Mugi carried a tray with some tea to the living room. Mio and Ritsu sat silently, thinking about the accident. They had helped Yui return home, after which she ran upstairs and disappeared into her room. No one followed, thinking it best to just leave her be.
"That hit looked pretty bad. Do you think she's gonna be okay?" Ritsu asked, trying to start a conversation. When she got no reply, she fell quiet again. Silence filled the room, punctuated only by the clinks of their cups hitting their saucers as they drank their tea. They could not find words to say.
Upstairs, Yui lay on her bed, tightly clutching her pillow to her chest. She had never felt so devastated in her life. This is all my fault! If only I hadn't tried making her wear those stupid cat ears, she wouldn't have... she wouldn't have... Tears reappearing, she cried into her pillow.
After some time, there was a knock on her door. "Yui-chan? Can I come in?" It was Mugi. When Yui didn't answer, she opened the door. "Yui-chan? I've got some tea here for you." The guitarist simply turned to stare blankly at the wall. After a bit of hesitation, Mugi walked to her bed.
"Yui-chan. I am so sorry about what happened with Azusa-chan. But please don't beat yourself up so much about it. No one could have known something like that would happen. We don't blame you at all." Her attempt at consoling her grieving friend received no reply. Setting the tea down on Yui's bedside dresser, she turned to leave, then stopped. "Ui-chan is with Azusa right now, so she's not alone." She then left the room to give Yui some more time and returned to Mio and Ritsu. They looked up when they heard her footsteps. Mugi shook her head. "She's incredibly upset. She didn't say a word to me." Suddenly she felt tears welling up in her eyes. Wiping them away had no effect, as they kept coming. Feeling her legs trembling, she struggled not to cry.
Seeing this, Mio simply said, "Don't hold it back Mugi. You'll feel better if you let it out."
When Mugi heard this, she dropped to the floor. "Azusa-chan... Yui-chan..." Dropping her restraints, she started crying. Mio and Ritsu looked at each other briefly, then Ritsu stood up. Walking to her crying friend, she knelt down and pulled her into a hug. Mugi clutched the drummer, sobbing uncontrollably.
Minutes passed, then Mio's phone started ringing. Flipping it open to check the caller's name, her spirits lifted slightly when she saw Ui's name. "Hi, Ui. How's she doing?" Mugi's head snapped up at Ui's name.
"She's got a double fracture in her leg, some cracked ribs, a bruised wrist bone, and a possible concussion. She's in surgery at the moment. I don't know how long it'll take."
"But she's still alive?" Mio asked.
"Yes, she is." was the reply.
"Okay, thanks for the update."
"Sure. How's my sister doing?" Ui then asked, concerned for Yui.
Mio sighed. "She's taken it extremely hard. She's been in her room since we got her home."
"Oh... Well, please do what you can for her. I'll text you when Azusa comes out of surgery."
"Thanks Ui. By the way, how are you doing with all this?"
"Well, I will admit that I'm worried, but I'm managing to hang in there."
"Ui? Listen. If you feel the urge to cry, please don't fight it, okay?"
"Of course." Hanging up, Mio relayed the news to the others.
"Well, at least we know she'll make it." Ritsu said with a small smile.
"Yeah." Mio replied.
"I'm going to see Ui-chan." Mugi said suddenly, getting to her feet.
The other two were surprised at this. "Mugi, are you sure?"
"Yes. She no doubt needs some support too."
"A-alright. Do you want us to come with you?"
Mugi shook her head. "No, you should stay here. I don't really want Yui-chan left alone."
Ritsu placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "I'm sure she'll be okay by herself for a while. We can just tell her where we're going." Unsure, Mugi pondered this.
