”
Yuki looked at her strangely, but pushed it aside as they entered the car.
When they arrived, they both casually walked out of the car trying to make their way the photographers.
“After all these years, they just never seem to stop.” Aki said a bit pestered.
They finally made it into the building, noticing Haru was standing there waiting.
“Hey!” He called out.
Aki and Haru smiled at one another as they immediately reached out for each other’s hand.
Aki then turned to Yuki and said, “Okay, Yuki, we both have to go now.”
“Wait, where are you going?” Yuki asked desperately.
“Um…well…we have to go pick up something.” Haru said with a suspicious smile that matched Aki’s.
“For what?”
“I told you, Yuki…after the interview you’ll find out!” Aki said excitedly.
Aki and Haru waved goodbye to Yuki. Once they were outside, Haru asked, “Does she know anything?”
“No…not at all.”
“How hard was it? Keeping that a secret after a good 8 years?”
“It wasn’t too bad…I just wanted to be sure you know? What they told me 8 years ago was good news…but not certain enough.”
“Yeah…she’s been through too much. Things seem to be finally turning around for her.” Haru said happily.
“Yeah…thank goodness.”
She said her final goodbyes before she walked out of the building, immediately surrounded by paparazzi. Although protected by guards, the paparazzi formed a ring that continued to follow her.
Yuki tried not to mind them as she reached into her bag for her cell phone to call Aki.
“Aki? Where are you?”
“We’re here, Yuki, get the paparazzi away!”
Yuki stopped talking into the phone and told the guards to move the people for her to find Aki. As the crowd slowly started to shift, Yuki began to see part of Haru. She made her way towards them, the crowd still motioning to move away completely.
However, when the people were fully parted, Yuki’s cell phone dropped from her hands as she froze completely. There was a sudden silence. Her eyes widened. What was happening?
Was she dreaming? He was right there, as if time moved itself backwards and she was in school in America again. The messy brown hair. Tall frame. Capturing hazel eyes. Just like that…there he was…sitting in a wheel chair, looking at the ground.
Yuki gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She trembled as she felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. Everything else faded around her. It was just him and her. Nothing else mattered.
“Hey, Yuki…” Aki said happily as she pushed him closer to her.
He heard the name and his head moved instinctively to look for her, like he has been searching for her his whole life.
“Seiko.” Yuki whispered through her suppressed sobs.
“Yuki…”
Their eyes met and she put a hand over her heart, immobilized.
Immediately, Seiko tried hard to lift himself up from the wheelchair, but when he tried to approach her, he started to stumble. She hurriedly ran over to catch him and they sunk to the floor together, Yuki holding him in her arms dearly as she searched Aki’s face.
“Aki…you…?”
“Eight years ago, Yuki, the hospital contacted us again to tell his heart was beginning to function again…but he was still in a coma. You didn’t want to hear about him anymore and it was better, anyway, to make sure he would live through it. He woke up about two days ago.”
Yuki looked down at him, “Eight years, Seiko…you’ve been fighting for eight years…?”
“Yuki…he still needs to be put into intensive therapy. The doctors explained it to me. The part of his brain that controls his physicality has not fully healed itself…”
“It’s okay…It’s okay…anything. Anything.” Yuki said as she caressed his head, noticing his arms were not around her.
“Will…you stay with me…?” Seiko asked a bit weakly.
She looked down at him for a moment.
How could I go on…these eight years thinking…that I could make sense without you?
Snapping out of her trance, Yuki left out a soft laugh as she nodded, remembering to respond in English. “Yeah, Seiko…always…always…”
A true love…never has a real ending.
“Seiko…Seiko, it’s okay, just try it again.” Yuki said comfortingly as she walked beside him. Her English was a little rusty…she talked slower with a bit of an accent.
Seiko was walking between two bars, holding onto them as he tried to make his legs do what he wanted them to. He grew more frustrated after every step that he had to make after he struggled so hard to attain the previous one.
“Okay, Seiko, try not to put a lot of the pressure on your arms, because you won’t be able to walk with bars wherever you go…” The doctor said gently, in slow English.
Seiko gave her a bit of a glare that made her move back a bit. Yuki gently patted his chest to make him calm down, but happy in the inside…to have him back…the same as he always has been.
