Chapter Sixteen

I feel so idiotic that I didn't see what was going on and that I let his sickness get worse. This man has always tried to do everything in his power to give me a happy life. He's the type of guy who would use his athletic skill only to get close to me and now he's back in the hospital and hooked to multiple machines. They don't want me near him because they are worried any outside germ might harm him. I should have responded quickly the moment I knew he wasn't feeling well.

I bow my head. I've been in the hospital for about six hours now. I feel guilty. I could have sworn that I was doing my best to take care of him but I let my attention slip and he got sick. The doctor approaches me with a rather grim look and I blink up at him. I feel a sharp chill through my body. Something doesn't feel right.

"I'm sorry," he tells me and I look up at him, blinking back tears. He's sorry that Kuon's condition got worse? He's sorry that he has to be put on slightly stronger medication? It might not be pleasant for him but it cane help him. "We usually wouldn't do this but with his health at the status that it is, we can give you a chance to sit with him for a moment."

"You wouldn't usually do it?" I ask as I look at him confused. "Because I'm his wife and not biologically related to him."

The doctor sighs. "There is a great probability that Mr. Hizuri will pass tonight," he tells me and I shake my head feeling numb. Would this have happened if he was in an assisted living community? They could have seen the signs. I'm completely useless as a wife especially Corn's wife.

"I don't believe you," I whisper as I wrap my arms around me. "Kuon is really strong, he's the strongest person I've ever met."

"No matter how physically toned a person is, the germs have entered his head and he is still healing there. Did you want to see him?" the doctor asks me and I watch him. What choice do I have? I sniffle and nod as I rub my eyes.

"Yes," I tell him as I feel myself broken. I can't imagine living without him. I can't imagine raising the girls without their father. As I stand and he leads me into the room, passing me a mask and a pair of gloves, I see my love in the bed. I'm alarmed at how he's still shivering and turn to the doctor. 'Can't you turn the temperature up?" I ask, my eyes having a fire behind them.

I go closer to Kuon and see the sweat on his face, I put my hand to his forehead, still quite a high fever. I pull up a chair as I look at him and press my forehead to the mattress. "I'm sorry," I whisper painfully. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have…" I gently push his hair back and then hug him as much as possible. I just want to see his emerald eyes, hear his voice. I don't want to lose him.

As I sit there, I see his eyes blink open and smile. I wasn't expecting that and it seems the doctor wasn't as well. His eyes are glassy and he appears disoriented but he's turned to my direction. He coughs harshly behind the respiratory device. He very weakly reaches out for my hand and though it kills me to see him in this state, I put both of my hands around his. "Corn, I'm here," I tell him before kissing his forehead. "I am so so sorry my love. Can you try to stay as strong as possible? I need you to fight for me, okay? I don't want to lose you."

He nods but his body is still shaking. I push his hair back lovingly. I hate seeing him like this. He must be in so much pain. "Just fight for me and the girls," I tell him. I tuck the blankets around him. "I love you." I tell him and he puts a hand to my cheek, his eyes are still wet and he's still hooked up to so many devices. His heartbeat is weak and his breathing is shallow.

The doctor coughs and I stare at him in shock. Is he really telling me that time is up? I look at Kuon, he's so weak, he's fighting so badly but it doesn't look like even he is strong enough. "Kuon," I whisper as I watch him. "I know how strong you are. I've known it since you were my ten-year-old fairy prince. I know that you can fight but sweetheart," I hold onto his hand, tears rolling down my cheeks. "If fighting gets to be too hard, if you feel that it's easier to just let go," I bow my head. I want to scream about how I won't forgive him if he leaves me and how he shouldn't be so weak because he'd be no more than a second Shotaro but that isn't what he deserves. I clear my throat unable to look at him.

"Kuon, if the pain is unbearable and you need to let go, I won't blame you. I know that you're giving it your all and I won't hate you if you leave us. I know how hard this is for you and I'm so proud of you and so proud to be your wife and the mother or our children." I wrap my arms around my body hating that I'm saying this but as I look at him it's as if I have no other choice. The doctors are right, he looks on the edge of death already.

"You're the love of my life," I tell him as I start shaking and my voice breaks. "So I'll ask you to keep fighting but if it's too hard, I just want you to be comfortable. I love you. I'll understand if you can't fight any longer so I just need you to know how important you are to me. I love you. I will never ever stop loving you. Thank you, Kuon. Thank you for loving me and giving me the type of life I never expected that I could have."

Kuon squeezes my hand again and I see him weakly mouthing that he loves me too. It's the worst feeling ever to step out of that room knowing that this could very well be the last time I see him alive. I feel completely numb as I walk out of the hospital. I'm not giving up hoping that he'll pull through this. As selfish as it sounds, I'm never going to be able to give up on hoping.

