Aaaaallllright!
Wow, am I once again here. Posting the eighth chapter, nonetheless.
I am so happy to see new reviewers! Thanks to Someone, Pat and MorethanSimplyWords for taking their time to leave reviews. Thanks so much! I hope I'll hear more from you guys.
And Anoninonim, I'll join you in praying that Suetsugu-sensei really would consider Taichi. I mean, it really will break my heart if he still doesn't get the happiness he so rightfully deserves. Thanks for finding my story good. I hope for your continued support.
Okay as for the chapter proper… this one felt like a filler chapter to me. I seriously hope it wasn't, but something is telling me that this chapter really serves as a bridge… for now.
But then I don't want to keep you guys waiting. Read on, and I'll keep my fingers crossed.
VIII
The alarm rang so noisily all throughout her room but she continued to be asleep, feeling as if she was just dreaming of the alarm clock ringing. She wouldn't have been able to get up had it not been for Chitose shaking her awake.
"What is wrong with you? Your alarm clock's ringing! Turn it off! And didn't you have somewhere else to go to today? Get up!"
That statement had been enough to get her awake. She bounced from the bed, and was about to rush off into getting into the bathroom when as immediately like air, thoughts began entering her head, her mind being flooded with memories from the last night.
"I'm in love with you, Chihaya."
That single statement alone had been enough to freeze her in her place, and immediately, the blood rushed from her neck to the roots of her hair. She fidgeted with her fingers as she looked down, not being able to stop herself from remembering everything else after that.
The moment he had said the words, it felt as if her world had been turned upside down. Her heart fluttered, and somehow, she felt lightheaded and indescribably happy. She felt like she was flying in the air, and she could stand on it, and it felt as if it was solid, and she didn't have to come back down.
But along with the happiness she had felt the confusion and doubt creep up on her. What was he saying? What exactly had he been saying?
She had murmured his name in surprise, her eyes wide as she watched him stare closely at her, gauging her reaction. He was still holding her hand, his thumb rubbing circles on her knuckles, unknowingly making her heart settle comfortably in her chest, the action alone enough to calm her down. She couldn't look away from his eyes, which shone with intensity and… love. It was evident, but she didn't know what to do with it.
Or rather, she didn't know what to make of it.
"You didn't have to give me your answer immediately." He had told her, determined to give her as much time as she needed. "I'm not in a hurry anyway."
That was the exact words she had heard from Arata when he had confessed to her three months ago.
Chihaya's head ached. It seemed as if it was only now that it had sunk into her head the gravity of her situation. Arata had confessed to her months ago, and Taichi had just confessed to her last night, so now both of her childhood friends had confessed to her, and she didn't know what to do with them!
What should I do?
"Argh!" She exclaimed to herself, totally forgetting the fact that her sister was still in her room. "I don't know what to do anymore!"
Chitose raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at her, immediately finding it weird that her sister was talking to herself so early in the morning. She had been used to her sister's weirdness and total addiction to karuta, but this was a first, even for her. "What's this? Early morning tantrums? Period blues?"
Chihaya looked at her older, always-beautiful sister, her auburn eyes looking lost. Chitose inwardly flinched and became worried, -why was her sister looking like that?
"'Neechan," Chihaya began, a pleading look on her face, which looked so out of place with her hair still sticking up in different tangles and directions, "What do you do when men tell you that they love you?"
Chitose didn't know if she had heard correctly that she ran to the window of Chihaya's room and slid the curtains open to look outside. What is happening? Why is Chihaya asking about this all of a sudden? What's going on?! "Is the sky falling?" She asked disbelievingly, trying to find out what had been truly happening.
She scratched her head at her sister's antics. Yes, she was weird and a certified karuta baka, but she had never seen her older sister act like that. It was so not her. "Um 'neechan? What are you doing? I need your help…"
"My help regarding what?" Chitose whirled around to fix her with a steady, still disbelieving gaze. "Was that something between life or death? I kinda need to hurry you know, since I still have a shoot later…"
At her response, Chihaya's face fell. "Um… never mind, then. I'll just try to ask mom…"
Her sister's reply had been more than enough to perk Chitose's curiousity. She approached her sister and gracefully sat down on her bed, holding one of her hands. "Hey. What's wrong? You seem to be carrying the world on your shoulders, you know."