“Doctor? How do you think he’ll be able to hold up? Will he be able to fully recover?” Yuki asked in Japanese.
Seiko’s head turned to face her, listening to a language he didn’t understand.
“Well…there is a permanent scaring to the part of his brain that controls his physical activities…”
“But he will get better right?”
“Well…that part is, well…no longer working. I honestly do not think he will recover from this…”
“So, why are we even putting him on therapy?” Yuki asked as she hopelessly looked away. Feeling a doubt clutch at her heart.
“The doctor of his previous hospital ordered it. They seemed to hope that…”
“So why don’t you think so?! Why are you giving up on him like this?”
“Miss Yuki, I didn’t mean to bring any pain…I just wanted you to see it as it is, before getting any hopes up.”
“Isn’t there anything else we can do?!”
“Well…there–”
The doctor was cut off when Seiko had let himself sink to the floor.
“It’s all right, Seiko…that’s enough walking for today, let’s work on your hand exercises and maybe you’re ready to try writing today,” The doctor said kindly then looked up to Yuki, “I’ll explain more later…Please come back.”
Yuki watched as the doctor called for extra assistance to help him up and into his chair. After he was settled, Yuki slowly stepped over to him and took one of his hands in both of hers…
You can’t even draw anymore…“Yuki?” Aki called from behind her.
She snapped out of her trance and looked back at Aki.
“You have a shoot…is it okay…?”
Yuki turned back to Seiko, who looked up at her confused.
“Seiko…I have to go for a little bit, okay?” Yuki said slowly. “I will be back later, I promise.”
“I’ll go with you…” He said softly.
“No, Seiko…you have to work on your…therapy, you want to get better, do you not?”
“No.”
Yuki smiled…stubborn as always, but it hurt to deny him this way…
“Please, Seiko. Do this for me.”
He looked up at her, and then glared a bit at Aki, who cowered with a scared smile, before turning his face away. The doctor smiled at them before wheeling him into another room.
Yuki watched her wheel him away and gave a relieved smile before she walked out of the hospital with Aki.
“Okay, Seiko…we’re going to try your hand exercises again…”
The doctor patiently instructed him on what he should do as he struggled to do simple exercises.
After trying one exercise several times, he glared at her when she told him to try again.
“Um…okay…let’s try something new then…”
She held out a piece of paper and a pen in front of him.
“Try writing your name, okay?”
Seiko looked up at her and then tried to take the pen in his hand, having difficulties wrapping his fingers around it just right.
After a few minutes of effort, he was able to get the pen to glide over the paper. The doctor noticed that he was starting off in somewhat of a straight diagonal line…instead of the curve an ‘S’ needed.
“Seiko…?”
Though weak and scribbled, the doctor could make out he was trying to write a ‘Y’. She searched his face as he moved on to the next letter…the beginnings of a ‘u’.
“Seiko…you’re suppose to be writing your own name…”
He moved on to the ‘K’…
“Seiko…!”
“Her name is easier to write!” Seiko yelled.
He glared at her and she kept quiet. The reason was much more than that. He couldn’t paint Yuki anything anymore…and this was the best thing he could do. Seiko began to fiercely concentrate on writing over her name again. He traced over it again and again, but it still came out scribbled.
Noticing his force the doctor warily moved closer to him. “Seiko…it’s okay…”
He continued to write over and over, until nothing could be made out on the paper but scribbles. Seiko aggressively continued to write until he ripped the paper with the pen. He stopped and looked at what all his efforts created…nothing.
A few tears rolled down his face before he hopelessly put his head down on the table.
The doctor gently hugged him, “It’s okay, Seiko…it’s okay…”
“Well, it is a fairly new procedure…where we will try to mend the scaring within his brain…”
“Why wasn’t that offered in the first place?”
“Miss Yuki, you have to understand, there are a lot of risks involved because it is a procedure that has not been fully explored. If things were to go wrong…we might find ourselves back to square one.”
“Which is?”
“He’ll fall back into a coma…”
“Oh…”
“…And this time the chances of him coming back are smaller.”
Yuki sunk back into her seat, looking down at the table.
“Is it a risk you really want to take?”
“I’ll have to talk to Seiko about this…I don’t know what his take on it will be.”
“Okay, just come back with your decision anytime…if you do want us to go about the surgery…we promise to do our best.”
