Hey guys. Sorry this chapter isn't very long. Hope you like it. I'll see you next week!
Yuya is the one to think of checking the beach. It's the only place they haven't looked. They want to check everywhere they can think of before calling the police.
He's the one to find her.
She's curled up on the sand, asleep, in the most secluded and hidden area at the beach. The bruise on her eye looks pretty bad. Her expression is pained and she doesn't look at all comfortable.
Yuya: Found her. She was at the beach.
He texts the entire search party.
Yuya: Taking her to my house.
Is what he texts Shuzo.
His house is a lot closer. It'll be easier to carry her there.
"Oh thank heavens you found her." Yoko has tears in her eyes. "Take her to the guest room. Cover her up. I'll get some ice for that eye."
Yoko doesn't even question how Yuzu got the black eye. She doesn't seem to care now that she knows Yuzu is safe.
Yuya failed to mention the fight.
He lays her down in the guest room and covers her up. Yoko enters soon after with ice wrapped in a towel. "Here." She hands it to Yuya. "Be gentle. Try not to wake her." She whispers. "Did you call her father?"
Yuya nods. "He knows she's here. He'll probably be here soon." Yuya whispers his response. He then focuses on carefully placing the ice on Yuzu's worsening black eye. The young girl shifts when the cold towel touches her face but doesn't move.
"Stay with her, Yuya." Yoko leaves when the doorbell rings.
"You had us really worried, Yuzu." Yuya says quietly to the sound asleep girl.
"I really thought you just went home. Crazy of me, it's like I don't know my best friend." He laughs quietly. "I should have known you wouldn't go home. At least not until you cooled off.
"Yuzu. You can't keep doing this. I was so worried about you. Worried that something would happen to you again. It's the worst feeling in the world not knowing if you're okay. Please, please, Yuzu. Let me be there for you. Don't run away." He has tears in his eyes by the end. "I know I can help. So please, don't run away again. Run to your friends and family. We love you, Yuzu. I… I love you. I'd hate for you to be in anymore pain. You don't have to suffer alone."
He takes Yuzu's hand.
She'll keep the fact that she was awake for that last part a secret for now.
"A fight?" Shuzo is extremely confused.
"This guy was saying some pretty nasty stuff. He was calling… He kept calling her names. Both me and Gongenzaka told him to leave her alone. He kept pushing and, to be honest… It really looked like something had snapped. I guess it got to her because she just lost it." Yuya explains to Shuzo and Yoko.
Shuzo just can't believe it.
"She's always had a weird temper, but this still seemed like it was from out of nowhere." Yuya comments.
"So that's how she got the black eye? This boy hit her?" Shuzo asks.
"Yeah but believe me, she roughed him up a lot worse." Yuya answers truthfully. "He was trying to get away, I don't think he wasn't trying to hurt her."
Shuzo sighs deeply and massages his temples. The stress he's dealt with in these past several weeks has wreaked havoc on his body. He's lost almost 15 pounds since her hospital visit. His hair is falling out. His stomach is always in knots, and Shuzo swears there's something wrong with his lungs. He can't breathe or eat or sleep or work because his little girl is still suffering. She's suffering and he can't help her no matter what he tries.
Shuzo breaks down in tears.
"Yuya, go sit with her for a while." Yoko tells her son. ""Go on." She says as she places a comforting hand on Shuzo's shoulder.
Yuzu is sitting up when Yuya opens the door. She has a massive headache and was about to get up to search for something to take for the pain.
"Y-Yuya? How'd I end up here?" She brings a hand to her head, which is pounding.
The boy doesn't answer. Instead he runs to her and wraps his arms around her slim figure.
The hug catches her off guard and she stifles a scream when he touches her. He can feel her tensing up but holds on when she relaxes soon after.
He says nothing. He just sits there with his arms around her. When he finally pulls away, there are tears in his eyes. He stays next to her on the bed but refuses to make eye contact.
"Yuya? Is… Is everything okay?"
"No…" Yuya sounds shaken. "Everything's not okay."
"What's wrong?" Yuzu asks.
"I want to be mad at you, Yuzu. But I can't do it." Yuya admits, his voice laced with guilt and sadness. "All we've done is constantly worry about you. It's making us-" he takes a deep breath. "It's making me go crazy inside. And the worst part is… I know this isn't your fault. I know that." Yuya confesses. "But I can't help but feel just a little upset, and hurt that you won't let any of us help you."
"That's not true." Yuzu mumbles. "That's just not true."
"What do you mean?" Yuya wipes his tears.
"You're always there when I need you. You make me feel warm again, Yuya. The cold goes away because of you. Your mom helped me through all my nightmares, and both she and my dad made sure I didn't starve to death. I am accepting help. I… I'm just not 100% better like I thought I'd be by now. Time has passed and I do feel better… But I still don't feel like- like me, do you know what I mean?"