"Let's do it." Mio agreed. "I think Yui just needs some time alone right now, so I don't see much harm in leaving her here. When she feels up to it, I'm sure she'll come join us." With nods all round, it was decided. Mio headed for the stairs. "You two wait by the door. I'll just let Yui know what's happening." She made her way to Yui's room and knocked the door. "Yui?" Like before, there was only silence. "Yui, we're heading to the hospital now to see Ui. If you feel able later, come join us, okay?" Deciding to leave things at that, Mio rejoined Ritsu and Mugi, and the friends headed out. They walked in silence, not knowing what to say.
After a while, Mio's cell phone vibrated. Checking it, she saw that she had received a text from Ui. After reading it and replying, she started running. "Mio? Wait up!" A surprised Ritsu and Mugi ran to catch up. "What's going on? Why are we running?" the drummer asked.
Mio looked at her with a smile. "Azusa's just come out of surgery."
"For real?"
"Yes. Let's hurry." Double-timing it, they arrived at the hospital in short order. After consulting the front desk, they hurried to Azusa's room in Intensive Care. Ui stood outside, waiting for them. "Ui!" Mio called.
Spotting them, Ui smiled and waved. "Hey. Glad you could make it."
Mio then noticed that Ui's eyes were slightly red. "I'm glad you took my advice."
"Huh? Oh." Ui blushed slightly. "It was a bit embarrassing crying in a public place like this, but I did feel a bit better after it."
"Glad to hear it." Mio then looked towards the door. "Is she awake?" she asked.
"No, she's still asleep, so you won't be able to talk to her. If you want, you can still see her, though it won't be a pretty sight." Ui answered. Mio looked back at Ritsu and Mugi. Briefly glancing at each other, they nodded at Mio, indicating that they were ready to see Azusa. Stepping aside, Ui motioned them in.
Steeling herself, Mio led the way. The bassist was usually not good with anything macabre or injury related, but she knew she had to be strong, for herself and the others. Besides, if Ritsu tried anything, she would get it good. The sound of a heart monitor hit their ears as they entered. Walking up to the bed, Mio, Ritsu and Mugi saw their small friend sleeping motionless. Azusa's body was wrapped with casts and bandages, an IV tube snaked its way into her uninjured arm and an oxygen mask covered her face. Her broken leg hung suspended above the bed. The sight proved too much for Mugi, and she started crying again, Ritsu again trying to comfort her. "Azusa..." Mio muttered. She held Azusa's small hand in her own. "Azusa, I know you can get through this. Please know that we're all here for you, Yui especially. She's always thinking of you. I know you probably can't hear me, but I want you to know that we all love you, Azusa." She released her friend's hand and stood silent. Time passed, and then the group decided that they should all head home. Leaving the hospital, they each headed their separate ways home. Walking alone, Ui's thoughts turned from Azusa to Yui.
Onee-chan... Arriving home, she wondered what she could possibly do to help her sister. "Onee-chan? I'm home." she called. Receiving no response, she decided to see how Yui was doing. Nodding, she headed upstairs. Arriving at Yui's room, she knocked and called, "Onee-chan? It's me" before opening the door and heading into the room. Yui was still on the bed, clearly having not moved for a while. The tea remained untouched. Ui headed over to her sister. "Onee-chan?" There was no response. "Onee-chan, please look at me." Ui said, placing her hand on Yui's shoulder. Slowly, Yui sat up and turned around. The sight that greeted Ui made her gasp. Yui's face was shrunken. There were drying tear tracks running down her cheeks. The pillow she was still clutching was damp from those same tears. Her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying she'd been doing and lacked their usual sparkle. The sight saddened the younger sister. Grasping Yui's shoulders, Ui looked her straight in the eyes. "Onee-chan. Listen to me. Everything's going to be alright. Please don't lose hope." she urged. Yui's lips moved slightly. "What?" Ui asked.
"Alright?" Yui whispered. Ui cocked her head quizzically.
"I can't hear you, Onee-chan. Speak up." Yui then swatted Ui's hands away.
