Warning: Major Angst and character death [ may possibly need tissues ] Also the song versus aren't meant to be read with the song, it's just that the lyrics fitted it so I placed them in there and I had the idea of putting song lyrics into a fic so yeh.
No update for Two years but extra long angsty one-shot makes up for it right? 
✿
When The Cherry Blossom Petals Blooms ✿
I remember when I transferred in the first year of junior high, you were the only one who was absent. Your seat was next to the window and mine was next to yours. You didn't come to school for a week and when I asked my new classmates about you, thats when I found out.
Your name was Maeda Atsuko and you had leukemia.
You hadn't come to school when I transferred because you were doing treatment at the hospital.
I was expecting to see a frail weak looking girl when you returned to school a few days later, not a cheerful girl.
You were in class before me and you sat at your seat, with a beanie on your head, looking out the window. When you heard the sound of my chair being pulled back, you turned around and smiled at me and introduced yourself.
That was one of the brightest smile I had seen from anyone and it made my heart beat faster for a reason I didn't know back then.
We somehow got closer through the years, I'd write down notes on the days you had to go for treatment and visit you at home and help you with your homework. And then we'd fall asleep together on your bed and your mother would put a blanket over us.
In our third year of junior high, they said you were cured, you were free from leukemia though there was a chance you could have a relapse, but it was low.
Our class had a party in celebration, celebrating that you could grow your hair again and it'd be beautiful. That you wouldn't need to go to the hospitals that often and you wouldn't feel so much pain anymore. That you were a fighter, for not losing to the cancer during your young childhood years.
♫ A spring breeze
Comes from somewhere
Changing the colours
Of this familiar road♫
We were in the same class in high school, and once again, we were seated right next to each other. Your hair had grown now, though it was short, you still looked beautiful.
And whenever we talked, my heart would beat faster for a reason I still hadn't known.
We had a group of friends, some who had come from another school but still, we were great friends. Having lunch and sometimes going out for little window shopping dates after school became our little thing.
♫This season
Puts the happiness and sadness in the past
And we start walking
A new road♫
A few days after your birthday, I finally couldn't resist asking the one question on my mind.
"Why is my heart beating so fast around you, Atsuko? I asked everybody but they refused to tell me, telling me to ask you instead.." I nervously asked as you stared at me with wide eyes.
A smile slowly spread on your face and you cupped my face to make me look at you.
"When your heart beats fast around someone.. it means you like them, Minami. Like like-like them," You told me with a huge smile on your face. I began blushing hard and you giggled.
"I-I," All I could do was stutter as you continue to stare at me.
"My heart beats fast around you too, Minami. And I really like you a lot, more than best friends. Do you feel the same way?" You asked, knowing my true feelings but still wanted me to say it out loud.
"I do, Atsuko, I do. I like you more in the more than best friends way too." I said shyly and you once again giggled. I will always love that giggle, I decided.
"This means we're girlfriends now right~?" You happily said and before I could answer, planted a quick kiss on my lips.
I nodded shyly, not trusting my voice. My face felt hot and it was probably really red.
You cheered happily before kissing me once more and then immediately getting on your phone to mail the news to our friends. All of whom had said it was about time we got together.
♫Whether it’s a sunny day or a rainy one
Tomorrow will come
So I’ll smile
As I take a step♫
We had been dating for a year, now in our second year of high school. However, a week after your birthday, you didn't come to school and I couldn't contact you.
♫Under the spring-coloured sky
You start walking alone
Down the long road you painted
Like a dream you had one day♫
I had asked everyone what happened to you, including your mother but she was crying when I called her and she couldn't get a word out. That's when I realized something bad had happened to you.
Then you finally called me, but you sounded different.
Your voice sounded weaker than before and you sounded exhausted.
"M-minami, sorry for not contacting you," You said into the phone and your voice brought tears to my eyes.
"I..I just didn't know how to tell you," Your voice cracked towards the end of your sentence and you sounded choked up.
"What is it, Atsuko? Tell me, please," I choked out. You let out a sob and a hiccup before you continued.
♫The tear that landed on my cheek
When you looked back uncertainly
And forced a smile
Was a period
To help me grow up♫
"I relasped, Minami. It came back." You cried into the phone. And I cried with you. I immediately went to the hospital, to see you lying the bed, tears and snot running down your face. And your hair was gone.
