"Is there someone you like?"
Hiroki nodded.
She waited for a bit, weighed the words against her tongue.
"It's not me, right?"
Hiroki shook his head, followed by a soft whimper.
Chigusu grinned. Ofcourse not. A villainous jealousy caught hold of her, only for a fleeting moment before giving way to emptiness. She stared up at him, craning her neck to gaze. His broad brow, the tall descend of his nose, the slight indent in his chin that seemed slightly denser now. Maybe a trick of light. Hiroki was staring straight ahead with faux concentration. What are you thinking? Chigusa opened her mouth. An ear-rattling cough followed by a sprinkle of blood falling on her sodded tracksuit.
He weeped harder but not louder. That was the sad part. They were still in this.
Still fighting. Still breathing. Still trying. For something. For someone.
God, can I just tell him one thing?
"You look so cool." A sudden glow of love had filled her eyes as she'd said it. It was true. He was cool. He was the coolest shade of blue. He was her favourite colour. Her favourite smile. Her favourite person.
So, so cool.
"You too. You're the coolest," Hiroki sniffled and angrily wiped his cheeks with the back of his hands "-girl in the world."
He looked at her and she couldn't read his eyes but, god, he was so beautiful.
So beautiful as he faded in with blackness; faintly she heard a plea, a whisper, a cry.
She'd wanted to say thank you, but then the pain had suddenly rushed to wrap it's hands around her throat.
It hurt so terribly and then-
"Takako!"
Shhhhh...
Don't get hurt, don't cry and stay alive and stay and stay alive and stay . .Live.
She wondered what it would have been like to grow up, and live and breathe and see him grow too.
She would've liked that.
She would've liked that more than anything.