"ALRIGHT?! HOW CAN YOU SAY EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT?!" she yelled. "AZU-NYAN WAS HIT BY A CAR! THOSE KINDS OF ACCIDENTS KILL PEOPLE..." Yui stopped mid-sentence. Throwing the pillow to one side, she jumped up and clambered for the window. Stunned at her sister's outburst, Ui was momentarily motionless. As soon as she saw her sister throw open the window though, she realized what was happening. Moving fast, she grabbed Yui around her waist.
"Onee-chan, no! Don't do it!"
Yui struggled to pull free. "Let me go! I don't want to live knowing that I killed my best friend!"
"Onee-chan..."
"Just let me die, Ui!" Desperate, Ui screamed the news that she hoped would calm her sister down.
"AZUSA-CHAN IS NOT DEAD!" Yui immediately froze. Unfortunately, Ui was still trying to pull her back, so the two flew backwards onto the floor, upending the table. "Ow." Ui moaned, sitting up and rubbing her head.
"Ui, what did you just say?" Yui asked quietly.
Looking down at her sister's face, Ui saw what looked like disbelief in Yui's eyes. "Onee-chan, Azusa-chan is alive. She's not dead."
Yui quickly sat up and looked at her sister. "Are... you telling the truth? She's alive?"
Ui nodded. "Yes. It's true." Yui was silent as she processed this piece of information. "Onee-chan? Is every- Wait! Where are you going?" As Ui was talking, Yui sprang to her feet and ran out of the room. Jamming her shoes on by the front door, she left the house.
Azu-nyan's alive... Azu-nyan's alive... she repeated in her head. The guitarist ran with the speed of an arrow, adrenaline coursing through her. People who were out glanced at her as she ran by, wondering what she was in a rush for. Further back, Ui was running to catch up to Yui.
At least she's got her energy back she thought, smiling slightly. Minutes later, Yui reached the hospital. Panting heavily, she stopped to collect her thoughts. The pause allowed Ui to catch up. "Onee-chan, I don't think... I've ever seen... you run that fast since... you started high school." she said, smiling. Her sister briefly grinned back, sweating heavily.
She then proceeded to the front desk. "Excuse me... I'm a friend of... Azusa Nakano. Could you... tell me where she is?"
"Certainly." The receptionist typed on her computer. "Here we go. She's in ICU, room 220. Just head down that corridor." She pointed in the direction she was referring to.
"Thank you." Yui said. Grabbing Ui, she began running again. After some brief confusion, the two stood outside the room. Yui stood still, breathing deeply.
"Onee-chan, are you sure you're ready for this?" Ui asked, concerned.
"I'll... be alright, Ui. I want to see her anyway." Yui's seriousness shocked Ui. The normally carefree, smiling sister she knew was gone. Considering what she'd been through that day, it wasn't surprising though. Gathering herself for what she was about to see, Yui stepped into the room. Looking around, she spotted Azusa's bed and walked over. No matter what I see, I need to keep myself together she thought. When she saw the state her friend was in however, the sadness and guilt flooded in again, and she felt tears well up again. Clenching her hands into fists, she struggled to keep her composure.
Ui saw this. "Onee-chan, you don't have to hold it back like that. It's okay to cry."
"I can't." her sister whispered. "If I start now, I may not be able to stop."
"It doesn't matter. I'm sure the others would tell you to cry as well. And Azusa-chan wouldn't want to see you like this either." Ui pressed.
Her shoulders shaking, Yui looked at Azusa again. "Azu-nyan..." she whispered. Her resistance finally crumbling, she cried "AZU-NYAN!" and threw herself onto Azusa. Ui could only watch as her sister broke down again.
Several hours later...
The evening air was filled with the sound of cicadas. Yui sat at her desk, resting her head on her arms. The thoughts of everything that had transpired that day ran through her head like a bad video stuck on repeat. Since she and Ui had returned from the hospital, she had tried various means to distract herself. TV, studying (believe it or not), conversing with her sister, calling the others to chat, even playing Gitah. All had little effect. She could not keep the memories away. There was then a knock at the door. "Onee-chan? Dinner's almost ready if you feel like it." Ui called.
