JPHiP Forum
AKB48 Fanfics => AKB48 Fanfics => Topic started by: anonymousstalker on November 14, 2013, 03:36:16 PM
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A/N: Because I read too much angst lately... I ended up making one.... :sweatdrop: I blame a certain pokemon for this...
Prologue
Every morning, Oshima Yuko has the same dream, images from that night. They move so fast and she has to fight to remember them when she wakes up. They are all in black suits and their faces were blurry, and she can't make out what's happening. Then the dream ends with a flash of light and she panics. She wants to remember the dream, she's certain that it's important – it has to be. Because everything is so familiar, like she's seen it before.
It's been happening for almost two years now.... or one year, eleven months and 15 days to be exact. She doesn't remember if there was something that needs to remember, doesn't even remember the dream. But this morning is different, though. Just after the flash, and the panic, she wakes up. Eyes still closed, she wonders why she's breathing hard....
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A/N: Because I read too much angst lately... I ended up making one.... :sweatdrop: I blame a certain pokemon for this...
i think i know who's that pokemon XD
stalker-san update soon :on gay:
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another kojiyuu and nice intro :thumbup
can't wait for next chapter stalker-san XD
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Kojiyuu! you make me happy tonight! >w< waiting for the first one C:
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@Chichay12: A/N: Because I read too much angst lately... I ended up making one.... :sweatdrop: I blame a certain pokemon for this...
i think i know who's that pokemon XD
stalker-san update soon :on gay:
It's a pokemon with ***** attack :rofl:faby :heart:
Part 1
Yuko's eyes opens, and she sees a flash of light; then she sees herself, bundled up, and it's cold, very cold, and all black and white outside. She’s walking down a street probably going home, and she's really happy about something…something she just bought. Then, she senses… people—three of them. She goes to check who it was, but they're fast. And suddenly someone hit her on the head and then –
Nothing. Just black. Then a white ceiling…
Slowly, she sits up, confused. Her bed sheets are white, she's wearing a plain pants and a shirt. And she's not sure on what’s happening around her, but one thing she's pretty close to sure is that she's not home or either at her office.
She looks around the room, and there's more. White walls, a grey chair, a black table with a book, an apple and a pen. Everything is black or white or in between. Except the picture frame next to her bed with a group of girls in it. She cannot recognize each of them and has no idea what the picture is about…
She also knows there's something very, very wrong with all the black and white, but she can't remember what. There should be…more, she thinks, but she can't think. The only furniture in the room is a bed, a table, a chair, and a nightstand. She frowns, noting that a single chair means she doesn't have much company.
Then she notices a window and goes to look out. The picture before her is a sea with houses and rooftops around, so she knows that she’s probably on a high place. Above some things, but still beneath others. But as she tries to think again her head starts to throb.
She sits down on the bed, and the door she hadn't noticed suddenly opens. A tired tall-looking woman walks in, and Yuko blinks in surprise. She's also wearing a plain blouse and pants, underneath a white coat. Her long brown hair – that she knows is not quite right – is tied up in a bun. Yuko knows she's beautiful – just by looking at her.
Haruna then smiles at her, with a clipboard and a pen on hand.
"Good morning, Oshima-chan," she says, looking at the clipboard. "How are you feeling?"
"Don't you usually wear more fashionable than this?" Yuko says, and she's not sure where it came from, but she knows she’s right.
Haruna was stunned, and her heart skips a beat. It's been the same for two years, two long years and she has a fleeting moment of both joy and panic because this day is different..
Two years ago Yuko was brought to Akihabara Hospital that one cold winter night and was brought to the eight level—ICU department. She'll never forget reading the diagnosis in her chart. And it is forever burned into her memory.
Coma; Permanent brain damage.
She took Yuko as her patient, and every morning since she has regain consciousness, she has followed the same routine. She goes into her room, says hello, and asks her a series of questions. Specialist said that the time she became conscious she has acquired a certain memory disorder wherein she has loss the ability to create new memories and unable to remember anything about her recent past due to the injury she acquired; also sustained a short term memory loss that happens day-to-day.
To be able to help her somehow, they list certain questions that is strictly followed:
(1) How are you feeling this morning?
(2) What is the last thing you remember?
(3) How much do you remember before this?
(4) Do you know who you are?
(5) Where are you?
And the answers were usually similar every day, some identical.
(1) Fine; okay; confused; tired.
(2) Miichan, at AKB High, her last year; she was yelling at her because she refused to have a skin ship.
(3) Some things; vague images; everything.
(4) No; yes.
(5) I don't know.
Then she would become frustrated and she would leave. Yuko was always watched, so they knew that she would become angry, and throw things, and yell, but they would bring her lunch after she calmed down. She’d eat and then read her book for a few hours – always the same book at the same time every day.
Then she'd become restless and pace, finally going to the window and staring outside for a while. Haruna would return, or Atsuko, who also worked on her case, though not as closely as Haruna did, who spends a little more time with her.
Sometimes Yuko asked questions, and Haruna told her anything she wanted to know. Well, almost anything. Haruna had tried telling her certain things, and was only hurt in return, so she didn't tell her again.
Sometimes they played a game or stayed for dinner. And then she'd go home and cry herself to sleep. Yuko would read until she fell asleep. And the next day, they would do it all again, with only slight variations. It had become too much for her, and she'd told her senior she needed a transfer. The older consultant only smiled sympathetically and said okay.
Today was Dr. Kojima Haruna's last day with Yuko, and Dr. Shinoda was taking her out to dinner to celebrate. It was symbolic of her putting Yuko behind her and trying to move forward. Because she’d been told, over and over again, that she would never get better.
In reality, their friends were fine; it was she who was having a hard time moving on. Mariko had asked her out over a year ago and it took her asking ten times for Haruna to finally say yes. And Mariko had been very patient with her, but she knew she was running out of patience. Which was part of why she was going to say goodbye to Yuko today.
One last goodbye, that she wouldn't remember and that's what matters to her. So her comment on her attire shakes her off guard.
"I’ve been fashionable often," she says, sitting in the chair, calm, cool, and collected front.
Yuko shrugs.
"So, Oshima-chan. Tell me how you're feeling this morning."
Yuko moves back out the window and watches the glass fog up beneath her breath. And there's a flash of light, and she remembers a foggy night. Just an impression, and she figures it's important. So she holds onto it, as tight as she can; but it's gone in an instant.
"Something is wrong with this room," Yuko says.
"Is it too hot? Too cold?" Haruna asks, not letting this new twist mean anything to her.
Yuko simply shakes her head.
Haruna thinks about how soft Yuko’s hair is. She tries to remember the last time she touches it, running her fingers through it, but she can't.
"It's nothing like that," Yuko says. Then she looks at her. "Is everything supposed to be like this? I mean, why is that there's only one book here?" she asks, pointing to it. "And that picture frame with girls?" Now pointing to the frame. "And your wearing?"
Suddenly Haruna’s heart beats furiously. This is completely new.
"What book?" she asks, unable to think what she meant by her last question.
Yuko goes to it and glances the title, and there's another flash, and she hears a laugh, and someone says to give the book back, and so she does, and the flash ends. Haruna is looking at her strangely, Yuko then arm extends her hand with book in hand.
Haruna takes the book and looks at it, and Yuko sees her eyes get wet, but she doesn't know why.
"I don't know why this book is here," Haruna says, still looking at it.
Yuko sits on the bed and studies her, and it's strange, because she knows she knows her, but that's about all she knows. It's all so – foggy – and it's frustrating her.
"I'd like to ask you some questions," Haruna says, looking at her clipboard and returning the book to the table.
"Okay," Yuko response, fidgeting with her sheet. Only, it shouldn't be white; she frowns; it should be – green?
"What is the last thing you remember?"
Yuko frowns, because she's been trying to figure that out all morning. And things seem – layered – to her, like she's done all this before. Like she's looked out that window a hundred times or more. It's a feeling, and she can't be sure, but at the same time, she is. Yuko knows some things, but not how or why. Or what they meant.
Like she knows Haruna takes her for tea with two lumps of sugar and no cream. And why on earth would she know that?
"What's wrong with me?" Yuko asks, and Haruna seems startled.
"What do you mean?"
"I feel – stuck. Like this has happened before, and I want it to stop, but it never will. I know something is wrong."
Haruna takes a deep breath and says, "You're in a hospital. And I’m one of your Doctors, you were hit a long time ago and that injury affected your memory. Every day you forget the previous day; you start over, so to speak."
"How long?" Yuko asks, calmly, not really surprised. Like she's heard it before.
"One year, eleven months and 15 days.."
That's not new either. "Tell me something you've never told me before."
Haruna frowns. "Well, let's see. I like sushi."
Yuko waves dismissively. "I know that. Tell me something I don't know." Haruna’s eyes get wet again, and it sends a pang through her, of something familiar, and Yuko suddenly gets scared. "This isn't usual, is it?" Yuko asks, and Haruna shakes her head. "Tell me."
Another deep breath. Then, "I was here when they brought you." Haruna answered.
But Yuko knew that too. "No. Something I absolutely do not know." she's getting annoyed; why wouldn't she just – comply?
"Acchan’s getting married."
Ah-hah! Yuko can tell that was different. she doesn't know that. Haruna's looking at her expectantly, and there's another flash, and Yuko sees her, laughing, her long brown hair flowing, and a scarf around her neck, and she's bundled, and they're walking hand in hand through a park, it's autumn, and there are colors all around – colors – that match her, and her smile is warm and full of –
Flash end... and Haruna’s frowning at her. "So. Who’s the guy?" she continued.
"Um….biologically she’s not a man but I think she’s just hiding the truth from us." Haruna smiles.
"It’s Takamina, right." Yuko looks at her, and again Haruna was surprised.
"Tell me more," Yuko says. "We were – friends, weren't we?"
She nods, hesitantly.
"Only, we were more. I'm right, aren't I?" Yuko ask.
Haruna freezes, her eyes looked shock, and her lips partly slight.
"Nyanyan…." Yuko says, and somehow she remembers her.
TBC
P.S. sorry if I'm not really good with angst :banghead:
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It's good... :thumbsup
Yuko starts to remember, but Haruna is with Mariko now and she's planning to leave Yuko..
