Chapter 28:

Eri sat silently in the limousine as Nakamura drove through the streets. Earlier, she had gotten a call from Mikoto explaining the situation with Harima. Seriously. Not even a day had passed since he'd gone off on his own, and he already got into an accident. That was always the case with him. Despite being a very independent person, he couldn't actually survive by himself without someone looking out for him. He needed someone to balance him out for him to be at the very best of his abilities. That's what Eri had noticed about him. In things he was passionate about, he shone best with someone supporting him. But in things he had no interest in whatsoever, he became this listless drone who followed orders without question, thus masking his true potential. He'd be a good puppet, not a good leader.

That was one of the points Eri's father had put forward during their discussion last night. The engagement wasn't a one-sided ordeal. It wasn't all about how her fiancé could fill a role in leadership. Eri was also being evaluated. If Eri was able to rein in a person like Harima, then leading a company would be no different. This was what the engagement was about. The ability to become a leader despite everything going against you. Fortunately, all of Shawn's scheming had unintentionally shown how unfit he was. He'd given the board a glimpse of what management would be like under his leadership. Eri, on the other hand, had convinced them how she could turn a very unlikely candidate into something promising. It wasn't a secret to everyone that Eri was the brain while Harima simply did what he was told to. What the company truly needed was the former, and Eri had passed. Even the elders of the family couldn't refute that. The industry was now becoming more competitive than ever and they couldn't afford to conform to strict traditional roles if it meant saving the company.

Although their engagement had been called off, the result was that Eri was still a worthy candidate by herself. Times were changing and her parents wanted to see the start of the new era with their own eyes and that's why they had come to visit. Originally, they'd planned to ask if Eri was really fine continuing with the engagement. Eri had been alone for almost all her life and her parents wanted someone to be by her side. They knew that Eri would put up a front and say it was alright but would then later change her mind, as she'd often done before. From being depressed she couldn't cook dinner for her father's return, to bravely refusing the first engagement set up by her mother; they weren't ignorant of their daughter's plight.

One way or another, the engagement would end and it was probably the best for it to happen this early. The engagement could simply be framed as an excuse to test Shawn and now that it was outed that he was truly a bad candidate, there was no other reason to continue it. Moreover, it showed Eri to be a very capable leader on her own so this whole "scheme" wasn't all for nothing. As for her, she would only take the opportunity if her parents agreed to one condition: her parents would stay home more often. It was her time now to take care of her parents someday, not the other way around. Proud of how their only daughter had grown up, they had agreed.

It was probably the best and worst night of Eri's life: letting go of the one she loved but getting her family back together. While it still wasn't official, Eri needed to see Harima and tell him the news; until she'd gotten the call from Mikoto about Harima's accident. True, they wouldn't be engaged anymore but Eri couldn't ignore such an incident with Harima still being her "fiancé".

Eri arrived at the hospital and went to the information desk to find Harima's room. She introduced herself as his fiancée, probably the last time she'd ever use the title, and got his room number. Harima had been in the hospital many times before. Should she have brought some flowers or those lame get-well-soon cards? How serious was Harima's injury anyway that he was admitted to the hospital? Was he even awake or not? Now that she thought about it, Mikoto had barely explained anything to her other than telling her that Harima was in the hospital. Her friend didn't say much when asked further citing she didn't know all the details. It was fishy that Mikoto didn't suggest that Eri should go visit him, already expecting that Eri would eventually do it by herself.

Composing herself once she was in front of the room, Eri knocked on the door before pushing it open. "Whiskers? You there?" she asked as she entered the room. Instead of a reply, she received stares from two people in the room who looked like they were eating lunch. Once Eri recognized them, her eyes sharpened and her demeanor changed completely. She turned towards the bed and indeed, Harima lay there, asleep.

There was worry on Eri's face initially but upon seeing the two girls in the room, it morphed into a frown. Her mind was quickly trying to make sense of this all. Harima left last night but he got in trouble and somehow, Yakumo again was involved? One thing she couldn't help herself to conclude was that it was her fault why Harima ended up like this. It was always about her, one way or another, a prenotion that Eri couldn't shake off from all the times this had happened before.

