Chapter 42

My frozen muscles took a moment to move again. Haruka rested over me for a moment before squatting in front of me, her face showing fear and concern.

"Moon face, are you okay?" she asked softly.

I forced myself to nod, although my thoughts were scattered and fear overwhelmed me.

Then I saw Seiya, lying on the ground just a few steps away from us. He reached out his hand towards me, and I hurried to him. "Darling," he whispered in a soft voice.

"Seiya, what happened?" I asked, my voice trembling with worry.

The events flashed by in fragments. Haruka had already sat on his other side, pressing her whole body onto his stomach, while shouting into her headset. "There were gunshots in the park. We need an ambulance with a paramedic immediately. A male person was hit, entrance wound on the right upper abdomen, no exit wound... Yes, he is still conscious. Hurry!"

Her words echoed in my ears. Gunshots? A gunshot wound? My gaze shifted to Seiya's abdomen, his shirt soaked in red blood. No, this couldn't be true. "Moon face, listen to me," Haruka said with a mixture of urgency and determination. "You need to come over here and press as hard as you can. The ambulance is on its way." Her voice was energetic, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

Trembling, I crawled over to her. She firmly placed my hands on the spot where hers were previously, then stood up to look around. "Don't forget to press as hard as you can until the ambulance arrives!" she called back to me urgently before running off.

Seiya had opened his eyes just a crack and looked at me, a faint smile forming on his lips. "Don't you dare say goodbye now! You have to hang on, do you understand? I can't live without you!" I yelled down at him. The warm blood continued to seep through my fingers, mixing with a puddle on the wet ground. I increased my pressure, now using my entire body weight to press on the small hole in his stomach. He lifted his hand and gently caressed my cheek. Only then did I notice tears flowing in torrents down my face. "I love you, my darling," he whispered barely audible. "I love you too, and that's exactly why you have to hang on now!" I screamed at him.

The cold drizzle of snow settled on my fingers from above, while Seiya's hot blood continued to flow into my hands from below. My arms started trembling from the effort, and finally, I heard the relieving siren of the ambulance. The paramedics quickly pushed me aside, cut open his now blood-soaked shirt, and I sat shivering in the snow. I was helpless, able only to watch. Paralyzed and unable to speak, my gaze remained fixed on him. His eyes were closed, and the paramedics placed him on a stretcher and administered something to him. In the moment when he was pushed into the ambulance, it felt like a cold hand reached for me, taking away any joy from within. I burst into tears once again. Nothing could happen to him; he had done nothing wrong. He didn't even know what had happened. Someone wrapped a blanket around me, and I heard people speaking, but the words didn't reach me. Unable to respond, I stared at the large pool of blood on the ground. Seiya's blood. Then I looked down at my own hands. I had his blood on my hands. A pleading scream escaped my throat. I couldn't lose him.

Two arms wrapped around me and lifted me up. One of the paramedics carried me into the second ambulance that had arrived by then. No, I couldn't go there; I had to stay with Seiya. Panic set in, and I started to struggle. "Seiya! Seiya!" I kept shouting. The last thing I remember was a brief prick in my arm, then a comforting black silence enveloped me.

As I slowly regained consciousness, the steady beeping of a monitor and muffled voices reached my ears. My body felt heavy, as if it were burdened by an invisible weight. The cold reality filled me, and I realized that I was in the hospital's emergency room. A drip hung from my arm, its cooling fluid providing some relief. But suddenly, reality crashed over me again as memories of Seiya hit me once more. Where was he? I ripped the EKG electrodes off my skin and grabbed the IV stand before rushing into the corridor. But there, I ran straight into Setsuna.

"Please, Usagi, stay lying down for a little while longer. At least let the infusion finish," she said with a compassionate voice, leading me back to the room.

"What about Seiya?" I stammered with a trembling voice. Setsuna took a deep breath, and I recognized the expression on her face that I had seen so often on doctors when they delivered bad news. A cold shiver ran down my spine, and everything inside me tightened. "He's still in the operating room, but we don't know if he'll make it. The bullet caused extensive damage. My colleagues are doing their best... Should I call Mamoru so you won't be alone?" I shook my head; I didn't want anyone here, only him, only Seiya. But at that moment, the door to the treatment room opened, and Mamoru entered. "Why didn't you inform me that she's here? I just happened to stumble upon her name in the computer," he whispered to Setsuna and immediately rushed to my side.

