Rukawa's Residence, 1990
The story begins with a kiss. Two lovers were both naked in their intimate night. Love had flourished between them for the past nine month, and blooming more and more.
Nine months of happiness, of desire and of the special warmth they had never felt before. Nine months of satisfaction, of fulfillment and of passion. Only to each other's arms.
"Kaede, I'm ready to tell her." Hanamichi, a muscular six-feet-and-one inch sixteen-year old man, murmured between the exasperating yet overwheklming kiss.
Kaede continued licking his lover's tongue, tasting every inch of his mouth with want. When Hanamichi and he were a month old in their relationship, he received his confession of having a girl pregnant by accident during a night party.
It was stunning and heartbreaking but it was the truth and truth always hurts. He was only fifteen years old when things transpired and he was so scared, so vulnerable and so confused.
A week from that confession, the girl, Yohko finally gave birth to her son from Sakuragi Hanamichi and unfortunately, it happened right exactly on the same day of Kaede's birthday.
Kaede wrapped his gentle arms around his lover's toned waist and embraced him very tightly with passion.
Yohko and the child, who was named after Hanamichi, had always shared with him for the love and attention of his own boyfriend.
Because Kaede had frequently protested about Hanamichi's too-much thinking for Yohko and his son, that he was mostly neglected, Hanamichi decided to lessen his visit to the girl's house.
The redheaded young man used the distance of his place to Yohko's house and his schoolworks in order to be excused of not seeing his suppose-to-be family.
Since then, it was lucky to have him once a week in Yohko's home.
Hanamichi loves Kaede. He loves him more than anything and it's so ironic that despite of courting 50 girls in his lifetime and having a girl pregnant, his heart melted to someone of his similar gender.
"I love you, baby." Hanamichi murmured as he felt warmer with his boyfriend's body.
Kaede haven't seen Hanamichi's son yet. The girl was innocent about their ongoing relationship and now, after seven months of hide and seek, Hanamichi became a man and faced the truth.
He stood from the bed, slid on his undergarment and pants and gave Kaede a sealing kiss. It was very long and full of passion. Kaede hugged him desperately, like he would be gone forever. He felt strange. His hold to his boyfriend was strong yet delicate and he wanted a tighter embrace.
"I love you so, Kaede. Don't you forget about that." Hanamichi hovered until the arms holding him by the waist unwraps, then he kissed his forehead lightly... and wore on his shirt and went to his destination.
Two Hours Later
Kaede was breathing hard, groaning and restless. He was having a nightmare. It was dark all around. He could see nothing but black and a red head with both eyes closed. He touched the head he loves so much, and discovered that it was blood.
He was perspiring from head to toe especially on the neck and the chest part. The heat was burning inside him.
"HANA!"
Kaede screamed as he pulled his head up from the pillow and with too much shock, his hand had struck the fragile picture frame beside his bed.
The frame toppled to the floor and broke.
It was Hanamichi's framed picture, which he sojourned beside his bed so everytime he wakes up in the morning, his day is already complete.
He picked it up. Turning to see the front part, his heart trippled its beating speed. The transparent glass cracked on the head part of his lover creating web traces from it.
krrrrriiiiinng
Kaede heard the phone ringing and he stabled himself for a while.
Krrrrriiiiinng
He reached for the cordless phone. "Hello."
While listening to the caller, he walked to the bathroom to have a brisk shower in order to calm himself.
"Rukawa-kun, it's Haruko."
This little bitch. He loathed her the first time he saw her and it never ceased. She had this lovely doll eyes that made Hanamichi go berserk, sweet angelic voice that could always motivate his boyfriend and everything about her. She's all that he could dislike.
Kaede stared at his reflection on the huge clear mirror on the bathroom as he gave Haruko a chance to say what she wanted. As seconds went by, his grip on the phone strengthened and his teeth gritted.
Haruko wasn't finish yet but he turned the phone off already. It's enough said. He understood it perfectly well and it was pestering him.
With collecting rage and fury, it was inevitable for him to throw the phone on the mirror and making cracked lines on it. Hanamichi was rushed to the hospital. He was driving a car with Yohko and their son on the passenger's seat. It was ten in the evening then. Witnesses claimed that they spot the couple fighting inside the car so the man wasn't able to concentrate on his driving.
The car bumped to a ten-wheeler truck.
