The headline news displayed the event with bold, black font:

"Truck with broken brake run loose through the pedestrian crossing during the red light moment, one young man critically injured and the ambulance rush him in to the nearest hospital."

The image, the splatter of blood, everything still so clear in my head...

And his smile...

Why...

...Why?

I clutched my head, shutting myself in my own mind as my body await in the waiting room, on the corridor of the hospital, ignoring every and any that I heard or see.

"Yuu..."

I keep on calling for his name, fully knowing that I'll never hear a response... Not now, at least...

Have hope, Ashera... Pray for him, believe that he'll survive...

Believe...

...Pray...

The world silenced, my mind completely blocks anything, and the murmur, the cacophony, soon end, as everything fade to black.

It seems that I fall asleep, or my mind wander somewhere...

"Ashera?"

"Ashera, hey. Can you hear me?"

...Who...?

Is it you, Yuu?

Is it...

My mind drift back to the real world, my consciousness returned and my hazy, blurry vision slowly opened. But what I see is not what I wished to see...

A black hair reminiscent of him, but it is not him. It's his adoptive father, Guren. Beside him, his wife, Mahiru, and her little sister, Shinoa, are looking me with troubled eyes. Clearly they're worried.

"Ashera, are you okay? You're there, right?" Mahiru asked first, and I just nod weakly, averting my eyes, trying not to recall the scene again.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened, Ashera. Look, I'm sure that stupid Yuu is just being stupid again." Guren is sighing, as careless as ever, but his voice and expression shows that he's thinking about Yuu as well. I'm sure he didn't meant a harm.

"It's... Well... I don't know, Guren... I was there, and I could have saved him... But he... He choose to get hit in my place..." I can't bear the emotions as the words slipped, my eyes shut tight, trying not to sob or cry over this, but the pain... I... can't keep on...

Mahiru and Guren sit beside me, stroking my shoulder in comforting manner. Shinoa try to smile even in time like this, trying to keep it optimistic.

"Don't worry, Ashera... Yuu is strong, you know that. He'll get back in days and in no time, he'll be the obnoxious sunshine like how he always be! Like, he, always, be~" The highschool girl speak in lighthearted tone, sending smile to Guren and Mahiru, but not me. I remain frowned, looking down to another side.

I can't ease this aching feeling... As if... As if something terrible happened, and as if... I'm going to lose him forever...

My body... shaking in the fear...

I don't... I don't want to lose him...

Yuu... Yuu...

I sobbed, but I try to keep it quiet, holding my face with both hands, head leaning down, not caring for my hair that scatter to the floor.

What if...

What...

...

Then, footstep heard.

"Mr. Guren Ichinose?" The nurse called, and I look at her with weary eyes. I hope that she's coming for a good news.

"You can check the patient now. May I show the room?"

And so, we do as she said, and the doctor been waiting. I couldn't listen to what they're talking about, my mind is too clouded to swallow anything, and there's only one thing in my mind right now.

After what seems to be eternity, we're allowed to open the door. In the room of white, the curtain flutter gently, and the man that I've been looking for is sleeping soundly with bandage on his arms and head.

"Yuu!" I couldn't contain myself and hurried to his side, kneeling down beside the bed, my frail arms holding on to his cold arms, holding them together in tears.

"Sheesh, all the fuss for just these kind of light wounds." Guren smiled and shaking his head, Mahiru and Shinoa too seems to be relived.

I try to smile and keep holding on to his arms, as if I'm going to loose him the moment I let him go.

"Mhmm..."

...!

He's waking up!

As if he's just waking up from a painfully long sleep, he groaned, trying to move his body, and his eyes soon opened. Smiled rose from my lips and my eyes brighten as he look on to me.

"Yuu! I'm so glad you're alright!" I hold on to his arm with sheer happiness, and I can't believe how glad I am that he's here again!

Nothing changed, he looks completely alright.

I'm so relieved... All of that bad feeling are nothing but negative thoughts, none of them are true...

"Hey, uhh..."

"Yeah?"

It looks like he's going to say something. I look up to him, keep on smiling, my hands still holding his hands tight.

Then, my whole world shattered by his words...

"Who are you?"

...

Wha...?

What did he...?

It... can't...

He's joking, right?

"Ah... Hahaha! Yuu, don't scare me like that! What are you..."

I tried to laugh it off, but there's no response from him.

He... He's... confused?

"Yuu?"

I clasped his hands, fear crawling all over my skin.

"Yuu...?" He repeat my words.

"Yes...?" I followed.

"Is that... My name?"

...

My face froze, petrified.

The grasp of my fingers loosened, the warmth that fills my body leaves me.

"Hey, hey... Cut off the cruel joke, Yuu!" Guren glare down at him, but there's no response. He's shaking his head softly.

"I really... Don't remember... Anything at all..."

...This...

This cannot be...

Yuu...

"Yuu, please... Tell me you're joking, right? You remember us, right? You remember ME, right?"

His eyes looking at me with painful sight, and he never looks so pitiful before. Never once in my life.

"I... I really don't... Sorry..."

...Oh god...

This time, my hands truly let go his hands, as my body lose its strength, as if my soul leaving from this vessel.

My chest pounding in burning heartache, and tears flowing down, warm, but there's no noise coming...

What... should I do now...?

I look toward my fingers, and clarity comes as the rings shine in my eyes.

With glimmer of little hope, I look to him, and his hands, hoping that it was there...

...But it's not...

His ring... It's gone...

Why...

How...

My grip slip from the world, the faint hope that linger in me slowly dimmed like a dying flame, and the cold despair replaced the light.

But...

I can't give up...

I must believe...

I will... Believe...

Carefully, with gentle touch, I hold on to his hand, looking at him with bitter smile, trying to suppress the tears.

"It... It's okay... Take your time, you'll remember everything later... Surely..."

I try to gather all that remains from my shattered heart, trying to reassure him with hope that someday, someday... He will remember everything...

And we will be together again...

He smiled back, and his pain eased. Then he smiled, with the same, bright, cheerful smile like what he always given to me, like what he always do.

"Thanks! So uhh, your name? I guess you're my friend, right?"

...Friend...

I guess... I can accept that...

I nod, trying to ignore the stinging pain in my chest, and smiled back.

"My name is Ashera, or just Asura is fine too. We're... yeah... Friends..."

It almost like I'm swallowing needless down to my throat as I said that...

But what important right now, is that he's all safe. The most important is to take care of him until he recover.

It... Hurts...

All the memories... Every moments that we made... Everything disintegrate, burned to ashes...

But I promise...

No, I SWEAR.

That one day, from these ashes, I'll rebuilt everything again, even if I need to trace back every single days, even if I need to replay all those days, if it could help me get him back again, to how he meant to be.

I can feel how Guren, Mahiru and Shinoa are as shocked as I am, but none of them dare to intervene between us.

And in this bittersweet tragedy, the least, the smallest of happiness that I can savor, is his warmth and smile, as I continue to hold his hands.