Chapter 27:
Iori? Where have I heard that name from?
Harima slowly stood up, trying to get his bearings over his dizziness. After that head-rattling punch, his mind couldn't process anything but the need to get up.
While Harima couldn't care less for formal introductions, the man in front of him had immediately challenged him to a fight in the most upfront manner. But he was not one to decline such an offer. Truth be told, it was painful as hell to be punched again after so long. The fireball of pain flaring up in his head had managed to remove him from his thoughts. Literal pain was still more excruciating than being flooded by worry and guilt, it seemed.
Looking at his opponent and sizing him up, a sliver of amusement struck Harima. He had fought with thugs, brutes, bikers, hooligans, drunks, foreign exchange students, black belt masters, and love rivals but this one was different. His stance was a bit… strange. His fists were closer together and leveled to his eyes. Head leaning forward, back straight and his left foot slightly raised, putting all his weight on his right foot which was a half-step back.
Harima knew what kind of style this was due to him watching many action movies before. It was a stance favoring spacing - allowing efficient takedowns and strikes from multiple directions whilst providing very good defensive positioning. It was mostly used when fighting one-on-one and had since become popular in recreational sparring. It looked flashy and cool but real-life begged to differ when used in an actual fight. Any stance was nullified if their balance was suddenly thrown off. That was why drunk people were so easy to take down despite them being wildly unpredictable. One needed to first compromise their sense of balance and then strike quickly before they could regain it. If there was one thing Harima had learned during his delinquent days, it was that no technique could help you from being overwhelmed by an opponent's sheer power. That was why people were advised to run from a fight even if they knew self-defense. It meant nothing if they suddenly found themselves helplessly on the ground.
Taking all this into consideration, Harima raised his fists and stared banefully towards the man.
Whatever his reason, he messed with the wrong person today.
Shrugging off the last bit of pain from his head, Harima quickly dashed towards his rude guest. The man's formal attire couldn't possibly give him the flexibility to move freely. Harima planned to feign a punch first. When close, he would then grab the man for a takedown then launch a second punch that was more guaranteed and personal. No stance could help him once down on the ground.
As it was, Harima threw a punch with his left fist. He had expected his opponent to back away or dodge where Harima could then follow up for a takedown. However, the man suddenly moved a step forward, grabbed Harima's hand and throat, then swept his feet off the ground while simultaneously swiping Harima to the side by his neck. Harima fell to the ground hard, pain starting to flare all around his body. Instinct told him to get some distance and he quickly rolled away and stood up to make sure he wouldn't get hit by another follow-up. He heard a 'thud' sound meaning he had dodged a punch that would not have been good for him if it had landed.
Facing each other once again and wincing from the pain, Harima held onto his neck.
"Is that all you've got?" The raven-haired man taunted and returned to his stance.
Bastard, Harima cursed in his mind. This one is a counter fighter, he thought with a grimace. He knew what I was about to do and moved accordingly. If that's how you want to play it…
Harima quickly lunged forward. The man remained in his stance but was surprised when Harima abruptly stopped in front of him, cocking a leg back to kick him horizontally at his midsection. A wide-sweeping kick like this couldn't be dodged in time and so the man used both his hands to block it.
The kick was successfully stopped and the man grinned. This was just child's play. A careless kick like that would create such a huge recovery time on top of being off-balance. All he had to do was wrap an arm around the leg and sweep the other foot off the ground. He couldn't escape with his leg caught.
The man started to grab Harima's leg but it suddenly became very heavy and quickly dropped down. It stomped on the ground heavily as the man realized it wasn't just a kick. It had turned into a step forward to quickly close in.
With all his weight on his right foot, Harima unleashed a punch with his left fist that managed to land on the raven-haired man. The fight would have been over if it weren't for his forearms taking the brunt of the attack. Still, the punch blasted him away.
"I see." The man chuckled, massaging his aching forearms. "You're not as dumb as you look. You brute-forced your way in so there would be no openings to exploit."
Harima didn't reply and simply readied himself.
"But this isn't over yet!" The man approached Harima and raised an elbow to strike. Harima caught it in his palm and tried to counter with a kick but the man used his leg to block it. The two men launched their free remaining fists at each other, gambling that their fists would be faster than the other.
The two fists closed in before a loud voice rang out.
"IORI! What are you doing!?"
"Huh?" This momentary distraction cost the man and Harima's fist landed on his cheek first and blasted him backward. The man dropped to his knees clutching his face.
"That was a lucky shot." The man complained, rubbing his cheek.
"Look who's talking." Harima deadpanned. This feeling. The thrill of the fight. Adrenaline coursing through his veins. Fighting for his own survival and worrying about nothing else. Oh, how he missed this.
And he wanted more. Much more.
Harima took a few steps forward to continue the fight but then a girl stopped in front of him and bowed low.
"I'm very sorry for what he did to you!" The girl apologized.
That voice. Harima knew he had heard it before. He stared at the girl and remembered that he had, in fact, seen her once – in front of an electronics store. The memory only came to him because the girl did the exact same thing back then as he recalled. If it weren't for this familiarity, Harima would have ignored her and continued on with the fight.
"No. It's… alright." Harima breathed out. He was definitely not alright but the realization that he had become blinded by rage unnerved him. His body was aching for a fight, wanting to escape his problems by drowning it in senseless violence. But this sudden clarity woke him up and he realized that nothing good would ever come out of it no matter how much he wanted.
"You don't always have to apologize for me. He fully deserved it." The man said as he stood up.
"And you shouldn't be so rude if you don't want me always apologizing for you." The girl countered. "I thought you were just going to talk to him?"