What will happen next??
Will Haruna stay?? Or she's still leaving?
What will Mariko do when she find out about it?? She'll be freaking out, I guess..
Update soon, please... :bow:
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so good :thumbup what will haruna do?
leave yuko or stay with her :(
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nyannyan please dont leave yuko! she's already remembering some of her past she needs you :cry: :bow: :bow: :heart: :heart:
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Its so good i want more :drool:
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omg omg omg omg omg
This is getting really good!!!
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Yuko why do you start remembering now?! :banghead:
Haruna should stop to give up with Yuko.
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Nyannyan! Don't you dare leave your squirrel ;;___;;
She already remember! And yeah you two are more than knowing each other ;;___;;
Feel sorry for mariko, but.....
Just waiting for your update author-san, this is good! :D
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Wow this is so well written. :grin:
Nyannyan will stay wit her. She must. PLEASE :bow: :bow: :bow:
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Perfect timing to remember everything! :sweatdrop:
more angst please :cow: XD
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Stalker-san~ I'll just save space for comment later... *will edit and read later*
Btw... I'm back to my theory that this is a collab accnt. heheh.
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A/N: I just want to credit my good buddy who continues to give me ideas and proofreading my works in writing fics... :deco: just so you know you still owe me that editor thingy.. 8)2
Part 2
"Nyanyan…." Yuko says, and somehow she remembers her.
One moment, she hadn't, and then the next she had. She didn't remember her in the last two years and now she did but it was mostly impressions, not specific memories. Yuko knew she loved her and knowing it was much more painfully obvious. And she still does, after all, to her it has only been moments since she last consciously knew she loved her.
Haruna was stunned by what she sees in Yuko’s eyes – exactly what she saw the last night she saw her that night. And it scares her! Today is her last day, but here she is, remembering things. How was this even possible? All the Doctors and specialist in this kind of case said there was no hope, especially as time has passed. They'd tried everything they knew, and nothing broke through the walls placed around her mind by whatever disorder she'd been hit with.
Haruna's terrified. She thought she was ready to move on, to let Yuko finally go, to leave her to other Doctors, to let her live in this hospital room until… that part scared her even more.
Would she have just left her to die? Alone? After everything…
"I – I have to go," Haruna says, because she can't think of anything to say or anything to do. She only wants to run away as fast as she can. She’s having trouble in her breathing, and she feels her body is getting very hot and if she doesn't get some air she's going to pass out. So she practically runs out of the room, leaving Yuko standing there with a slight smile on her face.
Yuko knows she's right, somehow. She just does. But she also knows that Haruna already moved on. After all, it's been almost two years to her. And only one day for her, so it hurts like nothing she's ever felt before, only it's a disconnected kind of hurt. Her heart knows it should break and it does, though the pain doesn’t hurt that much, because she only remembers impressions; feelings; emotions. Like watery images viewed through a window when it's storming outside. That's how she remembers her. And them. All Yuko knows is that she loves Haruna terribly, and she's gone and moved past her.
Past them.
Yuko feels a little dizzy, so she sits on the bed. An indefinite amount of time passes, and the door opens. A woman with black hair with a skirt and blouse walks in. she's also wearing a white coat, like Haruna wore, but the only difference is she's wearing glasses.
"Yuko," she says, and Yuko noticed she's carrying a tray with her. Panic leaps through her, but the woman only smiled and then she sees that the tray holds food. Then her stomach growls, and realizes she's very hungry.
Yuko watches the woman set the tray on the little table, then turn to look at her.
"How are you feeling today?" she asks.
"The other woman before you already asked that," she says, frustrated with the unnecessary repetition.
"I know. I would like for you to answer me, if that's all right."
Yuko shrugs. "I'm okay. Confused, though, as to why same things keeps on happening. I'm pretty sure that it shouldn’t be these way."
The woman frowns, and Yuko almost remembers her name. "No, that's not normal. You've never mentioned this kind of events ,so is this new?"
Yuko scowls. "How would I know?"
The woman reddens. "Oh, right. Of course. Forgive me."
Then Yuko remembers. "Acchan."
The woman looks at her sharply, then with a hint of excitement. "Yes, that's my name. Do you remember anything else about me?"
Yuko frowns and thinks as hard as she can. "No, sorry." It was like a pulse. Yuko pictures a long, thin cord, and pulses are carried on the cord. Those pulses are memories, or impressions, and when they come close enough to her mind, sometimes she grabs them.
"Well, eat your lunch. We'll talk afterwards."
Yuko nods, and the woman leaves her alone. Yuko moves to the table, and examines her food. It doesn't look very good, since it's not very appetizing. But Yuko eats it anyways, and while she eats, she reads her book. "Akihabara High: A History" is the title, and while she reads it, she grabs a lot of those pulses. Memories of school, of friends, of teachers, and classes, and others. But nothing is concrete, again, just fragments of conversations or lectures, or paragraphs. And somehow, Haruna is in most of them, and she wonders just how much of her life includes her. A niggling feeling tells Yuko that in truth, Haruna hasn't been in it long, but Yuko can't be sure of anything, really.
Just those impressions of her, surrounded by colors, when she's with her. And that she loves her.
---000---
She returns after she's done eating for two hours. Yuko’s sitting on the bed, brow furrowed in concentration, because she's trying her best to remember more.
"How was lunch?" Haruna asks, and Yuko looks up at her. Some of her hair has fallen out of that bun and it flows around her face, Yuko can't seem to remember seeing anything so beautiful. But then, she can't remember a lot of things. Still, Yuko knows it's true.
Yuko shrugs. "Okay." Then one of those pulses slams directly into her brain. "Where are the clothes I was wearing when I was brought here?" she asks.
Haruna cocks her head to the side a little. "In the second drawer of the nightstand."
Yuko then reaches down and opens the drawer. She finds a heavy coat, a pair of pants, a shirt and a scarf. She pulls the coat out for some reason and smells it somehow she can still remember how Haruna smelled that night she hugged her goodbye. Like milk and honey.
There's another flash, but she's okay this time.
Then Yuko looks at her, and gives her a little smile. She finds a secret pocket in her coat, the one that's charmed to hold almost anything. She reaches in and found a small box. Yuko smiles at the memory of selecting and purchasing the contents of the box. She holds the box in her hands and opens it, careful to make sure Haruna could not see what it was. When she sees the ring that she'd had made especially for her, her heart clenches, and she's in such pain that she fights the tears. Then Yuko's frustrated that she can't remember it all, and she feels like she's hurting a ghost, not something tangible, and not the girl sitting in the room.
"What is that?" Haruna asks, and Yuko can't help but keep smiling. She's just as curious as she always was.
"Nothing," Yuko says, though she knows she won't believe her.
Haruna stands up and walks toward her; Yuko sticks the box back in. "If it's something from the night you were injured, it might be helpful in determining what was done to you," Haruna says, somewhat annoyed, curious and broken.
"It won't, I assure you. It is nearly completely unrelated to that night." Yuko frowns. "I think."
"Perhaps you should let us Doctors decide on that," she says, and holds out her hand. There's another flash, and Yuko sees her the night she told her she loved her. They were at a dance, and she was wearing a red dress in a night gown. Yuko didn't typically like dancing, but when Haruna held out her hand to her, begging her with her sparkling eyes, she agreed. And while they danced, Yuko was hit with the full force of what Haruna meant to her, and she blurted it out right then and there. Haruna had laughed and twirled in her arms, waiting until the song is finished and to tell her that she loved her too.
"No," Yuko says, forcing the lump out of her mind that formed with that memory. "It will not be helpful."
Haruna sighs and returns to the table. "How are you doing? Since this morning, I mean. It seems as though you're making some progress," she says, trying to sound clinical and detached, and if Yuko didn't know her better, she would have fooled her.
"Third time today I've been asked that. I feel fine. Except for the fact that I can't remember much, and I know I'm supposed to, but I can't you see and you're – different."
Haruna's hurt again, and Yuko can tell it just by looking at her. Just then, the door opens and Atsuko – that's her name too – walks in. she talks quietly to Haruna, who seems at first to argue, then reluctantly nods and with a little glance at Yuko, she leaves the room.
"So, Yuko. I would like for you to give me a complete list of everything you remember." Atsuko starts diverting her attention.
Yuko looks at the other woman hard. "It's hard to explain," she says, after deciding that her desire to know what was wrong with her and fix it was stronger than her desire to be herself and tell Atsuko to shove it. Yuko smiles at the thought, though....
"I have only had a few actual flashes of memory. The rest – just sort of comes to me. It's just there, all of a sudden, where it wasn't a moment earlier. And they're mostly just impressions, or ideas. I kind of just know things, without knowing how or why."
Atsuko takes a deep breath. "Like Haruna."
Yuko stares at her and then nods.
"What exactly do you know about her?"
"Why should I share this with you? I'm quite certain it's between Me and her."
"I'm trying to help you. The more you tell me, the more we have to use to try and figure out what happened to you."
"I fail to see what knowing the specifics of my memories will do for you, other than to satisfy your curiosity."
Atsuko smiles, and chuckles. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I have missed your contentious attitude. Since you've been here, you've been cooperative, and pleasant – not at all like yourself. And it's good to see you being difficult again."
Yuko scowls. "Just get on with it, Maeda."
Atsuko nods. "I suppose you're right. I don't need to know what exactly you remember."
"I know I – I loved her. That's about it, right now. The rest is just foggy details, or really, the lack of details. Foggy impressions of her, and of us."
Atsuko then scribbles something on her clipboard.
"I don't want her to know this," Yuko says, warningly.
"Okay. I won't tell her."
"You mean it?"
"I mean it."
Yuko nods. "Good. Was there anything else?"
"Not really. Unless there's something else you wish to tell me."
"Nothing. Only – I think she's moved on," Yuko says, hoping for confirmation of her fears and hoping for denial, too. At this point, she doesn't really know what she wants.
Atsuko avoids looking at her. "That's something between you and her, I think." she stands. "You have the remainder of the afternoon to yourself. Haruna will come back later to say goodbye. It's her last day, today."
