Aya stayed by Jesse's side on his first night at the hospital. Even though visitors weren't usually allowed to stay over, Jesse's parents pleaded to the hospital to let her, because Aya doesn't want to leave Jesse's side until he wakes up. Even though she tried her best to stay up, she still fell asleep holding Jesse's hand, the hand she didn't let go, even for once that night. Even if sleeping while sitting, only resting her head on Jesse's bed, she didn't complain one bit. All she wanted was to be with him when he wakes up.
The doctor said Jesse should wake up within the next 24 hours. She was planning to stay up that whole time, but obviously, due to tiredness with all what happened that day, she failed. She was just woken up by the midnight shift nurse when she checked on them.
"Mm..." Aya rubbed her eyes and looked at the just opened door, the nurse standing there.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" the nurse quickly apologized.
Aya shook her head, "No, it's okay... I wanted to stay up anyway, but I fell as well," then she looked at Jesse. He's still sleeping. They removed the oxygen tube from his nose few hours ago when his breathing became stable. He had also recovered enough blood for himself, and the only thing connected to him right now was the electrocardiograph machine, that tracks his heartbeat, and his IV fluid.
"I'm just going to check his IV and give him a shot of pain killer," the nurse informed Aya and approached Jesse's bed side to do what she said.
Aya watched what the nurse was doing and thanked her for making sure Jesse's going to be alright. The nurse smiled at her and said, "It's actually your presence... there's no scientifcal explanation to it, but with my experience here, when a patient's hand is being held, the patient recovers faster,"
"Really?"
"Yes, and make sure to talk to the patient, most of them can hear what the person with them says,"
"I see..." then she looked at Jesse, then back to the nurse, "thank you,"
The nurse smiled, "It's nothing, anyway, I'll get going now, if anything strange happens, just call me, and I changed his IV, so he should be good for the next few hours,"
Aya nodded and looked at Jesse again as the nurse left his room. She held his hand with her both hands now, "Is it true that you can hear me...? Then I guess I'll talk to you," she chuckled, "but I don't know what to talk about, so maybe I'll talk about myself? Hehe, if that's okay with you... that day, when you were bullied, I thought you were the cutest thing in the world, coz you know, you were so small that time, and trembling, and so helpless, I just wanted to hug you that time like a little brother, but mom already called me... but I never really bothered to try and get to know you... cause I saw that you already made friends and you won't need my protection anymore,"
"So, I was really surprised when you approached me after my graduation. To be honest, I was quite happy when you confessed, but like what I told you, I wasn't ready to be in a relationship yet... but during first year junior high, I had a really big crush on Yuya, and it happened, we entered a relationship, and you found out... but you still like me. I actually didn't believe it right away cause it's been a year since we saw each other, and you're starting to be a really good-looking guy, puberty, right? So I thought to myself, 'Naa, this guy probably likes somebody else already, I'm sure girls are lining up for him,"
It's been a couple of hours and Aya was still talking to a sleeping Jesse, "Then I started training you for the presidency, we two got closer... I really appreciated all your effort that time, even though you came from your karate activities, you still came, tired, and sometimes sleepy. I know you didn't want to disappoint me, that's why you were so determined, you kept on giving your best in everything... and look at you now, you seem perfect... even though people say I'm lucky that you're head over heels for me, no... I'm blessed to be friends with you... and sincerely apologize for every bad thing I've done to you, for ignoring your feelings, ignoring your pain, taking advantage of you... I'm so sorry,"
That's when she felt Jesse trying to move his fingers. Aya gasped and looked at Jesse, he was trying to open his eyes, and groaned. He looked at her and tried to speak, "S-sen...pai..." almost whispering because his throat was really dry.
"Gosh... Jesse, wait, I'll get you water," Aya told him and he nodded. Good thing there's an unopened bottle of water in Aya's bag and she quickly assisted him to drink.
"Thanks," Jesse smiled at her. He looked at their hands and smiled even more as he held her hand back. He realized the it was already one in the morning because of the clock on the wall across the room, "You... stayed," his voice was still weak.
"Of course, I can't leave you alone, after what happened, I'd be crazy to leave you alone here," then she paused for a while, looking down, "plus... you never left me when I needed you the most,"
Jesse reached for her face and palmed her cheek. He's still smiling, "I'm happy it's you who I saw first... I wouldn't want to open my eyes without you here,"
Aya blushed and gently rubbed her cheek on Jesse's hand while holding it, "I'll stay here until you get released,"
We don't really have to say it, right? But this is actually how lovers act... we just need to make it official, right? All I can do now is fall for him even more, and wait for him to confess to me again. Even though we're not official, I won't be handing him to anyone. He's mine... Jesse is mine. I will not ignore him anymore, I will not push him away anymore, I won't avoid him anymore, and mostly, I will not try to fight these feelings for him. Even if I have to wait for his confession, I'll wait as long as I can... he waited for me and I need to do the same for him, I want to do the same for him. I have probably fallen for him longer than I have realized... no one can tell, but I'm his now... Not Yuya's, not Hokuto's... but Jesse's.
