Yoshiki sat quietly on the couch, barely being able to breath through the high tension. It had been like this since that whole money thing, around five days ago... His heart felt incredibly heavy, ever since she started sleeping on her own again, the start of their cold interactions. A day or so ago, it had actually started physically hurting... His chest would tighten, and if he breathed too deeply, there was a sharp ache inside. Of course, he wouldn't come crawling to Ayumi, trying to gain pity or win her over with some stupid 'woe is me' speech. He had done this himself, he was well aware of that. But he... still wouldn't take money for those three years. It didn't sit right with him, and it never would.
So... it felt like they only got further apart, over something that seemed so trivial sometimes. He could feel a looming dread in how Ayumi carried herself the last two days... He had an awful premonition about what was rumbling towards him. Even if that was the case... he wanted some way to find out... He didn't want it to blind side him... it would only make it worse... So he had to use some vague question... to find out what she planned on doing... He took a small, quiet breath, trying to shake any nervousness, fear, or pain from his voice. "Are you... wanting to keep that key? You don't have to or anything, but ya know... just thought I'd offer it... You never know, you might need it...," he mentioned, trying to manage a casual demeanor about it, even though he was crumbling with anxiousness on the inside. His eyes were cast in the direction of the window, peering down at the traffic that was illuminated by the orange glow of the setting sun.
Ayumi had been fixing herself a cup of tea to try to settle her unyielding jittery nerves when she heard Yoshiki start to talk. The two had been carrying so few conversations that his voice instantly drew her full attention. At the question, she felt herself winded as if she had been hit in the stomach. Why... was this coming up? Did he want her to leave? Not that she could particularly blame him with the atmosphere going on, but still, she hadn't been expecting a question of this nature. She swallowed thickly, trying to regain her composure for an answer she hadn't considered in-depth. Was it time for her to go? She had wondered to herself if she had let herself get too attached and dependent on Yoshiki... "I, uh, haven't really thought about that," she admitted with a small shrug. What was she supposed to say? The only reason she'd need the key if she was living here... With the way things are now and how awful this all felt... "I probably... won't be needing it much longer," she answered quietly as she stirred some sugar into her tea. Her stomach wrenched horribly from just saying it, but it seemed to be the only way out of this. Neither of them were backing down from their positions, and this type of environment was not fun to live in.
Yoshiki had to bite back any noises that threatened to surface at her answer. The confirmation... was like something stabbed into him, and was tearing him apart... It really hurt, he almost let a sharp breath slip, but he was able to keep leveled. Though, it took him a moment to compose himself before he was confident enough to answer, without his voice wavering. "... I see... I thought so, it's just... I wanted to make sure... and give you the option to...," his voice trailed off quietly, his eyes keeping to the side. He was afraid that if he looked at her, he'd just break down, so he didn't even risk a glance. The irrational, emotional side of him was asking if she wanted to repay him so badly, why was she taking away the only thing he said he wanted?!... Though, he knew better than to say something like that. It wasn't fair to say... If she didn't... love him, it wasn't like she could just change her feelings, and he definitely didn't want to guilt her into anything... Now that this was going on, he guessed that those times they were so close... and warm... was just some dependence left over after these three years. It didn't mean anything past that... but it still made this hurt even worse...
Ayumi's fingers curled around the handle of her cup. Her eyes centered on the steaming tea as she tried to keep herself indifferent despite the massive aching in her chest. She didn't want this at all. She didn't want to separate and find some place to live where she would be completely alone. Despite all the resistance inside of her, she was still letting this unfold this way. She let out a small sigh. Had she been expecting him to ask her not to go? He loved her... right? But, she was the one insisting on this, so perhaps he felt he had to let her go if she wanted to leave. She didn't though! She took a sip of her cooled down tea, the bitterness of taste and warmth in her stomach didn't alleviate her pains. She looked over to him, not helping the maelstrom spiraling in her head. "Right... thanks..." she muttered when she realized she should probably respond. This meant... she had to actually start looking for her own place. She wasn't even so sure how to do that.
Yoshiki went quiet, not able to mutter the familiar 'no problem'. He didn't know why... he had been expecting some argument. The atmosphere itself was evidence she was serious about leaving. His mind bogged down as he tried to think of some way out of this, or just a way to simply alleviate the emotions crushing him. He had never really... considered this happening when he had been waiting for her to wake up... His heart sunk further as he thought about the distance, both figurative and physically, that would be put between them... Would they... even be friends anymore? This all hurt so much... but there was nothing he could do about it... He just sat quietly, staring out the window.