And then there's a sharp pain in her head, and Yuko's forced to understand exactly what Atsuko is saying. She's truly moving on. Leaving her behind. Yuko nods to Atsuko, who shuts the door behind her. It sounds so final. She’s stuck in a hospital room, while her life moved past her for almost two years. And she’s frustrated because she barely noticed that she wasn't around when it all happened.
TBC
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Haruna gotta leave yuuchan? :cry:
it hurts for each other
it gonna be love triangle or not?
yuko haruna and mariko?
thank for your update :bow:
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This story is so unique and awesome! . . . :D :D
I kept on reading it repeatedly until you update :) . . . .
If Haruna would see the box with a ring that Yuko intended to give her, would she change her mind? . . . .
I'm looking forward for your next chapter!! . . . . :D :D
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noooo haruna!!
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It's painful. :cry:
Will Yuko let go of Haruna? Please NOOOOOO!!!! :gyaaah:
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Why is she remembering only just now? She should do that sooner.
Haruna don't gooooooooooooooooooo. Please :bow: :bow: :cry:
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Omg, my kojiyuu feelings ;A; Haruna dont go, Yuko is remembering you now </3
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Why you wanna give up on your yuuchan, haruna?? Why??! (۳º̩̩́___º̩̩̀)۳
I mean, you love her for whole of your heart!
Idk, my kojiyuu feels (-̩̩-̩̩͡_-̩̩-̩̩͡)
Continue this, please *cry even more*
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this story is a hard one
but if they were meant to be
then everything was going to be ok...i think
thanks....
continue SOON!!!
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A/N: Hey guys thanks for the support on this fic... to be honest writing a kojiyuu angst for the first time gives me a hole in the heart :cry: I really don't know why I choose my main ship on this... maybe because mostly, when I read angst about them it ends up either breaking them apart or somebody's gonna die... :smhid and of course I'm not gonna do that 8) no not this ship maybe to others :peace:
And about everyone's question on Haruna gonna leave Yuko the answer is YES and NO! hehehe here's the next part :cow:
Part 3
Haruna comes back at the end of her shift, just before Mariko is supposed to pick her up for their dinner date. She's hesitant, because she's afraid of what Yuko’s remembered since she last saw her, and she's afraid that maybe she forgot it all.
Yuko's sitting in a chair, looking out to the window when she hears the door opens. she turns, and refuses to display any kind of emotion when her eyes meet hers.
Haruna walks to her bed and doesn't sit down, even though it's the only place left to sit. She's wringing her hands, and Yuko sees worry in her. Strange, she thinks.
"I wanted to tell you – it's my last day, today. Acchan will be taking over your case."
Yuko just looks at her, and Haruna's unnerved by the clarity she sees in her eyes. It's like she's reading her, like that book opened to page two hundred fifty-six on the table.
Yuko stands and walks toward her, and Haruna seems to shrink, and it hurts her, because Yuko doesn't know why. So she stops, and frowns.
"What is it? You aren't afraid of me, are you?" Yuko asks.
"What? No, oh no. It's – it's nothing. I'm sorry," Haruna says, hastily.
"Acchan told me it was your last day. There is no need for you to tell me as well. So. Why are you here?"
Haruna looks down at her feet and shifts her weight. "I wanted to see if you've made any progress," she says, peeking up at her.
"And?" Yuko says, because she knows her, and Haruna's there for more than that.
"And," Haruna says, now hurriedly. "If my deepest fear is realized tomorrow morning, and you don't remember today, then I need to tell you, tell you, about me. The person who's been in this room for the last two years has not been you. And I think that today, you really are you. So, while you're you, I need to talk to you."
Yuko nods and crosses her arms.
"I was working the day they brought you in. You remember I was still an Intern then?" Yuko shook her head. "Oh. Well, I was. And I was working that day. You were in a coma for two months, and when you woke up, you can't even imagine how happy I was. But you didn't remember me. You didn't remember much of anything. And that was so hard. I dedicated all of my time trying to find out what had happened to you, what was wrong with you. I – "
Yuko holds up her hand to stop her, then speaks. "You spent all of your time here, morning till evening. You slept here, sometimes. You researched my condition, you tried to find those people who had done this to me. You wasted away, and finally, after about three months, you had a breakdown. Your friends told you to take a break; actually, they probably told you to let other Doctors take my case. You conceded to the break, but returned just as determined.
"Only this time, you were more discreet, and a little more wise. It took nearly nine months for your second breakdown. It was because you weren't eating, weren't sleeping. You were solely focused on fixing me, and it nearly killed you a few times. Your friends convinced you to take a longer break, and you realized they were right, and you couldn't keep working at such pace. So you agreed. And then, when you returned, you fixed yourself, and forced to keep normal hours, and to eat, and to sleep. Slowly, you fell into that routine, and slowly, you felt yourself moving on. I was just another patient."
"No," Haruna interrupts. "You were never just another patient." Haruna's hurting so much, because Yuko was completely right about everything else she said. Yuko knows her so well, inside and out. And seeing her, really her, is wonderful and horrible all at once. Because she might be gone tomorrow.
"Nyanyan," she says, looking deep into her eyes, coming to stand mere inches from her. "I want you to always know that I loved you." Yuko can't bring herself to say she still does; of course, she still does. Besides, Haruna should know that. "More than anything. Never be in doubt of that."
Haruna has tears in her eyes again, and she lets them fall. It looks like she's been crying a lot today, actually. Yuko then reaches up out of habit and brushes them away. Haruna looks down. "I loved you too, Yuu-chan. Just as much."
Yuko wants to kiss her. More than anything she's wanted in a long time. More than food, more than water, more than breathing. But she can't; Haruna has moved on. One kiss won't change what happened over the last two years.
Then, in one of those instances Yuko's become accustomed to, Haruna got her arms wrapped around her neck and her face buried in her shoulders, crying. Yuko feels torn. Yuko wants to comfort her, to take away her pain, but she's in pain too. Yuko needs comforting too. Hesitantly, she puts her arms around her and holds her. Her head knows that she doesn't remember the past time, but her body knows it hasn't held her in nearly two years, and that instinct takes over. Yuko pulls her close – very close – and one hand is in her hair, and she's drinking in the feeling of her, the smell – still milk and honey – the small weight of her, wrapped around her.
Then the doors opens.
"Haruna, are you – hey! What's going on?"
Yuko feels Haruna being ripped away from her, and turns a scowling glare onto the culprit. Mariko. Haruna doesn't look at her, just cries into her own hands. Mariko hugs her and glares back at Yuko.
"What are you doing, Oshima?"
Yuko doesn't respond, she doesn't acknowledge the tall model-like short haired woman. She's only looking at Haruna, who finally looks up at her through her watery eyes behind Mariko.
Yuko quirks an eyebrow, and she knows Haruna knows what she said, "Her?" silently, and a fresh stream of tears fall and Haruna looks away, toward the wall.
"Get out of my room, Shinoda," Yuko spits, and turns to walk back to the window.
Yuko doesn't see Mariko's eyes widen, doesn't see her look between herself and Haruna, doesn't see her eyes narrow at the back of her head. Yuko feels that, though, and ignores it. Suddenly the cars and people walking by on the ground below are the most interesting thing Yuko's ever seen.
She hears them leave, and the room is full of silence. Her heart can't take much more of this, she thinks.
Mariko. She's with Mariko. It's almost like betrayal, even though a part of her can understand why Haruna would move on. But with her? That was the thing. She knows Mariko isn't nearly good enough for her, never has been, never will be. Yuko always knew it, and thought Haruna knew it too.
She goes and pulls the ring out of her coat and moves to sit on her bed, then stares at it, watching the light reflected in the gem – all different colors of light –
And there is a flash. A tidal wave, images crashed through her mind. Images of pain,of screaming, of torture, and cruel laughs and –
She pulls herself onto the bed and three hours later, Atsuko finds her in a fetal position, eyes staring straight ahead, unblinking, unseeing, glassy. Yuko's left hand is almost white from the strain of clenching around an object for hours. She tries to shake Yuko to wake her, but nothing seems to get through to her.
Atsuko is pacing the room, moments after finding her, trying to decide what to do. What to do! she doesn't even know what had happened, much less where to start. Atsuko goes to Yuko again, and tries to pry the thing from her hand. It's no use; it is almost as if Yuko were dead, and rigor has set in. But she's breathing, Atsuko can see that, shallow though it is.
Just then, the door opens, and Atsuko looks up. Mariko and Haruna came in, Haruna with wet, tear-stained cheeks (fresh tears, Atsuko determines), and Mariko with an angry scowl on her face. With one glance, Haruna notices that Yuko isn't okay, and rushes to her bed.
"Acchan, what happened?" she asks.
"I don't know. I just came to check on her, and found her like this. I have no idea how long she's been like this."
"Her eyes," Haruna says with voice cracking.
"Haruna, go home. There's nothing you can do. I don't think there's anything that can be done for her. We just have to wait and see."
"Yeah, Haruna," says Mariko, with a fresh scowl. "You know she'll just be back to normal tomorrow. There is no point in staying. Acchan will take care of her from now on."
Atsuko scowls at Mariko, but no one notices.
"Besides do you really want to spend the rest of your life, waiting for her? Waiting for her to wake up and maybe remember you for a day? I'm here, Haruna. I have always been here. Waiting for you. You've got to decide. Me, or her. Me; someone who loves you, who will always love and treat you better than she ever did. Someone who you can laugh with, and make memories with. Or her," Mariko says, malice in her voice. "Who can only ever hurt you, Haruna. Which is it?" she demands, arms crossed with fierce look in her eyes.
Haruna's crying again, and she looks at Atsuko, who tries to tell her that it's up to her, that she needs to decide what she's going to do about Yuko, and that Mariko maybe isn't the best one to help walk her through the process. Only she can't see all that in a single look, so she turns to Mariko, then looks at Yuko, with eyes still glassy and unfocused, and back to Mariko again. She storms out of the room, and Mariko runs after her, leaving Atsuko alone with Yuko.
TBC
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What happen to Yuko actually?
Waa...Haruna please stay with Yuko,she needs you...
Update soon,please...