"So, this is what happened to Whiskers," Eri said, her tone mixed with concern and dismissiveness. "He looks as if he got hit by another truck. But it's more likely he just got beaten up once again." She crossed her arms. "He always does this to himself, making others worry about him for no apparent reason. The last time he got beat up was when Tenma left and now this? If attention is what he wanted, then he got it. But he should realize that recklessly endangering himself doesn't make things any easier for everyone else. He needs to do better than that."

Sarah was taken aback by Eri's words but before she knew what to do next, she heard a slapping sound that jolted her awake. It soon occurred to her that Yakumo of all people had just slapped Eri across the cheek. Her inner peacekeeper surfacing, Sarah quickly went between the two to separate them and deescalate the situation.

Eri was totally dumbfounded as she touched her reddening cheek, sudden tears forming in her eyes from the pain. She wanted to retort back in retaliation but hesitated upon seeing Yakumo.

The red-eyed girl was looking sharply at her, lips in a tight line of deep indignation. There was no trace of the remorse, regret, or pity she had shown when she had first slapped Eri back then. This was a different person in front of her; as if she was ready for a fight and not going to back down for anything.

"He is doing his very best, more than you could ever imagine," Yakumo said with an edge in her tone that surprised the rich heiress by its intensity. "For you to say such things about him, I won't stand for that. Stop pretending that you don't care Eri, and be honest for once."

They continued their stare-down and for the first time since their quarrel began, Eri was losing the battle. Even with Sarah in the middle, Yakumo's piercing gaze never left her. Eri felt her eyes twitching in nervousness and she was slowly backing away without her knowing.

Grimacing, Eri finally broke eye contact. "I see. So that's why he chose you over me. You're not who I thought you were." She returned her gaze at Yakumo and continued. "I simply came here to tell him that the engagement is over. It's all taken care of so he doesn't have to worry about the small details. I'll ask Nakamura to get his things and bring them back to your house." Eri reached out for the door but before leaving said, "Take care of him. He's been thinking about you all this time and that's why he left last night… so don't waste this." At this, Eri promptly left.

Now a few paces away from the room, Eri touched her cheek, struggling hard not to cry but felt tears streaming down the back of her palm. When it was time to show who was mentally tougher, it was she who folded first. To think that before it had all started, she had utmost confidence she would come out on top. It was unthinkable she would actually lose to someone she thought to be soft and timid. She had also seen this in Harima whenever she tried to demean Yakumo. How could she have failed to notice that Harima was doing the same thing all this time? The war was already lost for they were protecting each other, and Eri was there to prove how strong their bond had become. With things decided, all she had to do was walk away. The hardest part always was letting go, not taking part, and Eri was prepared to move on no matter how painful it was.

Eri continued towards the exit but saw a man standing at the end of the hallway, his arms crossed and back leaning against the wall. The vertical scars on his eyes were unmistakable but when he looked at her, she could tell he was… concerned, surprised even. She remembered this specific expression. That boy from seemingly a lifetime ago who was concerned about her being always alone, and got surprised when finding out her apparent insecurities. The boy who earnestly helped her learn Japanese even though it wasn't his first language either. The first boy she talked to where their respective statuses in life were direct opposites of each other and yet he managed to befriend her. "Friend" wasn't exactly the word she would use. They were never really close to begin with as she never shared anything personal with him. Their time had been very brief if her proficiency in the Japanese language was any indication. Perhaps if they had had more time…

Harima's words last night resurfaced in her mind. He would have killed himself if it meant sparing you a life tied to Shawn.

Quickly wiping her tears away, Eri walked towards him and asked, "What are you doing here scarface?"

"My job." Max simply answered.

Eri chuckled. "You work here? I didn't know you were a doctor."

Max grunted. "You know how I work: to be the eyes, ears, and fists for others who are willing to pay. To tell you the truth, our "job" was to rough up your fiancé as a "parting gift" but it turns out we don't have to do that anymore seeing that he's in the hospital and all - as if we were going to do whatever he says in the first place. Shawn pretty much fired all of us after he learned that I helped you out that one time. Either way, this is our last day on the job."

