HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

(From the last chapter…)

"Ack, I have to get dressed up! I'm gonna be late for work!" Kyo thought, failing his search for that pad, giving up all hopes of finding it.

"I'm sorry; I have to go now, Kagura." He whispered to his sleeping wife.

Then, he bent down and gave her a kiss on her lips.

Satisfied, he smiled and quickly got out of the room.

Kagura sat up blushing, placing her hands over her lips and her eyes widened…

"I can't believe it!" Kagura thought, "Did Kyo-kun just kiss me?"

(Chapter 10 – Appreciation)

She had been awake the whole time – ever since she can feel that Kyo was searching for something.

Her face was now redder than a tomato as she can still feel her husband's lips pressed against hers.

She then felt like there was a hump beneath her left thigh. She ventured her left hand underneath her left thigh and found a paper pad.

The first page had something written on it. Kagura recognized the handwritings, knowing that it belongs to Kyo. Written in big letters are the words "I'm sorry."

She then turned the next page, "Please forgive me for being a jerk."

She smiled in amazement and turned the next page, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

And the next, "Give me one more chance."

"I never wished that you would have died."

"I love you and I'll never wish for your death."

"I love you, Kagura. I wish I had shown it to you earlier."

"I'm a jerk. I don't know how to treat you right."

"I'm the most stupid man alive."

"I can't even treat my wife the right way and I feel like a total idiot knowing it just now."

As she read and read until the last page, she sat stunned. She didn't know that Kyo would do that while she was asleep. She flipped the pages of the pad and was still stunned at every word at every page – he just finished off a 90-leaf pad paper with words that she thought he never had in his vocabulary. He repeated most of the words but she knew they were all true. She can just feel it.

She sat there and remembered the kiss. She placed her right hand on her lips and blushed some more, thinking, "Is this the real Kyo?"

She just sat there and laughed, glad that her husband was now appreciative.

After sunset…

Kagura had her bed adjusted like a recliner as she sat and watched those reality shows at night at a local channel. She was eating slices of banana, because Hatori said that banana is rich in potassium and her body needs potassium. She childishly declined his advice and had a nurse bring her a tray full of banana slices.

Hatori knew that she was now back to her cheerful self and played along with her… but his joke was sort of healthy… bringing a tray full of sliced bananas? Sure, Kagura might have broken her guts laughing at the thought but when the nurse said that if she didn't finish all of the bananas, Hatori would have her stay in the hospital for another week, eating bananas and getting medical injections, instead of medical tablets and capsules.

Kagura only had eaten a quarter of the tray of sliced bananas and her stomach is already trying to decline the bananas.

Kagura sighed and looked at the night sky. Since she was now sitting up, it's not only the night sky she sees; she also gets a view of the picturesque sight of the skyscrapers and the highways with cars already with their headlights on. The skyscrapers had their lights on as well and it matches perfectly with the night sky.

She was staying only on the 3rd floor of the hospital but the view was truly wonderful. There's an advantage when a hospital's uphill, you know.

The door opened and Kagura looked to see who it was.

"Good evening, Kyo-kun!" she greeted bubbly, remembering that pad full of his scribbles.

Kyo noticed the tray of sliced bananas on her lap and smiled, "Good eve. So, how are you? I guess you're getting a little out of your blues and going bananas."

Kagura laughed while Kyo sat beside her.

"Who wouldn't be happy?" Kagura happily said to him, "What wife wouldn't be happy if she saw a pad paper full of her husband's pondering?"

Kyo blushed a little at the sound of that.

"She found the pad paper!" Kyo thought, "Quickly now, a counterattack!"

Sadly, he can't think of any.

"And don't deny it! You kissed me a while ago!" Kagura teased, "Is the rude cat having feelings for a boar now?"

Kyo blushed even more, "She was awake when I kissed her? Ah! A counterattack, finally!"

"By the looks on your face, I presume you really liked the kissing scene of ours, aye?"

She was silenced by that and blushed.

"My guess was right." Kyo smirked, "Would you like another one?"

Kagura blushed some more as he stood up and crawled on top of her on the bed.

"What's there to be afraid of? You're my wife! I can kiss you anytime I like!" Kyo teased as his face was now an inch away from hers, his breath tickling her lips.

He leaned a little closer and Kagura closed her eyes waiting for it but he just smiled and chuckled. Then, he pressed his index finger on her forehead and said, "Psyche!"

Kagura opened her eyes and pouted as Kyo got off the bed and back to his seat.

"Hmph!" Kagura puffed as she stuffed more banana slices in her mouth.

"I can't believe your reaction to what I did to you!" Kyo chuckled, "You really thought I'm going to kiss you?"

Infuriated and embarrassed, she quickly punched Kyo to the face and sent him flying on the wall.

"She still has that goliath-like strength and ill-temper!" Kyo thought as he hovered a hand to his aching face.

But her body was all too weak now, after that punch her breathing just got faster and it's as if she ran around a lot. She can't afford to exert too much energy at once – her body doesn't have that strength that she had when her illness wasn't completely taking over. She panted after that punch, and wiped the cold sweat off her brow.

"Hmph!" she still pouted, her veins on her forehead popping out as she continued to stuff more bananas in her mouth.

"Lalalala… You're not hearing anything, Kagura!" Kagura thought as she stuffed the banana slices in her mouth, "Grab, stuff, chew, swallow! Grab, stuff, chew, swallow! Grab, stuff, chew, swallow! Munch, munch, munch, munch, munch!"

Kyo just laughed at what she was doing. He walked over to his suddenly tired wife and thought, "She's already exhausted after that punch…? Her body must be really weak now."

"Why are you eating bananas anyway?" Kyo asked as he also stuffed some slices in his mouth.

"Chosh Achori chold me choo." Kagura replied.

"Uhm, Kagura, I didn't understand you."

She gulped it all down and said, "'Coz Hatori told me to."

"I've been thinking lately." Kyo said seriously, "You've seen what I wrote down in that pad paper, right?"

"What about it?"

"I… Would you… I mean, I… Can you…" Kyo trembled in shyness, "I-I'm sorry. Please forgive me, Kagura… C-could you give me another chance?"

"I already forgave you, Kyo." Kagura smiled, "What's there to be sorry about?"

Kyo smiled and stood up. He hugged her tight and kissed her on the lips.

"I love you, Kagura."

Kagura cried tears of joy as they savored the moment, "You know I'll always love you forever, Kyo-kun… Until I die… And even in the afterlife…"

"Do you want some help with those bananas?" Kyo sat down, "It looks like your stomach has had enough!"

Kagura shoved the tray to Kyo. The tray was half-filled with banana slices, "You noticed? Now, eat it all, I'm going to watch some more T.V."

Kyo sweatdropped and began eating the sliced bananas… for his wife.

TBC…