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Yuuchan :cry:
:tantrum: :tantrum: :tantrum:
Stalker-chan update soon...onegai :on gay:
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OMG ;A; My kojiyuu feelings! please! choose Yuko, HARUNA!!! ;A;
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It was so happy and touching at first until Mariko interrupted them. And Yuko in a bizzare state...
So. Good.
I like the progress of the story, the character development (especially for Yuko), everything is so perfect. I might think you're a better author than me :)
Great job! Update as soon as you can! :D
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Haruna needs to stay with Yuko now more than ever because her state is better than before. . . . .
If Haruna could only see the ring that Yuko intended to give her. . . . . :( :( :cry:
Maybe Yuko was in a temporary state of shock because all of her memories came back all at once. :O
. . . . Well, I'm just guessing. . :D . . .
Yuko has to regain her memories soon!!! . . . . Now that Mariko is in the picture. . . .
Thanks 4 the update :) :) :) :) . . . . .
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KOJIHARUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!
Choose YUKO!!!
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I don't like Mariko, :angry:
YXuko wake up, remember her. :cry:
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O M G !!! ː̗̀(☉,☉)ː̖́
Now that is just...... Gah!! I can't even properly write my feelings after read this chap!
This is just so perfect! And tears suddenly came out (-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩__-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)
Oh my, great development of all *thumbsup*
To all mariko-sama fans out there, I deeply apologize; but I hate mariko in this story, warui kedo. T____T
My kojiyuu will find the way to be back together again, I believe.
Update soon anon-san, thankyou m(_ _)m
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I'm really enjoying your story you have here.
Everything is well written, and just keeps me begging for more.
Keep up the great work!
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@olive29: Yuko just had a sudden attack and this next chapter will explain more thoroughly I guess :nervous
@Chichay12: As per request 8)
@abcari and Konoe: Yes..Yes.. *cough* Yuko *cough* :deco:
@AryaMachdi: Yeah Mariko just ruin the moment there...and thanks for the compliment....please continue to make awesome fics as well :bow:
@shiruba_rein: You've actually guessed it right XD and I think this next chapter will be the answer :twothumbs
@Zita: I actually don't like Mariko-sama's character here and I can't believe I just made her look like the bad guy :banghead: SorrytoallMarikooshipleasedon'tkillme :sweatdrop:
@atsukojiyuu_C: Thanks I know how you feel and making this is so hard :cry: but don't worry I'll try my best to make it good in the end... :rock:
@LovelyGaki: Thanks and yeah there's more to go... :thumbsup
A/N: Hey I'm back again and the good news is I'm trying to finish this up on/before Christmas hopefully :peace: ... here's the next part :grin:
Part 4
Atsuko tries once more to pry the thing from Yuko's grasp but has no luck. She decides to sit in the room and wait.
After an hour, Atsuko looks at Yuko and sees that her eyes were closed. She comes to the bed to examine her, and her breathing is more regular. Atsuko starts to leave, but was stopped.
"Acchan," Yuko says, heavily. Like she's been drugged.
Atsuko turns around, and Yuko is looking at her, though still curled in a ball.
"What is it?" Atsuko asks, relieved because at least Yuko remembers her.
Yuko watches Atsuko, until Atsuko moves back to the chair, and then pulls the chair next to the bed.
"What kind of – person – am I? Was I?"
Atsuko frowns. "What do you mean?"
"I mean – I had a flashflood of images run through my head. I hurt people. I – killed people." Yuko's thinking, how could a girl like Haruna ever like her?
Atsuko looks at Yuko kindly. "Well, Yuko, at one time you were a part of a Black Organization or a syndicate here in Japan. Do you remember what it is?" Yuko shakes her head no. "Well, you were a member of it and basically you guys did some bad things."
"I can somehow remember it," Yuko says, clutching her fist tighter around the object.
Atsuko nods. "You – you did hurt, and kill people. But you turned good and joined the Light, you fought them and betrayed your boss, you were an instrument in freeing the world of some evil tyranny."
Yuko processes the information. "So, I was bad, then I was good." Atsuko nods. "Was it because of her?"
"No. It was because you saw what your boss really wanted, what his ultimate goal was, and you did not want it to happen. So you came to us – me, actually – and offered to be a spy. Like I said, you were very helpful. Without you, countless lives would've been lost.
Yuko nods, and then lessens her grip on the box. She slowly sits up. "All I can see are bad images and the horrible things I did."
"I can't even imagine what that was like."
"They just hit me, like a stray person."
Atsuko smiles. "What's in your hand?"
Yuko looks at her, and then tosses the box to Atsuko. "I remember we were friends," she says.
Atsuko catches the box then nods to Yuko, and opens it. It's a ring, a silver ring, with a dark red garnet between two small pearls. It's not huge, it's not small; it's perfect for a person whom it was intended.
"Wow, Yuko. I had no idea."
Yuko shrugs, and motions Atsuko to return the box. She does, and Yuko looks at it once more. "It was specially made for her. Lots of special charms put into it. The band is a unique pattern, crafted for just this ring. My name, and all that it carries, was put into this ring. I was going to ask her the day after I was attacked, Christmas Day."
Yuko then looks up at Atsuko. "I know what you're probably thinking. Very atypical of me, and oh, so cliché. But the truth is, it just happened to be that day that I decided I wanted to be with her and marry her, so I placed an order for the ring that same hour. The old man message me when it was ready, and I went to pick it up that night." Yuko looks at the ring again, sighs, and puts it in the nightstand.
"Yuko, we didn't know you were going to ask her to marry you."
Yuko smirks. "Isn't that the idea? A surprise?"
"Well, yes, but – she had no idea, either."
Yuko shrugs. "I have been spontaneous only a few times in my life. That I can remember." She chuckles. "But I'm pretty sure this was one of those times. I did not tell her a thing. Didn't talk about it – nothing. I wanted it to be a complete surprise."
Atsuko then looks at Yuko with sad eyes.
"It's okay, Acchan. Life isn't fair. Believe me, I know."
"So, you remember?"
"No. Just more and more of her, and now – all of that." Yuko scrubbed at her left arm. "I can almost see it, trying to burn through my skin," she says. "I'm scared, Acchan. What if – what if I don't remember? Tomorrow. I could wake up completely oblivious."
Atsuko stands. "I know. We're all worried about that."
"We?" Yuko says and laughs. "We. Right."
"Just try and rest. Okay? I'll see you first thing tomorrow."
Yuko nods, and a wave of exhaustion hits her. Atsuko then leaves. Yuko crawls under the covers, and shivers, not because she's cold, but because she's scared to go to sleep; scared to wake up.
Yuko has the same dream she's had every single night.
She smiles as she leaves the jeweler, the ring safely tucked in her coat. She takes four steps after turning left, and she's surrounded. Three people in all, black hoods up and guns drawn, pointing at her heart.
She stops, her smile frozen, then gone.
She knows these people. She'd sent them to their deaths, but these had survived. Vainly, she reaches for her gun.
With a cackle, the closest person – another member – her Aunt – disarms her.
"Stupid little niece," she says, drawing back her hood. The others did the same. "Did you honestly think we wouldn't come for you? That we wouldn't find you? That you were safe? You betrayed us all. I lost my entire family – your family – because of you." She circled her now; she stood staring straight ahead.
When she was facing Yuko again, she sneered, then jabbed her gun at her throat. "We found you, Yuko-chan. And we're going to have some fun with you, before we kill you." Her Aunt cackled again,
They hit and beat her leaving signs of trauma. Finally, through a concussed headache, Yuko tried to fight back but just before she does, her Aunt hit her with two heavy shots at once and then…
A flash
She wakes with a start, and sits straight up in bed. She looks around, and she notices everything is in color, and she finds it odd. Then she realizes that it's strange to take note of the presence of color, and then she further realizes that it's something new for her to know it wasn't like this yesterday.
Yesterday.
She lunges for the nightstand and pulls open the drawer. Grabs at the front left corner, puts her hands around the small black box. She pulls it out, opens it, and sees the ring.
And this morning, she remembers everything. Except the two years she was in the hospital; but before that. Everything.
Why she left the Organization. How Haruna first caught her attention; when she'd kissed her the first time to get her to shut up, and how they'd kissed for a good ten minutes before they knew what had happened.
Their first date; what she wore; the first time they'd held hands. Everything.
Acchan. Mariko. Takamina. The Organization. Her parents. Her award from the Government of Japan for a valiant service—an award she gave to Haruna.
The night she kissed her goodnight and went to pick up a ring. And everything in between.
The realization almost makes her physically sick. It was just – there – and she knows that it wasn't always there, so easily accessible.
Then, something whispers in the back of her mind, she stands and goes to the stack of books. Akihabara High: A History, is actually brown not black. She frowns.
The door opens, and Atsuko walks in. "Good morning, Yuko. How – "
"What color was Haruna wearing yesterday?" Yuko interrupts impatiently.
Atsuko frowns. "Red."
"You're sure. It was Red."
"Yes. A Red blouse and black pants. Yuko— "
"What color is this book?" she asks, holding it up that was Black only hours before.
"Brown. Yuko, what is this about?"
Yuko looks at Atsuko. "Yesterday, they were Black and White."
"Yesterday."
Yuko nods.
"You remember yesterday?"
Yuko nods again.
"Then, surely you remember that it's a big deal for you to remember yesterday."
And then Yuko falls onto the bed, staring at the wall in front her. "Yes," she says, nodding. Then she puts her head in her hands. "It's all true, isn't it? It's been almost two years."
Atsuko nods, and Yuko's reeling. Haruna was really with Mariko. It hadn't been a terrible nightmare. All of it —
"Ok I'd like to ask you some questions, Yuko."
She nods.
"Who did I talk to when you wanted to be a spy?"
"Your cousin Sayaka who works at the Central Police."
Atsuko nods. "And what did Minami say to me when I returned from the bar drunk?"
"She said, 'Maeda Atsuko, put on a sweater, you're going to catch cold.' But she was grinning and hugging you and crying at the same time."
"What did Sayaka plan to do for Mari-chan on Christmas Day that you, uh, missed?"
Yuko whips her head up to meet Atsuko's gaze. And she's really angry. "Why would you ask me that?"
"Because you are one of only three people who knew the answer."