“I know, thank you.” Yuki said with a smile before she stood up to bow.
Yuki slowly walked out of the hospital and to where the limo waited. She quickly slipped in and Aki and Seiko’s attention turned to her.
She was quiet throughout the whole ride, staring down at her lap and playing with her fingers. Aki looked at her worriedly, but let her be.
“What’s wrong with you?” Seiko asked from where he sat, staring out the window.
However, for once, she did not answer.
She thanked her bodyguard and took her place behind the wheelchair, slowly moving him to her apartment.
After stepping in, Yuki turned to Aki and spoke to her in Japanese.
“Aki, the doctor told me that there is a way to help him…but it’s too new of a procedure to be sure that it till work…”
Seiko looked at Yuki, trying hard to grasp any of the words she was saying.
“What will happen if it does not work?” Aki asked.
“He’ll fall back into a coma…but this time he might not come back.”
“Oh but…he just…”
“I know…I’ll have to ask him about it first…to see what he feels.”
“Stop it.” Seiko said from his seat, tired of trying to comprehend what it was they were saying.
“Oh, Seiko, I am sorry.” Yuki said, in her slow English.
She turned to Aki, who nodded to the room, and sighed softly. Yuki pushed him slowly into his room and then took a chair to sit in front of him.
“Seiko…I have something I need to talk to you about. It is about your condition.” She said softly, trying to be as clear as possible for she was not sure how bad her English was.
“The doctor told me that you can get better, but the surgery is very complex and is very new…so they are not sure whether they will be willing to risk that. If they fail, you will be back in a coma, but this time you might not come back. I wanted to talk to you first, before I gave any approval to anything…”
“I’ll do it.” Seiko said abruptly.
“But, Seiko, you do not know the possible outcome of…”
“I’ll do it.”
“Seiko, you are not listening to me, you are not listening closely. How could you risk that for yourself again? Do you know how hard it was to…”
“You don’t know how hard it is…” He said sternly.
…to not be able to hold you when I want.
“I can’t even paint…”
…I can’t do anything for you anymore.
“I can’t go where I want…”
…I can’t even walk with you.
“I can’t do what I want…”
…I can’t even touch you.
“You don’t know how hard it is…” Seiko said softly…not being able to tell her all his thoughts. He tried to lift himself to her time and time again but he just could not…his hand could not even reach for her.
Yuki noticed his eyes grow glassy and she moved over to hug him, feeling his tears flow onto her.
“It’s like…I can’t fully be with you.” He said softly.
“Oh, Seiko…” Yuki said and began to cry herself.
“I’ll risk it…”
“Okay…you won’t be alone…I’ll stay with you through the whole thing…”
He nodded.
I’ll risk it…
I’ll risk it for you…
…For you.
“Why don’t these darn people stop calling me…I told them I had to cancel everything!” Aki said as she turned off her cell phone, trying to lighten the situation.
But Yuki was quietly pacing from side to side in front of the operating doors. They said the operation would take somewhere around 10 hours…they’ve gone through 5 hours without any word.
“Yuki…please, sit. Everything will be fine.” Aki said comfortingly.
“Yeah, you’re making us nervous!” Haru said as he tried to press himself against Kina, who rolled her eyes and got up. Having put all his weight on Kina, he fell off the couch.
Kina walked over to Yuki and stopped her from pacing, looking her straight in the eye. “Don’t worry so much! Seiko will feel you worry…and then he will worry.”
Yuki smiled nervously, “You’re right, Kina…thank you…”
“So come on…we’ve been here for 5 hours…we need to get your mind off this so no one will worry. So let’s go out and get some ice cream.”
“I can’t…what if they have news for us in between?” Yuki asked desperately, “What if he needs me and I’m not here? That will be what kills him…having no one here for him.”
Kina looked up at Yuki and sighed softly…walking back to the group.
“She really loves him…” Kina said softly, “They must have been through a lot.”
“Yeah, you have no idea.” Aki said as she dealt out the cards for them to play.
“What are we playing?” Haru asked.
“I don’t know…poker?” Aki said, “I dealt five anyway.”
“How do you play?” Haru asked.
“You’re a grown man and you don’t know how to play?” Kina asked, frustrated.
