Bitter truth

Takeru walked in slowly through the door and said, "Let me know what Yamato?"

"Nothing …Nothing of much concern… Drop it"

"C'mon I'm your brother, you can't fool me. Had it not been of much concern you wouldn't have warned Sora, so tell me, I know it concerns me".

"No it doesn't Takeru, Listen to your brother, it's just nothing".

"Fine have it your way" said Takeru. He knew that a stubborn Yamato would never tell him; so he decided to drop it at that moment but he made a mental note to find out whatever the matter was later.

Yamato attempted to change the subject.

"So did you ask Hikari out tomorrow?"

"Yeah and she said she is free tomorrow night and she said she will be eagerly looking forward to it". Takeru's face split into a broad grin and there was a boyish happiness on his face.

Yamato thought "How blissfully happy he is. He will be completely shattered if he ever comes to know about it; but then, he has to know about it one day…how shall he face it then and how shall I break it to him? I still can't believe and I don't want to believe that my ever smiling brother won't be with me-"

He stopped not wanting to think any further lest he should loose control over his emotions in front of Takeru and give everything away.

"Hey Taki aren't you hungry" asked Yamato trying to distract his own chain of thoughts.

"You bet! Is dinner ready?"

"Yes it is" said Sora in a still choked voice.

…

Takeru woke up early next morning. He had a lot of things on his mind. First of all he had to reserve the special seat for him and Hikari, then he had to sit with his new novel, and finally he had to find out secretly what Yamato and Sora were hiding from him. Another thought nudged at the back of his head too "did Yamato get my reports and did he take it to Jyou? I have to remember to ask him that too"

He was not at home for most of the morning. He returned at noon, opened the door slowly, and tiptoed into the house and after making sure both Yamato and Sora were not in the house he proceeded towards their bedroom. He was sure the hidden thing was a file, or possibly a report of some kind cuz he had seen Sora hide it behind her when he entered the room.

He searched every nook and corner but he couldn't find it anywhere. Then finally against his wish he decided to open Yamato's drawer. Yamato usually never allowed anyone to touch it, at times not even Sora. But he had locked it. Takeru took a hair pin from Sora's dressing table and opened the lock and laid his hand on the report.

He murmured "You will be in shock big brother when you'll know I've read it."

But after he went through the report he stood there in shock.

Slowly he began to realize the truth of what he had just read. He thought "So that's what he was hiding from me. He didn't want me to know it. He wanted to be happy. My life … it's gonna end even before it began. Perhaps a few months are all I have got left… that's all I've got left, to cherish each and every second of it."

He felt helpless. He felt in these 21 years of his life he had nothing. He had wanted to do so many things; when he had time all these years he didn't do and now he had no more time. He felt the life around him collapse; the world which had taken two decades to build had been shattered in a fraction of a second. But then another graver realization sunk in him- what would happen to Hikari. How would he tell her that he was at death's door? Would she able to bear the news. Sure she would find many better guys than him but would she ever be happy. Suddenly his cell phone rang interrupting his thoughts.

It was Hikari's call.

"Hey Takeru… When will you pick me up?"

Takeru didn't reply, his mind was lost in thoughts.

"Takeru when will you pick me up?" repeated Hikari

"Huh? Oh … that…Would you mind if we went out tomorrow instead of today?". On other occasions he would have kept up a long conversation with her but today he was lost for words. "Takeru- are you fine? You are so absent minded! And it's the first time you have cancelled a date…tell me taki what's worrying you?" "No I am fine… just excess work pressure; feeling very tired today…by … see you then" Takeru collapsed on the bed and a thousand new thoughts and worries related to Hikari surfaced to his mind.

A/N: - please review…and I was wondering whether to have a happy ending or a tragic one…please say what you all want as well.