Enjoy

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The elevator was full and Haruka couldn't just waiting around for the next turn to get to Ami. She took emergency stairs to the rooftop. In hurry, she jumped 3 stairs at once while climbing the stairs. Now, the blond felt the difference between running horizontally and vertically. Stairs were such a bitch.

The door that was connecting rooftop and emergency stair had been locked. Haruka expected Ami could access to the rooftop through the opened door in east wing of the hospital.

"Oh, damn… damn…" Haruka banged the door which she knew was futile. She was panic and had a bad feeling that she had to get to the roof quickly.

One kick… Haruka threw a rounded kick like she had been learning from some action movies. She thought she had managed to impersonate the move well when the door budged a little.

Now her foot was shaking… she didn't know how Jackie Chan had done kicks countless times without feeling pain from the waist below. Haruka kicked again, this time a straight kick with the other foot.

Now Haruka could see the sight behind the door through a crack she had created. There was Ami standing there, with Ueno Motoki. The guy still wore his restraint but the clothes seemed torn.

The last kick pried the door open. Haruka reminded herself to pay for the damage bill to Ami's father later. Her entrance wasn't all grateful, but Haruka was happy enough when she could feel the night wind on the rooftop rustling through her hair.

Both heads now turned to Haruka's direction. That moment, Haruka spotted the Motoki guy was holding something.

A paper cutter. Oh crap… Haruka now glanced at Ami, making sure the royalty was alright. "Are you okay?" Haruka mouthed.

Ami nodded but her eyes couldn't fool Haruka. She was afraid.

"Stay back!" Motoki shouted. Even though he lost his mind, he still realized that he was cornered by 2 people. "Stay back!"

Haruka's hands upped. She stepped carefully approaching Ami on her left. "Motoki, look… relax. We don't want any trouble." Haruka said carefully. The guy was crazy, wrong words and he would probably explode like a grenade.

"Bullshit… she is the royalty! Those bitches approached me and now I am a mess! Naru-chan doesn't want to talk to me again!" Pointing the paper cutter like a silver sword, he began rambling. Haruka caught gentleness when the guy mentioned his ex-girlfriend's name.

"Naru doesn't want you to do this." Haruka was trying to be sensitive. She figured that the guy's love for this Osaka Naru was so great that it almost out limited insanity. Literally. "Just… put that thing down and we will call Naru to talk to you. Hell, let's get you both dinner or date or something."

Ami glared at Haruka. Swearing while calming a mental patient totally wasn't good idea.

Motoki seemed thinking and Haruka used that to take steps approaching the guy.

"Naru said I am useless and weak guy." He shook his head, trying to clear imaginary clouds in his head.

"She didn't mean it." Right foot, left foot… Haruka got 2 steps progress toward Motoki. Ami was still behind Haruka, watching the scene in terror and fear. There were many probabilities that going on inside her big brain, Haruka was sure of that.

"She avoids me like I'm deadly plague. She hates me." He cried.

The scene would've been cute if only had that paper cutter wasn't in his hand. "No, she doesn't hate you. She only needs her space, man…" Now the blond was just few steps away.

"… No. You don't know anything about me! Or her!" His sorrow turned into anger. Haruka was ready for upcoming attack but then Ami's voice stopped Motoki's movement.

"Motoki!" The blond didn't know that Ami was now approaching Motoki from the other side. "Actually, I know about you and Naru… not everything. But enough to prove to you that she doesn't hate you." Ami gulped. "You know me, right? I am Mizuno Ami, we are on the same class last year."

Motoki spat, "yeah, we were great until you join the royalty crap!"

"Naru thinks that your falling grade is because of her!"

Direct and sharp, it was the first time for Haruka to listen Ami talking that way.

"She concerns about your falling grade that she wants you to more concentrate to your academic… she doesn't hate you. She cares about you! She has been purposefully pushing you away so that you can fix your grade!"

The blond didn't know why Ami hadn't talked about that information previously before this happening. The explanation was only one. Ami lied. There wasn't such thing exist. Osaka Naru had dumped Ueno Motoki harshly in public and now the guy turned crazy. However, Ami had told that into some cheesy anime romance. The blue haired royally was indeed a genius.

Haruka smirked when Motoki lowered his weapon.

And suddenly it was raining. Haruka cursed, Rei was right. She would need the umbrella afterall.

"Motoki, come on. We promise we will call Naru for you and you two can talk your heart out." Last persuasion and Motoki would hand the cutter to Haruka.