"I did but he won't listen without getting beat up a few times first."
The girl rolled her eyes, somehow blaming herself for not expecting this to happen.
"Do I… know any of you?" Harima finally asked.
"Oh! I'm sorry for not introducing myself." The girl bowed and continued, "My name is Ayumi and this here is Iori if he hasn't introduced himself yet."
"I did but I'm sure it just flew over his head."
"I just left you for a few minutes to make sure my master is asleep. You could at least have done it without making it into a full-blown fight."
While the two bickered, Harima simply stared at them. He didn't know anyone with the name Ayumi, but the man's name he knew. Iori. It was a familiar name, but it just didn't make any sense to him. The only one he knew was a cat. But it could also be just another random guy he fought before that he hadn't made an effort to remember. According to what the girl said, this man was going to have a talk with him, but for what? Only to rile him up for a fight? Some introduction this man had, not to mention wearing such impractical attire at night. Well, to be fair, he was dressed the same but he wasn't looking for a fight around town like a madman. The man in question noticed he was being stared at.
"Have a clue now who I might be?" he asked.
Harima remained silent as he didn't want to be toyed with like this. The man sighed.
"Let me help you out. You once saved a cat from drowning and took a thorn out from his paw. You also let in a dog while you have a freaking cat in the house, you jerkface. Do you know how much that pissed me off?"
"Wait. How do you know that?"
"I know a lot of things – including what happened back at the house earlier."
Harima's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're…"
The man raised his bangs up to show a cross-shaped scar on his forehead. "Yeah. It's me. Nice to meet you, you moron."
x-x-x
Everyone was gone. She was all alone again.
Yakumo clutched her knees as she sat in the emptiness of her room. She had lived most of her life here and yet, she felt suffocated, trapped, and lonely. It made her all alone with her thoughts of what could have been; what she could have done differently. Most of these ponderings were buried when she fell asleep, dormant until another such time where she found herself in the same spot – like a person often returning to a gravesite to keep the memory alive.
If only those memories weren't filled with a longing, a desire to not be alone anymore. She knew she wanted to connect with people from the bottom of her heart. And what had that resulted in so far? People who were very close to her seemingly left her by their own volition, as she did nothing at all to change it.
If only she had stopped her father…
If only she had dissuaded her sister…
If only she had been more honest to him…
These thoughts haunted her to no end. She couldn't stop blaming herself for the things she had allowed to happen. The guilt and regret wrapped around herself and now they were getting tighter and tighter until it felt as if she couldn't move under their grip.
"We're here yet again."
Yakumo opened her eyes upon hearing the voice. She was in that hellish void, together with that ghost girl whose long ebony hair wrapped around her.
"It's painful, isn't it?" the girl continued. "To realize that no matter how good your intentions are, you still wind up the same as before."
Yakumo remained quiet, eyes unfocused and staring blankly forward without looking at the little girl.
"Or perhaps, you really didn't want to be with someone as you're doing nothing to prevent them from leaving. It is what they say: you reap what you sow."
The girl looked at Yakumo, expecting her to respond and refute her words. And yet no answer, not even an acknowledgment of her own weaknesses.
"You won't fight back?" The ghost asked, an almost hint of concern in her tone.
"…"
The ghost sighed. "Very well. It's time to do what should have been done a long time ago. A curse like this one shouldn't have been wasted on the likes of you." Strands of hair started covering Yakumo until she could barely see at all and then everything went dark.
x-x-x
"So… You're… Iori? That small black cat?" Harima asked incredulously.
"The very same. If you still don't believe me, I can punch you again until you do." the man said. His tone was grating to Harima's ears and he would have resumed the fight if it weren't for this sudden turn of events.
"Well, excuse me if I find it hard to believe a grumpy cat is actually human and is now talking to me."
"Technically, I'm not human but we all come in different shapes and sizes."
"And if you want to talk to me, why the hell did you punch me first?"
"Oh, I just wanted to mess with you. That's all."
"Why you piece of – "
"I'm sorry," the girl spoke up. "Iori is just being difficult as always. Pay him no mind."
"What I said is the truth!"
"Anyway," the girl continued, ignoring Iori's outbursts. "You're the only person we can talk to like this so please hear us out first."
Harima crossed his arms. "I'm listening."
"We are truly indebted to our masters here, taking care of us when no one else would. In return, we want to help them out in times of need. Though we can rarely do so to keep our identities secret. Even Iori here has done it a few times."
"You're helpful for once?" Harima asked looking at Iori.
"Hey, I brought my master an umbrella, thank you very much," Iori replied sardonically. "Your school uniform was all I had back then to avoid getting wet from the rain, so I'm not sure if I did a good job covering my act."
"You used what?!" Harima reacted in anger. "Do you know how much hell Itoko gave me when I lost my school uniform!?"
Ayumi was about to apologize for Iori again when he spoke. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about my master instead of your precious uniform?"
"Your master? You mean… Imouto-san?"
Iori sighed. "That pisses me off more than the dog. Why call her that? Will she never be 'Yakumo' to you that you have to keep referring to her as someone's little sister?"
Harima was taken aback. "I… I didn't mean to sound like that."
"Oh, you do. You call her like that because she will never be someone else in your eyes. That deep inside, she's always gonna be another person that you barely acknowledge. Even now, she's nothing more to you than someone who helps you out in your miserable - "
Harima took a step forward and forcefully grabbed Iori's shirt collar. "She's important to me and I'll beat up anyone who says otherwise."
