Hello and let me introduce you to chapter 2! I'm glad you guys liked my story so far!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything that Maki Murakami owns... grrrr.

Chapter 2:

I woke up from the sound of a heart monitor beeping constantly, stable and consistent with each beep. My eyes slowly opened as I was looking directly at a bland ceiling. Am I still alive?

Slowly and carefully I lifted myself up from the bed. White washed walls covered every inch, as the strong smell of disinfectant roamed around in the small room. When I caught a whiff of that smell I coughed. Hospitals might just be the killer instead of the savior.

"Why am I here?" I asked myself. I felt terrible, like after coming home from a huge party and getting a massive hangover. Yeah, thats how I felt at the moment. With one giant headache, and sore limbs to boot. Just want exactly did happen?

"Ow..." I winced as I felt a stinging jab at my legs. They felt broken and useless to me, that I wouldn't be surprised if they already casted it. When I pulled the covers away from my legs, I found that they were not in a cast. At least not yet.

Actually I'm hoping that I don't get a cast.

They get all itchy and irritating.

My eyes wandered around the plain room until it hit a window. At the angle I was looking at it, it was almost the perfect view. The emerald tree was nicely aligned with the window, that you didn't have to cock your head to the side to see beyond it. Truly magnificent gardening.

I kept staring out the window until I heard the door creak open, and by the doorway was my sister.

"Tatsuha!" She dropped her purse by the door and ran over towards me, enveloping me in a hug. I gasped as she held me so tight that I thought my newfound bruises were going to be bruised.

"Ow.. Mika... Ow!" Finally she stopped, and took a step backwards giving me a breather. Boy, am I glad.

But wait... What happened?

"Mika, why am I here?" I questioned. I watched her as she pulled up a plastic chair and sat down next to me. She looked at me and just continued to stare until I saw a glimmer slide down her cheek.

My sister is crying. No fucking way, the world is ending.

"Tatsuha, you almost got yourself killed." I watched as my sister buried her face into her hands, mascara streaking down along her face. I couldn't help but put and hand on her back. I think this is how mother would comfort us if we started crying, actually I don't really know. Is it soothing?

I looked up at the ceiling. Really mother, how am I suppose to make Mika stop crying? My sophisticated, intelligent sister is now bawling all over me.

Why?

Only Buddha knows.

"At least I'm still alive, ain't I?" I tossed on a face covering smile and waited for her reaction. Her hand grabbed the edge of my blanket as she started to wipe her face with it. Little black smudges adorned the blanket as my sister continued to rub her face along the cotton fibers of this hospital sheet.

She stopped and looked back up at me, the remainder of the mascara still beneath her eyes. "What would of happened if you didn't?"

"Easy, the shrine won't have a successor and we'll all live happily." I shot over towards the sound of the voice and watched my brother enter the room.

"Eiri! Your brother doesn't need any more insults from you, so please be quiet!"

"No Mika, he's right." I gripped the white sheets tightly in my hands and stared down at my knuckles. Was that really all that I was good for? Being the successor of my fathers shrine? Did nobody care what I wanted? What I needed?

"Tatsuha you dumb ass, why'd you go and get yourself hit by a car?"

A car... so thats what it was. Maybe that explains all these aches and pains I've been getting all around my body.

But what drove me to get hit by a car?

I cringed faintly.

My chest hurt.

"I don't know..." whispering, I shut my eyes tightly. Why did my chest throb so uncontrollably?

"TATSUHA!" A shot of pink zoomed past the door.

Eiri sighed, "Idiot..."

"TATSUHA!" The mass of pink came back to the open door, bursting through. I think the pounding has stopped.

"Shuichi, didn't I tell you to be quiet?" Eiri swiftly took out a cigarette and lighted it with it between his fingers. I would of asked him to pass me one, but Mika would have a fit and take it away from me.

"But Yuki, Tatsuha's in trouble!"

"Shut up!" I watched as Shuichi obediently obeyed my brother. Amazing how he can actually put up with my aniki, or maybe its the other way around. Didn't I tell you that staring was rude? Well thats what everybody's doing now.

Then Tohma just had to enter the scene. I think he just made things even worse for me. I mean, the way he walks, his fluffy coat, and that damn black hat he always wears, whats not to hate about him?