BANG! A bang from the door startled Motoki. Few doctors and nurses emerged while carrying a syringe and a wheelchair.

"Oh, crap… what convenience to appear now." Haruka lost her sight on Motoki for per second and the guy had charged toward Ami in full speed.

"Wait, no! Ami! Get away from there!" Haruka shouted. Ami froze in fear. Her brain had made quick assessment about the danger that was running toward her but her body couldn't move.

Haruka reached inside her pocket and found a folded umbrella from Rei. She took it out and threw it to Motoki. The umbrella hit its target, and it managed to slow down the man's pace. Then Haruka made a long jump to tackle Motoki. They both landed on the ground with a loud thud.

"What a déjà vu." Haruka smirked, recalling how she also fell on the ground when she had first met the guy.

Motoki went panic. He screamed and muttered incoherent words again. The words Haruka could utter from the guy were only trashes and Naru. His eyes turned wild and his hand which still holding the cutter swung to Haruka. The blond dodged as Motoki's movement was getting slower and weak.

A thunder blared splitting the sky.

Haruka jumped in shock. Her body suddenly shut down and shook uncontrollably. Motoki's hand slipped out from Haruka's grab and this time he swung the cutter again.

Haruka reacted a second to late and now a sting sensation ran down Haruka's arm and wrist. She saw red but she didn't fully grasp the situation. Haruka's vision went black for 2 seconds and when the blond opened her eyes again, Motoki Ueno was standing over the ledge on hospital's rooftop.

"... Oh my God." Haruka couldn't make out loud murmurs behind her. She felt Ami's presence beside her, holding Haruka's hand. The blonde's gaze fixed on Motoki. The man was about to do something crazy… as crazy guy, people should've seen it coming.

"NO! Motoki! Don't!"

"Perhaps I will reborn a good man for my Naru someday." His tears were mixed up with dropping rain.

"Are you idiot? You are dead and then nothing! You will never see that woman anymore, don't you get it?!"

Motoki was a crazy man but Haruka hadn't acknowledged the guy to be deaf. Her words seemed never reached him.

Haruka caught Motoki's eyes despite the loud thunder and pouring rain in the background. Somehow the blond could utter Motoki's words… this time not incoherent words, this time his words were clear.

Pain

Pain

Drown

Drown…

Help.

Haruka's head screamed.

"The sea has a secret. The wind knows it all along." Motoki smiled a broken smile.

No.

Then he jumped.

.

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Haruka was numb when a doctor did stitches on her arm. Not because of anesthetic, it only made her left arm numbed. Haruka felt also numb inside. Something cracked and Haruka didn't know which and where part inside of her.

"There, done. I guess you are in luck. Although it's deep, it will not leave any scar." The doctor then paused when he noticed Haruka's old scar from the accident. "Well, I mean, at least it won't make any new scar."

Haruka nodded.

"I will leave you two alone then." The doctor looked up behind Haruka. "Have you called someone to pick her up, Ami-chan?" The doctor's friendly tone when talking to Ami showed that he was the royalty's acquaintance.

Now Haruka turned her body, wincing a little despite the local anesthetic. Ami was leaning against the door frame of emergency room. Her face was pale but she was smiling to Haruka. "Yes, I think so."

The doctor got up while muttering about a bad day in hospital. Haruka believed, the doctor was referring the guy who had jumped from the rooftop.

A sound of the door clicked shut. Ami pulled a plastic chair away so she could get closer with Haruka. "I hope you don't mind that I called Michiru. You two have known each other in the past, so I figure she would know whom to call."

Her sister… Oh no… Haruka brought her other hand on her face. The image of Motoki kept flashing in her head. "… Are you okay?" Haruka asked Ami.

"Is that sarcasm? Because you are the one lying on hospital bed with 17 stitches on your arm…" Ami gestured to Haruka's injury.

"I am sitting on hospital bed." Haruka straightened up her posture. "It's just a reopened wound. It won't leave a scar."

"Does it hurt?"

"Numb." Haruka grinned. She attempted anyway. And looking at Ami's sincere smile, the blond knew she had succeeded. "How is he?" There wouldn't be any human could survive falling from height like that.

"In morgue… my father keeps me away to have a look. He said it's pretty messed up. He fell on hard asphalt." Ami shook her head. Haruka assumed that the royalty had a part in her brain which memory would be very difficult to erase. The sight of Motoki's body could've been engraved in the royalty's brain for the rest of her life.

"The others are on their way here. They are worried. Minako was freaking out on the phone."

Haruka sighed. Her mind wandered to Luna which she had left with Minako before she went with Ami to the hospital.