"…Why are you here then?" Iori calmly asked as he stared straight at Harima. "I heard everything while you were sitting there earlier. If she's so important to you as you said, what are you doing here?" The words hit Harima like a truck. He knew that everything he did for her came with pure intentions. Even with the knowledge that whatever he did was never enough, he was always appreciative and showed it. But maybe that was the real reason why he was out here. It wasn't enough, all of it, and that's why he decided to walk away instead of paying off an unpayable debt of gratitude.
For a moment he wanted to lay it out on Iori but instead, he loosened his grip and looked away, feeling disgusted with himself at how a few words had affected him.
Iori removed Harima's arm, rearranged his shirt collar, and continued, "I don't care either way what decision you will make after this but consider first what you're doing. What you're leaving behind. Simply telling yourself that you don't care does not mean it doesn't affect you and others as well. Human beings are not so simple. It's all on you from here on out."
Harima was silent, a part of him wanting to refute everything he had heard until he felt a pain in his head once again. "Argh!" he cried out. "You bastard… what did you do this time?"
"Please, my friend. Help her." A gentle voice pleaded.
Harima looked around while clutching his temples. "P-Pyotr?"
"Please. Help"
"Someone's calling for help from the outside," Iori said. "We need to end this right now."
"How do we do that?" Harima said through clenched teeth.
"Just like how we started so close your eyes."
Harima furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding what the man in front of him was saying.
"Just do it if you want to get this over with."
Harima closed his eyes. He waited for a few seconds when he heard someone say something. "We're really sorry about this again."
"Wait. What?" Harima cracked an eye open, only to see Iori's head slamming towards his. The impact caused stars to appear in his vision.
"Son of a…" Harima fell to the ground, completely passing out.
x-x-x
All was silent in the Tsukamoto house. Its halls now devoid of roaming pets looking for a nice place to sleep. A cold breeze would occasionally jostle a windchime and send a hypnotic tune ringing out from the vast veranda overlooking the front yard. Moonlight beamed through the windows, lighting the interior in a dim glow so that the dark shapes of the furniture could be seen. One particular silhouette was moving. It was a girl clenching and unclenching her hands. She looked around despite the darkness of the room. No one was in the house except herself, she could tell.
Walking out the room that only held regret, passing through the hallways that had witnessed both glee and sorrow, descending the creaking stairway that had been stained by tears too many to count, and then out the front door which only served to bid people goodbye. A veranda so open and welcoming but too big for one person to spend all their spare time there. She had always wondered why such a house was built this large compared to conventional modern Japanese houses only to see its inhabitants leave one after the other.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't to show how the Tsukamoto's could afford such a large house in an urban neighborhood. It wasn't to show that they valued traditional Japanese views and customs. It most certainly wasn't some perfect paradise – the outside may have looked pristine, but that didn't mean the inside and its inhabitants were too. It once held the hopes of a man, to fulfill his lofty dream of raising a family and teach them to cherish what life had to offer. Instead, it shattered that family, indiscriminately taking them away one by one… until only one was left.
A large house with big aspirations and nothing to show for it. A tree without leaves, a body without a soul, a home without a family.
She ruefully smiled. How these thoughts truly made one sentimental on things long gone. But it didn't matter now. Something had to be done to end this curse.
She walked away and headed to the place where it had all started.
x-x-x
Harima's eyes shot open when he regained consciousness. Something was pressing on his forehead and he could barely see. Using his hands to quickly brush off what was blocking his view, he rose up and looked around. Sure enough, the imposing figure of his giraffe friend was towering over him. But what was strange was that he was near the swing seat as if he had fallen backward.
"Pyotr? What are you doing here? How did you get out this time?" Harima asked.
Pyotr simply looked at him, eyes half-lidded in a show of concern.
"Someone… in danger?" Harima quickly remembered that this had happened once before but back then he had mistaken who it was about. Now, knowing full well that Tenma was out of the country, there was no questioning this time who needed help. How Pyotr got out again seemed to be insignificant right now.
Before climbing onto Pyotr's back, Harima turned around and saw two cats sleeping side by side: a white cat was lying on the ground beside Iori as if asleep. He could remember their fight, their conversation, and how this… cat had somehow talked some sense into him.
Was it… a dream?
Harima shook his head to remain focused. There was no time to waste pondering if it was real or not. He rode on Pyotr's back and the two went on their way.
The tall giraffe galloped as swiftly as he could. As far as Harima could tell, they were heading towards the Yagami Shrine. It was on top of a hill, surrounded by thick forest and overlooking Yagami City. His few memories of the place just consisted of him ending up there when he had hit rock bottom. The first was when he lived there temporarily and became a fortune teller after he mistakenly thought Tenma was dating Karasuma. The second was when Tenma left him for that same person and he aimlessly wandered around after being badly bruised both in body and spirit. It was as if the place draws people when they were at their lowest. Both times he needed someone to snap him out of that state, ironically both by Eri hitting him in the head. He knew better now.
No more mistaken identities. No more fooling himself on what others meant to him. No more running away from debts he felt too large to pay. The thought of abandoning his manga was excruciating, but letting go of the person who'd made it possible in the first place? The one who was always by his side to help him out when he needed it the most? This desperate feeling wasn't the same as finishing a manuscript in time for a tight deadline. Somehow, this meant so much more to him.
The two arrived at the shrine with Pyotr looking worse for wear having run all the way there. Giraffes weren't built to gallop that far, not to mention climbing up a long flight of steps. Harima dismounted and looked around. No one was around but something was telling him he needed to go to a particular part of the forest. He knew that place. It was a secluded spot at the end of a long and narrow rugged path – a great place to watch fireworks during a festival. It overlooked the whole city along with some of the sea, but it was situated on top of a steep cliff.