Chihaya looked up to her, then sighed, looking down at her hands once again. "'Neechan, what do you do when two different men tell you that they love you?"
Her sister's eyes widened. "Two different men confessed to you? Reeeeaaaaaallly? Oh my God! What happened?! Tell me!"
"Oneechan!"
But Chitose isn't backing down from not knowing the entire details of what had happened to her. And so with a furious blush and slight hesitancy, she recounted everything that had transpired between her and her two childhood best friends, who had just –yes, turned her world upside down.
Chitose was a good audience, -she had shaken her head and giggled all in the right moments, especially when she recounted how Taichi had made her aware of his feelings for her right from the start. Chitose couldn't stop clutching her cheeks –leaving nail marks on it that Chihaya had to stop her from doing it because she didn't want her sister to come in to the photo shoot with ruined cheeks because of nails, -or shaking Chihaya with her shoulders as she asked her to describe everything in detail. She couldn't stop herself from exclaiming "Oh my God!" at every possible moment that she had to shush her down or else either one of their parents will come up to check what the noise is all about.
"And what did you say? What did you tell them?!"
Chihaya sighed exasperatedly. "That's my problem. I haven't told them anything."
"What!?"
"Shhh! 'neechan!"
She began to explain as to why she practically left both of them hanging on to her response. "I mean… I'm not even sure if I'm attracted or not to either one of them. I-I'm not even sure if I understand what kind of love they were talking about." Chihaya's cheeks were flushed, as she looked down to her pajama-covered legs. "I'm… useless when it came to these things."
"Too right you are." Chitose harshly agreed, sounding frustrated as well. What was her sister doing, making those poor men wait for her response just like that? But she could understand as to why her sister was so confused, she grudgingly told herself. It was a no-brainer after all. Her sister, despite being bestowed with incredible beauty, had practically no experience with men. It was not because of lack of looks, (she had plenty of those, for crying out loud,) but because of her sister's own preferences. She had never cared what other people thought about her, and that had been something good, she guess, but that also meant that she was totally and helplessly clueless as to what they were thinking about her, and if that was the case with other people, then that meant that it was worse when it came to the opposite sex.
Chitose had to admit though, that she was not really surprised as to the identities of these men who had just turned her sister's world upside-down with their simple act of confessing to her. She knew them both, and she had not been caught off-guard when she heard of them finally doing it. She and Keiichi had sort of made a bet as to who will be the first to crack, and needless to say, Keiichi had won, him having placed his bet on Arata.
But as amusing as it is for them, she knew it was not going to be easy for Chihaya. She had already expected that one of these days she will be hearing this from her sister, but she hadn't expected that it would be a double headache for her. Chitose felt sorry for her, as much as she wanted to smack her in the head, for not noticing those two's feelings immediately. If she did, she would have been able to pinpoint immediately as to who she liked more and would have prevented them from confessing to her one after the other.
"'Neechan… if you were me, what would you do?"
As much as she knew that she was practically going to be late for work, she couldn't leave her sister like this. She had to at least, act like the older sister who was more knowledgeable and help to at least clear her head.
"Do you feel at least an attraction to one of them?" She asked her instead, in an attempt to dig in Chihaya's feelings and make her focus on to one of them.
Chihaya sunk into deep thought, and she realized that yes, she did. She was attracted to Arata. The way that he looked at her when he had faced her in the airport when he had gone for his travel internship, the way that she felt sad when she couldn't do more but just smile at him when they had met in matches back in high school… when he would call and she practically would trip over her own feet just to answer him… the way she felt when he had embraced her when he told her how much he loved her…
Then she frowned. Because she practically felt the same for Taichi.
She recalled how overjoyed she was to have found him again in the Sodai University Hospital, how she felt so heartbroken when she finally understood what had been going in with him for years, how her heart ached for him as he cried, how happy she felt just to see him smile again like he used to before…
How she felt so empty when he had disappeared from her life…
And how, when their gazes had locked last night, did she feel her stomach twist and turn, fluttering like there were butterflies in it, and her heart pounded in her chest when he held her close and told her how much he loved her, how she suddenly felt so shy when she had given him a kiss for just deciding to cook soba for her… how she felt so at home and safe in his arms.
But wouldn't that mean that she felt the same for the two of them!?
