Chapter 11: New Half

Kouji stared at her with the feeling of fear now. Izumi squinted her eyes, then moved her head to the side. Kouji's eyes widened more. She was still asleep. Kouji sighed. She didn't hear what he said. Kouji just wasted babbling to himself. He grabbed his bag and left to school and closed the door behind him. A brief silence went through Izumi's room. Then Izumi slowly opened her eyes. She did hear what Kouji said! Did she pretend to be asleep?

"I…I never knew Kouji felt that way. About me. He always pushed me away before," she thought.

She slowly rose from bed, and slowly stood up, but then sat back down because it hurt too much. Her chest still hurt a lot, but she managed to sit up and look to the window. She looked outside of the pure morning sunlight arising. She looked out on the sidewalk from her view and saw Kouji exiting and leaving. She had the urge to yell his name, but she didn't since she glanced at the clock and it was time for school, so she didn't want to delay him, plus it would just hurt more if she got up.

…I'm glad I was able to meet you…

Izumi blinked.

…I have grown to like and feel for you more than just a good friend…

Izumi felt a tear in her eye

… I just want to be with you

"I wish you were here, Kouji," Izumi thought, just staring mindlessly. Just then the nurse walked in and brought in breakfast.

"Orimoto, you shouldn't be sitting up just yet. Use this to adjust the bed so you don't have to sit up. Just rest," the nurse told her. Izumi reluctantly listened and lay back in bed and ate. Her parents came in and checked how she was. She really didn't have much to say to them, the words of Kouji still in her head, and she just stared at her food.

"Is something wrong?" Mrs. Orimoto asked.

"Nothing's wrong, mom," Izumi said, giving a small smile.

Kouji arrived at the school gate, with his brother waiting for him. "Where have you been? The bell is about to ring," Kouichi said. Kouji didn't say anything; his backpack slummed on his right shoulder. They both walked silently to their classes. "He's acting a bit different," Kouichi thought.

During break, Kouichi walked to Kouji, who was just sitting with Takuya, eating lunch. Takuya gobbled up his lunch and ran off to the soccer field, leaving the two of them saying, "I'll catch you guys later." Kouji silently ate rice cakes, his brother sitting next to him.

"Kouji, is something wrong?" Kouichi asked.

Kouji looked down, but then looked up, then said a subdued "Yes."

"What's wrong, well you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Kouichi said calmly.

"Kouichi, I don't want anyone to know, but I'll tell just you only because it's disturbing me a lot and I just don't want anyone to know, but at the same time, I do want to say something," Kouji said, very bothered.

"What is it?"

"There…there's this girl I like." Kouji looked away at the brick ground.

"Is it Orimoto?"

After a brief ten seconds, Kouji finally said a placid "Yes."

"Well, why don't you tell her?"

"I did."

"Really? When?"

"When she was asleep."

"Oh wow. I am so sure she heard you," Kouichi said sarcastically.

"Shut up. Maybe she did or didn't hear me. I don't want to worry about that right now."

"Hah, I remember how much you avoided her when we were in the Digital World."

Kouji smirked a little. "Yeah, well I wasn't as open at the time. Every time she'd try to talk to me, I'd make her go away. But when I found I had a brother, I started talking more. I always noticed her."

Kouichi looked down, smiling. "Well, what if she did hear you?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'd probably just ignore her."

"Why are you so afraid of her?"

"I am not! It's just… just uncomfortable."

Just then, Takuya walked by and said, "Hi! What are you guys doing?"

"Nothing!" Kouji said a little bit too fast in reply to Takuya's question.

The lunch duration was ended and everyone hurried to class.

Afterwards, everyone met after school. Except Kouji did not meet the group. "Where is Kouji?" Takuya asked.

"I don't know, he's usually here after school," Tomoki said. "I had a bunch of new video games I wanted to play with you guys."

"Hmm," Junpei said.

"He's usually here," Kouichi said.

"Where do you think he went?" Takuya asked.

"Maybe I should call his cell," Kouichi replied back.

Kouichi took out his phone and called.

"No answer," he said.

"Well, what do we do now?" Takuya asked, kicking the soccer ball with his knee.

"We could go to my house, just play games, soccer, and other things that might be interesting," Tomoki suggested.

"I suppose so, what do you guys say?"

"Yeah, there's nothing else to do. It's a weekend, and no homework," Junpei agreed with them.

"Yeah, I'm in," Kouichi also agreed with them. "But where is Kouji?" Kouichi thought, walking along the sidewalk with the rest of the gang.

Where was Kouji? He walked slowly and stared at the building he stood in front of, then sighed. He walked in through the hospital, went through the elevator, walked through the hall, then saw her. Orimoto. She was staring out the window, in a wheelchair attached to intravenous solution. Kouji walked slowly to her. She turned her head and brightly said, "Hello, Kouji!"

"Hi, Orimoto," he said, stepping next to her in front of the window. "Are you okay?"

"Yup. It's too quiet in here. I hope to be back in school with you guys soon," she said, smiling.

"Orimoto," the nurse said, "You really should go back in your room and rest."

"Yes," Izumi said. She turned her wheelchair towards her room. She moved the wheels quite slowly. Kouji just stared at her. "What should I do?" he thought. He gulped, then walked to her, for she was only about four feet away.

"Let me help you," he said, pushing the back of the wheelchair instead of the handles since he could only use one arm. The intravenous solution tugged behind. Izumi was still very weak and couldn't get up, and Kouji's arm was disabled, so he couldn't carry her to her bed. He called for a nurse to put Izumi on her bed for her. "Are you okay, Orimoto?" he asked.

"I'm very weak," she said quietly.

"I'm just glad you're not hurt badly. I'm sorry," Kouji said, looking down.

"For what?"

"Look at you. I caused this."

"No you didn't, Kouji."

"Yes I did. If I was just quick enough to grab you, and if I wasn't so inept to trip when some dumb ass pushed me."

"It's not your fault. It's no ones. It just happened."

"Kouji, I'm getting weak talking, but there are a couple of last things I want to say."

"Yes, Orimoto?"

"Well, all of this was just a happening, none of it is your fault at all. I feel bad just like you when you got hit by that car. Kouji, I also…"

"Yes, Orimoto?"

"I heard what you said earlier today, I never wanted to admit it, I want to be with you always…" she said softly and sweetly, as her eyes were twinkling in a sweet manner, then she closed her eyes.

Kouji gasped. "Orimoto?" he listened to her breathing. She was breathing softly; she was just really exhausted and fatigued herself by getting up. "Izumi…" he said, gently picking her up, hugging her. He gently kissed her on the forehead.

End Chapter 11: New Half

Onto Chapter 12.