As an apology for my late updates, I posted two chapters in two days!
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Chapter 10 – Happy Birthday

"Still looking at that boring old scenery?" Rin asked.

The day was a cloudy one with a forecast of rain. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Shouldn't you be getting to school? Any later and the rain will start to come down."

Just when Rin was about to open his mouth to retort, there was a purple flash and a violent sound of thunder vibrated in the room, causing both of us to jump at the suddenness of it all.

"Yeah, I guess so." Rin rubbed the back of his head. "Ne, Haru..."

"What?" My eyes were somewhat transfixed onto a cat which was walking around. It jumped onto a low fence and entered the premises of one of the dilapidated houses. As if sensing I was watching it, it turned to look in my direction, tail up, whiskers twitched. I held my breath. After a long hard look, it decided that it was safe to move on and disappeared into the rubble.

"Hey, Haru!" Rin clicked his fingers rapidly in front of my face.

I Brushed them away in annoyance. "What?"

"You weren't even listening." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yes, I was."

"Okay, tell me what I asked you."

"..." I really hadn't listened. The cat had my attention all this time. "Swimming."

Rin sighed softly and his arms drooped to his sides. He mumbled something incoherent, but I was sure as heaven or hell that it was something about me and swimming. "I asked what do you want for your birthday."

Now that Rin mentioned it, I hadn't really noticed how fast time flew. That would've made it eighteen months in the hospital now. The sickness has spread to a few of my left and right fingers.

Speaking of which, remember when I said that when the sickness spread my face would be glued to one expression until I died? Turns out, that it doesn't have to come to that. Doctor says that when the disease reaches my heart, I would've been dead already. Never really thought about that.

There still was some time before my birthday, about three weeks. I stared up at the white ceiling which I had grown accustomed to, looking at it night after night. Unfortunately for me, no answers could be found on the ceiling, not even a shred of inspiration.

I turned back to Rin, staring into his red orbs. "I want you."

Rin snickered. Pink dusted his cheeks. "You already have me." He ruffled my hair. "What do you want? Something that you don't have."

I looked down to my hands. I wanted more time. I wanted to live longer. I wanted to make it until Christmas at least. But no matter how much I wanted these things, my wish would never be granted. "I already have everything that I want."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes." Yes, I have everything that I want.

Rin seemed to be thinking it over for a while. "Don't you want to go to a pool?" Rin knew better than to ask if I wanted to swim. It was a sensitive subject. Had to give him credit for turning this whole conversation towards water without mentioning the word 'swimming'.

"Maybe." Once again, my thoughts flew to those days. The days when I could still swim. The days when my legs still worked. "Just a maybe."

Rin kept quiet and nodded. He took a look at the sky through the windows. It was growing darker by the minute, if that were even possible. When Rin turned around, the sound of the first drops of rain started to fall on the window plane.

"Oh, shit." mumbled Rin as he hastily kissed me goodbye and ran out the door.

"Rin!" I shouted from my place in bed. "Your bag!"

Turning a sharp corner, he entered my room again, grabbed his bag, thanked me and left.

Really, Rin was cute too.

~.~.~.~

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARU!" Confetti in gleaming colours were thrown over my head. It fluttered and fell like sakura petals in the spring. Too bad my birthday falls on the 30th of June. It's summer then. But summer is the perfect time for swimming in the sea.

At least people were still celebrating my birthday. And they were good at it too. Makoto was in charge of most of the preparations, since he was my closest friend. Fish was prepared. A lot of it. From salmon to mackerel to tuna. They were laid out in bentos which were supplied by Kou. Nagisa, Rei and Ama sensei were put in charge of all the decorations. They briefly decorated my hospital room while Nurse Ayano took me out for a stroll in my wheelchair.

From the kitchen, Nurse Ayano and Ama sensei brought out a huge vanilla cream cake with peaches, strawberries, kiwi, prunes and hot chocolate sauce on it. The words 'Happy Birthday' were painted on with blue mint frosting.

Rin and Makoto had somehow managed to sneak in a couple bottles of sparkling blue champagne without the hospital staff noticing. When I looked to Nurse Ayano, she gave me a knowing smile. Figures.

"Here's to Haru, our favourite swimmer!~" proposed Nagisa as everyone went in for the toast. And for the briefest of moments, in the midst of all their smiles, I found myself smiling and forgetting the disease I had, the sickness, the part where I would eventually die. All I could think about was that moment.