"Thank you." Ami said softly. "I guess I should've apologized instead saying thank you. If I weren't so afraid, I could've done something when he rushed to me. You wouldn't have tackled him and get hurt."

Haruka shook her head, "Are we sharing the coulda shoulda woulda moment now?"

Ami's hand then rested on Haruka's numb arm, "If you don't want me to do that, then you must understand that it wasn't your fault too, Haruka. Motoki jumped by himself. You couldn't do anything about it."

Sooner or later, Ami would bring up the conversation, but Haruka didn't expect it to be this sooner. Her entire arm was numb, now Haruka wished her brain was too. "I made a wrong move. I could've overpowered him but then I got distracted."

"You couldn't do anything about it. You could have but there isn't any guarantee it wouldn't have happened."

Haruka went quiet.

"Was it the thunder?" Ami asked. Haruka blushed. She felt like a transparent book before the genius royalty. Was she so easy to read? How many people had spotted her fear?

"You're afraid of the thunder…" The tone was closer to a statement.

Haruka couldn't avoid or runaway now. "For your record, I have many fears…"

"Yet you are so brave." Ami filled in. "There are so many contraries inside you Haruka. That's why I don't understand how your mind works scientifically… you are very complex."

"I take that as compliment?"

Both were now smiling a genuine smile. Haruka had to admit that Ami was actually fun to be around.

.

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They all came in huge blast. Minako became the first canon, launched herself to Haruka and Makoto following behind. "Haruka-!" The perky blond embraced Haruka into a mama bear hug. Haruka was thankful that her arms were still drugged. It could be painful.

"Minako, go easy on her." Ami now wasn't playing a referee, she took over as commanding officer in the room.

Minako complied, releasing Haruka and then observing Haruka from head to toe. "You don't get crazy disease from him, do you?" The cerulean eyes were serious that Haruka almost caught on Minako's play.

"Mental disease cannot be transmitted, Minako. Don't be ridiculous." Ami with all the scientific facts replied.

Makoto joined them, "Perhaps, idiocy could." Now all eyes were on Minako and Ami looked slightly worried. She took a distance away from the perky blond.

"You all are mean." Still holding Haruka, Minako stucked her tongue out and pouting.

The royalties were all there, except one. "Where's Michiru?"

Now Rei piped in, "Morgue. She will take care about Motoki and informs his family."

Haruka's eyes darkened, "It's not her job."

Rei's amethyst eyes softened, Haruka suddenly felt warmth spread over her. "Actually, Haruka… it is. Motoki is originally our responsibility. He had been black listed as problematic student… even though the university would cover everything financially, we are the one who take care the rest."

The cheerful mood before now replaced by gloomy aura. Even a Minako couldn't do anything about it. "I'll go there." Haruka got up from the bed.

"We planned to help Michiru after we've done checking on you. However…" Makoto's eyes flickered to Ami. "We still have no idea what actually happened in this accident. We'll still need report from you two."

Haruka groaned.

"She isn't a royalty, Makoto… let me be the one who explain everything. I'll take the responsibility to make a report of this accident." Ami offered herself.

Makoto nodded, acknowledged Ami's request. Minako and Rei then helped Haruka to go to the morgue. "The umbrella also helped anyway." She muttered to Rei. The blond wouldn't surprise if Rei had seen the accident coming. However, it would've been so cruel if Rei had known it and hadn't given her a warning at the very least.

"Human's destiny is a lot harder to predict than weather forecast. I perhaps had sensed bad feeling but I can't figure out what and where it will happen." Rei's hand on her shoulder tightened. Haruka realized that the raven haired woman was also frustrated about the outcoming event.

"No one's fault." Minako's serious tone dwelled in. "You did what you had to do and you did great."

Haruka really wanted to believe that.

The morgue was somewhere on the basement floor. They took elevator and descend a stair before reaching the lowest and darkest part of the hospital. "I know it was designed place for dead people, but they need seriously some bright colors for the creepy wall." Minako glanced at the pale grey of the wall's paint. Haruka could see immediately that Minako wouldn't fit it in this kind of environment

Haruka spotted Michiru first. She was standing and leaning against a wall in front of twin metal doors. Her head lowered and her eyes both closed, looked like she had lost all the energies for the day. "Michiru!" Minako ran to her first. "How is it going? Are you okay?"