"Thanks, Pyotr," Harima said to the giraffe. "Go back to the zoo or else they'll find out you've escaped again. I'll take care of things from here."
Pyotr nodded his long head at Harima and walked away.
With the giraffe gone, Harima ran down a beat-up trail and ended up in a clearing. There, he found someone standing alone, very close to the edge of the cliff, gazing at the scenic view in front.
"What are you doing?!" Harima asked, throwing caution to the wind.
The person turned to look at him, two red eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
Harima took a step back. "Wait. You're… Ya'mo?"
"You're awfully observant and yet gleefully naïve at the same time." Ya'mo replied, her long hair fluttering in the wind. "I suppose you're the only one who can see me as I am right now."
"No. This is all wrong." Harima said. It wasn't a little girl he was talking to. Her image was flickering in and out, showing what she really was. "What did you do to her? Why did you bring her here?"
"To take something which should not have been hers from the very beginning. It exacts a great toll but it must be done. You have no part in it so I will ask you to leave."
Harima gritted his teeth. "I don't know what you're doing but I won't let you get away it!" He quickly ran towards Ya'mo in hopes she wouldn't do the unthinkable. When he got close, long strands of hair promptly wrapped around Harima, hoisting him up.
"What… the hell is this…" Harima struggled.
"Always sticking your nose in other people's business. Always ruining everything you touched." Ya'mo said while Harima struggled with all his might to free himself, not paying attention to her words.
Growing impatient of his useless struggling, she continued in an accusing voice, "You're the one who took my sister away! Always trying to solve everyone's problems! Always worrying about others! Nobody asked you to worry about me-!"
SLAP!
-/-
The sights were magnificent as she looked on. The city glowed in resplendent wonder, shining in an array of colors. Lights from the streets and buildings twinkled in gentle rays. Various vehicles left their meteoric trails of red and yellow around the city, everywhere brimming with activity. Christmas lanterns and decorations shone in a melancholic light, like stars that vary in color and luminosity. The radiance of the city was heartwarming amidst the cold season of Christmas.
The city wasn't the only thing that shone. The residential areas from faraway glittered like gems in the darkness. Lights from houses turning on and off while others stayed to brighten the night. Whereas the city reveled in constant activity, there was an air of bliss around the residential area - peaceful and calm.
The overall spectacle was like a glimpse of the universe; the hubs of activity became small galaxies with bright glowing centers, growing faint toward their edges. The moving lights were meteors and comets blazing along their own paths. The light show continued past the horizon as the glows of other cities leaked out into the cold night sky. The view was so vast that she thought she could reach up and touch it herself.
'Isn't it beautiful, sister?'
Tears flowed down her cheeks, unable to hold them back any longer. The eyes that see the world in a dim and cold light scrunched up as she cried.
Why are you doing this? she wondered. After all the mistreatment and cruel retorts I've said to her, why is she still trying to make me happy? She raised a hand to try to wipe away her tears, but she felt a slight pain when she touched her cheek. She looked towards the boy who had slapped her earlier and made all of this possible.
This boy. Who are you? Why are you doing this after we've just shown you unkindness? You're not with your own family this Christmas. What's in it for you that you would even go this far to help us?
Who are you?
-/-
Ya'mo reeled to the side, surprised that she had somehow lost control of the situation. She was indeed right that this man had an indomitable will that made him hard to pin down. Getting her bearings, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Affronted at this sudden turn of events, she struggled to get free.
"Please calm down!" she heard someone shouting at her and she stopped moving around.
"You once told me that we should never give up for the sake of those around us!" Harima continued. "I still believe in that! Don't give up! Hang in there, Yakumo!"
A bright light suddenly engulfed them both. Harima closed his eyes shut and held his arms around her tight until he heard a soft voice.
"I always wanted… for you… to say my name…"
Harima opened his eyes slightly and loosened his grip when he felt a sharp lancing pain in his head. It was like a hot poker had been jabbed right through his ear, forcibly digging into his skull. He clutched his temple with one hand, trying to endure this torture without letting go of her. Like a rope snapping, the pain faded away but it left him very disoriented and exhausted as if a part of his soul had been ripped out of him.
Once the pain was gone, Harima lost his balance and dropped to his side, the view of the vast inky sea underneath the dark sky the last thing he saw.
x-x-x
Yakumo woke up slowly, still feeling oddly tired as if she had just had a bad dream. It was so cold, and she had to make an effort to move, or else she'd lose that energy and go back to that restless sleep. She sat up and looked around, wanting to know why it was so cold. The answer quickly came to her. She wasn't in her room but rather she was outside. It was still dark but she could recognize this place. She'd been here a couple of times to enjoy the view along with her friends. But she couldn't recall coming here all alone – let alone without reason.
While looking around, she noticed that there was someone with her. It was a man lying on his side and facing away from her. She cautiously went near him and was surprised to find it was none other than Harima. He looked in terrible pain and he was breathing shallowly. Yakumo quickly went to his side to check on him, worry overriding her confusion.
His pulse was weak and his breathing uneven. She propped him up on her arms and he didn't look like he had gotten beaten, but he was so limp and strangely light as if he was close to dying.
The thought scared Yakumo so much that tears began welling in her eyes, blurring her vision. She didn't know what had happened to lead up to this but to experience this once again, someone dear leaving her right in front of her eyes, she couldn't help but freeze in fright. Unable to do anything while the people she loved the most walked away from her.
She was beginning to cry when she heard Harima faintly murmur.
"The… sunrise… it's so… beautiful."
Yakumo looked at Harima and saw he was staring towards the sea. She followed his gaze and her mouth opened in awe.