Yoshiki felt only dread the past few days. Ayumi was looking for a place, and once she found one... that was it. He sighed miserably, jotting down a small note on the counter. Ayumi was out... but even if she had been home, he had already developed a little bit of a habit with these notes. He wrote down 'Work: 3 pm - 11-11:30 pm', and put the pencil down, carrying on out the door and locking it shut. He often worked closing for work, so the late hour was nothing new to him... It was just another day, with depression over Ayumi mixed in.
Yoshiki walked out of the dark store after glancing to a digital clock, reading the time to be almost eleven. He should get there before the thirty mark, probably with time to spare. He turned and locked the store door, tugging at it to make sure shut tight. With a small nod, he turned and shoved the key into his pocket. He began the walk home. When he had first started working closings, he had been pretty anxious traversing the night streets. Now, it was all just part of the routine, and he was pretty familiar with the path. It just felt like walking during the day time, so he didn't really get nervous.
Though, on one of the more desolate roads, he heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him. These places could have another person on them, but they were generally empty, so he chose to be on guard a little. He pulled his hand from his pocket to adjust his jacket collar as a cold wind blew through. In a split second, the steps behind him became rushed, and he instantly felt more on edge. He felt someone ram him, trying to take anything he could grab at. But, he had been prepared to react. He grabbed the man's jacket sleeve, about to make a move to hit him, but there was one thing he hadn't thought about.
The robber looked wide-eyed with panic as he was grabbed, his eyes red and clothes a bit run down. His breaths were uneven, and being caught terrified him. His other hand whipped out shakily, pulling the trigger. With fear, he had unloaded all the rounds, but only a few hit their mark. As soon as Yoshiki released him, he fled, startled with what he had just done and afraid someone heard.
The pain... was blinding... It could hardly be described. At first, he hadn't really known what had happened, but the hot pain hadn't been lagging too far behind. He staggered slightly, his side hitting against the wall so he could better hold himself up. His hand tightly held his side, though that was only one of the few places that had been hit. His mind was foggy, and he could practically feel the energy seeping out of him. His breaths came out ragged as his vision blurred, but strangely, all his mind could really think about was the time. What time was it?... Maybe... around eleven twenty... He was... going to be late...
His eyes were somewhat sightless as he pushed forward, using the wall for support. Ayumi... He couldn't... let her worry... His dizziness was increasing, but his mind kept urging him, not really giving any rational thought. Once the wall ran out, though, on the next street's corner, all balance was lost, and he fell onto his side with a small thud. His vision darkened, and the sound of someone talking was more like a far off echo in his head. His eyes darkened as he began to slip into unconsciousness, his breaths fading to soft and labored. He felt as if he had been sucked into the darkness... and was fearful that he may not make it out... but Ayumi... He didn't want her... to be alone...
Ayumi didn't like the process of looking for a new apartment. The entire thing was put a sharp blade in her gut as prices and location were discussed. She found a decent one bedroom apartment that was a couple blocks from a park that didn't seem bad. The only problem was... the fact she'd even have to move in. She came back to the apartment in the early evening with a lunchbox from a local convenience store. She wasn't surprised to find the apartment empty, since Yoshiki worked everyday, it seemed. She picked up the note, reading it with a small frown as she remembered the night he promised he'd keep up with them. "Is this really the right course of action?" she asked herself with hooded eyes. Neither of them had made any move in an attempt to stop it. It was selfish of her, wasn't it? To hope he'd ask her to say, so she could just crumple in the idea. But, it still left that big problem at the root of all this. She was indebted to him, and he wouldn't accept her check. She let out a heavy sigh as she leaned back. If she moved out, was their relationship over? Because... she wasn't sure she could handle being completely alone...
Around eleven o' clock Ayumi was debating if she should go into her room or not. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see him or not, now that she was seriously considering putting an offer on a place. She was still holding off on giving the check over to the woman, though. She got up and grabbed a sketchbook along with some pencils as she sat down on the couch. She felt constantly near tears nowadays with this divide between the two of them. Maybe she should actually try talking to him when he got home, but that was guaranteed to turn into another fight over him not accepting her check. She'd see what happened when he got him, since he should be back at any point.
