Honoka
I could hear faint whispers as I struggled to fully open my eyes. I groaned as a wave of nausea hit my head.
"Nee-chan?" That was Haruto's voice. I tried to speak up but my throat was too dry to even make out a few words. My eyes adjusted to the bright lights as it fell on my brother's tired and worried face.
"Nee-chan!" His eyes welled up in tears as he lightly grasped my hand, earning a small smile from me. I heard him leave the room, probably to call a doctor.
The door opened once more as I felt someone check my arms and head. I assumed it was the doctor, I opened my eyes to see the friendly face of an elderly doctor.
"Miss Watanabe, glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" I smiled weakly.
"Sore and my head hurts really bad." He nodded, giving me a kind smile as he wrote down something on his chart.
"I'll get you something for that. But now, since you're awake I think you should know about your diagnosis as the rest of your family and your friends who are waiting outside already know. You have quite the crowd worrying about you dear." He giggled and I looked to my brother who sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"Who else is here?" Haruto laughed a bit.
"Well mom and dad just went home a few minutes ago so I took over. Madoka-san and Yui-san came earlier as well and uhm...more than half of Oya and Housen are outside with the Rao faction of Suzuran..." He mumbled the last part to himself but I looked at him in shock and amusement.
The doctor giggled as he looked at my reaction.
"Those boys wouldn't leave no matter how many times we threw them out after visiting hours. Some of our security have a few busted lips because of some of your friends."
"I'm so-"
"It's no trouble dear. As much as I abhor violence, your friends seemed so distraught that we let them stay. They seem like a bunch of good young men despite the amount of bruises I had to treat for them." I giggled.
"Yeah, they're knuckleheads but I love them very much." I smiled before the doctor explained my condition. I was unconscious for 3 days and he said I needed at least a year of rest from dance and months of physical therapy. I was saddened but thankful that I was still alive. My head was hit a bit hard since I landed on the pavement but fortunately I didn't suffer from any other internal bleedings other than a few stitches on my head.
"So I can still dance again?" I worriedly asked and he nodded, giving me a gentle smile.
"With some physical therapy and rest dear, you can surely dance again. Just one day at a time okay?" He said, patting my head gently. I smiled in thanks before I heard a knock on the door.
"Excuse me, Dr. Himura? Uh Ms. Watanabe's guests would like to come in." A nurse meekly said as the door opened slightly, letting me hear some rumbling and loud complaints from outside. I laughed as I clearly recognized Fujio's whining.
"All right but not all of them okay?." Dr. Himura says as the nurse nods and steps back outside to probably inform the boys outside. Only after a few seconds, the door opens again and in walks Fujio, Tsukasa, Todoroki, Sachio, Shoji, Jinkawa, Rao and Mercy.
"Honoka-chan~ We were so worried-ow!" Fujio yelps as Tsukasa pulls his arm back before he attacks me in a hug.
"Be gentle. She's still in pain, Fujio." Tsukasa said, giving me a small smile as he gently brushed some of my hair away.
"I'll leave Onee-chan to you guys. I'll just head to the cafeteria and grab some coffee." Haruto said before kissing my head and leaving the room. The rest of the guys grabbed some chairs and sat around my bed except for Fujio and Sachio who sat on either side of the bed, careful not to touch my legs. Rao and Mercy stood at the foot of my bed, watching on as silence overtook the room.
"Probably the wrong question to ask but how are you really?" Sachio's calm voice broke the silence. He gave me a still worried look.
"Where is he?" They all looked at each other as Sachio kept quiet. I then turned to Todoroki, knowing full well who I was looking for.
"Todoroki-kun." I said and he sighed in response before answering.
"He's outside with Shidaken, Amagai and Suzaki." I flinched, remembering that Ryo was there that night as well. I rubbed my temples as they seemed to ache a bit, causing them all to look at me in worry.
"What's wrong Honoka-chan? Should we call the doc-"
"Are they all right? Both of them.. are they fine?"
"Physically, they're fine but they were pretty shaken up when we came here." Tsukasa answered as he gave me a concerned look.
"What happened that night? Those two didn't explain much about what happened." Fujio asked and I sighed.
"Ryo and I were talking near my house since my parents invited him over after my recital and Yuken saw us. He heard Ryo confessing his feelings for me and an argument ensued and they ended up hitting each other. Then..a truck was coming right at us..I didn't notice it because I was trying to get them to stop fighting..I didn't realize I got hit until I felt dizzy and everything looked blurry..." I explained and it was silent once more for a while.
"So, who do you like more-ow!" Fujio whined in pain as Todoroki and Tsukasa hit his shoulder, the latter giving him an exasperated look. I understood that it was a question needed to be asked but I was shocked that I couldn't give him a straight answer.
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They left soon after, surprisingly a few of them remained namely Tsukasa, Fujio, Sachio and Rao.
"We know we aren't in a position to talk about this since we're not in your shoes nor have we ever.." Tsukasa said, looking to the other 3 who nodded in agreement.
"You love Yuken, right?" Sachio asked and I nodded.
"Of course, very much."
"What about Suzaki? How do you feel about him?" I stopped and sighed as I thought about Ryo. He was nice and he treated me very well. He was there when Yuken wasn't but I didn't want to invalidate my own boyfriend just because he wasn't around much these days.
"He's nice and he treats me really well. But I.." I sighed when I realized that maybe my feelings for him wasn't as innocent as I thought they were.
"I don't know.. I don't know how I feel about him.."
"Do you like him?" Rao asked, finally saying a word.