But you still looked beautiful to me. No matter what.
I walked over, and you tried to speak before I hushed you. I made a motion for you to make some space for me on the bed and you did. I climbed in, intertwined my hand with yours tightly and leaned my head on your chest.
Listening to your heart beating, fighting for you to stay alive.
You tried to say something again but I hushed you.
"Let's stay like this for a while, Atsuko."
♫When I look up at the sky
Its vastness
Showed me how endlessly long
This road is♫
We fell asleep like that, like old times. Not too long later your mother woke me up, careful to keep you asleep, and she pulled me out into the hallway. I asked her how it happened and she started to cry again, causing my own tears to well up.
She said she didn't know how, there wasn't any signs of a relapse until you collapsed at home a day after our one year anniversary.
And apparently, this time the cancer was stronger than before.She told me how the doctors didn't have much hope for her anymore, that you wouldn't have long to live.
And that's when I broke down further, slowly sliding down to floor and sobbing my eyes out.
♫The cherry blossoms are a future bookmark
I pray that I’ll remember
The dreams I had one day...
The cherry blossoms are a bookmark of hope
Instead of giving up
I’ll open to this page♫
After that you woke up, and called for me. I quickly wiped my tears and calmed myself before walking back in. From the expression on your face, I knew that you knew I had heard the news. However you gave me one your beautiful smiles and instead asked about our friends.
I sat on the chair beside the bed, intertwined our hands once again and then told you what you had missed. You listened enthusiastically, adding in your thoughts here and there.
I continued to talk before realizing you weren't paying attention to me. You were staring out at the window, at the cherry blossom tree.
"Do you think I'll live long enough to see the cherry blossoms bloom, Minami? Do you think that maybe I could graduate school as well?" You whispered and I squeezed your hand at the longing in your voice.
"You'll live long, Atsuko. You'll be able to fight the cancer again. We'll be able to see the cherry blossoms bloom every year." I said, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince you or myself.
But still you turned back to face me, signaled me to move closer to you and when I did, you planted a kiss on my lips like you always did and gave me a wide grin.
And then you told me to continue talking, because you liked listening to my voice.
♫The area by the classroom window
Is warm and sunny
Not much time left on the spring calendar♫
Now we were third years and we were about to graduate high school in a month. I was worried at first, when you said that no matter what, you still wanted to graduate high school. Though I was worried, you seemed to be doing well with your studies, even better than I was.
Occasionally, I could hear the whispers of our schoolmates, talking about you and I. About how unfortunate we were. But then Yuko would give them a glare and they would shut up and run off. But you still had a smile on your face and ignored them.
♫When I look around in class
All my friends
Wearing the same uniform
Look grown-up♫
You seemed frailer than ever now, but still you were beautiful to me. You were lying in your hospital bed and you were staring out the window again. And I simply studied our held hands, and then I would study your face.
"Hey Minami?" You quietly said, still staring out the window.
"Hm?"
"Whenever the cherry blossom petals bloom, I want you to remember them as me." You turned and looked at me, and I nodded. And then you turned back to the window. After a few more minutes of silence, you asked if we could watch a movie and I let you pick out one and we soon fell asleep, cuddled together in each others arms like old times with the movie still playing softly in the background.
♫We’re all going to set out
To our respective futures
We have
The wings of dreams
On our backs♫
When it was the day before graduation, you insisted that you wanted to go to school and personally receive it. You even started to cry a little when your mother tried to talk you out of it. In the end she agreed.
On the day of our graduation, you put on your uniform with the help of your mother, and then I carried you and gently placed you down on the wheelchair.
"I feel like a princess when Minami carries me like that~" You said with a huge smile and giggled and I blushed. I took the blanket your mother held out to me and placed it over your lap. You protested saying you didn't need it but you let me do it anyway.
We arrived at school late but nobody minded. Yuko and the others met us outside the school hall and opened the doors for you and I.
We had interrupted the principal's speech but nobody said anything as our friends led us over to our seats with our class. I sat beside you and then the principal continued his speech and you rested your head on mine and wove your fingers through mine.