“Well, sorry! Why not just teach me.”
“Oh fine, then.” Kina said.
While Kina explained the rules, Aki got up to stand next to Yuki.
“Are you ready for the worst…?” Aki asked worriedly.
Yuki turned to her in surprise. “Aki, you were just telling me everything will be okay and now you’re saying…”
“I know, Yuki, but if you prepare for the worst…it doesn’t hurt as much.”
Yuki glared at her and then turned to the doors once again. “Don’t dare say such a thing. I know you were never an optimist, Aki, but don’t say anything like that to me right now.”
“I’m sorry, Yuki, but it’s hard to see you in pain…and who knows where this is going to go…”
“He’s going to make it. I know it. He’s stronger than all of this.”
Aki moved over to hug Yuki gently.
It’s like…I can’t fully be with you…
Yuki gently sobbed on Aki’s shoulder. “He doesn’t deserve any of this, Aki…”
“I know, Yuki, I know.”
Yuki looked up and realized it was just the doctor; she shook her head lightly before standing up.
“How is he, doctor?”
“Well, Miss Yuki…”
In the middle of a black abyss, a small boy wandered aimlessly. He stopped abruptly when he heard someone sobbing to his right.
“Who’s there?” He made a sour face after hearing the echo of his own voice.
Dammit…I sound like a chipmunk too…
Then, out of nowhere a sharp pain pierced his head followed by indistinct yelling.
“Mom! Stop it!” The small boy cried out as instinct.
What’s going on…?
“Dad! Help me…make her stop…please…dad!” He was in tears now, as the strikes continued to persist.
He held his head in pain as his legs gave way and he fell to the floor. As he cried in pain, the sobbing to the right got stronger.
“Help me…” The boy asked faintly, lying down on his side in a fetal position.
After a few minutes, he painfully lifted himself up…noticing he was back to his regular size. He sat up and rubbed his head…
Ugh…what’s going on?
Standing up slowly, he proceeded to the sobs. They didn’t stop.
“Who’s there? Where are you?”
After walking aimlessly for what felt like hours, a soft light shed itself upon a little boy seated on the floor and hugging his knees.
That’s…
The boy lifted up his head from his arms and looked up at him with deep hazel eyes.
…Me…?
“Seiko…?”
The boy flinched. “How do you know my name?”
“Uh…I’m Santa Claus.” He cursed himself inside…he was so bad with kids.
“You’re not Santa Claus…”
“I’m close.”
“…He’s nicer looking.”
Seiko was going to get ready to yell at the kid…but he remembered it was himself. Is there a meaning as to why…he’s confronting himself?
He walked cautiously over to little Seiko and knelt down, watching him stiffen up in fright.
“What’s the matter?”
Little Seiko looked up at Seiko…and then looked away. They grew quiet together. He was never good at this kind of thing…if only she was here…
“Why are you crying?” Seiko tried again.
“Why do you care?”
Sounds familiar.
“Why don’t you care at all?”
Seiko put a hand to his head…he couldn’t believe he was starting to use her psychology on himself.
“What are you talking about?” The little boy began to get riled up.
It started to make sense… “Why don’t you care about yourself?”
Little Seiko looked down at the floor, hugging his knees tighter. “Why should I? I’m all alone for a reason…”
“You’re not alone…I’m here.”
The boy looked up at him and scoffed. “I don’t like you.”
It was true. Seiko never liked himself. But…because she did…he was willing to try to…
“What if I promised…that you’re not alone?”
“I am alone.”
“What if I promised?”
“How can you promise something like that?”
“Because I know…I know that you have a guardian angel.” Seiko wanted to hit himself…how cliché did that angel stuff sound?
“A guardian angel?” He sparked his interest.
“Yeah. I think they’re supposed to watch over you and stuff.”
“How would you know that? I don’t deserve one…”
“Everyone deserves one…no one was meant to be alone.”
“Who are you?”
“…I’m you. I’m Seiko.”
Little Seiko looked at him in surprise and then in horror. “Oh great…are you my angel?”
Seiko started to get aggravated. “I wouldn’t want to be your angel.”
They both glared at each other.
Then little Seiko looked away and asked, “So…right now…I’m talking to myself?”
“Yeah…weird, huh?”
“So we have the same angel?”
“Yeah, we do.”
