Terribly sorry for the delay. Lack of inspiration and too many college entrance exams. This isn't much, I know. But please, do enjoy.

Thursday, December 10, 1:00 p.m.

Tsukiyomi Utau sits on the wooden chair opposite a certain rosette's bed. And on this said bed is our said rosette, asleep. She's probably tired from some activity she'd done the day before. Or maybe she was tired of life that she decided to sleep forever. But that's not the problem here; Hinamori Amu is not in a coma but she would much rather be in one.

One-fourth or maybe even less of her life had she ever felt real love. Platonic nor romantic. Not even once from her best friend, Mashiro Rima, due to her own paranoia and over thinking. So, it's safe to say that our heroine totally has trust issues. But a much better way to word it is to say that our heroine, indeed, is diagnosed with depression.

But we all already know that.

So what has she gotten herself into this time?

Amu starts to stir and Utau takes notice of this. She then starts to panic at how to explain everything to Amu. How would you even begin to explain something such as their predicament? That's right; call Dr. Aruto!

"Dad, come quick. I think she's waking up!"

So Dr. Aruto comes in one of the psychiatric ward's many special rooms to find Amu just about waking up. Both Tsukiyomis watch her carefully, tension in the air. However, Amu is oblivious. When was she not?

After much stretching and thinking half-asleep to herself, Amu finally decides to acknowledge Utau and Dr. Aruto's presence. Seeing their tensed faces and careful eyes, Amu wonders what is going on. So she decides to voice her thoughts.

And she fails to do so.

Because she had lost her voice.

And she's wondering, 'Why can't I hear myself? Have I gone deaf?'

Seeing Amu's worried expression, Dr. Aruto decides that it's the right time to tell her. But he's Dr. Aruto; so he doesn't just drop it like a bomb or drop it like it's hot. He believes that everything is to be done slowly and with thought.

"Amu, I'm sorry this had to happen to you but you can't literally speak. The strangle had done a lot of damage."

So maybe it was better sometimes to do drop it like a bomb. Utau couldn't have thought of a better way to say it, so she kept quiet and gave Amu a pad of paper and a pen to communicate with.

Amu really wanted this whole thing to be a joke but it's like everything was against her. There was no convincing anyone that this was a joke. She, herself, had already proven so (she had tried to talk countless times for a while).

She'd thrashed around, hitting anything within a 1 meter radius and had injured her wrist in the process. Tired, she put a hand to her throat and started sobbing. The pad of paper Utau laid out sat on Amu's lap, drenched in Amu's tears.

Hinamori Amu is mute.

Ikuto's POV

People usually skip school because of how much of a lazy ass they're being. Some skip school because they're sick and others skip school to take care of the people who are sick.

I'm lying in the same place where I kissed Amu yesterday; at the hospital's sort of front yard. Everything in my line of vision is white since it's snowing.

So here I am, one of those people who skip school to take care of the one's that skip school due to poor health, lying on the snow as small white flakes drop on my face. A few dozen old ladies passed by mumbling how crazy children like me were—lying on the snow with the possibility of catching a cold. Well, my nose is already red so I think I'm going there anyway.

I take a deep sigh. How do I even begin to explain Hinamori Amu?

She's this girl with bubblegum pink hair and her eyes are wide orbs of honey. You would see her and you'd practically see sweetness oozing out of her. She was like the epitome of all things sugary and pink and frilly and at the same time she wasn't. She was broken inside. All the strings inside her were loose, some cut. Her innocence, tainted. Her wrists, occupied.

So I did what any normal guy would do. I asked her out a couple of times, even gave her some flowers and a little bit of pudding.

I even gave her my first kiss.

But they weren't enough, I think. Even if they were, nothing could've stopped whatever happened that made Amu the way she is today.

Not even me.

"Ikuto!" I hear Utau call out.

Just because I was here for the sick doesn't mean I couldn't be a lazy ass. Besides, I was too depressed to move; the girl I love may or may not be in a coma. 'But you'll feel eternal happiness when she wakes up and you hear her voice.' Yeah, I'd want that but we can't always have what we want now, can we? The girl I love – she's mute.

Now, back to being a lazy ass, I give out the best response I can muster.

"Hn."

"She's awake."

Forget about being a lazy ass.

"You should have your shit together, Ikuto. Geez, you haven't felt this nervous since you confessed to that senior a few years back."

"I would appreciate it if you would shut up, Utau."

"Yeah, too bad—I don't want to."

I heave a sigh. You know the kind of nervous you get when you want to ask your mom for something? Or maybe the kind of nervous you get before asking someone to prom or maybe even that feeling all over when you really have to pee. I was feeling all those all at the same time. It was a horrible feeling. What if she'd shoo me away? What if she's too sad to want me? What if she's too sad to live or even look at me or—

"Ikuto, breathe." Utau is right. I should get my shit together. I promised Amu to stay beside her whatever happens, never backing out on her. I was like her homeboy or her dawg or her homey or—

"Ikuto, stop talking to yourself and open the fucking door."

So I do open the door and sure enough Amu is there. She sits on the edge of the bed, listening to my dad talk about her throat and what not. She's startled by the noise the door makes and stares at me like a deer caught in headlights. And I find myself staring right back at her, not moving.

Dad excuses himself and leaves the room, and closes the door. All you can hear is breathing and the heater in the background.

"Hi," I tell her.

And her expression changes immediately. Her face scrunches up and she sniffles and I see that she's crying now. She gets off the bed and runs to me. She's crying into my shirt like the countless times she had. She's hugging me and I'm hugging her back.

There are, so far, two perfect moments in my life. The first perfect moment was when I was kissing Hinamori Amu in the hospital's parking lot. The second perfect moment is happening right now: simply holding her in my arms after a day or two of not seeing or hearing her.

And I find myself crying, too, "I'm so sorry. If I hadn't left you earlier that day then—ah, shit. I'm really sorry. I'll always be here for you, okay?" I sob. It wasn't very manly for me to do so but being manly isn't really relevant right now.

"Please don't hate me," I tell her. She cries more into my shirt. "I'm sorry for bugging you with all those questions, I-I just really love you, I mean—oh, god."

"Amu, I—" She looks up at me so I stop talking. I stare at her and hold her face in my hands, wiping some of her tears. She stands at the tip of her toes, takes my face in her hands and, catching me off guard, and kisses me.

There are now, so far, three perfect moments in my life.

"I love you," I tell her.

She whimpers and cries some more into my shirt. It wasn't the reaction I was hoping for—I wanted her to say it back. But there are things right now that she's incapable of doing; I'm fine with that. Now, I just have to know if she's fine with me.

"I'm sorry," I tell her. "You're probably really tired. I'll leave you to rest." She panics immediately and hurries to her bed where a notepad lies. She scribbles something on it and shoves it to me.

Please, don't leave, stay with me.

"A-Alright. But you should really rest."

Her hands are cold as she takes the notepad from me. She writes down, Lie down with me.

So I lie on the bed with her, taking in the moment, feeling infinite.

Feeling more than satisfied.

I can say I'm living. I'm breathing, yes. I'm happy, too.

So I take a nap with her. Probably one of the best naps I've ever taken since pre-school. And I dreamt of her. In my dream, she said, "I love you."

I may not deserve them but reviews are very much appreciated.