Anime Shorts

• Kyoya Ootori •

*a scene taken from an oc's story*
Angst

  We met when we were children, at the ripe age of developing lifetime bonds with someone other than imaginary friends and cousins. She was frail then, though as we aged it seemed she only became more sickly as time went on. She bruised easily, her pale skin turning all shades of black and blue at the simplest bump.

  The amazing thing about it though was she never faltered in her stride to make others happy, she was a ball of joy, one of which gave light to my own dark and gloomy world. She was there for everyone, but it was one of those things where she was too kind. The kind of which hid something much darker, something that was locked deep inside her that not even I could release.

  The video played before my eyes almost in slow motion, though I'm not sure if it was because I wanted to savior the moment she graced the screen; or if I was having trouble realizing what was happening. She sat in a chair that was centered in the screen, I could see how fragile she looked.

She opened her mouth to speak, but paused, I could see her bite her lip as she sniffled softly. There was a twisting pain in my chest when I heard it, I swallow hard, readying myself.

"I'm recording this with the hope I will not have to send it," She took in a shaky breath and glanced up at the camera, her violet eyes stared into me. "But I need to have this, just in case."

I feel tears race down my face as she speaks, gripping the stuffed dog in my hands. I know what day this is, and it makes it all so much worse to know she filmed this then.

It was the argument that ended them.

"I'll be blunt, because at this point, why else do I need to beat around the bush?" She laughed humorlessly, her face much darker than it had ever been. "I'm dying."

"The doctors call it 'Pillow Syndrome', an odd name, I know." She looked like she was picking at something that wasn't in screen, I could tell it was the cuticles of her nails baring that assault. "There is no cure, and believe me, I've tried everything. My parents flew me worldwide, saw specialists, saw anyone who would take me."

I cringe at the sound of her voice breaking, it hurt to know that she still filmed this even after we had ended our relationship. Right after to be exact.

"I'll spare you the details of my prognosis, just...know it isn't good." She glanced up again at the camera, no tears to be seen, but she did have a small smile. "I have a slimmer of hope that I'll be able I pull through, that by some miracle they'll find a cure for me and this video will be deleted."

My throat clenches as a sob threatens to break through, the way she speaks doesn't match the look in her eyes.

"I can't feel anything anymore, physically that is, though emotionally is next on the list with where my day is going." She laughed again, raising a hand to swipe across her nose. "It's hard for me to grip things now, and the doctors tell me that my legs are the next thing to go."

"On a happier note, she's finally decided to accept me. She is going to take over the Youna family business until Beatrice is ready to relieve her of it. She had always expressed to me that she wanted to work with young children, so I figured she was the best pick for the position."

It had been five years, and Beatrice had indeed taken over the Youna business, she'd kept the name and renamed a few children's hospital's after her and her parents. In memory of those who had passed on.

"I wonder how that will turn out if it comes to pass, you think it'll be alright, Ootori?"

That stung hard in his chest.

"She's done wonderfully in your stead," I reply to her recorded voice, "She's out done me in millions of ways."

She smiled, this one filled with pain, but I could see it was genuine, it felt as though she heard me speaking to her from the other side of the screen.

"Maybe tell me about it if we ever meet again, okay?"

The video ended.

It had ended too soon for me, but I knew the reason for it. And God did it hurt to realize the mistakes that were made in the past.

I cried for years, never having any closure from her because the last time I spoke to her was when we ended things. But I know the reason was because I'd done a lot of things wrong in the time we'd been together. This video was the closure she was granting me, this was the video she'd left for me.

But..why does it hurt like it happened yesterday? And not five years..seven months..three weeks..six days....

He never stopped counting.