MarSebar says: Yo! Next… next chap!... Keep reading!

Legend:

Flashbacks…

Title: Cheer Up!

Chapter 4: Spilled Soda

Chapter 4 out of ?

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Eiji's POV…

I feel myself hit the ground. Someone had hit me. I fell with my elbow hitting the ground first. I looked at the person who bumped me. She had also fell down, face down. I couldn't see her face; her red hair was blocking her face. She was looking down. I thought that she might be hurt. I stood up, looked at her for at least 3 seconds and happen to recognize her.

It was again, Yumi-chan!

"Hoi hoi! Yumi-chan!" I greeted with a big smile. "You again," she was trying to stand up, but first she knelt, still looking at the ground. "We always bump ea—" I stopped talking. She looked up, straight to my eyes. Then I noticed something. Her eyes were red, and tears were falling from her eyes. I was surprised and speechless.

"Ahh—amm… Did it hurt… I am so sorry." I handed out my hand. "Mengo, mengo. I didn't mean it." I was really sorry!

She held my hand and stood up slowly. She shook her head and wiped her tears with her right hand closed in a fist. "I wasn't hurt." I heard her say. Her voice was what you would expect from someone crying.

"Nya! Then why are you crying?" I asked.

I suddenly felt her hand tighten her grip. "I need to go to Tsukiyama Hospital right away." Her voice straightened but somehow felt frightened.

"Wha—why?"

"I have no time to explain. Bye." She was about to run away when I held her on the wrist.

"You look like you're in a hurry. I can—" I paused. I suddenly remember something. The book! Where's the book! I looked around and saw the paper bag with the book in it on the streets. "There!"

"Kikumaru-san! Let go of me!" She was almost crying.

"Wait! I…!" And then. I saw it. A white car passed by and… and drove through the book. After the car drove by, I can see the wrecked book. The pages were torn and the book was now flat. "No! Aaaah!"

"What!" Yumiko said in confusion, a bit irritated and nervous. "I really need to go!"

"Look! It's your fault the book was ruined." I didn't know why I said that in front of an almost crying girl.

"Look, I'm sorry." I didn't thought she would say sorry, but she did, sincerely. "But I really have to go… Please!" She begged while struggling to get my grip off her wrist.

My heart was touched by the way she said 'please…' "I'll just come with you." I said.

"Huh! I-- Whatever…" She said. I thought she was going to disapprove. She's different today. "Just… let go!" She said that while pulling her arm. She finally got free. "Are you coming? If you are… you probably won't like it." She said and started running with her expressionless face.

I ran with her too. I can see worry on her face. What could have happened? And why isn't she in the meeting? What's she hurrying about? We're going to a hospital? Why? I came with her to make sure she'll pay at least half of that book. If my mom finds this out…. Waaah!

Hey! Where'd she go? I looked around and saw her turning to the right. I followed her. She stopped in front of a tall white building with bold letters on it. Tsukiyama Hospital.

The place seems familiar. It's like I've been here before. She looked at me. I nodded. She started walking, and I did too.

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Yumiko's POV…

"Yes, I am." I answered the man I talked to at the phone a while ago.

"Good thing you came here quickly. Come with me, your sister's already in her room." The man named Nanba Jun turned back and walked. He was wearing a brown coat and behind that was a white polo shirt with thin yellow lines from the left to the middle. He was also wearing brown pants and leather shoes. His hair was not that good, it's like his barber was in a hurry when he did the cut, but on second thought, maybe it was just how he combed it. Err… no time to think of things like that!

I looked at the jerk that was with me. Why did he come with me! And why did I permit him to! Maybe, I was out of mind at that time, too much worried about my sister, in fact, I still am. But now, I'm kinda calmed down a bit, just a bit. I'm still scared… "Are you gonna come?"

He was looking at something placed on the counter. His attention caught it.

"Kikumaru-san!" I snapped.

"H—hai!" He said walking to me.

I walked to the direction where Nanba-san went. I'm in a hospital again. I like the feeling when I'm in a hospital. It's not about the sick people or the bloody surgeries or the smart almost know-it-all doctors or even the irritating nurses. It's the peacefulness. When you're in a hospital it's quiet and calm, except for some panicking relatives of the patient which was me a while ago, and two years ago. I really don't know the reason why, but I like it. There are just some memories that tells me not to like this place. And those memories affected my whole life. I don't want that to happen again.