"Yeah…" Yuya answers slowly. "I do."
"I know I'm not giving everyone an easy time. And believe me, no one feels worse about it than I do. Just trust me when I say that i'm not trying to run away from you. I know you and Obasan and Otosan are all worried like crazy and… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I wish none of you knew. I wish things could go back to the way they were before all of this happened." Yuzu cries. She feels so much- too much right now. She's angry and sad and guilty and even a little worried- for her father.
"Don't you apologize." Yuya starts. "You can't control how you feel anymore than we can control our own emotions. If I was going through a rough time, you'd smack me for apologizing. We're here for you because we care about you, Yuzu. Not because we think it's a burden or a chore."
"Guess I'm not too used to being on the receiving end." Yuzu shrugs.
"Actually… Yeah that's pretty accurate. It's always been me getting into some kind of trouble and feeling down sometimes. You were always there to listen, or give advice, or a good whack on the head if I needed it."
"I regret none of those."
"Hey, no arguments here." Yuya laughs. "I know this isn't what you're used to, and trust me, I'm not either. But in a way, I like this set up. Now is my chance to see if I can be the kind of supportive friend you've always been for me. You never gave up on me, and I don't plan on leaving you hanging either."
She's the one to hug him this time.
"I'm sorry for scaring everyone today. Thanks for sticking by me through all this." Her voice is quiet.
"Just try not to beat up anymore people." He hugs her back.
"I make no promises."
They share a laugh.
Yuya really wants to know what it is that upset her so bad. Was it that last question that the boy asked? Was Yuzu just overwhelmed by the whole situation? Yuya knows he can't ask. Everyone wants to put this behind them.
"Hey, where do you guys keep the headache stuff again?" Yuzu breaks the short silence. "He landed some solid punches."
"Here, I'll get you something."
"Thanks, Yuya." She sounds somewhat embarrassed.
"Hey, no big deal right?"
"I guess. I also meant thanks… For not asking about earlier. I know you were thinking about it. I really can't explain it to you, at least not now, but I don't want you to worry, okay?"
"Okay." He has to trust her. It can't just go one way. "Can I ask one thing?"
Yuzu frowns. "Depends." her eyes narrow as she turns to look at him.
"When I… How come you… Wow I have no idea how to word this." Yuya laughs nervously at his inability to form a sentence. "I was just wondering why you pulled me back?" It doesn't make sense to his own ears. But he and Yuzu have always been able to understand each other no matter how little sense they made.
And she does understand.
"Because you're not like me." Yuzu shakes her head. "You're a good person. I wasn't about to let you stoop down to my level."
"Yuzu, don't say that."
"It's true! You're just so… Good, Yuya. You're innocent. And I don't mean like a baby or a little kid. I'm not trying to make fun of you." Yuzu reminds him. Now it's her turn to attempt to get her point across with words. She feels like she's doing a terrible job. "Great now I don't know how to talk anymore." Yuzu huffs. "I just thought that getting you involved in that nonsense was a mistake. The Yuya I know doesn't start fights. He's always calm and peaceful and smiling."
"That's nice and all, but just hearing everything he was saying to you. Calling you those names. It just made my blood boil."
"I know, Yuya. I could tell. I hardly ever see you upset and I've known you forever." Yuzu takes a deep breath. "But still… I didn't want you getting involved in that mess."
"He was talking to me and Gongenzaka too, Yuzu. This wasn't just just directed at you." Yuya points out, his eyes staring at his lap. "When he suggested that either of us would ever do any of the things he mentioned to you, our best friend… I swear, Yuzu. I wanted to kill him."
"I know, Yuya. You guys are such good friends because you really care about me and you just wanted to protect me. But no way am I going to let some loser get you expelled. I'll never let you stick your neck out like that." Yuzu is pretty sure that due to her 'situation', she won't be punished as severely as any other student. She wasn't thinking about that at the time, obviously, but is glad that she had something to fall back on. The school is still on her side.
"I guess." Yuya shrugs, unsure what else to say. Instead, he just stands.
"I'll be back with your painkillers, and probably some food too." He smiles.
"I guess…" Yuzu rolls her eyes. She may as well try to eat something.
"Thanks, Yuya."
A/N: So some of you are saying you think this should be rated M. I'm not really used to publishing stuff and ratings and all that. I know that my stuff isn't all that graphic. Adult-ish themes but still like... not that graphic. I've read some pretty heavy stuff that was rated T, but meh. Learning curve. That all being said, I might change the rating. It does get a little heavy later on, but not for a few more chapters.