I couldn't pay attention when all I could think about was how thin you had gotten. I quickly shook the thought out of my mind and tried to pay attention to what the principal was talking about.
The only thing I managed to catch from his speech was something about cherry blossoms.
"The cherry blossoms are blooming now. And cherry blossoms are the bookmark in our hearts," He'd said and you repeated it and whispered to me that you liked that sentence.
Soon after, it was time to receive our certificate and our class was up first. We watched as our classmates went up one by one to receive it and you were talking about how proud you were of them and how glad you were that you were in this class.
Then it was your turn and silence suddenly fell upon the hall as the principal called out your name and everyone watched as I got up and wheeled you to the stage.
He was going to bend down and give it to you but you stopped him and told me to help you up and I protested for a moment before you gave me those puppy dog eyes.
I sighed and helped you up, holding onto your arm as you smiled at the principal and received your certificate and then even managed to bow at him and the rest of the students before slowly sitting back down into the wheelchair.
You were breathing hard and I quickly pushed you back to our seats and handed you a bottle of water and you drank it, thanking me.
♫When I look back, both my joy and sadness
Have left a road
I was never
Alone♫
After all the classes have received their certificates, the principal once more congratulating us before letting us go. Our teacher suggested that since the cherry blossoms were blooming, we should take a picture outside with it. Everyone immediately turned to look at the two of us, silently asking if we were okay with it.
"I don't thi-" I started to say but you placed your hand on mine to stop me.
"Sure, let's take our last picture together as a class!" You smiled at them and looked up at me with eyes that told me to go agree with her. I nodded and smiled to assure her I wasn't upset.
Everyone slowly walked out, with our friends beside us and talking about their plans now that they've graduated. You were listening enthusiastically to them, though I could see you were clearly exhausted, you still talked cheerfully with them, even promising to make plans to meet them in the future. At that, I felt tears well up in my eyes.
I wanted to desperately believe that you truly were going to be able to beat the cancer again but I knew, our friends knew, at one look that you were losing the fight.
And no matter how much any of us desperately wished and pleaded to God that you were going to win this fight, we knew that you were losing and we couldn't do anything about it.We reached the huge cherry blossom tree and watched as the crowd of parents as well as students that were in front of it slowly part to make way for us. We walked towards the tree and you thanking them along with our classmates.
We got into three rows, you and I were in the middle and you laced our hands together and we all smiled as our teacher counted down before taking the picture.
♫I smile
In our graduation photo
I want to watch
The seasons go by
Goodbye♫
A day after that, you fell into worse conditions than you were before and you were always sleeping when I visited at the hospital. Occasionally you woke up when one of our friends visited and you greeted them before you'd let out a ragged breath and fell back asleep.
"I'm always tired and sometimes it hurts, but if Minami is here with me, I can bear with it." You told me during one of the rare times you were awake enough. At that I broke down and sobbed into our held hands and you started to cry as well.
"I'm so sorry Minami, I'm sorry you fell in love with some-" You started to say through your tears and I stopped you.
"No, don't apologize Atsuko. I'm actually glad I fell in love with you, I don't think I'd love someone else as much as I love you. Remember that." I told you and started to hum a tune and you slowly calmed down and fell asleep soon after. I looked out of the window that you liked so much, and found that the sakura tree outside was also blooming, with petals floating in the wind. A few petals even managed to fly in and land by your bedside.
When you woke up after that and saw the petals in the wind, you told me you wanted to go out and see that tree. I protested saying that you shouldn't go out, your body is weak. But you looked me straight in the eyes and said,
"Minami, I can feel it." My breathing stopped for a moment before I nodded. I went to request for a wheelchair and when the nurse brought it into the room, she gave me a small smile.
I carried you onto the wheelchair and you muttered something about feeling like a princess once again and giggling and I smiled as I placed a blanket over your lap. You pulled along your iv as we went out of the room, we came across your mother but she didn't say anything to stop us instead she smiled and patted you on the head before continuing on to your room.
It was like she knew as well.When we reached the tree, and you spotted a bench in front of it and pointed towards it and I pushed us over. We admired the petals that were floating in the wind for a minute or two before you spoke again.
