Author's Note - *blows dust off of this story, then tag-teams with my Muse to drop-kick my writer's block into oblivion* =:3
Hi! =D
Sorry, it's been sooo long since I last updated this story...or any of my stories ^^;
Very happy to say now though, that my writer's block has taken a hike...at least long enough for me to actually write a new chap for this story~ =p
Hope you all enjoy this new chap! ^.^
Shizuru slowly came back to consciousness, and lightly stretched her back and neck muscles. She felt sore, and wondered briefly how long she'd been lying where she was. Then her mind instantly flashed to the reason why she was lying where she was, and her hands flew up towards her face. Lightly touching the area around her eyes, Shizuru felt a light cloth covering them that she now realized wrapped fully around her head.
The young chestnut-haired girl let out a deep sigh, and slowly lowered her hands back down to the bed. She didn't know if the operation had been a success or not. She could feel that her eyelids were closed shut behind the cloth, so she couldn't open them to see if she could now see anything. Logically she knew that even if she could open her eyes, she really wouldn't be able to see much anyway. Her doctor had stressed to her that she wouldn't be able to see much for the first couple of months, but in time she would gain roughly 80% of her sight back. Prescription glasses would take care of the last 20% of her restored sight.
Shizuru let out another deep sigh, and began wondering where her family was...where Natsuki was...
Suddenly the sound of the door opening came to her ears, and Shizuru quickly tilted her head in that direction. A small ball of nervous, excited energy filled her stomach as she imagined that it was her parents, or even Natsuki and her father finally come to see her after her surgery.
"Hello Shizuru. It's a pleasure to meet you," a deep, velvety-smooth and masculine voice spoke up from the spot to the right of her bed.
Shizuru started at the unexpected voice, and she slipped her dry lips open to make a reply, but found that only a small sort of 'croak' came out as her throat was incredibly dry. Shizuru felt her face flush brightly at the embarrassing sound she had just made, and she heard the male voice chuckle softly in gentle amusement.
"I apologize. I should have realized that your throat would likely be parched after your operation. Nurse, would you please help this young lady take a few sips of water from the cup that should be on her bedside table," the male voice said lightly to the obvious other person in the room.
Shizuru hadn't even noticed that someone else besides this young man speaking to her had also come into her room. She then felt a light touch along the back of her head and a soft feminine voice gently soothed her, and asked her to please take a few sips from the cup of water being held up to her lips.
Shizuru sipped slowly and carefully, then leaned back from the cup to indicate that she'd had enough. She felt the nurse move back from her bed, and decided to try talking once again now that her throat wasn't so dry.
"Ahh...hello. I would say it's nice to meet you...but I don't know who you are," Shizuru said, with her lilting accent filled with curiosity.
"Oh, my deepest apologies. I seem to be making a number of mistakes here with you. I guess I'm more...nervous...about meeting you than I realized," the young man replied with a light laugh that Shizuru found herself unexpectedly liking. He seemed like a nice enough guy, even though she had absolutely no idea who he was, or why he was in her room.
"My name is Reito Kanzaki, and I'm your next door neighbour," the young man replied, with an obvious smile in his voice. "Like yourself, I've recently undergone surgery to restore my eyesight. When I found out that there was a beautiful, young woman staying in the room right next door who had also just had corrective eye surgery, I simply had to come meet you. I hope you don't feel that I'm...intruding," the young man finished softly.
Shizuru found herself smiling at this young man, and wondering briefly if he looked as nice as he sounded.
"Oh no no, you aren't intruding at all. It's actually quite nice to know that there is someone else close by, who knows what I'm going through right now. Please tell me...Reito was it...how long has it been since you've done your operation?" Shizuru asked curiously.
"Before I answer, do you mind if I sit on the edge of your bed? Normally I would be forced to be moved around in one of those annoying hospital wheelchairs, but I managed to convince my sweet nurse here that I could make the short trip from my room to yours just fine without one. But only as long as I promised to rest once I got here," Reito said in a playful tone.
"Well Mr. Kanzaki, I didn't mean for you to rest on Miss Fujino's bed," the slightly-scandalized voice of Reito's nurse spoke up.
"Oh it's quite alright, Sayaka. I'm sure that 'Miss' Fujino wouldn't mind too much, right?" Reito spoke teasingly in Shizuru's direction.
