Komaeda was sitting in the corner of the tree house, starting outwards at the moonlight, and seemed so focused on it that he didn't even notice Hinata lumber up the rope onto the fort as well. Hinata instinctively grew concerned, knowing usually Komaeda would acknowledge his presence right away, and greet him pleasantly. He immediately scooted over to where Komaeda was, and hesitantly put his hand on his shoulder. To his relief, Komaeda did not draw away from the touch.
"Hey… Komaeda, what's wrong?" Hinata had a sickening feeling of dread rising around him, like a bed of sharp nails slowly biting into his skin. It couldn't have been something that bad… right?
Komaeda looked to Hinata, and for a second, the latter thought perhaps there wasn't an issue. But there was something else in those gleaming, silver eyes. Without a word, Komaeda passed Hinata a paper he had on him. Hinata noted it was a medical form.
He took his time reading over the sheet of Komaeda's diagnosis, unsure of what to make of it all. "Lymphoma…? Frontotemporal dementia…?" Icy needles of unease and terror lined his spine as he read further.
"I wanted you to be the first to know, Hinata-kun…" He finally spoke.
Hinata ripped his eyes off the page, and looked with full fear at the other boy. "Komaeda", he whispered, unable to bring his voice much louder, "What does this all mean…?"
Komaeda bowed his head, thinking. After a minute he closed his eyes, and looked back up at Hinata's expectant face. He sighed.
"Hinata-kun...:"
The brunette's body shuddered with anxiety from the raspy, coated mutter. Once again. Hinata wrapped his arms steadily around Komaeda.
"I'm dying."
A tear fell onto Komaeda's sleeve. Komaeda looked bewildered at it, and looked to Hinata. More droplets continued to fall from the latter's face to accompany the first. When Komaeda had first received the diagnosis, he had honestly scarcely cared about his situation. If he was to die, what would it matter? He was garbage anyways. If anything it was a good thing to get rid of him. No one would care… right?
But someone did care after all. He never wanted to see Hinata-kun like this. He silently cursed himself for allowing every one of Hinata's tears one after another fall. Would his death really mean that much to his only friend, Hinata-kun? He never wanted to see Hinata-kun so hurt and saddened again.
For once in the entire span of his worthless, luckless life… Komaeda wanted to live.