"I'm attracted to the both of them!" She exclaimed in despair, collapsing back on her bed and wringing her hands up in frustration. Chitose sighed, rubbing her temples.
"You have to choose which of them you're more attracted to!"
"I can't! It's impossible!"
Chitose wanted to strangle her sister. How was it possible to like two people at the same time?
Although as she thought about it more, it was not exactly impossible to like two people at the same time. However, one of them has to be more important to her, to weigh more in her thoughts than the other.
"Who was more important to you then?"
''Neechan they're both important to me." Chihaya responded helplessly. "I'd do anything for either of them, you know."
"Guess there's no helping it then. Listen, when two people like me at the same time, I do what every sane woman does."
"What?" Chihaya asked confusedly.
"I kiss them both and see who was the better kisser."
"N-Neechan!" Chihaya exclaimed, reddening furiously from her neck to the roots of her hair. Chitose sighed and smacked her on the back of her head, making her exclaim irritatedly, "Ouch!"
"Stop acting like a kid!" Chitose scolded, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's your problem, you still think like a kid. Well, girl, I've got news for you. You're no longer a kid, you're already twenty one. You should start seeing them as men. And not just as friends." She took a deep breath before continuing, "I know it's much easier said than done. But Chihaya, it's time for you to grow up and think about this seriously. You do realize they both just told you how much they love you, right?"
Chihaya was staring at her with wide, panicky eyes. "Y-Yes. But 'neechan… I'm not sure… I'm attracted to the both of them, but I don't know what kind of love they're talking about. W-What if their feelings were not the same as mine?" She looked down to her fingers. "W-What if the 'love' they're saying was different from mine? A-And besides…" Here she trailed off before taking a deep breath as well, "Realizing who it is I love more between them will make me choose one from them. And that would mean hurting one of them… right?"
Chitose sighed as she saw her sister's dilemma. So she wasn't as airhead as she had always been. She was actually surprised that she managed to figure that one out, because it hadn't been a secret to anyone in their family that you couldn't exactly expect her to understand these things at first try. She guessed that her sister did grow after all these years.
She wrapped an arm around her shoulders as tears formed in Chihaya's eyes. "Yes, that would undoubtedly hurt one of them. But you couldn't have them both in the same time, you know." She caressed her sister's messy hair. "They know that, and had still decided to take the risk. That's what love is, after all."
"I don't understand."
Chitose tipped up her chin to look at her in the eyes, wondering what she should tell her innocent sister to make her understand. "Love, Chihaya, is when you do crazy things just to make a person happy. It's when you make tough decisions, to hurt that someone because you know it would be better for them, but you do it anyway because you love them," she took a deep breath, smiling sadly, "it's when you choose to stay away from that person, because you don't want them to be hurt, despite it killing you, because sometimes, it's better to stay away from her than to see her hurt because of you."
Chihaya looked up to her, her eyes still not hiding the lost expression she was wearing at the moment. "I-I'm still lost."
Chitose looked at her younger sister, and she couldn't help but chuckle at her. Well, her sister is starting to become a woman. She didn't know who to thank, -who knew she would be seeing this day?
"I figured you won't. At the moment." She comforted her sniffing sister. "Don't worry. You will understand everything in time. But if I were you, I will be thinking about this more seriously from now on. Love, after all, is not a game."
"B-But…" Chihaya began as Chitose finally stood up, "I-I can't decide which of them I like more! What if I won't be able to decide?"
Her older sister smacked her on the head again. "Baka. You will be able to decide. Believe me, you will. Because one of them, undoubtedly, will weigh more in your thoughts than the other. Just one piece of advice though," she trailed off to make sure Chihaya is listening, "follow what you're feeling here." She rubbed Chihaya's left chest. "you will know who it is you're in love with just by listening to it. Whoever makes your heart flutter in happiness, whoever makes you feel as if there is something twisting in your stomach, then that's him."
She winked at her karuta-addicted sister. "I hope you don't take too long, Chihaya. Both of them are such wonderful men, after all. Each of you deserves happiness with the other." Then her expression turned stern. "Now get dressed. You have somewhere to go to today, right?"
Chitose smiled to herself as she turned to gracefully exit the room, leaving Chihaya flustered and speechless, scratching her head.
I hope you immediately realize it. I don't know how much longer he is willing to let you decide. I hope, for your sake, that you see it. You've made him wait for too long already.
