AN: Thank you to all the people who started following this little story of mine. I really appreciate it! Hope you like what's to come. I would love to hear from you who you romanced in the game, though. Personally I started with Akihiko, but fell for Ryoji on my second playthrough.
Anywho, R&R please! Love you all!
Yukari Takeba
The door to Minako's hospital room slides open slowly and Yukari enters, closing the door equally as slow behind her. She always tried to be quiet when she visited, as if Minako were just sleeping soundly, and she tried not to wake her. Yukari sighs sadly as she looks upon her comatose friend in the white hospital bed. Walking to the corner of the bed, Yukari turns to the wall, away from Minako. She always felt guilty when she visited her. She felt as if it were her fault that Minako was in this state. If only she had remembered sooner. If only she had been faster, if she had noticed the changes. Why didn't she write the events of nearly 4 years ago down somewhere? She might have remembered then…
It was always difficult for Yukari to start to speak. If she tried, her voice would crack and she would start to tear up. When Minako was first in the hospital after the very first fight against the full moon Shadow, Yukari barely left her side. She had to be shooed out by Mitsuru and Akihiko. This time, Yukari barely visited. She would come to see Minako maybe once every few months, if that. It was too difficult for her, she thought, she wasn't strong enough. She was never strong enough…
Minako would never say that…Minako would convince her of her strength. And, seeing the bigger picture, Yukari was pretty strong. She had assisted in defeating NYX three years ago. She had stood up to her mother after years of fighting and now got along with her. She made friends and got over her jealousy for Mitsuru. They were still best friends. However, Yukari could never thing of Mitsuru being as close a friend to her as Minako is…was…is?
Taking a breath, Yukari nodded to herself.
"You can do this, Yukari." She told herself, "Just talk to her…this may be your last chance…" After a moment, Yukari turned to face the bed. She altered her breathing so it would hold back her tears. It never got easier…why didn't it get easier for her? Was it easier for Mitsuru? Probably…For Aigis? Fuuka? What about him? He loved her, didn't he? Was it easy for him? Yukari hoped that she wasn't the only one.
Thinking about her words, Yukari finally spoke. Her voice was cracked and one could tell she could cry at any moment.
"H-Hi, Minako…" she breathed in as well as she could, "I…I'm sorry I haven't been around for a while…I just…" Yukari paused. She noticed the sunflowers sitting next to her, they were beginning to wilt, so she walked to them, fluffing them as well as she could, moving them closer to the windows to get more sun. Mostly, she was distracting herself. Yukari hated to cry. She hated to cry in front of others almost as much as she hated crying alone. There wasn't a night since Minako fell into her coma that Yukari didn't shed at least one tear for her. It was like her father dying all over again. Not quite as painful, but a very close second. Unlike the others, Yukari didn't hope. She didn't have any left. So much had happened in the last 4 years that Yukari was almost devoid of all hope she had left. Perhaps she had a shred of hope left that Minako would wake up. Maybe she was only preparing herself for the worst case scenario. She was preparing for if…when…Minako would die…
"Junpei told me…he told all of us…" Yukari said, fiddling with the petals on the flowers; feeling their softness with her fingers, "He said the doctors are getting ready to…" She paused again, wiping her eyes. She hated thinking about Minako dying…
"I know you wouldn't want me thinking about that kind of stuff, but I have to, you know? I need to prepare myself if it happens…and I know you'd understand that. You were always so good about that. Always so good at seeing the positive things in life, something I could never do." Yukari stopped touching the flowers and walked to the chair next to Minako's bed. She paused before sitting down in it. She noticed Junpei's cap in Minako's arm and smiled.
"So that's where Stupei left that. I was wondering why he didn't have it when he came back to the dorm." Yukari laughed slightly, "I still call him that, you know; Stupei. It's almost like a little dedication to you in my everyday life." When she thought about saying "dedication", Yukari felt her eyes heat up. She fanned her face with her hands to keep the moisture inside.
"It's just really hard without you, Minako. Really hard…" she said, voice shaky, "Ugh…what would you want me to say…? It's been a while since I came, and I'm really sorry…What was the last thing I talked about with you…?" Yukari thought. How long had it been since she visited Minako; two…three months? It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was the combination of her busy schedule and the pain she felt every time she even thought of seeing Minako in this state.
"I don't know if I told you about school, did I? Oh well…guess I'll tell you again…" Yukari told her she was going to school on a scholarship from the Archery Club. Once she applied to college, she had to think about what she would major in.
