Standard disclaimers apply…

Dedication: This is for Kyo-chan…

I Wanna Be Your Angel

By: nagi_silvermoon

Chapter 11

Day Six:

She was still hurting from Kashime's words. But she had a right to because Kashime said nothing but the truth. She had stopped crying since morning came. And though her eyes were still red and swollen, she didn't mind because she felt better than she had in days.

She stared somewhat blankly at the expanse of her bedroom. The final rays of the setting sun filtered through the curtains, casting an amber glow on her belongings. Somehow, just watching how the sunset played with her room kept her warm.

Then, the door opened. She looked up to find Mitsui bringing in a tray of food. Casting him perplexed looks at every opportunity, Mitsui started to explain in a rather sheepish manner. "They are busy downstairs with the funeral and the guests so I came to bring your dinner."

She didn't reply. She only watched as he placed the tray on the study table with minimal fuss. "I heard your bout with your sister yesterday," he began. He turned around to face Kyori and was met by a glare. "Don't get me wrong, but I wasn't eavesdropping."

"Then how did you know?" She demanded, trying to calm her nerves. Mitsui came in peace. She didn't want to get overworked over something right now. She took deep breaths as he awaited his reply.

"The volume was high," he countered reasonably with a shrug. "It wasn't hard to know what was happening." He smiled slightly when Kyori lowered her head to hide her flushed face. He made his way towards the door.

"Did she say anything?" She asked guiltily. He stopped and turned around. "Did she cry or something?" She waited for him to answer. She didn't realize that he walked across the room and was now right in front of her. She looked up and gasped silently.

"Hysterically," he replied softly. "She cried hysterically."

Abashed, Kyori lowered her face and resolved to keep it that way. "I see."

He sat down on her bed beside her and leaned back on the head board.

"When I was a freshman in Shohoku high," he began without much of a preamble, "I was very cheeky and over-confident."

Kyori still kept her head down, but her attention was directed at him and only him. Perhaps it was the nostalgia in his voice. Or was it the tinge of regret she couldn't help but notice? She didn't care. She just wanted to hear what he had to say, from start to finish.

"I was at the prime of my life. I could reach for anything and I knew I would get it. That was until I broke my knee." He reminisced those old times wistfully, regret still there gnawing at him. "I was so pissed that I would miss the tournament that I strove hard to make my knee heal. But because I refused to listen to the doctor, what was supposed to be a very short recuperation extended far more longer than I was hoping.

"I didn't make my high school debut. I lost everything because of my persistence. Since then, I stopped playing basketball for two years."

Silence.

"A good advice that you just didn't take," Kyori said, "cause you your downfall and a life later filled with regrets."

"I did regret it," he agreed. "But I came back because it had been with me and it refused to go away. I loathed it and everybody into it. But deep down, I still loved it.

"I may have regretted the time that I stopped, but that regret made me play better, made me strive harder, made me pursue my dreams more. I regretted it, but I moved on and never forget the lesson I learned. Seize the moment. Never bury yourself in the mistakes of the past. Make them your drive."

He turned to face her. "Move on, but don't forget. Look ahead, but always look back because it will always be a part of you." He paused as she looked up at him, eyes shinig from unshed tears. "It might be painful, but time heals all wounds. Nothing will ever be the same, but you'll get used to it. Everything will be alright again."

Tears were trickling down her face. She didn't know, but her tears just poured out. She leaned on Mitsui and smiled for the first time in five days. "Thank you," she simply said. But her gratitude was indescribable, and all she could think of was a simple thanks, hoping that it conveyed everything.

Mitsui wrapped his protective arms around her fragile figure, and he finally felt that all those bottled-up feelings he didn't know he had were finally set free. The past few days were so stressing that he hadn't found time to rest. But just wrapping his arms around Kyori, he found warmth – the irresistable kind of warmth that you won't find anywhere else.

He had been leading a lonely life. Even if there were times that he went into relationships, he still felt that emptiness. He didn't realize until now that he was looking for warmth from others until he had actually found it. And he found it in her. He gazed at her peaceful face and a sudden realization dawned on him:

He would've looked out for her even if he didn't promise Hiro he would. He wanted to be there for her whenever she needed him. He wanted to know all her hurts and he wanted to make them go away. He wanted to bring the color back into her life. He wanted everything to be fine just for her…

Gods… He just wanted to be her angel…

He leaned forward and said in the gentliest tone he could muster. "I'm here," he whispered, "and I'll always be here. Everything will be alright."

~@~@~

Day Seven:

When you lose something very important for you, you suddenly feel like there's no purpose in living anymore. It's like a great part of you fades. And no matter how hard you find it, it just won't be found. No matter how hard you try to call it back, it just won't come. All that you have left is an empty space with nothing to fill it with.

Since Hiro died, I felt this cold emptiness in me. I just lost somebody who meant more to me than anybody else had. For me, it felt like I lost a son. Reason left and all I wanted to do was shut myself forever from the world and just lie down and cry. There is nothing left for me in this life, I thought. All that I have lived for, all that I have worked for, was gone in an instant. Hiro was taken away from me when I was still not ready to let him go. But then, I realized, when will I ever be ready to let him go?

Although what Kashime and Mitsui said hit me where it hurts most, they nonetheless spoke the truth: I had to let him go. There really was nothing else I could've done for him, and there's really nothing else I could do. It's over and done with. I just have to put the past behind me… I have to move on, but that doesn't mean I should forget… I just have to look on ahead…

But once in a while, when I have the time, I can just stop and look back… I know that it will hurt badly. The pain will always be a part of it. But, as Mitsui-san pointed out, time heals all wounds. There will come a day when I can finally look back without feeling the pain… That's when I will know that I'm over it for good…

But one thing I know I wil never ever get over is this: I love you, Hiro… I'll love you forever…

Kyori wiped the tears she shed for Hiro for the last time. She stood up and slowly made her towards her bedroom door. Taking deep breaths for strenght and courage, she opened the door to a new stage of her life, walked through, and closed it behind her.

She eyed the people in front of her one by one before closing the gap between Kashime and her. Hugging her tightly, she beamed.

"Good morning!"

To be continued

Author's Notes: Wow! Two chapters in one day… I'm really rolling, aren't I??? Well, I guess it's what you call a "guilt trip"… I'm guilty for not having found the time to continue the fic… believe me… I was dying to have this fic finished before this summer is over because the next school year is the hardest one that's ever gonna come in my high school life… I'm really lucky to have reached this far… please bear with me…