"Do you think he'd never wake up?"
I shifted from my position and glared at him. "Why would you even think that?"
He shrugged. "It's been, what, seven years already." He patted his hand on my right shoulder and sighed, "We all know you're not getting any younger, Misaki."
I felt my blood rush to my cheeks. How could he even say that? Weren't they friends? Was their relationship that shallow? Through all of the years that they've known each other, is this only the amount of relationship that they have established? It was only because of us that this had to happen to him. If only we were strong enough to protect ourselves, but no, he shouldered the burden so we could live happily. If it weren't for those crazy and bloody missions that the Academy had given them, he wouldn't have been in this situation. We are safe because of him. He protected us even at the cost of his own life. Why can't they see that? Why can't they realize that?
I was infuriated.
"So?"
He looked at me exasperatedly. "I know you're a stubborn chick, but I also know that you're not stupid enough to blindly hold on to the slightest hope that we can see him truly alive again."
Slap!
The stool that I just sat on fell over when I stood up while he took a step back as he touched his face, barely registering the pain on his left cheek. "He was never dead to begin with!" I burned with rage. Tears were already stinging on my eyes as I tried to control them from falling.
"But, Misaki," He paused and took a few steps forward towards me as he held my shoulders and shook me, "Can't you see? You've suffered enough! How long will you let this happen to you? How and why do you keep on believing that he might still wake up? Even the doctors with great alices couldn't guarantee that!" He cupped my face and looked straight into my eyes, "It's been too long, Misaki." He averted his gaze to the floor. His action seemed to imply that he was right, that he was not only convincing me that he was telling the truth, but also to himself. He took a deep breath and said, "Almost everyone is losing their faith in him."
"You're right, Tono" I said as I freed myself from his touch. "You're right." I took the stool and placed it upright and sat on it. I faced at my best friend, Tsubasa Andou's, body and carefully looked at the tubes that were hooked on him. I looked at the way he breathed under the oxygen mask, his body slowly rising and falling.
His once handsome face had become quite weary; fine lines were already visible to the naked eye. His toned body was now thin, his bones almost showing from the inside. And his skin, his peach skin was now pale. His once vibrant color had turned to dull. It hurt me to see him like this, lying on the same hospital bed every single day for the past seven years.
"See?" Tonouichi Akira's voice was almost that of a whisper, "Stop getting your hopes up, Misaki."
No.
I won't.
Never.
Without facing him, I took a deep breath and smiled. "Even blurry lights are still luminous, Tono."
I should be strong. I should keep on being strong.
I could feel him looking at me with concerned eyes and I heard him sigh again. "How can I ever make you understand?"
I took a glance at the window across me, my eyes wandered far from what I saw. I was reminiscing. "No, Tono. It's you who don't understand."
I heard him take slow steps away from me. When I turned to look at him, his back was already facing me. He held on to the doorknob, and before he twisted it, I heard him mutter under his breath, "I just hope you it won't be too late to move on, Misaki." After that, he opened the door and made his way outside. He shut it slowly, as if closing it hard would wake Tsubasa up.
If it would still take five, or ten, or maybe fifty years before he wakes up, I'll never give up on him for as long as I live.
Because I know he'd do the same thing for me.
Author's Notes
Prompt: "Even blurry lights are still luminous."
Hello! It's been years since I wrote a story, and I just had to come back with a cliche plot. Still, better to have one than none! :)
This was a prompt given to me by dorm mate, Leianne. I wondered if you could give me some suggestions, too. I kind of get motivated when somebody gives me one, even when I can only write humor-hurt/comfort-friendship-romance flash fanfictions. Hahaha
I'd really appreciate it!
Thank you for reading!
- April