"How about school? The SC...?" Jesse asked her.
"Those are not my priorities right now... Inoo-kaichou will understand and so as the school, we both need time to recover, I can just say I was traumatized by the experience and needed rest... Tina can always lend me her notes,"
"Well... I'm in no position to complain anyway," Jesse chuckled, "I do think I'll get better fast if you're here... but where will you sleep...?"
Aya looked at the sofa behind her, "That sofa will do, I'll move it beside the bed if you want,"
Jesse nodded, of course he wanted her to be close to him. Aya got up, she had to let go of Jesse's hand, and for a moment, both of them felt a sense of being incomplete. Jesse then watched her move the sofa to his bedside and quickly held her hand when she was all set.
"Good thing your mom left blanket and a couple of pillows here when they came by," Aya commented, holding Jesse's hand as well.
"Are you feeling sleepy?" Jesse inquired.
Aya shook her head, "Not at all, how about you?"
"If not for the pain on my side, I'm all energized, to be honest,"
"But you're going to need more rest,"
Jesse thought for a while then looked at Aya, "If you rest, then I'll rest,"
Aya chuckled, "Oh, playing dirty huh?"
"No! It's just, it'd be boring for you if I sleep and you're awake, and it'll be boring for me to be just up alone, that's why, we should sleep at the same time," Jesse explained.
"Okay then, if you say so, since I want you to rest, I'll sleep now," Aya laid down, her hand on top of Jesse's bed so she can keep holding his hand while sleeping, "good night, Jesse,"
"Un, sweet dreams senpai,"
As promised, Aya stayed by Jesse's side the next few days until he was released from the hospital. Their close friends visited everyday, as well as Jesse's family, miracurously, even Aya's parents came to visit as well despite their busy schedule. Of course, their daughter was almost taken by a group of gangsters and it's only proper for them to pay a visit to the person that saved her.
Aya really took care of Jesse while he was in the hospital, and thanks to her care, instead of one whole week, he was released two days earlier than expected. But he was still instructed by the doctor to just stay in bed for the next three days. At home, it was his mom that already took care of him, since Aya was already attending school, but she would come by after school to check on him.
"Your desk in SC is already full of fan letters you know," Aya told him as she was feeding him soup in his bedroom.
"I won't even have the time to read them if it's too many, plus I'm sure they're all saying 'get well soon' right?"
"True that, but what if I tell you that one of those letters is mine?" Aya smiled.
"Then I'd read every single one until I find which one's yours,"
Aya laughed a bit, "You... don't worry, if I have a letter for you I'll hand it to you directly," then she paused, "Ne, what do you want for your birthday?"
"Homemade cookies from senpai," Jesse answered right away.
"Eh? Don't you want anything not consumable? So you can keep it...?"
"I'll forever keep it in my memories," Jesse smiled, "I want to taste senpai's cookies,"
Aya chuckled, "Fine, cookies it is then.. didn't expect you to be happy so easily with just cookies,"
"Because if it's senpai, I'll be happy,"
Aya blushed. Somehow, that if it's senpai statement from Jesse always catches her off guard. She smiled, closed her eyes and leaned her forehead to his shoulder, "You never fail to amuse me,"
Jesse turned his head towards her and kissed the top of her head, "I'm glad to hear that from you, senpai,"
"Why did I take so long to notice you? I'm so blind am I...?" Aya questioned, not really expecting an answer.
"Because there's always a right time for everything," Jesse answered, referring to what Aya told him when he first confessed to her, "maybe fate was just waiting for me to be a proper man, or... fate wanted you to have your heart broken first to appreciate more something that you had lost... or maybe fate was teaching me to be patient first, we'll never know,"
"Yeah," smiling, she clung to Jesse's arm, "you're right,"
Aya totally agreed. She was sure that fate taught her to appreciate Jesse's presence in her life even more. She learned this when she was on the brink of losing him, not once, but twice. Jesse has unknowingly become the most important person in her life, and for her to realize that, Jesse had to turn his back on her twice. First, when he wanted to run away from her and Hokuto, second, when he needed to turn his back on her to protect her and face his opponents. Before, it was Jesse who's always behind her, just following her wherever she goes. It seemed to have been reversed now. Jesse was already taking the lead and Aya was gladly following him.