Ayumi's eyes kept flicking to the ticking clock on the wall as she watched it crawl towards the half-an-hour mark. It wasn't unusual that he got out of work a little later, depending on how quickly he got to close the store down. Even a couple minutes after 11:30, she was able to keep herself calm, but once midnight rolled around she found herself spiraling into a nervous wreck. 'This isn't right...' she thought as her heart seized. Her entire world shifted as she tried to talk herself down, but it didn't work. This had to mean something happened.
She grabbed her recently bought cellphone and dialed the number to the store Yoshiki was working tonight. Maybe he got caught there or something... The phone rang and rang, and then she got some prerecorded woman's voice listing off the hours of the store and that she should call back during normal working hours. If Yoshiki wasn't at work and still wasn't home that meant something happened to him on the way. She wouldn't be contacted though, right? Because an unconscious person can't be listed as someone's emergency contact. Her breathing was frantic as she rushed to the computer to look up close by hospitals. Tears were spilling quickly as trembling fingers tried to type the number into her phone. She would have tried the police, but they'd tell her she'd have to wait twenty-four hours... not half-an-hour. She jumped lightly as she heard someone pick up and ask her business.
"Hello, i'm wondering if you have a patient under the name Kishinuma Yoshiki," Ayumi said, her voice coming out shaky with the fear of what the answer may hold. She waited with held breath as the woman shuffled around in search of the information.
"Let's see... yes, we do," the woman responded neutrally.
Ayumi's hand shot to her mouth as she tried to stifle a sob at the information. "W-what is he in-"
"Listen, sweetie, i'm really sorry but we can't disclose anymore information unless you're family,"the woman explained gently.
Ayumi cringed as she wasn't given the information if he had broken a bone or was dying. She quickly thanked the woman, since she made it clear she couldn't help her any further. She shut her cellphone, trying to take a deep sigh that just erupted into loud sobs. She stumbled to her feet, finding her sweatshirt and pulling it over her head. She grabbed her bag after throwing her cell phone in it. She took a glance over at the computer, confirming the location of the hospital. She couldn't stand to stay in the computer knowing nothing about what was happening to Yoshiki. Her entire body was shaking as she rushed out the door. She halted, pulling out the key as she went to lock it. The sight of the metal made her stomach twist as she was reminded of the stupid idea of moving out. She locked the door, threw the key in her purse, and ran. The hospital had been blocks away, and her still weak body was aching with all the physical work it had just been put through. She was holding back horrible sobs that managed to tear out of her. Yoshiki can't be dead! He can't die like this! Her pace slowed as she entered the ER, walking over to the counter to try and talk to the women. She was once again informed she wasn't allowed to get any information. It was tempting to try lying and saying she was his sister, but they would ask for ID which would clearly read 'Shinozaki'.
A nurse gave her directions to a waiting room as Ayumi made it clear she wasn't leaving uninformed. She headed in the direction, fine with not having to sit among the blood and sick waiting for quick admittance. The entire atmosphere of the waiting room was sickening as the fear of death hung heavy in the air. She found a chair to sit in off in the corner as she cried quietly to herself. 'Please be okay, Yoshiki. Please, don't die. I still need you...' she thought as she gave up trying to wipe tears away on the sleeve of her hoodie. She watched with hollow eyes as people continued on as they were, and all she could do was helplessly wait for something.
Yoshiki was unsure how long everything had just been dark, and he had no real control over where his thoughts went. On multiple occasions, he'd wonder things like if he was dead, or if Ayumi was okay. And other times... he felt his mind waver, and he'd began to fade even more. Dead... or... dying?..., he'd think, his mind sluggish. But, his thoughts would come rushing back as he worried over how Ayumi would do. She was so clingy lately... If he died... she'd be all alone. Satoshi and Naomi... were across the country... they couldn't help her like he could. So, his will clung to what he could best perceive as life...
Eventually, his thoughts ceased, and things just went by... Like, sleep... his mind started to jolt to life, his eyes opening slowly, met with bright light. Did I... lose? he wondered, but his vision started to adjust to the daylight, and began to make out the figure of a girl. The muffled voice gave him the impression that it was Miki, but he couldn't really tell what she was saying. So... he was okay? Ayumi... wouldn't have to be alone... His mind that had been worriedly grasping for consciousness faded again with the comfort that Ayumi wouldn't have to be alone... His vision blurred again, his awareness slipping away once more...