Oh, I'm so excited to see what happens!
She had to thank the both of them. Her sister, after all, is, finally, growing up.
Taichi turned and got his clothes which were hanging behind the door of the bathroom located specifically in his hospital room, which was reserved solely for him. He had already changed into a hospital gown, which left him a bit uncomfortable since it felt a little itchy behind.
Man, hospital gowns sure make you feel perpetually itchy.
Sighing to himself, he went out of the bathroom and proceeded to fold his clothes carefully into one pile. He was only waiting for the doctor to call him to proceed to the operating room, having finished doing some of the tests that he had to take before the surgery.
He tried to ignore the fact that he was feeling so nervous already.
A knock came on the door and he called "Come in," before it opened to reveal 'Mrs. Pressure' –his mom.
"Okaasan." He called in a greeting. His mom came to pick him up earlier to accompany him and assisted him with packing some of the clothes that he will need for around two months of stay in the hospital, and he had to admit, he felt grateful, if just a little, for the moral support that she was showing.
"Are you ready?" She asked, coming in and carefully closing the door. She was clutching her shoulder bag in one hand, which he knew was a sign that his mom is also nervous. The action was enough to quietly amaze him, because Mashima Rieko had never shown any nervousness or fear of the unknown. She always had projected this image of a strong, convicted woman, -hell, she had been a dictator and decision-maker, so seeing her like this was something new, even to her own son.
The stubbornness and ability to hide the fear had come from her. He knew he had inherited it, because it was one of the qualities that had made him so prideful. Truthfully he had always wondered the combination kind of personality he had- cowardice and pride. What an odd combination for a person like him.
Coward? Hmmm. Let's see… I've already admitted my feelings to her, does that still count as cowardice?
Well that was expecting too much from him if he would say he wasn't quite nervous with Chihaya's reaction to his totally out-the-blue confession. After all, people's personalities don't change overnight.
But it is a big change.
The moment the words had left his mouth last night, he felt strangely liberated. It felt as if a large weight had been lifted from his shoulders, like something which had been suffocating him for years had been finally removed from his chest. He didn't know whatever it is that had possessed him to finally, finally make her aware of his feelings, but he was thankful for whatever it is. At least, Chihaya wasn't as clueless as she was now.
Honestly speaking, until now he felt strangely in cloud nine, feeling as if he was so light, his feet off the ground. Despite of the fact that he was practically nervous with his surgery, he still felt like he was floating.
He guessed that there was something to be said about confession being good for the soul.
"I'm ready." He told his mom in response, plopping down on the bed and continuing to fold his clothes into proper piles. "I was just waiting for Ryuzaki-sensei to give me the signal." He looked at her. "Is Rika coming?"
"She's still at school, finishing a case study with her classmates. She'll be coming later on." His mom responded, and he smirked inwardly in response. Case study my foot. I would bet my Lexus she's with her boyfriend. He hadn't bothered asking about his father, because he was out of the country for a few days now, and it had been an agreement between him and his mom that they would keep it from his father in the meantime. They didn't want to risk giving the old man a heart attack.
"Really. Guess I'll have to pester her later then." He responded in a wry tone. His mother raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are any of your friends coming? I expect they have already known about this even before we did." She asked, sounding sterner like she used to be. Taichi glanced at her again, looking at her quite warily.
"I'm not expecting any of them today." He said, quite truthfully. It was true, anyway. He hadn't told any of his friends about his decision yet, -really it was better for them to find out about it in the end because he knew what a fuss they would make,- and now that he had told Chihaya what he felt, he expected she would need time to think about things deeply, and that would mean her avoiding them for a few days.
Or at least, that's what he expected, especially now, now that it was apparent that he and Arata had made it clear to her that they were both in love with her, and that they are fighting for her hand.
"Even Chihaya-san?"
Why did it feel as if his mother didn't want to believe him?
"Why are you asking about her, mom? You haven't liked her, -then and now."
"I find it strange for her not to be here. After all, she had always held you in the palm of her hand." She said matter-of-factly.
His cheeks involuntarily burned. "What is that supposed to mean?"
His mother didn't get the chance to respond as, as that moment, a knock came on the door and it opened a crack to reveal Ryuzaki-sensei's face.
"It's time, Mashima-kun."
