Welp. This is it, I suppose.
Don't get so down, peeps. I don't want to change the ending, as much as I'd love to, it wouldn't be SWKNU then. It's supposed to tug at your heartstrings, so I will do what I can to pull myself back together after writing this last chapter.
I said I wouldn't change the ending, but what about the bit before it.. ;)
What you should do though, my beautiful readers, is wait for the OVA's release – MAY 17th! Until then, we'll just have to deal with crappy fanfiction like mine! :P
You guys should look up the amazing Animenz Piano Sheets and his cover of Hikaru Nara (光るなら) by Goose House – The first theme song of SWKNO. The way he plays is mind blowing; I've listened to this cover too many times to count. I will probably cry legit tears if I listen to it again.
Enjoy!
Arima Kousei
I check the time on my phone and let out a sigh of contemplation.
It's 9 PM.
What will they think when they see me with her in the morning?! A foolish blush spreads across my cheeks as I purse my lips, making my way inside the hospital.
It's dark..
The same scent of antiseptic and ultra-strong hand sanitizer lingers in the lobby as well as the flight of stairs, except it smells almost dusty in the stairs area.
The moonlight pours in through the windows, the twinkling stars outside almost like fairy lights. I rest my hand at the back of my neck as I walk towards her hospital room where she resides, my footsteps continuously echoing through the night.
"Come in," she says to me in a low voice after I knock on the door quietly. I freeze when the door lets out an unnecessarily loud creaking as I push it open gently. I hold my breath entirely as I continue to do so, repeating the process as I shut the door.
I turn to face at her only to find her beautiful and pale face staring at me. She's just as beautiful at night as she is in the day. The moonlight from her window seems to give her skin a sort of glow, or maybe it's just me. Her honey blonde hair appears to have faded out, making it appear slightly duller.
Her azure blue irises continue to look at me; a small smile plays on her lips. "So, you came after all, Kousei," she says finally.
I suddenly feel self-conscious, nervous that she might criticize me for my choice of wardrobe; a plain blue short sleeved collared top and a pair of dark grey trousers. If I'm going to stay the night, I might as well be comfortable.
I set my canvas bag onto the seat by the window and seat myself on her bedside, cocking my head to the side as I look at her.
She makes me nervous.
Always has, always will.
She chooses to break the silence and announces, "This may be the last time I'll be seeing you again before the surgery."
I purse my lips as I stare down at my lap before replying, "I know." My dark hair continues to fall into my eyes the longer I look down, poking at my eyelashes.
I go stiff when I feel her nimble fingers brush away the hair poking at my eyes; her small fingers gracefully dance across my forehead as she pushes away the last of the strands, tickling my face.
I gently take ahold of her wrist and look at her, her eyes level with mine.
Her nose reminds me of a button, small and tempting to press because of its size. The bags under her eyes are evident, signifying her exhaustion. The way she furrows her eyebrows in confusion is adorable, bringing a small smile onto my face. Her lips are the palest pink, small yet full.
She's beautiful.
I'm falling in love with her all over again, knowing that she's not going to be around for much longer.
My heart will only sink into my stomach, and I'll fade away into a void of depression and sadness all over again.
First, Mom.
Now, her.
All I did was fall in love with her..
"W- What're you doing?" She asks me nervously.
"I- I'm ticklish." I stammer to her hastily as I look away, trying to hide my burning cheeks.
I release her wrist, only to find my hand being squeezed by hers as it fell, holding it up once more.
My palms have become incredibly sweaty, my breath gets hitched in my throat when I feel some of the remaining strength she's been saving up in my hand, squeezing it; her extremely close proximity is the reason for it all.
No, that's not it.
She's the reason for it all.
"You better take part in that competition, you blockhead," she huffs at me when she realizes I don't plan on starting any conversation with her.
I sigh as I tell her, my back facing her, sadly, "I can't. Not in this condition. It would be a miracle if I'd be able to."
"That's the point, though." She tells me insistently.
"What is?" I ask her.
"We're musicians, aren't we? We're supposed to be struggling," she tells me with a smile. "So, I'll struggle. Struggle, struggle, struggle! I'll struggle until I'm able to play one more time with you."
Her words rain down on my like the stars the way they did at the Maiho Piano Competition.
"I want to live in their hearts forever.."
The stage calls upon us, who can forget this view?
I'll play, I'll play for her.
Miyazono Kaori
This dunce. This blockhead. This idiot.
He's a terrible person.
He's the reason why I want to live longer.
I've fallen in love with this stupid boy, and he doesn't even know.
Arima Kousei.
