ㆁbounded by barlines || first colour

bar 19

"I always thought," She began explaining. "If I had made the correct decisions back then, I wouldn't have soo many worries."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I thought that if Hikaru, my children even, had followed my preferred choices I made for him, he would have been happier than I was. But it seems I have done the opposite effect."

I didn't say a word. Who could? That was a mother, blaming herself for making her child unhappy, even if she was trying to give the best to him. Speechless mumbles came from my mouth.

Tears fell from her face. The amount of regret, anger and worry towards herself overwhelmed me.

"Auntie Kae..." I spoke out, grabbing her shoulders.

"Even after you had done those things to him. I'm sure that if you explain to him, he would understand. Because Hikaru isn't that kind of boy who is insensitive."

She looks up at me and gave me a hug. Her frail body leaned onto me as her energy drained little by little out from her body.

"I now understand why Hikaru chose you over Yuri."

Chose me? What was she talking about?

She mumbled to herself after that.

I still kept silent as she wiped her tears away.

"Stay with him. I'm sure he would want you to be there when he wakes."

Blushing, I waved to her as she left the room, a smile on her face as she walked further away from the room.

Turning around, I continued wiping the towel on his face.

"Did you hear that? Your mom really loves you, you know. You are actually quite lucky..."

I placed the towel back into the bowl of warm water.

"You are very loved by the people around you. Even Jun came with your sister, Kinako. She was very worried about you," I rubbed his hand gently. "Ayumi and Yuuta came to visit you too. Hell, even our classmates came."

His cold hand was in mine. I was desperate to retrieve the warmth he used to have in his hand. How the tables had turned. When he held my hand, it was warm. When it was my turn to hold his, it was cold.

Maybe I was a jinx to him after all. Tears formed, threatening to fall as I sucked in the sadness with every ounce of my energy.

"That's why..." I spoke, voice cracking as I brought his hand to my forehead. "You've got to wake up, remember us and come back to school."

And my tears fell.

"Even if everyone else forgets about you, I will wait forever."

Hikaru's POV

It's interesting how being caught between life and death is what I imagined it to be. I had two paths laid out neatly for me. One was brighter than the other.

I stood aimlessly at the foot of the pathway.

I didn't understand my purpose in this. Was I to choose? I shrugged.

Silence settled in, my surroundings allowing me to relax.

A voice came from the left.

"I'm so sorry..."

Who was that?

"Everyone is waiting for you."

A voice came from the right.

A soft, assuring voice. It seemed familiar. Who was that?

"She's waiting for you."

She? Who were they referring to?