The faint rays of the sun were breaking over the horizon, coloring over the blue twilight with bright orange. A golden fan slowly appearing out of the dark and gradually spreading out into the cloudless sky. The reflection of the rising sun on the still sea was like a golden road stretching towards her. Yakumo stared at the sight as the light trickled down on her. It felt warm amidst the cool breeze of the sea. She had never seen this kind of sunrise from this high a vantage point before. Even if the sun rises every day, she never knew such a common thing would be so magical to witness. Yakumo then felt a hand touch her cheek.
"I always… wanted... to share this… with someone." Harima said between breaths. He was trying hard to continue talking but couldn't. Instead, with her curse-turned-gift, Yakumo saw something she never believed would happen. It was faint, barely even visible up close, but she had seen it. A simple collection of words but they had the power to change her life forever.
I love you.
It wasn't an intrusive thought like the others which brought her sudden headaches. It felt almost warm and comforting, just like her sister's thoughts. A pure love out of genuine affection and nothing else. This was the kind of love that drew herself to him.
Yakumo pressed his hand closer to her, almost on the verge of tears. "I know, Harima. I know. I love –" She was startled when the faint words began to fade on top of Harima's head. One by one, they vanished from view as Harima's hand slipped from hers and fell to the ground.
"Harima? Harima?" Yakumo lightly shook Harima to wake him up but he didn't respond. After a few seconds, his breathing ceased as he lay limp in her arms. When it finally dawned on her what it meant, Yakumo let out a piercing cry that she didn't think she was capable of producing.
"Please don't leave!" Yakumo cried out, hugging Harima. "Not like this! I haven't told you how much I love you! I haven't told you how much you mean to me! Please, Harima? Wake up…" She shook him a few times again but he didn't respond.
This feeling. When someone she loved dearly walked away from her, she simply did nothing but wallow in her own sorrow after all was said and done. She didn't want to return to that helpless feeling, always bracing herself for the aftermath instead of doing something about it.
Yakumo steeled herself and gathered enough courage to snap herself out of this fearful paralysis. She could still do something. Anything.
She pressed her ear against Harima's chest to check his heartbeat. It was getting weaker and weaker due to him not breathing. There wasn't enough time to call for help and after a frantic search, she realized she didn't have her cellphone with her either. Alongside her mysterious appearance in this clearing, now was not the time to figure it all out.
Recalling the lessons from her PE class, Yakumo put both her hands on Harima's chest and began consecutive chest compressions. She'd never expected she would actually have to do this for someone, but that was the very nature of an emergency. No one was certain when and where they'd put the knowledge to good use until it happened to them.
There was no improvement in Harima's breathing after several chest compressions. Without thinking about what she was doing, Yakumo opened Harima's mouth, took a deep breath, and blew air into his mouth while pinching his nose closed. She knew she was doing it right because she could see his chest rising as she forced his lungs to fill up. She did several chest compressions again, followed by mouth-to-mouth. She did another set but at the fourth attempt, she was getting tired and she could barely see through her tears; she could feel them dropping onto the back of her hands. She desperately wished her attempts weren't in vain. Not when she was finally willing to take hold of the chance to bring someone back. It would break her if all she could do was cry and watch helplessly after all.
At last, Yakumo heard Harima gasp out loud for air. She quickly stopped her compressions. His breathing became regular but he was still unconscious. She leaned him on her arms to make his posture more comfortable. After doing several chest compressions, she knew she couldn't lift Harima up all the way. Even if Harima was breathing normally, he still needed medical attention right away.
Please…
Help…
All of a sudden, several animals burst out of the forest and ran towards her. Yakumo recognized the animals as ones from the zoo: Igor, Caesar, Joan, and Pyotr. How they always managed to escape from the zoo didn't seem important right now. The animals sniffed Harima and checked on him, whining in concern. They were here to help. It was what Harima had said. Animals take care of their own.
"Help us. Please." Yakumo weakly pleaded. Igor the gorilla nodded, took Harima, and carefully slung him over his shoulder. Pyotr lowered himself as if to invite Yakumo to ride on his back. She obliged and they headed towards the hospital, hoping they could make it in time.
x-x-x
It was early morning and the sun had just barely risen. Sarah walked alone along the street going back to the Tsukamoto residence. She didn't want to return this early after what happened. Last night was a very tumultuous moment, one that she couldn't prepare herself for even if she knew it was probably going to happen eventually. If love was a good thing, why does it leave people broken with unfulfilled promises? Love was patient, love was kind, and yet even with all the patience and kindness of a saint, it could leave a person so devastated.
Back at the church, Sarah really couldn't hide this one when she showed up without any notice. Somehow, Mother Superior knew just from looking at her. Something didn't go as expected, the elder woman could tell.
It had been a surprise when Sarah, one of the most rambunctious children raised in the orphanage, yet grew to become a role model for the church, decided to leave and live at her best friend's house. Some of the senior nuns were against it, concerned that Sarah might be led astray by living outside the church. Ironically, these were the same people who discussed moving the young Sarah to another orphanage due to her unruly behavior.
Mother Superior instead supported her decision. This is a church, not a cage, she had said to them. Have some faith and hope for the best.
And now, that same girl had come crying back, saying she'd made a mistake and it was her punishment for leaving the church.
If we're to consider who should be punished, shouldn't it be me who let you go? Mother Superior said with a warm smile of the kind only she could make. Have faith and hope, Sarah. For when love fails, those two are the only ones we have left.
Sarah had simply listened when she had expected to be scolded. There was nothing much to be said and that's one of the things she loved about her superior. Strict, but could be gentle with few words when the situation called for it.
