Chapter 19: Wind

"You heard every word, didn't you?" Hajime asked, staying stationary in his bed.

"What if I did?" Kagami replied arrogantly. "It's not like your words could make me forgive you for what had happened."

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I'm asking for another chance to redeem myself worthy."

"Aren't they the same? What are you talking about?"

"I've found my chance. After the semester, I'm going to America."

She wasn't surprised at all when she heard what he had said. It's as if she desired for him to leave her and her memory. Kagami stayed in bed, looking up at the ceiling of the ward. Eventually, she grabbed an apple from the table that separated their beds and peeled it with a peeler. Regardless of her cold shoulder towards Hajime, she still offered him half of the apple.

"The doctor said you need to eat." Kagami said and, blushing, handed over half an apple. "Apple…?"

"Sure, thanks." Hajime reached for the half an apple and ate it bite after bite.

"Don't get the wrong idea! You're Miyuki's cousin…and I don't want her to be sad."

"I haven't said anything but thanks. You're taking it too seriously."

"I can't rest easy because of what you and your sibling have done to me. Aren't siblings supposed to love and care for each other?"

"Just like you and Tsukasa-san…?"

"What does Tsukasa have to do with the both of us?"

"Nothing, I was only using the both of you as an example. See what anger does to you? It clouds your judgment."

Kagami blushed all the more. "S-S-Stop it, you're making me red."

"That's not my fault. Your emotions are acting on their will."

Because of their pointless and continuous quarrel, Miyuki eventually woke up rubbing her eyes. She saw her two best friends quarreling with each other. But it felt like it wasn't a serious quarrel at all. She giggled at them instead of stopping them. Kagami and Hajime both faced Miyuki who was now laughing rather than giggling.

"What's so funny?!" Both of them shouted.

"I'm sorry…but the fact that you two were able to talk to each other again…is pretty ironic." Miyuki laughed all the more.

Kagami and Hajime looked at each other one more time. Both of them were blushing when they looked into each other's eyes. They didn't know that a serious argument had turned into a lover's quarrel—something very cute and funny to look at like in the soap operas on TV. Immediately, they turned their heads away from each other.

0

It took only a matter of hours for silence to set in inside room 3177; where Kagami and Hajime were confined. Their meals came in timely despite the differences in their menus. Although Hajime still felt noxious after administering a vial of the secret medicine, his menu was typical meals served at home. In fact, the doctor prescribed him to eat as much as he could within 24 hours after administration otherwise the medicine could dig the grave for him. So his tray was more than he could've anticipated in a hospital. Kagami only had the usual in her tray but not as much as her roommate's tray. Hers included a bowl of steaming soup with mushrooms and croutons—not her everyday meal but for the sake of recovery it would have to do. Both of them avoided eye contact as much as possible as they ate what was served in the tray. The TV showed the town of Washimiya and its residents returning to their respective homes after a failed attempt for the floodwater to overflow into the suburbs. Thanks to the sandbags, they were able to stop the overflowing and gave time for the residents nearby to evacuate. Nevertheless, there will always be a new danger and this is just one of many of nature's atrocities.

Kagami couldn't stand the silence.

"What are you going to do there?"

"Where…?"

"In America…"

"My dad has a firm stationed in California. He's going to train me to manage his company."

"I see…and you're leaving after the semester."

"Right…"

"How long will you be gone?"

"Beats me…after what happened last Sunday, I don't have the guts to return to Japan anymore. I put the family name in shame. It felt like the only thing to restore my dignity was seppuku."

"What are you saying? Nobody does that these days."

"But it has been part of our culture."

"Look, if you're going to die, at least not now. Age yourself then do whatever you want with your life. You only have one life. You have to cherish it. Think about it."

"You're right, Kagami-san. I do have one life…and I've wasted it on pointless actions."

"You're so hopeless. Do I need to slap you again to straighten up your thinking?"

All of a sudden, Kagami saw a trickle coming out from Hajime's eyes. His body was trembling not because of the side effects of the medicine but rather of grief. His hands became clenched fists.

"Kagami-san…I…"

"Hey, what's the mat—"

"I LOVE YOU!"

Silence…and what he had been hiding for more than a decade had been finally released from its concealment. He wasn't able to say it in the past brought about by fear. Miyuki, hearing his three-word speech, accidentally cut herself with a peeler while peeling an apple. Hajime gasped and gasped until he caught his breath. It took a lot out of him—even his guts. But the most amazing reaction award favored Kagami. She too cried after hearing the words that strengthened the bond between two lovers.

"You idiot…!" She yelled. "That was supposed to be my line!"

TO BE CONCLUDED

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There is no remedy for love but to love more.

-Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862): Journal-

It has been a full year since he left Japan. Now he has returned to start anew. But a new girl will challenge Kagami in every aspect of her life. How will she react to the looming threat? Will her love for Hajime be still intact? Or will it be destroyed by this new character?

New Lucky Star Characters in the Story: Yutaka Kobayakawa, Iwasaki Minami, Hiyori Tamura, Patricia Martin, Hikage Miyakawa, and Hinata Miyakawa

New Fictional Characters in the Story: Yamamoto Yakumo and Eri Hidaka

Now, it's more than love. It's war.

"Kagami in the Rain 2: Desolation"

January 1, 2008; 12:00 AM GMT +8

Watch it as it happens.