Yuko glares at Atsuko. "She was going to take her to the amusement park, Which, I'm guessing, never happened."
"Uh, no. We were all there actually."
Yuko sighs and runs a hand through her hair. There's a constant, dull, ache in her heart and her gut.
Atsuko smiles at her warmly. "If you think you're ready, you can gather your things and follow me to my office."
Yuko blinks. "You want me to leave this room?"
"Yes. I'm going to discharge you."
TBC
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Does this mean Yuko's illness is gone? Kojiharu where are you?!
So this fic is short. At least I have an assurance that this will be completed someday. :)
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Wow . . . . :shocked
Just wow . . . .
Yuko regained her memories and she is ready to be discharged . . . . . but WHERE THE HECK IS KOJIHARU?!
ps. didn't knew that my guess was spot-on. . . . hahaha. . . . XD
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No problem, I enjoy the flow of story though it's sad >w<
So yuko is a hero then? Hellyeah XD XD
Please make kojiyuu together anon-san, I'm beggin you m(_ _)m
And oh you'll end this before christmas?? Okay~
Let's see what will happen in next chap (>̯͡.̮<̯͡)
Thankyou!! <3
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She is going to be discharged. :twothumbs
Haruna where are you. Come here now. :grin:
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Ah!!! Looking foward to a discharged Yuko and haruna meeting again, I love this fic XD
keep at it :P
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Might be just me lacking of imagination or this fic suddenly took drastic turn lol.
Never thought that Yuuko was an assassin of a black organization and she lost her memories because of the people taking revenge on her.
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A/N: Just a short update be back for more :nervous
Part 5
Yuko's going home. And she panics. Home. There's no telling what kind of state her home is. No, wait. She knows about home. It is her house she isn't sure about. No, home is gone. So Yuko complies, and collects her belongings. She doesn't have much, just the ring, and the clothes she wore in, which she puts on, to wear out.
Once she’s in Atsuko's office, Yuko relaxes. But Atsuko notices that she's a bit sick.
"Yuko? You okay?" she asks, handing her a glass of water.
"Yes. It's just – this happened yesterday too. My head, my brain, knows that I can't remember the last few years. But deep down, there’s a part of me that knows I've been in that room for so long. And that part of me starts to panic. But I'll be fine, I'm sure. Once I get used to this – "Yuko stops, because she doesn't know what to call it. New life? New state of being? New world? She’s not sure.
Atsuko frowns. "Maybe you should talk to someone."
"What, like another Doctor? No thanks, Acchan. I can handle this."
Atsuko gives her a knowing smile. "Thought you'd say something like that." Then she sorts through some papers on her desk. "These are you discharge papers. I – had them prepared last night, just in case. Sign wherever there's an 'X'. You have your things already. But your properties and financial holdings have been in Haruna's hands. They will be returned to you, effective immediately."
Yuko frowns. "Haruna?"
Atsuko looks concerned. "Yes. You – remember her, don't you?"
"Yes, of course," she says. "But why her?"
Atsuko shrugs. "After your accident she handled your company as well and the Board agreed, as long as they received a small handling fee."
Yuko smirks. "Right. Small."
"I'm sure she'll be happy to give you a report on what your company has been doing lately." Their eyes meet, and Atsuko looks away first.
"I'm sure," Yuko says, not at all wanting to hear a report on her company from Haruna.
"Is there anything else you need?" Atsuko asks quietly, once all the papers are signed.
"No," Yuko replies, frowning. There's everything she needs, though. Her whole life back, for starters. "I had a dream last night, only I don't think it was just a dream. It was of the night all this happened."
Atsuko perks up. "Oh? What did you see?"
"The whole thing, exactly as I remember it."
"Who – who did it?"
Yuko smiles a bitter smile. "My Aunt Megu. And two other members of the organization. Said it was only a matter of time before they found me and gave me my due for betraying them. I managed to fight back but the next thing I remember was waking up yesterday and seeing things all black and white."
"And you arrived here."
"That was my goal. I knew I was injured, badly. They wanted to properly beat me in remorse for my actions of course, then killed me afterwards."
"I figured they’d do that," Atsuko says, grimly. "Your Aunt is the only remaining member of the Organization that is still at large. The other two have been caught." Atsuko pauses and looks at Yuko. "Yuko, I – I'm sorry that all of this happened."
Yuko sighs. "Me too."
There's a moment of silence, then Atsuko says, "So what are you going to do now?"
"Try to get my life in order. Then I will hunt down my Aunt Megu. If the others were still free, I would hunt them too as well. But just Aunt Megu, then I'm not really sure what I'll do once I find her. And Acchan, rest assured, I will find her."
"If anyone could do it, Yuko, it's you. But I also want you to come back in a few weeks for a follow-up. Nothing big, just to make sure you're doing okay," Atsuko says. "And of course, come back if something happens before then, too."
Yuko mumbles her approval, and Atsuko writes the date on a slip of thin paper.
"Yuko, it – it's good to have you back."
It's clear that Atsuko really means it and Yuko tries really hard to smile, but her heart isn't in it. It's a cross between a smile and a frown and a twist of pain. But Atsuko gets it and nods anyways.
"And Yuko, if you need anything, Don't be a stranger and come by to my house ,okay."
Yuko hesitates, then nods and stands, ready to quit the hospital. "Right. Send me a message about it."
"And, I won't invite Haruna and Mari-chan."
Yuko stiffens and a wave of anger flashes through her. "That would be a good idea, I suppose, if you wish for me to visit. Tell Takamina, I said hi, will you?"
"Sure."
"Thank you, Acchan, for all you've done for me. And – if you see Haruna, tell her my thanks as well," she says, with a sad expression on her face.
Atsuko nods, then says, "Don't be so glum, Yuko. Home is right where you left it."
Yuko stops with her hand on the doorknob and says, very quietly, "My house is where I left it. Home is not." Then she turns the knob and leaves the room.
One hour later, Haruna arrives at the Hospital. She makes her way to Yuko's room, and when she arrives, she pushes open the door. Only to find someone cleaning, changing the bed, and fluffing the pillows of the room.
"What are you doing?" she asks, slight panic creeping into her voice.
"Cleaning the room," says the man.
"But, why?"
"The patient is gone."
Then her panic starts to increase. The last time she saw Yuko, she was catatonic, curled into a ball. Surely she wasn't – dead; she couldn't be. Life wouldn't do that to her, would it?
"What happened?" Haruna asks, frantically.
The man shrugs. "You'll have to ask the Nurses. I just clean rooms."
Haruna runs out from the room and runs to Atsuko's office. She knocks six times before she hears her and tells her to come in.
"Where is she?" Haruna asks, only half-way in the room.
"Yuko?"
Haruna glares at her. "No. The patient in room 402. Of course, Yuko!" Haruna's voice started to rise. "Is she okay?"
"Haruna, calm down. Yes, she's fine. Here take a seat, have some juice," Atsuko says, motioning to the seat opposite to her and a glass of cold juice.
Haruna sits, but does not take the glass. "Where is she?" She asks, quietly now, as if all her energy was spent waiting to hear that Yuko was okay.
"By now, Yuko's probably at home. I let her go."
Haruna’s eyes bugs out. "You let her go?!"
"Yes. She woke up this morning with her entire memory intact. Except for the time she spent here, of course. I saw no reason to hold her. I asked her questions and do minor tests and let her go."
Haruna seemed to sink even lower in her chair. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."
Atsuko looks at her sharply. "I thought you said goodbye yesterday."
"I did, but…" she trails off, with nothing really to say.
"Haruna. You know that I love you and you’re my friend. And besides I know these past few days is a whirlwind of experienced. But you need to understand that she needs more time to adjust her things now. Her entire world has been pulled out from beneath her, and the last thing she remembers is saying goodnight to you one cold winter night and then getting attacked by the Organization."
Haruna gasps. "She remembers what happened to her?"
Atsuko nods. "Yes. Her Aunt, and a few others."
"Oh no, Yuu-chan. Is she okay?"
"She's strong. She will be. Like I said; she needs time, Haruna. Especially to digest the news about – you."
"What about me?" Haruna asks, angry.
"You and Mari-chan."
"Oh, can we forget about that just for today. Mariko and I had a huge fight last night."
"About Yuko?"
"Of course. But what does she expect? Yuu-chan was by far the most important thing in my life, and now she's okay."
"I think the question is, what is the most important thing in your life now? Is it Mari-chan? Is there anything at all? Do you want it to be Yuko?"
Haruna stutters, not ready to deal with these questions. "I – I don't know, Acchan."
"I think you need to figure it out, Haruna."
TBC
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Nice! XD
Yuko's out already but she isn't happy . . . . She needs Haruna
Haruna! . . . You must definitely choose Yuko!
Thanks for the update :D
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MariHaru fighting made me happy. :P
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I agree with konoe-san!!! XD
Erase your hesitation nyannyan, yuko needs you and you know already that you belong to that certain squirrel! ><
Suffered yuko makes me in pain ;;____;;
Thankyou anon-san, can't wait for next~
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haruna you should figure it out
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Haruna you should figure that Yuko is your past and future
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This is so easy question!!
I will answer it for you, Haruna.
The answer is YUKO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Very GOOD!!! :thumbup
Please continue :bow: :bow:
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Part 6
It’s been a month since Yuko left the hospital and it’s almost Christmas, two years since Yuko had her memory stolen from her. She hasn't dealt well with what happened to her; she's mostly angry and somewhat resigned. She gets a message from the Hospital with a reminder notice of her follow-up appointment, and its tomorrow.
Yuko actually smiles when she realizes Atsuko had made the appointment for Christmas Eve. Probably just to make sure she didn't do anything stupid, or stay in bed all day, or drink her brain cells into mush. Like a good friend would do. When Yuko's done smiling, she puts down her glass of wine and walks out from her condo.
Night falls, and she decides to visit the old man who'd made the ring. The ring, which she kept, tucked in her secret pocket. She waits until closing time, hoping to avoid… people, in general.
When she thinks the time is right, Yuko bundles up for the cold walk she's about to take. It's almost half-past ten, and she hopes that maybe, just maybe, the old man got a last-minute request from some other unfortunate fellow and would be hunched over his workbench. She will be surely asked how the young person liked his handiwork, and Yuko realizes she worries the answer to that question.