His hands are as warm as I'd imagined, it makes me feel safe having his hand in mine. Mine are cold from the lack of exposure.
Having him beside me only deepens my need, my need to have him know that I love him.
But how do I tell him?
His blue eyes remind me of the sea, always wide open and endless. His face seems cool to the touch, his dark hair as soft as the cherry blossoms that flew past us in the spring storm when we first met.
I don't want to forget.
I don't want him to forget.
I want to get to know him, but I don't have much time left.
Will he remember me when I'm gone?
I hope so.
Arima Kousei
I take a deep breath and sit cross legged on the hospital bed as I turn to face her. I blush like a fool when I realize how close she is, feeling her hot breath on my face in the cold room.
Her left hand clutches the sheets of the bed, her voice low and soft as she speaks, "You exist inside of me, Arima Kousei." I notice that it becomes shaky as she leans forward, but unintentionally since I have to hold her up as she falls on my chest and lap, her head resting just below my heart as I continue to sit up.
She lets out a weak laugh as she continues, "You like egg sandwiches. You like Moo Moo Brand milk." The snow outside keeps falling, the little flakes flying past the hospital's windows. "What else do you like? What are your favorite insects?"
My heart beats faster and faster as she speaks. "What kind of stuff did you collect? What kind of anime did you like?" Her right hand clutches onto my arm tightly, as if I'm the last available life jacket on a raft at sea. "There's so much I don't know."
Her voice becomes tearful as she looks up at me, "I envy Tsubaki-chan for knowing everything. I want to know so many things about you." My shirt becomes wet with her salty tears, pouring down her face and spilling from her azure blue eyes.
"So…" I hold her in my arms, resting my chin on the top of her head. "I'm so scared. I'm so scared." Her body becomes racked with sobs as she holds me close. "Don't leave me all alone!"
Her tears threaten to tempt me to cry, my lips trembling with her in my arms. The hospital bed as become warm all of a sudden in the cool air conditioned hospital room.
I'm such a moron.
She's ultra-violent. Her personality blows. She leaves the worst impression.
But…
She's beautiful.
She's so beautiful in the snow.
I stare down at her as she continues crying into my shirt; I feel horrible for doing this.
I cup both her cheeks in my hands as she freezes. Her honey blonde hair falls over her shoulders in loose strands, some of it falling over her eyes. I tuck the loose strands behind her ears and look at her, he beautiful face slowly looks at mine.
I let my hands fall when she backs up, sitting up on the bed. She reaches her hand forward and curls it around my neck. Despite her lack of movement and blood circulation, it's surprisingly warm.
She pulls me forward with such grace, it's as if I'm the bow of her violin. "Arima Kousei," she tells me in a voice lower than a whisper. "I love you."
Her lips are on mine before I can blink in shock.
The beautiful girl I fell in love with loves me back.
The softest of cherry blossoms are what her lips feel like pressed against mine. Sweetly and slowly, she kisses me, her lips moving against my own. I cup her cheeks and bring her closer to me as I kiss her back, a sigh of relief escaping the both of us.
As we pull away, I stare at her lips, now a rosy red in color, and stare at her.
I pull her into a tight hug, my head leaning into her shoulder. "I love you, too." I tell her in a low whisper.
And so the tears return.
THE DAY OF THE SURGERY AND EASTERN JAPAN PIANO COMPETITION.
Miyazono Kaori
"We're going to start the anesthesia, all right?" the doctor asks me as he lowers the mask onto my face.
I stare at the ceiling above me, the surgeons wearing all green, masks and gloves equipped as they stand by the equipment.
"Now take a deep breath," he tells me firmly.
I close my eyes and say before inhaling for the longest time, "Hey, Doctor. We all need someone to kiss us goodbye."
A/N: It's depressing knowing that just about every SWKNU/YLIA fanfic is sad. I don't want mine to be like that, so I'm gonna end it like this.
You guys can decide for yourselves whether our beautiful Kao-chan survives. You guys can decide for yourselves whether Kousei will suffer if she doesn't survive. You guys can decide for yourselves whether these kids will ever be happy.
I don't know.
It's up to you, I suppose.
But I will tell you this: I adore SWKNU/YLIA, even though the ending shredded my heart to pieces, I loved it all the same.
I just wish that Kao-chan was able to spend just a little more time with Kousei before she left him.
Dedicated this chapter to wrestlingwithjimmy because she's (I'm guessing she's a girl xD)an amazing writer and her comments in the previous chapters left me grinning like an idiot.
Until next time, ja ne~! \^o^/
-LGGH AKA Ticus