The night had passed in a painful crawl as Ayumi waited for the ability to see him. It wasn't fair that she had to be blood related or married to get any of this information. She lived with him for three years... They had been through a lot of awful things together. 'And you were still willing to leave him,' she mentally chided herself with a glare at the opposite wall. She was an idiot. She should have never even considered moving out, and she shouldn't have turned cold when Yoshiki didn't accept her check. He was everything to her now, and she was going to walk away for such a pitiful reason. She didn't get a moment of sleep that night as the fear he was dead clawed at her heart. She stirred in her thoughts until the sun's glow reflected through the hospital's window.
"Uh, you're Shinozaki Ayumi, right?" a voice suddenly asked her.
Ayumi looked in the direction of the voice, seeing Kishinuma Miki standing in front of her with concerned eyes. "Y-yeah, I am," Ayumi answered slowly, feeling stunned. She had never met anyone in Yoshiki's family before. She could definitely tell the two were related by first glance. While they had the same shade of black hair, it was their eyes that shared the greatest resemblance. Sharp gray eyes.
"Well, it's nice to actually meet you. I'm Miki, Yoshiki's little sister," Miki responded with a small smile. Ayumi was confused at first, but she quickly figured out that Miki had probably seen her when she had been unconscious.
"It's nice to meet you too..." Ayumi said out of reaction. Honestly, neither of the girls could be happy to be talking over this series of events. The fact Miki wasn't a sobbing mess like her gave her hope, even if the younger girl's eyes were bloodshot. "So, how is Yoshiki doing? W-what even happened?" Ayumi asked quickly, since she felt like she was dying for the information.
"You don't know?" Miki asked with wide eyes, surprised.
"They wouldn't tell me anything because i'm not family," Ayumi explained briefly, wanting to get onto what happened to Yoshiki.
"Some druggie tried to mug him on his way home from work. He was twitching out, and I guess Yoshiki put up a fight or something. The druggie ended up firing, and Yoshiki was hit quite a few times," Miki said with a deep frown. She seemed to be keeping herself very well composed, though. "The guy was caught a few blocks down, thankfully. Also, Yoshiki is now stable. Some of the bullets went clear through, but they did have to bring him into surgery to get rid of the ones that didn't. Plus, there was a ton of bleeding... He's still being watched carefully, but the doctor says he's a young guy who'll recover fine," Miki informed her with a light smile.
Ayumi felt another wave of tears surfacing, but she bit back on them in Miki's presence. "That's-" she began to say but fell speechless. Yoshiki would be okay... it was hard to wrap her head around after telling herself he was dead all night. "Thank you, Miki," she said with a small nod.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry it took so long for you to get informed... I would've come around. Oh! Yeah, you can go to his room if you want. It's down the hall... 110A. I have to go to school, and my parents are at work... It'll be nice for someone to be around when he wakes up," Miki said as she pushed some black hair behind her ear.
Ayumi smiled lightly at the younger girl. "Great... I'll go stay with him, then." Miki nodded, happy to hear that her brother would have her company. The two said a brief goodbye, and Ayumi followed the directions given. She approached the door, and her hand hesitated as it went up to push it open. With a shaky breath she entered the room to see an unconscious Yoshiki. The only sound in the room was the light beeping of his heart monitor. The tears she had forced down in Miki's presence slipped out at the visible heartbeat. She slowly approached his bedside, brow furrowed as she absorbed his appearance. He looked roughed up and exhausted. "Yoshiki..." she choked out, afraid to even touch him despite how badly she wanted to. "God, i'm such an idiot..." she berated herself as she sat in the chair positioned by the bed. To be so willing to give him up... She was pissed at herself for her poor, stubborn behavior. Her eyes shifted to his hand resting over the blanket. She was still nervous about touching him, but she needed to feel his warm hand to further convince herself he'd be fine. She moved her hand, gently resting it over his. Her eyes felt incredible heavy from pulling an all-nighter, but she refused to fall asleep. She wanted to be there when he woke up.
Yoshiki was more like in a dream now, instead of a blank void. Somewhere during his sleep, he muttered quietly, "I won't... let... be alone." Some words were inaudible in the slightly slurred speech. Eventually, after some time unconscious, his eyes began to open slowly again. Though, before he could even make out anything from the bright light, he noticed a warmth on his hand. He wasn't sure, but... he wanted it to be Ayumi... His hand turned over, tightly holding the hand over his. Shortly after, his vision focused, and the shine returned to his eyes.