He nodded, and he and his mom stood up. After a meaningful look at him, he allowed her to step ahead of him and they both went out of his soon-to-be hospital room. He gave the room one last look before closing the door.
Before he could take a step further though, he was startled to hear someone calling his name. "Taichi!"
He whirled around and spotted Chihaya rushing over to him, and she wasn't alone. Arata was with her as well, and they were rushing to his direction. "Chihaya? Arata." He said, sounding surprised, as she stopped in front of them clutching her chest. Through his peripheral vision he saw his mom shake her head minutely, but it appeared as if she was… smiling?
Huh?
"I-I'm glad I caught you j-just in time. O-Oh, Mashima-san." She turned to his mother and bowed respectfully, still caching her breath. His mother bowed her head in response minutely.
"Chihaya-san. Long time no see." She then turned to him. "We'll just be waiting for you then." And with that, she nodded to Ryuzaki-sensei, who grasped him on the shoulder and proceeded ahead of him.
He was mystified by his mother's behavior. Normally she would act all polite and with a smile pasted over her face… but couldn't dwell on it now. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming." He said, still surprised.
Chihaya frowned at him and swatted him on the arm. "What is that supposed to mean? We came here to give you support of course!" He noticed how she blushed at him when she said that. "I-I mean… right, Arata?"
"Of course." Arata seconded. "Did you think we're going to leave you alone?" He raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say Duh.
"B-But what about your school?"
"We finished early." Chihaya replied, sounding close to being defensive. "We came here to see you as fast as we can. I'm glad we caught you."
"You didn't need to come-"
"Ah mou! Taichi no baka!" She smacked him on the head that he exclaimed "Ow!" Before she relented and rubbed the back of his head. He was glaring at her. This woman…!
"A-Are you going to the surgery room now?" She asked, fidgeting a bit with her fingers as she looked down to avoid his gaze.
He caught Arata's eye and he shrugged. "Well yes. You got any problem with that?" he jokingly asked, trying to ease her worry which was so clearly etched on her face. Before he could react though, he found himself wrapped in her arms, her breathing rugged against his chest.
"Come back well, Taichi." She said, her voice muffled against his chest. "You have to hear well, again."
He glanced at Arata, wondering what was his expression seeing this, but all he saw in the other man's eyes was support and friendship. And he realized, then and there, that no matter what happened, no matter who Chihaya chose between them, they would always be friends.
He hugged her back, appreciating the fact that she was still there to support him, despite of both of them knowing how things are different now. "I'll try. But don't expect too much please."
"Baka. Do it." She commanded haughtily, as she looked up to him, her dark eyes filled with unshed tears. "Please, Taichi."
He nodded, as much as he didn't want to disappoint her, he had to appease her, and he felt Arata grip his shoulder as well. He nodded at him silently, and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Okay. Don't worry too much. Arata, look after her for me will you? I want to see her when I wake up." He then released her as she bushed again, looking at them both with sudden pride. "Wish me luck."
Chihaya and Arata nodded, and with that he turned away from them, trudging away from them with light footsteps.
Kami-sama, I entrust everything to you.
Suffice to say, the surgery had taken long, -around six hours at least. Arata had to hold Chihaya's arm to stop her from wearing a path on the floor in front of the operating room, and when the doctor came out finally, it was to tell them that the surgery was over and he had done everything he could, and that as soon as Taichi wakes up, they will know the result.
Taichi had spent the past forty-eight hours asleep, still unconscious. The surgery, and the medications no doubt, had taken it's toll on him. His mom had watched over him for the past two days and his sister had come to substitute for his mom no doubt, and Chihaya had endured at least an hour of awkward silence with his family during the first day.
What was unexpected was that 'Mrs. Pressure' had tried talking to her the following day, had asked her how she was doing, and what was her plan after graduating. She was trembling as she responded to her questions, much to Arata's amusement, who had offered them both a cup of coffee at the time.
"And you, Wataya-san? How have you been doing?"
Like her Arata had responded to her questions politely, not in the least bit intimidated by 'Mrs. Pressure' that Chihaya had to admire him for that. Taichi's mom had nodded carefully with each of his responses, but what she had last said had to be the biggest surprise in her life.
"I will have to go home and attend a company meeting in his father's place. I might not be around when Taichi wakes up. Can you look after him in my stead, Chihaya-san?"