With one last check, Yuko makes sure she has everything – ring, coat, gloves, and a hat.
She arrives in the east side of Tokyo were she walks to the ring shop and finds to her dismay that it's now a coffee shop. The old man must have finally died, Yuko thinks. She stares in the window, trying to replace the bookshelves with glass counters, the cozy environment with a dusty workshop. She can almost see the ghost of the old man, working behind the counter, bent over.
Yuko had arrived a little early, and the ring was not quite finished.
They had sat and chatted while the old man worked, and the man told her about how he met his wife. They had a similar story to Yuko and Haruna's, though not as distinct. They were enemies in their school and thoroughly hated each other until in their final year they were paired in their English subject for a final project. Their fighting and hatred quickly turned into flirting and stolen glances, and they never looked back. The woman in the discussion then entered the work room, bringing Yuko and her husband a tea, which she shared with them.
She told Yuko stories of their famous fights, which sometimes resulted in broken walls, broken pictures, and broken chairs. Among other things. Then she asked about the person for whom the ring was intended.
Yuko told the old couple her story, and of course they knew about her, and her family, and their affiliation with all things about the Organization. They also knew that she'd been involved in the defeat of the said group. Yuko told them that she and Haruna were a lot like them, they were also enemies, constantly bickering, or at least, whenever Haruna felt like starting it. They truly hated each other, and that continued all through high school, and after. When Yuko made the decision to defect, they picked up right where they left off, only now their fights were mean, and vicious.
Haruna hated her for being the cause of deaths for many people, and nothing would ever change that. Until Yuko did something completely out-of-character in Haruna’s mind. Something only for her.
It’s the time when Haruna’s birthday was approaching and no one seemed to remember. Yuko could see that it was going to go completely forgotten—that she seemed to be the only person who remembered it. So, for some unknown reason to her, she didn't want to see Haruna as hurt as she knew she would be at her friends' memory lapse. After all she deserved this one day to feel special.
Yuko simply reminded Atsuko that her birthday was only three days away. Atsuko had turned bright red, and started stuttering, and fell all over herself thanking Yuko for reminding her. She told Takamina, and the rest of their friends, and Haruna had an absolutely huge surprise party waiting for her when she returned with Mariko from their work. Yuko thought they went a bit overboard, actually, probably out of the guilt they all felt at nearly missing her birthday completely. Yuko stayed back, sticking around for the festivities long enough to see Haruna open a few presents, and not even the one she gave her.
Then she returned to her duties as spy, and Haruna was nice to her and she realized Atsuko or Takamina must have told her what she did, or at least led Haruna to believe that she wasn't the hard, cold, pervert shell she wanted them to think.
From there, things tumbled, and spiraled, and they were together not long after. It surprised her, honestly, to find that she shivered whenever Haruna was near her. Yuko always thought it had to do with the radiant hate between them, but when that subsided, the shivering remained. When one day their hands had brushed and she felt it down to the tips of her hair that was it for her. Haruna, of course, took longer to convince, but then she'd kissed her, ostensibly to shut her up, but after that, Haruna was a believer too.
The old man finished the ring, and Yuko paid for it, smiling broadly, more on air than ever before. She tucked the ring in her coat and said goodnight to the couple.
Standing outside the shop, forcing her mind to remember every detail, every image, from that night, makes Yuko forget that it was December and below freezing. When the images fade, the bookshop returns, and Yuko's nose is nearly numb. She rubs it with a gloved hand and turns around to walk the sidewalks.
It's a very cold night, and it's quiet, the quiet of being on a snow-covered street with not a sound except the crunch of snow beneath her shoes as she walks. Yuko takes one step to the left and her heart is pounding. Two steps, and her hands are sweaty and she's gripping her coat that her knuckles are white and her fingernails are drawing blood from her palms. Three, and it's hard to breathe. Four, and her eyes are darting everywhere, and she's very nearly frozen with fear.
Then five steps, and Yuko feels her lungs contract and a wave of cold air hits them as she gulps in air. Six, and she lessens her grip on her coat, seven and she's breathing normally. Eight steps, and she turns around to look at the spot where her life had changed.
It looks like every other spot on the street – snow-dusted and cold. There isn't a single sign shouting 'this is it!', nothing to tell anyone who passes that here, Oshima Yuko was robbed of her life. Only a memory in her head as she glares at shadows of the Organization in her mind.
Yuko stares, breathing out puffs of air. A few streetlamps and the silver moon make the snow look silver too. It's late now, time had passed while she stood outside the coffee shop, and all the shops are closed. This night, no one is about.
It starts snowing, and the lights illuminate the flakes as they flutter toward the ground, drawing her gaze from the spot. She can only see a few feet of the snow in front of her, but it's beautiful, and her breath hitches, and she wishes she weren't alone to witness this miracle of nature. It's so quiet, Yuko can almost hear each snowflake hit the ground. She stands still, letting the snow fall on her, breathing the cold air, and she can't feel her nose at all now.
She listens to her shoes crunch in the snow, and leaves a track as she walks towards her condo.
The next day, Yuko wakes with a strange feeling of dread and peace all at once. It's Christmas Eve, the night which has been two years since the one on which Yuko intended to propose to Haruna. And instead of waking next to her, she is alone.
Yuko hasn't seen her since the day she was in the hospital, and she has mixed feelings about it. She is sad and angry because Haruna was supposed to be hers. But she's also relieved, because she is not hers, and she wasn't sure she could get through a pleasant conversation with her if she tried. Yuko was still angry with her situation, with what happened to her.
She slowly gets ready for her appointment. She woke at eight and the appointment is at ten, but Yuko's still rushing around last minute so as not to be late. She gets a taxi few blocks from the hospital and walks the rest of the way. Yuko's wearing all black, no coats, as she's not sure what exactly she's going to do. Sunglasses even, in the middle of December. That way she won't have to look when people look at her.
Yuko's across the street, staring at the run-down department store that serves as the front for the hospital. She just stands there and stares, and she doesn't know for how long. Yuko imagines that everywhere she looks, she sees her. Every man or woman who glances around them before darting under the cover of is Haruna.
Haruna’s in the hospital. She worked there before, she works there now. She worked there all the time she was there. It hadn't occurred to Yuko until now that she might see her inside while at her appointment with Atsuko. Even though she knows she's not her patient, she had been for two years, and she knows Haruna want to know how she was doing.
And so she can't. Yuko can't go in. She just stares. Hundreds of people pass her but not one of them touches her. She feels like a rock in a river.
Finally Yuko stops staring and turns her shoulders upstream. It's true it's barely passed lunch, but a drink sounds like a really good idea to her. What better way to spend this, most horrible day, than with an unyielding glass in one hand and a tall, promising bottle in the other?
Only Yuko was just here last night, and Madame Noro recognizes her and acts worried. Worried that maybe she's drinking too much. But Yuko flashes her dimpled smile and more importantly, her wallet, and Madame Noro just grumbles that it's 'not her business’ and gives Yuko the requested drink.
After three glasses, Yuko feels almost sick. She hasn't eaten anything all day, and it's nearly two in the afternoon. She wants to eat, but she thinks she will be sick for sure if she does. So she tucks the bottle in her pocket and heads back into the street. Yuko's not sure where she's less likely to see her, Akihabara or the park, but she thinks Haruna's probably working, so she chooses the park.
Yuko walks to the park, frozen and covered in a blanket of snow. She hates how she feels. Bitter, empty, and angry. In what had seemed to her like only a month before, she'd been happy. Deliriously so. Only, it had been two years, really. Yuko couldn't always wrap her mind around it. She'd gone to bed one night and woken up the next day with nothing. That mattered. Stripped away like old, peeling paint.
There are some kids running around and she thinks how she still wants a family. A real one, where the parents love each other and play in frozen parks with their kids. She wonders if she'll have to make some kind of deal with Haruna for who gets to keep the kids' names.
Yuko scolds herself harshly for thinking about her again. But as she trudges… onward, not paying any mind for where she's going, she can't help but think that she has the right to think about her. All she wants! And to sometimes want Haruna to knock on her door and just start talking – about anything. The weather, or the budget committee meeting she'd just left, or the price of their stocks.
Only Yuko's angry too. At life, at the world, at the system of the universe. She knows she's done awful things, but who hasn't? Why her? But she also thinks, why not her? Why should she get to have everything she ever wanted? Still. Haruna was all she ever wanted. To the world, Haruna was just a girl, but to Yuko, she was everything.
And she's angry at her; Yuko hates that too.
When she finally looks up, she's nowhere she recognizes, which isn't really all that surprising considering it’s a park. And she's on a bench next to the river, staring at the water as it meanders by her toward the sea.
Yuko decides it's time to stop being so self-absorbed. Time to stop thinking about Haruna so much. She's moved on and she should too. Yuko's given herself some time, and it's time to let it go. To try and start the process of letting Haruna go. Yuko sighs and leans back against the bench, hands thrust in her pockets and no longer needing the sunglasses because the sun is nearing the end of its circuit.
Something catches her attention, and she looks beside her to find a small girl, with dark brown hair. The girl looks up at her and gives her a smile full of missing teeth. Yuko smiles back, for the first time not feeling in the least bit bitter about it.
Then the girl stands up and hands her a piece of bread. Yuko accepts it with a curious look, but the girl has walked toward the edge of the river and she's throwing pieces of the bread into the water. Yuko approaches the girl, stopping beside her and looking down at the water. Ducks are gathering below them, attacking the pieces of floating bread. The girl looks up at Yuko again, smiles, and resumes her activity.
Yuko joins her, and silently they toss stale chunks of bread into a dirty river. And Yuko thinks again how she wants a family. Right now this girl is her family.
"Know what my mum says when she comes home from work and she's too tired to do anything but crash in front of the tv with a bottle of something that smells like grampa's aftershave?" the girl asks.
Yuko is surprised, and manages only a weak, "what?"
"This too shall pass."
Yuko nods; she gets it. She finishes with her pieces of bread and watches as the ducks fight over the big one. Shoving her hands back in her pockets, she waits until the girl is finished. Then she smirks and ruffles the kid's hair. "Thanks."
