Get to the Future
The brunette stared at the door of the hospital room, not being sure if he wanted to enter or not. He hoped he could confront her without breaking down.
With a shaky breath, he pushed the door aside.
"Naegi-kun."
Naegi felt tears form in his eyes as she said his name with a shaky voice. "Kirigiri-san."
The nurse left the room, giving the couple time alone. Naegi sat by her bed, placing the flowers he had bought next to her. "H-Hey." He bit his lip, blinking back his tears.
Kirigiri looked at him, her face pale. "It's okay to cry, Naegi-kun." She mumbled, her voice hard to hear.
Naegi let out a shaky breath as tears started to fall down his face. "W-Why you? Out of all people, why did this happen to you?"
Kirigiri just smiled. "Naegi-kun, I know you feel upset. I do too. I never wanted to leave my friends. But here I am, dying." She sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "But it was fun while it lasted, right? Despite all of the death and trauma we went through, we were still strong. I need you to continue being strong."
"It's not that easy, Kirigiri-san." Naegi said, "I-It's hard when your friends die. But when your lover dies? When someone you thought wouldn't die, dies? It feels like I have the whole world's weight on my shoulders."
Kirigiri stared at him as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I know."
They sat there in silence for a bit, holding hands. There was nothing to say.
Kirigiri suddenly took her hand away from his, and started doing something under the covers. Naegi gasped as the detective started to put her gloves on him.
"Perfect fit." She croaked, smiling.
"K-Kirigiri-san!" Naegi sobbed, wrapping his arms around her.
Kirigiri didn't say a word, just let him hug her. After Naegi let go, she said, "I want you to keep those, Naegi-kun. I don't…I don't want you to forget me."
Naegi gave her a shaky smile. "I couldn't forget you Kirigiri-san. Even if I tried."
Kirigiri smiled back, then lurched forward as she felt a pain in her chest.
"Kirigiri-san!" Naegi screeched, jumping up.
Kirigiri grabbed Naegi. "Come here," She said as their lips connected.
As they kissed Naegi thought about the future. The future he wouldn't have with Kirigiri. They wouldn't have children. They wouldn't buy a house together. They wouldn't live together. They wouldn't sleep together.
"Naegi-kun," Kirigiri rasped as they tore apart, "I know you're thinking about the future. The future we can't have. For god's sake, I don't even have a future. But you do. And you need to continue living so you can get to the future, with or without me."
Those were her last words. Those were Kyoko Kirigiri's last words.
As Naegi stared down at her, as his friends came running in. Her words echoed in his mind.
You need to continue living so you can get to that future, with or without me.
"I will get to that future, Kirigiri-san." He whispered.
"I will."