Chapter 14: March and April Memories - part 1
I'm sitting idly at the office staring blankly at the window trying to contemplate the things that had happened these past few weeks.
"You couldn't hide it from him forever…"
Those were the words that Megumi had said on the first week of March.
I know that my condition is getting worse and I am just glad that mankind has invented a wonderful object called make-up. I know that my time is getting thinner but what can I do, there is no cure. I also can't just go up to him and say "Hi Kenshin, guess what? I'm dying so I can't love you back. Bye!" Kenshin sure is going to hate me and I don't want that to happen.
"I knew I could find you in here." I snapped out from my daze and looked at Kenshin with raised eyebrow.
"What in devil's name are you doing in here? Can't you see I'm having a moment right now?" Kenshin frowned and sat across from me.
"Idiot." He blandly said. He stared at me for a second and his frown deepened. "There's something different about you. Ever since you decided to wear make-up I…just can't quite place my finger on it." I brushed him off and laughed. I don't know how he does it but he manages to see right through me.
"Kenshin?" I suddenly frowned and looked at him. "If I somehow disappear, what would you do?" He leaned back and grinned.
"I would definitely look for you."
I wasn't satisfied with his answer so I asked another question again.
"What if I went to a place where you can't follow me what would you do?" His grin had vanished and he suddenly looked worriedly at me.
"What's with these questions? Are you going somewhere?" I felt a lump forming on my throat and I would rather kill myself than breakdown in front of him.
"Just answer me you freak!" I breathed in deeply and forced myself to calm down. "What would you do if I'm gone?"
Kenshin fell silent after that. My heart was beating wild and I am getting scared at what his answer might be. I hope it wasn't too sappy.
"I would die."
I knew it! His answer would be those cheesy lines that I abhor! He was serious when he said it and I wanted to puke!
"You're sick!" I suddenly spat. "Rule number 1: Don't act like those moronic romantic fools because…I didn't like you for that!" I was too pissed at his answer that I just blurted out those words easily. "If I am gone, I want you to move on, have a life. Your world doesn't stop just because I am gone. You still have your crazy friends and if I learned your wasting your life…I would definitely come back and kick your ass!" I exhaled deeply and shook my head. "I don't want you to end your life just because I'm gone…I don't want that to happen." I stood up and left Kenshin alone.
Hours after that, a familiar sports car parked in front of the school yard. Everyone in the building looked out to see the new rich comer. When I saw that car drove in, I immediately dashed outside and hid in the student council office.
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE DOING IN HERE?! DOESN'T HE HAVE A COMPANY TO RUN TO?!
As if on cue I could hear the squealing of the girls. If my guess is right, he would immediately go to the principal's office. I beat him to it and got to the principal's office just in time.
"Excuse me but can I just…" Too late he was already inside.
"I'm so glad you're already here." He said in his deep voice. I groaned and slumped on a chair beside me. Behind him there were banshees following his every movement. He closed the door to their faces as if they weren't there.
"Why are you here Shougo-niisan?"
"I am Amakusa Shougo. Kamiya Kaoru's cousin and…"
"She doesn't need your status." I interrupted and glared at him. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?"
"I'm here to pull you out from this school." He simply said. He faced the shocked principal calmly and smiled. "Don't worry ma'am, the Kamiya family would still continue to sponsor the academy." I don't care if this school got bankrupt or whatever! I just wanted to know why I am being pulled out!
"You can't do this to me, onii-chan! Graduation is just three weeks away and I want to graduate. Besides, I…" I want to stay with Kenshin.
"I'm sorry Kao-chan, but this is for your own good." If Shougo-niisan said that, it means dad was in it too. I glared at him and faced the principal with a serious smile.
"I am deeply sorry for that awful scene we just presented to you, madam. However, it seems that we have a family crisis at hand and I want to ask for your consent to take my leave for now." I am really annoyed and you would clearly notice it by the way I am speaking. When the principal agreed, I suddenly left the room and didn't looked back. I never cared if Kenshin or others saw me. I just wanted to go back to Tokyo and talk to my father. I immediately step in Shougo-niisan's car and waited for him…I needed to talk to him immediately.