"The doctor says you'll be able to be discharged from here tomorrow," He made his way around my sister and brother into the front. Right in front of me. Like my day wasn't already awful, he just had to come in and make things worse. My sore body can only take so much. Why did Mika marry him again? Oh yeah, he's filthy rich.

"What do you want Tohma?" He turned around and whispered quietly into my sisters ear. I watched as she got up and grabbed Eiri my his arm and dragged him and Shuichi out of the room. Silently the door was shut, and all that I could hear was the heart monitor once again, its slow and steady beep ring through my ears.

"Tatsuha, I heard you came in contact with Ryuichi before the accident. Do you remember what you two did?" I blinked twice.

"No. I don't," I dropped my head down again looking down at the sheets. A little paper bracelet was wrapped around my wrist, as well as a IV needle that was stuck up my arm. I thought the needle was kinda cool, at least I couldn't feel it.

"Tatsuha, are you lying to me?" The way he stared at me made me feel even more guilty for what happened to myself. I don't know how, but it did. His gaze seemed to pierced into my mind almost as if he already knew the answer himself, but I didn't.

I didn't know anything.

"No. I truly can't recall anything." I tore away from Tohma's eyes and turned my head towards the window. If Tohma won't go away, then I'll ignore him till he does.

"Ryuichi told me he met you at a small ramen shop that day." Gasping, I turned back over to Tohma. I met Ryuichi. I met THE Sakuma Ryuichi, and I don't have any memory of how I even got to meet him at. Well... Tohma did say I met him at a ramen shop. What the hell, a ramen shop?

"After he saved you, he was attacked," Tohma brought his hand up to his forehead and began to massage his temples delicately. "They said were looking for you Tatsuha..."

"He was attacked? I won't let anybody get close to him again! I promise, I'll be his body guard for life, with no pay necessary!" I shouted, then recognized Tohma's smile in an instant. Once of those smiles where you think its genuine, but when you look up closely, you can see all of the loathsome despise, and hate he holds in it.

"Thats the problem Tatsuha. I want you to stay away from him now."

I drew back and sank into the pillow that was behind me.

"Stay back, as far as possible from him as you can." I could hear all of his distaste for me in his voice. Everything, everything that I lived for, Tohma told me to back off.

"But..."

"This is nothing to be joking of, I do want him to be safe. Tatsuha, I care for you too as you are Eiri's brother, and Mika's too--"

Oh god... I think I'm going to snap.

I couldn't clench my teeth forever, and suddenly I just burst out, "Shut up Tohma! Are you saying that I'm suppose to ignore my idol, my GOD now? I don't live for anything else, don't you see?" My bursting outrage lead to a thundering commotion outside the door in the hallway. I could almost cry, but crying was a sign of weakness and I wouldn't show that, no, not in front of Tohma. I refuse to lose to him.

Tohma only sees me as Eiri's brother.

He only sees me as Mika's brother.

Brother, brother, brother, I hate it!

"Tatsuha, are you ok?" The door flung open as I bit my lip. I watched the blond president make his way out of the door from the corner of my eye, turning back at me when he reached the opening.

"Stay back, ok?" Again, he flashed me one of his smiles. Then he left, into the hallway fading away as he grew smaller and smaller, until he was out of my sight. Now only Shuichi waited by the door.

I wanted to throw up now. Strangle him, and snap his neck if I could, but Mika won't allow it. Eiri won't allow it. I won't allow myself to do it either.

That would just be admitting I've been defeated again.

"Hey, what was that all about?" His feet tapped against the cold white looking tiles as he made his way towards me, slow and steady steps, slightly echoing. He looked so much like him. So much like Ryuichi. Ha, I should stop acting like I know him.

Sakuma-san.

I think those chest pains are starting to come back.

"Tatsuha are you ok?"

My head hung low, as my now trembling hands found their way to my face, gently covering them.

"I'm fine..."

I could feel salty tears start to cascade down from my eyes, leaving behind the burning sensation as they trailed down my cheeks.

"Just fine."

Its the end of chapter 2! What do you guys think? My writing is getting kinda sloppy, must be because I'm sleepy... haha. Sleeep...

Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be up... soon? I don't know. Haha. Sorry.

(Oh and a happy spring break for me!... Too bad I won't be going anywhere...)

Bye!