"I think it would have been easier to decide if you were there, but I came up with something. I'm going for Human Services and Counseling. I'm going to be a family counselor for families like mine. I don't want anyone to have to fight with their parents and kids. Even if it's a single-parent household, every family should be happy and get along. That's what I'm doing with my life." You could hear the pride in Yukari's voice. She knew Minako would be proud of her too. She knew Minako would congratulate her and tell her how happy she was for her. Yukari only wished she could hear Minako say it…
"I'm going to a local school so I can still stay in the dorm with everyone. I'd hate to be far away from my support-system. Plus it gives me a chance to live on my own without a roommate or more money invested in an on-campus dorm. Oh! I'm also working part-time at the flower shop. Everyone always tells me I smell really good when I come home after working there. I've always loved that place. I was going to work at the café at first, but then I decided the flower shop was a better atmosphere. Not that the café isn't cool or anything." Yukari thought more on what to say. Once she got to talking, her words seemed to flow like a river. It made her feel a little better about the situation. There was a lot to talk about, but she wasn't sure how much she could say. She knew some of the others stories intertwined with hers and she didn't want to step on anyone's toes. When visiting Minako, every story was precious to the storyteller. It was like a special thing just between the person and Minako. Despite the fact that Minako couldn't respond, Yukari still felt it was important she not tell anyone else's information.
"I know some of us haven't visited for a while, but we were…away." Yukari told her, "There was an interesting set of events in a town called Inaba. If you take the train west, you can get there, but we went with Mitsuru in her limo. But I'll let her tell you more when she comes to see you. I wouldn't want her to have to repeat information." She puts a finger to her lips, thinking hard, "Jeez…what else is there to say…?"
Yukari stood up and began to pace to see if that would get her thought process going. Her thoughts drifted to Junpei. She smiled slightly at the thought of him and her memories of the day before had begun to wash over her.
"You know I've kinda realized something. You probably saw it before, but I kinda…I think I like Junpei." She laughed nervously, "Chidori ended up moving away after Takaya and Jin…you know…and she and Junpei stayed together for a while after, but they kinda drifted apart. They still care about each other and everything, and Chidori still comes to visit, but they're just friends now. I know Junpei still loves her, I'm pretty sure he always will…but…I guess I hope that he has room in his heart for someone else; for me. That doesn't sound cheesy or anything, right?" She laughed quietly thinking about what Minako would say in that moment.
"I know you'd tell me, 'So you finally figured it out, huh? Took ya long enough! But I'm happy for you. Just wait it out and don't be afraid to tell him your feelings. Just make sure he's ready to hear them'. You were always so wise; so easy to talk to. I could never open up to anyone else like I could to you. Hah, I've never even told anyone about the whole Junpei thing and I've liked him for two years!" Yukari sighed, thinking about all kinds of things. Memories of her and Minako flooded her mind and became so vivid it was as if it was playing on a movie screen before her.
"I know I don't visit a lot, but don't think for a second that it's because I don't care. You're by far the best friend I've ever had and I would never want to upset you. It's just, every time I see you like this, I feel like it's my fault. I feel like I could have done something for you or stopped you from fighting NYX. It's so hard to see you like this when I know how you were before. I never want you to think that I don't constantly think about you because I do. I think about it all the time. I wish you were with me all the time! I just…I'm afraid of being wrong. I'm afraid that you'll die and I'll be so positive that you were going to make it that it would literally destroy me." This time, Yukari let her tears flow. She had been holding them back for so long and it was harder to keep them back than to let them go. She grabbed the edge of the hospital bed as tears dripped on the blankets beneath her. She began to yell, not scream, but her voice was raised in desperation and slight anger.
"You can't die, Minako! You can't! Don't you know we're all counting on you to pull through! You're all we have; you're all anyone can think about! Please, Minako! PLEASE come back to us! You have to! We're so lost without you, don't you get that!? JUST WAKE UP! PLEASE!"
Yukari drops to her knees and begins to sob as one hand holds onto the foot of the bed. She lets her tears continue to make sure when she returns home, she won't have to worry anyone. It takes her a few moments to calm down, but when she does she stands slowly, making sure to brace herself as she does so. She looks at her friend, lying motionless before her. She slowly walks to the side of the bed and puts a hand on Minako's cold wrist. She listens closely to the heart monitor as she inhales deeply, then exhales.
"I meant what I said. I'm not letting you get away with this. You have no choice but to come back to us. Because I swear if you die I will make heaven horrible for you….A lot has happened these past few years…we've been practically breaking our backs trying to find a way to bring you back, Minako. Please…please don't let it be in vein…"
Yukari pats Minako's wrist gently and smiles a heart-broken smile. She looks to the door, then to the clock on the wall in the room.
"I have to go now…we miss you…don't ever forget that…" she stands and walks to the door, turning back a last time, "See you soon, okay?" Yukari opens the door and exits, sliding it closed behind her.