During the trip, I suddenly felt weird. I held onto something for support. It felt like my chest is bursting and the pain is really unbearable. I opened my mouth to scream but I couldn't hear a single sound coming out from it. I looked dazedly at him and my world turn black.
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Kenshin couldn't understand what was happening right now. On the first week of March, Kaoru had been acting weird and he felt like she was hiding something big from him. He also has this gut feeling that Kaoru would somehow leave him and it would be to a place where he couldn't follow. This has been going on for weeks and his gut feeling got intensified when Kaoru asked him scary questions earlier. Now, Kaoru just left the school with that man without saying anything to him.
Everyone was wondering who that handsome man was and what is Kaoru's connection to him? Kenshin gripped his pen harder and thought that maybe this man was the reason why Kaoru seemed… Kenshin was frustrated and his eyes turned amber in annoyance.
At the end of school, he immediately went to the club and moped around. It wasn't long until his cell phone rang. He looked at the unknown number and frowned.
"Hello?"
"Did you miss me?" It was the same menacing voice that made his blood boil.
"How did you got my number, Shishio?"
"You're too happy today, Himura." Shishio laughed and he fell silent for a second. "I have my ways. Anyways, I know something about your little girlfriend." Kenshin was about to shut his phone down but stopped himself when he heard what he had said.
"That Kamiya brat and her family had put me into so much misery by putting me in that pathetic jail. They seem to forget that I could still get out no matter what." Kenshin gripped his phone and glared. "However, it seems that revenge for that slut is not important anymore. Tell me is that slut dead already?" Kenshin paled when he heard that.
"If you manage to touch a single hair on her, I swear I would haunt you down…"
"Oh my, don't tell me you still don't know?" Shishio asked in his annoying way. "Didn't she tell you about her illness?" Kenshin dropped the phone and immediately rushed out to confirm if what he heard was true.
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Her heart was pumping wild when she learned that her worst fears had begun, Kaoru had just entered the critical stage of her illness. She didn't know if it was fate that Kaoru was brought in here and she managed to meet Kenshin in the hallway. She knew that Kenshin didn't know so if she would just try to ignore him and…
"Is it true? Is Kaoru really that sick?"
Megumi stopped in her tracks and looked wide eye at him for a second. She smiled and brushed him off.
"Where did you get that idea? I'll talk to you later because I have to go to my patient right now." What Kenshin didn't know was that patient was Kaoru. She didn't give Kenshin a chance to talk as she rushed through the white sterile hallways and stopped in her tracks when she saw Shougo. He was pacing like mad but he stopped when he saw her.
"Megumi…" Shougo simply said. Megumi just shook her head and was about to rush inside the ER when she realized that Kenshin had followed her. Kenshin is not her problem for now…Kaoru must come first. She both left the two men praying that they wouldn't cause any further problems.
When Megumi had left, Shougo didn't even spare Kenshin a glance and he went back to his pacing. Kenshin on the other hand glared at Shougo.
"What is your problem, brat?" Shougo finally snapped when Kenshin didn't stopped staring at him.
"Where is she?"
"What?"
"Where's Kaoru?"
Shougo's eyes turned into slits. "What is it to you? You…" Shougo didn't get to finish what he was saying because Katsushiro was running towards them with Kirara and Yahiko in tow.
"Is there any news about Kaoru?" Kirara immediately asked Shougo. Shougo sadly shook his head. Yahiko froze when he saw Kenshin looking at them wide eyed.
For Kenshin, it felt like he was watching a horrible nightmare as everyone stood before him looking pale, except for Shougo. He hated to admit it but it seemed that Shishio was telling the truth and if his hunch was right Kaoru was inside that room.
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I felt like I've run a thousand miles…that was exaggerating but that's what I felt, so you can't argue with me! I slowly opened my eyes and everything seemed so hazy for me. I could see some outline of a table and some people…who are they? Their voices were muffled and distant. I groaned and soon these people were staring on me…they were saying something altogether but I couldn't understand them. I let a minute pass by to let the sleepy haze disappear and I soon realize that mom, dad, Yahiko, and Shougo-niisan were the people I saw earlier. Dad and mom were saying something but when I heard the words America and leaving, it somehow snapped me out from my zombie trance and my sleepy gaze changed to a fierce glare.