In a flash, I remember my mom. 'Never give up, my darling…' I can see her face right now. I, all of a sudden felt sad. Again, my eyes got all teary. Why doe… I mean… here… if I…

"Yumi-chan!" I heard Kikumaru-san say.

I looked at him and noticed he was a bit far from me. "Wha—what?" I wasn't conscious with what was currently happening.

"That guy went over there…" He pointed his finger to a long white hall. I saw Nanba-san walking to the end of the hall.

"Oh, ok." I walked a bit faster than before to the white hall. I was able to catch up with him. The red-haired jerk trailed behind. I saw Nanba-san stop right in front of a room with the number 218.

"Here we are." He opened the door, slowly. Oh! Open it up, now, quickly!

I saw a white light. The door widely opened and I saw my sister lying on a usual hospital bed with not so usual things around the bed and on my sister's head. Well, maybe a bit usual.

"No!" I gasped. "Yoskiko…"

End of POV…

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The two, who seemed like couples just sat on the sofa available in the room. The doctor has just announced what really happened to Yumiko's sister and she couldn't believe it. It was just a minor accident, though, a lot of damage might occur.

Kikumaru, on the other hand had no clue of what was really happening. One moment, he was buying a book her mom ordered to buy, and then, now, he was beside a girl who was almost breaking into tears.

Flashback…

(Almost 15 minutes ago…)

"Oh, good. You're here!" The lady inside Yoshiko's hospital room said. "You're Heike-san's sister?"

"Yes…" Yumiko answered, a bit curious about… about everything.

"I am Minase Sae. I was assigned to your sister." The doctor said.

"Ahm… I am Heike Yumiko." She said a bit speechless. She didn't know why.

The doctor held out her right hand, and so did the worried sister. They shook hands. "And who is this?" She pointed the boy behind Yumiko.

"Oh, this is Kikumaru-san, my ahm…" She didn't know what to say. "… Acquaintance."

"Have a sit, you two." She offered the sofa. "Nanba-san, you can leave now."

"Of course." The officer said as he left the room which was at that time quiet.

"Your father's been here. He said he'll come back after an hour or so, he just went to your house to pack some needed things."

Yumiko nodded. Her dad was like that, most of the time.

"Do you already know what happened?" the lovely doctor asked.

"Just about the accident in the mall."

"It will be a bit easy explaining when you already know that. Well, the fall she made was a bit high," She also took a seat. Yumiko gulped. Eiji took a deep breath. What's happening? Eiji thought.

"She's like this now. She's still unconscious." She pointed the body that was like sleeping on the bed.

"When…" She interrupted the doctor who still has a lot to say. "When will she wake up?"

"Well. We don't know that yet. The first test we've made on your sister was x-ray. But unfortunately we will get the results this evening. We will wait up to that time."

Tell me what's really going on! She exclaimed in thoughts, but she just nodded.

"What we are sure about is that she is positive in internal hemorrhage. More inspection will be made. Up to now that is what we have."

That's still okay, right? Thought Yumiko, though she knew it wasn't really okay.

"Now, I know what you're thinking. You might be thinking that she might not be alright at the end. But, I and the other doctors will make sure that she turns out to be fine after all these."

The three heard a beeping sound. It was from the doctor's phone. "Please wait for a minute." She told the two who were still sitting.

The doctor stood up and answered the phone; she walked a bit far from Yumiko and Eiji.

Yumiko was just staring blankly into space. Eiji noticed that she was thinking deeply. Eiji isn't numb not to know that he shouldn't just talk to Yumiko. Not in this situation, where he doesn't even know what's happening.

"Sorry, I must go. I shall come back here after several minutes to do the second test on your sister. Until later." Minase Sae bowed down, went to the door and went out.

Then, the room fell totally silent.

End of flashback…

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(Back to the present)

"Kikumaru-san," Yumiko decided to break the silence. She thought that she was thinking too hard. It was just an accident on a staircase, yet she was thinking too hard. She decided to cool down for a bit so she talked to the person next to her.

"Just call me Eiji." He suggested. He was glad Yumiko decided to speak. He was getting bored and annoyed of too much silence.