That was, no doubt, the biggest surprise she had encountered. She had responded with a close-to-squeak "Yes!" and his mother nodded briefly and smiled one of her signature, make-you-tremble smiles before thanking her.
And that was how she left. Chihaya didn't honestly know what had gotten into 'Mrs. Pressure' that she couldn't help but wonder whether she wasn't Taichi's proud mother at all.
And so she was left there with Arata, looking after Taichi. The poor man is still asleep, and though Chihaya tried not to, her thoughts took direction every time to that night when he had confessed to her, and just how her stomach would turn every time she remembered it. She softly reached out to draw away some of the hair which had fallen to his face, trying hard not to stare at those slightly opened lips as he breathed calmly, before taking one of his hands in hers and playing with it gently. All the bandages that were wrapped around his head and over his ear made her nervous, but she told herself not to worry. She did not notice Arata's expression, who had slightly shaken his head.
She still hasn't realized it then…
"I'm goin' to get some food from the cafeteria. Do you want anythin'?" He volunteered, standing up.
"No thanks. I'm quite full."
"Chihaya. Not eatin' anythin' won't help. Do you think Taichi will be pleased once he finds out you haven't been eatin' anythin'?"
She took a deep breath and sighed. "I know. It's just that…" She trailed off, not knowing how to continue, though she knew Arata would understand it all the same.
Arata sighed as well in response. "Does ramen sound good? You have to at least get somethin' warm in your stomach, and we couldn't risk you eatin' too much all of a sudden."
She looked at him gratefully. "Yes, that sounds good. Thanks, Arata, and sorry for making you worry."
Arata ruffled her hair in response that she pouted and swatted his hand away in response. "Anythin' for you."
Now she reddened at that. She almost forgot. Arata had confessed to her as well.
How is she going to choose between one of them? She knew that what Chitose had said was true. Both of them are such wonderful men. Not choosing one from them would be totally unfair, not just for them, but for her as well.
But choosing one from them meant that she will undoubtedly hurt one of them!
Before she could think about it further though, she heard a moan. Then she felt him squeeze her fingers that she felt as if her heart wanted to leap for joy.
He's awake!
"Taichi!" She exclaimed in happiness as his eyes fluttered open to finally reveal those beautiful amber eyes. He looked disorientedly up to the ceiling, then finally glanced at her. The smile she had on her lips was enough to blind him as she leaned forward. "A-Are you okay? Um… D-Does something hurt?" She tried asking, then mentally smacked herself as she remembered the bandages still wrapped around him. Of course he wouldn't hear me clearly! T-That's not something bad… right? "I-I'll just… call Ryuzaki-sensei." She was about to stand up but something pulled her back, and she turned back to see him shake his head slightly, seeing something like fear flash in his eyes. His hand was gripping hers tightly, and she felt something melt inside her.
He… is scared. She took a deep breath, and it was only then that she remembered there was a button above his head which could be used to call the nurses. She sighed at her utter dumbness, and she smiled at him. "Okay. I'm staying."
He seemed to understand that, and he settled a bit more comfortably as she leaned over him to push the said button. Then she sat back down, nearly blushing furiously as she saw him staring at her. Her heart was pounding hard again as their gazes locked just like three nights ago.
Don't stare at me like that…
She didn't know how to contain the furious reddening of her cheeks. He was still staring at her, a calm expression on his face, probably just studying everything in detail. He was still holding her hand tightly in his, and was, again, rubbing his thumb in circles on the back of her hand. Remembering that she had offered to mail his mom once he woke up, she fished her phone out of the pocket of her purse and typed the mail, (his mom had conveniently left her her contact number,) and sent it.
He was watching her silently, a silent question in his eyes.
"I mailed your mom. She… had to go home to attend a meeting in your father's stead. She… She gave me her contact number." She explained, all the while wondering if he even understood her.
Oh God… Please let him hear well again…
Chihaya saw his forehead furrow, and one of his eyebrows raised as if to ask, 'What, you and mom are mail buddies now?'
She wondered if he understood her. Did that mean…?
It was then at that moment that the door burst open and Ryuzaki-sensei came in followed by a nurse. Chihaya had to move aside as they started checking Taichi's pulse, and all other essentials to be done when a patient just woke up from surgery. Ryuzaki-sensei turned to her.
"How long has he been awake?"
"J-Just a few minutes. He just opened his eyes a few minutes ago."