Shizuru shook her head slightly that she didn't mind, and she heard a small resigned sigh from the nurse, before a light pressure pressed down on the side of her bed.
"There all comfy now," Reito pleasantly said as he sat on the edge of Shizuru's bed, and positioned himself so that he didn't disturb her resting form.
"Now to answer your question, I actually had my surgery about a week ago. Unfortunately there was a mild...complication. So I had to remain here in the hospital for the past week while they worked on the small issue. I'm scheduled to be released in a few days though, and will finally be able to start my new life as a seeing person," Reito said with what Shizuru could hear in his voice, was quiet joy at the prospect of being able to see like most other people.
Shizuru swallowed a small lump that suddenly formed in her throat, and she unconsciously flexed her hand as she thought about the fact that she would be able to see like everyone else soon as well. She then jerked lightly in surprise, when she felt a warm hand wrap itself around the one she'd been flexing. She knew that it could only be Reito gently squeezing her hand, and she returned his squeeze with a light smile on her face.
"Hey, Shizuru! Sorry we're so late! My dad and I stopped by the florist to get you some flowers before...we...got...here...Shizuru...?" the excited, happy voice of Natsuki Kuga trailed off slowly, as after she had practically bounded into Shizuru's room to see the girl who made her heart sing, was presented with the stark image of a handsome, dark-haired young man holding Shizuru's hand.
"Oh Natsuki! H-Hello...thank you for bringing me flowers. I can smell them, and they smell divine," Shizuru responded quickly with a nervous lilt to her voice, as she hurriedly pulled her hand free from Reito's.
Natsuki was quiet for a few seconds as her father stepped into the room behind her, and took in the scene that was spread out before him. He could practically feel the sudden, unhappy tension rolling off from his daughter's body, and he didn't like it one bit.
"Young man, may I ask just who you are and just what you are doing in Shizuru Fujino's room?" Hiro Kuga asked in his powerful voice.
The young man in question slowly rose from Shizuru's bed, and turned to face Hiro. That's when the older man noticed that the young man before him had his eyes closed, and he was holding a white walking cane like Shizuru also used.
"I'm sorry if it seems as if I'm intruding here. I was just introducing myself to Miss Fujino, as I had recently discovered that she had just undergone the same corrective eye surgery that I myself had gone through a week ago. My name is Reito Kanzaki, and it is a pleasure to meet Shizuru's...family?" Reito trailed off questioningly, while keeping a genial smile on his face.
"Oh! Did you say your family name was Kanzaki? Would you by any chance be Hiroshi and Akiko's son? If so, I'm a business associate of your parents. My name is Hiro Kuga, and this is my daughter Natsuki Kuga. We are friends of Miss Fujino here," Hiro replied as his whole demeanor changed, and he stepped forward to take Reito's free hand into his own and lightly shake it.
"I had heard a little while ago that Hiroshi and Akiko's son...who I now know is you, and that you are a famous violinist...was to undergo a radical new kind of surgery for a genetic problem. But I had no idea it was for Leber Congenital Amaurosis, the same hereditary eye problem that Shizuru has suffered from. What a small world we live in," Hiro finished as he let go of Reito's hand, and finally turned fully towards Shizuru.
"And Shizuru my dear, you are looking healthy and well-rested. One would not even know you'd just had a life-altering surgery," Hiro said as he gently took Shizuru's hand into his own larger one, and smiled down fatherly at her as he gently squeezed her hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Kuga," Shizuru replied softly and shyly. "I may not feel as healthy as you say I look, but I think a bit of rest will cure that," Shizuru continued as she lay back against her pillow, and gently squeezed Hiro's hand back. "And...talking to Natsuki for a bit would also make me feel better," Shizuru added softly as Hiro lightly let go of her hand, and then motioned his daughter forward.
"And I believe that that's my cue to be on my way," Reito spoke up, as his quiet nurse gently placed her hand on his arm to help guide him out of the room.
"Mr. Kuga it was a pleasure meeting you...and your daughter. I'll be sure to let my parents know we spoke, and that you are visiting a family friend who has undergone the same corrective surgery as I" Reito continued, as he was slowly led to the open door by his nurse. As he passed by the still-silent and quietly-brooding Natsuki, he could almost swear he felt a wave of cold wash over him, and he quickened his pace to put more distance between himself, and where he knew she still stood.
"Please do that Reito, and I'll give them a call myself later," Hiro replied, as he made space beside Shizuru's bed for Natsuki to come stand by.
