Broken Fragments

Chapter 40: Running Away

Hiroto slowly opened his eyes when he felt nothing in his hand. He remembered holding Yuuhi's hand as he fell asleep by her hospital bed. After rubbing his eyes to make his view clearer, he became fully awake to find an empty hospital bed with only the wrinkly sheets and blanket on it.

"Yuuhi! Yuuhi! Where did you go?" Hiroto panicked, throwing the blanket off the bed as if she'd be under it.

"I'm right here."

Hiroto turned around to find Yuuhi bathing under the morning sunlight that came in through the window. Her hair looked like a fiery orange, and her eyes were a peaceful shade of blue, a contrast to her auburn hair. Hiroto felt as if he was dreaming for Yuuhi looked like a real angel. He also felt a little scared for if it was reality, then he might be looking at Yuuhi's ghost.

"Yuuhi! You shouldn't force yourself. Come back to bed," Hiroto walked to Yuuhi's side and held her hand, relieved that he could touch her, meaning she was alive.

"Hey, let's just stop this," Yuuhi kindly asked with a smile of pain curved in her face, her voice soft and angelic.

Hiroto's eyes widened when Yuuhi gently pulled her hand away from him. He didn't understand what she was trying to say, so he looked into her eyes, hoping to find some answers, though he knew that he'd have to hear it from Yuuhi's lips.

"What do you—"

"We can't keep doing this, Hiroto-kun," Yuuhi frowned, her eyes getting watery.

The sound of Hiroto's name from Yuuhi's lips sounded beautiful to Hiroto for it was the very first time that Yuuhi called him by the name he'd been wanting her to use. However, the way she said it made it seem like it was going to be the last time she'll ever say Hiroto's name that way.

"I don't underst—"

"We both know that you don't love me, Hiroto-kun. It's alright. I'm a little happy that you tried and even pretended, but it's all going to be okay now. It won't be long until I disap—"

"Idiot!"

Time stopped for the two of them when Hiroto grabbed Yuuhi and embraced her in his arms. Hiroto had done that to Yuuhi more than once before, but they both felt something different. They didn't know whether that was going to be the end of it all or the start of something new, however.

Yuuhi could hear the sound of Hiroto's heartbeat, thanks to their height differences. Hiroto felt warm, not from the sunrays that were hitting them, but from Yuuhi's being in his arms.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence! You're not going anywhere, I tell you! You're going to stay right here, right in my arms, and you're not going anywhere!" Hiroto roared, his eyes shut tight to block the negative thoughts that could be the possible ending to Yuuhi's heartbreaking statement.

"But—"

"I love you, Yuuhi."

With eyes wide and body trembling, Yuuhi released her tears and almost fell to the floor. Hiroto caught her and propped her up, holding her even tighter.

Yuuhi was speechless, and all she could do was stream her tears out. She didn't want to believe that Hiroto actually loved her, but the feelings she felt was so overwhelming that nothing else was more important to her than the moment she was in.

Hiroto pulled away from Yuuhi and gently held her face in his hands. Then, slowly, he leaned into her face as they both closed their eyes. Their lips met gentler than when Hiroto tried to comfort Yuuhi when she felt like she was nothing. Not only did their lips meet, but also their hearts and feelings, finally.

"Though I tried to push you away so many times," Yuuhi thought, her lips still locked with Hiroto's under the glimmering sunlight.

"You stayed with me and helped me find myself once again."

They both turned their heads to the other side, going for another kiss. Their passionate love was unstoppable, and everything felt whimsical.

"If this was a dream," Yuuhi kept in her head as tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks.

"Then, I'd wish to sleep forever."

The sun began to set and the orange rays painted the room's ceiling and walls. The two lovers spent the whole day together on the hospital bed in each other's arms. Yuuhi was still weak, so he didn't want to leave her side. They talked to each other in their most tender voices as their feelings overflowed in the room.

"You need to eat, Hiroto-kun," Yuuhi smiled as she felt Hiroto's cheeks with the back of her fingers.

"I'm alright," he smiled back, stroking her hair.

"Sure, you are. Your stomach's been grumbling since this afternoon," the auburn-haired girl giggled.

Embarrassed, Hiroto turned to hide his red face and got up. He cleared his throat before turning back to face Yuuhi, traces of blush still on his face.

"D-do you want anything?" Hiroto asked Yuuhi as he tucked her in bed.

"I want you to eat," Yuuhi giggled once again.

Realizing that he can't win, Hiroto kissed Yuuhi on the forehead before he excused himself out.

"Get some rest, okay? I'll be back."

Hiroto gently closed the door and left to grab dinner. Yuuhi kept the smile on her face, still feeling the warmth and softness of Hiroto's lips on hers and her forehead. Her thoughts were full of Hiroto and the days they were going to begin to spend with each other.

"That's the first time I've ever seen you smile like that."