Michiru looked up. Her head turned to Haruka who was standing with Rei's support. For a moment they both exchanged glances trying to communicate with their eyes. "I just finished confirming his identity. It should be his family, but Motoki Ueno's parents are overseas and his relative is on an island away from here. They have been notified." Michiru reported in formal sentences, trying hard to be unattached and cold so her emotion would stay conceal from her face.

"Are you okay?" Minako repeated her question.

"I'm not worried about me." Michiru was trying to smile. After she shared the information, the aqua haired royalty somehow regained her strength to stand without leaning on the wall. She approached Haruka and stopped in proper distance.

"How are you?"

"Fine." Haruka replied. She didn't want to burden Michiru more.

Michiru looked at Haruka's bandaged arm. It was thicker than it should. "Define… fine." An order. Michiru needed some explanations to ease her feelings about the thick white bandage covered Haruka's arm.

"I won't get new scar. The thing got me right on my old scar." It was true. Motoki had sliced exactly where Haruka's scar was. "So, I'm fine."

The concern in Michiru's eyes wouldn't go away, "How many stitches?"

Haruka replied like making a formal report, "Seventeen… ain't so sweet, eh?" With a fail joke.

Michiru hadn't looked at Haruka's eyes yet. Michiru's gaze wandered between her clenching fist, Rei's shoes and Haruka's bandaged arm. "Okay then… I hope you're not angry. I called your sister. She's listed as your emergency contact in your student's profile."

Haruka shrugged with one arm. "I won't. I've seen it coming." Haruka had getting used to with her helicopter sister. "How was she on the phone?"

"I couldn't give her proper information with your condition since Ami had been frantically called me… your sister cut the phone off when I was trying to explain about it. She said she will come here."

Haruka gritted her teeth. Today was an awfully suck day.

A sound of woman's heels descending the stairs with hurry, then a familiar woman appeared, running toward the morgue. Haruka knew the face, the woman was Osaka Naru. She was still wearing her labcoat and badge, proving that the woman was in the middle of her research when she received the news. She ran passing them and banged the metal door open. A staff couldn't stop the woman from barging in.

A loud scream and then a cry broke from inside the morgue. The ex-girlfriend was apparently sad with Motoki's death.

"She is Motoki's ex-girlfriend." Haruka said. She knew the other 3 women were wondering about Osaka Naru.

Minako clicked her tongue, "I knew I've seen her somewhere. It was on the beach, days ago. They broke up. Was that the reason that drives the guy crazy?"

"Ami thinks it is. All the guy talks before he jumped only his girlfriend, regretting he isn't good enough for her." Haruka's mind again wandered to the horrible event.

Michiru's hand found Haruka's. A grip and Haruka found her way back to the present. Michiru gave her a smile then released Haruka's hand.

Naru pried the door open. Now 2 staffs, wearing black scrubs were trying to calm the woman. "Maam, please…" the staff was hardly trying to be polite but Naru almost punched him off.

After more struggling, Naru then turned her heels from the morgue room. She looked like a mess with blurred mascara and messy hairs. Haruka thought, she would walk away pass them like before but, she actually made a stop in front of Michiru.

"You… bunch of royalties… It's your fault! Your fault! You kept treating him like he was in trouble! You put him in crazy hospital! He was okay! He was fine! You…!" Naru's hand swung. A slap was coming. Haruka was near enough to stop the slap. She caught Naru's hand before it collided with Michiru's cheek.

Naru startled, her hand attack was blocked, she turned to Haruka and did another try to slap the blond with her other hand. However, now Michiru caught Naru's hand from slapping Haruka. "I won't do that, Osaka-san." Michiru's tone was polite but somehow it was cold and threatening. Haruka couldn't help but saw dangerous glint flashed inside the royalty's eyes.

Rei and Minako now positioned themselves behind Naru. Guarding if the woman attempted another assault to any of them.

"Did you do things like this on him? Ganging up against him?!" Her tears mixed pathetic smile.

"We tried to... help." Michiru said.

"Like hell you do! He needed help but not your help!" Naru shouted. Haruka concluded that the woman was now in denial, seeking someone to blame and directed her anger. They who were exactly the closest around her were the most convenience.

"He loved you… until the end he still loved you."

Naru went quiet but then with a weak sob, "How could you know?"

"I was there." Haruka gently released the woman's hand. Now, Naru's anger had subsided, what had left was only grief. "I tried to stop him… I'm sorry."

The woman shook her head, she fell on her knees and then sprawled on the floor. Her tears flowed a river. "Tell me. Tell me about his… last moment." She begged.

Haruka did.

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It has been quite ride. Thank you for reading and sticking on this story. We still have mystery to unfold here.