~*The Light to Her Darkness*~

Silence engulfed the two brunettes as their eyes bore into one another. It stayed like that for a while, building up an awkward tension. Her lifeless hazel eyes then averted their gaze from the fellow lad to the floor as she got up and dusted off whatever was on her knee-length skirt. She then sauntered past him as if nothing happened. Before he could even snap back to reality, the retreating figure of the girl had already disappeared in the distance.

Sighing heavily, he continued onwards in the opposite direction from where he came from once he got back to his feet. The thoughts of that encounter kept running through his head. What was that all about? Though, there was this one thing that piqued his interest: those lifeless hazel eyes. Even after making eye contact, those eyes just seemed to have looked right through him as if his existence was never there. Her eyes were void of all emotions, but if one were to look more thoroughly into it or even get a bit closer, there would be a tad of loneliness evident behind those orbs. He can't help but to continue pondering about those intricate, yet enigmatic eyes.

Upon opening the door in front of him, he inhaled deeply, the intoxicating smell lingered in his nose. It was a greenhouse inside this institution and it was the only place he could experience tranquility during his stay there. The luscious green leaves that could only be seen during the spring were shimmering in the light. A variety of plants that were rarely found in his country were planted in there. He loved how the garden enveloped him with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, curing his homesickness.

Strolling around the garden, he reached his favourite place to kill time: a massive cherry blossom tree. He sat down and looked up at the magnificent view above. The newborn buds were just beginning to bloom. It was more breathtaking with the rays of light passing through the gaps between them. It was pure bliss to him, erasing all the troubles that were present in his head. Though, he was brought back from his train of thoughts after he heard a foreign sound which reverberated in the atmosphere.

"E-Excuse me…" the voice wavered. "Is it okay if I sit here?"

A feminine-like voice, he thought. The boy just sat there with his head still tilted up towards the view he was just glancing at, but he allowed a small sound to come out of his mouth to signal that it was alright. The stranger apprehensively sat down beside him to his left, politely leaving him a reasonable amount of space between them. She had her knees tucked in her chest, feeling a bit uneasy talking to a stranger.

He took a quick glimpse at the figure beside him and it left him in a state of aghast. It was her! The one he met this morning in the hallways! He couldn't be wrong with what was before him: that shoulder-length brown hair, with a flower-designed hairclip attached to her bangs on the right, and those unmistakable hazel eyes which were void of any emotions from afar! He couldn't help but to once again be mesmerized by her features.

As if feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head and stared back at him. For a while, they were just staring at each other in complete silence, but then both of them broke eye contact, with the young lad blushing madly. His face was bursting into flames by the time he was able to clearly think about what he had done; another awkward encounter with her. Though, deep inside, he felt slightly happy to see her again.

Deciding to break the ice after he calmed down his racing heart, he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Hiro Fukui," he smiled.

Returning the smile, she replied, "I am Akemi Takashi. Pleasure to meet you."

As they continued to converse, the atmosphere around them became lighter, carrying a friendly mood around the two. They found out that they were around the same age, but the boy was older by one year. Anyone would have thought that they were childhood friends catching up with each other's absences. Each word they spoke brought them closer and closer to each other, as if they were able to understand each other more than anyone else. Time was slyly passing by around them throughout that day without even one of them realizing what time of day it was. It was just when the time was announced on the intercom did they notice how late it was.

A sigh of content escaped the lips of Akemi. As she glanced outside behind those glass windows, she could see the sun setting in the horizon, an orange hue tinting the sky. Though, the look of longing on her face as she stared outside didn't go unnoticed by Hiro even if it appeared and disappeared in a millisecond. Standing up, he stretched his arm out towards her in which she glanced at questioningly before placing her own in it. He pulled her up to her feet and they began walking towards the exit of the garden that led to the corridors. Before they could set foot into the hallways where they would part ways, Hiro stopped in his tracks, confusing Akemi.

"Out of curiosity," Hiro began, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "will you be here again tomorrow, Akemi?"

There was a pause. He could tell that she was thinking through it thoroughly before giving her answer. She then gave an enthusiastic nod and a tender smile in response towards the question. Just with that response, he was satisfied. He couldn't help but let a grin creep up onto his face. He seemed to be excited about the next day.

They parted ways once they reached the intersection in the hallways. They waved goodbye and continued onwards towards their respective destinations. Just before he left, Hiro saw something unusual at the corner of his eyes. Oddly, Akemi was clutching onto her abdomen quite firmly.

He continued on his way, but still continued to contemplate about whether what he saw was just his imagination or not. It didn't seem right. Just before they left the garden, she looked just fine, smiling and so on. The fact that she was clutching onto her abdomen was worrying him non-stop. Remembering that smile she showed him, he reassured himself that it must've been a stomach ache or such, so he dismissed the topic.

