Here you go. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 4
That night, Fuji finally agreed to be in the hospital and receive stem cell transplant. However, Fuji's condition was getting worse, so he is staying their until his second surgery will be performed, which is the bone marrow transplant. And it's been almost 2 years since then.
He actually laughed at himself a month a month after that incident. He said he wanted to distance himself, but he contacted them. Hypocrite, was all Fuji could think of himself that time. He just can't stop contacting them, and even though they did not respond, at least he still has something he can hold on to.
He put the bag down and sat on the shed where he's been waiting the past 4 days. Like the usual, he messaged them that he already arrived. He arranged the dishes on the table, and he put the box on his lap.
Today, there are not much people since it's been slowly getting cold. Fuji clutched his double-layered coat and waited.
...
'Is that child waiting for his friends again?', the old lady thought.
For the past days, she has been observing Fuji. He would notice the fragile-looking man take out his dishes and arrange them, then after 2 hours, put them back on the bag without even eating a single dish.
The old lady slowly approached Fuji and sat in front of him.
"G-good evening, ma'am", Fuji greeted, surprised when she suddenly sat down in front of him.
"Hmmn. I see now child that you have been waiting for someone or your friends but didn't show up, right?"
"Ma'am, have you been observing me?", Fuji asked, suspicious of the old lady for knowing what he is doing.
"You've caught my eye the first time. You actually have a condition right?", the old lady asked again.
Fuji was taken aback.
'H-how did she know?', he thought.
"Child, I can tell you are hurting from the way your expression is looking. If you want, I can be your company while you wait", she offered and smiled.
Fuji was hesitant at first. She don't know who this old lady is, but he don't want to be alone, especially tonight. So he decided to just talk with her, albeit he didn't tell her about his condition. Just what his been feeling that night.
'His definitely breaking...', the old lady thought while she observed Fuji talk about how awesome his friends and what they did when they were still in school. 'Both physically... and emotionally', she noticed how Fuji's voice tremble from time to time whenever he talks about them.
Suddenly, the old lady's eye grew wide when blood dripped from Fuji's nose.
"C-child..", the old lady called. "Your nose", she added.
Fuji reached out and saw blood on his fingers. He immediately searched for the tissue he always bring with him and wiped the blood away.
"That was unsightly of me", Fuji said and smiled awkwardly.
However, Fuji suddenly feel pain creeping in his body. Starting from his joints, then spread entirely.
He immediately fell on the floor when the pain grew, clutching his arms tightly. He gritted his teeth and bit his lips to prevent his shout of cry. The old lady who was surprised, snapped out of it and immediately ran towards him.
"Child? Child?! Do you have any medicine?! Shh now now. Stay with me child", the old lady said while putting Fuji on her lap.
She can't afford to let this blue eyed beauty lost consciousness. They are in the hill, and the people already left an hour ago.
"-one"
"What is it child?", she asked while looking through Fuji's bag.
"Phone mnghh.. Yuuta", Fuji said and clenched his knees close to him even more.
The old lady then carefully laid Fuji on the floor and stood up to find his phone. When he spotted it, he opened the phone and stopped for a moment.
'This must be those precious friends he is talking about', she thought while looking at the phone wallpaper. It also did not pass by her sight spotting Fuji and a tall man looking at each other.
The old lady immediately went to contact and looked through it. When he saw the name Yuuta, she immediately called it and went back to Fuji.
[Aniki? What-]
{Hello? Is this Yuuta-kun?}, the old lady asked.
[Huh? Yeah this is him. Who are you and why is aniki's phone with-]
{There's no time! Come here immediately! Your brother must be brought to the hos-}
Toot toot toot
The call suddenly cut off.
"Tsk!", she mused and move her attention to Fuji, who is now shouting.
"Ahhh! Pleassee! Stop it! It, it hurts!", Fuji shouted, not having the strength to hold his voice anymore.
The old lady couldn't do anything but to continue caressing Fuji, trying to take away the pain even for a little bit. She already give Fuji his medication, and she is old.
She was about to leave and find a taxi when he heard someone shouting.
"Aniki!"
"Syusuke!"
"Over here!", she shouted and raised her hands for them to see.
"Aniki!", Yuuta ran and immediately carried Fuji out of there.
"Ma'am we're very sorry about this. We will come back and pay you, but can you please bring all of his things to this hospital? We don't have time, Syusuke needs to be there right now", Yumiko said, immediately writing down the hospital address.
"Okay. Please take care", the old lady said, worried of the young man.
"Thank you very much", Yumiko bowed and then ran and followed Yuuta.
...
"He is stable, for now. But we need to conduct the surgery immediately. Preferably, by the end of January next year", the doctor said.
"Doctor, can this really save our son?", Fuji's mother, Yoshiko, asked, clutching the arms of her husband.
"Mrs. Fuji, I cannot say this will guaranty the total cure of Fuji-kun's condition. However, if the operation is successful, we can assure you that his life will be extended, probably, 3-4 years", the doctor informed.
"3.. 3-4 years? No! What if the operation is not successful?! What will happen?! MY son is so precious we don't just need an extra 3-4 years of his life! No! Please doctor, you need to cure him", she said, feeling the surge of emotion overwhelming her.
Fuji's father just silently held his wife's arms as she cried on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Mrs. Fuji, Mr. Fuji. We will do our very best to save your son. This, I assure you", the doctor said before he left.
After Yoshiko calmed down, both her and her husband went inside the room.
"Kaa-san, what did the doctor tell you?", Yuuta asked instantly.
"It's nothing my son. It's just about the schedule of your aniki's operation", their father answered.
"When's it gonna be?", Yumiko asked this time, caressing Fuji's hair carefully.
"They suggested it must be before February"
"Fe-february? But tou-san, is it enough time? We still haven't found a bone marrow donor", Yumiko responded, trying to suppress the panic that is slowly creeping out in her body.
"We can find a donor... Ya. We will find one. We still have almost 2 months to prepare", their father declared. He had already planted his resolve, and that is to not lose any of his children for as long as he lives.
"Don't worry, Yuuta, Yumiko. Syusuke is strong. He will be cured", Yoshiko said and went to their grocery to get food for dinner.
...
Fuji watched as snow continue to fall outside the window. January has already arrived. And since that night with the old lady, he haven't been outside his hospital room. When Fuji woke up the next day, the old woman arrived and gave them his belongings.
At first, the old lady asked them, saying about how can they trust her immediately with Fuji's things, but Fuji knew he can trust the old lady. After that, she left and hoped for Fuji's full recovery.
"—ji? Fuji Syusuke?"
When Fuji heard his name, he instantly looked at the door and was surprised.