“Do you know the angel?”
Seiko nodded.
Doctor, we’re losing him. He’s falling fast!
“What did you say?” Seiko asked the boy.
“I didn’t say anything.”
Everything seemed to gradually grow brighter.
Seiko sat down next to the kid and looked down at him, he seemed to relax a little more.
“You know…the angel loves you very much. And she’s fighting hard…to show you that you need to love yourself.”
“Why?”
“Because you worry her…you want her to be happy too, right? She’s trying hard to make you happy. When we don’t care about ourselves…it shows we don’t care about anyone else either.”
“I don’t get it…”
Seiko sighed. “Here we are, er…Seiko…not caring about ourselves…not caring what happens to ourselves and we don’t realize that she’s always worrying, always crying, always hoping…for you. Just for you. And in the end…isn’t that reason enough to love yourself? Because someone else loves you that much?”
Seiko scratched his head…when did he start getting so profound?
“I guess that does make sense…”
They grew quiet again. Seiko looked down at the ground…emitting green under them. When he put his hand down to touch it, immediately a sea of grass carpeted the whole area.
Little Seiko looked down in amazement and put down his hand to try it just the same way. When he did this, a wave of flowers danced to the surface to soak in the light.
The sun shone brightly.
A smile graced itself upon little Seiko’s face as he looked up at the blue sky. However…his smile was short lived. He turned to Seiko.
“Seiko…do you really think we deserve her?”
“What…?”
“I think…I think that we’re hopeless.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because, Seiko…we’re…we’re just broken.”
Seiko looked down. He didn’t completely disagree.
His heart rate is falling, doctor!
“Broken things are meant to be fixed…” Seiko tried.
“To then break again?”
Seiko sighed. Little Seiko made sense. He looked down at him. Their hazel eyes joined in their hopelessness…but in little Seiko’s eyes…Seiko noticed a desperation that searched for hope from him. He knew…right now, he had to be his own angel. Right now, he had to love himself.
“Seiko, love…love is stronger than that. It doesn’t just fix…it mends.”
Little Seiko looked up at him with hopeful eyes.
“Strong enough…to mend the broken?”
“Strong enough to mend the broken.”
“I want to believe in it, Seiko.”
“So do I.”
“Let’s believe in it together!” Little Seiko said with joy.
“Er…well…we are the same person.”
“…So why did you say ‘so do I’?”
Silence.
“…It’s weird being two bodies.” Seiko said monotonously.
“…Yeah…why are we like this anyway?”
“Maybe…so we could help each other?”
“Maybe…”
“Seiko…”
Seiko looked up to the voice calling him. “Seiko…did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Little Seiko said, looking about.
“There look there…” Seiko pointed his hand to the sky where a glimmer of light flashed for just a second.
“Where?” Little Seiko asked frantically, he didn’t want to miss it, “I don’t see anything!”
“Keep looking…”
Both of them stood up, little Seiko as high as the middle of Seiko’s thigh, peering into the clear blue sky.
“Seiko…”
“Ah! I heard it!” Little Seiko cried in excitement. “But what is it?”
Seiko watched as a figure came flying down to them, the huge wings covering whatever was inside them like a ball of feathers.
The area began to get brighter and brighter.
Seiko gently put a hand behind little Seiko and drew him close. Finally the wings flung open when she outstretched her hands against them. She gracefully flew down and held out her hand to Seiko.
He looked up and held his hand out to her, “Our Angel.”
“Seiko…”
They held onto each other’s hands tightly. Everything grew white.
They all crowded the bed and Yuki held up his hand, hoping for him to come about.
“Seiko…?” Yuki pleaded again.
After a few minutes, Seiko’s face began to wince. Then slowly, his eyes opened. Their gaze met. Everyone was silent.
He then turned to his free hand and lifted it up, flexing it the way he wanted it to.
Yuki began to cry. “Oh, Seiko…I’m so glad you’re back with us. We were all so worried that you weren’t going to pull through…the doctor’s said it was a close case, but you made it, Seiko. Thank goodness. I can’t believe that we almost–”
She gasped lightly, interrupted in mid-sentence when Seiko pulled her over so he could kiss her.
Yuki pulled away and looked down at him.
“You wouldn’t shut up.”