"We'll be removing the bandages later on. And let us hope against hope, that the surgery was a success."
Her eyes widened, and she swallowed. This is it.
The nurse started unwrapping the bandages over his ear, and into his head. Chihaya waited with bated breath that she almost didn't notice Arata come in, back from the cafeteria and all. He felt him grip her shoulder and squeeze it reassuringly, and she felt grateful that he was there.
As soon as the last bandage came off, Ryuzaki-sensei leaned forward. "Do you hear anything, Taichi-kun?"
Taichi didn't respond, his expression looking blank. Tears welled up in Chihaya's eyes as she watched him look up somehow blankly at Ryuzaki-sensei.
Oh God… No… It couldn't be…
Then his expression changed. He frowned. "I'm hearing popping noises. Is that even normal?"
Chihaya nearly leaped out of her seat in unexplainable happiness and joy. He can hear! Oh my God, he can hear!
Ryuzaki-sensei smiled in relief, and gripped Taichi's shoulder, all smiles. "Yes that's normal, Taichi-kun. You just came from an ear surgery after all." Then he straightened up and ruffled his hair gently before turning to everyone in the room. "You'll be experiencing that for a few days. I am happy to say that the surgery is a success."
Chihaya's tears fell from her eyes in happiness as she sobbed for him, and Arata smiled at him widely as he met his gaze.
"Don't cry, Chihaya." Taichi frowned as she sniffed heavily. "You heard sensei, right? Unless it's you who had suddenly gone-"
He was cut off as she stood up and took him in her arms, sobbing on his chest. "I'm… I'm so glad for you, Taichi. I-I'm so happy for you!"
Taichi chuckled gently as he stroked her hair and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Thank Kami-sama then.
For days on end Taichi did his best to follow the procedure the doctor had strictly left on him. Soft diet, no heavy workload. Since he will be staying in the hospital for a few weeks, he jokingly told Ryuzaki-sensei that he really wouldn't have any workload. At least, while he was here.
He had sent Chihaya home after learning from Arata that the only thing she had eaten so far was ramen. Her not eating was definitely something out of context, because it was so not like her that he joked she would weigh less than a hundred and eighteen pounds if she didn't eat normally, which resulted to her giving him a swat on the arm, forgetting that he just had a surgery.
"You mean brat!"
But since she had been worrying for him, he couldn't help but feel so light anyway.
Another reason why he had to send her home is because he didn't know what to make of the interaction occurring between her and his mother, of all people. Mashima Rieko had asked her to look after him, something that he could not imagine her doing, of all things.
"What is going on, Okaasan?" He had asked cautiously, which made her raise an eyebrow at him.
"Nothing is going on, Taichi."
"You've asked Chihaya to look after me when you had to be in a meeting, and you gave her you contact number and she mailed you. You haven't exactly liked her, then and now, Okaasan. I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from."
His mom fixed him with a laser-like gaze that he had always been familiar with. "I realized, Taichi, that Chihaya-san has always been a good friend of yours. I have started respecting her because of it. Didn't you want that?"
But it seemed that there was something more than that, Taichi thought inwardly.
He had to stay for a few more weeks in the hospital because Ryuzaki-sensei still had to observe his condition. He would have preferred to be discharged immediately, but Arata had pointed out (the sneaky bastard,) that he will drown himself with schoolwork immediately if he was left alone, something that he would have to stray off for now because he just came from a surgery. Chihaya had agreed, which finalized the decision to make him stay in the hospital.
If Taichi didn't know any better, Arata was making 'the moves' on Chihaya. Huh. He wouldn't be surprised if Arata had found a way to do so. After all, it was now apparent that neither of them were backing down when all came down to Chihaya.
That was the final reason why he had asked her to rest and stay home first. The past few days had her blushing at the both of them and an atmosphere of awkwardness and tension surrounded the three of them when they would be left alone to themselves. What felt as a stab was that Chihaya was friendly towards Arata as usual, but when it came to him… she almost wouldn't talk to him, except when he and Arata would initiate a talk regarding upcoming karuta matches for the both of them, or when he would need assistance in changing his ear dressing. He guessed that now that it was clear that he would be hearing again and that he was out of danger from going deaf his whole life, her priority as his best friend was starting to change, to evolve, by the looks of it.