Night has already come and Yuko goes back to her condo, it’s already past eleven when a knock on her door forces herself to get up. "Who is it?" she asks.
Yuko opens it;
And she's there, standing on her front porch, obviously cold, and looking nervous and hopeful.
Yuko can't speak at first, so she just stares.
"Hey," Haruna says, teeth chattering.
After Yuko blinks a few times, she responds, "Hi."
They stare at each other for a moment or two, then Haruna blurts, "Do you have anything to eat?"
Yuko almost laughs; almost. "Of course. Uh, come in."
And Haruna does, rubbing her arms to warm herself. Yuko's surprised that she's only wearing a light coat, long-sleeved shirt and jeans, and a hat. No scarf, no gloves.
Once in the foyer of the massive front hall, they look at each other. Yuko feels anger, like bile, rising in her gut. But Haruna looks so small, that she forces herself not to rail on her right there.
"The kitchen is this way," she says, and starts walking.
Haruna catches up to her, though Yuko's walking quickly, and falls into stride beside her. It takes them a few minutes to get to the kitchen, which they pass in strange silence.
Once there, Haruna immediately starts rummaging through Yuko’s cabinets, through her drawers, looking for food. Yuko's a little surprised Haruna is so familiar with everything, but then remembers that she probably visited her home a lot during her… absence. And Haruna's eating as though she hasn't eaten in weeks.
"When is the last time you ate?" Yuko asks.
Haruna looks at her. "A few days ago. Have you eaten dinner?" She's holding a box of crackers in her hand and she shakes it.
Yuko quirks an eyebrow. "It's nearly midnight; yes, I've had dinner." She didn't bother to mention that dinner had been those very crackers that Haruna is holding right now.
"Oh," Haruna says. Then she goes to the fridge and rummages through it for something to drink. And Yuko just can't allow her to drink from the carton, so she grabs the juice from her hand and returns it. Haruna looks at her questioningly.
"Sit. I will make you something to eat. I won't have you eating like a pig in my kitchen."
Haruna lowers her eyes, but sits in a chair that is next to a large island. Yuko busies herself with preparing a simple but delicious meal and Haruna pointedly looks anywhere but at her.
Yuko's actually quite quick about it, and sets a sandwich in front of her after only a few minutes. Haruna looks at it, then at her, then back at the sandwich.
"Why are you here?" Yuko asks more roughly than she'd intended, but she doesn't care.
Haruna looks at her before taking a bite. When she's halfway done, she looks back at her, and says, "You missed your appointment."
Yuko laughs and mutters to herself, "of course."
"I – we – were worried. It's very important for you to keep appointments."
"How terribly inconsiderate of me. To cause you worry," Yuko says, her fears of being unable to be civil to Haruna coming true.
Haruna looks hurt, but quickly masks it. "Would you like me to examine you? Then you won't have to bother with making another appointment."
Yuko shrugs.
"Acchan was looking forward to seeing you."
"Are all these formalities really necessary?" Yuko’s tone was curt.
Again, Haruna says nothing. She finishes her sandwich and then gets out a pen and a notebook. "So. How is your memory?"
"Great," Yuko mutters, sitting down across from her.
"Have you had any relapses? Flashes? Moments where you've forgotten anything?"
"No."
"Do you remember any of your time in the hospital?"
"No."
"Hmm," Haruna says, biting her lip and looking at her notebook curiously. "I have this theory," she starts, and before Yuko can tell her she couldn't care less about her theory, Haruna continues. "That you'll never remember your time at the hospital. That it will always be as if those years never happened."
"Well, isn't that too bad? I won't have two years' worth of pointless days mulling around inside my head."
Haruna looks at her, half out of concern and half curious. "Have you experienced any abnormalities? Unpleasant side effects? Anything at all?"
Yuko glares at her. "Nothing that isn't to be expected."
Haruna squirms in her seat and Yuko can tell she's hit home. Haruna's still the same and Yuko can still press all the right buttons to get a reaction, and somehow, this is comforting. "Okay. I just need you to answer a few simple questions. Who was the person that Sayaka has crush for a long time?"
Yuko signs loudly, impatiently. "Mariko."
"And what is the name of Acchan’s soon to be hus--…er…wife?"
"Takamina."
"Lastly, what did you plan to do with me on this date, two years ago?"
Yuko scowls. "That's low, Nyannyan. And off-limits."
Haruna sighs and puts away her pen. Yuko’s heart constricts painfully because it means Haruna’s done and she's not sure she's ready for Haruna to leave. Yuko's not sure she wants her to stay, either. Haruna takes a long time in adjusting her bag and finally gives up the pretense that she's leaving.
Instead, she asks, "How are you?"
Yuko almost laughs. "Is this a professional inquiry? Or are you really interested?"
Haruna looks at her, on the verge of being upset, but she doesn't explode. "I'm really interested."
"Well, I'm terrible, thank you for asking."
Haruna’s eyes widen. "What?"
Yuko waves her off. "But enough about me. How are you?" she asks, though it's hard to keep the bitter edge out of her tone.
"I'm… okay," Haruna says.
Since Yuko finds she's longer able to keep herself from asking, she says, "What are you really doing here? Acchan could have come by herself to ask that list of questions, no need to involve you."
Haruna finishes her glass of juice before answering. "I wanted to see how you were."
"I repeat: it's nearly midnight."
"I stopped by earlier, but you haven't been home."
"Ah. Yes. I had a full day."
Haruna frowns. "What's wrong, Yuu-chan? You sound – very angry."
Now Yuko laughs. "Me? What in the world would I have to be angry about?"
"Stop. Please, just tell me how you've been since you left the hospital. Acchan said you have yet to accept an invitation for dinner."
"I keep very busy."
Haruna’s features turn from concerned to angry in an instant. "Look, Yuu-chan. I get that you're upset with me, and I can accept that. So, I accept it. Now can we move on? I want to hear how – "
"I'm doing. Yes, yes, fine. I told you already: terrible. I've been spending all of my time going over everything that I've missed." Yuko sounds so bitter, even to her own ears, that she flinches. "News, my company, friends, everything." She pauses and looks at her. "I must say, though, that you handled my family's business even better than I imagined. You not only kept it running smoothly, but you actually made money. For that, I must thank you." Yuko smirks. "I can't tell you how many meetings I've sat through where everyone is thrilled beyond belief that I'm back, and then they tell me I should hire you, that you did such a wonderful job in my stead and I would be so lucky to have you on my team."
Then Yuko returns to angry. "Oh, but then there's also the part about dealing with losing you. That's been a lot of fun."
"Yuu-chan – " Haruna starts.
"No, you asked. And now you get to hear the answer." Yuko stares at her, her mind whirling with what to say next, but she deflates a little when she sees how small Haruna looks. "Actually, I'm done. Now. Your turn."
Haruna takes deep breath and stands up to make a tea out of Yuko’s teabags and say. "Ok, Would you like to hear about the last month? Or the last two years for me then?"
Yuko shrugs. "Fine, let's hear it," she says, like she doesn't care.
TBC
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Need the end, it's mean to keep us hanging like that anonymousstalker-san !
This fic is really fun to read, i hope you will be able to write and post the next chapter soon :)
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:mon cute: what now? It is going to be bad. :mon cry:
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pleas continued it :(
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Aww they spending christmas eve together in the end >w<
You'll finish this story before christmas, rite?
So I'm waiting then XD
Curiosity kills me!
Thankyou~
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christmas is near so im expecting of happy ending for this please :cry: :bow: :heart:
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So Haruna is going to explain herself. . . . . I hope she could convince Yuko so she wouldn't be so bitter and get over what happened so that they could start anew. . . .
That could only happen when Haruna tells Yuko that she's leaving Mariko . . . . well, hopefully she does
And Yuko should have just told Haruna that she intended to propose to her!! . . . .
Thanks for the update! :) :)
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The two finally got the chance to talk seriously.
I can't stand imagining Yuko being bitter :cry: so Kojiharu's explanation better be good.
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A/N: Yey!!! I finished it before deadline :cow: and sorry for hanging you guys on the previous post my bad :P ok... here we go...
Part 7
Yuko shrugs. "Fine, let's hear it," she says, like she doesn't care.
"Alright, then. You were largely correct when you guessed how I passed my first year after your attack. Acchan and Mari-chan convinced me to slow down a bit, and I did. Mari-chan had to ask me out ten times before I said yes—"
Yuko holds up a hand, fire running through her eyes. "We are not at point in – us – where I wish to hear about you and Mariko. Is that clear?"
Haruna glares at her. "Oh, grow up, Yuu-chan. I finally said yes, but then I backed out – "
Now Yuko's livid. "Grow UP? Grow UP? Are you serious? Did you just say that to me?" And she's yelling.
Only, Haruna's yelling too. " – and then, after two more tries, I actually went out with her, and it was awful! I was crying the entire time – "
"Good! You should have been! Your girlfriend was on the nut-floor of the hospital where you worked, and you were off dating someone else!"
" – I felt awful, because it felt like I was cheating on you – "
"You were!"
" – and Mari-chan was really understanding – "
Yuko growls. "What did I told you? I don't want to hear about – "
"No, You asked, and now you get to hear the answer!"
"I was just being polite! Sheesh...You know what I don't really care!" Only both Yuko and Haruna knew that wasn't true, and then Haruna stops yelling, and Yuko sees her eyes water, and that part of her that is still madly in love with Haruna clenches, and tries to force her bodily nearer to her to comfort her.
Yuko however is very glad that the other part of her, the angry part, is currently much stronger than that part.
Yuko refuses to acknowledge Haruna’s tears, and Haruna continues quietly. "I came here to talk to you about – everything. The least you can do is listen."
Yuko doesn't say anything, so Haruna continues.
"Mari-chan is – my friend. And I think she was trying to help me move on – "
"Great. How kind of her, really!" Yuko spits.
" – because she wanted what was best for me. She – "
"What was best for you? No, she wanted you. She always has. And you fell for her little act."