Yuki laughed heartily and hugged him tightly, letting the tears flow unto him as she felt him hold her back.
Everyone else looked at each other a bit surprised.
“That’s so mean!” Kina said loudly.
“Come on, guys, we have to pick up Seiko from therapy. We’re late.” Yuki said as she ran to their limo.
“Haru! I don’t understand why you couldn’t just pose right! Our reservation for dinner is like two hours away!” Aki yelled.
Haru ran after them, with a tissue stuck up his nose, and settled himself in the limo with the other two. “I can’t help that I’m sick! It’s not my fault I sneeze at the exact same time they took the pictures! And as to why they made me do a photo shoot while I was sick is beyond me!”
“Oh…that was probably my doing…” Aki said with a slight chuckle as she looked at him.
“What?!”
“Well, it was Yuki’s shoot too! I wasn’t going to let you hinder that! Regardless of your condition!”
“You threatened my manager?!”
“Oh, come on, it wasn’t anything like that.”
“You did!?”
“Fine! I did okay.”
“Wow! I’m glad to see that my well-being means anything to you!”
“That’s good.”
Haru made a sort of monkey face and moved over to her. He then put his finger on his free nostril and blew the tissue out the other nostril onto her lap.
Aki screeched and flung the tissue to the floor.
The limo then came to a sudden stop and Yuki headed out the door. “I’ll be back fast.”
Yuki walked into the hospital and walked into the room where Seiko usually stayed. He was sketching something.
She walked over to him and smiled cautiously. She was late.
“You’re late.” Seiko said in weak Japanese.
Yuki, as reflex, talked back in Japanese. “Ah…Seiko, I know I know I’m sorry I…” She stopped herself abruptly…
“Wait a minute…Seiko, did you just…talk to me in Japanese?”
“Yeah.”
While the doctor passed by, she turned to Yuki. “The first day he came here, he ordered that someone come teach him Japanese.”
Yuki laughed. “Seiko, why didn’t you tell me?”
The doctor smiled. “He probably wanted to be good at it first.”
“Why did you want to learn?” Yuki asked before she took his hand to lead him out of the hospital.
“I was tired of listening to everyone talking and I couldn’t understand any of it.”
Yuki smiled. Seiko could never stop surprising her. She looked down at the new sketchpad that she got for him.
“Oh! You started shading it.”
He handed the sketchbook over to her. Although he was able to draw and do everything again, he’s doing everything at a slow pace. He still had a lot of work to get back to normal.
“It’s beautiful,” She said lightly, it was one of his wintry scenes, “You know, Kina likes to draw and paint too…you could teach her some things.”
“Yeah…I could do that…”
Yuki looked up at him in surprise. “Wow, you’d actually agree to do that?”
“Yeah.”
When they had stepped outside, Seiko abruptly stopped and pulled Yuki to him. He hugged her tightly as she stood there befuddled but held him all the same.
When she slowly pulled away, she searched his eyes, not sure what was going on. “Seiko…?”
“Thank you…thank you for everything.”
Yuki was slightly taken aback but quickly regained herself and sweetly smiled up at him.
As he looked down at her, he couldn’t help but feel himself smiling back. He was surprised. It actually felt pretty good.
Yuki froze completely before letting out a scream. She threw her arms around him and jumped up and down, unable to control herself.
“Seiko! You smiled for me! You smiled! I can’t believe it! Do it again!”
“What?! You can’t just tell someone to smile!”
“Seiko!!”
In embarrassment he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the limo.
Love may not necessarily have the power to change the past…
“Seiko, come on! We need to take a picture of it!”
“What?! No!”
Nor the power to make pain instantly disappear.
“What’s going on?” Aki asked curiously.
“Seiko smiled for me!”
Aki and Haru smiled at them and Yuki continued to desperately get Seiko to do it again.
But it provides the hope that tomorrow will be better.
“This is going to be a long ride, you guys.” Aki said, putting her head on Haru’s shoulder.
It has the power to heal and promise that everything will be all right.
Seiko turned to look at Yuki, who rested her head against his own shoulder and closed her eyes.
After all…
He gently placed his head upon hers and smiled to himself.
Love was always strong enough…
He slowly moved his hand to take hers in his, interlacing their fingers before he closed his own eyes.
…To mend the broken.
End