Eri was surprised by his admission. She remembered how Max practically leaked Shawn's menu so she could use it against him but it never occurred to her that doing so would put him at risk.

"He fired all of you? You have a pretty crappy boss if all of you are getting fired for the wrongdoing of a single man."

"Not much of a choice if that's what we're only good for. And I doubt anyone would be willing to hire us with that kind of background."

Eri sighed. "Tsk. Go ask Nakamura for a job. Perhaps he has some vacancies in his staff. You can do that kind of job, right? Tell him I sent you and you won't have any problems." As valuable as Nakamura was to the Sawachikas, he wasn't getting any younger and it was the butler's idea in the first place to train someone who would replace him when the time comes. Even a former soldier-turned-butler would want to retire someday and Eri couldn't deny him of that for all he has done for her family. As the up and coming head of the family, Eri had to accept she needed to plan for the future – even replacing those she deemed currently indispensable.

Max was surprised by Eri's offer. "You're sure, halfie?"

"Yes, I'm sure so go to him before I change my mind. And stop calling me halfie, scarface." Eri walked away in irritation.

Max smirked. "…As you wish, princess." Eri momentarily paused and then continued walking. She could tell she'd probably regret this decision for the rest of her life.

x-x-x

After Eri left the room, there was a momentary silence. Yakumo sat back in her seat in an almost mechanical manner. Her lunch was all over the floor after abruptly standing up to silence Eri earlier. Her hands were shaking as she began to clean up the mess she'd made. Another pair of hands joined hers and she looked up.

"It's okay, Yakumo," Sarah said, smiling gently. "I understand so you don't have to explain yourself."

Yakumo stared at Sarah and then broke into a cry. "I–I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself." Sarah gently hugged her friend.

"We all have something that makes us lose control of ourselves. It's what makes us human. It gives us reason to look out for each other. You stood up for the person you love and that does not necessarily make you a bad person."

Yakumo wiped her tears away. "Thank you, Sarah."

"It's okay." Sarah nodded. "Luckily we had almost finished our food or else we would have a real mess in our hands." Sarah stifled a laugh. Yakumo smiled a little, amazed how Sarah could lighten the mood so easily.

Once the mess was sorted out, Sarah took the box lunches. "I better get back to the restaurant. I won't return here later since the visiting hours' end late afternoon and that's when my shift ends."

"You've done more than enough Sarah. I'll be staying here for a while to check on Harima. See you back at home."

The two friends shared a brief hug and Sarah left. Alone with her thoughts, Yakumo still couldn't quite believe it. She had managed to stand up for herself to both people she was afraid of facing before. Granted, it wasn't how she had imagined it, in a hospital no less: doing all of this for the sake of the person she loved the most. Now she understood why Tenma would go to great lengths for Karasuma. Love could really move people and Yakumo wouldn't waste this chance: to tell him how she grew to love him and how much he meant to her. Apparently, Harima felt the same way but couldn't voice it out or even understand it himself. They were practically the same but finally, they would make it known to each other.

That night, Harima's things were brought back to the Tsukamoto's residence by two men who introduced themselves as Nakamura and Masaru working for the Sawachikas. Yakumo thanked them and both she and Sarah took the items to Harima's room. Sarah could tell that the Yakumo she knew was back. Her demeanor was more energetic instead of on auto-pilot. She was beaming again as if she was decorating for Christmas. Truly, love brings out the true beauty of women.

Yakumo opened one bag containing Harima's art utensils, his iconic fishbone pen, and his newly minted award. This was where it had all begun for the both of them. How a simple act of snooping would lead to something so life-changing. She could have initially refused to aid Harima with his manga. Her knowledge of manga was close to zero and someone like her couldn't just go to every person who asked for her help or advice. He was a complete stranger too and yet that single unexpected decision to work with him had opened a new path for her she'd never regret taking.

This whole project was for Harima to build enough courage to finally confess his feelings for Tenma but it ended up leading to another development. Yakumo couldn't help but think it was for the two of them to meet and get to know each other.

