Chapter 2: The Rain Must Fall
Natsume's POV
Ugh. I'm feeling very terrible right now. First of all, there's this cold rain that won't stop falling, I mean, I'm already drenched from head to toe here, and I don't think being out here in the cold, shivering, would be of any help to my pathetic condition right now. And second, ugh, this idiot that just seemed stupid enough to not look where he's going is still not getting off me.
Mikan's POV
What happened? The sound of falling rain, me being drenched in this cold rainwater, and this feeling of getting lifted up from the ground… and hitting it again. Ow. What the hell - ?
"Eh?" I said, while finally regain consciousness after recovering from that hard fall.
"You idiot! Why won't you watch where you're going? And why the hell are you out in this rain anyway?!" A haughty voice said from above me.
"God?"
My mistake. I'm guessing he won't sound this proud, or annoyed. My thoughts must have been shaken a bit, right after that second harder fall I just had…
My thoughts trailed off when I had this realization.
"Shoot. Natsume, what happened to you?" I said as I looked up to where he was standing.
"I walked in the rain, collapsed, and got tripped on by an idiot who wasn't looking her way. Nothing much I guess…" He replied, rather tonelessly, even after he said that he…
"You what?! Why?! How?! When?!..." I stopped the single-worded questions when I heard a muffled cough from where Natsume stood. From where he was standing, a small pool of blood has begun to form.
"NO!" I stood up quickly and rushed to his side.
"What the heck is wrong with you? And what were you planning anyway, going out in this rain! What the hell was that for?! Are you retarded?!" Again with the questions, I have to control myself more, from now on.
Natsume knelt to the ground, with the muffled coughs still escaping from him, even with his mouth covering his mouth and all. He was now kneeling on a puddle of blood, and I was running out of words to say…
"Let's go back." I held out my hand to him, and to my surprise, he took it and used all his strength to get back up. I heard him mumble something in between his coughs, but it was really hard to hear in this rain and the chattering of my teeth.
"What the –"I was even more surprised when he rested his head on my shoulder. What's with him today anyway? And then, as if by instinct, my arms took their places. My right arm was around him, and my left hand was resting on his head.
We both stayed in that spot in the same position for a few seconds, with only the loud sloshing of the rain and the distinct howls of the wind to be heard.
"I-I ha-have t-to go. Bad th-things, ha-have t-to watch out f-from now o-on." He stuttered, in between the sounds of some tiny coughs and chattering teeth.
His sudden words made me jump a little, but I perfectly understood where and why he had to go. Because if this was his own idea of being a hero, I wasn't going to let him go this time, not right now. I couldn't just let him do whatever those guys wanted, not when he seemed to be in his worst condition ever these past four months.
The rain was falling, even harder now than it was before.
"You're not going anywhere." I said as I held his hand to stop him from leaving.
"I have to." He had that very serious look on his eyes as he shook my hand off. Then, he started to walk, leaving me standing there alone, blank, and dripping wet. I blinked off the blankness, and the next thing I knew it, the guy was ten feet away from me, walking steadily but slowly, as if he had a hard time continuing so.
I can't, but I must. I don't feel up to it, but I have to. I run to Natsume and do something that was really against my will.
Natsume POV
For a brief moment, I was walking to my destination, but I guess I wasn't fast enough. I'm such an idiot; I should've known she was going to do something like this. First the rain beating down on me, and before I knew it, a pair of arms around my waist…
"What are you doing?" She tightened her hold.
"I'm saving you from doing something stupid." She replied, in a matter-of-fact tone, while holding on to me with all her might. She should know that she wasn't stronger than me, but then, those open arms were something that I didn't want to be free from at the moment.
"Well, it's about time I should save you the time. Now scram, I have my own business to attend to." I didn't want her to leave.
"You know very well that I won't let you leave." I was looking down on where she was as she said those words; her eyes were closed too, as if she was now using all of her strength to keep me glued to that spot. I felt it, obviously.
"Promise me Natsume, that you won't leave." She said that so seriously, word for word, I felt her concern and sympathy, and word for word, I felt my heart break even more.
Mikan's POV
The wind continued to howl along with the heavy drops of cold rain that went down on us endlessly as if the sky had to give away all its tears for that moment right there.
A short moment of silence, as though the world came to a stop, and then, something warm that trickled down my hand, which contrasted greatly against the frosty breaths of wind and rain.
He undid my hands from his waist and started to walk away, once again, leaving me behind, broken and cold. This rain felt even worse now, just like icy bullets that were being sent down from the sky.