His eyes moved to look around the room, but settled when they spotted Ayumi. It was her... Breathing hurt a little in his side, but he hardly was even giving that any attention. Surprisingly, he only thought of how she was and felt guilty about making her worry. "Ayu... mi," he got out slowly, though he still wasn't used to the small ache it gave him, so he couldn't say much more. He wanted to apologize though... He couldn't even imagine the panic he left her in... Though, most would think it was stupid to worry over such a thing after being shot...
Ayumi sat quietly with her thoughts, concentrating on the warmth coming off his hand. She became alert when he began to slur some words in his sleep, and her heart jumped. He was... talking about her, right? She wasn't sure it was an assumption she could make, but after the loyalty he's shown to her in the past three years, she had to guess he was talking about her. It left her red faced and inwardly seething at herself. Not even a month back, and she was going to leave...
Her mental ranting frazzled when she felt his hand moved. She became more alert as she watched him with held breath. Seeing him open his eyes and the life in them was a shock of relief. She smiled softly as he said her name, emotions overwhelming her. She had convinced herself last night that he was dead with Mayu, Seiko, Sakutaro, Ms. Yui, her mom, her dad, and Hinoe. She had been terrified she had lost another person dear to her... a person whom she loves. "Yoshiki," she said, having so much to say and not even knowing where to start. "I'm so sorry..."
Yoshiki smiled slightly in response to his name. For some reason, even with these past events, he had been expecting a more cold response... But of course it wouldn't go like that. He stared at her for a second, unsure of what her apology was for... Since his lagging brain couldn't find the answer, he chose to skip it for his own apology. His grip on her hand tightened, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm sorry... for leaving you by yourself," he forced out, finding it strangely hard to talk, but he wouldn't ignore Ayumi. He never could...
His smile lifted some more of the weight off Ayumi's shoulder. He was really going to come out of this okay... She blinked slowly as he put forward his own apology. She stared at him, noticing the visible pain he seemed to be in as he talked. She would wait to talk more in-depth about the things she had been avoiding until he was at home, able to talk with no problem. "You don't have to apologize for that," she said, shaking her head lightly. "It isn't like you chose... this..." She found it hard to actually say 'to get shot' or 'not come home.' While all this had been incredibly stressful and terrifying, she didn't care about that detail now that he was okay.
Yoshiki glanced to the side, towards the window. Even if that was true... he was the only one left for her to turn to... To not come back to her when he's supposed to... It just left a bad feeling. "Still...," he muttered, but his voice didn't get farther than that. Well, it wasn't like he could explain in a way that she'd understand... Just like with the money.
Ayumi looked at him curiously as his gaze averted to the window. He never seemed to look at her anymore... He was always watching a window. Her hand tightened around his, the first contact they've had since the whole money argument went up in flames. "Don't worry about it," she said simply, "I'm just glad... you're okay." She was glad he was alive... That a stupid drug-addicted street rat didn't steal him away from her on the off chance he had money in his wallet.
Yoshiki smiled softly, his hand's grip tightening at her voice. His unreasonable guilt wasn't settled really, but it was nice... to hear that she cared. Well, of course she would, they were close friends that had went through a lot... Just hearing it was different. "I didn't... want to leave you by yourself," he told her. Some things were a little fuzzy... but he could remember that that was his drive for clinging to life. After all, Ayumi was practically his whole life... and now, if he died, she wouldn't have anyone else... and he couldn't let that happen.
Ayumi watched him closely as she digested what he said. So what he had been mumbling in his sleep... it was about her. It was true that Yoshiki was the only link she really had left. Yes, Naomi and Satoshi were her friends... but she felt nowhere near as connected to them as she did with Yoshiki. Plus, they were scattered across the country. He was right here, holding her hand. She smiled softly, letting out a shaky breath. "Thank you..." she said in a whisper. She didn't know what would have happened if he didn't pull through. She didn't want to think too hard about it.
Yoshiki kept his small smile, making a small hum to knowledge her thanks. He would've said it wasn't necessary... but not only was he still tired, she probably would say thanks anyways. His eyes felt heavy still, though he still wanted to talk to Ayumi... Though, fainting and being unconscious weren't exactly the same as sleep, so he felt pretty drained... Despite his best efforts to keep his awareness, his eye lids felt heavy as exhaustion took over, and led him to sleep.