How a simple offer of help could change her life so.

Yakumo put Harima's leather jacket in the closet, an article of clothing that he seemed to have grown out of. It was one of his trademarks, but it had made him appear tough and intimidating when he was a kind and good-hearted person underneath. Next was his school jacket with the stitching around the name tag she remembered fixing. That was the point when her sister and her friends thought she was dating Harima. Eri had started becoming hostile towards her so it was also the first hint where she thought Eri liked Harima. The initial stitching was very rough and Yakumo saw that Eri had bandages on her fingers suggesting she might have done it.

Perhaps it was a subtle foreshadowing that Eri might have been the first to begin mending Harima's heart but it was Yakumo who would eventually fix it. She may be reading too much into it but she's been involved in creating manga for a while now so little details like that didn't escape her notice.

Sarah stretched her arms after finishing unpacking. "I hope we put Harima's things where they used to be. This is actually the first time I've been here. I never knew his room was this clean and tidy – another rare trait in a boy. Speaking of rooms, are you going to sleep in your room Yakumo? I won't blame you if want to sleep in here tonight."

Yakumo blushed. "I'll sleep in my room. I'm just glad that Harima is going to be living with us again."

"Oh, one more thing. Why didn't you tell me that Harima texted you to say he was coming to get his things?"

"I'm sorry Sarah. I just thought you wouldn't have agreed to it if I told you."

"Of course I wouldn't agree with it! If I were you, I would have kept his things as payment for him staying here. But I guess it'll only make things worse… so I understand why you did it. I can only imagine what you were feeling when you were packing this up all by yourself."

Yakumo sighed. She had had to pent up her emotions to even do that and it resulted in her reverting to her old cold self. She'd shed so many tears that day Harima finally arrived to take his things, she couldn't cry anymore.

"But the most important thing is what we do from now on," Sarah continued. "I don't think I have to intrude for a third time on what you should do, do I? You can do it Yakumo. I believe in you."

"Thank you, Sarah. I'm really glad I have you as a friend." Yakumo replied. The two girls left the room and Yakumo hoped the next time she would be here she'd be working on their manga again. And perhaps, not just as a co-author but something she had longed waited to be.

x-x-x

The next day, Yakumo woke up early to visit the hospital. Sarah had Sunday service to attend to and she would pray for Harima's recovery. The nun would visit the hospital once the Sunday activities were over. They temporarily parted ways as Yakumo headed for the hospital.

On the way there, Yakumo was imagining that perhaps she would see Harima already awake. Even if she had readied herself, she still wasn't sure what to say first. It occurred to her that she should have brought some flowers but since she was already close to the hospital, she decided not to buy any. She did bring some fruits and snacks in case Harima was hungry or if she ended up staying longer. As she had learned, it was best to attend to basic needs first before tackling pressing issues at hand. Ironically, she learned it from Harima when he was taking care of her. It was now her turn to take care of him when he needed it most.

The reception informed Yakumo that Harima hadn't woken up yet but his vitals were steady and he could regain consciousness any time now. Yakumo went up to his room and sure enough, Harima was still asleep. She settled her things on the bedside table and sat on a chair. It was Sunday, the day they were supposed to be together, going to places to help them rest after a long week. And yet, here they were, in a hospital after a week she hadn't seen him.

Yakumo continued to stare at Harima, wishing that she could read his mind again but a specific memory came to mind. She had read his mind that one time but it was incomplete. She often wondered how it had happened. They were making a manga story about him and Tenma as usual, but it came to a point that they started rehearsing the characters' lines. It was then that Yakumo saw Harima's thoughts. The more she thought about it, the more she felt she understood what had happened. They were rehearsing lines, with Yakumo acting like her older sister while Harima acted as himself. It was clear now. Harima got too into it and simply mistook her for someone else, and that somehow allowed her to peek into his mind. Aside from that one loophole, she simply couldn't read his mind. This "mental dissonance" she concluded before wasn't the reason why she couldn't do it.