"Well no..and I don't not like him but.. " I groaned and buried my face in my hands out of frustration. My heart ached.
"Am I a bad person for liking two people?" They all looked at each other and I felt myself shrink in embarrassment and shame. I readied myself for the scolding but instead I felt a gentle caress on my head from Fujio.
"You're the person I least expect to be bad Honoka-chan. You're a literal angel." Fujio gushed, earning a smile from me and small laughs from the rest of the group.
"Don't beat yourself over this. Give yourself some time to think and if those two knuckleheads do love you as they say they are, they'd want you to be happy, no matter what your decision will be." Sachio says, patting my shoulder and giving me a boyish smile. I nodded, smiling and patting his hand in thanks.
They all gave me a hug except for Rao who stayed a bit. I looked at him curiously before he sat on the chair beside my bed.
"I know I'm someone you least expect to give you relationship advice but I've had my fair share of love problems mostly from my foster sisters." He reminded and smiled a bit.
"So..what do you think I should do?" He hummed before slouching forward and placing a reassuraing hand on my shoulder.
"Let me break this down in a way you can relate to.." I nodded as I began to listen.
"Life is like a ballet," he began, his voice gentle as a pas de bourrée. "Each step we take, each leap we make, it's all part of a choreography we write with our hearts."
"Odajima is your dance partner," He continued. "You've rehearsed this ballet together for a long time, and it's beautiful. Your love story is a graceful adagio, full of trust and familiar moves."
I sighed, acknowledging the comfort and stability Yuken provided.
"But, Suzaki," Rao said, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully, "he's like a soloist who's entered your stage. He brings a new rhythm, a new melody. His love story could be an exciting allegro, full of surprises and passion."
I couldn't help but imagine Ryo as a soloist, twirling through my life like a captivating solo dance.
Rao gently placed his hand on my shoulder. "Remember, in ballet, there are no right or wrong choices, only the dance you choose to perform. And sometimes, we need to listen to the music in our hearts."
As I continued to practice my steps, I realized that the decisions I faced were like a delicate pas de deux. The choice was mine, but like a graceful partnership in ballet, it should be one that complemented my heart's rhythm.
In the dance of life, there was room for both the familiar waltz with Yuken and the passionate allegro with Ryo. It was up to me to choreograph my own story, to find the harmony that would make my heart dance with joy. Rao's advice had given me the grace to see that love, like ballet, could be a beautiful performance with many acts, and it was my privilege to choose the steps that resonated most with my heart's cadence.
Now, it was up to me whose steps would match with mine.
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THE NEXT DAY
Today marked the beginning of a new chapter, a chapter I was determined to write with resilience and grace.
The door to my room swung open, and Risa, my physical therapist, entered with a warm smile. "Honoka-chan, are you ready to start your physical therapy?"
I nodded; my eyes fixed on the mirrored wall opposite my bed. "I'm ready."
Risa wheeled a sturdy frame into the room, a ballet barre affixed to it. "We'll start with some gentle exercises to regain your strength and flexibility."
Her encouraging smile and gentle demeanor reassured me as I'm sure she saw my face drop. "We're going to take this one step at a time, Honoka-chan," she said. "You're not alone in this."
With that, we began my first physical therapy session. The room was filled with the sounds of effort and determination, the clinking of weights, and the encouragement from Risa. Every step was a triumph, every stretch a promise of progress.
As the days turned into weeks, my strength gradually returned. My legs, once fragile and wounded, began to regain its former power. The pain, while still present, became a reminder of my resilience. I knew that I was on the path to recovery, and with each passing day, my dream of dancing once more burned brighter in her heart.
And so, in that small rehabilitation room, amidst the challenge and sweat, hope blossomed. My journey to reclaim her art had begun, and she was determined to emerge from it stronger than ever before.
My parents came every day with my brother to cheer me up and bring me home-cooked meals. The boys visited as much as they could. I think something was amiss but I tried not to think about it as much because I had my own problems to deal with.
"Let's take a little break, Honoka-chan. I'll just go grab something from the lobby. Will you be fine by yourself for a while?" Risa asks and I nod, admiring the cherry blossoms that were now in full bloom as I sat on the wheelchair.
I closed my eyes as a cool breeze passed by, relishing in the comfort it brought.
"Honoka." My eyes snapped open as I turned to the owner of the voice in surprise as he stepped closer to me.
"Ryo."
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"I'm sorry that it took me this long to visit you. I was too afraid to face you and your family after what happened. I'm so-" I held up a hand to stop him.
"No please, let me finish. I'm so sorry for forcing you to be with me. I should've understood who and where I stood in your life. I'm so sorry Honey-chan..I'll understand if you hate me now.." He sobbed as he cried in his hands.
I sighed and frowned as I patted his back in comfort.
"Ryo, I don't blame or hate you. It was my fault for unintentionally leading you on...I didn't realize how serious you were about me." I explained as he sniffled, wiping his face as he looked at me with red eyes.
"So..do you like me? And I mean that in more than a friend way.." Ryo asked and I frowned.
"I'm not sure how I feel.." I looked away, prompting Ryo to gently grasp my chin with his hand and made me look at him.
"Then maybe this will help.." He looked at me straight in the eyes, darting to my lips as if asking for permission. I nodded as he gently pressed his lips against mine, closing my eyes as he kissed me.
Unbeknownst to us, a pair of eyes were watching us, his heart breaking as I crumpled up the bouquet he held in his hands, dumping it into the trash as he walked away from the scene.