Haruna clears her throat and glares at her. "She was understanding and considerate at a time when I felt all alone. You have no idea what it was like, to see you every day, and know that you had no idea who I was. I have never felt so small—so helpless—in all my life. You would look at me with blank eyes, and answer my questions, and all the while I wanted to scream at you, to kiss you, to make you remember me! But I couldn't; my colleagues told me that was the worst thing I could do—to try and force you into something your mind wasn't ready for. So I waited, and hurt, and cried."
She looks at Yuko, expecting her to interrupt, but Yuko's only staring at her with a cold expression and fiery eyes.
Trembling, Haruna fixes herself a cup of tea, trying to keep herself from crying. It's almost over, now. "It took nearly two years, but Acchan and Mari-chan convinced me to just leave, to let you go as a patient. And – "
"You let me go, in a whole lot of ways, didn't you? After all, you were perfectly happy with her." Haruna opens her mouth, but Yuko stops her. "I don't get it, Nyannyan." Her name feels like dirt in Yuko’s mouth, and Yuko wishes she hadn't said it. "You told me that you never, ever, had any feelings for her. That she was the last person on earth you would – "Yuko can't finish, because it's too much.
Haruna looks at her hands, folded in her lap. "She was – comforting – when there was so much in my life that was upended. She was familiar, and it was nice. She was also afraid you might suddenly snap out of it, though."
"Mariko knew I'd beat her out doing something like that."
"Yes, something like that," Haruna says, with a tiny smile. And that makes Yuko falter a little. Haruna then looks at her. "I missed you every single day, every single moment. There are so many times I thought I would die because surely it couldn't be possible to be in such pain and still live through it. But I did, and slowly the pain decreased. And I believed I was ready to move on with my life." Now Haruna can only whisper. "I never thought you'd get better. I gave up hope, Yuu-chan. For that, I am sorry."
"It’s your fault. How could you do that?" Yuko says, anger dancing on the edges of her words. "I would have waited for you. I never would have thought for one second that things wouldn't turn out okay. I would have waited for you Nyannyan."
Haruna lets a tear fall, and says, in a pained whisper, "I know that. I know that now, and I know that's what I should have done."
Yuko loses the bitter edge, and it's replaced with regret and longing, and sadness. "Of all the things I had—money, fame, my name—all of it, I could have lost all of those things, so long as I still had you. And I wouldn't think twice about them. But instead, now, I keep everything else, but I lose you." Yuko shakes her head and turns away from her, putting the dishes in the sink.
Silence stretches as Yuko washes the plate and fork, and she tries to make it take a long time, but it's one of those things that just can't take forever.
Yuko looks at her, and Haruna's thinking, she can tell.
"What did you do today?" Haruna asks.
Yuko shrugs. "Nothing really." Then she decides there's no harm in telling her the truth. "I went to the hospital, but I couldn't go in. Then I went to the Pub and got to know the bottom of a glass personally. Next I wandered around the park, ending up by the river." Yuko thinks she feels the ring shift in her pocket and she's so conflicted she wants to scream. "Why?"
Haruna shrugs. "Just curious. If you thought about… well, us, at all."
Yuko chuckles sadly. "Did I think about us, you ask? My God, honestly, what do you think? How could I not think about us? Considering I even..." Yuko’s voice trails off and she regrets even that one word. Yuko knows Haruna won't let it lie.
Haruna whips her head up to meet Yuko’s eyes. "What? Considering you even what?"
Yuko shrugs. "What?"
"What did you mean by that?"
Yuko struggles with whether she should tell her. If she does, what will happen? Will it hurt Haruna? Will she care? Yuko shakes her head; of course Haruna will care. Yuko wants to put it all behind her, and maybe telling Haruna is the way to do it. "Considering that I even... planned for us on this date two years ago."
"For Christmas?" Haruna asks, incredulous, and Yuko half smiles.
"Yes."
"But Christmas--."
"I know that. It just happened to fall on that special day, that's all."
Fresh tears fill Haruna eyes. "I started to hate this holiday. I was fond of it before, but after you were hurt, it was the day they told me you were in a coma, with brain damage. Every year, I cry myself out on this day. I wanted to see you today to try and alleviate some of that. This whole month… since you woke up, I've been torn in every possible way. I've wanted to see you, but I wanted to let you heal, let you find your place, too.
"And there was the matter of figuring out what was going on in my own head, which took some time – too long, really, no question, but you know me, I have to be sure. Then this day arrives, and the pain is still fresh, and raw, and I dread December for this day, and I dread the sun rising on this day, because it's like salt, rubbed into my heart, reminding me that the world keeps going, even though it stopped for me this day, years ago."
Yuko doesn't know why, but she wants to tell her. Everything. Now. "Would you like to know what it was like for me?" Yuko asks, not sure if wants to hurt her more or just tell her, because Haruna knows her, and she's always got her. "I know that you know that it was only a month ago for me."
Haruna nods.
"One month isn't a very long time, especially compared to two years." Yuko pauses again and Haruna sets her teacup down, holding her gaze. Yuko nods. "Follow me. And bring your coat." And Yuko turns and leaves the room. Haruna has to rush to catch and keep up with her as Yuko strides through the house, and out the back door, into the garden.
Yuko leads her to the place where she had planned to ask her. Yuko stands, staring at a bush, her mother's favorite.
"What?" Haruna asks, her eyes darting around.
Yuko looks at her and decides, finally, that she has to, Haruna has to know what she'd meant to her, all she'd meant. If Yuko has to moves on, she moves on. If not… she will eventually. Yuko reaches for her pocket. Still keeping her eyes locked on Haruna, she pulls the box from its stronghold and, after giving it a light squeeze, Yuko holds it out to her. Haruna takes it, gingerly, never breaking contact with Yuko’s eyes.
"That was one month ago for me. One. That – that's what I felt like today. For this whole month since I woke up."
Haruna opens the box, and lets the tears fall. Then she ends up on the ground, crying, holding the box, and not even shivering. Yuko notices she hadn't put on her coat, so she puts her coat around her as Haruna sits on the ground and cries.
Haruna stops crying, and can't stop looking at the ring. "Yuu-chan, it's – it's – beautiful."
"Do you really like it?" Yuko asks, kindly now.
Haruna nods, and she wants to put it on, because it still feels like yesterday to her.
"I hoped you would. I thought you would, because you're not the traditional kind of girl, but sometimes you surprised me, and you were the traditional kind of girl, so I wasn't sure."
"I – really like it." Haruna wants to say she loves it, but that particular 'L-word' feels awkward right now. "Yuu-chan, I'm not with Mariko." Haruna isn't sure why she says that, and right then, but it is the main thing she's come to tell her.
It's Yuko’s turn to feel sucker-punched. Yuko thinks her heart is going to pump right through her chest, it's beating so hard, but it's also so light, and the combination can't be good; but in a good way.
"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how. It happened the night you got better, and it's the best thing that could have happened. And it was inevitable anyway, because you were right; Mari-chan wasn't being my friend all the time. She just wanted me to forget you. I realized that weeks before you got better, but I was still so raw that I put off doing anything about it. And it was supposed to be we and Acchan that went out to dinner, but Mari-chan had coerced Acchan into not coming, and then you were better, and Acchan had to stay, and – "
Yuko hushes her with a finger to her lips. Her whole body remembers what it's like to kiss Haruna, and she has to suppress the urge to do just that, because it isn't the right time for that, and maybe Haruna wasn't done telling her things she had to tell Yuko.
"Nyannyan," she says, and now it feels like honey. "I understand." Haruna nods, and Yuko crouches next to her, and she thinks she might float away at the way Haruna's looking at her.
"Remember how you said all that stuff about losing me?"
Yuko nods.
"About your money, and your name, and everything else, but then me?"
Yuko nods again.
"Yuu-chan, you haven't lost me. You never did. I just – got confused, and things got so distorted, and – I'm sorry."
Yuko hushes her, and wipes the tears from her cheeks. "You know where I am, don't you?"
Haruna nods.
"It's been only a month, and I wanted to marry you. You must know I'm still in love with you. But it's been two years for you; there's no way you can feel the same way you once did."
"Well...pretty close," Haruna says, with a little smile. "But you're right, things are different now. I'm probably different. You might find you don't care so much for me anymore."
"Impossible," Yuko says, full of conviction. Yuko takes the ring box from her. "I'm going to just hold this, and keep it safe." Yuko tucks it back into her pants and secures it.
Haruna nods. "It really is perfect, Yuu-chan, for me. I love it," she says, looking into her eyes, hoping Yuko understands that she means Haruna loves her too. Yuko’s eyes flash, and Haruna thinks Yuko finally got it.
"Well, I'm not going to ask you to marry me tonight," Yuko says, standing and holding out a hand to help her stand as well. "But would you like to stay at least for the night?"
Haruna throws her arms around her and says, "I was hoping you’re gonna say that".
Then Yuko finally kisses her because she can't wait any longer, and Haruna kisses her back and Yuko’s world is righted. If only two years late.
END
A/N: You guys already know what happens next...right?! :nervous Merry Christmas :mon santa3:
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aawwwwww . . .. Man! That was great! :D
I wish you would make an epilogue where the two of them finally get married . . . or at least Yuko would propose to Haruna . . ..
It's good the they finally reconciled and made-up . . . . :wub:
Thank you so much for this awesomefic! :D
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:mon exhaust:
You can not imagine how much tension I felt.
But everything is OK now. :grin:
Thank you.
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..............And HAPPY ENDING!!! \(^▿^)/
The heck my tension is up and down from the start till this last chap xD
But somehow I giggled at yuko and haruna's yelling each other in the beginning of this chap, it's like husband-wife quarrel xD
My kojiyuu is together again (≧▽≦)づ♥ *waving hand at mariko*
Thankyou for finishing this story, anon-san! m(_ _)m
Btw me too request for the epilogue! XD lol
Can you? >w<
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i was scared of their talk on the first part of the chapter lol. FINALLY ITS DONE AND HAPPY ENDING! though i want more... hehe lol.jk. THANKS FOR THE FIC! :P :inlove: :thumbsup
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Whew~ It ended well. I'm very satisfied.
I was scared at Yuko for a moment because I thought she would continue being so bitter. Her word are pretty hurtful; full of pain from betrayal.
I want an epilogue too. :D
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thank you so much for this very nice fic! you got my heart~