"Whatever…" Yumiko suddenly felt light. It's like some of her worries flew away. "Listen, why did you come with me?"

"Well," He started explaining. "I think… the book… you…. Ahm… You should pay for the book that was run over by the white car!"

"What? What book?" Yumiko asked, puzzled.

"Didn't you notice it? E--when you bumped me, I was holding a book, and then flew out of my hand then… then, it was ruined!"

"I did not notice it. And it's not my fault." Yumiko said, with her usual gloomy expression.

"Ahhww! My mom's gonna scold me for this!" Eiji expressed, thumping his feet on the ground, like a kid.

"Hey, don't get too noisy…" Yumiko ordered, glaring at Eiji.

"Just pay the half of it… please" Eiji requested, pouting, while doing his puppy eyes (or should I say 'kitten eyes').

"Whatever…" Yumiko sighed.

"So… yes?"

"Ohh… o… ok…" Yumiko whispered just to stop the nonsense talk. Why did I start this conversation, anyway? She really didn't mean that 'ok' part.

"Yeah!" Kikumaru stood up. "Oh and I have a favor…"

"hmmm?" That's what the murky girl uttered.

"May I watch TV.?" He again, pouted. "Please…"

"Wh—why?"

"I was supposed to watch an anime that's gonna start airing today. It's gonna start any minute now!"

"Are you even serious…?" Yumiko murmured.

"Huh?" Eiji asked. He didn't seem to hear what the girl said.

"Nothing!"

"So…"

"So… what?"

"So… you'll let me watch?"

She sighed, again. "Whatever…"

"Yipee! Thanks!"

Kikumaru opened the television and got the remote and sat down beside Yumiko who wasn't paying attention to the cathode ray tube.

"Phew! I almost missed it!" The anime was already on. He was now so engrossed with the TV.

Yumiko stood up and went to the refrigerator in the room (A/N: did I mention that the hospital room was big…?) Inside was about 3 bottles of water, 3 cans of ponta, some candies, and other snacks she didn't mind noticing. She took 2 cans of ponta and went to where Eiji was. She handed him one can. "Ahm… Here you go…"

Eiji looked at her. "Thanks a lot!" He took it and opened it.

Yumiko sat down, near her sister's bed and started to drink the ponta. She just stared at her thinking about many things, when she heard something fall. A sound that is familiar in a toppling can.

She looked behind her and saw that Eiji dropped his can of Ponta. The soda poured down on the floor.

"Mengo mengo!" Eiji immediately stood up.

"Hmm. I'll just go get a mop or cloth to wipe that." Clumsy Jerk!

"Okay."

Yumiko came back after a few seconds with a blue cloth. She knelt down where the spill was and wiped it. "Will you please throw that can away…?"

"Huh? Oh yeah…" Eiji walked to Yumiko's left and was now facing her. He was gonna pick up the can, when he fell out of balance. "Uh..whow. Nya!" He closed his eyes.

He can feel his palms flat on the floor but his body landed on something soft. He opened his eyes and saw the bossy and gloomy girl's face looking straight at him with surprised eyes. That moment almost lasted for an eternity. Finally, Kikumaru saw her lovely face up close.

Wha-what! Eiji! Get o—nice eyes… Yumiko smirked… in her thoughts. She can't smile in that situation. "Get off! You clumsy jerk!" Yumiko pushed him.

"Ahwww! Mengo mengo!" Eiji tried to stand up.

Yumiko felt something wet at her back. She touched her back. "awww! Looked at what you did! My cheering uniform's now wet!"

"I'm so sorry!" Eiji apologized while walking to the annoyed girl's back. He touched her back. Yumiko felt a bit ticklish. She twitched. "It's not that wet, erh."

"Wha—"

Just then, the door opened…

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MarSebar says: Phew! Thank god, this chap's done! Reviews please…Have a nice day…. All of you! And ohh… it might take a long time before I upload the next chap. I'll be busy with projects and school activities. And I just wanna say that our cheering competition was postponed and was moved to Aug 8, because we had no classes for 2 days and the day after that was already the competition. Since no appropriate preparations were made, our school just moved the competition. Hmph! Just want to share that…. Heheheh! Ja!