And so, the next morning, Sarah returned with renewed determination despite what happened the night before. Still, she needed to be careful about it, not let her emotions get the better of her and suddenly dive into a heated argument like previously. It's probably best to let things cool off first and then discuss it with both sides. As she had learned from the church: quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Pretty easy to say but hard to do.
Sarah arrived at the Tsukamoto's house and was surprised to find the gate and front door weren't locked. Yakumo had probably holed herself up in her room after what happened and Sarah felt guilty she had left her friend all alone like that.
It was Saturday and so Sarah had to go to work at the Chinese Restaurant. She had made a hasty promise to not be late again so, despite the situation, she needed to leave for work. After changing into her uniform, she made a small breakfast for herself. While she was eating breakfast, the phone suddenly rang.
"Hello? Tsukamoto's residence." Sarah answered.
"S-Sarah? I-is that you?" Sarah's eyes widened after hearing that hesitant voice she was so familiar with.
"Yakumo? W-wait, why are you calling on the phone?" Sarah asked. "Do you need anything? I'll get it for you if want."
"I'm… at the hospital right now. Harima got into an accident so I'll be in the hospital for a while."
"Harima? In an accident?!" Sarah replied loudly. "W-what happened?"
"I don't know all the details yet but his condition is stable. Ms. Osakabe is here too as his legal guardian. I've already informed the café I won't be going to work today." Sarah sighed in relief.
"That's good to hear. I'll drop by later during my lunch break. I can't really skip work today because I promised my boss I won't be late this time."
"It's okay." There was a pause. "…and Sarah? I'm sorry about last night."
"It's okay Yakumo. I'm sorry too for shouting at you like that." Sarah wanted the conversation to continue but she was going to be late if she took any longer. "I'll see you later then. Take care. I'm going to be late for work." She said, laughing a little. Even on the phone, Sarah could tell Yakumo was smiling.
"Yeah. See you later too, Sarah."
Sarah put the phone down and sighed heavily as if relieved from a heavy burden. In exchange, many questions arose in her mind. Harima had been to the hospital a couple of times now but this time seemed different. He apparently came back, got into an accident, and somehow Yakumo was there? If only she didn't leave last night so she could understand this whole situation.
All Sarah could do was hope for was the best. Perhaps, this would finally set things right. She needed to have faith in the two, that they would work it out and find an ending to all this.
x-x-x
Yakumo hung up on the call. It was Ms. Osakabe's cellphone and her teacher had lent it to her in case she needed to make some calls. Right now, Ms. Osakabe was talking to the nurses regarding Harima's condition. It wasn't new to the purple-haired woman to be called in out of the blue due to her hospital-prone cousin. She even thought he was about due for another incident. The difference this time was that there were animals involved. Yakumo had to first explain the severity of Harima's condition to the hospital staff before answering why a band of animals had barged in along with them. Ms. Osakabe was called in by the staff, already familiar with her being Harima's legal guardian. As for the animals, the zoo was called in to take them back.
As she sat in the waiting room, Yakumo nibbled on the slice of sandwich offered to her earlier by her teacher even though she had no appetite to eat anything. Meanwhile, she thought about this whole ordeal. She couldn't remember how she got to Yagami Shrine. All she could remember after Harima left was that she holed herself up in her room, seemingly trying to cry herself to sleep. Even in her childhood days, that was how she coped whenever something bad happened.
That crushing feeling. The pain and loneliness of being left.
I am the pain…
I am the loneliness you have created…
Yakumo audibly gasped in surprise. This was her doing. In a moment of weakness, the ghost had somehow taken over and led her to Yagami Shrine. The animals had probably sensed it and gone to Harima for help. After that, she didn't know what happened but it had left Harima in a life-threatening situation. Perhaps she needed to talk to Harima about the ghost – which she should have done a long time ago.
After a few minutes, Ms. Osakabe returned to the waiting hall.
"Is Harima okay?" Yakumo asked concern showing in her expression and tone. The purple-haired teacher nodded.
"He's alright but he's unresponsive for the moment. He's been in so many accidents before but this is the first time I've seen him out cold. Even being hit by a truck didn't do that to him." Itoko looked at Yakumo who was about to cry. She sighed and put a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Don't worry. He's got too much fight in him to go down like that. Give it a day or two. He'll be back on his feet in no time."
Yakumo wiped away the unshed tears. "Can I see him?"
"I am his legal guardian but he did live with you for some time. He's in Room 302. He pretty much owns that room with how many times he's been here."
"Thank you for everything, Ms. Osakabe. I'll be going now." Yakumo bowed low and then ran towards the reception to get permission. Once she got cleared, she ran towards her destination.
Itoko smirked. Kenji, I hope you finally realize how lucky you are. Don't mess this up.
Yakumo arrived at Harima's room, somewhat bracing herself for what she would see. Upon entering, she saw Harima on the bed asleep. There was a chair beside the bed and she sat on it, looking at Harima with worry and concern.
On the surface, it looked like nothing was wrong with him but Yakumo suspected he might have suffered an internal injury. After all, he'd stopped breathing; right after telling her how beautiful the sunrise was and hoping to share it with someone else. And she thought those moments only happened in movies. She took comfort in the thought that everything was going to be alright now. However, she couldn't let things take their own course. She needed to act herself if she wanted to move forward. To do things she was afraid to do before. Her heart was already set and there was no turning back now.
Before she followed her heart, she needed to make amends with someone who always had her in mind.