She was starting to think about the two of them more deeply now, in a manner of a woman thinking of the two men who had just caused a disturbance in her world by admitting to her that they were both head-over-heels for her.
He knew she needed space first, and despite of the fact he would certainly miss her, he and Arata had agreed that they would have to leave her alone first to prevent her from being overwhelmed by either of them. The last thing they wanted to happen was them losing her and her friendship at the same time.
"I'd rather have her as a best friend if that's the case." He had told Arata when Chihaya had left to choose whatever she wanted to eat in the cafeteria the day before she had gone home.
"Don't worry. I understand." Arata had agreed, before grinning at him all of a sudden. "Though I'm surprised. You've changed, Taichi."
"It's too early to say that."
"It's not, and you know it. You've always seemed to think too much of things before, always preparing, always planning, always having a back up plan if the back up plan for your plan didn't work. You were always so busy trying to think up of ways of hiding the disappointment you will feel once things did not go your way."
"That's not something bad."
"Except it restricted you from doing what you should do." Arata countered, looking at him seriously. "You're a proud man after all. You've always been not so confident when it came to Chihaya. When it came to her, you've always prepared a mask that you will wear once you lost."
"She's different. You and I both know that, Arata. The natural rules in this world didn't apply to her. It's intimidating, and you are aware of that."
"Of course."
"She needed space. From the both of us. We overwhelm her too much."
"Agreed."
And so he came up with the decision to ask her, -no order her,- to go home and rest first. She had disagreed, but when he casually threatened that she wouldn't be able to borrow some of his dvds again, she was out of the room before he could even complete the threat.
She cares more for the dvds. That woman…
This morning, he woke up earlier than usual to take a walk around the hospital, since he wasn't allowed to even exercise or jog. He was getting bored being alone for the past few days now that he felt like wanting to get out of the room first just to take in the sunlight and the air. He had told Ryuzaki-sensei that he would wander in the hospital garden for now, and if anyone chose to visit, they just needed to look for him there.
He had wandered around the garden, watching some of the other patients sitting or smelling some of the flowers, or some elders in wheelchairs being strolled around by some nurses or their grandchildren. He had to admit, it was peaceful there, and it gave him peace of mind.
"Tai…chi? Oh my gosh, is that you?"
He whirled around in surprise, hearing a familiar voice call. He saw a petite, blue-eyed woman standing behind him, her eyes widening once she confirmed that it really is him. "Oh my God! It is you! Hisashiburi!" She exclaimed, before almost flying to his arms and embracing him tightly, and tiptoeing to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Ruka?" Was all he could say as he returned the embrace. "W-What are you doing here?"
"I should ask you that. What are you doing here? I visited a friend of mine who was hospitalized just a few days ago." Then she noticed the dressing in his ears that he had. "D-Did you just come from a surgery?"
He was saved from further response when a movement behind her caught his eye. Then the color drained off of his face when he saw who it was.
"Chihaya." He breathed out, seeing her brows furrowed, and she was looking at the both of them with wide eyes. What caught his eye though was something like… hurt(?) had flashed in her eyes. Ruka turned to follow his gaze, and she giggled.
"Oh. Who's this? Introduce us, Taichi. Where are your manners?" She joked, giggling in a friendly manner at Chihaya, and she returned the smile, though Taichi could see it was a bit… hesitant.
He wanted the ground to open and up and swallow him. Why, oh why, did this have to happen to him? Now? As in right now?
"Ruka, this is Ayase Chihaya. My err… best friend and current Queen of karuta." Chihaya was looking at him with unblinking doe eyes, and he didn't know why he felt like she was accusing him of something. God, why did this have to happen to him?
"Chihaya, meet Kasanagi Ruka. My… ex-girlfriend."
Ahahaha.
Taichi is quite the lucky guy. Who knew he'll have to meet his ex-girlfriend again? And for Chihaya to catch them in that moment no less! Haha. Poor guy. I wonder how he's going to deal with both of the women who had a part in his life in one room. Well good luck.
As for Chihaya, well, she's beginning to make progress, though still… well, slow. It'll take a while for her to connect Chitose's advice to her feelings for the two men. Well, I hope they're up to wait for it, and for her sake, I hope she realizes it, and soon.
Thank you for reading, guys. As always, please let me know what you think. I would love to hear more from you!
See you next chapter guys! Love lots!