Yuuhi turned to the door to find her doctor, Saitou-sensei. The doctor closed the door behind her and approached Yuuhi's heart monitor to record data on her clipboard.

"Really?" Yuuhi asked, still smiling.

Silence filled the room as the doctor checked on Yuuhi. The idol's temperature was normal and so were her blood pressure and pulse. After writing down the information on her clipboard, Saitou-sensei looked up to Yuuhi with a frown on her face.

"Do you need a refill on your pills?" the doctor asked as she replaced the medicinal fluids that fueled Yuuhi.

"Yes, please. I only have enough for tomorrow," Yuuhi replied, grabbing the book on her bedside table and opening it to the page she bookmarked.

"Alright. I'll come by the day before you're discharged. Have you talked to anyone about it yet?"

"No, I don't plan on doing that," Yuuhi's smile faded right away, her eyes almost seem cold again.

"Yuuhi, why are you being stubborn about this matter?"

"I'm not. I already told you why I don't want to tell them about it, Saitou-sensei. If I told them, I'm sure they'll change; their view of me will change. Everything will change."

"Why won't you just believe in them?"

"I'm not like my sister, that's why," Yuuhi's eyes shone a hint of sadness that the doctor noticed right away.

Saitou-sensei clenched her fist, frustrated that no matter how much she tried, she couldn't change Yuuhi's way of thinking about the problem they were secretly facing. Before she could leave, the doctor let out her sigh so that she'd be ready to face her world again, a world where she was prohibited from mentioning or even giving a hint of Yuuhi's suffering.

"No, you are just like her," Saitou-sensei said, opening the door.

"You're running away until it's too late, just like she did."

Guilt rushed into Yuuhi's conscience as the doctor gently shut the door. Yuuhi couldn't keep reading, especially since Saitou-sensei's words got to her.

"No, no. I'm not doing this because I'm running away. I'm doing this because I care about them," Yuuhi thought as she shook her head as if to shake away the truth that her doctor had pointed out.

Yuuhi turned back to her book, hoping to read a few chapters before she got ready to sleep. However, as Yuuhi flipped the pages and rolled her eyes from side to side, the book read her mind and made her feel even guiltier.

"Why are you running away? Just tell me the truth," Yuuhi read in her head.

"It's going to be too late if you keep running away," she continued to read.

Before she could get to the final paragraph of the chapter, Yuuhi could no longer take it and threw the book to the wall.

"It's not like that!" she yelled as she clenched onto her head, irritated.

Yuuhi lied on her side, placing a hand underneath her cheeks.

"It's not...like that," a tear slipped to the hospital pillow as Yuuhi closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"There's a rumor that you and Yuuhi Tsubasa had broken up. Is this true?" a paparazzo asked, pointing her microphone to Cloudy's face.

"Yes, it's true," Cloudy answered in a serious tone.

A series of 'why' and 'what happened' flooded the conference room that Cloudy's new clothing line promotion was being held. Instead of questions about the industry he recently entered, Cloudy was bombarded with questions about his relationship with Yuuhi.

"It was my idea to end it. She was a little devastated, but our relationship added onto the stress that she was already experiencing from being an idol. She agreed, so our decision to split up was mutual."

"She's going to kill me for this," Cloudy thought as he smiled for the pictures.

"Who am I kidding? She doesn't care," he thought, admitting to himself that he got attached to Yuuhi, though he never planned to.

"What?" Yuuhi exclaimed, watching the statement that Cloudy had released on TV.

It had been two weeks since Yuuhi was brought to the hospital, and she hadn't been allowed to watch TV to relieve her stress level. Since she was getting released, Yuuhi was finally permitted to watch TV.

"Only two weeks of no contact and he breaks up with me? To make it worse, I didn't even know that he already did?" Yuuhi yelled, angrily pressing the red button on the remote.

"What's up?" Hiroto asked as he came in with a paper bag.

"It's nothing. I was just watching something despicable on TV."

"I brought your change of clothes. Did Kumoi-san and Chairman Muranishi come over?" Hiroto handed the paper bag to Yuuhi, who stood behind the hospital curtain to undress.

"Yeah. They already took care of the paper works with Saitou-sensei."

Hiroto sat down to wait for Yuuhi, a little curious of what Yuuhi had seen on TV. Hiroto's eyes wondered around the white-clad room, glad that Yuuhi was finally going to leave. Hiroto stopped looking around when he was captivated by the black silhouette that Yuuhi's perfect body showed from behind the curtain.

"I'm done," Yuuhi swiped the curtain out of the way with one hand while the other held onto the hospital gown she wore.

"Oh! Uh, yeah," Hiroto exclaimed, getting up from his seat.

"You weren't peeking, were you?" Yuuhi squinted her eyes, her smile mischievous and suspicioning.

"N-no! That's wrong!" Hiroto nervously protested even though he was telling the truth.

"You were thinking dirty thoughts, though, weren't you?"