Yakumo took out the phone which she had forgotten to give back to Ms. Osakabe earlier. Looking through the contacts, she saw it contained a lot of numbers complete with their full names. She wouldn't snoop if she could help it but she needed to make one phone call. She found the number and called it.
x-x-x
Mikoto Suou, exceptional martial arts expert and beautiful among her peers, slammed her childhood friend Haruki Hanai to the ground during their weekly morning spar. While it was always good to win over a capable opponent like Hanai, she didn't like it one bit if her opponent wasn't focused on the match. Hanai always gave it his all even if he was against Mikoto, but he could sometimes be so distracted that winning a spar against him in this state wasn't even worth it.
In the next match, Mikoto once again swiftly slammed Hanai to the ground, but this time harder than usual.
"We're done here," Mikoto said succinctly, arranging her white gi outfit and walking away.
"No. I can still fight." Hanai weakly muttered, his back on the ground.
Mikoto reached for a towel in her bag. "Not with that attitude of yours, you can't." Hanai simply stared upwards, not bothering to get up. Mikoto couldn't help but sigh and be sorry for the guy.
Haruki Hanai, the self-proclaimed number 1 student of Yagami High; he who had mastered both mind and body; the "God of Wind" according to his classmates; and the immutable defender of peace and order, was now a pathetic shell of his usual self, undeserving of his numerous titles. Defeat wasn't in his vocabulary and honesty was an armor worn proudly by any man. A true man was always honest with himself, putting their very souls on their sleeves like a badge of honor for everyone to see. He had overcome himself through sheer force of will. His physical frailty had been strengthened beyond measure and his mental fortitude knew no limitations. Nothing was hard to attain if a man was willing to put in the work.
In truth, what was in front of her was the real Hanai, scared of going back to that little boy who couldn't do anything, who couldn't be a hero to someone important to him. This week had been a testament to that resolve.
As per his usual antics, Hanai had tried to woo his beloved Yakumo at every conceivable opportunity, each time gracefully refused by the latter. But this time, it was different. Her voice was of resignation, her actions coldly scripted, and her usual half-lidded eyes that gave her an image of passive beauty now betrayed a deep hurt. Every day he had to see her like this and he couldn't do anything about it, certainly not for the lack of trying.
Even a man with glasses could see his efforts wouldn't bring joy to the one he loved. He had to watch his beloved slowly waste away and he knew the reason why but couldn't do anything about it.
For the first time in a long time, Hanai had thought that maybe defeat was a better option. Indeed, maybe there were things that a man couldn't attain no matter how hard they willed it with all their might. And so, here he was, barely giving any effort and it was Mikoto who had to see him like this, a scared little boy who had given up on trying. It was like when he played that flute back when they were kids; no matter how much he practiced, the music always came out broken and out of tune.
As his childhood friend, Mikoto understood his behavior and Yakumo also. The younger Tsukamoto was probably in worse shape compared to him as girls tend to be more fragile emotionally after a heartbreak. Though she was Eri's friend and was rooting for her, Mikoto didn't want people to spiral down if they were not chosen. That's just how love was. There was always going to be a winner and a loser, no two ways about it.
While taking a sip from a water bottle, Mikoto's phone lit up and rang in her bag. Mikoto took it out and stared at the number.
Wait. Whose number is this? Mikoto thought. Perhaps it was one of those boys who got her number. Nevertheless, she answered it to be sure.
"Hello? Who is this?" Mikoto asked. Her eyes widened and she smirked when she recognized the replying voice. "Fancy calling me at this hour… Hmm?... Really?!... Oh, I understand… Yeah, he's here… Okay… Leave it to me… No problem."
Mikoto flipped her phone closed. "Hey Hanai, you'll be coming with me today so go get ready."
"Yeah, sure." Hanai simply replied and got up to change clothes. Typically, he'd be very inquisitive on the where's and the why's but he complied without any resistance. That showed how badly he was affected but Mikoto couldn't complain.
At least he's cooperative, she thought. I hope this all works out.
An hour later, the two arrived at the hospital, searching for a specific room number. Mikoto had to give Hanai some vague reason about why they were visiting the hospital. She simply told him she got a call from a friend. Since Hanai had nothing else to do except sulk and mope, she asked him to tag along. While he was cooperative to an extent, she had to be careful with her words, or else this might end badly. Aside from Akira, Mikoto was also very sharp-witted and she could tell this was important. In case something bad was about to happen, she was there to prevent it, or at the very least, "discourage" Hanai from doing something stupid, knowing sometimes a little manhandling was necessary when it came to her childhood friend.
Mikoto opened the door and saw Yakumo sitting on a chair. "Good morning, Yakumo." She greeted. "I brought him along as you requested."
"Good morning." Yakumo greeted back. "Thank you, Mikoto, and thank you for coming too, Hanai."
Hanai gave a questioning look. "Wait, why is Yakumo here? And is that…? " He turned towards the bed and recognized Harima lying on the bed unconscious.
"It's this bad, huh?" Mikoto remarked.
"He's fine for now, the doctors said. But right now, I have something to say to Hanai which should have been said a long time ago." Mikoto quickly got a bad feeling about this. The timing and place may not be right but she needed to trust Yakumo on how she would handle this.
"Sure." Mikoto faced Hanai. "Yakumo is about to say something to you so listen well. And please… don't do something stupid that we might both regret later."
Hanai looked down. "Of course." This version of Hanai was so agreeable that it was somewhat creepy. But perhaps this was an ideal time for him to listen to reason, Mikoto thought.
After a few seconds, Yakumo stood up and faced Hanai. Hanai nearly flinched when he saw her red eyes which had an intensity in them that he hadn't seen from her before.
"Hanai, I know you've had feelings for me for a long time. You've done many things to try and gain my attention even at the risk of your own personal well-being. You tried hard, always staying true to yourself in how you feel about me. In return, I think I must do the same.
