"Hey, little girl..! Hey! Don't lose consciousness, hang in there..!"
A man's voice.
Surrounded by darkness, surrounded by void, I raised my trembling hand.
"...I'll save you.. I'll save you! Just please don't die on me..!"
'Die'?
Am I going to die?
Who is the owner of that voice..? Mister, will I die?
My mother.. My father.. Will I leave them? Am I going to die?
'Hey.. Hey! I'm begging you..!"
The voice is slowly fading.
Am I really dying?
No.. no.. I don't want to die..!
No..! No! No! No!
I don't want to die yet!
I feel like I am drowning. I can't breathe. All I see is black. All I see is fear.
Suddenly, everything turned into white. Cold filled my body. I cannot move, I cannot speak, I was greeted by a small whisper of a woman.
'I have saved you, little girl, I have saved you… Now it's your turn.'
And I was hugged from behind.
'..Please, save… her...'
"Wait! Hah.. Haah... Haah.."
Greeted by the white ceiling, Yuzu slowly lowered her trembling hands to her face filled with cold sweat.
"Haah... hah... that dream again, huh?" She slowly sat up to her bed and looked at the window filled with sun rays.
"Sunny… good..", after heaving a small sigh to calm herself.
After a minute, the blonde slowly rose and she gently bumped her fist into her chest.
"Hmm.. Don't worry, heart. Today will be a good day."
...
"Good morning, Mom! What's for breakfast?" Yuzu said while happily going down the stairs.
"Bacon and eggs, dear! I know you love it!"
"Yes! You really are the best!" Yuzu sat at the dinner table and excitedly reached for the bacon, but when she almost reached it, she was interrupted by a serving spoon.
"Yuzu! Pray before eating! I've taught you that for 17 years and you're still not doing it!"
"Hehehe, sorry, Mom!"
After praying, as Yuzu reached for the bacons, her mother noticed the trembling body of the blonde.
"Yuzu, that dream again? Should we go to the docto-"
"It's nothing, Mom." Yuzu smiled at her mother. "It's just the usual, don't worry. Let's eat!"
Her mother looked at her daughter for a minute and heaved a sigh. Pushing the worry aside, she savored the moment she and her daughter have in a nice sunny weekend.
After breakfast, Yuzu was washing the dishes while her mother was cleaning the dining table.
"Yuzu, the weather's sunny today, are you going out?"
Yuzu slowed down her washing. "Yes, Mom. The anniversary's almost there. I don't want to go there while crowded."
"I see." Her mom looked at Yuzu. "Do you want me to join you..?"
"No need. I can do this, I'm almost an adult now!" Yuzu smiled. "I've finished washing the dishes, Mom. I'll go get ready now!"
"Okay, dear. Take care!"
Yuzu hurriedly went to the bathroom. As Yuzu closed the door, her mother resumes the cleaning and sadly whispered, "You're always fighting alone, Yuzu."
"Uugh.." Yuzu released a painful moan as she carefully made her way to the outskirts of the city. Carrying a bouquet and some several candles, she stopped for a while. 'Tired.. Just tired.' After a short routine of breathings, she resumes her walk.
"Damn, heart. You're really aggressive since I've woke up. Are you really that excited?" Yuzu grasped her chest as she noticed the sign board of her destination.
For the past 10 years, her heart has never been on rampage before. Time to time, she can feel pain, but she knew it's normal. It's just the side-effect of what happened to her when she was 7. This time, only this time, her heart reacted to something huge. 'For the past ten years, why only now?'
Slowly, she entered the cemetery. 'Still clean as always'. While walking, Yuzu looked around and noticed the growing cherry blossom trees around the vicinity of the cemetery. The blonde softly smiled. 'What a good view, really a fitting resting place for her.'
After walking from the sea of tombs for several minutes, she finally spotted her desired location.
Yuzu knelt and she slowly rubbed the tomb of her concern to clean the dust. 'Aihara Miyano'.
"Hello there, how are you today, Senpai?"
Slowly lighting the candles and placing the bouquet at the center, Yuzu relaxed herself.
"Can you believe it, Miyano-senpai? Ten years have passed, I already have the same age as you! If you're here, I'll definitely punch you in the gut." Yuzu softly chuckled. Her blond locks are swaying along with the leaves of the cherry blossoms.
"Senpai," Yuzu lowered her head. "Hey.. Answer me, Senpai.." Her hands curling into fist. Tears slowly dripping.
"Why.. Why did you have to die… Senpai… I-"
"…Who are you?"
A voice suddenly interrupted Yuzu from her sobs. As the blonde turns around, a silhouette of a woman greeted her.
The blonde's heart was filled with surprise and disbelief.
Black.
Blue.
Everything happened in an instant.
She was blown away. Too beautiful. She looked away.
Her heart pain made her gain her composure once more. She looked again at the woman in front of her.
Long black hair, blue eyes, beautiful, along with a gray turtleneck sweater and a black jacket. 'Like an art, like a painting, just like her.' she thought, but she noticed something else.
Her eyes were intensely looking at her.
'Angry..? No, perplexed..? Still no. It's different… It's almost as if she's-'
"Urgh..!" Yuzu grasped at her chest harder. 'Damn heart pain..! Why now...!'
The painful moan from the blonde returns the composure of the raven. After closing her eyes and heaved a short sigh, she approached the woman in front of her.
"…Excuse me, sorry to interrupt you,"
Closing their distance, a pair of serious blue eyes clashed with a pair of vulnerable green eyes.
"..but what are you doing in my sister's grave?"