Just as she promised, she was at the tree where they met the other day. She was once again gazing outside the window - her palms were pressed softly against the cool surface of the glass where moisture began to form, outlining around her hand. Seeing her from farther away, he noticed that she had been wearing clothes that were covering a large portion of her skin. Only her head was not covered with any fabric.

"I don't get it," she sighed, placing her forehead on the window. "My life feels like it's not worth it anymore. No matter how hard I try, I'm just a burden to others. A burden… That's all I'll ever be. They'll just pity me, but what's the use of just pitying? As much as I want to be free like a bird flying wherever it wanted in the sky, I'm trapped in a dark cage of misery to suffer all by myself. They say this was for the best, but they never even tried to understand my feelings… Was this decision even right?"

After she said that, there was a moment of silence. Wanting to do something, Hiro calmly walked up to her, but suddenly stepped on a twig, snapping it. The sound caught her attention and quickly diverted her gaze from the outside world to the source of the snap. Gasping, her glossy eyes widened to the size of saucers. Tears were streaming from her eyes and falling off of her chin. Quickly, she wiped the tears away with the sleeves of her shirt. Hiro was unfazed by her expression and actions. He understood fairly well how much pain she was in, as he was also in the same situation of being trapped up in this building for approximately five years.

Leaning his back against the tree and closing his eyes, he began, "Life is unfair, sometimes. Though, everybody has to experience that at least a few times in their life so it would be fair for everybody, don't you think? It hurts to suffer, but it is part of life - just like how Jesus suffered and died for us because of love. You aren't the only one suffering. There are other people here who are suffering just like you have even if it's in a different way."

Opening one eye, he saw a blank expression on her face, as if cuing him to continue.

"You say, 'I'm trapped in a cage of misery to suffer all by myself,' so I wonder where the key is that will unlock that cage. There's always a key made to unlock each lock, right?" Hiro wholeheartedly smiled at her, now facing Akemi who still remained silent. "Then, shall I become your key - the key that would set you free and the key that would end your loneliness? I want to understand those feelings that 'they' never did. I want to end your suffering even if it meant that I would have to suffer too. I want to eliminate the darkness of that cage with light. I'll be the radiance of your life that you weren't able to see. I want to… always be by your side. Will you allow me to? Even if we have just known each other for a day..."

His words left her dumbfounded. Suddenly, she embraced him, much to his surprise. He could feel the fabric covering his shoulder getting wetter and wetter due to her overflowing tears, which were accompanied with muffled sobs. All this time, it seemed like she was putting up a facade, until now. Now, she was just like a baby bird that was newly born from its egg: delicate. Knowing that the only thing he could do is to comfort her, he returned the hug and began to gingerly stroke her hair - stroking them as if they were strands of silk, and if stroked carelessly, it would snap in an instant. This soothed her, causing her to calm down.

Once she was able to control herself again, she let go of him and gave him a thankful smile. She was so close to him now that he could see that the whites of her eyes were actually yellow and her skin, too. Jaundice - that was the word that popped up in his head. That was what it was called! The yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin was what jaundice was. Why, though? Why would she have jaundice? This concerned him further, adding to what he saw the previous day. He couldn't seem to put the pieces together yet.

All of a sudden, Akemi clutched onto her abdomen and winced in pain. She placed her free hand onto her forehead where perspiration began to form. He could notice that her eyes were losing their focus. Her legs were shaking frantically, appearing as if it would give way in any moment. She looked so weak!

Just when he was going to grab her shoulder and ask what was happening, she collapsed into his arms.

"Akemi! AKEMI!" he called out to her, shaking her body in the process, but her eyes remained shut. There was definitely something wrong with her condition. This was worse than what he saw yesterday. Adding to how she was acting before she fainted, she was almost as light as a feather. Even though it should be normal for people with a sickness to be in this kind of place, he never met someone who was like this.

He carried her in his arms in a bridal-styled manner and scurried towards the exit of the garden. This was an emergency! He had to find someone. Someone who could assist him in this facility! If anything, he had to find the ER immediately if he couldn't find anyone! The seventeen-year-old form of Akemi remained limp in his arms, panting and sweating as he continued to run around to get her medical support.

Just as he thought there was no more hope as he lost his way to the ER, he bumped into a figure walking in the hallways. Staring at the person before him, he was elated and relieved. It was like a miracle was bestowed upon him. A doctor whom he knew very well was standing in front of him: Doctor Naoki.

"Doctor! Please, please help her out!" Hiro pleaded desperately.

