Chapter 5 (Tsukiko's POV)

Thanks again Mystic-sensei!

Emarista the torturer : I will reveal more about Toki soon.

I remained terrified, afraid of the wrath caried alongside being her friend. I noticed her concern, sudden anger lurked behind it. I never wanted Toki to get hurt…he always came regularly to convince me that he loved me. Uotani didn't realize the brunt of his onslaught of ideas on how I should live my life. "Maybe I should tell her…but I can't." My body couldn't handle Uotani's anger or heavy layer of protection. This was becoming harder than I had anticipated, my heart condition, my work, and my past all created a mix of gray. Something in my life had to make sense before Uotani's intrusion.

"Tsukiko-chan?" I foccussed on Uotani, still thinking about what was going on. "You shouldn't be cooking after what happened to you."

"Uotani-san, I guess…I should tell you the truth."

"Senpai?" She was going Senpai again! Why me of all people?

"I'm ill, my heart will continue to stagnate and cause me dizzy spells if I undergo high amounts of stress. It's that I'm in danger of dying…but this may happen at times."

"Tsukiko-chan…please…why don't you get it fixed."

"If I could have, wouldn't it have been done already!" That was something Toki had said to me, and I knew I needed to hear it myself, to say it myself. Uotani didn't move from her spot. I couldn't stand it, I had been mixing herbs in the eggs, and I returned to it as if it was the haven I needed. I quickly turned off the heat as she walked towards me carefully. I moved away from her touch, almost as if it wasn't possible. The heat was turned off by the time I went to get plates, it felt almost as if a cold wind had struck me. I set them up, and her eyes never left me.

Don't look at me like that…

I won't be able to take it anymore.

My heart pounded, and felt it would be considered a threat to break into two over it. 'Please don't look at me like that…I won't be able to take it anymore.' Please don't! I can't take this anymore! "Uotani-san…I…I'm sorry."

"Tsukiko-chan? Are you all right? Senpai!" I collapsed, this time I didn't care, I had hurt her…and my heart hurt as it mixed with my body's pain.

(Uotani's POV)

"Senpai!" I yelled, almost as if my heart counted on it. Why did she punish herself this way, allow herself to suffer. I gazed towards where the plates were set. I smelled herbs that were so pricey. I couldn't see her like this, it hurt more than I could comprihend. A face full of pain and bruises on her wrists? By this time, I could hear the footsteps of everyone else, all of us were confused now.

"Uo-chan? What happened to Yasu-san?" Tohru's face held compassion as always. I couldn't smile this time because of Tsukiko- chan's thoughts.

"I remember…her falling to the ground after…I talked about what happened with the doctor…" I said; this pain was unbearable. Senpai…she hid so many things from me. And those bruises?...How were they there?

TBC…