"Bunny, what happened? Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

No, I wasn't okay! Some lunatic had shot my beloved Seiya, and I didn't even know how he was doing! All of that swirled around in my head, but I was still unable to speak. My throat felt constricted and aflame. I stared fixatedly at a small gray spot on the opposite wall. I didn't want to talk to Mamoru; I didn't want to listen to Setsuna. I just wanted to be with Seiya. The words of Setsuna and Mamoru barely reached me, and I kept drifting into my own world.

Suddenly, two strong hands embraced my shoulders and gently shook me. "Bunny, please look at me. I know how you feel right now. I'm with you," Mamoru whispered with empathy.

His words snapped me out of my numbness, and the tears burst forth again. I pulled Mamoru close and pressed my tear-stained face against his chest. Hesitantly, he stroked my head as I sobbed deeply.

"He didn't hurt anyone," I whispered softly through the tears, and my words were filled with pain and despair. Mamoru held me tighter, giving me some strength.

"He's been in surgery for several hours now. Would you like to come and wait outside the operating room?" Mamoru asked. I was allowed to go with him. At least I would be near Seiya. I nodded, still leaning my head firmly against his chest. "Does his brothers know?" "We haven't informed anyone yet. Everything had to happen quickly, and the emergency room is, as usual, overcrowded," Setsuna replied. "Bunny, please give me your phone. Let's do that first."

My hands trembled so much that I could hardly open my handbag. I handed Mamoru the phone and sank into a chair. He effortlessly unlocked my phone and put it on speaker. "Hey, Usagi. What can I do for you? Is my brother bothering you?" Yaten's cheerful voice came from the other end of the line. My stomach tightened again, and I felt like I might throw up. "Mr. Kou. This is Dr. Chiba. I'm sorry to inform you that your brother was shot tonight and is in critical condition in the OR." Silence followed at the other end. As Mamoru's words reached me, I felt queasy again. "Is this some kind of joke? Usagi, this isn't funny." "I'm sorry. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. Ms. Tsukino is also in the emergency room. I ask you to come as soon as possible." Now Yaten seemed to grasp the situation. I heard him sharply inhale. "Yeah, I'll be right there."

Mamoru put my phone back in my bag and helped me to my feet. He remained silent, just there, leading me through the clinic. He stopped in front of a large glass door that read "Operating Room Area - No Entry."

An uneasy feeling gripped my heart. Mamoru sat me down on one of the plastic chairs and looked me in the eyes. "You stay here. I'll check on him."

He pulled out a small black chip with which he opened the door. Then he turned to me one more time and gave me a compassionate look. Did he have the same feeling back then when Rei was in surgery? Inevitably, tears welled up in me again. Minutes passed like hours while I sat here waiting. Across from me hung a large clock; it was almost midnight. Mamoru had been inside for over half an hour, and my inner restlessness grew with each passing minute. Why was it taking so long? Every time the large door opened, hope surged through me that Mamoru would bring Seiya out any moment. But nothing of the sort happened.

Half past 12. Mamoru had been inside for almost an hour now. That couldn't be good news. I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. I felt empty and alone.

It was 1:06 am when Mamoru stepped back through the glass door. Clad in green surgical clothing, a cap on his head, which he took off when he returned to my side of the door. A glance at his face was enough to realize that he was about to deliver terrible news. My inner despair intensified with every second as I saw the sadness in his eyes. It felt like the world around me was shattering into a thousand pieces.

"No! No! No! Don't say it! Tell me it's not true!" I screamed at him in desperation. Mamoru hugged me tightly and lowered his head to mine.

"I'm sorry, Bunny," he whispered softly, his voice filled with sorrow. "Seiya succumbed to his injuries at 0:49 am."

It felt like someone had plunged an icy dagger right into my heart. My body trembled with pain and despair. The world around me blurred into a sea of tears as I tried to comprehend this unbearable truth. No, this couldn't be true. Just moments ago, he was twirling me around on the dance floor. He couldn't be dead. It simply couldn't be.

My legs gave way, but Mamoru seemed to anticipate it and caught me. He sat me back on the chair and sat down next to me. I understood the words he had said, but I couldn't grasp them. It was too surreal. After a few moments, I stood up on shaky legs. "I want to see him." My voice trembled, and my eyes burned from the many tears, but I had to be with him.

I had to see him; I couldn't do anything else. I had to be with him, now!