"Thanks, but I'm not very hungry." Yui replied.
"... Well, I'll put it in the fridge so you can have it later then." Her footsteps faded and Yui was left alone again. Sighing, she stood up and walked over to Gitah. Putting the strap over her shoulders, she again tried to focus on something other than Azusa. Plucking a few strings, she began to play Fude Pen ~Boru Pen~. For a short while, she was able to keep her mind occupied. However, once she finished the song, the image of her injured friend filled her mind's eye again. A sob built up in her chest and fresh tears filled her eyes. Dumping her guitar to one side, she dropped to her hands and knees.
"Why Azu-nyan?" she whispered. "Why Azu-nyan?" Her hands balled into fists. "Why Azu-nyan?!" The image of Azusa flashed in front of her eyes. Throwing her head back, she yelled at the top of her lungs. "WHY AZU-NYAN?!" Completely losing it, she started grabbing her various possessions and throwing them around her room, all the time screaming "WHY?!" Downstairs, Ui had just finished storing Yui's portion of dinner when she heard the commotion. Wondering what was going on, she ran upstairs to Yui's room. Throwing the door open, she narrowly avoided getting hit in the face with a manga.
"Onee-chan!" Yui's anguish as she threw things about shocked Ui. Suddenly, Yui picked up Gitah and went to throw it. Ui flew over and grabbed the instrument. "No Onee-chan! If you throw your guitar, it'll break and you'll have nothing to play!" she said desperately, trying to calm Yui down. Yui seemed too far gone to listen to reason. Ui struggled to hold her back. "Onee-chan, please! What would Azusa-chan do if she saw you like this?!" Mentioning the name 'Azusa' froze Yui in place. Seizing the opportunity, Ui pried the guitar from her sister's grasp and set it back on its stand. Looking back, she saw Yui crumbling. Thinking fast, Ui did the only thing she thought was appropriate. She went up to her sister and wrapped her arms around her. "Onee-chan, I promise you. Everything will be okay. Azusa-chan will make it through this." she said, holding Yui tightly. The tactic had an immediate effect. Yui clutched her sister and began sobbing again.
"Azu-nyan... Ui, I'm so worried!"
"Shh. Shh. It's okay. Don't say anything right now." Ui whispered. Yui stopped trying to talk. The two stayed in this embrace until Yui had calmed down. After they had tidied Yui's room up, and Yui had washed her face, she agreed to try to eat something. After Ui got everything ready, they sat down to eat.
Yui still had little appetite though, so after eating what she could, she pushed her plate back and stood up, saying "I'm done. Thanks for the food."
"Are you sure you don't want any more, Onee-chan?" Ui asked, still concerned for her sister.
"No, I've had enough. I'm gonna take a bath." The brunette left the room. When she left, Ui finished her meal and tidied up the dishes.
Onee-chan, what can I do to ease your pain? I hate not being able to help you. For the next several days, there was little change in Yui's mood. She would mill away the hours in gloomy silence, breaking down crying every so often. Her dreams were plagued by images of Azusa's battered body and nightmares of her friend being chased by cars. She would often wake up, drenched in sweat. Mio, Ritsu and Mugi did everything they could, trying to cheer her up, with little success. It became abundantly clear to everyone that Azusa's accident, and the fact that Yui herself had caused it, had crushed Yui, and the only thing that could possibly break her depression was Azusa waking up. Therefore, Ui took it upon herself to visit Azusa when she could, praying that the twin-tailed guitarist would wake up. On occasion, she would run into one of the others. Together, they would sit by Azusa and wait for the moment when she opened her eyes. Sometimes, Yui would go alone, trying to wake Azusa, only to fail and break down crying.