How about yesterday? Had he mistaken her for someone else again and that's why she had read his mind? He wasn't in good shape to think straight and perhaps he was just hallucinating before he stopped breathing. People at the end of their rope tend to do that, trying hard to find closure before they finally pass away.

Yakumo didn't want to rationally dismiss it this time as she had done multiple times before. She actually didn't have a good night's sleep as she kept thinking about Harima's condition and just wanted tomorrow to arrive. Even if she was sure he would return, his presence was what she longed for. But the thought that she might be right, that Harima simply mistook her again for someone else kept bugging her and kept her awake last night. Excitement, worry, and concern fueled her to move but now that she was beside him and comforted by his presence, she was feeling tired; mentally, physically, and emotionally. Her head lulled and soon enough she fell asleep.

x-x-x

"Sarah, what are you doing?"

"Listen to me, I know in my heart you picked Harima's dish. But you changed your mind because the majority picked Eri's maid, thinking it would be obvious if you're the only one who voted for him. Am I right?"

Sarah turned her around and began to push her. "Now, now, just be a good girl and trust me. We don't want to let your date wait any longer, do we?"

She started walking forward, not wanting to delay even further. But the more she walked, the farther away the door seemed to get from her. To her left and right, she could see scenes playing out of the times they were together, including that incomplete confession she made. The time he had misunderstood her when he asked her to be a co-author. That despite all the attempts her friend had made to get them closer together, he still couldn't see her as more than a friend.

She stopped walking, eyes downcast. Perhaps nothing much had changed. Perhaps he only saw her as someone valuable to his manga. He couldn't antagonize the younger sister of the girl he really loved and that was why he came back to salvage whatever relationship they had. She was simply a co-author and the younger sister in his eyes. Nothing more. Nothing less.

As she was contemplating, she felt someone pat her on the back and she turned around.

"You can do it Yakumo. I believe in you." It was Sarah smiling at her.

"We've done way too much for you to give up now!" Miki exclaimed.

"And for the first time, I have to agree with Miki." Satsuki seconded.

"We're counting on you Yakumo," Haruna said.

It was her friends who had been cheering for her all this time. Others also appeared to her surprise.

"Didn't I say not to waste this chance?" Eri said, her arms crossed. "Don't make me say it a second time."

"Yeah, if you can face Hanai, you can pretty much face anyone else," Mikoto said.

Akira nodded and it seemed that one simple gesture was all she needed to get her point across.

"You're my bravest younger sister!" Tenma proudly exclaimed. "I also want you to be happy so please follow your heart, as I did with mine."

She looked at the people dear to her who helped her along the way. The strength she needed was all around her. They were never truly gone as long as she cherished them in her heart.

'And then one day, among those people you cherish, someone will make you smile just as I do.'

She continued walking towards the door and now it got much closer with every step she took. Turning the doorknob and opening the door, she saw him sitting on the floor, hunched over as if he was about to fall asleep. The art utensils were all prepared atop the small table. Rough sketches had been piled up, to be polished up later, and then inked. It felt like such a long time ago since she'd done this as she sat from across him. He looked so peaceful, so serene that his silence was comforting to her.

His eyes that had formerly always been hidden behind sunglasses, opened. She was about to greet him when he yelped in surprise and fell backward. Guilt and hurt quickly overcame her, thinking she might be unwelcome to this sanctuary after all. She bowed low, wanting to just disappear… but then felt a hand touch hers.

It was rough, and yet gentle enough to draw pieces of art.

Big and strong, but warm enough to make her feel safe and secure.

This sensation.

This…

…wasn't a dream.

She slowly opened her eyes and saw a hand clutching her hands settled on her lap. She looked up and was greeted with the smile and words she had longed to see and hear.

"Good morning… Yakumo."

Author's Corner: This chapter is shorter than usual so I hope it's still easy to follow. I would like to give my appreciation to my beta reader Sumodog who is always gracious enough to proofread my story, especially in these trying times.

The next chapter would be the last so hopefully, I can finish it this year! It should be over long ago but it's better late than never! Thanks for the continued support as always! I hope every one stays safe! 2020 is nearly over so just hang in there!