"I can't be honest with others if I can't be honest with myself. I just want you to know that I can't reciprocate your feelings for me. Not because you lack anything but because I already know who I want to be with. I wish for you to be happy but I can't keep lying to myself any longer. Please, it's hard for me to say this. I can't be the person that you want me to be. All I can ever receive from you is your understanding and I hope everything still goes well with you. I really do. And I'm sorry." Yakumo then bowed low.
There was a moment of silence as Hanai kept quiet and Yakumo looked down towards the ground. He then glanced at the bed and broke the thick silence, "So… it's Harima, isn't it?". Yakumo looked up at him in worry while Mikoto braced herself and prepared for the worst.
"It's always been about him, who am I kidding." Hanai walked past Yakumo and stood in front of the bed. He took off his glasses, inhaled deeply, and then swiftly bowed low at waist level. "Please take care of her!" he said loudly. "I-I can't do it. I can't make her happy no matter how hard I tried. It pained me to see her like this all week, knowing I can't do anything about it. But I know this much: you're the only one who can change that! She cares too deeply about you and if it means she'll be happy then I'll accept it. No matter how much it hurts. We don't usually agree on many things but I'm sure you can agree with me on this one.
"I'll only say this once: If you make her cry, I'll beat on you until you make her smile again. That's an agreement between men so you better keep your word."
Hanai put his glasses back on, turned on his heel, and walked away without saying another word. The two girls were stunned by his words. Yakumo was about to follow him but Mikoto put a hand on her shoulder stopping her.
"It's okay, Yakumo. He said what he wanted to say. That's enough for him." Mikoto then smiled. "But to be honest, you two surprised me. That was a really brave thing to do. How many problems we would be spared if only we could just try and talk to one another without skirting the real issue. Perhaps being honest with one another is the key to all of this mess instead of ignoring it." She took her hand off Yakumo and began to walk away.
"You two take care now. I'll handle Hanai. He'll probably mope more but he got what he truly needed." Mikoto said. "See you again next time, hopefully not at the hospital when someone's unconscious." She added, laughing a little.
Yakumo smiled and nodded in thanks as Mikoto left the room. With the conversation over, Yakumo sat back down, a great weight off her chest. It had turned out better than she'd anticipated and a little part of her regretted she hadn't done it a long time ago. She wasn't sure if the outcome would still be the same regardless of time but as she had learned, it was better to make a conscious decision to act than simply wait for things to happen on their own. While time might heal wounds, it could also aggravate hidden pains so that they worsen over time. Upfront honesty was such a rare and priceless commodity these days.
It was around noon that Sarah came by to visit. She brought some Chinese food in case Yakumo hadn't eaten yet. Solving basic human needs first instead of directly asking what was going on was much easier. After all, the mind functions at its best when the needs of the body were first satisfied.
In the middle of eating, Yakumo set down her chopsticks and said, "I'm sorry, Sarah. About last night. I really am sorry."
"It's okay Yakumo," Sarah answered. "I'm sorry too for shouting at you like that, not knowing what you actually feel." She smiled and continued, "But seriously though, you really scared me there! I never knew you could shout that loud!"
Yakumo gave a small smile in response. "I really am sorry Sarah. All of it just welled up inside me. I don't know what I was doing."
"You're a good person. We all have something that makes us stumble and fall. It just proves that we need to watch each other's backs when we do. I'm glad you're okay now."
"Yeah. I'm glad I have you as a friend."
"Likewise. So, what happened? I actually… left the house after you went to your room. I know I shouldn't have but you looked so scary I couldn't help it." Sarah laughed a little to lighten the mood.
"I don't know myself," Yakumo answered. "Back then, I felt so crushed that I wanted something to relieve me from the pain. The next thing I know I was at Yagami Shrine and saw Harima unconscious. He somehow protected me from doing something rash. I'm aware I sometimes act on my own when I'm asleep so perhaps my body just reacted to what I was currently feeling."
Sarah sighed heavily. "As they say, love is a double-edged sword. Maybe if I hadn't left the house, it wouldn't have come to this. I'm really sorry. But, how come Harima was there too? I thought he'd left?"
"It was Pyotr."
"Pyotr…the giraffe?"
"Pyotr somehow knew I was in danger and told Harima. It happened once before when I got sick last winter. I don't know how Pyotr realized, but if it wasn't for him, things would have ended up badly."
"Oh wow. A giraffe that calls for help? If that got out, reporters would all scramble to do a scoop on him again." Sarah looked at Harima. "So, he did come back but what's going to happen with his engagement now? Is it going to continue?"
"I'm not sure. I have to talk to Harima or Eri about it." Yakumo looked down. She had already talked to Hanai and made peace with him but this one with Eri was also unavoidable. All of their meetings so far had been tense, even antagonistic. Harima had always indirectly come to her aid but this time, she needed to stand for herself. Whether the engagement would continue or not, she would make her side clear.
As an answer to her wish, the door suddenly opened.
"Whiskers? You there?"
Author's Corner: I'M STILL ALIVE AND KICKING! I'm terribly sorry for not updating for a long time! Lots and lots of stuff happened on my end that really delayed my writing. I plan on finishing this story no matter what. But first, I would like to give my biggest appreciation to my beta reader sumodog because I don't think I'll ever finish this chapter without their help. Even after all this time, they're still willing to edit my story and help me finish it. Just throw some love their way because they deserve it!
It's so good to be back and I hope the readers still remember this story. As usual, there's a lot of School Rumble references here and there so you better recognize them all! Anyway, thanks for reading and your continued support! With all that's currently happening right now, I wish for everyone to be well and safe!