Naoki looked at the limp figure in his arms and he looked alarmed. He instantly, but cautiously took her from Hiro's arms and dashed to the emergency room where he placed her on a stretcher. Hiro was left outside the room to wait patiently for the results. Several other assistants went into the room to help Doctor Naoki out. Impatiently pacing back and forth, tapping his foot and twiddling his thumbs, the doctor finally came out of the room. Before he could even tell the young teen anything, Hiro rushed into the room and saw the peaceful resting body of the girl he vowed to help, calming him down.

The doctor stepped back into the room and explained the situation, "I guess Ms. Akemi hadn't told you anything about her illness with that face you were showing back there. Well, as you can see, she has liver failure. She was sent here seven years ago to receive proper treatment, but all of a sudden her parents got into a car crash and died right after they dropped her off to search for a donor, without her knowing. Until now, she's still suffering through this illness. Her parents were the only ones left to take care of her, while the rest of her family were nowhere to be found."

He paused, a look of melancholy was evident on his face, before he went on, "Unfortunately, her parents weren't a compatible donor due to the fact their livers didn't meet the minimum hepatic volume requirements as they were too big. Ever since then, she has been taken care of and raised by the hospital - even providing the payment for her medical bills. Though, with her physical state right now, it seems that everything we will do from now onwards will be futile unless we find a compatible donor."

Hiro glanced at the unconscious body on the stretcher. He wanted to do something - he really did. He promised that he would end her suffering even if he himself would suffer. Without thinking, he responded, "I'll donate my liver."

Astonished by the young man's courage, he questioned, "Are… you sure about that? Even if we already know you're a compatible donor, are you sure? You do know the consequences, right?"

Hiro knew that he'd go as far as to doing this for her, so he confidently nodded. He already knew that they have been running tests on him to see if he was a compatible donor - which he was - so why should he hesitate now?

Glancing back at Akemi, he knew that it was too late to step back. He really wanted to help her. If he didn't, then who else would? He didn't want to lose someone precious to him anymore. No matter what, he'd do anything to make things right again. He walked up to her and strongly grasped her cold hand into his warmer one. Lowering his head near her ear, he whispered confidently, "I shall finally set you free from this pain. I will become your hero." He was serious about the promise he made with her and that's why he was willing to do the liver transplantation. The promise gave him the courage to continue on. After all, he was a man of his word.

The liver transplantation surgery began after they injected anesthesia into Hiro's body. His eyes shut immediately causing him to fall asleep. Hours passed before the next time he was able to open his eyes and regain consciousness. Blinking several times after waking up, the only thing he could see was the plain white ceiling of the hospital room. Although he was quite weak after the surgery, he put all his strength into sitting up on the bed.

Then something hit him. He needed to know if Akemi was alright! He had to! Before he could even get out of his bed, he felt a stinging soreness around his abdominal area causing him to flinch. Wincing in pain, he held onto it, the same way Akemi did back then. There was nothing else he could do about the pain he was feeling at the moment. The door to his room flew open and there stood the doctor who done the operation.

Sighing at the sight of the young lad gripping onto his midsection while sitting at the edge of his bed, Naoki walked up to Hiro and gave him water and some medicine. "Now drink that and I will show you what you want to see."

Obediently doing as told, he eagerly swallowed the pain-killers and impatiently waited for Naoki to do his side of the deal. Naoki helped Hiro off of the bed and placed him on a wheelchair in the room. He was a bit too excited to see Akemi, but the thought that the operation may not be a success lingered in his head.

He was too deep in thought that he didn't notice they were already in front of her room: Room 189. Placing his trembling hand onto the doorknob, he anxiously turned it to open the door. A loud creaking sound was heard as the door gradually opened before him. Whatever lied ahead was the answer he awaited for ever since the end of the surgery.

Rays of sunlight radiated into the room, illuminating the darkness. Naoki took one step and pushed the wheelchair into the room. Hiro couldn't bring himself to look straight ahead, so instead, he looked down at his lap, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Hiro..." came a gentle voice which he knew extremely well.

After the sound processed in his mind, his head instantly snapped up to look at the owner of the voice. Upon looking at the individual, Hiro's vision became foggy - a warm liquid started trickling down his cheeks upon seeing their smiling face. There was no word that could describe the feelings within him. Only the delightful smile on his face could describe those feelings deep inside him.

A/N:
Gommmmeeeeeeeeeeeeen!
I haven't typed up any story until now and I'm very sorry! Like, two years inactivity?

Okay, I understand that none of you may even WANT to read this since it's not a Vocaloid story. Yeah, I understand... I wouldn't either, but yeah... Heads up, this story was a short story assignment I typed up last year and... I wanted to share it to you guys. I hope this makes it up and I also might end up rewriting/typing Miracles since it feels super disorganized right now, so please forgive me for that. Well, I hope you like this and I'll try to update at some point on something...

~KagamineRin02