…

…

It was hard to collect the girls from Yashiro to take them home but I can't inconvenience him. I couldn't sleep last night. I feel as if I'm on automatic. I need to pay attention to the girls and take care of them but I can't take care of myself. I feel empty but as the phone rings I grab it. I don't want to imagine what type of news is on the other end of the line. I don't want to hope and then to fall short.

"Hello, Kyoko speaking," I whisper and hear the voice of the doctor.

"I wanted to give you an update on Kuon's condition," they tell me and I try to hold my breath. Just please tell me that he's alive. "We didn't think it's possible but he's in stable condition. He still needs to heal before he is relea-"

I smile, my eyes filling with tears again. "Thank you, sweetheart" I whisper. I turn back to the phone, "When is the earliest that I'll be able to see him?" I ask and the doctor hesitates.

"Visiting hours begin at eight but just to warn you, he's delirious and might not be fully present if you visit him." What does that even mean? No. If he's alive, I have to see him. I want to make sure that he's alive. I hate that I'm relying on Yashiro once again. I just have to see Kuon and take care of him. When he was Ren, he always took care of me and now he needs me to be the strong one.

"I'll be there at eight," I tell them before looking around. I bought Kuon a Christmas present already that I'd thought he'd really love. I'll give it to him now and get him something else. I'm just excited that he's pulled through.

….

….

So this jerk thinks that he can turn the whole of Japan against me. Since that video launched of how the accident happened, everyone has been referring to me as an asshole who couldn't even save a woman by pulling her back an inch and he's someone who ran in front of a bus and very easily could have died. It's not as if I had any control over this. People say that I made it so Kyoko's heel got stuck in the road. I didn't make the damn road so I don't get why my popularity is dropping because of Hizuri.

I feel glad though. I somehow managed to get information that he's in the hospital and one of my superfans even hacked into the computers to tell me which room he's in. I don't want to lose against a mentally disabled person.

It's going to turn eight in a moment so he will have to answer me before he even wakes up. He's doing this for attention. He just wants Kyoko to feel sorry for him. If you ask me, it's completely pathetic. He should be the strong asshole who wants to make the public hate me. As I open the door, I slam my fist into the wall and he blinks awake before looking at me confused.

He's pale and sweaty and disgusting. He's hooked to half a dozen machines but this doesn't mean that he can't fight me. He always was able to show how athletic he was before.

"Fu-wa…" he says breathlessly as he removes the mask. He blinks at me confused and I stare at him bitterly, he thinks that he can pretend to not know why I'm here. If it wasn't for him then people wouldn't be criticizing me on Japanese news shows. They wouldn't be casting me as a villain.

"You didn't expect to see me, did you, you asshole!" I yell and he rubs his forehead as if he can't hear what I'm telling him. "You think you deserve Kyoko!" He stares at me again and shrugs but I walk forwards and shove him against the wall, my hand remains on his shoulder and he doesn't fight back. "You wanted to rui-"

I feel myself pulled backwards with the type of unexplainable force that a demon might have and I see Kyoko with the scariest expression on her face that I have ever seen. Before I can even get my balance, she has thrown me onto the floor. I feel a pain through my jaw with the way she just carelessly tossed me and threw me.

"You bi-" I yell at her but she's not paying attention to me. She's kneeling on the bed right opposite Hizuri and she is feeling his forehead, his neck, his shoulder where I just pushed him.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" she asks as she rubs his back lovingly. What the hell is going on here!? She should be leaving him instead of studying his body. She kisses his cheek before helping him with the respiratory mask. It's sickening. She's turned into one of those plain and boring woman who only lives to serve her man. All of that individualism that she used to have is now gone. "Are you okay?" she asks again with that boring type of I love this guy and we'll be married forever type of expression. I push myself up and spit out blood. She made me bleed.

"Who cares about him! He's ruined any hope of my returning to show biz! Have you seen that video."

Kyoko looks at me with a bored expression, "The footage of what actually happened?" she asks in a monotone. She stares at me and blinks in an annoyed manner. "That's your own fault. Kuon didn't put that footage out. Kuon just loves me which is sadly something that you've never experienced for anyone other than yourself."

What the hell is she talking about? Hizuri wants to destroy me and my reputation.

"Sweetheart," she whispers again as she smooths his hair back and then kisses his cheek. "Are you sure that you're okay? You're not hurt, right?" What the hell! Who the hell is this that I'm looking at! She isn't paying attention to me but her attention is consumed by him.

"You're some stupid boring and plain woman," I tell her as I stand opposite her with an angry expression. She rolls her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to embarrass yourself even more because I was hoping the restraining order would be simple but I'll make it public," she says with a slight evil in her eyes. What the hell is her problem?"

End of Chapter Sixteen

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