"Minami, I want to sit on the bench, please." You turned to look at me and I smiled and nodded before carefully lifting you up and onto the bench. You pulled on my arm and then told me to sit with you and I did.
I wrapped my arms around you and you rested your head on my right shoulder. We sat there for a while just like this, watching the cherry blossom petals float into the sky and then down to the ground.
"Minami, I'll miss you.." It was barely a whisper but I heard it and my breath stopped.
"I love you, Minami." You said and looked at me.
"I love you too, Atsuko." I replied, giving you a dimpled smile and you grinned and motioned me to put my face closer with trembling fingers. I did as requested and just like the many times before, you pecked me on the lips, slightly longer than any of the previous times and with much more love in it.
You then turned your attention back to the tree and once again a comfortable silence fell upon us.
"Sing a song, Minami. I want to listen to your voice." You whispered, intertwining our hands and placing them on your lap and then closed your eyes as I started to sing.
And a few moments later, I choked up and started to cry as I felt your grip on my hand loosen and felt you let out your last breath.I immediately hugged your body tighter to me and started to wail and watched through blurry eyes as a few petals floated over and landed on your still body.
"I already miss you Atsuko," I choked out, my tears falling onto your head.
♫Petals of tears fall
Down my cheeks as I walk away
As I look up at the blue sky
And take a big, deep breath
Petals of tears fall
As beautiful as my memories
Let’s wave as we walk up the stairway to adulthood together♫
I placed the bouquet of flowers on top of your grave and brushed away the dirt that had gotten onto the gravestone. And I sang softly, the song that you last heard.
Maeda Atsuko
July 10 1991 - March 24 2009
Beloved daughter, friend and girlfriend
"You're here as well, Minami?" Yuko's voice came from behind and I turned to see her and her girlfriend, Haruna. I smiled and nodded and moved aside as they set down their bouquet of flowers they brought. They bowed and Yuko and squatted down before touching the gravestone with her fingertips and whispering to it.
I watched as the cherry blossom petals that Atsuko loved floated down onto her grave from the tree that her grave was planted beside, some landing on the three of us, as if it was Atsuko saying hello to us.
I smiled and closed my eyes, feeling the wind once again around me.
"I miss you Atsuko," I breathed out in a whisper and then opened my eyes and saw Yuko and Haruna looking away as if to give me some privacy with her.
I moved to be in front of the grave again and like Yuko did before, reaching out my hand and letting my fingers stroke the smooth stone.
"I wonder, if Heaven is nice for you right now... I think it's nice isn't it?" I paused for a moment before continuing. "I'll come and visit again next week, okay? I'm going to go now. I love you forever, Atsuko." I finished and stood up and walked over to the couple and I gave a wave to the grave before walking out of the cemetery.
"How are you doing, Minami?" Yuko asked as we walked into a cafe.
"Fine, Miichan gave me a job at her cafe so it's good that I've got money to cover my rent." I answered and I looked at the menu as we sat down.
"What about.. love life?" Yuko cautiously asked and Haruna elbowed her.
"It's okay, Haruna. I have no interest in dating, Yuko. I don't think I'll find anyone more special than Atsuko." I answered with a smile then turned to the waitress and ordered Katsudon.
"Ahh," Yuko simply said before she and Haruna ordered too. Then the couple began to talk and I looked out of the shop's window.
For a moment there, I saw Atsuko standing in front of the glass, holding a few cherry blossom petals in her hand and she smiled at me.
"I love you, Minami." She mouthed before she faded into petals.
I smiled.
♫When the cherry blossom petals bloom
I can hear the bells of hope ringing somewhere
Giving us the freedom and courage
Of tomorrow
When the cherry blossom petals bloom
Someone is surely praying somewhere
To open the door to a new world with their own hands♫
"I love you too, Atsuko."
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HOW WAS THAT ANGST FOR YOU GUYS BC IT WAS HORRIBLE ON ME
I was crying while writing this but I had to get the angst out of my system oh god.
Also I will write a second part for Fragments of You and I since some people wanted it but it will take a while~
BUT HERE TAKE THIS ANGSTY OS INSTEAD
I'll run before people kill me for this angst
Topic: « chrunoi's SS + OS » (Read 24240 times)