Chapter Nine: Of Sickness and Blood


Momo ran into the white hospital room, Tsubomi following close behind, along with Kousuke who had been worried as well after seeing the two girls quickly hightail it out of the school building. The blond haired girl quickly ran to her mother to get an account of the situation. Tsubomi turned her head to look at the older boy, asleep in a hospital bed, wires and tubes hooked up to him. It was scary to have a life depending on something like that.

Momo, after her mom was done talking, quickly went to stand next to Ayano, who was in turn next to her brother, and she felt his forehead. "He has another fever…"

Ayano gave a sad sigh. "He collapsed when I was teaching him more about the lesson… It was…" She shook her head, and Momo couldn't blame her for not wanting to continue. It was scary seeing Shintarou like this, again. She closed her eyes. Why did this have to happen to her brother? Why was he always sick? Why was he unable to live a normal, happy life, and to be a person? She shook her head, trying to reword the last thought. Words were never really her strong point.

Haruka and Takane, the two people that sometimes helped Shintarou and Ayano, came in as well, Shuuya following his older sister. Ayano ran up to Takane to hug her, crying. "It happened again, Takane! He got really sick again!" She gripped onto the older girl's clothes, and Momo had a fleeting thought about being glad that she didn't turn to her.

Shuuya went to hug her, patting her on the back, trying to soothe her. "It's ok, Aya-nee, he'll wake up soon. He always does, you know, and this time is no different from the others."

Momo closed her eyes and gave a sigh. When Shuuya was actually thinking about others, he was really quite nice. Usually. Kousuke went over to join the group hug, sobbing as usual. Kousuke was rather fragile when it came to things like that. Haruka also went to go hug Takane, since he probably didn't want to hug Kousuke or Ayano; it would be rather strange to be hugged by someone you didn't know that well, or other issues.

Momo also ran over to hug them, to comfort them. "It's ok Ayano. I've seen him get sick many times, but each time he comes back, even more confident than the last. I know he'll come back and be begging to learn whatever schoolwork he missed out on. Don't worry, everything will be ok." She pulled back slightly, giving a smile. 'It will be ok… I know it.'

Haruka nodded as well. "I've seen him do stuff like that as well. It's ok Ayano-chan." He gave one of his calming smiles that Takane often talked about, always denying that she did so.

Takane gave a sigh, hugging Ayano back. "Everything will be ok." She turned to Momo and nodded at her as well, and Momo dipped her head.

Tsubomi gave a sigh, and Momo turned to face her. "I hope that he'll be ok…" She closed her eyes, really looking as if she was depressed.

Shuuya nodded, giving a friendly slap on her back after letting go from the group hug, the latter quickly opening her eyes, startled. "He'll be fine! He's Momo-chan's brother after all~"

Momo blushed and turned away. "Wouldn't it be more appropriate to say that I'm his sister?"

He shrugged dramatically. Tsubomi exhaled, narrowing her eyes slightly against the sun as Momo's mom opened the curtains, looking at the sky. "I think it would be best if you all went home."

"Mrs. Kisaragi, Momo-chan can come to my house for a little bit." Tsubomi walked up to her. "I can see that this is rather stressful, and she can have dinner with us if need be."

She gave a sigh. "That is a gracious offer, but make sure to ask your parents."

She took out her phone and began to text as Haruka and Takane waved, going to their afternoon job. Ayano followed, unable to do anything except give occasional sniffles.

Kousuke sniffed a little bit as well after seeing his sister cry. "Shuuya, do you think he'll be ok?" He wiped his face with this forearm while the questioned gave a shrug.

"I think he'll be fine. There isn't any reason to believe otherwise." He walked out with Kousuke, going home, the will to do after school activities gone.

Tsubomi turned to face Mrs. Kisaragi. "My parents say that it's fine." She turned to Momo, who had a relieved look on her face.

"Well, I guess I'll have to thank your parents later, won't I?" She turned to Momo. "Do you have your stuff?"

"It's all at school, I came here in a rush…" Momo looked to the ground, holding her arms.

"Go get it then, and call me when you get to her house." She nodded, and the girls ran out to go to the school.

. . .

Momo waved as Tsubomi waved back, shutting the door behind her. She turned her head down as she started to text her mom, eventually looking back up at the rising moon. She gave a sigh, heading for home, her backpack slightly weighing her down.

"Why does this always happen to onii-san? What did he ever do to deserve this…?" Momo felt tears come to her eyes and she quickly wiped them away so that when she got home, her parents wouldn't see her red eyes. Having to explain why her eyes were red was always embarrassing, and Shintarou would tease her afterwards.

Except he wouldn't exactly be able to do it this time, she remembered with sadness.

"At least I can go visit him tomorrow after school and give him his missing work… again…" She gave a forlorn sigh. "I bet, even though he has a happy front, he's actually really upset about not being able to go to school often…"

"Yea, I bet that's the truth, I can't imagine him not being upset…" She trailed off, realizing that talking to herself was rather weird, and even though it was night, she didn't want anyone thinking that she was crazy or anything. That would be embarrassing.

She hurried her pace to get home and get to bed so that the next day would come quickly.

. . .

Momo looked across the quiet classroom as the students continued with their work, no longer quite as stressed about Shintarou's sickness since the fever broke three days ago after five days of having it. It was something that she would often grumble about, but everyone was relieved. She turned to Tsubomi. "It's so quiet without Shuu-kun and Kousuke… What happened?"

Tsubomi shrugged. "Shuuya didn't text me, and neither did Kousuke or Takane. Ayano wasn't at school either, from what Haruka-senpai told me after he asked where Takane and Ayano were." She finished her work. "We can go visit their house after school ends, and then go visit your brother."

Momo nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

. . .

Tsubomi jerked back as the door quickly opened right as she was about to knock again, causing Momo to give a startled shriek. "Ahhh!"

Takane's bleary eyes appeared from behind the door. She quickly blinked, trying to get rid of the tiredness. Her hair was out of the normal pigtails, and it was also messy, which was unusual. "Oh, Tsubomi, Momo-chan… I didn't realize that it was you…"

"Why weren't you all at school? Did something happen?" Momo looked to the side as Shuuya and Kousuke appeared as well, Kousuke and Shuuya also looking unkempt.

She watched as Shuuya clenched his jaw and Kousuke began to cry again. Takane shook her head sadly. "Our parents… were caught in a school shooting…"

The two girls gasped. "No…!" Momo muttered in shock.

"Our mom was killed…"

Momo's eyes widened.

"No… no way…!"


Golden: Uaaaa this took wayyy too long, both because of school and other things, and because I had absolutely no idea what the plot for this chapter would be, but I have the rest of Momo's arc planned out, and there will be a chapter or two dedicated to Shintarou as well, although a lot of what happens to him will be explained in Momo's arc.

Hibiya doesn't have one though because honesly what would I put? His death and past will be explained though, so don't worry.

Happy reading~