Yuuhi hit the spot, and Hiroto couldn't say anything. All he could do was hide his blushing face and scratch the back of his head. Yuuhi hysterically laughed, clenching onto her stomach.

"You're actually super cute, Hiroto-kun," Yuuhi continued laughing even though Hiroto had already told her to stop.

"Geez, Yuuhi," Hiroto sighed, still embarrassed.

Out of nowhere, Yuuhi got on her toes and kissed Hiroto's cheek before she ran out of the room. Hiroto was dumbfounded as he saw a cute and flirty side of Yuuhi. Though he had seen them before in her acting and with Cloudy, he had never seen such sincerity from her, which was hinted by the warm smile and blushing face she had on.

"Hey, Yuuhi! Wait!"

Smiling, Hiroto exited the room and followed Yuuhi down the hallway to leave the hospital. Before Yuuhi could reach Hiroto's car, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Hiroto-kun," Yuuhi's face turned red after they finished kissing.

"Isn't it time for you to drop the honorifics now?" he flirtingly asked.

"-kun, -kun, -kun!" Yuuhi teased as she ran to Hiroto's car.

Hiroto hugged Yuuhi from behind before he unlocked the car, even tickling her waist. Their laughs spread in the air, making the people passing by smile upon seeing their happiness.

"Alright, alright, I get it, Hi-ro-to," Yuuhi turned her body to give Hiroto a full hug.

He kissed her forehead before helping her get in the car. Upon buckling their seatbelts, they hustled out of the hospital's parking lot, hoping to never return there again. The two agreed to go back to Yuuhi's place so that she could rest at least for one more week before going back to work.

On their way to her house, traffic was heavy and the streets were busy. After all, it was a Saturday and people enjoyed their time out from school and work. As Yuuhi looked out of her window while Hiroto's car slowly moved, she noticed a familiar face sitting by a coffee shop's window.

"Hiroto, would you mind if we stop by this coffee shop. I just have to drop a quick greeting to someone," Yuuhi requested, pointing at the coffee shop.

"Alright. I'll find a parking spot and I'll meet you there," he kindly replied.

Before getting out of the car, Yuuhi put on a hat and stained sunglasses to hide her identity. She quickly ran to the coffee shop while the cars remained immobile from traffic.

When Hiroto turned back before the cars began to move again, he saw that it was Cloudy that Yuuhi wanted to talk to. A little enraged, Hiroto panicked and tried to find a parking spot as soon as he could.

"What was that all about?" Yuuhi confronted Cloudy, who was also in a disguise.

"Shh! People are going to know who we are, and it's not going to be good!" Cloudy pulled Yuuhi to the seat in front of him as he glanced around with hopes that nobody heard them.

"You didn't even talk to me!"

"You were in the hospital!"

"You're the worst boyfriend in history!"

"Ex-boyfriend," Cloudy emphasized before relaxingly sipping his coffee.

"And I had to find out via TV!"

"I didn't think you were watching."

Yuuhi calmed herself down as she sighed, realizing that Cloudy had thoroughly thought about his decision shown by how he already knew and planned what his conversation was going to be with her.

"He confessed, didn't he?" Cloudy asked, putting his cup down and stirring the coffee after the waitress poured more and placed a glass of water on the table for Yuuhi.

Yuuhi nodded, her arms crossed on her chest.

"Good for you, huh."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear it," Yuuhi pouted.

"Why can't you just be honest with me?"

"You're not in place to talk."

Cloudy took another sip of his coffee as he gathered his thoughts together. As he placed his cup back down, the sound that was produced when the bottom of the cup hit the saucer seemed to echo in Cloudy's surrounding because he knew that he was ready to reveal himself to the only person he could ever relate to.

"Alright, I'll be honest with you," Cloudy bravely looked into Yuuhi's eyes, not wavering on his decision.

"I knew you were never in love with me. I knew you were never attracted to me, and I knew that you only used me to make him jealous. You're a cold woman, Yuuhi. I know I said you're never going to be her, and that's because you're different. You aren't like her because you're a cold person. You only considered yourself and your own feelings since the very beginning. What's the point of keeping it going? You finally got what you wanted, didn't you?"

As Yuuhi stood up from her seat, she picked up the glass of water and threw the contents onto Cloudy's face, causing everyone to look at them. The crowd gasped and the waiters stopped what they were doing, but Cloudy nonchalantly sat there as if nothing happened. The water dripped down from Cloudy's head onto his shoulders and chest, messing up his hair.

"I only dated you because I knew you were lonely," Yuuhi said, placing the glass down.

"And I knew you were running away from your own feelings."

Yuuhi left the coffee shop, not looking back. The people inside were still speechless, curious of what happened and how it started. Cloudy didn't move an inch as he thought about what she said to him. He was wrong about calling her a cold person, he knew that. However, he was right that Yuuhi was different from Kirari.

"Aren't you running away, too?" Cloudy asked in his head.