"Could you please repeat that again?"
"I said we're leaving for America once we get the permission from the doctor…" My dad calmly said.
"No." I firmly said. I didn't bother to hear the rest of his prepared speech because my mind is already made up. I won't leave Japan just for finding a nonexistent cure besides…
"Young lady, we won't tolerate any childishness from you." Mom sternly said. I know that Shougo-niisan and Yahiko would also take turns on making me agree but I still stayed firm on my decision.
"We have already pulled you out from your apartment…" Yahiko simply said.
"So, I would still live with somebody else." I countered back.
"Kaoru, we know how hard it is for you to leave especially when you have met him…but we don't want you to…" Mom couldn't say the last word because I know how hard and painful for her to accept it.
I really didn't want to leave because I know I would just be disappointed in the end but…
"If leaving would make my life a little bit longer…I guess…I guess I have to agree but I want to graduate high school first. I mean, this only happens once in a lifetime and I wanted to experience a little bit of normalcy as possible." I hated begging but if this would let me stay just for a while, then I have to do it.
"Alright, but if you're condition worsened, we'll take the first flight to America and that's final." Dad said.
I smiled weakly and was prepared to sleep again when I saw mom nervously glanced at the door.
"If you guys have any worse news for me, I would like to remind you that I am a sick person and…"
"Kenshin is here." Mom softly said.
My heart pounded and I nervously glanced at the door. One question popped into my mind: Why now?
"I guess you should speak to him, honey." My mom said.
"Why would she speak to that man? He's just going to make her even sicker!" Shougo-niisan argued.
"Let him in and…could you guys leave us alone for a while?" I said quietly.
I knew I was making the big mistake of deciding to talk to him. I should have let him come back the next day and let me prepare mentally for this. I mean for PETE'S SAKE! I know my secret would be revealed but NOT LIKE THIS! I AM NOT PREPARED!
Drat, he's here…WHAT TO DO? WHAT TO DO? Wait…why is he looking at me like that? It's like…I don't know. I feel like a convicted criminal and he's the judge or a lawyer in a trial court giving out a verdict.
Minutes had passed and neither of us had moved. The tension is very thick and it's slowly killing me. I could hear my heart pound as I looked into his cold blue eyes. I wanted to cry but I would rather die than do those embarrassing scenes. I took a deep breath and cursed this tension in my mind. I mean Kenshin came here to talk and not glare at me!
"I know why you are here and I know you are pissed. Whatever you had heard was probably true…depending on what have you heard that is. I didn't mean to do it, but it is so annoying to think about it. I know saying sorry is not right but…did you know it's bad to put too much stress on a patient?" I exhaled and shook my head. "Now that we had this talk…could you leave?" I suddenly felt so tired defeated because knowing him…he wont let this one go without…
I saw his eyes turned amber and strode the room in few steps. He was immediately at my side staring down at me.
"How could you joke at times like this?!" He roared in anger. "Why didn't you tell me that you're sick? Are you just toying with me in the first place? I don't know what to think about you anymore…I can't believe I had…Argh!"
Somehow I wasn't a bit surprised at some of his lines because sometimes Kenshin picked his lines, unconsciously, from the movies.
I let him rant and rave in front of me and even though I may seem like unaffected I felt really bad about this. I kept on gulping and blinking my eyes to keep myself from crying. When he finally stopped, I just looked at him and he frowned.
"I'm sorry…" He started but I cut him off.
