Chapter Seven
The next day Haruko checked herself out of the hospital. She walked slowly towards her house where she used to live before she left for Paris. She remembered the very first time Rukawa came and stayed at her house was when they had to study for their exams.
'I still remember he could not his eyes open and for Sakuragi.' She paused and started laughing aloud.
"I wonder how oni-chan is doing?" she asked herself.
"Hey!" a feminine voice called.
Haruko turned to find Ayako there standing waving at her.
"Hello Ayako, how are your kids?" she asked her.
"They are fine, but how are you? I don't think that last week incident is about stress is it? There is something you are hiding from me?"
Haruko looked away trying to ignore the question. She slowly shook her head.
"I don't know what you are talking about." She said with a smile hoping to change the subject.
Ayako facial changed. She looked worried over this particular girl. She had promised to look after her; she treats her like a small sister.
"There is nothing wrong with me." She said trying to smile but it failed miserably.
"I had made a promise to look after you; you are special to all of us. You cannot hide things from me. Haruko tell me what is wrong." She tried to force her to tell her the truth.
Haruko sighed.
With Rukawa
Rukawa walked across the road and saw Haruko talking to Ayako. He smiled and walked to her. He looked at Haruko; she had a sad face on.
'Something is wrong with her, I have never seen her so sad before.'
He continued to walk towards them; he stopped when Ayako called her by her name. He his behind one of those trees.
"Haruko! I know you cannot hide it from me!" Ayako told her.
'Haruko! She is Haruko! That Akagi Haruko! Oh my god!' he screamed in his mind.
"Ayako I, I don't want to talk about it, please." Haruko begged.
'Talk about what?' he asked in his mind.
"Haruko, tell me. How can I help you? How can Rukawa help you?" she asked her.
Haruko was stunned to hear his name. But she slowly shook her head.
"There is nothing for you guys to help. Not even Rukawa-kun."
"Why? How can we not help you?"
Haruko smiled sadly and bent her head down. Her bangs covered her eyes. Rukawa could see tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Ayako, you don't understand do you?" she asked her with her head down.
"How can I understand when you don't tell me your problems?"
She laid her hands on her shoulder and shook it.
"How can we help you, Haruko? I promised him to look after you. I promised John that I would help no matter what."
When she mentioned John, she had more tears in her eyes ready to break.
Ayako kept shaking her, she herself was sad to know that John died. But she kept strong; she kept strong to fulfill his promise. Right now Ayako had tears in her eyes, more and more came when she tried to get her to tell her what was wrong. Haruko quickly parted her hands away and cried aloud.
"Ayako, I can't live for more than a month now!" she shouted, as more tears fell down to her cheeks. She kneeled down on her knees. Ayako and Rukawa were lost.
Rukawa had tears in his eyes, his heart felt like breaking. It pained him also, having someone so precious to him is slowly dieing.
"I can't live anymore. I cannot spend my life with Rukawa anymore. I cannot spend my life playing with Rukawa anymore. I will die! Why are they doing this to me? Why can't I live with him anymore? I will not be able to see Sakuragi trying to show his son some moves. Can't see him trying to dunk, instead of dunking the ball in he hits his head on the board. I will not be able to see Yohei and his gundam making fun of Sakuragi. Can't taste anymore Rin's cake. Not able to go out with Rukawa more often. Not be able to hug him anymore." She cried when she said out the points, which she was not able to do after she goes far far away. She was cut by Ayako's shout.
"STOP! Haruko! You will live I promise you, we promise you that you will live to see yourself in your wedding dress walking down the aisle and to see the man of your dreams there waiting for you. You will be able to see your children grow, you will be able to see your children's wedding, your own grand children running around and calling you grand ma." She cried silently.
"I wish I could. But how can I when I can only live for a month time."
"I came back… I wanted to live happily until I die…. I thought it would be easy here," she cried so hard.
"But…. When I met Rukawa again… I … cannot go that easily…. When he told me that he loved me, I wanted to stay by his side forever… it hurts… Ayako, it hurts being loved by someone but … but I have to leave his side!" she cried between the sentences and cried harder.
"I want to be by his side in every game, every day of his life, every hour, every minute, and every second. I want to be there for him, but why? Why do I have to go? Why do I have to leave his side and not be there for him! Why?!" she shouted.
Rukawa came out of his hiding, went towards her, and hugged her. This shocked her, it hurt her even more knowing that he knows that she would be leaving him by then time comes. He hugged her tight wishing that she would stay by his side like this forever.
'Why lord, why do I have to go? Not being able to be the one to hold him like this after the time comes.' She let all her tears to fall down.
Ayako looked at the hugging couple, wishing they would stay like this forever. She smiled sadly and walked away leaving the two sad lovebirds embracing each other not wanting to lose each other.
"Rukawa" she stammered.
"I wish I hadn't come back. I should have stayed in Paris. If I had stay I would not make you suffer like this. I would not have broken your heart like this. Rukawa forgive me. I shouldn't have come back," she cried as she laid her head on his strong hard chest.
He cried silently and rubbed her back and a slow rhythm. He tired to calm her down
"It is not your fault." He spoke in a soft tone. He continued to rub her back.
"I will be by your side no matter what. You will be able to live to side by my side every now and then. You will be there to see me getting the awards for being the best basketball player in the league. You will be there to see yourself by my side to grab the award from the host." He chuckled softly while she let out a soft giggle.
"You will be able to live a day to beat the hell out of me in a basketball game." He pulled her away slowly and lifted her chin up to see her eyes. He wiped her tears away with his thump and kissed her on the forehead.
"I will be there also, to make you see yourself in a wedding dress just like what Ayako had said." she snuggled closer and he held her closer and let his tears rolled down.