The soap and shampoo containers were trashed on the floor. The chinese vases laid broken in pieces on the blue tiles and Kaede was grieving on the corner. His eyes were full of tears.
I should go to the hospital. Maybe he's still alive. No. He truly is alive. Without further ado, he stood from the floor and hurried to the hospital where Hanamichi, Yohko and their son was in.
Kaede drove 7 kilometers towards the hospital in five minutes just to hear a negative result from the doctor.
They couldn't save him. His bones and muscles malfunctioned from the crash and a large amount of blood had spilled from his veins. When Hanamichi's body arrived in the emergency room, the heart was no longer beating. Technology and professional skills weren't able to revive him.
Same thing happened to the girl. When the car was about to hit the towering metal truck, she wrapped her whole body to her son to shield him. According to rescuers, Hanamichi was hugging the girl and his son when they found them inside the crushed car.
Fortunately, the baby was saved. Only some cuts were found on the lithe body because his parents covered him entirely.
For seemingly like hours, Kaede just stared on the dead body of his boyfriend in the ICU. The girl's body was on the other cubicle and the baby was on the next. Kaede had no intention to see any of them. All he cared about was Hanamichi and his sudden departure from his life.
His entire being was mourning. His life had been a living hell since he was born. His mother died when he was conceived and his father, the very successful businessman never been a father to him.
Kaede had never met the eyes of love and when he did, only just once, it made him complete but only for nine months. Only nine months. The only person he loved, the only person he felt secured and mirthful with, was now gone.
The most precious gift he ever received was taken away from him in a very swift pace.
"Rukawa."
That voice. Everytime I hear it, I turn unfortunate. What does she needs this time? Take my life?
"Rukawa." She spoke again and Kaede just rose a brow to signal he was listening. But perhaps only for a short time. "I just had a talk with the Yohko's family. They said they would be sending Sakuragi's son to the orphanage. They have no money to sustain him especially when he starts schooling... and most of their fortune was paid to the hospital bills."
Kaede looked at the midnight blue coffin of his beloved boyfriend, which was be brought towards the dug soil. He never cared about Hanamichi's son. When his boyfriend was still alive, he used to urge him to accompany him when he visits his son, but Kaede always refused.
He was absolutely hurt when he knew his Hanamichi had a son and it's enough to kill him. Seeing that little boy of his boyfriend, wouldn't help him a bit.
Kaede ignored Haruko's words.
"Rukawa, he's Sakuragi's son." Haruko spoke with sympathy and tears on her eyes. Hanamichi was her bestfriend and she was awrae about his relationship with the super-rookie, Rukawa Kaede, since the very first day. "If he's alive, he wouldn't let his son go to the orphanage. I had a research about orphanages before and I learned that children, when they fall to a wrong foster family, they might get abused, mistreated and..."
She wasn't able to continue when Kaede suddenly flashed her a daggering ice-cold glare. You're too talkative. The hell you care. Keep the baby if you want him. "What do you want me to do? Take care of the kid?"
"Yes."
"He's not mine, and never will be."
Haruko was stunned on the response. How could he be so selfish? "Please. If only I have enough money, I would rather take care of Hana-chan. But... but...oh please Rukawa-kun." Haruko pleaded, almost kneeling to the super-rookie. "Sakuragi died saving Hana-chan. Don't waste his death, please."
Kaede paid no heed of the sobbing Haruko. The coffin of Hana was opened once more for a last look and Yohko's family came together with Hanamichi's son. The grandmother held the child in one arm towards Hanamichi's coffin and let him see his father before the coffin is kept on the ground.
The super-rookie looked at the child. It was the first time he saw Hana-chan. He's cute, cuddly and very innocent, but he didn't impress Kaede or capture his empathy at all. Hanamichi died because he had to argue with Yohko and if that baby was never been born, Hanamichi would never have any connection with that girl.
Hanamichi would still be alive in his arms right now.
Yohko's mother let Hana-chan reach his father's coffin after holding Yohko's. She let the child's palm touch the glass covering his father's face.
Little Hana might never remember that day, but at least he had felt his father to the very last minute it would see the light on earth.
Kaede watched as the coffin was being tug down the ground. He had been crying for days and he didn't expect he still have tears left to spill out. He did cry, again.
"Farewell, my Hana."
-tsuzuku-