"Why are you apologizing to me? You should only apologize if you had done something to offend me, like eat my chocolates." I laughed but it sounded so hollow. "I never meant to joke about this but that is the only expression I could show right now…I don't want to breakdown and cry like some pathetic girl in some cheesy show." I gripped the blanket and urged him to sit down. "I have known that I was sick since I was a little girl…so I have already accepted everything a long time ago." I looked away from him and stared at the window. "I was so ready to die and live everyday as my last…but you came along and everything changed. I could never understand at first why I was so compelled to talk to you when you even treated me badly at first. When I had already talked with you…I wanted to see you smile." I grinned and looked at him. "When I finally saw you smile…I can't decided if you're that cute or not." Of course he's not cute…he's…handsome. "I'm straying off the subject aren't I? I am just not used to this kind of situations so you have to bear with me and shut up. The reason why I didn't tell you was because…you…you made me forget. You make me feel alive…it's like I could live a hundred years instead of one or two years. There were times when I wanted to tell you but seeing how happy you are…even though you're always scowling, makes me change my mind and forget." I saw Kenshin's face went blank and I smiled sadly. "I know you are angry with me and…" I sighed and felt a tear escape my eye. "I'm letting you go." Kenshin looked at me wide eyed.
"What?" He asked with a shocked expression.
"I'm letting you go…I never really wanted you to go through this so I'm doing the most logical thing by letting you go." I smiled shakily. "It's been fun spending time with you."
He then disagreed by saying that he couldn't live without me and we shared a passionate kiss. Then we both declared our undying love…HA! IN MY DREAMS!
I was surprised to see him stand and walked to the door. I should have never watched those stupid romantic flicks like "A Walk to Remember"…they could ruin your life. I really wanted to take back what I said and ask him to stay. I mean that was one of the main reason why I didn't told him about my sickness in the first place…I don't want him to go. However, if he leaves me now he would be spared of the pain, sadness, torture…okay I got overexcited at that line…when I'm gone. This is for the best. Someday, he would forget me and then he would find another girl who could fulfill his dreams. Okay, that doesn't sound too good but this is for the best.
"You are such a big liar."
I snapped out from my reverie and looked at him. His back was facing me so I couldn't see his face.
"You are also the biggest idiot I have ever met." I scowled at that. "Do you think you could get rid of me that easily?" Could it be? "I promised myself I'll never let you go. Besides, you still haven't told me the reason what made you stay."
I shook my head and sniffed. "Hey bastard, you're going to pay for making me cry and go through that stupid drama."
"I'll come back tomorrow, so go take a rest…baby princess."
"Wait!" I called out to him before he left. "How did you know about my health?"
"The bastard called me."
That was all he said before he left. So, that freak got out of the jail. I knew I should have taken care of this personally…wait I could! I picked up the phone beside me and dialed.
"Hello? This is Kaoru Kamiya, how much stocks have Shishio's company owe us? Oh really? That's great…I want you to…" Planning a financial bankruptcy gives me great pleasure!
I was discharged at the hospital the next day but Kenshin and others forbid me on going to school. I mean who would make Akiha and Shiro's day pleasant? Kenshin and Shougo-niisan somewhat made my apartment… their temporary home. Damn freaks!
"Kaoru never eat those things…they're cheap!" I could vaguely hear Shougo-niisan from my bedroom. It's a wonder for me on how could these two men be so energetic at morning.
"Kaoru loves everything I cook."
That's it! I stomped outside and glared at them.
"I don't care who you are to me but if you guys kept on ruining my mornings everyday I want you guys out…right…now." I suddenly felt light headed and if it wasn't for the wall beside me, I would kiss my carpet in an instant.
"Kaoru!"
Both of them screamed and rushed to my side, but not without glaring at each other first. Why do I have the misfortune to meet these two annoying men?
I held out my hand and glared fiercely at them. "Back off..." I dangerously said. They looked confused but they both did what I told them to do. "The door is just behind you and I would hate it if I have to drag you there by myself...God what a waste of energy that would be"
They were about to argue although my cold glare stopped them. It's nice that they stayed because they were worried about me… but if they kept on waking me each hour just because of some measly argument, I would gladly show them the scene outside my apartment. I stormed off inside my room but before I close the door I faced them. "Oh yeah, before you leave could you please call Megumi and tell her to buy me a pack of chocolates. Tell her also, that you're both paying for it so she wouldn't worry about her budget." I closed the door and left the two speechless men in my living room. Finally, peace at last!
Author's note:
I am so sorry for the delay but school really is a killer. Who would have thought that taking medicine would be a best way to die. LOL!
I want to thank my best friend for fixing my story! Thanks a million!