Natsuki watched this 'Reito' guy lift his hand in a light wave, before he was led out the door by his nurse.
"Good riddance," Natsuki muttered softly under her breath, as she watched the interloper who had been holding Shizuru's hand leave.
"Natsuki...?" Shizuru's quietly-hesitant voice quickly brought Natsuki out of her brooding, and she immediately leaned forward and placed a light kiss against Shizuru's forehead.
"Hey Shizuru, I'm right here. You had me...worried during your surgery. I'm happy to see that you seem to be doing well," Natsuki said shyly, as she reached down and gently took Shizuru's hand into hers. A brief image of Reito also holding Shizuru's hand flashed through Natsuki's mind, and she had to grit her teeth to keep herself from accidentally squeezing Shizuru's hand too tightly in response.
Shizuru had blushed a light, pretty pink when Natsuki had brushed her lips gently across her forehead, and she affectionately squeezed Natsuki's hand back.
"I'm looking forward to getting this blindfold removed, and getting started on 'seeing' things with my own two eyes," Shizuru replied with a soft, quietly-happy smile.
"Patience, my dear. All that in good time. The doctor will be stopping in soon to examine you, and then we'll get a schedule to let us know when the blindfold will come off. And we'll also be told when you'll be able to leave the hospital, and also get a timeline of the different stages of restored eyesight you'll experience as time goes by. Your parents will be along shortly, as they are receiving all this information from the doctor in his office right now," Hiro said as he stood by his daughter's side, and watched as Natsuki gently stroked her thumb along the back of Shizuru's hand.
Shizuru smiled up in Hiro's direction and nodded, as she struggled to keep the tears that were building in the back of her eyes from leaking out, and making having on a blindfold even more uncomfortable.
"I just want...I just want to thank you and Natsuki again Mr. Kuga, for all that you both have done. I will be forever grateful to you both for coming into my life, and helping to change it for the better," Shizuru said in a softly-choked up voice.
Natsuki smiled down at the beautiful girl laying before her, before reaching forward and gently running her fingers down the side of Shizuru's face.
"Thank you Shizuru, for coming into my...our...lives. I'm truly grateful and happy to have met you, and to have become such good friends with you. And I hope...that we'll continue to become better and better friends as time goes on," Natsuki replied softly, as she raised Shizuru's hand and placed it against her chest.
Shizuru swallowed the lump that formed in her throat, and nodded in agreement.
Hiro suddenly felt like he was intruding on a 'girl moment', and lightly coughed as he shifted around on his feet.
"Well Shizuru dear, I'm going to go back to the doctor's office to meet up with your parents. Then we'll all come back to visit with you for a bit longer, then let you get some much-needed rest. Natsuki, you can stay here and keep Shizuru company until we get back," Hiro said as he lightly patted Natsuki on the shoulder, then turned and made his way out the room door.
Natsuki nodded in quiet agreement, as she didn't want to say anything to break the peaceful and pleasant mood she had set with Shizuru.
Shizuru was out of surgery and doing well and soon she would be able to begin a whole new chapter of her life, with the ability to see all those around her who cared for her. Shizuru would finally be able to see her...Natsuki...and the thought filled the ebony-haired girl with equal parts excitement and fear.
What if Shizuru didn't like what she finally saw? What if the mental image Shizuru had of her didn't match the 'real thing'?
Natsuki lightly shook her head to rid herself of such negative thoughts. She knew that Shizuru liked her for 'herself' and that no matter if the 'real Natsuki' didn't quite live up to the 'mental-image Natsuki' that Shizuru had, the raven-haired girl knew that Shizuru would never look down on her.
And Natsuki was looking forward...with everything inside of her...to showing Shizuru the world around her with her new, restored sight. Natsuki wanted to be the one to hold Shizuru's hand as they walked along a pond, and watch as Shizuru marveled at a frog leaping across the lily pads. She wanted to be the one to show Shizuru the breaking waves of the ocean, as they rushed onto a sandy beach shore. She wanted to be...the one...to hold Shizuru close as the scarlet-eyed girl beheld the beauty and majesty of a setting sun, as it splashed its glorious rainbow of colours across the horizon.
Natsuki wanted to be...Shizuru's special someone.
Hope that you all liked this new chapter, and please review and let me know if you all enjoyed it~ ^.^